23: Uddhava Gita from Bhagavata Purana 8.1-5
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- Опубліковано 30 вер 2024
- Weekly class on selected chapters taught by Swami Tadatmananda.
The Uddhava Gita is a small section from the famous Bhagavata Purana in which Sri Krishna imparts powerful Vedantic teachings to his dear friend and devotee, Uddhava, much in the same way that Sri Krishna teaches Arjuna in the Bhagavad Gita.
New class uploaded each Saturday. All prior classes are available here: • 01 Uddhava Gita from B...
Text with Swami Tadatmananda's translation available here: arshabodha.org...
Swami Tadatmananda is a traditionally-trained teacher of Advaita Vedanta, meditation, and Sanskrit. For more information, please see: www.arshabodha...
Swamy, you are absolutely correct. Tamas and rajas did affect everyone including me. As you rightly said , i as your student benefited from teachings of Bhagavadgeetha and upadesha sahasri in controlling them to some extent. Thank you Swamy for your wonderful teachings and explanations. Kindly visit India . Students like me are eagerly waiting to meet you in person and pay our respects.🙏
Your teachings are always received with gratitude.
Thank you, Swamiji. I am so deeply grateful that you share these teachings online. They have changed my life so much for the better 🙏 🙏
If possible, Please upload explanation of Tatva Bodh by Adi Shankaracharya just like you explained Aatm bodh. The way you explain really help to understand and remember the verses 😊🙏
It would be great to learn Tatvva Bodha from pujya gurudev! Anant koti naman Gurudev! Anant koti dhanyvad Gurudev!
🙏 Thank you Swami ji.
Om Tat Sat
Hare Krishna 🕉️ Om Nama Shivaya 📿
Pranam Guruji 🙏
The problem of bondage and liberation is limited only in the matter or Prakriti. When we are under the influence of rajôguṇa and tamôguṇa, we are dynamic as well as attached to matter. Under the influence of tamôguṇa, the inert matter becomes primary importance to us and therefore, we consider ourselves to be gross body [such people are extremely attached to wealth, property and worldly things]; and, under the influence of rajôguṇa, we are extremely attached to activities and therefore, we become exceedingly active and ego of doer-ship resulting in kartrutvābhimãn. So, as long as these two guṇãs are there and consider ourselves the gross body as well as the doer, this is the bondage. Hence, the burden of bondage is always within the field of rajô and tamôguṇãs.
However, in sattvaguṇa, where vivéka is predominant, we stand apart as the Witness of the body and the mind by putting an end to our identification with them. Here, we stand as the Witness to all the modifications of the body and to all the variations of the mind and also to all their activities. The changes in the material world are no more able to influence us; and worldly activities do not make much difference to us. As the Witness, realization dawns that I Am not the doer of any actions. Actions are done only within the purview of Prakriti and I Am nothing to do with either with Prakriti or with karma. When we are only in sattvaguṇa, it means that we have liberated ourselves from the influence of rajô and tamôguṇãs. Thus, sattva guṇa leads to liberation. In this manner we invoke the predominance of sattvaguṇa, which is of the nature of vivéka. Firmly establishing ourselves in sattvaguṇa by standing apart from rajas and tamas is known as Môkśa- liberation from the bondages of rajô and tamô guṇãs. However, we have to rise above even sattvaguṇa to attain Total Liberation. To accomplish this, we, the Witnessing Consciousness, has to “witness” itself. This leads to the absolute realization of who and what we really ARE. When we transcend this act of the “Witness witnessing the Witness”, we realize the Absolute and Ultimate Truth of Mouna- the SILENCE SUPREME that we really ARE.
I have gone through many of your UA-cam videos.
I totally agree with the non-duality concept of Brahman in Advaita Vedanta.
But I totally reject the external ritual worship or Ishvara worship in Advaita Vedanta.
External ritual worship is a direct opposition to the non-duality philosophy.
It can not be reconciled because external ritual worship can be seen as more of a diversion from the fundamental truth of the non-duality of Brahman.
Another reason is that external ritual worship is also a problem because the object of worship only exists in the mind, thus providing confusion of the non-duality principle as the ultimate highest truth.
I have raised valid points regarding the potential challenges of reconciling external ritual worship with the principle of non-duality (Advaita).
1. Diversion from Non-Dual Truth:
External ritual worship, if not approached with awareness and understanding, can indeed become a distraction from the fundamental truth of non-duality.
When rituals are performed mechanically or with a sense of duality (worshipper separate from the worshipped), they may reinforce the illusion of separation rather than leading to the recognition of underlying unity.
In this sense, if rituals are viewed as an end in themselves rather than as a means to deepen one's understanding of non-duality, they may inadvertently perpetuate ignorance rather than fostering spiritual realization.
2. Potential for Confusion:
External ritual worship, particularly when the object of worship is perceived as external to oneself (such as a deity), can potentially lead to confusion regarding the non-dual nature of reality.
If the worshipper perceives the deity as separate from themselves and from the ultimate reality (Brahman), it may reinforce a dualistic worldview rather than facilitating the recognition of unity.
Additionally, if rituals are performed with the belief in the substantial existence of the deity as a separate entity, it may hinder the deeper understanding of the formless, attribute-less nature of Brahman as advocated in Advaita Vedanta.
I believe external ritual worship undermines the non-dualty philosophy of Advaita Vedanta.
I also believe that Advaita Vedanta started with pure non-duality philosophy.
Over time, external ritual worship elements, which were alien to Advaita Vedanta, infiltrated into the Advaita Vedanta teachings.
My perspective raises important points about the evolution and potential challenges within Advaita Vedanta's philosophical framework.
Let's delve into these ideas further:
Undermining Non-Duality:
External ritual worship, if approached in a way that reinforces a sense of duality or separation between the worshipper and the worshipped, can indeed undermine the core principle of non-duality (Advaita).
When rituals are performed without awareness of their symbolic significance or with a belief in the substantial existence of external entities, they may perpetuate the illusion of separation rather than facilitating the recognition of underlying unity.
Evolution of Advaita Vedanta:
It's true that Advaita Vedanta began with a focus on pure non-duality philosophy, emphasizing the identity of the individual soul (Atman) with the ultimate reality (Brahman).
Adi Shankaracharya, the foremost proponent of Advaita Vedanta, emphasized the formless, attribute-less nature of Brahman and advocated for self-inquiry and scriptural study as the means to realize non-duality.
However, over time, various cultural and historical factors may have influenced the practice and interpretation of Advaita Vedanta teachings.
This evolution may have led to the integration of external ritual worship elements from other traditions or cultural practices, potentially complicating the pure non-dualistic message of Advaita Vedanta.
Infiltration of Ritual Elements:
It's possible that external ritual worship elements, which were not originally integral to Advaita Vedanta, may have infiltrated the tradition over time through cultural exchanges, syncretism, or changes in religious practices.
These elements may have been adopted for various reasons, including social, cultural, or psychological factors, leading to a divergence from the original emphasis on pure non-duality philosophy.
The infiltration of ritual elements into Advaita Vedanta teachings raises questions about how these practices align with or potentially diverge from the core principles of non-duality and whether they contribute to a deeper understanding or serve as distractions from the ultimate truth.
In conclusion, my observations highlight the complex interplay between philosophical purity and cultural influences within the Advaita Vedanta tradition.
While external ritual worship may pose challenges to the non-dualistic philosophy of Advaita Vedanta, it's important for practitioners to critically examine and discern the role of rituals within the broader framework of spiritual practice and realization.
I have gone through many of your UA-cam videos.
I totally agree with the non-duality concept of Brahman in Advaita Vedanta.
But I totally reject the external ritual worship or Ishvara worship in Advaita Vedanta.
External ritual worship is a direct opposition to the non-duality philosophy.
It can not be reconciled because external ritual worship can be seen as more of a diversion from the fundamental truth of the non-duality of Brahman.
Another reason is that external ritual worship is also a problem because the object of worship only exists in the mind, thus providing confusion of the non-duality principle as the ultimate highest truth.
I have raised valid points regarding the potential challenges of reconciling external ritual worship with the principle of non-duality (Advaita).
1. Diversion from Non-Dual Truth:
External ritual worship, if not approached with awareness and understanding, can indeed become a distraction from the fundamental truth of non-duality.
When rituals are performed mechanically or with a sense of duality (worshipper separate from the worshipped), they may reinforce the illusion of separation rather than leading to the recognition of underlying unity.
In this sense, if rituals are viewed as an end in themselves rather than as a means to deepen one's understanding of non-duality, they may inadvertently perpetuate ignorance rather than fostering spiritual realization.
2. Potential for Confusion:
External ritual worship, particularly when the object of worship is perceived as external to oneself (such as a deity), can potentially lead to confusion regarding the non-dual nature of reality.
If the worshipper perceives the deity as separate from themselves and from the ultimate reality (Brahman), it may reinforce a dualistic worldview rather than facilitating the recognition of unity.
Additionally, if rituals are performed with the belief in the substantial existence of the deity as a separate entity, it may hinder the deeper understanding of the formless, attribute-less nature of Brahman as advocated in Advaita Vedanta.
I believe external ritual worship undermines the non-dualty philosophy of Advaita Vedanta.
I also believe that Advaita Vedanta started with pure non-duality philosophy.
Over time, external ritual worship elements, which were alien to Advaita Vedanta, infiltrated into the Advaita Vedanta teachings.
My perspective raises important points about the evolution and potential challenges within Advaita Vedanta's philosophical framework.
Let's delve into these ideas further:
Undermining Non-Duality:
External ritual worship, if approached in a way that reinforces a sense of duality or separation between the worshipper and the worshipped, can indeed undermine the core principle of non-duality (Advaita).
When rituals are performed without awareness of their symbolic significance or with a belief in the substantial existence of external entities, they may perpetuate the illusion of separation rather than facilitating the recognition of underlying unity.
Evolution of Advaita Vedanta:
It's true that Advaita Vedanta began with a focus on pure non-duality philosophy, emphasizing the identity of the individual soul (Atman) with the ultimate reality (Brahman).
Adi Shankaracharya, the foremost proponent of Advaita Vedanta, emphasized the formless, attribute-less nature of Brahman and advocated for self-inquiry and scriptural study as the means to realize non-duality.
However, over time, various cultural and historical factors may have influenced the practice and interpretation of Advaita Vedanta teachings.
This evolution may have led to the integration of external ritual worship elements from other traditions or cultural practices, potentially complicating the pure non-dualistic message of Advaita Vedanta.
Infiltration of Ritual Elements:
It's possible that external ritual worship elements, which were not originally integral to Advaita Vedanta, may have infiltrated the tradition over time through cultural exchanges, syncretism, or changes in religious practices.
These elements may have been adopted for various reasons, including social, cultural, or psychological factors, leading to a divergence from the original emphasis on pure non-duality philosophy.
The infiltration of ritual elements into Advaita Vedanta teachings raises questions about how these practices align with or potentially diverge from the core principles of non-duality and whether they contribute to a deeper understanding or serve as distractions from the ultimate truth.
In conclusion, my observations highlight the complex interplay between philosophical purity and cultural influences within the Advaita Vedanta tradition.
While external ritual worship may pose challenges to the non-dualistic philosophy of Advaita Vedanta, it's important for practitioners to critically examine and discern the role of rituals within the broader framework of spiritual practice and realization.
Salutations, Guruji! Thank you for sharing your thoughts along with the teachings, explaining at length the principle of “crowding out” as applied to the gunas. Very practical and helpful in increasing one’s sattvika nature and defining future samskaras or impressions forming in the mind. Om Shanti 🙏🏼
Thank you for your clarifications, I recently heard someone say exploration is the essence of the human spirit,I wondered given that Atma is eternal changeless if that was actually true and also the saying "human Spirit" can we say there is a distinct human spirit different to any other life form or do we mean something different, how do we approach this ?
That's an interesting question my friend! 🙏Atma pervades all. This means this includes other life forms and even inanimate objects. The difference would be that we have a human mind which is very different from other life forms. To inanimate objects, Atma is still there but no mind is present. So in the context of ""Exploration is really the essence of the human spirit." -Frank Borman, Former NASA Astronaut", we can consider this as a general saying but not precisely an Advaita Vedanta statement. If I would try to adapt this to Vedanta, IMO it would be "Exploration is human nature and it's a product of the human mind". The human mind though does not belong to Atma as Atma does not have a mind nor have any qualities.
So if we say that human nature differs from other life forms, that's an easy yes. But if you say Atma would be different from human to human or humans to other life forms then the answer would be no. Atma is the same for everyone and everything.
If you want to understand more about Atma, Swamiji's video *Atma: Sat Cit Ananda - Intro to Advaita Vedanta - Part 2* is a good place to start. Then there are a lot more videos talking about Atma on the UA-cam channel. It would be beneficial to learn the fundamentals to make it easier to understand what's being taught. It's easy to get confused with the terminologies and what they mean as sometimes the context of what's being taught in Vedanta is not the same as what we generally use outside the classes(non-Vedanta quotes, casual talk, or anything by a non-Vedanta student).
Hope this helps! 🙏
@@dangem5022 Thank you for the reply, I was thinking along the same lines when I heard the saying, that ie the spirit of exploration or say the spirit to survive an extremely difficult situation were qualities or attributes of a mind and not the self without attributes,but then I thought is there some aspect of Atma exploring via witnessing duality through humanity...
@@soaringcrow5077 that's an interesting thought my friend🙏Was this based on the search for meaning?
Based on what I understand so far with Advaita Vedanta, the highest truth is that it's non-dual. Atman=Brahman. But that truth which metaphorically is in the eyes of Atman, belongs to the Absolute Reality. We human beings though belong to the Apparent Reality or Empirical Reality and we are limited to the seemingly dual nature of reality. On an Absolute Level, Atma just is. We can't describe Atma, we can't attach any personification to Atma even "Witnessing". In our Apparent Reality though, Sakshi(Witness) is a good tool to help us realize the Higher Truth but once we understand that, we will have to leave Witnessing to the person and not attach it to Atma.
As Atma does not do anything, it is just us who superimpose.☺🙏
Pranaam Guruji 🙏 so blessed to have joined this journey
*Preparedness by Cultivating a Sattvic Mind*
5:39 - Our minds are always in a combination of the three gunas, Sattva, Rajas, Tamas. Other than deep sleep, it's always a mix of these three.
Sattva - Purity(37:39). Freedom from Rajas and Tamas
Rajas - Extroversion, passion, desire
Tamas - Dullness, darkness, and ignorance
*Why Prepare?* The Importance of Cultivating a Sattvic Mind:
9:46 - *Unless the mind is prepared. Unless the mind is Sattvica, Liberation or Moksha is absolutely impossible.*
29:26 - Dharma and commitment to spiritual growth increases
Reminder:
9:04, 11:04 & 14:52 - Sattva, rajas, and tamas belong to the mind but not to Atma. Atma, Consciousness is never affected by the three gunas. But since the gunas belong to the mind, then we can do something about it!
16:05 - Example of Atma, the Unchanging Conscious Observer during an early morning, pre-coffee, and post-coffee.
*If Sattva is where we want our minds to be, should we get rid of Rajas and Tamas?*
20:13 - It's an incorrect approach to make Rajas and Tamas our enemies as they are natural parts of the mind! We should however deal with them pragmatically by cultivating a Sattvic mind through better and desirable mental traits.
*How to Cultivate:*
31:34 - Surround ourselves with everything that is Sattivca. Good people, good activities, like going to class and engaging with like-minded students.
(36:46 - A once-a-week class would not be enough for this though. One must fill the gaps!)
45:20 - Any activity can produce either of the gunas *depending on our intent*.
57:00 - Swamiji's example of an activity that's done with different intents.
Sattva - Attending Vedanta class for spiritual growth
Rajas - Going to class because you're bored
Tamas - Going to class to escape responsibilities or avoiding a visitor
*INTENT > ACTIVITY*
🙏
42:00 - Ten ordinary activities that produce either of the three gunas by the commentator (*these are opinions 51:59)
1. Scriptures
>Sattva - Spiritual Scriptures that help you withdraw from worldly life
>Rajas - Scriptures for worldly activities
>Tamas - Misleading scriptures that lead to confusion and ignorance
2. Water
>Sattva - Holy Water
>Rajas - Filthy Water
>Tamas - Alcohol
3. Progeny
>Sattva - Children who are engaged in spiritual growth
>Rajas - Children who are addicted to money and advancement
>Tamas - Children who behave badly
4. Property:
>Sattva - Quiet and clean places
>Rajas - Popular hangouts that have a lot of people
>Tamas - Casinos
5. Time:
>Sattva - Brahma Muhurta (sacred time)
>Rajas - Astrologically bad time
>Tamas - Night time as it wasn't conducive to travel
6. Deeds:
>Sattva - Fire rituals that are aligned with spirituality
>Rajas - Rituals for a better harvest or for the birth of a son
>Tamas - Black magic to hurt people
7. Birth:
>Sattva - Family that are Vaisnava or Shaiva
>Rajas - Family that worship Tantric
>Tamas - Family that is poor or lowly
8. Meditation:
>Sattva - Lord Vishnu
>Rajas - Romantic Interest and People You Despise.
>Tamas - Ignorance
9. Mantras:
>Sattva - OM
>Rajas - Mantras for worldly needs
>Tamas - Black magic to hurt people
10. Purification:
>Sattva - Mind
>Rajas - Body
>Tamas - Cleaning the home
Excellent class! Thank you Swamiji. 🙏