Video 16

16. Bhagavad Gita I Chapter 2 Verses 45-47 I Swami Sarvapriyananda

who vasudeva's suitum daivam come such our ramadan 'm devaki paramanandam krishna monday jagadguru we're on the second chapter the topic of karma yoga how to spiritualize and why should we spiritual eyes our daily actions that is starting before I start I want to share something funny I saw today you know these quotes they put on this electronic sign boards on the on the roads so today I was walking down on Amsterdam and on Broadway actually and and I saw a sign which said you need to know the context people keep asking me which is better California or New York because I was in California for one year of the freight came here so people that both in Hollywood and here they keep asking me which one do you like more which is better which is better so I saw this code today it says I believe that living in California adds 10 years to a man's life and I would spend those 10 years in New York so that's a nice answer verse number 45 please repeat after me try gonna be Shia Veda treguna vishay Aveda mystery goon Yakov Arjuna mystery goon no Baba Joon near dwango net cassette was so near when Juanita sat to a store near yoga kshema at Milan near yoga kshema at Milan the Vedas deal with subjects which are within the three gunas of prakruti so or Juna you try to go beyond the three gunas be free of the dualities be established in sattva rise above the the pursuit of acquisition of material goods or preserving material goods and be self aware so this is the meaning of the verse religion is of two categories what i'd like to call the lower religion or the mass religion and the higher religion which we call spirituality what is the lower religion so-called lower religion that's most of what what goes under the flag of religion I want to satisfy my desires I want a good life in this world and God will help me to which religion will help me to it so the temples and churches and other places of worship are full of people who want to use God as a convenience nothing wrong in that because Krishna Krishna here in the Gita also will say later that my devotees are of four kinds there are those who want God those who actually have realized God they are also devotees but also those who want to satisfy their desires they also believe in God or pray to God so a good deal of prayer and religious activity is far having a good life here and nothing wrong in that so that is what I would like to call the lower religion why the lower religion where God is used to improve enhance my life here I have so many things which helped me to make my life better a washing machine makes my life better a public transport makes my life better Amazon makes my life better and gluten-free makes my life better and God also makes my life better so God is useful for me the problem with that is sometimes if it doesn't work I pray you hear this so many times I prayed and prayed and prayed it didn't work so I don't believe in all that God so God has been fired God didn't perform laid off that's one kind of religion and again it's better than having no religion at all but there is a higher kind of religion which one must move on to ultimately one must the whole point of even the lower kind of religion is one must graduate to the higher religion which is that of a spiritual seeker the big questions does God really exist does can I experience God what happens after death how can I overcome suffering is it possible to permanently totally overcome suffering to rise above the human the limitations of the human condition so these great questions the quest for Nirvana moksha salvation God realization the the ultimate quest ultimate spiritual advanced adventure that is the higher religion the difference is this in the higher religion in spirituality one no longer uses God as a convenience not God for my life rather my life for God God for my life is the lower kind of religion the mass religion but my life is for realizing God the God realization is the purpose of my life moksha is the purpose of my life then if you have graduated to the higher religion and congratulations you must have otherwise you wouldn't be here so there's a difference there really is a difference people who come here or to any kind of this spiritual quest you know this is different from the masses who go to church or temple I remember once I went to an old one of the older Hindu temples here and so first we went to the temple I was going to give a talk on Vedanta here means in USA I was going to give a talk in Vedanta but first we went to the temple to bow down before the deity there and I saw so many people it was Sunday so there were literally hundreds of people Indian people there who had come there offering puja and prayers and everything so I expected all this is going to be a big crowd in there in the Vedanta talk when we went down to the lecture hall they were about 20 people sitting there and half of them were on their phones what happened this is the distinction I should have expected it the distinction between those people their religious folk but they are not here for moksha liberation enlightenment the big questions no no no they are here that let my health be fine and let me not be laid off let my children do well or low even if there is no specific desire mostly people go offer puja pray to God let things go well and that's fine that's fine as a prayer one should have that prayer is a good thing but if that's the end of it then that's the lower religion those who are spiritual seekers can be not pray for things to be fine we can we can but that's not our primary purpose we can certainly pray things should go well by not if things don't go well my spiritual quest will be disturbed but that is not my primary purpose the distinction is this when when rain later Vivekananda prayed to stray Ramakrishna for something material hears widowed mother and his younger brothers and sisters were on the verge of starvation he didn't have a job and he was on a high spiritual quest but what about his family they were never in trouble so he prayed to sri ramakrishna let them let their poverty be removed let them do well so that could you ask the Divine Mother you know the whole story I'm not going into that but the final solution given by sri ramakrishna is interesting he said finally healed it at first he said I don't ask for such things from God but finally he said all right they that means your mother and your brothers and sisters will not lack plain food and clothing that much so it will not disturb your spiritual life but he didn't say they're going to become millionaires or something like that now why am I saying this here's recklessness says the Vedas by which he means the karmic and of the Vedas in the Vedas in the scriptures also you find these two kinds of religion karma-kanda jnana-kanda karma kanda the ritualistic portion Kanda means portion the ritualistic portion and the knowledge portion a onaconda the ritualistic portion is for the mass religion the lower religion you want to fulfill desires here in this life or in the afterlife want to go to heaven and all of that then the karma kanda is for you and Shri Krishna says that portion of the Vedas is all about its materialistic it's all about the three gunas sattva Rajas and Tamas the prakruti nature is composed of the three gunas I will not go into water the what the gunas are people aren't familiar with the terms basically material nature so this world and worlds after death none of them are spiritual I want to be happy here and Hereafter that's what the ritualistic portion of the Vedas are they prescribed various rituals you want children you want to defeat your enemies you want to have wealth you want to have a kingdom or things like that or after death you want to go to some high heaven in the company of the gods and all of that the way does promise we can give you but that they are not permanent they are all materialistic within within nature spiritual starts with the Upanishads with the gana Conda so what's a Krishna is telling Arjuna here is the lower portion of the Vedas the karma condor deals with the three gunas but you are a spiritual seeker transcend that transcend the three gunas he says for you then the higher portion of the Vedas dig anaconda which the bhagavad-gita is based upon your the teaching I will give you is friend and you have to go beyond that kind of religion why would the Vedas or any religion if that is not the highest form not the highest teaching why would they even show you how to fulfill worldly desires worldly desires why would the waiters even teach that and show you ways to fulfill it because we want it and if if religion does not help us to get it in a ethical sustainable good way we will become immoral and try to get it in immoral ways which leads to extended an extensive suffering so to help us to gradually grow in religion what it does the waiters do is that they prescribe Vedic rituals and a moral way of life so if you want to fulfill your desires you will get money you will get success you will get wealth you will have children you will go to heaven all of that is possible but now you must follow this kind of a lifestyle which is disciplined which you must not do immoral things and you must be religious and you know do the refire sacrifices things like that which are prescribed in the Vedas they slowly generate and build up morality and ethical lifestyle with the hope that ultimately we will transcend and come to what the way does really want to teach which is the teachings of the Upanishads and the bhagavad-gita it's there right now it's not that some ancient time the Vedic fire rituals which seem obsolete to us right now also nowadays it goes under the name of things like positive psychology or in Christianity they've same thing called the prosperity gospel the prosperity gospel that Jesus wants you to be rich no he doesn't I'm sorry but he doesn't it that's one of the biggest curses that a religious teacher would want you it's not bad to be rich but that's not the point marshy Mahesh Yogi he there's an interesting quote attributed to him when he was teaching Transcendental Meditation here he started off in New York I think near New York the the wouldst Woodstock Woodstock yes yes so he started up there at least he became famous there and what ultimately became Transcendental Meditation and nowadays it's a big thing in the United States in Europe it is used to manage stress they say it even boosts immune the immunity system things like that and their papers have been written about the benefits and they are all worldly benefits none of them none of the papers are about how it gives you enlightenment after anson dental meditation it seems that somebody asked Maharishi Mahesh Yogi back in India many in the early days when he went back to India they asked him monks what is this you're doing these techniques are meant for self-knowledge for realization not for stress management or looking young or removing wrinkles from your face things like that they may have those benefits but that's not the point his answer was very interesting he said and very much Vedic in spirit actually he said I give them what they want so that they will want what I want to give them I give them what they want so that that's the hope that so that they will want what I want to give them so I want to give them what higher spirituality but the student has to be ready they have to want it and that one thing will come when the lower ones are satisfied to some extent some kind of faith is developed that yes in this path something higher as possible it works if it works for my it fulfills my worldly necessities may be what they are saying about higher spirituality is also true that's what sri krishna says here treguna wish i Aveda here veda means the lower part of the way does the karma kanda they deal with the three gunas mister a good neo Arjuna or arjuna go beyond the three gunas that means go beyond material nature how how do you go beyond material nature mildwin wanderer means the dualities pleasure and pain heat and cold honor and dishonor success and failure the dualities which which in the ocean of which we float in life at this at one moment floating up and add another moment going down and we are forever struggling with that if you're struggling with that all the time one cannot be spiritual one must at one point let it be let life stream carry you with it you float on the stream of life don't struggle with it rather use your energies for for the higher purpose of spiritual realization dwande remains dualities normally we are always fighting against this we're trying to overcome that which is unpleasant and trying to get that which is pleasant that must stop that is the sign of the lower life the higher spiritual life starts when we transcend when we are able to ignore put up with the vagaries of life what is the phrase curve ball life throws at you a curve ball so put up with it in Vedanta ters called T diksha a spiritual fortitude a little toughness this word need dwande wa rising above the dualities of life pleasure and pain misery honor and dishonor sometimes success sometimes failure not being overwhelmed by failure not being swept away by success serene and calm and balanced in both not being desperate therein in misery and in pain not feeling too secure and you know of all things are alright fine only because right now things are going fine for me so that calmness that serenity that is called neared Wando in fact in the fifteenth chapter in the seventh chapter actually I've got two verses 27 and 28 verse 7th chapter it says each Ave ASIMO Tina Rondo mo Hina burrata suribabu Thani some mohim Sergey auntie / and tapa so as we are created and we created means as we get these bodies universe is created we have these bodies and our past karma starts giving results immediately we get caught up in the the dualities and the things which are pleasant we want them things which are unpleasant which we want to get away from them what happens is as bodies are created I the the G Bachman individual being when I find myself embodied things which are pleasant for this body I want them things which are unpleasant for this body I want to get rid of that this is the do under the root of the dwande wa and it starts at the moment of embodiment and then how do you get out of it 28 verse says yes aunt want a bottom papam jananam punya karma nom de dueño mohani near maka pageant a mantra da prata by devotion to god neshama bhakti devotion without any desire worldly desire what happens is with the purified mind impurities in the mind are wiped out the purified mind dwande or Mohan in Mokpo one rises about the delusion caused by the blunder the dualities that is freedom that is moksha so will the word Wando is it is the duality is used to define what is bondage and what you freedom here you see again in the 15 chapter there's a very beautiful verse v bursts 15 chapter v verse with the same concept of dwande becomes it's like this near mana mahadji to Sangha dosha a Dartmouth native in Ibrahim donned a revoked Asuka do cousin gay got chunky muhammed ama beyond that enlightenment freedom moksha how is it what's it like so it says near Maha Maha liberated from egotism and delusion Geeta Sangha dosha transcending all attachments at God money to ever established in the pure consciousness within I am pure consciousness we near it the Kama forever desires have fled from this one forever duinrell be Mokpo free from the dualities the dualities keep coming this one is not affected by it suka Dukas angry so the the pleasure and pain the duality set up by pleasure and pain this one has transcended this amou raha the non deluded one muda means a foolish one ignorant one amudha means who has overcome ignorance this one cut Chanti padam up the I am that goes to that that that that state of that undecaying state that changeless state that that eternal state attains to that it'll eternal state which is our reality a Brahman so the word dwande wa NIT is a twist her different meanings can be given these are the ways to attain to go beyond the three gunas so one is to go beyond the duan doors be serene and strong when the waves of ups and downs come in life don't be swept away second and it justit was one meaning given by a commentator here is diarrhea mob alum BIA be patient there is no quality like patients Sri Ramakrishna says patience patience patience of forbearance forbearance forbearance in Bengali he said sha sha sha it's a play on words the three letters they sound the same in in Bengali Sanskrit Saoirse the sound sha sha sha in Bengali and one meaning of sha is to forbear in Hindi sahaan karma zahana so to forbear and then he says in Bengali Jay Chou Oishi Raja now show it on now it's a play it's a pun it was very good at one but thing what is pani in Bengali I'm sorry what is what is it doesn't work so well in English - I just have to explain it the one who forebears that one survives that one stays the one who does not forbear is destroyed or is finished so I said doesn't really work in English the pun so forbearance why is it sad - asta see one of the qualities of sattva-guna the quality of lightness serenity is patience the the tamasic person doesn't even make an effort the rajasic person is restless makes effort but gives up too fast moves on too fast it is the satiric person who can hold on who can persist near yoga kshema Atma on each were verse each word is so important but luckily they'll all be explained so on over the next 18 chapters near yoga kshema means here yoga kshema free of yoga and Shaima what does yoga mean over the same I mean Yoga does not mean the stretching in yoga pants that's different it does not mean meditation it does not mean Bakhtiar are karmayoga no no none of them here yoga means a practicer property the yoga literally means joining the original root meaning of yoga is used here the root meaning of yoga is twofold one of the root meanings of yoga is meditation you'd somato in sanskrit grammar another meaning of yoga is ug Yoga to join to connect two things so when we want something we want that Ching should be joined to me let me be joined with the latest iPhone things like that so that is yoga that means things which I do not have that should come to me and Shaima means to protect to preserve that which I already have so let my earlier life won't be preserved until it the new iPhone come on to me this is yoga kshema this is basically what people are are all about samsara is basically about this that which I have money in relations and youths and health and whatever is nice let it all stay let me not lose it and whatever else I do not have yet that new gadget that new house or car or relationship or knowledge or degree or on an award whatever is my heart's desire let it come to me this is the nature of desire yoga kshema and he is telling you here to be a karma yogi you must rise above that you must rise above that your your life should not be all about yoga and Shaima let that come unto me and let this stay with me life should not be about that that's not the point of life a question it comes up here immediately it might work for a sannyasi a monk in the Himalayas but what about me Here I am in Manhattan after a life is a struggle everyday working hard from morning to evening day after day month after month who's going to pay the bills if I give up in a yoga kshema then how will how is life going to go on don't worry doesn't tell you to give up your job or it is that the purpose of life should not be that maintaining yourself do what has to be done but do it in this we'll see how to do that but not for the purpose of yoga kshema and don't worry Shri Krishna will say later on in the Gita yoga kshema Baja Muhammad for the person who pursues spiritual life I will take care of that person's yoga kshema what that person's needs not greed need what that person's person needs I will supply and whatever is needed to be protected but what the person needs to hold on to or maintain I will maintain it for that person in the Bible clearly it is said could Jesus Christ says think not only talks about renunciation think not what shall we wear what shall we eat and then the beautiful portion where he says where the flowers of the field do they think what shall we wear that who is clothed more in even King Solomon in his all his glory was not clothed in such finery as the simple flowers of the field the birds of the air do you think that what shall we eat tomorrow who God provides for them and for you his beloved children will God not provide more so do not think like that so he near yoga came up and at Milan be centered in awareness mindful I am that witness consciousness I am Atman or if that does not appeal to you then God God exists my chosen deity ISM in my heart let my mind be at the lotus feet of my chosen deity let my mind be on the mantra or in the path of of knowledge I am the witness consciousness the Atman which was taught in the first part of the second chapter Atma one the commentator says aprama Taha a prompt ramada means error they're saying pramada with - error or inattentiveness carelessness yeah carelessness is pramada carelessness error in attentiveness is debt in spirit your life be be mindful in spiritual life it's a big thing now mindfulness so here you have try gonna be shy Ave the lower portions of Veda the ordinary religion is about material nature material happiness in this world and the next this stray good near bow Arjuna Arjuna time for you to rise above that then need wander the dualities waves ups and downs of life will keep coming learn to write those waves don't get swept away or dragged under them knit tears of Twista your resource here is patience a new word used in positive psychology very beautiful word is resilience somebody said I want I want to see how the ball bounces not how high it bounces but how it bounces when it hits rock bottom so this ability to be patient to hold on to spiritual life in the midst of troubles in the midst of difficult circumstances near yoga kshema and Atma wan near yoga kshema there is a beautiful story about it I thought I would spend ten minutes on this verse I spent thirty all right just this story and I'll move on but this story must be told yoga and I'll tell this again when it comes to that first yoga kshema bhajami 'him I think that is ninth chapter twenty second verse yes yoga kshema ha Mohammed in nine chapters 20 second verse there Srikrishna says that one who's devoted to God one with the spiritual seeker I take care of that person's yoga and Shaima what that person needs i supply and what needs to be protected and maintained in that person's life I'll do it that person doesn't have to bother about his or her worldly affairs now the story is this I think the story about Jagannath Mishra probably a great pundit who was writing a commentary on the Mahabharata he was in Puri in those days I forget the name of the pundit anyway he was in Puri in those days and he was writing a commentary' in the Mahabharata so Mahabharata you know is the longest epoch of humanity more than a hundred thousand verses many times longer than the Iliad an artistic Odyssey combined so he's writing a commentary on that now the Gita is a part of the Mahabharata so when he comes to this verse of the Gita he has to write a comment on the Gita also when he comes to this verse of the Gita the exact Sanskrit meaning is whatever that person needs my devotee my lover whatever he needs I will carry that yoga kshema Bahamians I will bear it unto that person I will carry myself to that person well how many means really carrying on your shoulder on your head that's what it means now the scholar thought God will not carry things for a devotee no God will grant it to the devotee so AHA Mihama is not quite correct raha me means to carry why should God carry things it's below below his glory in his teacher so what he did was he scratched it out and he replaced it the original word of the Gita that I carry unto them what they need he scratched it out and he said I am near him I grant unto them what they need and that befits the glory of God so Krishna misspoke maybe was emotional but really God doesn't do that you know now that day his wife was at home and she was worried because they were poor and they didn't have enough food in the house and she was worried about what what they would cook and then this little boy comes a beautiful little boy carrying on his head a basket of the best delicacies so she's very happy who are you or your husband has sent this this is for your husband I bought it for you and your husband oh that's so sweet of you and then she sees there is a stripe on the back of the boy like a red mark like somebody has whipped him with a cane or something and she asks oh my god who did this to you this is terrible so your husband beat me I mean with the cane or something he came to me and she was shocked why would he do such a thing they just of the just you wait until he comes comes home I'll give him a piece of my mind and then the boy disappeared no man knew very event of course it was Krishna the bad child Krishna and when the scholar comes home and sees a delicious feast but his wife is furious he said well what did you do why did you hit that poor little child what do you mean and what child I didn't meet any child no he came and he said I'm bringing I'm carrying for you the things your you need and and but that that mark of the cane that that's that's what your husband did to me then he immediately was thunderstruck he said that's cut that strife he has cut across the word the omnium that comes on the body of Krishna that that Sri Krishna feels so much that there is actually a a mark of being ripped on his on his back so immediately he corrected it again so that's the story God really does carry to the devotee what the devotee needs moving on at last actually my goal was the 47th verse that's the central verse one of the most famous verses of the bhagavad-gita so I wanted to spend today's time on that but I will let me quickly finish 46 and we'll move on to 47 46 Yavin or Tapani Yavin or Tapani served with some pluto the King sir but some Pluto decay Tov on service UV the issue Tov on service weight issue Brahm harness yerba John Atta Brahm harness your vision at so to that Brahman by here Brahman it means not the brahman of the caste but the enlightened one the knower of Brahman to that knower of Brahman be jonatha the one who knows one who is who is the knower the enlightened one to that enlightened one the vedas which deal with the three good as the lower portion of vedas are of as much use as is a little pond or a well when the floodwaters are at high tide when there is water everywhere why would you go to a small source of water in the tap for water to drink maybe the well for water to take your bath maybe the pond imagine a village scene in India maybe the pawn to wash your clothes why would you go to these little sources of water when everywhere there is water the imager is this I remember in Chicago there is a huge lake its Lake Lake Michigan its enormous and goes on for miles and miles both ways and so flood waters are a lake like that an enormous lake when you have something like that that can supply all your wants and there is much more left over after that you can drink water there you can go for a swim there you can bathe there you can use it for irrigating your fields and so and so forth whatever you want is supplied by that vast expanse of water you don't have to go to specific little sources of water which may run dry at any time you don't have to make the effort it's effortlessly available what does this mean it means all these thousand and one things we try to do in life to get satisfaction and happiness all of them are unnecessary are far exceeded when you become enlightened when you get God the God realization all of our needs are met and fulfilled forever by that one thing it's not that see you need to earn money to pay for your rent you need to go to college to get a degree you need to get married and for children you need to go take them to school for their education you need to go jog in the park for your health so many different activities to get different kinds of satisfaction and all of those things are meant for what all of them are meant for fulfillment whether it is relationships or money or education all of them the happiness they give it is fulfilling it is it satisfies this deep lack of contentment in my heart it gives me some kind of I I feel I'll be happy if I get those things but I never do none of them all of them put together till today the richest man the one who was one who got a Nobel Prize the one who's been married many times and has got the largest number of children the one who has performed the greatest number of religious rituals all of them put together none of them can claim I am fully happy and satisfied nobody none of them and yet there is something by attainment of which all our desires are satisfied forever fulfilled forever there's nothing more to be gained the Gita will say later attaining which nothing higher remains to be attained being established in which the greatest of sorrows cannot shake you the greatest of sharra sorrows cannot shake you being the house built on a rock it cannot be shaken when the winds blow and on so and so forth it will not be shaken so getting which nothing higher remains to be achieved and established in which the greatest of sorrows cannot shake us you might ask just a minute God realization does it mean it's like all my Christmas all my Christmas wish lists will be fulfilled whatever I wanted in life the one two three four five six you know does it mean all my education needs my my financial needs my relationship needs all those things would be fulfilled know what it means is the reason why I am doing that the reason why I am running to those sources and those small sources of water the thirst which drives me to to those four small sources of water that thirst is quenched forever I am NOT seeking satisfaction in those things any more deep satisfaction ensues where you feel complete and forever so it's it's an incredible thing that is called freedom that is called moksha that is called God realization salvation no fear anymore no fear of death no fear of anything in fact in Upanishads when the emperor Janaka the emperor attains enlightenment is guru says it doesn't say that you have attained enlightenment the Guru says abiding by proptosis Jonica Ojinaga Oh Emperor you have attained fearlessness you've attained fearlessness so that is that is that vast lake God self-realization Brahman whatever you call it moksha nirvana is the vast lake reaching which you no longer need the little sources of water anymore which are provided by the Vedas or by worldly means that's the meaning yes now we are ready to move on to the point of all of this wonderful so how do I do it what is karma yoga what is the secret what is to be done verse number 47 in fact it's one of the most famous verses of the Bhagavad Gita maybe the most famous verse sometimes if you if one verse people remember in the Bhagavad Gita it's this one you might remember I mentioned the 16th verse Naruto with the attempt as being important yeah it is important it is philosophically very important it's very important for non-dualism but this verse is universal in its appeal and that verse is not unique to Gig gita or Krishna because you find that teaching in the Upanishads for example but this is the unique way in which Christian has put it in this verse the teaching of karma yoga so what is that person what does it mean karma Nevada cast a harmony while he caressed a ma Felicia kada-chan ma Polly shoe kadaj and makalah heater Ubu maka'ala heater Ubu Marty's angles to occur morning Marty Sangha struck Armani very elegant verse in which he gives the central teaching of karma yoga you have the right to work you do not have the right to the results of work do not work for forgetting the result the fruits of work and do not give up work either so for things he has said you have the right to work to action second you do not have the right to the results third do not do things for getting results getting something out of them so forth do not give up action for that for that reason either now I had written down there's so many things to be said yet so I thought in I shouldn't miss so written down and got the notes not here two things karma and Pelham work and results action and its fruits there are two things here to notice to be a karma yogi must notice work and results these are the two things mentioned here the law of karma which was a sort of standard belief system then and among all Indian systems of thought is that there is causality action causes have consequences causality means causes have consequences and a belief in causality is universal what is the nature of causality philosophers and even scientists are debating till today but as automatic belief in causality is universal that's how we function in life even some of the higher animals clearly-defined will clearly demonstrate an understanding of causality so cause-and-effect the law of karma or the doctrine of karma runs thus good action deliberately done ethical action leads to merit and the result of merit is happiness is some pleasant occurrence in life in sanskrit dharma leads to Poonam Poonam leads to sukham so Dharma consciously done meritorious action consciously done ethical action punya it generates a merit and that merit will give you a result in this lifetime or next lifetime good things nice things will happen to you the opposite our Dharma consciously done unethical action which I know to be wrong and yet I do it why do I do it because I can't restrain myself either greed or lust or anger tempts me and ice overstep the bounds of decency common sense morality and I do something wrong and that generates power powerful means demerit or sin and the result of the demerit is do come suffering in this life or next so the law can be stated or the doctrine can be stated in this way Dharma Punia sukham a Dharma Popham do come now what we are experiencing in our life the body I have got the health I have got the good and bad things happening to me in my life in terms of material prosperity success in life people around me to the way my life is going my own physical endowments and what is happening in life to me all of it is the result of my past Karma the playground has been set how I played there is some amount of freedom there but the playground has been set for me now this is basically the law of karma notice something here we have choice regarding karma action we do not have choice regarding the result it's an important principle to think about what has been done will give results now we only have to experience enjoy or suffer the results of our past actions causes have been set in motion by us but the consequences are now are unavoidable as we we can endure said good good bad bad and none escaped the law this is some sorry this is law of karma so they're going to come they are coming all the time we have no choice there but what we have a choice is we can exercise our willpower to do what we're going to do now Dharma or Dharma consciously done ethical or unethical action this implies we have free will yes I know we have long discussions about this and Shri Ramakrishna for examine the gospel says we have no free will only God has free will and all the religions ultimately theistic religions will say ultimately God's will is done but at the same time strangely it seems contradictory all religions they teach free will and they have to believe in free will otherwise who's going to follow religion if only I have a choice to do this and not do that then only have listened to your do's and dont's you have note in the matter at all why should I listen to you if I am a robot if I'm pre-programmed if predestined it is everything is predestined or under the control of a divine dictator then what why tell me tell the big guy up there know all religions Christianity it's the doctrine of free will is a very important part of Christian theology central part in Hinduism also Vedanta also it may be even an appearance of free will in an illusion of free will but we have free will for practical purposes you use feel that you have free will and you must act accordingly civilization is based on the belief of free will law and justice functions on the basis of free will it's only when the person charged with a crime only when you attribute free will to that person he he could have done it this way or he may not have he need not have done it that way he did something bad when you need not have done that then only is punishable if there's no choice except to do that bad thing then how can you punish a person but no that's why pleas like insanity plea and all because because of reasons of insanity the person did something bad that means underlying it is the person did not have free will or full play of free will free will is there as far as our karma is concerned free will is there another point this is possible for human birth for human beings this is a thing which is mentioned in them in Vedanta again and again it's only in the human birth that this choice regarding action where is the choice action where is there is no choice result of action karma choice karma Fela no choice fruit of action no choice in human but we have a choice regarding our action to do or not to do and no choice regarding the result of the action even there in the result of the action it's not true that we have no choice we have some choice in the future result of our actions depending on action that we do so some choice is there but birth lower and higher animals they have no choice in karma and result of action what they do is instinctive and what the experience is also the result of the past karma so in animal bodies when the Jeeva the sentient being gets an animal body the it only experiences the results of past karma exhausts it's bad past karma and then goes on to a human birth again so that's an important point animals are not credited with freewill are not supposed to have freewill and though I know most people treat their dogs as if their free will goodbye a bad boy them so and you get the feeling that the dog does have free will sometimes when they do something bad you look at the region look very guilty but in general animals our principle is that they are instinctive one minor point here Ram soup does dimensions in his Hindi commentary on the bhagavad-gita he says a grammatical point notice that we do so many carbons so many actions throughout the day but the word used here is Kirmani it's in the in Sanskrit grammar in the singular karmani would be pure plural but carmen is singular yeah in you have the freedom in d'action now he says the commentator says it just points out one thing one of the important principles of karma yoga that is focus do one thing at a time and do it wholeheartedly poured all your heart into it and then move on to the next Swami Vivekananda said that empty the bucket when you fill in something do it and then let it go and then go on to something else this is this is Sikh one of the secrets of work is concentration focus God does not want you to do too many things multitasking no take up one thing do it well and then move on that's a minor point I don't know how justified he is but he sees the sees a point in the use of the singular case alright this verse tells us the secret of karma yoga what is karma yoga Karma Yoga is this there are three possibilities here no action giving up action in action we do not want that that is laziness that is Thomas and there is action with desire prompted by desire which is what we see all around people are doing things because there is something what they want karma action prompted by a desire that is born of Rajas rajasic and then there is sattvic Karma without any selfish desire I'm using the word selfish desire there might be a desire for God realization there might be a desire for the welfare of everybody altruistic work done for them truly done for the welfare of others without any personal self seeking so that is sattvic the satiric and karma yoga is the third one thus a trickle I'll repeat again no action is one option action be prompted by desires the second option and action without desire very active but calm and desireless the mind is mine is not turbulent usually turbulence is because of desire not for anything else there's a hindi couplet it means this that I have given thee what is dying where is my expense in that this body by life my mind all my powers all belong to thee my lord so when I use them in thy service I'm not spending anything out of my pocket it belongs to you I'm just giving it back to you so in Hindi it goes tara to chico the kiala game or a so and that is the third option that is karma yoga now notice one thing if one goes into inaction then Thomas increases tamo-guna increases and one gets attached laziness inertia dullness and that is very damaging for spiritual life if one engages in action prompted by desire that's the worldly kind of action that binds that binds more karma more results and more you are bound in happiness and misery the third one action done without desire when one is doing one's duty for the welfare of others as a worship of God that does not bind because there is no egotism involved there is no personal desire involved there so thomas ik action or no action destructive of spiritual life rajasic action produces bondage sattvic action produces freedom about rajasic action and Temasek action I have mentioned earlier the story of how sister Navarrete going with Swami Vivekanand that when they reach India for the first time and from the ship sister nivedita sees the western coast I don't make his mom buy or something of India and she says oh so ami how peaceful and she had this ideal picture of India in her mind as a spirit spiritual country swami vivekananda scolded her said no it is not peace it is the peace of the tomb it is the peace of the grave he said is the Peace of the grave people are hungry under the Dominion of a foreign power they're illiterate superstitious this is not peace so one must move out of this is Thomas as just thinking today that if today sister nivedita reaches Mumbai she would say oh Swami how busy the whole place is maddeningly busy now that is Rajas even that is not karma yoga that is Rajas that binds and beyond that is sattvic connection to Thomas destructive a spiritual life connection to rajasic mindset produces bondage and a soft weak mindset leads to freedom only one thing one slight subtle point we mentioned here even in sattvic action there's something to be noticed that sattvic mindset produces knowledge a sense of freedom peace serenity light Geeta's we'll say it later from sucked or these things come and this will also bind you so even to goodness one must have detachment from that you must remain serene sattvic a pure desireless action but at the same time don't be attached to the fruits of that particular mindset which are peace and serenity otherwise what happens is the moment that peace and serenity are disturbed oh I how do I recover that you're trapped again in the mind you are the Atman why are you so worried about the peace and serenity of the mind so one must not be attached to even that one sucked also one should not be attached to the wreck or to put it in our our language the results of spiritual practice there are some practical benefits one must not be attached to that also they will come certainly you will become certainly you will be have sense of freedom and lightness very good but don't do it for that sake the sake of that the story of the three dacoits the man got lost in the forest Sri Ramakrishna story men got lost in the forest three robbers caught hold of him the first one who is Thomas he said let's kill him the second one said no no why kill him let's just bind him to a tree and they are Roberts they've robbed him of everything the third one who is softwa took pity upon him and said oh you have suffered so much let me free you opens the it sets sets him loose from the ropes and guides him shows in the way to take that path you will go back to your hometown that man is so grateful you come and come with me to my house you treated me so well and so the robber says no I cannot go with you there because I am a guna that means are I'm also Robert I can't go into the city which what it means is the three gunas sattva Rajas and Tamas are also part of material nature Jarrah prakruti they are not spiritual ultimately but one must proceed from darkness and inertia to activity through activity through dynamism and activity to serenity and peace but beyond that also these are still in the mind you must you must realize this self which transcends the mind then all right I give up I can't finish it today let me just make a couple of more points so Swami Vivekananda says what we want is disinterested action that means action which in in a serene and calm mind not action born of desire and not inaction either I remember this monk many many years ago about twenty years ago I was in novice this senior Swami was in Delhi he answered this fundamental question we all have when we come to karma yoga how can you act without any motive without any selfish motive how can you do something and the Swami said remember I asked him the question he didn't answer I walked with him to the temple after evening prayers I again walked him back to his room as he was entering his room he closed the doors just before closing the doors till that point he had not answered I thought you had forgotten the question just before closing the door I can never forget that he looks at me piercingly we had a huge face he looks at me piercingly and he says remember my boy disinterested action not uninterested action and didn't close the door the two words in the English dictionary disinterested and uninterested uninterested is it I don't care I don't not gaining anything out of it so whatever happens I don't care it's nothing to do to me disinterested means I do not have any selfish motive in it in the word interested party which means a party which has some motive something to gain out of it axe to grind that's the phrase I have no personal ax to grind in this I do not have a cell motive involved in this so he said disinterested action my boy not uninterested action one more point and I'm done human Bert is for liberation in this human birth we have a choice about doing karma what karma we can do so these two things which I mentioned karma and the result of karma use them for liberation how this choice we have this free will be seem to have in doing work use this this body this sensory system mind speech use them for the welfare of others for as a service to God without any selfish motive selfish means this body mind this body mind for the glorification of this little individual I am NOT this individual Gyana yoga showed it to me I am an infinite awareness existence place so why should I work it's like you get a car a nice car and then slowly taking care of the car becomes the point of your life no it's not you have to maintain the car but it's supposed to work for you you existed before the car now you are it's still there and one day you still be there the car won't be there the body mind is like that so it is meant for liberation human birth is meant for God realization salvation moksha Nirvana whatever you call it the highest pursuit ultimate goal of human life is God realization how will you do that in karma yoga these two things you have choice regarding karma so do unselfish work do karma yoga use this body mind system as an offering to God I don't want anything up from it let let my actions be for the for the welfare of humanity is a big word for people around me or and also as a worship of God and the results of action karma Fela these are the two things action and result of action action use it for wealth for as Karma Yoga the result of action which where we have no choice when it is coming to us let our attitude be spiritual when the results are good and pleasant let me use that occasion for doing good to others let me share the joy and be a blessing unto others when the results of action are unpleasant there's illness people criticize me loneliness old age disease decay death is facing me unpleasant it is coming to me let me have a spiritual attitude there I will hold on to God and ride out the the waves which are coming in in life I am not bothered by that attitude will be fortitude I will bear it let me see see it through I am holding on to the greatest power in the universe what can what harm can come to me not alas I worshipped God why is this happening to me life is terrible it happens like that will I will I get cured will things be all right for me no no don't bother about that take the heroic attitude all this is consequence of causes set by me in past lives if I want to overcome this chain of cause and effect I must put up with this put up with this as a spiritual practice one great teacher he said prarabdha karma that means my accumulated karma which is giving results in this life whatever is happening to me is because of that use it as an offering to God not just bear with it that sounds very stoic and painful and and boring just as you offer a tray of flowers to God similarly offer this tray of misery or suffering or happiness whatever is coming as a series of results of my past karma mentally offer it to God by my karma fella I am worshipping Dee hmm when bad karma comes have these this attitude three things to remember how to deal with suffering remember it is the result of my bad karma three things will help one is my bad karma is being burnt up by suffering this suffering it's good ultimately because all the all that I have something that I've must have done in the in the past that is being exhausted now the opposite works for having a good time when you're partying hard remember the good karma has been used up is it worth it sir bad karma is being burnt up by suffering one second it serves as a warning that I must be careful about my action thought word and deed if I am suffering today I don't know for what for something I should be careful now let it all thought word and deed be directed towards God realization be directed towards unselfish action karma yoga third thing to remember is bad karma suffering is an occasion to remember God it's easy to remember God when one is suffering one one is struggling one is one feels helpless and alone and abandoned holy mother says when you have nobody remember you have a mother but when you feel that you have nobody it's easy to wheel or when we are in trouble the first thing we do is try to seek human help you say I believe in God I pray to God the moment there is a trouble immediately I try to get help from others that's alright but the first thing you should run to is God this has happened give me the courage to bear with it you take care of it there is nothing wrong in praying to God solve it we all wanted to be solved be ascared of trouble but even if it is not solved give me the strength to bear with it let me overcome this Kunti the mother of the Pandavas her great prayer to Krishna was I don't pray for happiness even for liberation I don't even know what that is but o Krishna grant me this that that in ages to come if I'm born again and again let that be so but let me have suffering why so that I may remember thee we pray for happiness she prays for suffering so that I may remember the suffering it is in one sense it's a blessing because you remember that then they'd only support is God all right I've done about half of what I wanted to say about this verse we'll pick a pick it up next time shanti shanti shanti hurry he owned that sir sri ramakrishna reports to devotion to God one very important thing it wipes out the results of past karma if you do something for God the results are not tenfold a thousandfold if you do good karma you will get a good result back if you do something unselfishly as a worship of God not for getting something bad it's enormous it wipes out past karma the beautiful story about this when the avatar Ramachandra when he's going to exile in the forest with Sita and Lakshmana and they come to the river gundark I think we're good I think who is the look the boatman the boatman is there so there's a nice song about this when it comes to the boatman the boatman recognizes that this is none other than the Lord it in this form in the form of the Prince of IOT and form of Rama and today he has come to my shores so the prince comes Rama comes and tells the poor boatman will you take me across England says yes of course and there's a the you know the those who tell the stories of Rama there spin it out I am NOT extending the story they will the story itself will take half an hour to tell they'll be songs in between and things like that but it goes like this then they go into the the river like you know he carries Rama into the boat and how much is why I can walk into the boat and he says no no no the touch of your feet turned stone into a woman the story of uh alia was if you touch of your feet turns my boat into a woman then I'll be lost that is my only source of but he's all the stories are like he's he knows who you are I know who you are he washes the feet so the dust of your feet should not touch the boat and yeah that's right and then they go into the river and then he he circles around does not cross straight away and Rama surprised why aren't you why are you taking so much time we're circling around he said how many lifetimes you made me circle around and laugh so ya pay back to him let me have your company and and so on there are many little sub stories there but I'm not going into that but the point I'm going into is this he does a service to God now any couldn't he go to the other Shore Rama wants to pay him for his service the boat fare and he says no I will not accept anything from you why I will not charge you because we belong to the same trade that's a that's a you know custom among people the same train we don't charge people in the same business the Prince he says I'm a prince you are a boatman how can we be in the same trade Rama knows everything of course but he is playing the game so how can he how are we in the same trade and then go Hakka says I am a boatman I take people across this little river you are a boatman - you take people across the ocean of life and then he says but today I did not charge you remember when I come to your Shores you shouldn't charge me too I want free passage come to your show means under the point of death you should take me across