Guruji @ Chicago

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How I got there ?? & What had I done to be there ? ? .. The answer to the first one can wait till the next post and the answer to the second one I am still on the lookout for it. But for now, over to Guruji @ The Hilton,720, South Michigan Avenue,Chicago.

On a Sunday evening, of what was by any standard a long day for organizers, participants (a one day event called the YOGATHON just concluded ), and also for people like me who were lurking around the streets of Chicago (and getting back just on time for Guruji's sessions :) ), Guruji gave us a treat.

Bhagavat Gita - Chapter 4

"Awareness dawns when mind becomes calm

Desire is like a river, it keeps flowing while awareness is like a lake. Our mind runs in the direction of desire. When the mind is calm, brilliance dawns, great ideas spring up. When your mind is feverish, it is far from wisdom.

Music helps. It helps kindle emotions. It helps calm the mind of worries and thinking to a level of feeling. These days there is background music during classroom exercises as well to make the learning process easier. A movie without background music is of no effect. It serves the purpose of kindling emotions. It helps calm the mind. To invoke wisdom it is important to calm yourself down. Similarly crying can also help cut down the worry.

When awareness dawns, the fire of awareness burns away the seeds of karma. Every mistake is done due to lack of awareness. The very moment that you become aware, that burns away the karma. When wisdom is awaken, you become pure and free of mistakes. In the present moment, we are reborn.

However sinful the past has been, the fire of knowledge (wisdom,awareness) burns away all the karma. In this world there is nothing more purifying than knowledge. KNOWLEDGE PURIFIES YOU. Knowledge is like detergent, can wash off all the karma.

But if you keep the knowledge to yourself, it is like letting the soap stay on you :-). Awareness cannot be taken for granted. If arrogance steps in it means that the person still has the soap on :-). For this you have to perfect in YOGA.

People ask - Guruji, how long should we meditate to get enlightened.

There is no end. We cannot ask for the sunlight to get into the room,our duty is to keep the windows open, similarly our duty is to meditate. For this you need Shradda - ( roughly translated as FAITH ), it is the willingness to accept or love or know the UNKNOWN. The unknown that we have not experienced through the senses. We have never seen an atom, but we still know or accept that atoms exist. We should have a say over our senses.

Meditation is withdrawing the mind from all the senses to the center. When it is going all here and there, that just is the lack of say over your senses. People who have doubt as their very existence can never get anywhere. It is okay to have a spirit of enquiry, quest, curiosity. But doubt above this is like a disease. And Krishna says - samashayaatma vinashyati - One who has doubt as the very existence, will not be save neither in this world nor the next.

The Universe has a RHYTHM. The very core of our existence -a wave function. When we study vedanta, it has the same thing to say what quantum physics has to offer (not classical physics). The universe is a wave function - full of consciousness, and it has a mind of its own. Now every small mind is a part of this big mind. This big mind is responsive, reciprocative and very powerful. Through YOGA, you can become centered, bring it to the core of the existence and being centered, you can burn all the doubts. Such a seeker will not be bound by any action.

Through wisdom, we can get rid ignorance and get in touch with the very being in the center of our heart. Krishna says Arjuna, I am your friend, wake up from the doubts. When you are in doubt you only trust your friends or your own self. And again you doubt only the possitive. You even believe when people comment as a joke. You expect people to be always happy with you but you have to have all the freedom. Words fly out of your mouth :)

Just let go of all intentions --> awareness would dawn --> intuition gives the knowledge and then it burns away the karma.

SO MUCH to DO :) - Just Relax :) Let go

Imagine Krishna is telling all this to a sick and tired Arjuna. A good teacher does not convince you but confuses you.And every time you get confused, you move a step ahead. And then he says - You do all this but only Time will get you :) where it has to :)

Gita is highly confusing, the very reason why it was not as popular as Buddha s teaching. Buddha said the world has misery - if you want to get rid of them there is this way.

Krishna also told the same but it was like HIGHER MATHEMATICS :). It remained amongst the intellectuals. Einstein appreciated the Gita & Vedanta.

And yeah Wisdom is not information. When knowledge gets integrated into life it is wisdom. All this must happen effortlessly. Coming to this ballroom from your room requires effort. You have to lock your room, wait for the elevator, but once you are here, there is no effort required.Similarly to catch a train, you have to get to the platform, find the coach and get in on time. But once you are in, then you just have to relax and let go. The same is the case on the spiritual path as well. You would need to do action to get on to the path, but once that is done, it is just about relaxing :). You do all the yoga, and breathing and then you are asked to relax :).

Since these scriptures carry contradicting instructions they were instructed at close proximity - Upa (close) nishad (sitting at the proper place). These contradicting instructions are the ones that makes the Gita so complete. The Result for sure is ASSURED to be GREAT :)"

Tell you what,when GURUJI speaks here, there is so much of attention, like as if time freezes and there is nothing at all happening. Can now get the flavour of how it might have been for people who heard Patanjali and Narada Bhakti Sutra from GURUJI live. I am on a super blissed state now. Stayed at the same hotel where GURUJI is staying. Had a ball of a time at Chicago as well. Will post more on Chicago the city in the coming days.

HAVE A GREAT GURU POORNIMA .. now cant say I miss Bangalore, after what I have been treated to here, but yeah miss the gang though :) .. Have fun. We should all charter a flight and come down to a place like this and just spend time in the elevators (to rush to the kitchen and who knows like some of them here were lucky the door opens and GURUJIs there outside waiting to get on to the elevator) and also waiting in front of GURUJI's suite. - WORTH EVERY THING THAT YOU MISS OUT ON.

Jai Guru Deva