gita c2-1-newton

Maximum Happiness to the Maximum Number of People for the Maximum Time

CHINMAYA MISSION BOSTON

The Holy Geeta

Chapter 2 – The Yoga of Knowledge

Bhagavad Geeta – Divine Song

Tat Tvam Asi – That Thou Art

Chapters 1-6

1. Arjuna Grief2. Yoga of Knowledge3. Karma Yoga4. Ending Action in Knowledge5. True Renunciation6. Meditation

Chapters 7-12

7. Knowledge & Wisdom8. Imperishable Brahman9. Royal Secret10.Divine Glories11.Cosmic Form12.Devotion

Chapters 13-18

Tvam-Thou

Tat-That

Asi-Art

Chapter 1: Yoga of Arjuna Grief

• Arjuna is overwhelmed by circumstances

• Wants to retreat from the battlefield

• Emotional state• Rationalization of

emotion• Our own day-to-day

‘battle’ – Good vs Bad

Key Messages of Chapter 1

Contrast between ‘external’ battle and ‘internal’ battle Physical & Mental reactions when you are under ‘stress’ Look from multiple angles – context determines action

Practical Tips: How to face a stressful or difficult situation

• Escape• Suffer• Change (yourself not your surroundings)

Turning excuses into resolutions

Chapter 2 - The Yoga of Self-Knowledge (Sankhya Yoga)

3. Karma Yoga (47-60) 4. Bhakti Yoga (61-70) 5. Gnana Yoga (71-72)

1. Arjuna’s Total Surrender to Krishna (1-10)

Today’s Discussion

2. Nature of Reality (11-46)

Chapter 2 – The Yoga of Self-Knowledge (Sankhya Yoga)

• Sanjaya said: 1 To him who was thus overcome with pity and

despondency, with eyes full of tears and agitated, Madhusudana spoke these words

• Blessed Lord said: 2. Whence is this perilous condition come upon

thee, this dejection, un-Aryan-like, heaven-excluding, disgraceful, O Arjuna?

3. Yield not to impotence, O Partha! It does not befit thee, Cast off this mean weakness of heart! Stand up, O Parantapa (O scorcher of foes)!


• Arjuna said: 4 How, O Madhusudana, shall I, in battle, fight

with arrows against Bhishma and Drona, who are fit to be worshipped? O Destroyer of enemies!

5 Better indeed, in this world, is to eat even the bread of ‘beggary’ that to slay the most noble of teachers. But, if I kill them, even in this world, all my enjoyments of wealth and desires will be stained with blood.

6 I can scarcely say which will be better, that we should conquer them or that they should conquer us. Event the sons of Dhritarashtra, after slaying whom we do not wish to live, stand facing us.


• Arjuna said: 7 My heart is overpowered by the taint of pity; my

mind is confused as to duty. I ask Thee. Tell me decisively what is good for me. I am Thy disciple. Instruct me, who has taken refuge in Thee.

8 I do not see that it would remove this sorrow that burns up my senses, even if I should attain prosperous and unrivalled dominion on earth, or even Lordship over gods. • Sanjaya said:

9 Having sopken thus to Hrishikesha, Gudakesha, the destroyer of foes, said to Govinda: “I will not fight”; and became silent.

Chapter 2 – Key Concepts

• Leadership qualities of Lord Krishna

• Significance of ‘total surrender’

• Delusion (Moha) Sorrow (Soka)

Chapter 2 – Discussions

• What leadership qualities does Krishna exhibit?

• Practical: How do you react in ‘stressful’ situations – do you

invoke the ‘Arjuna’ in you or the ‘Krishna’ in you?

Chapter 2 – Class Exercise

1. Krishna listens to Arjuna, does not interrupt, diagnoses the situation and gets his attention before advising

2. Invests in unlocking Arjuna’s own potential3. Does not take over Arjuna’s fight (lesson in delegating)4. Remains a guide throughout the battle (does not leave Arjuna to sink or swim)5. Has won the trust of Arjuna, by his actions and words, to be a source of wisdom, always

acting for Arjuna’s higher good.6. Has no personal ego or agenda7. Is unrelenting in active opposition to evil, support of dharma8. Stays cool and thoughtful in battle – grace under pressure9. Raises Arjuna’s perspective (reframes to positive). Higher Duty, Noble Cause 10. Constantly refers to him as “maharathi”, a respectful term. Never criticizes, Restores

Arjuna’s faith in his own higher nature and capability. Shows him a vision of what Arjuna can be

Chapter 2 – Significance of Total Surrender

• Arjuna said: 7 My heart is overpowered by the taint of pity; my

mind is confused as to duty. I ask Thee. Tell me decisively what is good for me. I am Thy disciple. Instruct me, who has taken refuge in Thee.

• Why does Krishna wait until Arjuna totally ‘surrenders’?• What is the ‘symbolic’ meaning of Arjuna ‘totally

surrendering to Krishna?

Chapter 2 – Delusion & Sorrow

• Delusion (Moha) --> Sorrow (Soka)

• What is ‘delusion’?• Why does ‘delusion’ lead to ‘sorrow’?

Chapter 2 – Delusion & Sorrow

• Delusion (Moha) is confusion about our identity Ignorance of our ‘identity’ Forgetting our ‘identity’

• Confusion in Identity --> Confusion in duties

• Confusion in duties --> Paralysis, sorrow, grief….

Next 25 verses Krishna explains our ‘true identity’

Chapter 2 – Summary of class

• Leadership qualities of Lord Krishna

• Significance of ‘total surrender’

• Delusion (Moha) --> Sorrow (Soka)

Chapter 2 - The Yoga of Self-Knowledge (Sankhya Yoga)

3. Karma Yoga (47-60) 4. Bhakti Yoga (61-70) 5. Gnana Yoga (71-72)

1. Arjuna’s Total Surrender to Krishna (1-10)

Today’s Discussion

2. Nature of Reality (11-46)

Chapter 2 – Summary of class

• What is Real?

• What is Unreal?

• What can we practice?

The Real is

Weapons cleave it not…

Fire burns it not…

Water moistens it not…

Wind dries it not…

It is changeless…

Chapter 2 – What is real?

The Real always IS No birth or death Indestructible and Imperishable Changeless Eternal

Chapter 2 – What is Real?

16. The unreal has no being; there is no non-being of the Real; the truth about both these has been seen by the Knowers of the Truth (or the Seers of the Essence)

17. Know That to be Indestructible by which all this is pervaded. None can cause the destruction of That --- the Imperishable.

18. They have an end, it is said, these bodies of the embodied-Self. The Self is Eternal, Indestructible, Incomprehensible. Therefore, fight, O Bharata.


19. He who takes the Self to be the slayer and he who thinks He is slain, neither of these knows. He slays not, nor in He slain.

20. He is not born, nor does He ever die; after having been, He again ceases not to be; Unborn, Eternal, Changeless and Ancient, He is not killed when the body is killed.

21. Whosoever knows Him to be Indestructible, Eternal, Unborn, and Inexhaustible, how can that man slay, O Partha, or cause others to be slain?


22. Just as a man casts off his worn out clothes and puts on new ones, so also the embodied-Self casts off its worn out bodies and enters others which are new.

23. Weapons cleave It not, fire burns It not, water moistens It not, wind dries It not.

24. This Self cannot be cut, nor burnt, nor moistened, nor dried up. It is eternal, all-pervading, stable immovable and ancient.


25. This (Self) is said to be Unmanifest, Unthinkable, and Unchangeable. Therefore, knowing This to be such, you should not grieve

• UNMANIFEST: A thing is called manifest when we can perceive it through

one or the other of our sense-organs. That which is beyond all five sense

organs is called Unmanifest

• UNCHANGEABLE: This term indicates that the Self is without parts

because things that have parts in themselves are things which have ‘form’

and those that have ‘form’ must necessarily come under the category of

FINITE and exhibit in themselves various modifications and changes

The Unreal is born…

Grows into youth…

Dies and is every changing

It is destructible & perishable

Chapter 2 – What is Uneal?

The Unreal Born again and again Destructible and Perishable Changes constantly Impermanent

Chapter 2 – What is unreal?

13.Just as in this body the embodied (soul) passes into childhood, youth and old age, so also does he pass into another body; the firm man does not grieve at it.

Chapter 2 – What is unreal?

14.The contact of the senses with objects, O son of Kunti, which cause heat and cold, pleasure and pain, have a beginning and an end; they are impermanent; endure them bravely, O descendant of Bharata

Chapter 2 – Class Exercise – Maya walk

• Form two groups

Make a list of names and forms around you

Discuss what is the source for each of them

Discuss what is

Real about these

Unreal about these

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