Day 2

Day 3

Day 4

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Day 5

Day 6

Day 7

On the first day Swamiji talked about how there has been modernization in all spheres. He talked about how computers used to occupy an entire room and required information to be fed in through punch cards or "Holey" cards, as he referred to them. Modernization has reduced the size of a computer and made it really small. This is just an illustration in one field and similarly, there is modernization in all fields.

There can never be modernization in spirituality. There are places in the US where they advertise “Atma darshan” for $10. However, There are no shortcuts to spirituality. He began the talk by saying that the Gita has been said by so many people to so many others. One such was the narration of the Gita by Sanjaya to Dhritarashtra. Dhritarashtra asked:

Dharmakshetre Kurukshetre Samaveta yuyutsavah

Mamakah Pandavas cai va kim akurvata samnjaya

The very first word of the Gita is "Dharma". The Gita concludes with the word "Mama". The whole of Bhagavad Gita is contained in the two words Mama and Dharma. If we can understand what our Dharma is, then the Gita can be understood.

The question is not a simple one. It is said, "If you want to defeat anyone, confuse them". Arjuna had been in a state of confusion. Dhritarashtra did not want a direct narration, but was curious to know what had happened in the battle field, that made Arjuna, rise up from his confused state and make him place the venerable Bhishma in a bed of arrows. This question was asked on the tenth day, when Bhishma had fallen.

The Lord does not like two aspects of his devotees. One is Abhimaan, and the other is mamata, the feeling of 'mine'. Krishna did not like it when Arjuna asked him to place the chariot between the two armies, so that Arjuna would be able to measure and compare them. There are three types of Mamata: Sattvic, Rajasic and Tamasic. Dhritarashtra's mamata was Tamasic, because he was only concerned about his sons in the battle field. Duryodhana's mamata was Rajasic because, it was born out of his pride that his entire army was fighting the battle to support him. Arjuna's mamata was Sattvic because he had the feeling that the Pandavas were good while the Kauravas were ignoble and had to be killed. Here Arjuna not only considered himself Good, but also considered the Kauravas bad. The Lord did not like this and wanted to awaken him. So, he took him and placed him in front of his grandfather Bhishma and his Guru, Drona.

It is wrong to have a preconceived notion. When you appoint a lawyer to defend you in a crime, he first makes the notion that you are innocent and then, he tries to find out how to defend you. This is the mistake in intellectual approach, because it merely rationalizes decisions that are made. So when Arjuna decided that he will not fight, this was wrong because it was made in a split second and without any thinking. For e.g., people fall in Love at first sight and realize much later that it was a wrong decision. Arjuna, like every intelligent man, hoped that his view will be accepted by the Lord. The Lord did not reply and he waited for Arjuna to complete his thoughts .

A person can have worry only when he makes decisions. No wonder there are no worries in Government organizations. Talking of such organizations, Swamiji said that, usually they have committees for decision making. “A committee is a group of people who are individually committed to nothing and collectively decide that they cannot commit anything”. The only decision in committee meetings is about the date and venue of their next meeting!! Whenever we get troubles or worries, it indicates that we are going against God's wishes. When we swim in water, it is very easy to swim with the current, but extremely difficult to swim against the current. This is how it is in Life

Talking about water, Swamiji regaled about his visit to an African Safari. As he was traveling, he noticed a hippopotamus swimming in the water. It was under the surface. He said, under the water there are hippos and outside are "hippo"crites!!.

So, we should not worry and If we think happy, we will be happy. The Lord therefore exhorts Arjuna to be enthusiastic. Once a person asked Swamiji, What will happen after death? Swamiji replied "We will all be happy". After all, he did not mention whose death he was talking about!!. Swamiji then told him, "When nothing happens while you are living, What is going to happen after death?"

A person who stays aloof is not exercising spirituality. There was a man who wished that all his thoughts should be fulfilled by God. He was also granted that wish. One day he was walking in the forest. He was tired and he was sitting down under a tree. He wished he could have some tea. Immediately a glass of tea appeared before him. He then thought that he would be happy, if he could get some food. Immediately, that also happened. Once fed, he decided to lie down and thought, "What If a devil were to eat me". This wish was also granted and he died. So it is foolish to hope that everything one wants should happen

Arjuna was hence told to fight by the Lord. When we consider ourselves special, intelligent or smart, we are removed from the paramatma. Talking of specialists, Swamiji said, “Specialists are those who know more and more about less and less. But the highly specialized is the one who knows everything about nothing!!”

Paramatma is choice-less existence. Sacrifice all individuality. Arjuna's worry was because of the fact that he considered himself intelligent. Real intelligent people are those who understand that everything is God's will and they do not question it. A Satsangh is the only place where we begin to wonder if even we, have some goodness in us. Sometimes, we can neither speak, nor remain silent about things. When we watch TV and find something that we do not like we change channels. So too, we must learn to change channels and topics in life, when we are placed in such dilemmas. Once a person asked Swamiji personal questions about his past.  Swamiji, simply changed topics and diverted him!.

When Arjuna was despondent, God also changed the topic and started talking about Atma and paramatma. When Arjuna's attention had been invoked and his mood changed, the Lord started explaining to him.

The cure for Mamata is Samata. Talking of Mamata, Swamiji wondered how people could call themselves Mamata. Talking of India, Swamiji also joked, “Mera Bharat Mahan, 50% Beimaan (dishonest)and 50% pareshan (troubled)”

So, Mamata is a disease and the cure for it is mental equipoise or Samata. Arjuna wanted to know, who can balance his mind and in the latter part of the second chapter, the Lord defines a Stitapragna or a person with mental equilibrium. One can do good remaining in the same place that we are. Just by changing place we cannot improve anything because, wherever we go,there "we" are and "we" are the culprits. The change should come from within and not from outside.

‘True Sadhana is to do our job well, wherever we are’

In the third chapter, Arjuna says that he would do any job other than fighting the war. True surrender is to have your "Sar"(Head) under your Guru's feet. Talking of the growing tendency among people to go after Gurus, Swamiji decried this Guru shopping and said that people do not seek Gurus to learn from, but try to find the Guru who will endorse their thoughts and wants. Any Guru who does not do so, is not considered great by these ignorant people. An over zealous Sevaka approached Swamiji, saying that he would do anything for serving Swamiji. A singular inspiration is called "hysteria". Swamiji told him to take care of his ticket bookings since he needed to travel a lot. Knowing the nature of Indian train travel, the Sevaka immediately said "Anything but that". This does not tantamount to Surrender. Instead it is "Sar" upar (head above).

So Arjuna was not justified in saying that he won't fight. Any action that gives happiness before, after and during its performance is the right action. A Doctor's duty is to treat the patient. Talking of Doctors, Swamiji said "The reason why Doctors check the pulse is because they are actually interested in the purse. But this has been misunderstood as the pulse". The three Siddhantas are

·         Do your action

·         There is no choice in performance of action

·         Action can be free from choice, if it is made our duty.

Beauty is then seen in duty and Duty with Beauty becomes devotion. The Lord says that If action is done for the sake of God, there is no measure of happiness or sorrow in this. If performed with devotion and Love, no job is difficult. It only gives pleasure and there won't be any fault in it. You can belong to saints, but cannot possess them. One disciple told Swamiji, "Please don't forget us". Swami immediately reassured him "We won't forget you. But we won't remember as well". Another disciple summarized this beautifully by saying, "When Swamis have given up their own parents, how can they be expected to retain bondage with anyone else". So we should belong and not try to possess our teacher. Be a Mukhta Sangah or be free from ties. Do not insist on anything at any moment. Keep mind free of any preoccupation.

When we drive a car, we cannot program our moves and we take the road as it comes. So too, free mind from predetermined notions and take things as they come. Very often mothers have preconceived notions about their future daughters in law. In a marriage, a husband is one whose 'Hassi' band ho gaye, and Saas ki Saans ful gaye. So in the house there is always the Kurukshetra war. Mothers in Law hope that the daughters in law will be like Sita. They forget that they are not even 1% like Kaushalya!!

“So, Only when there are expectations, there is worry, disappointment and mental turmoil”. Nobody can be eternally bad. Reciprocating love can be done by anybody, for even a dog does this. But reciprocating hatred with love is difficult and we should strive to do this. We should endeavor to make even the smallest task beautiful . Keep smiling, have no expectations and do every task beautifully.

“Perfection is paramatma in expression”. This is the underlying principle of Karmayoga