SoulCulture Dec 2004-2

8/10/2019 SoulCulture Dec 2004-2

1/9

The Bhagavad Gita

Metaphorical InterpretationBy Paramahamsa Hariharananda

Continuing from the previous issues of Soul Culture Online, from The Bhagavad Gita inthe Light of Kriya Yoga:

Book !y "aramahamsa #ariharananda, availa!le through the Kriya Yoga $nstitute%

Chapter 17 Verses 12-1

Verse 12

abhisamdhaya tu phalamdambhartham api cai va yat

ijyate bharatasresthatam yajnam viddhi rajasam

Translation

But the sa&rifi&e that is offered in the e'pe&tation of the fruit, for the sake of a sho(, (ithego, O !est of Bharatas )*r+una , is passionate )ra+asi&

Metaphorical Interpretation

$n this verse, the Lord dis&usses the nature of the yajna )sa&rifi&e, (orship, fire &eremony,religious a&tivities of ra+asi& people% -a+asi& people are !usy (ith e'treme a&tivity,al(ays aiming at name and fame%

"eople are religious% They go to temple, &hur&h, or synagogue% They appear to !eGod.loving, !ut many put on their !est &lothes and go to the house of (orship, not forGod, !ut for their reputation% $n the Bi!le )Luke, //:0 , it says, 12oe unto you,"harisees3 4or ye love the uppermost seats in the synagogues, and greetings in themarkets%5 "eople (orship deities and offer ghee in the fire (ith mu&h pomp andgrandeur% They do many things for the fulfillment of their material desires%

6any also (orship pu!li&ly, &olle&ting huge sums of money from others% The(hole lo&ality is !usy (ith all of this formal (orship, done in &ompetitive spirit% Thereare many types of ostentation% Some even sing and &ry in the temple only to dra( pu!li&attra&tion, not God% This is done for the fulfillment of their ego% This is not real o!lation 7 real o!lation is sa&rifi&ing the ego and offering love to God in every !reath% 2orship andsa&rifi&e for the fulfillment of am!ition and ego, (hi&h is far from love, purity and self.development, is ra+asi&%


2/9

Verse 1

vidhihinam asrstannam mantrahinam adaksinam sraddhavirahitam yajnam

tamasam paricaksate

Translation

* sa&rifi&e that has no respe&t for the s&riptural in+un&tion, in (hi&h no food is offered )tothe hungry and the poor , (ithout mantras )sa&red hymns and (ithout gifts )to the

priests , (hi&h is empty of faith, is said to !e tamasi&%

Metaphorical Interpretation

$n this verse, the Lord des&ri!es the sa&rifi&es or (orship of a tamasi& nature% #e pointsout the five &hara&teristi&s of su&h yajnas :

/% These spiritual pra&ti&es are not !ased on s&riptural pres&riptions% -ealspiritual pra&ti&e is the essen&e of all religious s&riptures% $t is not &reated outof (him8 it is not produ&t of the human mind%

9% Sa&rifi&e is al(ays asso&iated (ith &harity% The real meaning of sa&rifi&e is togive up one s o(n negative ;ualities and !e free%


3/9

!oga" Path#ay to The $ivine

%n &'cerpt (rom the Boo) By Paramahamsa Pra*+ananandaChapter , &ssential ./alities 0or ./ic) pirit/al Progress - contin/ed

Omatmatvam girija matih sahacarah pranah sariram hrham

puja te visayopabhogaracana nidra samadhi sthitih sancarah padayoh pradaksina vidhih stotrani sarva girah yadyat karma karomi tattadakhilam sambhos tavaradhanam

(Sankaras Sivamanasapuja)ayurnasyati pasyatam pratidinam yati ksayam yauvanam

pratyayanti gatah punarna divisah kalo jagadbhaksakahlaksmistoyatarangabhanga capala vidyuccalam jivitamtasman mam saranagatam saranada tvam raksa raksadhuna

Om santih santih santih(Sankaras Sivaparadha Ksamapana stotram)

1O Siva, you are my soul% This !ody is your temple% *ll the sense en+oyments are your(orship% Sleep is samadhi % 6y movement is an offering to you% 2hatever a&tion $

perform, is an offering to you% Life is e!!ing every day% Youth does not last% On&e pastthe day is s(allo(ed !y the time% 2ealth is not permanent8 it is temporary like a !u!!lethat !reaks% Life is a spark of light% $ take refuge in you% O Siva, please save me%5*ll pervading God is the po(er in the !ody and soul% You are the soul, not the !ody% $nevery !reath let us remem!er God% Om% *men

t/dy itho/t Practice is 3seless

2e (ant su&&ess% ?o one (ants to !e a failure% 2hatever (ork (e do, (e do (ith ane'pe&tation of su&&ess% 2e are here to learn and pra&ti&e Kriya Yoga and to progresssteadily on the spiritual path% 4or the progress to !e ;ui&k and steady, many pra&ti&alhints are given in the yogic s&riptures%

kriya yuktasya siddhih syat, akriyasya katham bhavet na sastra pathamatrena yogasiddhih prajayate

(Hath oga !radipika)

1$f you pra&ti&e Kriya, you (ill a&hieve su&&ess in life% 2ithout pra&ti&e, there is nosu&&ess% Only !y studying the s&riptures, you (ill not !e a perfe&t one%56any people think !y reading and understanding you &an a&hieve su&&ess% -eading &angive you some information% $f a person (ants to travel from $ndia to *meri&a, he may getsome idea !y looking at a map or !y listening to another person s e'perien&e% S&ripturesare only paroksanubhuti )indire&t e'perien&e % 2e need aparoksanubhuti )a!solutee'perien&e %


4/9

*nother s&ripture says: satsranyadhityapi bhavanti murkha yastu kriyavan purusah sa vidvan sucintitam causadham aturanamna nama matrena karotyarogam"

(#iti$sara$sangraha)1One (ho only reads s&riptures is ignorant% One (ho pra&ti&es kriya is the one (hokno(s% -eading the name of a medi&ine again and again (ill not &ure the disease%5 Onehas to take the medi&ine (ith proper dire&tions from the do&tor% Then only (ill he !e&ured%By reading !ooks, people develop ideas and think they kno( and understand everything%Sri Caitanya 6ahapra!hu (hen touring south $ndia, sa( a person in a temple, (ho (asholding the Bhagvad Gita in his hands upside do(n% #e seemed to !e in e&stasy (ithtears rolling do(n his fa&e% Sri Caitanya asked him if he (as reading the Gita% The mansaid, 1$ (anted to read the Gita !ut $ had the vision of Krishna tea&hing *r+una and (ase'perien&ing the &ompassion of the Lord and thinking ho( foolish (e are%5

2e read a lot of !ooks and listen to many le&tures !ut (hat (e really need is pra&ti&e%Only through pra&ti&ing to live in the presen&e of God do (e !e&ome perfe&t% $n thes&riptures it is said that this !ody is an earthen pot that has not !een !aked in fire% Theearthen pot !e&omes strong only (hen it is !aked in fire% *n un!aked earthen pot (ill not

!e a!le to hold (ater, as it dissolves (ith the tou&h of (ater%amakumbha ivambhasi, jirnamana sada ghatah

yoganalena samdahya ghata suddhim samacaret"(%heranda Samhita &$')

1This !ody is un!aked &lay pot, dissolving (hen in tou&h (ith the (ater of sense organsand (orldly affairs% 2hen !urnt and purified !y the fire of Kriya Yoga, the !ody !e&omesstrong and &an (ithstand the (orld of o!+e&ts% 2e should transform our life (ith the

pra&ti&e of Kriya Yoga%5

./alities 4eeded 0or ./ic) pirit/al Progress

phalisyatiti visvasah siddheh prathamalaksanamdvitiyam sraddhaya yuktam tritiyam guru pujanamcaturtham samatabhavam pancame indrinigraham

sasthanca pramitaharam saptamam naiva vidyate(Siva Samhita &*$+ )

$n this verse of the &lassi&al yogi& s&ripture, the si' ;ualities needed for ;ui&k spiritualevolution are des&ri!ed%

1. Belief in Ones Own Path and Practice

#o( do you develop this faith@ By the e'ample of those, (ho have follo(ed thete&hni;ue and (ere su&&essful8 !y faith in the masters and s&riptures% By !elieving that ifthe masters have a&hieved enlightenment, then you (ill also surely a&hieve it%$n the material (orld also, (e live !y !elieving in things% 2e do not al(ays verify them%You go to a do&tor !elieving he is a do&tor% You do not al(ays look at his &ertifi&ate%


5/9

$ (ill tell a story on !elief% $n medieval $ndia, there (as an emperor named *k!ar (hohad a minister named Bir!al% One day they (ere talking a!out !elief and Bir!al said that

people !elieved in many things and they &an !e made to !elieve anything% $n &ourse oftime, the king forgot a!out this &onversation%One day, Bir!al tied up a mule in an unused mos;ue and spread the rumor that God

(ould appear on a parti&ular day in the mos;ue% Those (ho (ere &hildren of genuine parents (ould see God and those (ho (ere not the &hildren of genuine parents (ould seea mule% On that parti&ular day, there (as a large &ro(d of people (ho &ame to see God%2hen the first man (ent in, he sa( a mule, !ut afraid of people ridi&uling him, starteddes&ri!ing God he sa( as an old man (ith a (hite !eard and a lustrous !ody% The se&ond

person (ent in and also sa( the mule, !ut &ame out and repeated the same des&ription asthe first person%*k!ar and Bir!al &ame !y, and seeing the &ro(d, *k!ar en;uired as to (hat (ashappening there% 2hen he (as told that people (ere in line to get a vision of God, he saidto Bir!al, 1Let us also go and see God%5 Bir!al refused to go saying that there (as a&ondition that only people of true parents (ould !e a!le to see God% *k!ar (as surprised

and said, 1You are from true parents% Ao you not !elieve it@5 Bir!al said, 1$ !elieve, !utyou go first as you are the emperor and of good family%5 So *k!ar (ent in first andseeing the mule &ame out &laiming to have seen God and gave the same des&ription as theother people% Then Bir!al (ent in and &ame out &rying, 1Till no( $ !elieved that $ (asthe son of true parents% But no( $ lost my !elief as $ sa( a mule%5 Then *k!ar &onfided tohim that he also sa( a mule% Bir!al had made his point%$n spirituality, !elief and faith are important !ut do not !elieve !lindly% #ave !elief, !utmeditate and e'perien&e% There nay !e differen&e in e'perien&es !ut e'perien&e (illsurely &ome%

2. Sraddha

The se&ond prere;uisite for spiritual evolution is love and faith% 4aith in (hat@guru edanta vakyeu sraddhaguru sastra vakyena sraddha

4aith in the (ords of the tea&her and the s&riptures% The tea&hing of the tea&her should !ein a&&ordan&e (ith the s&riptures, an&ient s&riptures like the Gita and the Bi!le, (hi&h arestorehouses of age.old (isdom% Tea&hing should !e !ased on the s&riptures and not in&ontradi&tion to them% The tradition of tea&hing is important% ust as people ask a!outyour family lineage, in spirituality they ask for the lineage of your guru%

?o(.a.days many a kind of yoga are !eing taught% $t is not a &riti&ism !ut a (arning foryou to !e &areful% 2hen $ (as in Germany, a person asked me if $ kne( tantra kriya

yoga % $ said, 1$ only kno( Kriya Yoga%5 #e game me a !ook% Dnfortunately $ opened the !ook !ut immediately &losed it% The !ook (as full of perverted and naked pi&tures ofmale and female !odies% You (ill find !ooks like these (ith the names of yoga and

people marketing them% *nything you &ome a&ross, &he&k and see if it is in a&&ordan&e(ith the s&riptures% True spiritual tea&hing is the essen&e of all s&riptures% "ra&ti&e KriyaYoga, you (ill !e a!le to understand your o(n holy !ook !etter, let it !e Gita, theDpnishad or Bi!le%

3. Guru Pujanam )love and respe&t for Guru


6/9

$n the 2est, people do not understand (hy one !o(s do(n to another human !eing% * guru is essential in spiritual life% Krishna had a guru , in fa&t three guru .s, Garga&harya,Ghora *ngirasa and Sandipani% esus had a guru % ohn !apti>ed him the Baptist% -amahad t(o guru .s, asistha and isvamitra%


7/9

1*void !ad &ompany, live in good &ompany and in every inhalation and e'halation, thinkof God%5

Samkocam bhaja durjanat 1 avoid !ad &ompany

Let us look at avoiding !ad &ompany8 (hat is evil and (ho is evil@ 2e say a person isgood or !ad% This is !ased on our o(n value +udgment% *nother person may like a person(hom (e think is !ad% There is fire% $f you put your finger in the fire it (ill !urn% $f you&omplain that the fire is evil, it (ill say, 1Aid $ ask you to keep your finger in me@ 6ynature is to !urn and $ !urned it%5 This is (hat happens to us% 2e seek &ompany that may

!e good for us or (e allo( them to &ome to us% $t is !e&ause of our o(n (eakness ormisunderstanding% Be &areful% 2at&h your thoughts% $f you feel that the &ompany of a

person is pulling you do(n, avoid it no matter ho( tempting% Be strong%$f you (at&h T , see some informative and good programs% Ao not (aste anything%2asting resour&es is a dishonor to nature% Ao not (aste food or (ater or ele&tri&ity% Thisis also a part of yoga and dis&ipline% Bad &ompany does not mean only a person% $t &an !e

musi&, movies and !ooks% *nything that makes you (eak and !rings do(n your moraland ethi&al values is !ad &ompany% *void it% $f (e do evil, (e are devil% $f (e do good,(e are God%

sangamam gaccha sadhunam$ Keep good &ompany

Your T &an !e good &ompany, your !ooks &an !e good &ompany and musi& &an !e good&ompany% The &ompany of a person &an !e good &ompany, if that person inspires,elevates and makes us stronger in spiritual pra&ti&e%

nirgame pravese vayoh guru laksyam vilokayet

$n every inhalation and e'halation, per&eive the presen&e of God and Guru% Let this(eekend !e one of !reath &ons&iousness%

Lahiri 6ahasaya also said, svase rakho laksa )keep your alertness on !reathami devo saksa )$ give &omplete assuran&e

sei pathe moksa )through this you (ill get li!erationBreath is our life% Love your !reath as the !lessing of God% 2ith ea&h inhalation feel thatyou are taking in all positive things and (ith ea&h e'halation feel you are getting rid ofall your negative ;ualities%$ (ill &on&lude my talk (ith an instru&tion of 6aharshi "atan+ali%

sa tu dirghakala nairantarya satkarasevito drdhabhumih

(!atanjali oga Sutra, Samadhi !ada 1&0)1 4or a &onsidera!le period of time pra&ti&e yoga &ontinuously giving love and devotionto your tea&her to !e esta!lished steadily in the state of yoga %"ra&ti&e for some time% You &an not get the results overnight% $f you keep &hanging fromone path to another (ithout giving enough time, you (ill not have any progress%


8/9

The only thing that &an !e pra&ti&ed &ontinuously is (at&hing the !reath% $t is very easyand at the same time very diffi&ult% Keep trying, other(ise life (ill !e useless% 6editateand use your life to the optimum%$n #indi, there is a prover! 7 bahata pani, ramata yogi 7 floating (ater and roaming yogi &an not !e polluted% The mind is like (ater% $t &an !e&ome stagnant and impure, or stay

floating and &lean% $f you keep up your &ons&iousness flo(ing up and do(n the royalroad of the spine, you &an stay pure like flo(ing (ater%Om tat sat Om

./estions and %ns#ers

15 Ho# do yo/ memori6e so many script/res and ho# do yo/ have so m/chenergy

-eading a !ook is good !ut one (ill kno( mu&h more !y meditating% 6editation anda !alan&ed life style% -eading a little everyday helps% #o( $ memori>ed or remem!erso many s&riptures, $ do not kno(% God gave me a very (eak and si&k !ody as a&hild: may have &ompensated !y giving me a good memory% #o( do $ get all thisenergy@ $ do not kno(% The one (ho is giving is giving% One thing $ do kno( is thatthis is my life and $ love you all, and love is the sour&e of energy%

9% $o the !$"i -s sleep in a di00erent #ay

You are all yogi.s, sin&e you are pra&ti&ing yoga% $f you meditate regularly your sleep(ill !e a different kind of sleep% You may sleep only for a short period, !ut it (ill !e&ompletely refreshing and your sleep (ill also !e like a meditation%

5 hat is yo/r comment a8o/t visions Is there any signi0icance I0 so9 ho# to/nderstand them

isions &ome in t(o (ays% /% "eople may hallu&inate and think it is a vision% 9% $tmay really !e a vision% #o( to kno( the differen&e@ Look at the state of your mind% $f the mind is very &alm and ;uiet, the vision may have a message% $f you &lose youreyes and see Krishna, it is good, !ut does not stop there% $t may not mean anything%$f a real vision &omes, the God (ho gave you the vision (ill also give you the(isdom% $t (ill !e revealed to you% $f you are not a!le to understand, do not (orry%Ao not keep asking many people a!out it% Aifferent people may give differente'planations, (hi&h (ould only &onfuse you more%

:5 hat type o0 tests do #e get on the spirit/al path

2ho (ill test@ *&tually God does not test us% God loves us% Love does not test% Testsarise (hen (e dou!t something, and (onder (hether it is genuine or not% 2here thereis a ;uestion of tests, there is an element of dou!t% 2here there is love there is nodou!t% $f $ dou!t someone, then there is no love% God s love for us is un&onditional%But our love for God is &onditional% 2e go to temples and &hur&hes and (e pray% 2e

pray for many things%


9/9

God does not test us% 2e test ourselves% Our mind tries to test us% Suppose you aresitting do(n to meditate, trying to keep your mind under &ontrol and the mind (antsto see if you really (ant to meditate or not% The mind (ill suggest some other (ork%$f you get up immediately the mind kno(s that your desire for meditation is not verystrong% So the tests &ome from our o(n mind, (hi&h tries to pull us do(n%

,5 &'plain ;

SoulCulture Dec 2004-2

Documents

Transcript of SoulCulture Dec 2004-2