Arise Arjuna Foundation - The Bhagwad Gita: Recent Episodes
The Gita
A respected Psychiatrist introduces us to the ancient teachings that are both the blueprint, and the foundation of today's Mindfulness movement. These are the philosophies that played vital roles in both India's and America's independence from England. The doctor tells us how The Gita changed his life and how The Gita can ease the trauma and help meet many of the challenges that he has spent a lifetime treating in his patients. "The Gita" podcast opens an ancient door to help you return to Self and find peace.
The doctor has completed our journey through the Gita and Krishna's conversation with Arjuna, but this episode will top the list of episodes on all of our outlets so it will serve both as a conclusion to our study and an introduction to both those finding us for the first time, and those who want to start again as part of their ongoing search for Knowledge and spirituality. We offer this as a good place to end our study or a good place to start, or even a good place to start again with our gained understanding. Remember, no one ever crosses the same stream twice because it's never the same stream and you are never the same person.
E215 - Those who study this Gita, these dialogs between Krishna and Arjuna worship Brahman with the sacrifice of ignorance. But once you learn this, your negativity goes away. At the end of the Gita, Krishna ask Arjuna "Do you understand what I have said? Has the ignorance within you been destroyed? Do not grieve."
E213 - This utmost of secrets was told by me to you. Consider it completely and carefully, then do as you wish.
E212 - You are destined to do action because of your personality. You can not change your nature by willpower, instead, learn to use your nature for good. Conduct your life as a dedication to Brahman.
E211 - When you surrender all of your actions, you will enter the eternal, omnipresent abode ... Do not let your mind keep slipping from your duties, including those for Brahman. Keep your mind on Brahman and it will help you overcome all obstacles.
E210 - Once he becomes Brahman, he no longer grieves. We continue talking about the qualities of self-realized people. With devotion a person knows Brahman, and after knowing Brahman he enters Brahman and becomes one with Brahman.
E209 - A person of pure intellect has given up his likes and dislikes and given up love and hate.
E208 - One should not give up their natural karma or duty, even though it may not be perfect. Arjuna says that all karmas are "covered with fault". Your Karma is born to you and as you keep doing your duty, you become freer of desires, because as you attach to higher ideals, your lower desires fall off and you move closer to peace of mind.
E207 - We continue our discussion of the importance of doing your own duty, that which you are born to do, even if serving someone else's duty is more materially rewarding. Doing your own duty leaves you calm and peaceful, without agitation and sin (mental disturbance). We do this to calm our mind and minimize the disturbance of our minds so that we can meditate because meditation is what brings us closer to Brahman.
E206 - One attains fulfillment by doing their own duty, By doing his own Karma, while worshipping Brahman, one can become enlightened. This episode talks about honoring the Brahman in you more and following your desires less.
E205 - This episode discusses the qualities of the classes, the 8 qualities of a Brahman, the seven qualities of a warrior, as well as the qualities of the trader and the laborer.
E204 - The doctor explains the true and original meaning of castes as they were defined in Hindu society. The Gita tells us that each of us are made up of two parts, the Atman and our Prakriti or nature. But where does our Prakriti comes from? The doctor also talks about the four castes, the spiritual and enlightened, the warrior, the trader or merchant, and the laborer, and how the proportion of your gunas determines each person's "class".
E203 - Nectar in the beginning. Poison in the end ... When you are focused on your intellect, you end all sorrow. This episode talks about the three types of happiness we experience depending on which of our gunas drive our pursuit of them. Often the path to spirituality is gained by shifting towards a higher form of happiness.
E202 - Resolve takes practice. This episode explores the relationships between our gunas and our ability to focus with fortitude and perseverance. Firm practice and a little discipline reward us with the ability to persevere in our pursuit of spirituality.
E201 - Like everything else, your intellect is swayed by the balance of your gunas and that can shape your ability to focus on good decisions and strengthen your perseverance to stay on the proper path with your choices and actions. Should it be done? Should it be feared? Your intellect reigns in your senses, mind, and actions. You mind runs after your likes and dislikes. Crafting the strength of your satvick qualities keeps you in control of everything that would challenge your peace and spirituality.
E200 - Krishna describes the quality of a doer by the mixture of their gunas. Which gunas are predominant in the doer at the time influence the decisions we make about our actions.
E199 - Actions without attachment, without likes or dislikes, without reward, do not create more attachments and desires. Each of us has a different mixture of sattvic, rajasic, and tamasic qualities, and that combination helps to determine our actions.
E198 - As long as you remain attached to your doership, you are not ready for self-realization. The doctor discusses the building blocks of action which include knowledge, the action, and the doer, as well as the characteristics of sattvic, rajasic, and tamasic actions.
E197 - The Atman is separate from all the doing in the world ... While all actions take place in the presence of the Atman, it is not the doer.
E196 - Moving on from renunciation of our ego in our actions, the Gita helps us to understand our actions and the five causes for them. In understanding why actions happen, we are better at renunciation and ridding our actions of doership and expectation of personal reward.
E195 - The enlightened don't know ... Self-realized people neither hate negative actions nor are they attached to positive actions. This comes from better knowledge of the Self. The doctor also talks about the new James Webb telescope and how it will possibly "reveal" some knowledge the ancients knew thousands of years ago.
E194 - Giving up our attachments, sacrificing our ego, and concentrating on conserving our thoughts, energies, and actions for movement towards our spiritualism brings us peace. The doctor talks of giving up our doership, the "I' ,"me", and "I did it", of our actions and thinking more of what needs to be done. We explore embracing the moment, being less hurried, and the three kinds of renouncement of selfish desire-prompted actions. These help us become successful, calm, and peaceful.
E193 - Krishna tells Arjuna that all action should be relinquished as evil with the exception to charity, in all it's forms, sacrifice, and conservation of our energies. Once again we learn to give up our attachments.
E192 - Many say that Chapter 18 of the Gita is merely a summary, but there are many new things to learn that will help you get your mind to a peaceful state. The doctor introduces us to the analogy of the beautiful lotus flower, that lives in dirty, wetness, but remains untouched by the murkiness of the water. We learn that we have to detach from the world to let the Brahman within us shine through.
E191 - The final verses of Chapter 17 talks about "om, tat, and sat" and how these key words in the Gita are makers and pointers to Brahman. They help us better understand the difference between "this", our world, our thoughts, and our desires, and "that", which is God
E190 - Charity helps to calm your mind and moves you closer to spirituality. The doctor talks about the many forms that charity can take in your life and how giving can reduce the disturbance of your thoughts.
E189 - When you practice tapas with devotion and detachment, the mind becomes pure. We continue our discussion of tapas focusing on the three types of tapas: sattvik, rajistik, and tamasic.
E188 - Conserve your energies to find yourself within yourself. In this episode, the doctor opens a discussion of tapas, which in the context of the Gita means austerity, in this case of the body, speech, and mind. This is an important skill that will help you heighten your actions and move you towards spirituality.
E187 - All actions lead to bondage, except giving and sacrifice ... This episode focuses on sacrifice or the conversion of human activity into "worship" as Chapter 17 continues to explore ways to control our intake and calm our minds
E186 - Calling the next few verses "mind-boggling", the doctor, Ajuna, and the Gita begin to show us how to calm our minds and block out the noise of the world so we can focus on Brahman. Controlling your intake and conserving the power of your senses and mind, helps you transform your convictions towards your desires into higher spiritual values. Often the best way to start is to focus on those higher values we see in others.
E185 - That which holds the truth ... Can you move towards self-realization without following the scriptures? A lot depends on what you worship. Our faith in this world is expressed as our actions
E184 - The doctor provides an introduction to Chapter 17 which focuses on techniques to better your life and move towards self-realization. We know what is right and what is wrong, and we know what we like and dislike. In this chapter, we begin to deal with reconciling our desires with our spirituality.
E183 - The doctor introduces us to the Triple-Doored Gateway to Hell. Desires become binding, and biding desires become gree and greed becomes anger. Spiritual people have given up this triad, but controlling just one of the three can help abate the others and lessen your negative qualities.
E182 - In this life, we too often focus on the perceiver and not the perception. We focus on our sense organs and not our spirituality. In this episode, we re-examine the difference between us (our Atman) and our bodies (matter).
E181 - Arjuna talks about the intellect and the thought process of those who are controlled by their negative qualities. The doctor tells us that money only brings the pleasure of the sense organs, which spawn insatiable desires. He also explains that selfish and immoral actions create mental agitation, suffering, and sorrow. Experiencing this mental disturbance is actually hell. Hell is not a place where one is sent to be punished. It's important to remember we are punished BY our actions not for them.
We are Brahman and we need nothing but we continue to desire as our meant and intellectual attitudes are too often determined by our never-satiated passion for our desires.
Those who are controlled by "demonic" or negative qualities find their search for pleasure is endless and they chase desires that are impossible to fulfill. They are consumed by false pride and arrogance, false and evil ideas, and they occupy themselves with impure resolve. The doctor reminds us that "demons" in this case aren't the same as the definition of demons we usually consider, and it's important to note that not all "demons" show up in our lives with horns.
The doctor outlines a typical self-view and worldview of a person who does not work to diminish his negative qualities as outline by Krishna in these most recent verses and describes how to elevate these views. Most notably the doctor describes how people controlled by their negative qualities often project these negative qualities onto the rest of their world.
The Doctor talks about Arjuna describing more of the negative qualities that can lead us from spiritual wealth and towards bondage to this world and our desires and attach us to our sense organs.
Chapter 16 turns to discussions of some of the negative or "demonic" qualities we should try to limit. The doctor starts with hypocrisy, pride. anger, harshness. spiritual ignorance, and more.
E175 - The doctor continues the discussion of positive qualities we should develop, including spiritual luster, fortitude, purity, and the absence of desires to hurt others.
E-174 We continue exploring the divine and "demonic" qualities in ourselves and how to strengthen them or curb them. In this episode, the doctor tells us about 11 more qualities to develop.
E173 - An intro to Chapter 16 of the Gita, a simpler chapter than the last, which deals with our good and bad qualities, or our "divine" and "demonic" natures. In this episode, we also get a mention of the Three Gates of Hell, Lust, Greed, and Hate.
E172 - As we pause between chapters 15 and 16, the doctor gives some practical tips on how to use these teachings in our day-to-day lives. We learn about dealing with desires, levels of pleasure, the things that drain off the positive that energy we create, and the importance and positives of renouncing self-centered interests, exercise, and donation, in its many forms and levels.
E171 - As I transcend the perishable, I am higher than the imperishable. I am the Supreme Being ... We end Chapter 15 as the doctor tells us that which is the most secret and delves deeper into a subject we've only touched upon before, conditioned consciousness. This is an important concept as we continue to differentiate between the perishable part of our being and that which is imperishable, and even supreme.
E170 - There are two types of beings in this world, one is perishable and the other is imperishable. But the highest being is different. Here we get an introduction to the "three worlds" or the states of consciousness.
E169 - I am the author of the Vedanta and knower of the Vedas ... Chapter 15 has been about describing what Brahman is, as opposed to what it is not as we have explored earlier. The doctor tells us that Brahman is the source of all memory, knowledge, and forgetfulness, the latter being a useful tool instead of a failing. This episode also discusses, in response to a listener question, how to become a better person using the Gita.
E168 - Brahman is your fire, your appetite. In this episode, the Doctor continues to describe what Brahman is and how it's energy passes through us and tells us that deep sleep is often our closest exposure to Brahman.
E167 - The light from the sun, moon, and fire is mine ... Krishna tells Ajuna about the imminence and transcendence of Brahman, which supports beings by energy and supports all plans.
E166 - United with their gunas, the deluded ones do not perceive. Those attached to their needs and desires, their likes and dislikes, do not recognize Brahman. If you only see that which the sense organs show, you are further from Brahman.
E165 - The Atman is the eye of the eye. It presides over the sense organs. The Atman does not act, reward, or punish. In this episode, we discuss what happens when a person dies or is born, how the Atman plays a role in the "life force" entering or leaving a body. The doctor also explains the three states of being, the gross, subtle, and causal bodies.
E164 - A portion of Brahman, abiding in Prakriti, in the living world, attracts the senses with the mind as the 6th sense. The doctor tells us how Brahman exists both as one and as a jiva, an entity in our world, and why we need to understand that both are the same thing.
E163 - Brahman has a supreme abode, which many cultures refer to as heaven, but Krishna tells Ajuna in this verse that Brahman's supreme abode is not something that is illuminated by the sun or the moon, or by fire. The message is that we cannot use our senses to know it and we must access it on a more spiritual, higher level. Understand that is a key challenge. But once someone finds this supreme abode, they never come back.
E162 - One who is free from pride, delusion, and attachment, and who is free from desire, reaches his eternal goal. This episode deals with desire, its mechanics, and how to deal with our attachments and desires. The doctor also discusses the role that self-respect, and our tendency to place false values on objects, people, and situations play in desire and attachment
E161 - This episode is a deep philosophical dive into consciousness and illusion as we challenge our presumptions about reality and discover our true refuge.
E160 - We don't know where Brahman started, but while we know matter has an end, Brahman does not. Here we talk about what binds you to the world and its illusions. The strong ax of Knowledge can sever those bonds. The knowledge of detachment and discrimination leads to non-attachment. But how do you start to detach? Let go of the lower desires by attaching to something higher.
E159 - Is your happiness bound to external things that you want? And are you bound to your desires? Verse #2 of Chapter 15 tells us that the branches of our symbolic fig tree spread above and below ground and are nourished by the gunas.
E158 - We begin our dive into one of the toughest chapters of the Gita in terms of getting a handle on the concepts. It all starts with the symbolism of an upside-down fig tree and how that represents our world. The doctor gives us an introduction to the chapter, an explanation of the first verse, and even tells us about how the Trinity relates to our studies.
E155 - The doctor takes us on a fascinating exploration of reincarnation, beginning with an introduction to the subject before delving into the story of Edgar Cayce an American clairvoyant who showed amazing insights over a variety of subjects before and after speaking of the past lives of a colleague while in a self-induced, trance-like state.
E157 - As we concluded our short field trip to Reincarnation we discuss how near-death experiences relate. We also ask where the consciousness resides and explore examples of how the ataman "sees" after death. In this episode, we show how the Gita and the scriptures that preceded them answer these questions and explain reincarnation.
As our field trip to Reincarnation continues we hear more examples and cases, highlighted by the story of Shanti Devi who was reincarnated from a woman who had died less than two years earlier during childbirth. This story was deeply investigated by Mahatma Gandhi and a nordic author who set out initially to disprove the little girl's claim. We also hear about the Pollock sisters in England who were killed in a traffic accident, only to be reincarnated as twins born to the same parents.
E154 - As we finish Chapter 14, we ask "What is the state beyond the gunas?" A self-realized person has crossed over the gunas. To the extent that you get this Knowledge, you are not dependant on the world. But many people feel they are trapped by the world and external things, when in fact they are attaching themselves to these external things and creating their own bondage.
E153 - The first spiritual step is to gain Knowledge and reflect on it, converting Knowledge to wisdom. In this episode, we also talk about some qualities of a self-realized person. They transcend the gunas. They are not moved by them. They are equanimous. They are self-sufficient and do not rely on anything external. Along these lines, the doctor discusses how the atman reacts to external events.
When Arjuna asks Krishna how you know when you have gone past the Gunas, he's told that when the seer perceives no agent other than the Gunas and knows the higher beyond the Gunas, he has become Brahman. All Gunas present as Brahman but Brahman has no qualities. All of your actions are determined by your predominant Gunas, not by Brahman. Those who move past the Gunas and their Prakriti attain immortality.
Those who follow Sattva rise. Those who follow Rajas stay in the middle. Those who follow Tamas sink. First, we try to remove Raja and Tamas from our lives and then we try to rise above Sattva to Brahman.
Arjuna asks Krishna what the point is in giving up all the enjoyment in this life. The answer comes in the form of explaining the differences between pleasure and happiness. The Guna that dominates in your current life will determine your future lives. Those who are in a predominance of Sattva attain "spotless worlds" and are "knowers of the Supreme."
As we continue our discussion of the three Gunas, the doctor explains that part of our spiritual journey is removing our Rajasic and Tamasic qualities to allow our Sattvic qualities to become predominant. Then the Light of Wisdom will show as you reduce the thoughts and desires that are hiding it.
E148 - In this episode, we explore the third Guna, tamas. This Guna is an expression of ignorance of Knowledge. It is attached to heedlessness and indolence. We all have times when tamas is dominant and in fact, we need those times to rest, but we seek to rise to Rajas and Sattva when we can. In this episode, the doctor also discusses the very important differences between pleasure and happiness.
E147 - A fascinating episode where the Doctor clarifies some points about the Gunas. Krishna tells us that those who take refuge in the Knowledge are neither born again or disturbed in disillusion. We live our lives in a cycle f creation and destruction, living from one experience to another, creating and destroying experiences, and changing our reality with each experience. Once you go past your body, mind, and intellect, your desires drop off and you break the cycle of creation and destruction, fade the illusions, and move towards a changeless reality. You also get to meet the Dream Lion.
E146 - We start to explore each Guna, starting with Sattva (being, essence, clarity, and light) and Rajas (passion and excessive desire-fueled activity). The doctor tells us that while the Gunas always travel together there is irritation between them and they are in conflict. We also discuss how the time of day even has Gunas. And the doctor explains that you need to be careful about the company you keep if you want to establish some control over which Gunas is dominant in you.
E145 - Gunas are born of Prakriti and bind the indestructible to the body. To understand the process of Brahman attaching itself to matter think of what happens when you set a match to a log and see how the match wakes the unrealized fire that is present in the wood. The Doctor talk in this episode about how the three Gunas may just be the first assembly of modern string theory.
E144 -As we begin Chapter 14 we start to see where the origin of the concept of God as a father comes from. We are once again reminded that Knowledge is the path to self-realization and your "happiness" is your bondage. Here we are also introduced to the Hindu trinity of Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva, who create, sustain and destroy.
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E143 - Chapter 14 deals with the three qualities of nature, the three Gunas tamas (darkness & chaos), rajas (activity & passion), and sattva (beingness & harmony). We start with an introduction of the three qualities that are balanced in all things.
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E142 - The diversity of all beings comes from the One. Know that and become self-realized. As we finish Chapter 13 we realize that the Atman, like the sun, illuminates all matter like the sun illuminates all of the Earth, and those who distinguish between matter and the Atman are truly spiritual.
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E141 -This episode continues what is perhaps the most subtle of all in the Gita. These verses talk about how the path to spirituality is very much like being one side of knowledge or the other. Those who are spiritual see that the Supreme Lord, or Brahman, abides equally in all things. they separate their consciousness, their Atman, from their body and mind. And they understand that all actions come from us and not from the Atman.
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There are many ways to reach Brahman and be one with God. Some behold the Self by meditation, some by Knowledge, some by good deeds and some by hearing from others.
Brahman is the Witness, the Permitter, the Supporter, and Enjoyer. Brahman is The Great Lord and The Supreme Self. We tend to identify with our Prakitri, our bodies and minds, when the path to spirituality instead leads us to recognize Brahman and the Atman instead of our bodies. The doctor also explores how the Atman works through the conscience and how those two are related.
E138 - Spirit or llfe, or Brahman, resides in matter and that produces an entity. These entities have Prakriti or qualities and Gunas. Life in these entities tends to connect with these qualities and enjoy them. And that in turn creates Vasnas or desires. These desires affect our next birth and determine our options in our next life.
E137 - Brahman has no expression, Brahman expresses through Prakriti. Much as you cannot see or hear or experience electricity until it expresses itself through a device such as a lightbulb, or electric car, or a heater, or a radio, Brahman has no expression of its own. We cannot perceive it. But when it expresses itself through a person, or a stream or a shining moon, or a galaxy, we understand its presence in everything.
E136 - The Gita is not about religion and ritual, it is a scientific explanation of life and "God". It describes the spirit in your body and in all matter. This is the Knowledge the spiritual among us seek. The Atman is that which needs to be known and the more of the knowledge you gain of this the closer you will be to god.
The light of lights (Brahman) is beyond darkness (our lack of Knowledge). We must gain Knowledge to become closer to Brahman. In this episode we also discuss the concepts of pure consciousness and conditioned consciousness.
Brahman is incomprehensible, yet it is near and far, moving and unmoving. It is the destroyer and the creator, the sustainer of beings, undivided but divided. Because Brahman does not interact with our senses, it instead observes our sense organs, it is often difficult for us to grasp the concepts of it. We continue that journey in this episode.
Part of the illusion of this life is seeing Brahman as a form or a person, much the same way we see a pot as a pot and not the clay that it actually is. We confuse the body of the people we see and even our own bodies as what is real as opposed to seeing Brahman expressing itself through these bodies. Brahman is consciousness. We also start to explore in this episode, the three gunas, passion, equanimity, and laziness
E132 - Brahman is everywhere. The doctor discusses how Brahman expresses itself in human beings. Every body, mind, and intellect is different but Brahman is the same. It has no desires. Your mind focuses on desires. Brahman is not responsible for your outcomes.
E131 - We begin to understand consciousness, that which needs to be known, by discussing why this understanding is hard to come by. We come to know things through our sense organs but our consciousness does not engage our senses. So it is difficult for us not to identify with our bodies. We tend to think as if we are our bodies instead of understanding we are the seer, the knower, and the witness of our bodies. It is as we believe we are our car instead of knowing we are the driver, not the machine.
E130 - You supply your own piece, but it helps to find like-minded people. This episode tells us a wise person does not have a need for objects or companionship, so he is at peace should he find himself alone. It's a quality to know as much as you can about your ultimate goal of spirituality and your path there. A wise person is also consistent in his knowledge of Self, keep his mind train on Self-knowledge.
Avoid attachment, the quicksand of desire, and losing yourself in another person or pursuit. Instead, show devotion to Brahman, and your journey to spirituality. And keep your mind and emotions balanced between opposites, especially joy and sorrow.
Give up the "I" in your actions and the attachment to your role in your achievements. Instead, honor the support you had along your path, especially from your teachers and Brahman. The doctor tells us the origins of the Adam and Eve story and we learn here also that there is sorrow in everyone's life, and in life itself. Your understanding of attachment determines how much disturbance you experience as a result.
E127 - In the previous episode, we talked about cleansing your equipment, your mind, body, and intellect of your bondage to desire and fears. Our next qualities self-control of your body, mind, and intellect, and detachment from sense objects helps you achieve and maintain that freedom. The doctor also talks about the pros and cons of indulging and explains that as you maintain mastery over your mind and desires, you become more spiritual, and worldly attractions become more available.
E126 - As usual, "cleanliness" has a deeper meaning than usual in the Gita. The goal here is to clean your body, mind, and intellect, your equipment, to move closer to spirituality. Start with your body, but cleaning your thoughts, emotions, and desires is part of this process as well. Steadfastness refers to pursuing your spiritual goal with dedication and that will transfer to all of your pursuits. One key to growing both of these qualities is finding people to spent time with that are like-minded and making sure your life is aligned with your values.
In these qualities, we explore the roles of your mind and your conscience. Following your mind can cause emotional disturbances which moves you away from your spirituality. We also learn that "gratitude is the mother of all virtues" and that we need to honor those who put us on this spiritual path.
There will be injustice in the world, don't be the cause of it ... This is one of the highlight points of this next episode in the exploration of the 20 qualities of a wise person. In this case, we are talking about forgiveness and non-injury and while we think we know what these words mean, it is often clarifying to see them the way they are meant in the Gita. For example, an attitude of non-injury is not causing sorrow or pain, but sometimes you are forced to, in order to serve the good. Explore some of these discussions about what these qualities mean.
E123 - A look at our first two qualities of a wise person ... Humility, once attained and ingrained in you, allows you to shift your focus to Brahman. Pretentiousness, or pretending to have what you do not have is bondage to the desire to impress others so that they will have a good opinion of you. Like all desires, this is insatiable and ultimately unsatisfying. The goal is to release yourself from relying on what other people think of you and instead find peace within through your closeness with Brahman.
E122 - The Doctors outlines the general principles of "wisdom", in this case, meaning a person's connection, closeness, and understanding of the Ataman or Brahman, in other words, God. We possess all of these 20 qualities already, but they need to be brought out of the shadows. The basic message here is that to the extent that you are affected by the world and its temptations, you are not spiritual.
E121 - The doctor talks about the knowledge of the ancients, how they gained that knowledge, and the role that science plays in the Gita. And we begin to consider what we are made of and what the world is made of. The language of the time describes our body as the field and Brahman is the knower of the field. More important is our relationship with consciousness and our knowledge of what our consciousness is.
E120 - At the beginning of Chapter 13, Arjuna asks Krishna about the differences between matter, spirit, body, and life. Arjuna has heard these words many times but he is looking for a definition of terms as we begin to try to understand the undefinable and attempt to understand what Brahman is.
E119 - You are That ... Chapter 13 begins the final third of the Gita. This episode lays out some of the basic concepts that are needed to move forward. The Gita is divided into three topics explaining the concept of "You are That". This final third deals with "that", Brahman, an idea that is well outside of our frame of thinking. The reason we are here is to change that. It will not be easy, but we start here.
Another in a line of fascinating Gita Field Trips. The doctor fills out our understanding of time and civilizations before the birth of Christ with a focus on how the Vedic culture helped form the basis of later civilizations in Europe, Scandinavia, the Middle East, and even North America and South America. Discussed are the origins of Palestine, the Jewish people, Egypt, the Druids, the Saxons, Arabia, and the term "Hindu", Learn how Vedic culture has flavored the world as we know it.
The Doctor finishes up his tour of the 35 qualities of a self realized master with the final four qualities. First, these masters are "homeless" but not in the way you imagine. They are steady-minded and not restless. Self realized masters are endowed with faith, finally, they regard Brahman as supreme.
E116 - The self realized person is content with anything and to the self realized master, criticism and praise are equal. But the headline quality of a self realized master in this episode is that he is silent. he controls his mental noise by managing his speech and thoughts to reduce the disturbance in his mind.
E115 - The doctor continues to outline the qualities of a person who has become self realized. He is a renouncer of good and evil. He is alike to friend or foe, honor or dishonor, and heat or cold. He is free from attachment. But perhaps the most important takeaway of this episode is that a self realized person is not dependant on external outcomes for internal happiness. The more your happiness is internal and the less your "happiness" comes from external things, the higher on the climb you are.
E114 - More qualities of a self realized person in this episode, qualities 19-25 in fact. One, in particular, is most interesting. A self realized person renounces all undertaking. Does that mean he does not do anything? No. It means he thinks a little differently about what he does do. Find out how.
E113 - The doctor continues discussing the qualities of a self-realized person as outlined in the Gita. In this episode, he talks about being free from joy and envy and fear and anxiety, in short, being free from desire and want. Self realized people are also pure and dexterous, but those qualities are defined differently than you might think.
E112 - The doctor begins to outline the 35 Qualities of a Self Realized person, in this case talking about #1 thru #14, which include the qualities of being content and having self-control. He also talks about having balance in pleasure and pain, renouncing attachment, and being a person that does not agitate the world, nor one that is agitated by the world.
E111 - The steps to self-realization require Knowledge, devotion, and practice to climb. But where can you start? If you can't yet practice any higher skills the Gita tells you simply regard what I do as supreme. Do your actions for My sake and you will find Me. Here we explore renunciation, in this cause renouncing the fruit of all your actions. Acting not for yourself and your desires but for Brahman, and all, is a good first step towards self-realization.
E110 - Meditation is the subtlest spiritual discipline. The Gita tells us to fix our minds on Him alone (Brahman or God) and we will live in Him alone. Our minds are usually not available to us to meditate because of desires. One must drop their desires in order to meditate, and that often involves using your intellect to control your mind. This is a learned skill and until you are able to fix your mind on Brahman just keep practicing and we talk about some ways to approach that/ In this episode, we also learn about the four ways people seek God. Which way describes you?
E109 - Renounce all actions in Me ... We start the journey that will help us understand an unmanifest God. Understanding Brahman requires to get outside the constructs of our current framework of thought, most especially in the ways we think of "happiness". These verses begin to help us drop our desires reshape our motivations. We start to learn about the progression of steps towards self-realization and locate where we are on that journey and what is next for us.
E108 - Verses #3 and #4 of Chapter 12 help us to begin to define Brahman or God. It is a difficult undertaking because we are attempting to define the undefinable and we are attempting to think about the unthinkable. These verses teach us that controlling our senses, regarding everything equally as part of Brahman, and rejoicing in the welfare of all beings make for good first steps.
E107 - In these verses, Krishna answers Ajuna's questions about whether he should worship the various forms of God that we are presented with or should he worship a formless God. The concept of a formless God is difficult for most and without a form to focus on it is easy to be distracted from your devotion. A formless God does not engage our senses, it in fact is our senses. It does not engage our intellect, it is in fact our intellect. Without engagement, both will tend to wander until we acquire more Knowledge and devote ourselves to it. The doctor tells us that while the cells of our body are devoted to their tasks and purpose they are unaware that they are a part of our body as a whole, as is everything around them. It would take some time and effort for them to understand their part in the grander concept of the whole. So we should allow ourselves the time and devotion of thought to understand what Brahman is and why it is us too, and everything else.
E106 - Episode 106 is an introduction to Chapter 12 of the #Bhagwan #Gita, a most fascinating chapter, broken up into 3 parts. The 1st part answers Arjuna’s question
“Should we worship #God with a form or without?” The 2nd part of the chapter covers what one should do if one cannot conceive of God at the highest level- how to go lower on the ladder while still worshipping And, the 3rd part is a description of the 35 #beautiful qualities of a true #devotee. You will be so surprised at what a true devotee is - has nothing to do with going to a house of #worship, or #praying, it's fascinating.
E104 - Focus on Brahman instead of the enticements of the world, for all the joys of this world are temporary, and devotees of Brahman never perish. Remember, where your mind is focused, you will follow.
As you think, so you become. Those who go to desires become their desires. Those who go to Brahman become Brahman. We become what we worship. This episode also teaches us the importance of dedication, devotion, gratitude, and surrender in everything we do, and how all of that requires an understanding of the pairing of effort and action together. We also learn about one of the biggest sacrifices we can make.
We are so excited about E105 we decided to skip ahead and release it early. The doctor tells us the history of Christmas and its traditions. The story starts well before the birth of Christ, however, beginning with Hinduism and ancient Indian wars that sent Indians and their culture west towards the Middle East, Greece, Rome, Egypt, and even England and Scandanavia. We learn how Christmas settled on December 25th, how St. Nick and gift-giving became part of our modern holiday, who the "pagans" were, how Christmas trees and ornaments came to be and how the influence of India echos through all of it. This will be a great addition to your holiday celebration!
Those who worship Brahman are granted union and bliss. As you move closer to self-realization, you become more successful and you draw your desires. We are also shown in these verses that if you are praying to gods (small g) you are also praying to Brahman.
The doctor responds to viewers' questions and discussions about Episode 100. The concepts can be difficult to understand, which is what make self-realization such a journey. He talks about examples of the ways we do and should perceive Brahman and asks which came first matter or consciousness?
E100 - The doctor takes time out for the 100th episode to discuss some of the bigger questions we face, armed with the knowledge we've acquired to this point from the Gita ... What happens when we die? How did the Ancients know all of the science that they knew? What are consciousness, happiness, and existence? What is god? Reincarnation? Karma? What is that we seek?
E99 - Here we revisit the old favorite childhood game of Chutes and Ladders, or Snakes and Ladders as it is known in the East. We discuss the difference between being selfish, unselfish, and selfless. We talk about which kind of deeds are which and how this relates to how we approach money, love, and knowledge.
E98 - Take some time here to define some terms that will become a bigger part of our discussion going forward especially because these terms have a different context in discussions of the Gita. Heaven, Hell, and Sin mean different things to people depending on their culture, religion, and upbringing. To understand Brahman however it is important to understand what those concepts mean in terms of self-realization.
E97 - Brahman is all of the loving things, all of the inert things, and all of the actions. This episode talks about the qualities of Brahman and begins to lay out the difference between existing and existence, between being conscious and consciousness.
E96 - In our path towards self-realization, knowledge of Brahman, the imperishable source of beings, is the key. In this episode, we explore the different types of human qualities and different types of wealth. The goal is to not a life of "If only I get this, I'll be happy."
E95 - Our main purpose in life is to realize the Atman, to become self-realized. We spend our lives looking for peace, happiness, and security externally, when all of this is best achieved within, through self-realization.
E94 - What effect does all of this manifesting of beings and things have on Brahman? We learn here that Brahman is not responsible for our illusions about our perception of the world. It is our task to understand what they are and see past them. The Gita also tells us that we disregard Brahman when we disrespect others and talks about how to see Brahman in all things.
E93 - Brahman is supreme and even more subtle than space which is the absence of all things manifest. This episode discusses the nature and characteristics of Brahman and shows us that all we see is part of a cycle between our manifest existence and our non-manifest state.
E92 - We explore two very deep verses that address what God is in its unmanifested form. What do you believe God is? What do you believe Brahman is? Verses #4 and #5 begin that discussion.
E91 - Chapter 9 explains royal knowledge and we start by explaining that carping and caviling is an impediment to knowledge. We also talk about the difference between knowledge and wisdom.
E90 - What happens when we die? The vast majority of us will return to finish our work here. A very few will leave and never return. What happens to them? We also examine the advice to not do good as a transaction, and how your selfish desires create more desires.
E89 - Through verses #15 through #22, the Gita reveals to us the astounding depth of knowledge the Ancients possessed in Astronomy. They understood that the Earth and our Sun rotated around the center of a vast galaxy and they believe this galactic center to be the home of our spirituality and morality. They believed it had a great influence on us, both individually as the world faced towards and away from the galactic center each day, and societally as the Earth and Sun moves closer to the center of the galaxy, or as we are experiencing in our lifetimes, away from it.
E88- Through yoga and meditation your reach Brahman. In this world, you will find what you are thinking of, and if you want to achieve a goal you need to be dedicated to it. But in the pursuit of Brahman, how do we think about Brahman when we don't understand what it's like?
E87 - What is Brahman? How are you to be known at the time of Death? The doctor talks about your life's path and how closely it takes you to Brahman. It's not enough to think of it at the time of death and expect to be united in your passing. But in the world, you get what you fully pursue and a lifetime of moving closer to Brahman that leads you to think about it when the time comes. We talk about focus in your pursuit of self-realization. We also describe the Causal, Subtle, and Gross bodies and explain that there is more than one death.
More about India's influence in the world's cultures in this episode. Hear about the 11 missing days in the 1752 calendar, Pythagorus' college years in India, how Christmas landed on a Hindu holiday, and the deep ties between India and Korea, dating back to a long-foretold love story involving the daughter of an ancient King.
E86 - Knowledge will purify your sins from you, but knowledge is not enough. Knowledge must be paired with karma and selflessness. And you must be free from the pairs of opposites.
E84 - Whatever you pursue with faith and devotion, the Ataman will make your faith and devotion unswerving. Your focus will be rewarded.
E83 - Those deprived of wisdom approach other gods through their desires. This episode asks why we do not surrender to God or Brahman and explores the origins of the multiple gods in Hindu and the purpose of praying to them.
E82 - To be one with Brahman, one must see how Brahman manifests itself. That knowledge is important to help you see past the illusion of this world. That illusion is difficult to crossover.
What is real? And what is unreal? We discuss the role that your past and your future play in your desires and attachments and therefore your efforts towards self-realization. "I am the strength of the strong" we are told in this episode. And only those void of desire and attachment can be strong.
I am sapidity. These verses explain that the Atman or Brahman is the cause of everything, most notably it allows you to see what you can't see. We also learn about the three types of intellect and the eternal seed.
"This is the womb of all beings. This is the origin and dissolution of the entire Universe. There is not more than Me." The doctor discusses how the Gita begins to describe the Atman in Chapter 7. He also discusses the concepts of consciousness.
E78 - We open up Chapter 7 in this episode and switch from the Gita's teaching about ourselves to a focus on God. What is God? How does God function? Chapter 7 begins to show us the form of God and we are reintroduced to the Upanishads.
E77 - On this field trip the doctor tells us how India has had more of an influence in the Middle East, Egypt, and Europe than we may be aware.
E76 - In this episode, the doctor explores the similarities between Krishna and Jesus as well as the differences between the ancient scriptures and the Church, which leads us to a discussion of the Gnostic Bible. We also wonder if Jesus traveled to India.
In E75 Krishna and Ajuna continue their discussion about what happens between death and your next life and what benefits will carry over from the work you do in this life. We also learn that the more good works that you do in this life, the better choice you have in your next life.
E74 - Ajuna asks Krishna what happens after we die and the doctor talks about how Krishna answers him. We also tackle the question of whether your life has been "wasted" if you don't attain self-realization. The doctor also reminds us that the key to controlling your mind and battling your desires is not willpower, it is knowledge, which comes from practice
E73 - Is it possible to sustain the yoga of equanimity? How can we control our mind and our desires constantly? It's like the old joke about when someone asks how you get to Carnegie Hall and the answer is "practice". In this episode, we listen as Krishna tells Arjuna that he can, in time, learn to sustain control of his mind through practice.
E72 - This episode is the primer to self unfoldment. One measure of self-realization is how you relate to others. That means seeing and recognizing the Atman in all beings. He who struggles with this is lost to the Atman and the Atman is lost to him.
E71 - Supreme bliss comes to those who are sinless. In the Gita, sin is not what we have been taught in the west and in the Christian world. Sin in this context is anything that disturbs our minds and takes us away from the Atman. Desires separate you from the Atman and we seek to remove these separations that agitate use relentlessly. You know you are getting close to the Atman as, through knowledge, your mind becomes more and more still.
E70 - Episode 70 talked about dealing with obsession in all degrees. Seeking and achieving pleasure is never permanent and leaves our mind searching for happiness. The key is staying on the path because it can take years to learn how to control your senses, restrain your mind from wandering, and use your desires to help others.
"Having become one with the Atman, one finds no greater gain" ... The doctor explores what the Atman says about loss and attachment. All sorrow comes from loss and the more attachments you have, the more you suffer loss. To achieve self-realization, we much sever our unions with pain and minimize attachment by learning that satisfying the mind is more important than satisfying the body.
E68 - A lamp in a windless place does not flicker ... Meditation is about controlling the "wind", or your desires, which are relentless and do not let your mind concentrate, Meditation or letting your mind become one with the Atman because that is where true peace, satisfaction, and happiness are found. Nothing external will create lasting happiness. Lasting happiness comes from becoming one with the Atman, and the mind is insatiable with desires and must be under your control. This is a process that you learn slowly by becoming stronger and stronger at harnessing your mind's attention.
E67 - The key to meditation is control over your mind. That starts with control over your sense organs. It's important to be careful about what we let influence our minds, because it is constant, relentless, non-stop. In order to connect with the Atman, we need to renounce the mind and its constant rumination. And renouncement cannot come from denial or will power. Those do not work. To control our minds we need knowledge and we start here with a little understanding of how the mind works.
E66 - This episode adds our first few steps on the road to meditation, offering both external and internal disciplines to help you control your desires and quiet your mind.
E65 - Lift yourself from the bondage of desire. Lift yourself by yourself. Himself (the Atman) is his (you) friend, Himself is his enemy. Nobody can do this for you. The Atman is no the doer. Teachers cannot walk this path for you. You must lift yourself. We also learn about the 5 Sheaths and that for the self-realized person mud, stone, and gold is all the same and nothing is yours.
E64 - After starting with a short recap of Chapters 1-5, the doctor begins to take on the subject of meditation, which is the focus of Chapter 6 in detail. Are you ready for meditation? You must free yourself from the bonds of your mind in the form of desires and anger, likes, and dislikes. A path there is through realizing that whatever you do you should not be attached to the fruits of your actions. And you must realize that the actions you take are products of many lives and these lingering influences should be addressed.
E63 - Krishna is the enjoyer of sacrifice and austerity because these things bring you closer to him, or the Atman. By seeking control over the senses, mind, intellect, and desires we know the Atman and gain eternal peace.
E62 - He who is happy within gains the Atman and he rejoices within. Desire and anger, as well as likes and dislikes, block you from the Atman, So someone who controls these things is on his way to becoming a yogi. It starts with understanding that ignorance of the Self is the basic impurity of the mind.
E61 - The pleasure that we get from our sense organs is the womb of sorrow. Because all pleasure has a beginning and an end. But both indulgence and abstinence give you sorrow. If a person is able to withstand desire, anger, greed, and jealousy, they are a happy person.
E60 - Being one with Brahman means eternal bliss. Desire, greed, and anger are the three gateways to hell, the opposite of bliss (eternal disturbance of the mind). We learn that the self-realized person does not rejoice when he obtains what is pleasant and he controls his attachment to it. And we start to understand that meditation is the opposite of pleasure seeking.
E59 - In a wise person, we see both knowledge and humility. With more knowledge, we recognize the Atman in everything and everyone. But we also recognize that while the Atman is the same in all, everyone's Prakriti is different. And we discuss how everyone has a little cow, dog, and elephant in them!
E58 - This episode tells us that knowledge reveals the Atman like the sun, and we must differentiate between wrong knowledge and knowledge. Wrong knowledge is anything that prevents us from knowing the Atman as ourselves.
E57 - "But how am I going to be happy?" Happiness starts with a peaceful mind. A mind without sin (disturbances in your mind) is peaceful. Knowledge defuses illusion and it covers ignorance, allowing you to free yourself from the bondage of likes and dislikes. This should be the goal of your own actions, to gain knowledge. The Lord (Atman) does not tell anyone to do anything and it does not accept sin nor virtue. These need to come from your actions.
E56 - In this episode, we discuss the role of action without self, and with sacrifice. We learn about "The City of 9 Gates", where self-realized people reside and we learn that being ignorant of the Self is the impurity we need to solve.
E55 - The first spiritual practice is to gain knowledge. Those who know the truth know that the Atman does nothing. The Atman is Brahman but he is not the doer. We are ... (We also discuss just how self-realized that Bill Belichick may be!)
E54 - Here we discuss the yogi of renunciation and meditation and summarize Chapter 4. We learn to follow the path of knowledge and that the Atman does not act. We are reminded that when a mind becomes peaceful it becomes fit for meditation. And that before you start to renounce your likes and dislikes you are in bondage to them.
E53 - Even if you are the worst sinner in the world, sin in these discussions meaning actions and desires that cause disturbance in your mind, the scriptures promise that this knowledge will remove all sin. Knowledge is like fire. It burns the seed of desire. We are told to follow these scriptures to gain knowledge of self and ruin all ignorance in your world. Knowledge is the sword that cuts our ignorance of the Atman
E52 - Episode 52 teaches us that our search for knowledge and our attempts for sacrifice is much like the way we breathe to sustain our body. The letting go of our breath, or our bad knowledge, is necessary to allow us to take in fresh air which is our new knowledge. We learn that it is important to control your intake in order to regulate your body and mind. Knowledge gives us the ability to see ourselves and the world in a new way. And we introduce the example of the rope and the snake.
E50 - We continue our trip through verse #28 which tells us the best ways to live in sacrifice through the four methods of yagna, the four methods of sacrifice, and contribution to a higher good. It's a weighty verse full of ways to help you bridle your desire so that you can continue your journey towards self-realization and peace of mind.
E50 - We begin to unwind two of the most powerful and important verses in the Gita which begin to show us how to live in service and sacrifice. But why do we sacrifice? What benefit is it to us? The yoga of self-control is wisdom. Wisdom helps move us beyond willpower as a way to control our desire so that they do not rob us of our peace of mind and control over our lives.
E49 - Some yogi perform sacrifice to the "gods". Others perform sacrifice by offering sacrifice itself. We introduce you to Yagna in this episode the ritual that demonstrates the nature and power of sacrifice to a greater good.
E48 - The verses we explore in this episode are the foundation for the ladder to self-realization. We review the three states of consciousness, and learn that desire, anger and greed are the gateway to hell, although hell is probably not what you believe it to be. And we explain why this waking world is just another dream.
E47 - The Atman is not tainted by actions. The Atman is pure witness. In this episode, we learn of the chain between thoughts and actions. Thoughts fuel desires and desire become actions, and then the desires become part of you. The path to self-realization is through our ability to manage our desires.
E46 - The Atman satisfies all without regard for their actions. It does not sit in judgment of you and your intent. Like gasoline, it fuels the car without regard for where you go, how you drive there, and what you intend when you arrive. Those are up to you. Additionally, this episode shows the differences between personal success and spiritual success. The Doctor also touches on the origins and true meanings of the casts system in India.
E45 - As we open chapter 4, we open a very interesting door. The doctor asks us if we give enough credit to the energy that allows us to do what we do, the "cosmic intelligence". The human body has 37 trillion cells. If we could talk with just one of them, would it be aware of the body at all, or the person they are a part of? Would it be aware it was a small but piece of a vastly bigger picture? Are you aware that you are too? This episode also touches on what happens when we control our desires and it opens the discussion on reincarnation
E44 - Desire and Anger is the constant enemy of the wise. It covers the Atman and separates us from it. So how do you fight your greatest enemy? You attack it where it lives. And in us Desire and Anger lives in three places.
E43 - Arjuna asks Krishna what it is that compels a person to commit sin. First, we must define the term sin, of course. Krish says that likes and dislikes are roadside bandits, and desire and anger are one in the same. And they are your insatiable enemy.
E42 - Why am I not changing? What we have read so far in the Gita is very clear and spells out our path to peace very well. So why am I not seeing the changes in my life that I am looking for so far? It's a difficult task to learn to live with our Dharma. Even Krishna asks what restraint can do in controlling our very nature. The answers lie in managing focus, your likes and dislikes, and attachment and aversion. The answers perhaps lie in The Marshmallow Experiment.
E41 - In this action-oriented episode, the Doctor explains the conversation between Krishna and Arjuna when Krishna teaches us that we should do whatever we do without "mental fever" We hear why we should surrender our mind to a higher cause. And we also explore the two parts of any ideal action.
E40 - Verses 27, 28, and 29 of Chapter 3 explain to us the 24 components of matter and tell us that everything has life, and everything is the result of "intelligence" and "planning". We also learn a very important point ... That we are not the doers
E39 - The Universe is made up of matter with consciousness. It operates on "intelligence" but perhaps not in the way you think. We know our bodies would be so much less without consciousness, but does a lump of coal have consciousness? How does it become a diamond? Why do trees wait until spring to grow leaves even if we have a warm late winter? Learn how our Universe works and how it applies to our lives. And hear how the Gita foretold and explained the Big Bang Theory and Chaos Theory thousands of years before we developed them.
E38 - We all suffer pain, both physical and emotional. We all suffer the pain of the body, the mind, and the intellect. Buddha tells us that we are all bound to be hit with this first arrow of karma and suffering. He also tells us that we can avoid the second arrow of lingering pain and suffering. We just have to realize that "we" are not in pain. Unhappiness comes from the mind because the body, mind, or intellect is in pain. We witness that pain, but we, the Atman, is not in pain. Understanding that is how you avoid the second arrow.
The doctor lays out the verdantic explanation of the concept of "god" and compares that to other perspectives, telling us that Braham can exist without us, but we cannot exist without Braham.
Is Braham "passive" and even "useless"? Well, technically, perhaps yes... But there's more to that question ... In this episode we also learn that the wise man will act unattached, wishing for the welfare of the world. We also learn why sometimes Krishna refers to himself as "the lord" and why this relates to becoming self-realized.
These verses describe how Krishna told Arjuna that that is it necessary to act and to act for others. He describes the effects of acting unselfishly and the consequences of acting just for yourself. He tells Arjuna that by acting without attachment a man reaches his supreme.
It has been a big part of our early journey but it is also a hard concept to grasp at times, so the Doctor answers a listener's question about the nature of the Atman. The Gita says "You are that", meaning you are the Atman. The doctor illustrates this by differentiating the Knower, the Known, and the Knowledge as well as asking "Where does the heat come from?"
Episode 33 is a deep and thoughtful episode where we begin to learn how to "complete the wheel" with Yagna or sacrifice and return to Self. We are taught to act to benefit something larger than ourselves, whether that is mankind, or community, or family, or even our company. In doing so, we find peace. We also learn to "nourish the gods" so that they will nourish us. The doctor helps to illustrate this with The Tale of the Wave and the Ocean.
E32 - In episode 32 we meet The Milk Cow. We find out why Hinduism has so many "gods" and they aren't what you might think they are. We are advised, however, to nourish these gods and they will nourish us. And we learn that those that cook for themselves only eat sin.
E31 - The doctor introduces us to Yanga which teaches us that if you act for a higher purpose, you will find peace. We also learn about the role of rituals and how sometimes we think rituals are enough, and that the rituals themselves do all the work we need to do. But you need action as well, and the right kind of action.
E30 - Chapter 3 of the Gita starts by showing us that in this world there is a two-fold path of action and knowledge. Chapter 3 tells us how to move forward towards self-realization, beginning with the lesson that mental lingering increases desire.
E29 - The doctor concludes Chapter 2, which focuses on the Yoga of Knowledge, telling us that you need knowledge for peace. This is because there is no peace without meditation and in order to meditate you need to silence your desires as much as you can. The Gita tells us not to let the intellect fall prey to the mind and senses, for you must abandon desire to attain peace
E28 - There is neither knowledge or meditation for the unsteady. Turbulent senses carry away our minds. even sometimes with wise men. Where do you lose control? Food? Alcohol? Emotions? Ego? The self-controlled man attains peace. Learn how to avoid The Ladder of Fall, and learn that stress is nothing but the uncontrolled mind.
E27 - What does a self-realized person look like? How do they sit? Walk? Speak? In this episode, the doctor talks about self-realized people. He discusses the importance of Steady Wisdom and helps us avoid The Triple Gates of Hell ... Desire, anger, and fear.
E26 - Episode 26 is big! Really Big! But verses #45 through #53 describe the reason Krishna told Arjuna to free himself from the three personality traits, and acquisition and preservation, and to free himself from the pairs of opposites. We learn the path to revealing the wisdom of Self, how to avoid the swamp of delusion, desire, and attachment, and why it's important to not let the fruits be the motive. We also learn what our options are when we want coffee!
How do we self identify? As the mind, body. and intellect? Or do we realize we are not that? We are the Atman. The doctor begins to talk about how to get there in this episode. We talk about selfishness and selflessness in our desires and actions, focusing our mind, and the ways we gain knowledge
After a deep previous episode with lots to absorb, the doctor takes some time here to hand out key tips for us on our path towards self-realization. We learn about the relationship between desires, acquiring those desires and the fear of losing them. This leads us to understand that happiness is found in the lack of desires.
In this important episode, the doctor speaks with us about Karma yoga and the real meaning of "doing the work", freeing your self from desires so you can remain balanced in reaction to pleasure and pain, gain and loss, and victory and defeat. We talk about the four topics of Karma Yoga presented in these verses. If that's not enough, we also find out what sin is, and you may be surprised. And the doctor introduces Sat Chit Ananda. It is a full episode!
To which caste do you belong? Are you a Warrior? An Intellectual? Perhaps a Merchant or a Worker? We return to Chapter 2 to talk about our life's duties and why we should not waiver in them. We begin to learn more about self-realization, Karma, and Dharma.
Chapter 2 has raised many questions from our podcast series audience, and in this episode, the doctor answers the questions "What is the Atman?" "Where is the Atman?", and "Who am I?". We also learn the story of Alexander of Greece who was sent by Aristotle in search of a self-realized man. That's where he met Dandamis and got his first lesson on how the knower of the Brahman attains the highest.
The Atman is a wonder. Nobody knows it. It is the Knower. In this episode, we seek more knowledge of the Atman and find out what you carry from one life to another. We also begin to understand the nature of the Self that is in us.
In Chapter 2 the doctor continues to expand our understanding of the Atman, which is challenging because it exists beyond our perceptions. The Atman is unborn, eternal, changeless, and ancient, where we are decidedly not any of those things. He also discusses the subtle, gross, and causal bodies within all of us, and shows us how they relate to the Atman.
We continue with Chapter 2, which explores the nature of the Atman. It is the only thing that is real, It never dies. It's indestructible, eternal, and immeasurable, yet it is neither a doer or experiencer ... Plus the doctor discusses taming desire, and how thought leads to desire which leads to action. He also asks you to consider going through life as if it is rented.
Verse #16 of Chapter 2 is one of the weightiest and most philosophical verses in the Gita. So let's learn how a potato gets boiled, and find out what happens when a wave hits the beach. And remember, the unreal has no existence.
E16 - We open Chapter 2 of the Gita and begin to hear what Krishna tells Arjuna as he struggles with inner conflict before the biggest battle of his life. These are the teachings that can help us through our biggest battles. What happens after death? Is the Atman eternal? Learn about three fold sorrow
More questions and answers from the previous episodes. The doctor talks about Heaven and Hell, Sin and Conscience, and Thought, Desire, and Action. We also discuss the roles of Ritual and Karma in our lives.
You have had some questions about what we have talked about so far. The Doctors answers some of them here. Does God exist? If God is everywhere why do we go to church or Temple? What happens to our Atman or soul after we die? What happens to our desires after we die? What does the Gita tell us to do or not to do? Who is Edgar Cayce?
We finish our walk through the 35 Qualities of a Spiritual Person in Chapter 12 of the Gita, learning about (among other things) how being free from attachment, finding contentment, silence, and faith, and being steady-minded are all stops on our return to Self. And we learn that many of these qualities don't necessarily mean what we commonly think they mean.
More of Chapter 12 focusing on releasing desires to focus on Self. Here we talk about becoming untroubled, renouncing Good and Evil and all undertaking. We talk about letting go of Rejoicement, Hate, Grief and Desire as well as tempering our reactions to Heat and Cold, Joy and Sorrow, Honor and Dishonor, and Friend and Foe, so that we aren't always chasing the desires of the body, mind, and intellect.
We continue through Chapter 12 learning how to be Free From Want, how Cleanliness and Tidiness help your spiritual efforts, and how spiritual people always have the qualities of skillfulness and dexterity. Then we finish with learning to be "unconcerned" and learning why that doesn't mean what many people think it does.
In Episode 10, we continue with the 35 Qualities of a Spiritual Person exploring Firm Conviction, Dedication to Self, Not Being Agitated by the World, and Not Agitating the World.
In Episode 9, we continue exploring the 35 Qualities of a Spiritual Person, introducing Forgiveness, Contentment, Rejoining your Self, and Self Control.
Our tour of the 35 Qualities of a Spiritual Person continues as we try to let go of possession and attachment, live without our Ego, and find a balance between the swings of pleasure and pain in our lives.
The Doctor explains some of the ways we become more spiritual. Choose one quality to display more in your life, work towards that goal, and see how that enhances all of these qualities. We start with "Hate No Being", "Friendliness", and "Compassion".
In Episode 6, we continue with Chapter 1 of the Gita and meet our arrogance, attachment, and ego on the battlefield.
In Episode 5, the Doctor opens the first few pages of the GITA, telling us about our age-old inner conflict. Hear about the ancient setting for the battles we all face.
The Doctor talks with his Guru who taught him the GITA, Gautam Jain, who has spread these life lessons in ( delete in )across the country, including in some of the biggest corporations on America. Visit VerdantaUSA.com to learn more about our guest.
The Doctor describes how the GITA gives us our very own 'Owners Manual' to our body, our mind and our lives
The Doctor introduces the GITA into our journey, explaining how the life-changing philosophy not only survived missionary efforts by the Queen, but changed British hearts and minds and became part of the fabric of colonial America and thinkers and fathers. Having influenced him greatly, it helped his healing of his patients
The Doctor describes the basics which are needed in order to understand the GITA. These are building blocks to use going forward.