Gita Summaries: Chapters 1-11 - Vedanta

Swami Paramarthananda on Gita – Summaries of Chaps 1-11
Happiness, peace, security can only be experienced by knowing Para Prakriti; so hold on
to Para Prakriti. Enjoy sunrise, relations with people but remember that purnatvam
[fullness] can never be had here. So play with Apara Prakriti, nothing wrong but go
beyond.
What is Bhakti
It is a series of Sadhana which will take one closer to God (or Para Prakriti).
There are 3 stages of bhakti:
Karma Laskhana Bhakti (Karma Yoga, active life contributing to society or Ishwara
Arpanam. This will purify and refine the mind).
Upasana Lakshana Bhakti ( Bhakti in form of meditation. Karma Yoga makes the mind
extrovert and “meditation” will expand the mind – from Ekkaha Rupa Ishwara dhyanam
[on individual form] to Vishwa Rupa Ishwara dhyanam [on universal form] to Arupa
Ishwara dhyanam [on formless]). Learn to see the Lord in all forms.
Jnana Lakshana Bhakti is the enquiry into Para Prakriti; study of scriptures.
Are all the three compulsory Or is there a choice of sadhana
There is no choice at all; our fundamental problem is ignorance. Ignorance will go away
only with knowledge; but then the mind must be prepared. Karma Yoga and Upasana are
preparatory disciplines aimed to make the mind “ogyahah” or qualified. A baby cannot
straightaway go to college without going to primary school and secondary school.
III) The third topic deals with two types of Bhakti; if Bhakti has to fructify into moksha
there is one condition. It must be Nishkama Bhakti and not Sakama Bhakti. The latter is
a worship for Apara Prakriti; material acquisitions. Nishkama Bhakti is the devotion and
the motive is the attainment of the Lord and nothing else; mumukshutvam.
Samsara is a travel between pain and pleasure; after pain, pleasure is most wonderful.
From pleasure, pain is big knock. One might enjoy the pleasures of Swarga [heaven] but
they have to come back to mosquito Madras one day. So, which is better Swarga or
Ishwara Praapti [attainment of Ishwara] People come to spirituality after undergoing
many knocks in life; they realize that peace and happiness cannot be found in this jagat
[world]. Anything which is so fleeting, is dangerous to rely on. So Krishna advises that
one must not be enamoured by this impermanent world.
One must develop nitya-anitya vivekah —learning to discriminate between what is real
and what is apparent— and develop vairagyam [renunciation] to transcend Ragah [likes]
and Dvesha [dislikes]
iv) Glories of Nishkama Bhakti [desireless devotion]
If I go through spiritual disciplines then who will look after me Here we are only asking
for a change in focus.
First we go through God, for getting things from the Lord. Now shift the focus to; go
through the experiences of the world to attain the Lord.
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