Bhagavad Gita Chapter 15 - Lesson 1 of 8

INTRODUCTION

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Desire is an energy. That energy is abused by creating self-conflicting desires and self-doubting patterns, which put us into restlessness. If we don't complete with our self-doubts (ātma sandeḥ), we fall into depression, into self-revenge (ātma droha). He gave techniques to clear self-conflicting desires. Our own desires, born out of our mūla vāsanās, the root patterns, carry their own energy for fulfillment, as they are the basic needs and purpose with which we were born. The Universe blesses us with the power to meet all our real needs. When we are born on this planet we are sent with all that we need. However, once here, we accumulate other desires. Because of our root patterns, these desires are the wants that we borrow from others by comparing, copying and envying others. Saṁskāras are stored in our unconscious mind layer. Root thought patterns, saṁskāras, drive our actions. The Bṛhadaranyaka Upaniṣad says, ‘We are our desires. Desires shape our will. Our will shapes our actions. Actions make us what we are.

Now, Kṛṣṇa moves on to the next layer, where saṃskāras are stored in the seed form. Even if we move beyond the three layers of desire, restlessness and depression, these root patterns, saṃskāras in seed form, called bīja saṃskāra (bīja meaning seed), need to be cleared and completed. Kṛṣṇa speaks of techniques to destroy these bīja saṃskāras.

These may not express themselves in us right now. Yet if they are allowed to be there in seed form, at one time or another, they will exploit us. Kṛṣṇa says, ‘The roots of the tree are on the outside; the branches are inside.’ From the causal body, if the roots are taken to be outside, it should be in the earlier three layers ending with the physical body. In a tree, the roots feed nutrients to the tree. The tree takes water and minerals through the roots. The roots decide the condition and growth of a tree.

That is why Kṛṣṇa says the roots of the tree are in the physical body. The tree of saṃskāra is watered by the five senses of the physical body and our actions. The saṃskāras in seed form in the causal body are formed and watered by the five senses of the physical body. He says one who has the knowledge that the root patterns or saṃskāras, which constitute the causal body, are the result of the five senses, knows the Vedas or has the knowledge of life’s guiding force.

The water a tree receives through its roots mainly decides the condition of the tree. If good water and manure are available, the tree flourishes. The leaves will be green. If poison is poured on it, the tree sheds its leaves and slowly dies. This tree of saṃskāras, which is in the causal body, lives mainly due to the five senses. Kṛṣṇa uses the word aśvattha which also means that which is transient, that which is not today as it was yesterday and which will not be tomorrow as it is today

Aśvattha signifies this state of
unawareness. To understand this
unawareness produced by our
senses and directed by our root
patterns, saṁskāras, is to gain
knowledge, the Vedas. Kṛṣṇa goes
on to explain more about this state
of unawareness. Kṛṣṇa says the
roots go upwards as well as
downwards. He says the leaves of
the tree are decided by the tricks
of the five senses and the resultant
action of mankind. The roots are
not only in the physical body, but
also in the action. Kṛṣṇa says the
tree is deeply rooted because the
action of the entire mankind is
always result oriented. It is always
guided by greed and fear.!

The aśvattha tree, the banyan tree, is like a human body. Its roots, like in a human being, are above, like our hair. The hair is said to be a channel to draw in cosmic energy. Our limbs, hands and legs are like branches of the banyan tree. The human system is truly upside down! Kṛṣṇa gives a beautiful tip to be complete with the root patterns, saṃskāras. If we are not guided by greed and fear patterns, if our actions are not result-oriented, no root patterns will be created. If you enrich selflessly for at least half an hour a day, it will do you a lot of good. It will create the space of completion in you. While enriching others and yourself, don't plan anything. But at a later date, this time alone will be felt as purposeful and complete. If your enriching service is fueled by the patterns of greed or fear, you may end up in a mess and be a nuisance to others, too.

You need to know, if you are enriching with a vested interest, you will give-up on people. Don’t have any vested interest. Enrich just for the sake of enriching. Enriching makes you just grow to the next level of you. Enrich and Be Free from Kārmic Cycle. Listen Don’t plan anything. Just do enriching service anywhere. Then the enriching you do will infuse enormous power into your being. Enriching is the power of your being. Real enriching means — you transmitting the highest possible consciousness to others.

Do not enrich with the small purpose. Listen! Now I am giving the right and complete reason for enriching. Because everyone is part of you, enriching every being is nothing but enriching some part of you. Enrich others. Listen! Anything you see is extension of you. Anything or anybody you experience is extension of you. So, when you enrich them, parts of you are enriched. When they feel completion, part of you will become complete.

Mostly we do charitable work based on notions of earning brownie points that will do us good in our afterlife, whether we believe in rebirth or not. Or we would like to see ourselves in the media and feel good. It fulfills our need for attention either in this world or in another world after death. When you work, whether it is charitable as you and society define it, or commercial, as long you do it with no expectation of results, just enriching because others are your very own extension, your actions will be selfless. These actions are not motivated by fear and greed patterns. They will not result in the hangover of root patterns, saṁskāras. When you enrich, you can define the process of your actions and not the results. When a defined process is followed, results naturally follow. If we follow the right path with the right reason, we reach the right destination. It takes courage of authenticity to create the space of possibility and implement this. It takes courage of your being to say that we will work only to enrich without expecting rewards. It takes a truly complete person to cognize the right reason for enriching; that what is important is 'doing' and not 'doership' and that status is not as important as the state of doing.

If we are able to create this right
space of enriching, we will find a
true liberation within ourselves.
We will experience the power of
living, constantly expanding! A
load will be lifted from our
shoulders. The anxiety of
constantly looking over our
shoulder to peep into the future
will be gone.
We look at past results to define
what needs to be done for the
future. All what needs to be done
is being in the space of completion
in the present, define an enriching
path in everything we do and take
responsibility that the ‘doing’
happens with integrity and
authenticity. If this is done with
awareness, results will follow. Real
enriching is making people live
enlightenment. Take up this as a
life. You will see all kinds of
miracles happening in your life.

Illustration of a person with a flute and a pot

GOALS:

Inspiring the students to go on
enriching others. Enriching done
with a selfless attitude and with
awareness that the others are an
extension of ourselves, leads to
expansion. Real enriching is
making others live
enlightenment.

ASSESSMENTS

What is real enriching?

What does the spiritual practice of enriching involve?

What is the benefit of practicing enriching others?

What is the right context in which enriching must be done?

What causes Aśvattha or a state of unawareness?

Does the study of the Vedas help us combat unawareness?

ART OF THE DAY

ART OF THE DAY:

THE TREE OF SAMSKARA

MATERIALS NEEDED:

Glue

Salt

Liquid watercolor

Thick paper

PROCEDURE: Squeeze the Glue Bottle on to the paper to make a pattern or design. Sprinkle the paper with salt until the glue is thoroughly covered. Tilt the paper to let excess salt fall away. Dip your paint brush into liquid watercolor paint then gently touch the salt-covered glue lines. The paint will spread across the raised salted glue lines. Let the artwork dry.

INFERENCE: The tree of saṃskāras, the causal body which houses the seeds of our root patterns, is similar to the aśvattha tree (banyan tree). It has roots going in both directions-upwards and downwards. The leaves of the tree are nourished or destroyed depending on inputs it receives from the roots. The inputs absorbed by our senses and the impressions our actions eg. words, make on our being, shape our samskaras. The downward roots are not only in the five senses in the physical body, but also deep rooted in our actions. The upward roots are above, like human hair, they can be channeled to draw in cosmic energy.

ACTIVITY OF THE DAY

ACTIVITY OF THE DAY: LISTENING WITH INTEGRITY

Procedure:

Let’s listen with integrity to a small story: A scholar lived on the banks of the sacred Yamuna river. Daily he offered ritual worship to Kṛṣṇa. A milkmaid brought milk for the scholar on a regular basis. One day, she did not come because it had rained heavily the previous night and the river had flooded. The following day when she arrived at the scholar’s home, he asked, ‘Why didn’t you bring my milk yesterday?’ She replied, ‘The river was flooded and I was unable to cross it.’ The scholar told her, ‘Many have crossed the saṃsāra sāgar (ocean of worldly life) by chanting Kṛṣṇa’s name. Yet you can’t cross a small river. Chant His name and cross!’ Like a typical scholar, he showed off his dry knowledge to impress the poor milkmaid while also scolding her for missing a day of service. The milkmaid received his words as absolute truth. From that day onwards, the milkmaid was on time.

Sometime later, the river flooded again. The milkmaid shocked the scholar by arriving at the usual hour. He asked her, ‘How did you manage to cross the river?’ The milkmaid replied, ‘Due to your guidance, master. I chanted Kṛṣṇa’s name and walked upon the water as you told me.’

© 2020 Sri Nithyananda Paramashivam. All Rights Reserved The scholar could not digest it. He demanded proof. The milkmaid agreed. They went down to the riverbank. The milkmaid chanted Kṛṣṇa’s name and walked upon the water. She just floated and crossed the river. The scholar could not believe what was happening. He thought, ‘If an ignorant milkmaid can walk on water based on my teachings, why can’t I, a great scholar?’ He started chanting Kṛṣṇa’s name. But, as he approached the water, he lifted his waistcloth so as not to wet it. He stepped into the water and sank. He didn’t actually have any authentic belief in what he told the milk-maid. He just spoke those words to show off his knowledge. But his inner space felt the impossibility of crossing the water. And the milkmaid was so authentic, her space was filled with making the impossible, possible!

Illustration of Lord Krishna playing the flute

Portrait of a smiling young person with traditional forehead markings

INFERENCE:

If the disciple is in a receptive mood of listening with integrity, even casual words of the Master can be techniques for his growth; it will enrich him. Even if the master is unenlightened or if the master has no belief or experience of his own words, the disciple’s authentic belief in the possibility surmounts any obstacle.

WORKSHOP OF THE DAY

WORKSHOP OF THE DAY:

VAAKYARTHA SADHAS

Illustration of an easel with brushes and a cup of paint, surrounded by planets and stars

PROCEDURE:

1. The topic of discussion is: 'This Universe can fulfill the needs of all its inhabitants; but it cannot fulfill the wants of even a single person.'

CONCLUSION:

When we are born on this planet we are sent with all that we need. However, once here, we accumulate other desires because of our root patterns, these desires are the wants that we borrow from others by comparing, copying and envying others. With completion the creation of space happens for whatever we want to make as reality.