Newsletter June 6, 2012

Synopses of Last Week's Classes

(All classes given by Swami Yogatmananda, unless otherwise stated.)

Bhagavad Gita class – June 1, Friday

Ch 14, verses 11-13

Our true divine nature is intrinsically free, but the world binds us in many ways, both externally and internally.  Externally, our surroundings, friends, and foes all create bondage for us; internally, our mind and body both are bondages and pull us in many different directions.  The desire for liberation arises in us when we become aware of these bondages.  The fourteenth chapter describes the true nature of these bondages and how they come in us.  Understanding where the bondages come from will allow us to rid ourselves of them.  Upon close examination, we can see that our bondage is made up of three strands--the three Gunas of tamas, rajas, and sattva.  If we know how these three strands function, we will be able to untie the knot and experience our true, ever-free, ever-blissful nature.  We can also liken this study of the Gunas to examining a weather forecast.  When we look at the forecast, we can prepare ourselves for whatever weather lies ahead.  Similarly, if we know what to expect with each of the Gunas, we will be better-equipped to handle them.  Sri Krishna explains that when the mood of sattva predominates, the spark of knowledge is kindled within us, and we experience the joy that comes with understanding.  Although this joy is a pleasant feeling, it comes from sattva and is a bondage which must be cast off.  When rajas predominates, desire, attractions, and greed arise within us.  We are motivated by these desires to be in a constant state of action and are unable to keep still, regardless of what others around us advise.  Finally, when tamas predominates, we should expect darkness, ignorance, depression and inertia to prevail.   In the state of tamas, we are overwhelmed by conflicting desires and are thus rendered immobile. 

Perfect Shooting  - June 3, Sunday

The metaphor of an archer is employed in various scriptures to convey the importance of training in order to reach the Goal of life. For example, Sri Ramakrishna used to tell the story where Avadhuta narrates how he learned from 24 gurus, including the earth, the sun, a flying bird, and an archer. As Avadhuta witnessed the archer's intense concentration throughout his entire being, he thought: When thinking of God, let me become concentrated like that archer.  In the Buddhist tradition, there is an allegory of a skillful archer, who succeeds in splitting a hair.  For spiritual seekers, it is very important to remember the successful attempt, in which the mind is calm and concentrated and a glimpse of Truth comes forth. We should then meditate on that particular moment, in order to make such an experience increasingly accessible to us. Training and disciplining the mind is the hardest part of reaching the Goal.  As Swami Vivekananda stated, one of the greatest lessons is "to pay as much attention to the means of work as to its end."  The means must be strengthened and then the powers of the mind will start coming out.  Both the science of concentration and purity of intent are very important in this process.  The means for achieving the Goal are also beautifully expressed in the second chapter of the Manduka Upanishad, which again uses a metaphor of the archer. The spiritual seeker must take up the bow, which is the scriptural message by which the bondage is cut asunder, or at least loosened. Next, the arrow must be taken up.  This arrow must have a very sharp point in order to penetrate the target.  It is to be sharpened by practicing the teachings again and again. Then, the bow must be strengthened by concentrating the mind on the target and filling the whole being with that idea.  The shooting must be done correctly, without slackening, to reach the target, which is the Divine, All-pervading Reality.  When the shooting is done perfectly, the arrow and target become One.

Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna  - June 5, Tuesday

Sri Ramakrishna's illness was increasing day by day making his physical body weaker and weaker. Due to that people of worldly interests stopped coming to him. Only true devotees seeking spiritual enlightenment, came to Him. He too shared spiritual wisdom with them very happily in spite of bodily discomfort.
This day’s (Aug 11, 1885) account recorded in Gospel is very special. We do not find much description of the surroundings there. It is one of the shortest accounts recorded in the Gospel. Sri Ramakrishna was maintaining silence since morning, though not as a part of any spiritual austerity. Holy Mother, Latu , Rakhal and some other devotees got worried due to this. They knew that the time is approaching for the end of Master's play in his physical body. All of them were feeling sad on this account. At around 3 o'clock Narayana arrived. Master blessed Narayana and spoke to him. This news elated everyone and they gathered in the Master's room. He said - " The Mother showed me that all this is verily Maya. She alone is real and all else is the splendor of Her maya." This is the Vedanta philosophy. The whole world has existence as each one of us is experiencing it and hence finding it to be so real. As the dream loses its existence when the person is awake, similarly world will not exist when the ignorance is removed. God and the world are not two separate entities. Our understanding mistakenly draws a line between spiritual and secular. In essence everything is God alone.
Master also said that the Mother showed Him how far the devotees have progressed. We all are divine in essence but that divinity is not manifested. We all are striving for manifesting that divinity. Each one of us is progressing on that path to achieve the perfection. Master saw how His devotees are progressing on this path. He did not give any more details about the individual devotee's progress.