Tagore's Poem

Sri Sadgurubhyoh Namah

Where the mind is without fear and the head held high;

Where knowledge is free;

Where the world has not been broken up into fragments by narrow domestic walls;

Where words come out from the depth of truth;

Where tireless striving stretches its arms towards perfection;

Where the clear stream of reason has not lost its way into the dreary desert sand of dead habit;

Where the mind is led forward by Thee into ever-widening thought and action;

Into that heaven of freedom, my Father, let my country awake.

Jai Hind

Krishna the Jagad-Guru

Sri Sadgurubhyoh Namah

 Krishna is Jagad Guru (Universal teacher), because what he taught in Gita are universal in nature, applicable to all and inclusive of all. 

Krishna as Gita acharya is most important aspect of him as well as for us.

Krishna as a philosopher is more important than Gopika Krishna.

Unfortunately, in India, people worship Krishna as a personality, but don't follow Gita or study Gita.

We spend time in decoration, puja, food, dance, songs, and even by heart Gita verses. 

When it comes to understanding the meaning of Gita and implementing it in our life, we lack. Very sad situation.

Meditation

Sri Sadgurubhyoh Namah 

There are two modes

1. Meditation: closed eyes: samadhi : be witness of bmi : no activity possible 

2. Meditation: open eyes: during activities: attitude of body being instrument of Ishwara. The real doer is Ishwara. Body and mind is an instrument in the divine hands.

In both cases, leave the attachment to results. Don't think about results

Shiva, Shakti, Jiva

Sri Sadgurubhyoh Namah 

Life is a play between 

Shiva, and Shakti with jiva as pawn

All the three are Shiva only 

Shakti is the movement from Shiva to Jiva and back from Jiva to Shiva. The entire spectrum of consciousness. 

Pure subject to pure object movement is limitation - unmesha -- Shakti opening her eye, Shiva closing his eyes

Pure object to pure subject movement is freedom - nimesha - Shakti closing her eye, shiva opening his third eye

In this game of light and shadow moves the jiva in different shades. 

Jiva is a snapshot at any given point of time with two coordinates (Shiva quotient, Shakti quotient)

The function (Shiva quotient, Shakti quotient) = any given part of the world

Process of Learning Vedanta

Sri Sadgurubhyoh Namah 

'How to learn Vedanta?'

Vedanta study is done by 'Sravana, manana, nidhidhyasa' meaning 'listening to a discourse by Guru, reflect upon it, and stay with it'

A Guru plays an important role in this process.

Who is a Guru?

A person who is Brahma-nishta (who is self realized and abides as Self) and Shrotriya (who is well versed in the scriptures and able to convey the Upanishads knowledge)

Who is a qualified student?

A student should have four-fold qualifications (sadhana chatushtayam). They are,

1. Viveka (discern between permanent and temporary, discern Self n non- Self, discern Dharma n Adharma)

2. Vairagya (dispassion towards this world pleasures and other worlds pleasures)

3. Sadhana shatkam , i.e calmness of mind (sama), control of senses (dama), patience to forebear vicissitudes of life (titiksha), withdrawal of senses from world (uparati), Faith in Guru, Grantha, Govinda that they are well-wishers and guiding in right direction (Shraddha) , and Settled mind (samadhana)

4. Mumukshatva : A strong desire for Self realisation and Liberation 

When a jiva matures over many lifetimes of experiences and finally decide enough of this experiences,and gets a desire ' I want to know the experiencer', who am I? Who is undergoing all these experiences? 

When this existential question raises and takes root in the qualified student, then he needs to search for a Jnani Guru, approach the Guru with Shraddha and ask questions and get clarity. Guru will instruct him the Vedic wisdom 'Tat tvam asi' meaning 'That thou art'

This is the vedantic process.

Where can we find such Students? such Guru? 

How are is such Guru-Sishya meeting?

In this modern internet age, there are many Gurus. 

There are Gurus of many kinds. But you will find Vedanta teachers very rarely, because it is not a paying business.

In India, we have excellent institutions which teach Vedanta,

1. Sri Ramakrishna mission 

2. Sri Chinmaya mission 

3. Arsha vidya peeth am of Swami Dayananda Saraswati 

4. Light of the Self Foundation

There are traditional institutions like Sringeri Shankara matham, and Kanchi matham. 

In summary, Vedanta can only be learnt by Sravana, listen to discourses.

Ishwara Srishti and Jiva Srishti

 Sri Sadgurubhyoh Namah

There is Ishwara srishti -- universe is created by God

There is jiva srishti -- attachment, raga, dvesha, anger etc

The suffering in life is jiva own creation, not by ishwara

Iswara srishti helps towards liberation 

Jiva srishti leads to rebirth , janma parampara and suffering

Ananda

Sri Sadgurubhyoh Namah 

Sat chit ananada

How to know that all beings are nothing but sat chit ananda?

I exist - sat

I know - chit

This is understood, but ananda is not experienced.

Answer: when a person has vairagya towards worldly sense pleasures, and does sadhana, his or her mind becomes peaceful, shantaha. 

A person who is shantaha experiences ananda

Shanti is ananda

Such a person is sat-chit-ananda and for that person whole world is sat chit ananda swarupa

How to know that the nature of Atma is ananda?

Answer: it is observed in the world that a person loves something which gives him/her happiness. 

And reverse is true.

It is a fact that everyone loves themselves the most. I love myself the most. It means 'myself' must be giving me happiness.

Therefore, it follows that Self must be happiness/ ananda

We like wealth and prosperity. More than that we like our family and children. More than children, we like ourselves, our body. More than our body, we like our sense organs and sense pleasures. More than that we like our life force, prana. More than that we like our Atma, Self, I am. 

In that order. This Self is the root, moolam.