Thoughts on the Bhagavad Gita: (Chapter 13: Verses 8

Transcript

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Hello and welcome to the Bearded Mystic Podcast, and I'm your host, Rahul N Singh.

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Today, we will be continuing on with my thoughts on the Bhagavad Gita and we will be continuing on With chapter 13, looking at verses eight to 12 today.

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So there's a lot to go through, a lot to discover, a lot to take in in terms of the messages that Sri Krishna is going to be blessing us with today.

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We're going to start off with verse eight.

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Sri Krishna next describes the virtues, habits, behaviors and attitudes that purifies one's life and illuminates it with the light of true knowledge.

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So you have humility, the absence of pride and arrogance or seeking for honor.

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Straightforward, unpretentious and without duplicity.

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Causing the least amount of violence or harm while still adhering to one's dharma.

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Patience, tolerance, forbearance and forgiveness of offences given by another.

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Simplicity, lack of guile and honesty.

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Serving and honoring a guru whose life and actions embody the Vedic ideals.

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Living a sattvic lifestyle, while paying careful attention to cleansing and purifying all aspects of one's being and staying steady, firm, and unwavering in one's practices and lifestyle.

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And acting as the Atma by controlling the Manas and Indriyas.

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A lot to go through.

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So first of all, we know that Sri Krishna is describing to us the virtues, the habits, the behaviors, and attitudes that purify someone in order to be ready, to shine this beautiful light of the true knowledge.

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So what needs to happen?

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This is what our life should look like prior to realization so we can understand it.

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And if we apply this, it will make the Brahm Gyan, this knowledge of Brahman a lot easier to take in and understand and implement and experience in our life.

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What this can be considered is a work in progress rather than seeing it as Oh, I can never achieve these virtues.

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Let's have a look at what these habits, virtues and behaviours are, and attitudes, and see how they apply to us in our day to day life.

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So one is...

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Having humility, the absence of pride and arrogance or seeking for honor, and then being straightforward, unpretentious and without duplicity.

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So let's look into those two qualities together.

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In my opinion, humility is an important attribute to have and it's the first one that Sri Krishna utilizes.

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So think about the importance here of humility.

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One, in order to even allow oneself to have knowledge, humility is definitely needed.

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If you say you know something, you are not being humble enough to learn more and you've closed your mind to more knowledge, a true devotee, a true bhakta, a true jnani, It's always seeking more knowledge and never feel satisfied that, well they are satisfied within, but they know that there's a lot more to know and there's a continuous refinement that occurs.

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So they're humble enough to accept that, humble enough to allow that to happen.

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And most importantly, when nothing belongs to us, how can we have this false sense of pride, right, how can we be like, oh yeah, this is all mine and, and, and I have this and this is my possession.

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This is false.

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I have this much knowledge.

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That's falseness.

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That is not going to help us develop spiritually or allow us to be broad minded enough.

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And then if we are arrogant about what we possess with our life, it's really ridiculous.

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When you think about it, if we look at the field in general, the field is not just our human body, but also this whole massive universe.

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And we are nothing, not even a blip, not even a speck of dust in this universe.

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So it's really important for us to understand That there's no need for us to have this sense of arrogance and, and having this false sense of pride.

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Our actions must be done with humility and not for seeking honor or power over others.

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We don't want to be there to overpower others or to show that we're better than others.

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No, we look at the teachings of the saints and the sages of India.

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They've called themselves Daas, servants of the devotees.

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Can you imagine someone who's a knower of Brahman is saying this and we in our false pride will be like well I know this.

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I am a Brahm Gyani.

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I am a knower of Brahman.

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There's no need for that.

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Yeah, first of all, if our actions are speaking, we don't need to say and if we say it, our actions better match up.

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So in my opinion, it's always best to be humble, be sweet, bow to others, see this Brahman in all.

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If you see Brahman in everyone, Because Brahman is the only reality, you can't have pride, you can't be arrogant, you can only be humble.

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So humility is a very important attribute to have.

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Then, one needs to be straightforward, unpretentious and without duplicity.

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For example, we need to be straightforward with others.

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Speak clearly and respectfully express what we feel.

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If we disagree with someone, we say it, don't, don't pretend to agree with someone when you disagree.

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This is what brings up fights in the future.

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If we're honest with people and We had the humility to accept the honesty of others, this world would be a better place, we would have more productive discussions, more productive knowledge, more productive understanding, but instead what happens is, we know that there's certain things in society we can't say, and because of that, we can't be straightforward, and whoever is straightforward, we say that person's crazy.

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When really the crazy person is the one that is not able to take in the truth.

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That is not able to allow others to be straightforward.

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Who's not humble enough to be humbled.

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A saint or a sage or a rishi, they'd be like, you know, criticize me.

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It doesn't matter.

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Maybe I need to know more.

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But a person who's an egoist who's full of ahankar, full of ego and arrogance, they will never see in that way.

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Nobody should feel that we are fake or false, like if someone comes across me in real life, like for example in person, they shouldn't be like, well you know what, this guy's different, he's one thing on the podcast, but one thing when you meet him in person.

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He talks about humility here, but when we met in person, he didn't even bow, he didn't even smile at me.

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Like, those are the things that people look for.

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And I'm sorry, but damn right should people look at this because if you are not presenting or if I'm not presenting what I say I do or should do, it becomes problematic.

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And the number one thing that's happened in spirituality these days is that a lot of people are masquerading as spiritual people but have zero spiritual attitude, zero spiritual virtues, attributes, behaviors, you just don't see any of it, and this is something we have to avoid and we can avoid this if we keep logic and rationality at the forefront, you know, that's the number one thing too, and we're not to deceive others in life, in business, and we're not meant to cheat in our exams or be dishonest in any way.

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This is really important, just be honest, be straightforward, be real, that's all, that's all that's expected.

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It may not make, well the funny thing is, you may not make many friends this way, but you'll have real good friends.

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Either you want quality or quantity, yeah, and trust me, no matter what happens, even if you only have a few friends, but people who know you, the one thing they will always do is say that your straightforwardness is a great quality.

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Even though they may not like you, but they will recognise the quality.

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But that's why Sri Krishna mentioned humility before, because if one is humble, it's an easier pill to swallow and someone who's humble gives you straightforward.

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advice or a straightforward talk, right?

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So it's a lot more palatable.

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Then Sri Krishna talks about Ahimsa, which is causing the least amount of violence or harm while still adhering to one's dharma, and then having patience, tolerance, forbearance and forgiveness of offenses given by another.

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Ahimsa is big, even in the Mahabharata, even though it's you know, all about gearing up for a massive war that's about to take place.

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There is a whole kind of monologue about ahimsa about causing the least amount of harm.

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This is true Dharma.

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Dharma is always ahimsa and don't think ahimsa is about just picking up a sword or picking up a gun and, and, and hurting someone.

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That's not just what Ahimsa means.

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Ahimsa is also within thought.

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If you are there thinking you're better than somebody due to religion, due to caste, due to color, due to creed, whatever, then You're, you're being violent and the reason why you are causing harm is because you believe in dualistic thinking, you believe in dualism.

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If you feel you're better than someone, or you feel that you have the right God and they don't, you know, that type of thing is still violence.

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One thing we need to understand also is that Ahimsa just doesn't mean non violence.

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I know that it's sometimes translated as being non violent.

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Yes, it's not violent in the terms of to cause terror or to cause pain and suffering.

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But it's just a path of least harm and I think that's a better explanation and it's more appropriate and more logical and rational..

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Most of all, the actions we take that causes the least amount of harm has to be linked with our dharma, which is liberation.

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Dharma is not religion or some spiritual beliefs, it's a lot more than that.

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It's your personal path towards liberation.

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However you may do it, whatever path you take in order to get there, the thing is, your path needs to at least be one of least amount of harm to others and yourself most of all.

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Just remember that the pain that you cause to others will eventually be inflicted back upon you.

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Not necessarily that others will do it, but the guilt will play on in your mind eventually.

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You know, sometimes we find that people do so many bad things to others and it's only towards the last few moments of their life, all that pain and suffering they gave to others comes rushing to them.

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And you see them depressed and upset.

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Some don't, obviously.

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Some may have to experience it in their next life.

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But nobody escapes when they create intentionally more harm to others.

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One should also be patient, they should never rush into thinking something, or...

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rush into action.

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They need to take their time, uh, and also give people enough time to do their things that they need to do.

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So one isn't rushing others to do things for them or rushing themselves to do something.

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They're patient, they're able to be calm and be able to wait for the right moment.

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For example, I see this all the time, if we don't get something we want, something as simple as getting a cup of tea or a glass of water or getting coffee straight away, there's no need to get mad.

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Even if you're at a restaurant and you paid for it, or a cafe and you paid for it, be calm.

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You don't know what that person is going through, you don't know how many orders they have to complete, and out of courtesy, they took your order, or at home, your parents may be making you a cup of tea or some dinner, or your wife, or your husband, or your partner.

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Be patient, and wait, maybe they're doing, they're cooking breakfast too, and you're expecting them to make a cup of tea too.

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What are you doing?

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If you're just sitting down, doing nothing, and then you expect everything to come to you.

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You're lacking patience, and not only lacking patience, but also lacking the decency to help others, and that is not also a good quality to have.

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Have tolerance towards others, accept what they believe in, or do, or the way they act.

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There's no need to be so intolerant of other people's beliefs.

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If someone believes in a god, let them be.

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I don't believe in a god.

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And I'm fine with that and whoever believes in God, that's up to them.

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I believe in non duality completely.

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There are people who believe in duality.

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That's fine.

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I can't change that.

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But what needs to happen is one should be clear on their philosophy in general, but be tolerant.

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Just because somebody says something intolerant about your religion or your beliefs.

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You don't have to react with more intolerance, have the tolerance to understand that what they're saying, maybe they're not aware of.

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And if you're fighting someone who's blind, just be careful that you don't get blind also by your own beliefs that are meant to illuminate the truth for you and then have forbearance.

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You know, it's okay to endure a little pain or suffering, especially if someone doesn't mean it.

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Like, for example, a child steps on your toe.

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They don't mean to hurt you.

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So instead of like getting angry at them.

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Just understand that they didn't mean it and it wasn't intentional or if you're in the heat for a bit, be able to take in a bit of heat or if it's too cold, be able to have tolerance for that cold for a bit.

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Yeah, just having that endurance is very important and endurance brings strength, not only for the body, but also for the mind.

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So it's really, really good.

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And then forgive others.

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You know, why keep grudges?

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Be smart and be straightforward.

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Forgive, but don't completely forget, because we do need to be alert.

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A lot of people just forgive, sometimes they wear their heart on their sleeves and they just forgive others, and they forget about what that person did.

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No, you should always remember what that person did.

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You can continue to forgive them, you can love them, but you don't necessarily have to be around them, and you can make that choice and you can also gauge whether that person who did that thing wrong to you, or did a mistake towards you, if they're feeling bad, genuinely, and you can then assess whether that person should still remain in your life or not, and if they are very genuine in their apology and they feel really, really regretful.

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I think it's the best thing to do is to accept their apology and move on.

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And also, if you make a mistake, be humble enough to say, sorry.

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Yeah.

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Just be honest enough to say, sorry that you made a mistake and you want to correct your mistake.

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If you make the same mistake again and again and again and again, then something has to, then I don't believe that other person should forgive you.

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Even in my own case, if I keep making the same mistake again and again, I shouldn't expect that my loved ones should forgive me.

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Right?

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It should be that now I should learn.

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If I say I'm sorry and I'm going to learn, I have to then learn from my mistakes.

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Then, in the next part of the verse, Sri Krishna talks about simplicity and honesty, and then he talks about serving and honouring a Guru whose life and actions embody the Vedic ideals.

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First of all, be simple as much as possible, don't be clever to fool others or to outsmart others, we're not there to be cunning or trying to cheat other people.

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We need to be honest to others and mostly be honest with ourselves.

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Being simple means having a simple lifestyle, there's no need to be extravagant, or if you live extravagantly, it doesn't mean that you have to have the maximum amount of stuff, simplicity also is being okay with wearing the same clothes now and then, it's not about wearing new clothes all the time.

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Now we have people who can't even wear the same thing again.

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This, this is not only wasteful of the Earth's resources, but it's also a sign of not having the ability to calm down and...

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observe one's behavior.

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And then this sixth kind of quality, which is acharya upasana, which is about serving and honoring a guru whose life and actions embody the vedic ideals.

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This is really, really important.

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And I feel that in today's day and age, maybe it's the fact that the gurus aren't the same as they used to be back in the Vedic times, but it's really important that we respect them.

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We serve them, we give them gifts and honor them because of the knowledge that they give.

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It's very important to understand that the knowledge that they give, you know, talking about Vedanta is not easy.

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It's not easy to understand first of all.

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It's not easy to embody.

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And even more difficult for that to be transmitted to you as a person and they have been large hearted enough to allow you into their fold so you can learn from them.

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So it's always important to give back, whoever you learn from, very, very important to give back.

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But...

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Observe their behaviour, are they nice to others, are they caring towards others, are they honest to others, do they understand and still be straight forward?

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These are the things, check, have they read the scriptures, do they lead a noble life, are their ideals based on Vedanta?

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Do they have the correct understanding of Vedanta, do they love philosophy, do they do good service towards others?

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Those are the things, and as I always say that, a true Guru, a true honest Guru will always have a noble life, they will embody the very knowledge that they share and if you do have a Guru or a friend or anyone like that in your life, don't let go of them.

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They are the best, they will be the best part, best aspects of your life, that's for sure.

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Sri Krishna talks about staying steady, firm, and unwavering in one's practices and lifestyle and acting as the Atma by controlling the Manas and Indriyas.

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First of all, staying steady and consistent with your practices and lifestyle is actually generally quite important.

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Obviously, you have a simple lifestyle.

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Maintain this.

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Keep this going.

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If you practice certain ideals or qualities, remain firm that you will continue, like, being simple, being honest, being...

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caring, being compassionate, being forgiving, those qualities and behaviors continue to embody them.

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If you live a certain lifestyle and others dislike it, but you know it's based on Vedic principles, then be unwavering towards it.

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Do not waver at all, do not move from it at all.

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Be consistent.

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And again, be humble to know that your life is being based on the Vedic ideals, and if people aren't ready for this, or they do not want to embrace it, be humble enough to be like, okay, it's fine, they're not there yet.

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And look to compromise in some aspects, if it can be compromised.

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Most of the time we can meet a middle ground, and that's ahimsa, the path of least harm.

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Again, even if you disagree with someone's lifestyle, be open to let people live as they wish.

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Just focus on yourself.

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This is a very important lesson.

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A lot of us want to change the world but do not want to change ourselves.

00:23:10.863 --> 00:23:14.432
We want to reform others but we don't want to reform our own self.

00:23:14.923 --> 00:23:19.462
This seems to be the nature of us human beings and we need to kind of stop doing that.

00:23:19.462 --> 00:23:23.303
What's really important is we need to just let people live.

00:23:23.883 --> 00:23:26.853
And let them live as they wish and move on.

00:23:26.853 --> 00:23:28.608
What is the Atma?

00:23:28.618 --> 00:23:37.659
This Atma is this changeless witness consciousness that is usually in the background of all of our experiences or our objective experiences.

00:23:38.108 --> 00:23:42.719
The way to act as this Atma is to control your mind by controlling the senses.

00:23:43.189 --> 00:23:49.558
Your senses will continuously run after things and your mind will have to keep processing what the senses are running after.

00:23:50.239 --> 00:23:50.749
And...

00:23:51.179 --> 00:23:56.588
Then it gives thoughts and ideas and concepts for you to chase, but guess what?

00:23:56.598 --> 00:24:12.709
You can go back to the Atma and remain as the observer, the watcher of all this that's going on, and you can keep doing this game of the observer and the observed, you know, it's a consistent practice, and you can be unwavering in it too, continue doing that.

00:24:13.368 --> 00:24:19.939
Sri Krishna continues with those virtues and behaviours and attitudes that he was talking about earlier.

00:24:19.939 --> 00:24:20.269
10.

00:24:20.278 --> 00:24:26.788
Not being addicted to material pleasures or compelled by material desires that arise while engaging in life's activities.

00:24:27.368 --> 00:24:28.169
11.

00:24:28.398 --> 00:24:33.969
Freedom from misidentification of one's atma with the various energetic states and actions of matter.

00:24:34.659 --> 00:24:42.449
And then 12 is Remaining aware of problems caused by birth, death, the ageing process and disease.

00:24:43.469 --> 00:24:51.199
First of all, not being addicted to material pleasures or compelled by material desires that arise while engaging in life's activities.

00:24:51.888 --> 00:24:54.098
Do not be attached to any material pleasure.

00:24:54.588 --> 00:24:56.989
These material pleasures are very, very fleeting.

00:24:57.028 --> 00:24:58.199
They don't last for long.

00:24:58.838 --> 00:25:01.148
And you know this from your day to day experience.

00:25:01.469 --> 00:25:05.169
The car that gave you joy when you first got it doesn't remain today.

00:25:05.618 --> 00:25:12.489
The grade that you got in your exams that you really looked forward to, in the next exam if you fail...

00:25:12.884 --> 00:25:14.334
you forget about that pleasure.

00:25:14.334 --> 00:25:17.304
So do not be attached to any material pleasure.

00:25:17.324 --> 00:25:19.213
Experience it, but let go of it.

00:25:19.294 --> 00:25:20.413
That's all you need to do.

00:25:21.554 --> 00:25:26.753
And very simply, you enjoy something, enjoy it completely, and then forget it, move on.

00:25:27.304 --> 00:25:33.729
If you have a desire to get something material, and if you can't do it through honest means, then don't go for them.

00:25:33.818 --> 00:25:37.278
It's really important to live a life of justice and honesty.

00:25:37.608 --> 00:25:42.439
And when you're performing activities in your life, don't do it for any material desire.

00:25:42.439 --> 00:25:46.169
Remember, for spirituality we only care about mukti, about freedom.

00:25:46.618 --> 00:25:50.388
So do it for, or just do it for the happiness of action itself.

00:25:50.568 --> 00:25:53.439
Just do it because it causes happiness for others.

00:25:53.929 --> 00:25:57.898
Just be as selfless as you can when you're performing your activities in life.

00:25:58.898 --> 00:26:01.824
Actions don't really need a purpose.

00:26:02.634 --> 00:26:06.203
Sometimes you think that actions require some sort of purpose.

00:26:06.213 --> 00:26:08.993
You know, if you're not doing anything with purpose, what's gonna happen?

00:26:09.913 --> 00:26:11.433
Just act for the sake of action.

00:26:12.044 --> 00:26:19.124
And we know about this because Sri Krishna has taught us before that we are not allowed to think of the fruits of our actions.

00:26:20.013 --> 00:26:30.273
So when we do this, our default is always happiness because we don't care whether we get what we want or we don't get we want or whether the fruits is gonna be positive or negative.

00:26:30.808 --> 00:26:38.229
We can just remain as we are and don't think that if I do this in life then I will get this, this will be the result, this is what I want.

00:26:38.598 --> 00:26:44.219
Then we're just going to remain stuck in desires for as long as we can possibly think of.

00:26:45.548 --> 00:26:52.128
Then you have freedom from misidentification of one's Atma with the various energetic states and actions of matter.

00:26:53.334 --> 00:26:58.864
So simply we have to go beyond the five gaushas that we mentioned in the previous episode.

00:26:59.253 --> 00:27:03.153
We have to go beyond the three states of nature, which is sattva, rajas and tamas.

00:27:03.624 --> 00:27:07.763
And we have to go beyond this body and all of its elements.

00:27:07.953 --> 00:27:15.723
This is very very important as we progress spiritually and understand what Sri Krishna is guiding us towards.

00:27:16.364 --> 00:27:20.634
We have to move from the identification from the body to the atma, so we have to start.

00:27:21.784 --> 00:27:27.763
Going back to this witness consciousness, going back to this background of awareness and remaining fixed there.

00:27:28.584 --> 00:27:31.624
So, the more we can go to formless awareness, the better.

00:27:32.183 --> 00:27:36.124
Remember, nirguna brahman is our true self, it's the only one that exists.

00:27:36.773 --> 00:27:46.703
We have to keep identifying our Atma with that and breaking free from that binding force that says that we are just this body and mind.

00:27:47.163 --> 00:27:50.564
We have to become free of that misidentification.

00:27:51.074 --> 00:27:58.044
We are to be free from the actions of the world too, meaning just rest in the Atma and let the body and mind deal with the actions.

00:27:58.094 --> 00:27:59.993
Let prakriti deal with prakriti.

00:28:00.304 --> 00:28:01.463
Just be Brahman.

00:28:01.963 --> 00:28:02.814
Simple as that.

00:28:04.273 --> 00:28:16.364
And then remaining aware of problems caused by janma, which is birth, mrityu, which is Death, jara, which is the aging process, and vyadhi, which is disease.

00:28:16.824 --> 00:28:22.364
First of all, always be alert that problems are caused by basically many things that are related to the body.

00:28:22.413 --> 00:28:26.733
Because we have a body, there's going to be birth, hence we're here.

00:28:27.284 --> 00:28:29.044
There's going to be death because we were born.

00:28:29.473 --> 00:28:33.233
There's going to be an aging process because there's that journey between birth and death.

00:28:33.703 --> 00:28:36.304
And what's natural is disease.

00:28:36.804 --> 00:28:42.163
There's not one person who's never faced some form of illness in their life.

00:28:42.604 --> 00:28:59.124
Even if it's a headache or a stomach ache, indigestion, cancer, depression, heart disease, neurodegenerative diseases, you know, there's so much that we go through and if you're born, just consider that problems are going to arise.

00:28:59.419 --> 00:29:24.834
You're gonna be hungry, a baby needs to have their diaper changed, you're gonna get older, you're gonna face the difficulties of life, life is not going to be easy, life is not going to be simple, it's gonna pull you in all sorts of directions, desires are gonna take you somewhere, your vrittis, modifications from previous lives, that's gonna play it's part in your existing life.

00:29:25.433 --> 00:29:27.044
These things we cannot avoid.

00:29:27.693 --> 00:29:36.374
If you're born, then you're gonna die also, and not only are you gonna die, but your loved ones, your close friends and family.

00:29:37.189 --> 00:29:39.878
They're also going to die and that's going to create grief.

00:29:40.788 --> 00:29:45.759
And this is the one thing that people tend to dissuade themselves from understanding.

00:29:45.769 --> 00:29:47.739
Like, death is very natural.

00:29:47.798 --> 00:29:50.108
It is something that we have to embrace.

00:29:51.269 --> 00:29:54.398
There's no such thing as someone dying young or dying old.

00:29:55.078 --> 00:29:56.949
Death just happens to the body.

00:29:57.638 --> 00:29:59.729
Yeah, death does not look at age.

00:29:59.739 --> 00:30:03.449
It does not look at how healthy you are or not healthy you are.

00:30:04.068 --> 00:30:10.979
Death is very, very untouched by the situations of the body.

00:30:11.963 --> 00:30:13.683
Yeah, in itself, the event of death.

00:30:14.794 --> 00:30:24.544
Now, obviously, causes of death is something else, but if you know that this is a reality of life, the quicker you can accept death, the better.

00:30:25.763 --> 00:30:33.074
And, once we understand mortality, we can get ready for understanding immortality.

00:30:34.263 --> 00:30:42.574
So, understanding death is very, very important, very essential to spiritual practice, and it should not be ignored.

00:30:44.253 --> 00:31:03.528
And, like I said, If there's going to be birth, death, then in between the body will age, it's going to slow down, it's going to get all sorts of diseases, it's going to go through all sorts of suffering, but remember this happens to the body, not to the entity that is aware of all this happening to the body, yeah?

00:31:03.838 --> 00:31:05.699
The Atma remains untouched.

00:31:06.104 --> 00:31:17.084
Yet the body goes through all of these changes and the reason why we know this is that the awareness does not get diseased, it's the body that gets diseased.

00:31:17.743 --> 00:31:24.334
It's the mind that gets diseased, the brain that gets diseased, but not the awareness.

00:31:25.124 --> 00:31:35.453
And this, it appears to be dualistic, there appears to be two things, but what you realise is that actually even the body is not experiencing pain.

00:31:36.219 --> 00:31:44.409
Neither is the awareness experiencing pain, neither is the awareness feeling pain, nor is the body feeling pain.

00:31:45.429 --> 00:31:47.689
You go beyond both of these things.

00:31:48.179 --> 00:31:56.249
Like I mentioned, the simplest way to keep this understood is the nature of the body is to age, die, have disease.

00:31:56.489 --> 00:32:00.098
Yeah, that's, that's the natural process, the hukam of the body.

00:32:00.808 --> 00:32:01.308
And...

00:32:01.949 --> 00:32:15.148
The Atma is the one that is aware of all of this happening, simple as that, and that does not die, that just is aware of the problems, not necessarily feels the problems that go on.

00:32:15.568 --> 00:32:36.506
Then verse 10, a lack of attachment to all possessions and material objects, not attached or bound by children, life partner, the house and anything else material and balance and equanimity in the face of desirable and undesirable circumstances of events.

00:32:37.496 --> 00:32:44.816
That 15th one is what makes the Bhagavad Gita quite an interesting text and just Vedanta interesting in general.

00:32:45.665 --> 00:32:53.318
But let's go back to the 13th quality, which is a lack of attachment to all possessions and material objects.

00:32:53.798 --> 00:32:57.378
So we are to be detached from our possessions and material objects.

00:32:57.648 --> 00:32:59.709
When we die, they're not going to go with us.

00:33:00.219 --> 00:33:03.479
And most of all, they change with times.

00:33:04.348 --> 00:33:11.459
Our feelings towards them, either we get really more, we get more sentimental about it or we lack sentiment about it.

00:33:11.542 --> 00:33:17.472
We fluctuate a lot and all these material possessions and objects belong to the earth.

00:33:17.903 --> 00:33:21.573
And to a larger extent, they belong to this universe or to the field.

00:33:21.982 --> 00:33:24.992
And nothing is mine, not even this body is mine.

00:33:25.113 --> 00:33:26.952
This body belongs to nature too.

00:33:27.387 --> 00:33:35.191
This body belongs to Prakriti and that's why one, that's why Sri Krishna talks about the next quality, which is really important.

00:33:35.671 --> 00:33:44.090
You may possess things and that's fine, but be balanced if you gain or lose something and this is what the next two qualities discuss.

00:33:44.750 --> 00:33:50.851
The 14th one, which is not attached or bound by children, life, partner, house, and anything else material.

00:33:51.340 --> 00:33:54.070
This is very challenging to like practice.

00:33:54.090 --> 00:34:00.530
It's very, very difficult, but if we're able to do it, it's very, very rewarding.

00:34:00.871 --> 00:34:02.810
It really serves a great purpose.

00:34:03.351 --> 00:34:08.411
If we can be detached, this is a quality of love, which is unmatched.

00:34:09.391 --> 00:34:19.981
Trust me, being detached increases love so much more, makes it so much more potent, makes it so much more intimate, that we just cannot anticipate.

00:34:20.010 --> 00:34:24.331
We think attachment is love, but true love is detachment.

00:34:25.521 --> 00:34:29.621
Now, for example, being detached with your children.

00:34:29.981 --> 00:34:34.840
Understand that your children have their own life, their own journey.

00:34:35.400 --> 00:34:37.650
And all you can do is be there for them.

00:34:38.231 --> 00:34:46.150
Be that trusting mat that if they fall, they will fall onto your supportive behaviours.

00:34:48.030 --> 00:34:52.141
And not only that, but they are made from nature too.

00:34:52.451 --> 00:34:53.800
They are made from prakriti.

00:34:54.181 --> 00:34:57.061
And therefore, they are subject to change.

00:34:57.900 --> 00:35:00.150
They are also subject to decay.

00:35:00.690 --> 00:35:04.161
They may also die while you're a parent.

00:35:06.561 --> 00:35:12.920
As much as it's difficult to lose children, and I know what it's like because my parents have lost a child.

00:35:13.670 --> 00:35:20.760
But, the more you're detached, the better the grieving process is, the easier it gets.

00:35:21.440 --> 00:35:25.371
That doesn't mean that you don't love them, and you're not there for them.

00:35:25.501 --> 00:35:28.201
Of course, you love them and you always are there for them.

00:35:28.740 --> 00:35:31.831
But you let them live the life that they should.

00:35:31.880 --> 00:35:56.521
Even the same thing with your life partner, a lot of times we see that when some people lose their life partner, they lose, they just get into deep depression, they, they go silent, and not in a good way, they go silent in the sense of, they stop interacting, we should Even though we love our life partners, we need to be detached too.

00:35:56.811 --> 00:36:01.670
For example, if they get ill, we need to be detached enough to take care of them.

00:36:02.311 --> 00:36:05.490
And if we are detached, then we can take better care of them.

00:36:06.016 --> 00:36:10.576
Yeah, and the same thing with a house or property in general.

00:36:10.585 --> 00:36:13.135
Anything material, be detached.

00:36:13.576 --> 00:36:15.166
None of this lasts.

00:36:15.235 --> 00:36:16.445
No wealth lasts.

00:36:16.456 --> 00:36:17.666
No property lasts.

00:36:17.706 --> 00:36:20.226
Everything can decay in a moment.

00:36:20.626 --> 00:36:24.126
An asteroid can hit the earth and things are destroyed.

00:36:24.775 --> 00:36:30.246
Don't be so attached when there is no guarantee about them, even in the next second.

00:36:30.905 --> 00:36:44.905
Just remember that anything that you're attached to that is of prakriti is born, is created, is going to get destroyed one day, is going to get disease or illness, it's going to decay.

00:36:45.425 --> 00:36:48.615
So the quicker you can get detached, the better.

00:36:49.215 --> 00:36:56.925
And just mark my words, when you start becoming more detached, watch how vast your love becomes.

00:36:57.826 --> 00:37:07.146
Attachment is even though it's very singular, it lacks true intimacy.

00:37:09.706 --> 00:37:15.835
When you are detached, there's real intimacy and it's vast.

00:37:17.195 --> 00:37:21.295
it's an unending supply of love, an unconditional sense of love.

00:37:22.155 --> 00:37:26.985
So that's something I can, I can vouch for that happens when we are detached.

00:37:28.226 --> 00:37:31.976
If you're detached, then you can be more honest, more straightforward.

00:37:32.675 --> 00:37:35.146
As well as more forgiving and patient with people.

00:37:35.266 --> 00:37:43.096
It makes it easier to practice these values and virtues and behaviors and attitudes that Sri Krishna's been talking about.

00:37:44.831 --> 00:37:52.481
Then one should be in balance, equanimity in the face of desirable and undesirable circumstances or events.

00:37:52.481 --> 00:37:56.510
One has to be balanced when it comes to responding to events in life.

00:37:56.960 --> 00:38:02.311
Nothing goes our way, and sometimes everything goes our way, or it's the middle of both.

00:38:03.871 --> 00:38:14.431
If there are desirable events, like you get the car you want, or you get the house you want, the job you want, the results you want, the grades you want, don't get overexcited.

00:38:15.286 --> 00:38:17.916
Just be grateful and move on.

00:38:18.746 --> 00:38:33.726
And if an undesirable circumstance or event happens, someone dies, you lose your house, you lose your job, you don't get the grade you want, you don't get into the college you want, don't get depressed and drown in that problem.

00:38:33.726 --> 00:38:39.425
Be balanced enough to know that there's something beyond this and that you can transcend and get better.

00:38:39.425 --> 00:38:50.826
What I would say is just look at every event and circumstance as natural consequences of that action or of nature and that they're not happening to your true self, to your Atma.

00:38:51.286 --> 00:39:08.036
So the more we act from that sense, the more we understand that our actions are based on prakriti and that the awareness within is just a watcher and is not affected by any of the actions that are done, the more balanced our approach is.

00:39:08.293 --> 00:39:09.623
Then verse 11.

00:39:09.623 --> 00:39:16.532
Unswerving connection with Me in the joyful bond of bhakti yoga, then dedication to Me that never fluctuates.

00:39:17.193 --> 00:39:24.742
Avoidance of the masses of chaotic and unevolved human beings and then residing in a sacred and secluded place.

00:39:24.992 --> 00:39:31.333
So 16th quality is about unswerving connection with Me in the joyful bond of bhakti yoga.

00:39:31.663 --> 00:39:40.643
So one thing we want that connection to Brahman to never take a turn, to never go here or there, is to remain fixed and in place.

00:39:40.643 --> 00:39:44.702
We are to remain as connected as much as possible.

00:39:44.702 --> 00:40:11.463
where it doesn't change at all and we do that when we are in that joyful bond of bhakti yoga, when we are able to surrender to the higher that's within us, that's what brings absolute joy to our heart and through love we are able to be devoted to that higher aspect of ourselves and this is what the Atma is and if we And that's what Sri Krishna is talking about.

00:40:11.503 --> 00:40:14.572
Think of the unswerving connection within Me.

00:40:14.943 --> 00:40:17.452
So that me is the Atma that's within us.

00:40:17.503 --> 00:40:19.793
The knower of the field.

00:40:20.242 --> 00:40:24.992
That knower is Sri Krishna, is Brahman, the Atma.

00:40:26.043 --> 00:40:28.793
Be connected to that and you're all good.

00:40:29.672 --> 00:40:33.012
Then the 17th one is dedication to Me that never fluctuates.

00:40:33.293 --> 00:40:38.643
Remember, first of all, we dedicate everything to Brahman, we don't take anything for ourselves.

00:40:39.643 --> 00:40:44.132
Or to name and form, we say, everything is Brahman, that's the true Atma.

00:40:44.342 --> 00:40:48.842
No matter what situations we face, we still remain dedicated to Brahman.

00:40:48.873 --> 00:40:50.373
We don't fluctuate at all.

00:40:50.952 --> 00:40:52.353
Brahman is our everything.

00:40:53.483 --> 00:40:55.793
Yeah, so it doesn't change.

00:40:55.802 --> 00:40:57.132
It doesn't go up and down.

00:40:57.172 --> 00:40:58.563
It doesn't get higher or lower.

00:40:59.063 --> 00:41:00.172
It remains the same.

00:41:01.422 --> 00:41:06.043
And then avoidance of the masses of chaotic and uninvolved human beings.

00:41:07.202 --> 00:41:11.463
One thing is we don't have to follow society in everything.

00:41:11.463 --> 00:41:21.592
You know, if there's mass hysteria, we don't need to involve ourselves in that mass hysteria, and the next quality that he talks about is related to this.

00:41:22.152 --> 00:41:24.722
People that cause chaos, we just avoid them.

00:41:24.842 --> 00:41:31.853
If we see that their actions are causing more harm, avoid them, don't be friends with them, like, just let them be.

00:41:32.402 --> 00:41:38.992
And if they are there to cause havoc or keep you away from living the best version of your life, again, avoid them.

00:41:39.233 --> 00:41:41.032
There's no need to entertain them in your life.

00:41:41.072 --> 00:41:44.132
There's no need to be in the crowd all the time.

00:41:44.463 --> 00:41:46.782
There's no need to get the approval of the crowd.

00:41:47.222 --> 00:41:49.532
There's no need to be liked by them.

00:41:50.132 --> 00:41:50.893
Let them be.

00:41:51.413 --> 00:41:54.213
You don't need to lower yourself for them.

00:41:55.152 --> 00:41:55.943
Simple as that.

00:41:57.103 --> 00:42:00.643
And main thing is we only seek the company of the wise.

00:42:00.983 --> 00:42:02.753
And the thing about the wise is...

00:42:03.552 --> 00:42:09.373
They're part of that 19th quality which is residing in a sacred and secluded place.

00:42:11.282 --> 00:42:22.492
Important thing to note is that the most sacred and secluded place is being in your own heart, being in your own Atma, being in your own self.

00:42:23.563 --> 00:42:29.172
That Brahman within which is ever present, that is the sacred and secluded place.

00:42:29.623 --> 00:42:32.123
That's the true residence of our whole life.

00:42:32.503 --> 00:42:34.302
And it's very important to be alone.

00:42:34.672 --> 00:42:35.092
I...

00:42:35.148 --> 00:42:43.498
I often talk about how it's really important to understand that being alone is fine, it's nice.

00:42:44.338 --> 00:42:50.547
It's very important to have alone time where you can just be one with your thoughts, think about what's been going on.

00:42:51.038 --> 00:42:56.777
It's not that when you go travelling in the car that you have to listen to music or you have to listen to a podcast.

00:42:57.858 --> 00:43:01.128
Take your time to just analyse your own self, your own thoughts.

00:43:01.927 --> 00:43:06.257
That's why meditation is so important because you get to know who you are, what you really are.

00:43:06.257 --> 00:43:07.168

Thoughts on the Bhagavad Gita: (Chapter 13: Verses 8 - 12)

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