Summary:

Lesson 39 clears up false notions surrounding how jnani (enlightened being) lives in this world. Also how does knowing my true nature translate in day to day situations or challenges?

Source: Bhagavad Gita, Chapter 5 – verse 20, 21

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Summary of Bhagavad Gita, Chapter 5, verse 13-21:

Summary of Jnana-Yoga (Verses 13-21):

• • Topic: Discovering the higher self (ātman) through two stages of realization.

Stage 1: I am not the Body-Mind Complex

• • Realization:
    • “I am not the body-mind complex, but Consciousness, which pervades the body-mind, lights up it's conditions each moment, and is different from it.”
    • Sanskrit: anātma vyatirikta ātma svarūpaḥ aham asmi (I am the nature of the Self, distinct from the non-Self).
  • Key Understanding:
    • The body and mind are incidental (mithya) and temporary.
    • Consciousness (atman) is the real “I,” which is independent of the body-mind. It is this ordinary Awareful presence, in whose presence the changing phenomena are known.

Stage 2: Consciousness is Non-Dual

• • Realization:
    • “I (Consciousness) who pervades this physical body is the same Consciousness that pervades all other physical bodies.”   Bodies are many, but the Consciousness that pervades them is one.
  • Shift in Perspective:
    • How I see myself is how I see the world and others. A change in self-perception leads to a change in how I perceive all of creation. Perception of world is always a matter of what that mind, which is perceiving, understands about the world. 

Analogy of the Wave and Water:

• • Before Realization:
    • A sentient wave sees itself as a wave, and thus sees others as perishable, mortal waves.
  • After Realization:
    • The wave discovers:
      • a) “I am H2O (water).”
      • b) “Wave-ness is an incidental feature that comes and goes, but H2O always is.”
    • Such a wave now sees itself and others as H2O (the essence), not as temporary waves.

Verse 18 Connection:

• • Kṛṣṇa’s Teaching:
    • “I ‘see' myself as Self, and I see you as Self, with incidental nāma-rūpa (name and form).”
    • ‘See' here refers to seeing through cognitive understanding, not through physical eyes.

Bhagavad Gita Chapter 5, Verse 20:

na prahṛṣyet priyam prāpya na udvijet prāpya ca apriyam ।
sthira-buddhiḥ asammūḍhaḥ brahmavit brahmaṇi sthitaḥ ॥ 5-20॥

Facing the pleasant he is not elated, and facing the unpleasant he is not depressed. A knower of Brahman is firm in Knowledge, free from delusion, and is established in Brahman.

Jñāni’s Life After Self-Knowledge:

• A jñāni (liberated person) who has no doubt that “I am not the body-mind; my true nature is Brahman” continues to live in the world even after gaining Self-Knowledge.
• Despite attaining Self-Knowledge, the jīvanmukta (liberated while living) is still governed by the same laws that govern an ajñāni.

Three Factors Governing All People (Jñāni and Ajñāni Alike):

1. Deśaḥ (Environment):
   • Everyone is influenced by their surroundings, environment, and people—whether they are a jñāni or ajñāni.
   • A jnani is not treated any better or worse than an ajnani during natural events like earthquakes or traffic jams.
   • Ishvara treats all beings equally, whether they are liberated or not. Isvara principle is to take care of the totality—from a mosquito to a holy person.
   • Example: A jnani‘s body is kept alive by Ishvara to serve society and/or pass on the knowledge.
2. Kālaḥ (Time):
   • Time affects everyone equally. The body ages, wrinkles form, joints ache, and weakness sets in.
   • There is no physical immortality for the body, whether one is a jñāni or ajñāni.
3. Prārabdha Karma (Destiny/Fate):
   • This is the only factor that varies from person to person. Each individual has their own prārabdha karma (the portion of karma that is currently unfolding), which determines what happens in their life, how it happens, and with whom it happens.
   • Prārabdha karma dictates the kind of life one lives, but it is always mixed with puruṣārtha (self-effort).
   • Key Point: While prarabdha contributes to life situations, self-effort (through action or attitude) can modify how one responds to it.

The Jñāni’s Response to Life’s Ups and Downs:

• Jñāni’s Benefit of Self-Knowledge:
  • Self-Knowledge doesn’t change the situation but gives the strength to respond to life’s ups and downs.
  • Example: When prarabdha delivers a positive experience, the wise person is not carried away by it, knowing that it is temporary and will definitely end. Similarly, when a negative experience occurs, the wise person remains composed, while focusing on solution mode (IE: What now? How to solve this?).
• Appreciation vs. Addiction:
  • Appreciation: The jñāni appreciates favorable situations but is not hooked or addicted to them.
  • Addiction: An addicted person is not prepared to lose the experience. 

Example of Rāma’s Composure:

• Rāma’s Story:
  • Rāma was to become the king of Ayodhya, but when he heard the news (that he'll be exiled to forest), he remained relatively composed, while everyone in Ayodhya was devastated, Rāma himself, the victim, remained the most calm.
  • Lesson: This shows that a wise person has something much bigger to fall back on then mere worldly situations. 
• Lakṣmaṇa’s Anger:
  • Lakshmaṇa, Rama's brother, was angry about the situation. Rama explained to him the power of prārabdha karma and how some situations are choiceless.
  • Key Insight: In choiceless situations, it is better to change one’s attitude rather than trying to change the situation.

Conviction in Self-Knowledge:

• Mere Self-Knowledge is Not Enough:
  • There must be conviction—a total faith (at least initially until you start to see what the scriptures are talking about) that what jñāna-yoga teaches is true. Else you'll end up finding Bhagavad Gita useless the moment some crises happens in your life.
• Shankara’s Example:
  • When Shankara’s mother died, he paid his respects but later remarked, “I have no mother, brother, or sister… they are all mere appearances of Brahman.”
• Ramana Maharshi’s Example:
  • When Ramana Maharshi developed cancer, he referred to the healing paste applied to his arm as “mud on mud,” recognizing both the paste and the body as made of the same five elements.

Three Stages of Vedānta Practice:

1. Śravaṇam (Listening):
   • One gains Self-Knowledge by listening to teachings, attending classes, or reading non-dual texts.
2. Mananam (Reflection):
   • One raises questions and seeks answers (either through personal reflection or from a teacher) until all doubts are resolved. This stage is crucial for developing 100% conviction.
3. Nididhyāsanam (Contemplation):
   • Even after conviction, habitual reactions may persist. This stage involves living a deliberate life of Self-Knowledge, constantly applying the teachings to every experience.
   • Key Insight: Nididhyasanam is about soaking one’s personality in wisdom until Self-Knowledge becomes effortless and automatic.

Three Stages Compared to Verse 20:

• Brahmavit (Knower of Brahman):
  • Corresponds to śravaṇam—gaining Self-Knowledge.
• Sthirabuddhiḥ (Firm Knowledge):
  • Corresponds to mananam—eliminating doubts through reflection.
• Asam mūḍhaḥ (Unshaken by Delusion):
  • Corresponds to nididhyāsanam—eliminating habitual tendencies by soaking in Self-Knowledge.

Conclusion:

• When all three stages are successful, the person becomes a jīvanmuktaḥ (liberated while living), brahma sthita (standing firm in Awareness as Awareness), brahma-nishtha (deeply grounded in Awareness as Awareness), and sthita prajna (firmly established in wisdom).

Bhagavad Gita Chapter 5, Verse 21:

bāhya-sparśeṣu asakta-ātmā vindati ātmani yat sukham ।
saḥ brahma-yoga-yuktātmā sukham akṣayam aśnute ॥ 5-21॥

One whose mind is not engaged in external objects attains that Ānanda which is in Ātma. He whose mind is engaged in the meditation of Brahman attains lasting Ānanda.

Key Insights from Verse 21:

• Jnani’s Inner Cheerfulness:
  • The verse speaks about the quiet, inner cheerfulness of a jnani (liberated person).
  • The jñāni recognizes, “I am already whole and complete.”
  • In contrast, an ajnani (ignorant person) depends on external sources for happiness, constantly seeking fulfillment from the world.
• Ātmānanda vs. Object Happiness:
  • The jñāni enjoys ātmānanda—the fullness of the Self manifesting as experience (at level of body-mind) of cheerfulness.
  • This ātmānanda is superior to any kind of happiness derived from external objects.
  • Why?
    • All sense objects in the world are finite. No matter how many finite objects one accumulates, the result is still finite.
    • Finite + finite + finite = Finite!
    • And finite will never please the seeker. It's only a license for more, which keeps the ajnani very busy.

How to Discover Ātmānanda:

• Brahma-Yoga Yuktātmā:
  • The verse says that atmananda is discovered through a mind that is yuktātmā—endowed with the knowledge that “I am Brahman“ (brahma-yoga).
  • This realization is gradually discovered through immersion in śāstra (scriptures).

Does a Jñāni Miss Worldly Pleasures?

• No, the jñāni does not miss the pleasures of the world.
  • The jñāni does not feel the need to “go out and see the world” or chase after external experiences. Although you certainly may.
  • Why? The jñāni knows that the world is just a combination of the five elements.  More of the same.
• Jñāni’s Contentment:
  • The jñāni doesn’t miss anything in life because:
    1. Asaktaḥ (Not Attached):
       • The jñāni is not interested or obsessed with external objects because they know that everything is one Intelligence reshuffling/reorganizing itself constantly to appear as forms, sounds, tastes, sensations.
    2. Sama-Darśanam (Equal Vision):
       • The jnani neither loves nor hates anything, because they see everything as an appearance of the one same Ishvara. 

Ajñāni’s Endless Seeking:

• Ajñāni’s Dissatisfaction:
  • No matter how successful the unwise person is, they always feel like something is missing.
  • Example:
    • An ajñāni may have a great husband/wife, child, or business, but there’s always a sense of “it could be just a little more or a little better.”
    • This endless seeking is driven by binding likes/dislikes. Meaning, it has to be like this, or else!  Just look at social media. Person craves attention/validation by someone commenting on their selfie. A binding desire for social media.

Conclusion:

• The jnani enjoys lasting cheerfulness because they understand “I am full”.
• The ajnani, on the other hand, is constantly chasing after external objects, hoping to fill an inner void that can never be satisfied by finite things.
• The key to discovering atmananda is through brahma-yoga—the knowledge that I am Brahman, which leads to inner fullness and contentment.

 

Keywords: ajnani, ananda, anatma, asakta, atma, bhagavad gita, darsanam, darshanam, Desa, desha, jivanmukti, jnana, jnanam, jnani, kala, kalah, Lakshmana, Laksmana, mudha, nididhyasana, nishta, nishtha, nista, prajna, Prarabdha, purnam adah, purnam idam, rama, shravana, sravanam, sthirabuddhi, sthita, svarupa, vedanta, yuktatma

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Credit for help in Bhagavad Gita teaching is given to Swami Paramarthananda

Recorded 5 March, 2019