Bhagavad-gétä

1. Bhagavad-gétä Chapter 12

2. Part 1: texts 1-7 overview of two paths • For each Path: Goals—Process—Nature of the Path—Deliverance and Qualifications • Part 2: texts 8-12 how the paths fix together • How each path can lead to pure bhakti • Part 3: texts 13-20 the qualities of those who have reached at least the threshold of bhakti • The qualities of peace

3. Part 1 texts 1-7

4. Goal • spiritual loving service for Çyämasundara

5. One Goal: Two Paths • What is a better way to reach the goal of spiritual loving service for Çyämasundara? • To start with bhakti from the beginning, or to go through a step by step process that leads to bhakti?

6. PATH ONE: Bhakti from the beginning

7. Process (text 2) • mayyäveçyamano—mind fixed on Çyämasundara

8. Process • çraddhayä—with faith; parayä—transcendental • faith above the modes

9. Process • nitya-yuktäupäsate—always engage in worship of Çyämasundara

10. Process • Whatever work one does, is done for Kåñëa • “The devotee does not desire any achievement other than pleasing the Supreme Personality of Godhead. His life's mission is to please Kåñëa”

11. Process • Sometimes he chants, sometimes he hears or reads books about Kåñëa, or sometimes he cooks prasädam or goes to the marketplace to purchase something for Kåñëa, or sometimes he washes the temple or the dishes—whatever he does, he does not let a single moment pass without devoting his activities to Kåñëa. Such action is in full samädhi. • (purport Bg 12.2)

12. Nature of this path • Easy and natural • example: Embodied souls can worship the Deity, perceivable with material senses (purport 12.5)

13. Deliverance and Qualifications • Even though the devotees endure difficulty in withdrawing the senses from objects other than Kåñëa and in engaging in the various aìgasof bhakti, they do not experience the same suffering as the impersonalists because of the dazzling attraction of Kåñëa’s blissful form. (BaladevaVidyäbhüñaëa)

14. Kåñëa personally delivers the devotee. • “The Lord Himself takes him. The devotee does not need to wait to become very experienced in order to transfer himself to the spiritual sky.” • (ÇrélaPrabhupäda)

15. Even if the devotee has not attained transcendent jïäna or has not properly done all aspects of dharmic karma, Kåñëa personally delivers the devotee.

16. According to My desire, unchecked, I bring them to My dhäma, putting them on the shoulders of Garuòa, without going via the path of light. (VarähaPuräëa)

18. No previous qualification needed • Pure devotional service is so powerful, however, that one may at once take to it without acquiring the previous qualification of brahma-bhüta life. A sincere devotee who engages in the service of the Lord automatically becomes situated in the brahma-bhüta stage. • (ÇrélaPrabhupäda)

19. PATH TWO Going up the yoga ladder

20. Goal • Kåñëa says, they “at last achieve Me” (Text 4) • Which form of “Me”? • a form predominated by extreme majesty (BaladevaVidyäbhüñaëa) • impersonal Brahman (ViçvanäthaCakravartéÖhäkura) • ÇréKåñëa, Väsudeva (ÇrélaPrabhupäda)

21. Immediate goal: Is it self or Brahman? • Is Arjuna asking about those who meditate on the self, or those who meditate on Brahman? • (text 1)

22. Self • BaladevaVidyäbhüñaëa • Rämänujäcärya • Brahman • ViçvanäthaCakravartéÖhäkura • ÇrélaPrabhupäda

23. Both self and Brahman • “perceive the Supersoul within the individual soul.” • (ÇrélaPrabhupäda purport Bg 12.3-4) • Whether one starts at the self or starts at Brahman as the goal, one will realize the self and the Superself

24. Description of Goal (self or Brahman) • Text 1 (Arjuna’s question) • akñaram—beyond the senses • avyaktam—the unmanifested

25. Description of the Goal Text 3-4 (Kåñëa’s answer) • akñaram—that which is beyond the perception of the senses • anirdeçyam—indefinite • avyaktam—unmanifested • sarvatra-gam—all—pervading • acintyam—inconceivable • küöa-stham—unchanging • acalam—immovable • dhruvam—fixed

26. Why would someone want to first realize the self rather than starting with bhakti? • They think it is better to remove all obstacles first and then perform bhakti, rather than remove obstacles to bhakti by bhakti itself • Note: those on this path may not have bhakti as their goal from the beginning

27. Why first realize the self? • svānubhava-pūrvakasyahari-dhyānasyabandha-mūlatvāttenanirvighnā tat-prāptirity eke This means, “Some say that (ity eke), because meditation on Hari (hari-dhyānasya) is firmly grounded (bandha-mūlatvāt) when preceded by experience of one's own self (svānubhava-pūrvasya), attainment of Hari (tat-prāptiḥ) by means of that meditation (tena) is without obstacles (nirvighnā).” (BaladevaVidyäbhüñaëa)

28. Why first realize the self? • Self-realization [the brahma-bhüta [Bg 18.54 + SB 4.30.20] stage] is symptomized by joyfulness. One never laments for any loss, nor is one very enthusiastic when there is some gain. One sees everyone on an equal level through spiritual understanding. These qualities are preliminary to entering into pure devotional service. • (ÇrélaPrabhupäda)

29. Process (texts 3-4) • paryupäsate—worship • sanniyamyendriya-grämaà—control all the senses • sarvatrasama-buddhayaù—seeing everyone equally (no duality self/others) • sarva-bhüta-hiteratäù—working for the welfare of all living entities

30. Nature of this path • To attain impersonal perfection is: • troublesome • difficult • theoretical at first • one can realize the eternal and knowledgeable aspects of the self, but not the blissful portion

31. Nature of this path • difficult • How can one perceive the unmanifest through senses? So, one has to stop the senses, but that is like stopping a river (ViçvanäthaCakravartéÖhäkura)

32. Nature of this path: Needs worship • Furthermore, even that goal of impersonal Brahman which is attained by such suffering is attained only by having a mixture with bhakti. Without bhakti to the Lord, the worshippers of the impersonal Brahman obtain only suffering, and not Brahman. • Brahmä says:  • As a person who beats an empty husk of wheat cannot get grain, one who simply speculates cannot achieve self-realization. His only gain is trouble. SB 10.14.4 (ViçvanäthaCakravartéÖhäkura)

33. Nature of this path • This unmanifested realization is against the nature of his spiritual blissful self (ÇrélaPrabhupäda)

34. Nature of this path • there is the danger of turning to atheism • the curse at Dakña’s sacrifice: “One who takes a vow to satisfy Lord Siva or who follows such principles will certainly become an atheist and be diverted from transcendental scriptural injunctions.” • (SB 4.2.28)

35. Needs Prior Qualification • Those who have been able to eradicate their sins by living according to the dictates of their social and spiritual order, and who have thus acquired sufficient piety, are qualified to practice karma-yoga. Gradually they progress to jïäna-yoga, and finally, in meditation, they realize the transcendental and supreme position of the Lord. • (Renunciation Through Wisdom)

36. Deliverance: Bridge to Bhakti • After attaining impersonal perfection: • By the grace of some devotee, such a transcendentalist, highly learned in the process of jïäna-yoga, may come to the point of bhakti-yoga, or devotional service. At that time, long practice in impersonalism also becomes a source of trouble, because he cannot give up the idea. Therefore an embodied soul is always in difficulty with the unmanifest, both at the time of practice and at the time of realization. (ÇrélaPrabhupäda)

37. Part 2 texts 8-12

38. Going to Kåñëa The relationship between the two paths

39. Goal • spiritual loving service for Çyämasundara

40. Principle • There are acceptable processes, good processes, better processes, and best processes to achieve the goal

41. Principle • Better to achieve success at a lower level than to fail at a higher level • What is “best” for an individual is what he or she can succeed at now • “the best path” versus “the best path for me now”

42. What is the Best Process to Reach the Goal? • Have fixed mind and intelligence on Kåñëa • ädhatsva—fix

43. Concentrate your mind on Kåñëa only, remember only Kåñëa(mayyevamanaädhatsva), that form of Çyämasundara, with yellow cloth and forest garland--and not the impersonal Brahman. And also, fix your intelligence, which has the power of discrimination, upon Kåñëa. This means to continually reflect on the statements of scripture using intelligence, which will result in meditation. Such contemplation is called manana. Thus, you will attain residence near Kåñëa. (ViçvanäthaCakravartéÖhäkura)

44. Who can follow this best process? • The person who already has an attachment for Kåñëa. Symptoms: • Kåñëa and His internal potency dance on one’s tongue while chanting Hare Kåñëa • Kåñëa directly accepts food that’s offered • Devotee does not live on the material plane

45. What do we call this best process? • The practice (sädhana) of following in the footsteps of rägatmikäbhakti is called rägänugäbhakti (BhaktivinodeÖhäkura) • (text 8)

46. Suppose one is not qualified for the best process?

47. Step to Rägänugäbhakti: Abhyäsa-yoga • Practice to fix the mind in trance of samädhi • “From wherever the mind wanders due to its flickering and unsteady nature, one must certainly withdraw it and bring it back under the control of the Self.” • (Bg 6.26)

48. the essence of abhyäsa-yoga • Repeatedly withdrawing the mind when it goes here and there, and fixing the mind on Kåñëa is called abhyäsa. (ViçvanäthaCakravartéÖhäkura) • (abhyäsaliterally means “repetition”)

49. Abhyäsa-yoga is on the transcendent platform • “Practice of devotional service in the material field is of eighty-one different qualities, and above such activities is the transcendental practice of devotional service, which is one and is called sädhana-bhakti” • (purport SB 1.7.10)

50. Abhyäsa-yoga • Love of God is now in a dormant state in everyone's heart. The heart has to be purified of the material association, and that dormant, natural love for Kåñëa has to be revived. That is the whole process. (ÇrélaPrabhupäda)