Bhagavad Gita Chapter 9

INTRODUCTION

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When we think that the Whole is our enemy, we will be continuously antagonizing it. When we understand that the Whole is our friend, we will relax and enjoy the whole of Existence.The whole chapter reveals this single secret: that is the cosmic energy the whole universe, is intelligence. It responds to our thoughts and again and again, It answers our dreams, our thoughts, and our very consciousness.

Again and again, Krsna talks about the correct understanding of rituals and sacrifices made in front of God. We see numerous people going to the temple. They take one hundred and one coconuts and break them in front of the deity. In the Tirupati temple of Lord Venkatesvara, people offer their hair as a sacrifice. If we offer hair and pray and come back home,nothing is going to happen. When we sacrifice something, it represents the surrender of our ego. When we sacrifice our hair in Tirupati, we surrender our ego to Lord Venkatesvara.

People ask me, 'Are sacrifices wrong? Is worship and sacrifice for a particular deity wrong?' No, it is not wrong. We should understand that we are not worshipping or sacrificing to that one particular deity. We must go beyond that. When we make a sacrifice from our being, we merge with the Existential energy. We do not see a difference between one deity and the other. Every deity will then appear the same.

Everything is Krsna or Rama or Jesus or Buddha. This is what Krsna says here. He is the only enjoyer of all sacrifices. When we understand his transcendental nature in everything around us, any small thing that we give from our whole being to even a rock becomes a sacrifice. That rock need not be carved into a statue of Krsna or Siva. We need not name it because we see the energy behind that rock.

© 2020 Sri Nithyananda Paramashivam. All Rights Reserved These two verses must be carefully understood. If not, they can be conveniently used as a justification to do whatever one wants. See, Krishna does not give a license to do whatever we want here. If we are classifying an action as good, bad, saintly, or sinful based on guidelines laid down by society or someone else, then be very clear we operate at the conscience level. No action is good or bad in itself.

There is a deeper layer of operation called consciousness. Conscience is different from consciousness. In consciousness, we become spontaneous. When consciousness flowers, we know what needs to be done and what is right at that point in time. When this happens, even if an action seems to violate the norms of society, it is always for the good. It may not be evident to society, but a person operating from consciousness can never do anything against the benefit of humanity. Krsna killing demons may appear like the act of a criminal. Yet He established truthfulness and justice by doing it.

When devotion matures,
consciousness flowers.
Devotion may seem different
from knowledge when it is
not ripe. Krishna says that
His devotee never perishes.
Devotion is not simply
offering worship daily to
Krsna’s photo, lighting
camphor, lamps, and offering
garlands. When one is a true
devotee of Krsna, he
becomes Krsna. He
experiences Krsna
consciousness. The ultimate
consciousness is whereno
good, bad, evil, or virtue
exists.

Devotion, knowledge, and wisdom appear to be different when they are not ripe. When they mature, they become the same. One experiences true wisdom at the peak of devotion or peak of knowledge. Krsna says, ‘Anyone can reach Me through devotion, whether they are women, traders or workers, or even sinners.’ He makes a point that there is no pre-qualification.

Krsna’s message is the same. All one needs is devotion to attain Krsna consciousness. The point Krsna makes here is that irrespective of caste, a person who has faith and devotion to Him can attain Him. A person may follow any profession: if his inner space is cleansed, he can attain and experience Krsna consciousness. All practices like meditation and rituals, cleanse the inner space. When this space is cleansed, transformation automatically happens.

© 2020 Sri Nithyananda Paramashivam. All Rights Reserved In the last verse of this chapter Krsna says, 'Engage your mind, always thinking of Me. 'Please understand that the whole universe, the whole cosmos, is intelligence, and it responds to our thoughts, it responds to our consciousness, to our very being. The entire universe responds to each and every thought that we have.

So we must be careful about what we think. See, our inner space reflects the outer incidents. The entire universe responds beautifully to each and every thought. When the thought patterns are positive, only positive incidents are attracted

GOALS:

To help the child understand
how operating out of pure
consciousness cleanses our inner
space and the entire universe
responds to us.

ASSESSMENTS

1. What is the difference between conscience and consciousness?

2. How can we cleanse our inner space?

3. What is the qualification to attain Krsna consciousness?

ART OF THE DAY

ART OF THE DAY:

DRAW AN iMPOSSiBLE PiCTURE.

MATERIALS NEEDED:

Paper

Pencils

Sketch pens

Eraser

PROCEDURE:

Encourage children to draw a picture which they think is impossible to draw.

INFERENCE:

While working without integrity, the first quality you will feel is that everything is impossible. In impossible, if I can exist, nothing is impossible. Impossible itself is “I am possible."

ACTIVITY OF THE DAY

ACTIVITY OF THE DAY:

WE ARE ALWAYS LOVED BY THE UNIVERSE

PROCEDURE:

Go around the class and write on a piece of paper all you want to do for others. For example: I will be nice I will help someone get into the school bus ..... The next day find out what everyone did or did not do for each other.

[Figure: Boys making bed]

INFERENCE:

The entire universe responds beautifully to each and every thought. When the thought patterns are positive, only positive incidents are attracted.

WORKSHOP
OF
THE DAY

[Figure: Nithyananda]

WORKSHOP OF THE DAY:

VAAKYARTHA SADHAS

Help the children hold Vaakyartha Sadhas on the difference between conscience and consciousness. How should we classify an action as good, bad, saintly, or sinful based on conscience and consciousness? How do we use guidelines laid down by society? If no action is good or bad in itself, what makes it good or bad?

To help the discussion, let the children choose an event that happened at school, for example, at lunchtime one of the children was walking around tapping everyone on their head. Was it good, bad, saintly, or sinful? Did the school have guidelines for the event?

INFERENCE: When consciousness flowers, we know what needs to be done and what is right at that point in time.

Illustration of a canvas with paint brushes and pots

WORKSHOP OF THE DAY:

VAAKYARTHA SADHAS

CONCLUSION:

When we really, intensely understand this truth: the whole universe is energy, the whole Existence is energy, please be very clear, yoga and ksema (success) happens in our life.When we understand this truth, not only in this world, wherever we go, we are protected. We relax into the consciousness that Existence continuously protects us, takes care of us.