Summary:

Lesson 109 gives definitions of technical words revealing nature of Brahman (formless consciousness). Sessions is specifically about jnana-yoga.

Source: Bhagavad Gita, Chapter 12, Verse 3, 4.

Summary:

What is devotion?

Mayi Āveśya Manaḥ (12.2)

Mayi Āveśya Manaḥ means “mind absorbed in Me (Ishvara).” This is not a partial absorption, but a complete cognitive immersion, recognizing presence of Ishvara (Intelligence) in all things. IE: Ishvara is manifesting as forms and as laws, all the while remaining free of what it manifests as (due to satya-mithya relationship).

Just as water's nature (dharma) is to remain level, the mind's dharma (nature) is to abide in the awareness of Ishvara. Until then, mind is in constant stress, dissatisfaction. Any deviation from mind's dharma (to recognize Oneness) is due to the influence of rāga-dveṣa (likes and dislikes). The extent to which the mind wanders in worldly affairs is directly proportional to the strength of these rāga-dveṣas.

To manage raga-dvesha:

1. 1. Viveka (discrimination): Inquire what can the object do and not do for you. Get clear on this. Secondly, recognize it's not “I” who is asking for this object, it's this temporary body-mind. I am the awareness of the desirer/wanter.
   2. Vairāgya (dispassion): Recognize object of fancy is only as good as the value I give it. When I see it's intrinsic value, I enjoy objectivity. For example gold is malleable, rare and yellow. Compared to gold is a status-symbol.

Parayā Śraddhayā (12.2)

Unflinching faith in authority of śruti pramāṇam (scriptural means of knowledge), ācāryaḥ (teacher), and your capacity to succeed. Story of Ganesha was seen in last session.

Saguna vs Nirguna bhakti

In CH12, Arjuna asks which is most superior (efficient/effective) for attaining the ultimate goal: saguna or nirguna bhakti.

Saguna-bhakti: Mind/senses hold onto Ishvara with form/qualities, using methods as: Relating to Ishvara through forms, meditation, service, rituals. All methods produce punya-karma, which makes Bhagavan‘s orders obligated to pull the devotee out of samsara (12.7).

Examples:

1. The story of Rukmiṇi from the Bhāgavatam illustrates the power of sincere devotion and divine intervention. Rukmiṇi, daughter of King Bhishmaka, was destined to marry the cruel Śiśupāla against her wishes. In her desperation, she sent a heartfelt message to Lord Krishna, expressing her devotion and pleading for rescue. Responding to her pure bhakti, Krishna personally traveled to Vidarbha, dramatically arriving just before the wedding ceremony. In a bold move that demonstrated both His compassion for His devotees and His supreme power, Krishna swiftly took Rukmiṇi away in His chariot, saving her from an unwanted fate. This incident not only showcases Krishna‘s responsiveness to sincere prayers but also symbolizes how the Lord liberates the jiva from the bondage of saṃsara when called upon with unwavering faith.
2. The story of Gajendra, the elephant king, symbolizes the jiva‘s struggle in saṃsara. While enjoying a lake with his herd, Gajendra's leg was seized by a crocodile, representing maya‘s grip. Despite struggling for a thousand years, he couldn't free himself, illustrating the prolonged spiritual battle we face. In his moment of surrender, Gajendra recalled past spiritual knowledge and sincerely called out to Vishnu. Viṣṇu immediately appeared, severing the crocodile's jaw with His discus, freeing Gajendra. Upon rescue, Gajendra didn't merely seek physical freedom but asked for release from the grip of māyā itself, showcasing the wishes of a jijnasu or nishkama-bhakta who seeks ultimate liberation while fulfilling worldly duties. 

Nirguṇa-bhakti: Relates to recognizing that Ishvara‘s nature and my nature are One. 

Krishna answered: There's no choice between the two paths. Must go through them both in grading. Like school prepares/qualifies mind for university.

Jnana-Yoga (Verses 3-5)

Krishna starts with the highest sadhana; Jnana-Yoga. It involves:

1. Shravanam: Gaining knowledge in a systematic fashion through pramana of shastra and teacher.
2. Mananam: Converting knowledge to conviction (aparoksha-jnanam) by addressing each thought lacking 100% confidence.
3. Nididhyasanam: Continuing to address relative self, so that knowledge shines throughout your personality.

This process is like polishing the mirror reflecting the light of ātmā (consciousness). Since jnana-yoga is also a bhakti worship, it involves offering your ignorance into fire of self-knowledge.

Bhagavad Gita, Chapter 12, Verse 3 & 4 (Combined):

ye tu akṣaram anirdeśyam avyaktam paryupāsate ।
sarvatragam acintyam ca kūṭastham acalam dhruvam || 12. 3

sanniyamya indriya-grāmam sarvatra sama-buddhayaḥ ।
te prāpnuvanti mām eva sarva-bhūta-hite ratāḥ ॥ 12.4

^{(VERSE 4)} Having restrained the sense organs, being even-minded towards all, and being interested in the welfare of all beings — ^{(VERSE 3)} some (devotees) meditate upon the imperishable (Brahman) which is indefinable, unmanifest, all-pervading, incomprehensible, immutable, immovable, and eternal. They attain Me alone.

Krishna says, the others (nirguna-bhakta’s) follow jnana-yoga, contemplating on nirguna-brahman, by process of shravana, manana, nididhyasana.

Krishna describes Brahman using technical words.

• Avyakta:
  • Not perceptible to any of the 5 sense organs, nor the mind.
  • EG:
    • GROSS: Our 5 senses individually perceive: sound, sight, taste, touch, smell.
    • SUBTLE: And mind perceives memories, pain, pleasure, emotions (closeness, injustice), thoughts, intuition.
    • Both gross/subtle are perceptible (pin-point-able). Not so with Avyakta. Can’t be turned into any knowable object.
• Acintayam:
  • Brahman can’t be conceived by thought, because it can’t be made into an object within the mind. Rather Brahman is the content of every thought, as the Awareness of that thought. Just as Gold is the content of every ornament.
  • Suppose you do need proof that you exist? Then to whom will the proof be offered? Who can be more authority of your existence then yourself. If Brahman can’t be thought of, then how am I supposed to know Brahman? As self-evident existence (I AM, the one who is never not present to any phenomena). Meaning your existence alone needs NO proof. While every other object needs to become evident to you, for it’s existence to be proven. This means, Brahman is not an object to be thought-of, but understood as the very Subject because of whom all objects are evident.
  • Even though Brahman (Consciousness) can’t be conceived by thought, only thought (opposed to ignorance) has power to reveal Brahman. Thus we have śravaṇam (listening to words which produce ignorance-opposing thoughts). Brahman can’t remove ignorance, else it would’ve done it by now, since it's always available.
• Anirdeśyam:
  • Not describable by words because Brahman is the very nature of all experiences and objects, including “I” right now.
  • Then how do the scriptures reveal Brahman, since scriptures employ words? By implied meaning.
    • EG:
      1. You need to make more space in the garage. Can you put this sun cream on my back?
      2. tat tvam asi: You are That.
         • Direct: You are all knowledge-power. This is is not true, since you (jiva) are limited knowledge-power.
         • Implied: You are consciousness which is also the truth of Ishvara.
  • If Everything is Brahman, then Who is Seeking to Know Brahman? The “I” seeking to know itself as Final Reality is already that Reality. Brahman, being all-encompassing, is not separate from the “I” in ignorance or in moksha. Therefore, the current “I” must be recognized as the Final Reality. Misunderstanding this leads to futile pursuits of “higher” states, overlooking that Brahman is already fully present as one's true nature, regardless of the current state of mind.
• Akṣaram:
  • Never undergoes any changes in quality/quantity.
• Acalam:
  • Brahman doesn’t move because it is already all-pervading/everywhere. Only a limited form needs to move from here to there.
• Sarvatrāgam:
  • Like Space, the Final Reality is all-pervading. It obtains everywhere. But if Brahman is everywhere all-the-time and never moves (acalam), then how do we explains the presence of objects which come-and-go? Objects and Brahman enjoy a satya-mithya relationship.
• Kūtastham: (Nirvikaram)
  • 2 Meanings:
    1. Free from modifications.
       • EG: All objects go through 6 fold-modification process: Existence, birth, growth, change, decay, death.
       • Logical flaw of Final Reality being subject to change:  If Brahman changed from Birth to Growth, then what would observe the successive changes? If observer got changed right along with everything else, then it couldn't report changes.
    2. Anvil used by blacksmith.
       • Anvil is support onto which blacksmith strikes hot iron and sculpts it. Anvil underneath supports all the powerful strikes, remaining changeless. In same way, for any change to take place, there must be a changeless substratum.
         • EG 1: Person observes own body-mind/family/world going through changes. Something must survive all changes to confidently say “Things are changing”.
         • EG 2: Suppose employer says morning employees are different from evening employees. Only possible because the SAME employer remained. If employer was different, then couldn’t make that observation.
       • Hence, the changeless illuminating witness is compared to kūṭastha.

SUMMARY SO FAR:

Brahman is Imperceptible, indescribable. Because only within time, one can say perceptible, describable (now it’s here, now it’s not).

Then how can one meditate upon an Imperceptible, inconceivable, indescribable Reality? Krishna states, one needs a prepared mind. What is a prepared mind? Answered in Verse 4…

Bhagavad Gita, Chapter 12, Verse 4: Qualifications for Jnana-Yoga

QUALIFICATION 1: sanniyamya indriya-grāmam (dama)

This refers to the discipline of sensory input and control over organs of action. It involves:

• Regulating information entering through the five senses
• Disciplining the five organs of action (speech, hands, feet, excretory and reproductive organs)

QUALIFICATION 2: sarvatra sama-buddhayaḥ (śama)

This qualification emphasizes mastery over emotions and thought patterns:

• Cultivating positive values and a simple lifestyle
• Developing equanimity towards all beings by recognizing it is one Intelligence reorganizing itself to appear as the world/people. Moment you lose sight of the content that underlies all forms, you lose equanimity. 
• Maintaining composure in all situations, pleasant or unpleasant. Losing composure only hurts you, creates a disturbed mind and robs your happiness.
• Avoiding excessive emotional reactions to news or events. Besides, you never know the full story, thus no reason to react unfavourably.
• Practicing detachment from the results of actions, because 4 possibilities are there: you get exactly what you wanted, get totally opposite, get more, get less then you wanted.

QUALIFICATION 3: sarva-bhūta-hite ratāḥ

This involves commitment to the well-being of all creatures:

• Developing sensitivity to others' difficulties and joys. Take a moment to recognize what that being might be going through.
• Practicing universal compassion, as in the prayer “sarve-bhavantu sukinaḥ” (May all beings be happy)
• Engaging in selfless service to expand and refine the mind. Meaning your existence has to extend just serving yourself. The mark of maturity is becoming a contributor.

Result of Cultivating These Qualifications

te prāpnuvanti mām eva: Such devotees surely attain Me (moksha). Because these qualifications prepare the mind for the deep contemplation required in Self-inquiry

Keywords: bhagavatam, jijnasu, jnanam, kutashta, maya, nirguna, nishkama-bhakta, niskama-bhakta, pramana, sama, sastra, shama, shastra, shishupala, shradda, shraddha, shruti, sisupala, sravana, sruti

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Credit for help in Bhagavad Gita teaching given to Swami Dayananda (Arsha Vidya), Paramarthananda & Chinmaya Mission.

Recorded 19 Jan, 2021