Components Of Action
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THE SPH NITHYANANDA PARAMASHIVAM
नियतस्य तु संन्यासः कर्मणो नोपपद्यते ।
मोहात्तस्य परित्यागस्तामसः परिकीर्तितः
॥ १८-७ ॥
jñānaṁ jñeyaṁ parijñātā
trividhā karmacodanā karaṇaṁ
karma karteti trividhaḥ
karmasaṁgrahaḥ
Knowledge, object of the
knowledge and the subject of
the knowledge, the knower,
are the three factors that
stimulate action; the senses,
the action and the performer
comprise the three
components of action.
POWERFUL COGNITION
If we find our own answer for
the ‘why’ we will become
spiritually enlightened!
ज्ञानं कर्म च कर्ता च त्रिधैव गुणभेदतः ।
प्रोच्यते गुणसङ्ख्याने यथावच्छृणु तान्यपि
॥ १८-१९॥
jñānaṁ karma ca kartā ca
tridhaiva guṇabhedataḥ
procyate guṇa-saṅkhyāne
yathāvac chṛṇu tānyapi
According to the science of
guṇas, there are three types in
knowledge, action, and
performers of action. Listen as
I describe them.
POWERFUL COGNITION
A sattvic person is not focused
on himself, he is focused on
enriching others.
सर्वभूतेषु येनैकं भावमव्ययमीक्षते ।
अविभक्तं विभक्तेषु तज्ज्ञानं विद्धि सात्त्विकम्
॥१८-२०॥
sarvabhūteṣu yenaikaṁ
bhāvamavyayamīkṣate
avibhaktaṁ vibhakteṣu taj
jñānaṁ viddhi sāttvikam
That knowledge by which
one imperishable reality is
seen in all Existence,
undivided in the divided, is
knowledge in the state of
goodness.
POWERFUL COGNITION
Once you focus on the present,
your space of completion
increases manifold and you drop
expectations and attachment.
पृथक्त्वेन तु यज्ज्ञानं नानाभावान्पृथग्विधान् ।
वेत्ति सर्वेषु भूतेषु तज्ज्ञानं विद्धि राजसम्
॥१८-२१॥
pṛthaktvena tu yajjñānaṁ
nānābhāvān pṛthagvidhān
vetti sarveṣu bhūteṣu taj
jñānaṁ viddhi rājasam
The knowledge by which one sees different realities of various types among all beings as separate from one another; such knowledge is in the mode of aggression.
POWERFUL COGNITION
Only if you are conscious, you can attract the space of completion.
IN THESE VERSES KṛṣṇA EXPLAINS THE NATURE OF MAN, THE HUMAN.
The guṇas are of three kinds: satva, rajas and tamas. Satva is defined as calm, peaceful, spiritual and good, etc. This is generally the attribute of spiritually inclined persons. Rajas is translated as aggressive, passionate and active, etc. This is the primary attribute of kings, warriors and business people. Tamas is lazy, ignorant and passive, etc. Tamas is seen as the inactive component that many of us experience at times. It is the active component of those who live to eat and sleep.
Kṛṣṇa defines a sātvic person as one who sees the collective consciousness, the whole, in parts. He understands that he is not alone and not an island, rather he is linked with everyone and everything in this Universe. He understands his connection with the cosmic energy.
A sattvic person is not focused on
himself, he is focused on enriching
others. Because he completes with
his root patterns, He realizes that
his survival and possessions, the ‘I’
and ‘mine’, are meaningless. His
activities are selfless, without
expectation of praise or reward, and
without attachment to the process
or result. Such a person is not
affected by the seeming success or
failure of what he undertakes
because there is no feeling of ‘I’
and ‘mine’ involved in his actions.
It is not that difficult to move into a sātvic state. True, you may not be able to stay there all the time, but once you understand how this state completes you, you try more and more to stay there.
To be in the sātvic state is to understand that past and future are mere illusions. They do not exist. Past is gone, never to return. Why worry? Future is a mirage. All you can do is activate your present moment. That is all you can do. The present moment determines your future. Once you focus on the present, your space of completion increases manifold and you drop expectations and attachment. You just do what is needed. You respond to reality. You respond to the now. You are in satva.
You fall into a rājasic state when you distinguish between 'you' and 'I', between this and that. There is no differentiation. Your mind, the ego, creates this differentiation. Your root thought patterns, saṃskāras overpower your complete cognition and bring up this delusory cognition of differentiating between you and others. A rājasic person does everything expecting a reward. He is selfish, aggressive and impatient. When he does not get what he wants, he is upset. Failure is a blow to his ego.
A rājasic person can never be happy and complete. Please understand, almost all of you are driven by rajas. This is the predominant attribute in modern society. Rich or poor, intelligent or foolish, educated or uneducated, almost everyone compares himself with the next person and wants what the other person has. As long as you are driven by your desires, and not complete with what you have, you are in rajas.
Too much of society has entered into human beings. You all have become social beings, you are no more human beings. You just have a set of manuals – at what age what is expected of you, at what age what are you supposed to do, and where are you supposed to be, how are you supposed to be talking, what are you supposed to be thinking, how are you supposed to be behaving. See, by default society is incomplete. So you are put in that rājasic space. Only if you are conscious, you can attract the space of completion.
GOALS:
Helping the students gain
a better understanding of
the gunas. -Helping the
students understand how
to be in the present
moment.
ASSESSMENTS
- 1.What does a sattvic person focus on?
- How does a sattvic person see the past and the future?
- How does a sattvic person respond to "success" or "failure"?
- What does a rajasic person expect?
- Why can't a rajasic person ever be happy and complete?
- What creates a differentiation?
- How can you attract the space of completion?
ART OF THE DAY
ART OF THE DAY:
THE THREE GUNAS
MATERIALS NEEDED:
Paper, sparkles pen, pencil, marker eraser Scissors Glue, etc.
PROCEDURE Ask the children to draw 3 portraits (one for each of the gunas) and to write 3 qualifications for each. Then ask them to share moments in their lives where they have experienced each state and how each state makes them feel about themselves.
INFERENCE A satvic person is not focused on himself, he is focused on enriching others. Because he completes with his root patterns, He realizes that his survival and possessions, the ‘I’ and ‘mine’, are meaningless. You fall into a rājasic state when you distinguish between ‘you’ and ‘I’, between this and that. A rājasic person can never be happy and complete.
ACTIVITY OF THE DAY
ACTIVITY OF THE DAY:
BECOMING SATTVIC
Materials required:
Paper, Pen, eraser,
(material needed
to write a short
script)
PROCEDURE:
Ask each student to write a scenario (a situation that has really happened to them) where they put a lot of effort into something but didn't get what they were hoping for (they did not get the praise, prize, result they wanted). Then ask each student to share with the group and ask the other students to describe how a sattvic person would handle the situation. At the end, ask each student to assess their own reactions to situations, do they react more in a sattvic, rajasic or tamasic way. Do they act/react consciously or unconsciously? Encourage them to reflect on how being in a sattvic state completes them and how they can move more and more into a sattvic state.
ACTIVITY OF THE DAY:
BECOMING SATTVIC
INFERENCE
It is not that difficult to move into a sātvic state. True, you may not be able to stay there all the time, but once you understand how this state completes you, you try more and more to stay there.
WORKSHOP OF THE DAY
WORKSHOP OF THE DAY:
VAAKYARTHA SADHAS INCOMPLETE SOCIETY
Engage a discussion about how society is by default incomplete and how it puts us in the rajasic state. Ask students to share their understanding and to give concrete examples about their own lives. Also ask the students how they feel they can get out of the rajasic state.
CONCLUSION
A sattvic person understands that he/she is not alone and not an island, rather he/she is linked with everyone and everything in this Universe. He/she understands his/her connection with the cosmic energy.