May

May 16

Today in class, we spent time reviewing the 4 paths to attain moksha we have discussed throughout the year. We discussed Jnana yoga, the path of knowledge. This path is for intellectuals and it puts emphasis on acquiring spiritual knowledge. This path also includes performing rituals without desiring anything in return for these rituals other than attaining moksha. Next we talked about Dhyana Yoga, or the path of meditation. This path is for introspective or reclusive people and involves constant meditation and other related spiritual practices. The third path we discussed was Karma Yoga, or the path of action. This path is for people of action and energy. This path emphasizes doing one's duties towards family, society, country etc. and performing rituals in a selfless manner. The last path is Bhakti Yoga, or the path of devotion. This path is for emotional or gentle people and it involves doing one’s duty and offering the fruits to God. This path emphasizes acts of faith such as worship, reading scriptures, and surrendering oneself to God. Though all four of these paths will lead one to moksha, they don't all require the same effort. Jnana Yoga is the toughest path to follow while Bhakti Yoga is the easiest. After we recapped the four ways to attain Moksha, we practiced our presentation for annual day as we are presenting next week! We practiced chanting our assigned Gita verses and their meanings to wrap up the class.

REMINDER: Don't forget to practice your assigned Gita verse throughout the week. If you can not attend the presentation next week email Vishal Uncle to let him know.

May 9

Today in class we focused on devotion and the characteristics of devotees. The four types of worshippers are those who are in trouble, those who have wants, those who want to know about the Divine, and those who are knowledgeable. The fourth category of worshippers see God in everything and live for God. All four forms are noble, but the fourth is the most true and devoted. Bhagavan accepts all forms of devotion but those who are bhakts and karma yogis are the most dear to him. A supreme devotee sees Bhagavan in everything, understands that everything in the world belongs to Bhagavan, and performs every action in the name of Bhagavan. Anyone can work towards and attain single minded devotion toward the Lord. Any religion or path towards God leads to the same goal.

May 2

As always, we started with opening prayers. Remember, it is important to memorize these slokas with us. Don't forget to unmute and chant with the group.

Today's topic was Raganuga Bhakti, which focuses on how to develop a relationship with the Divine. All forms of Hindu religious practices - chanting, Pooja, Keerthan, Shloka recital - are done to communicate with Bhagavan.

One of the relationships is that of a master. If one treats the divine as a master, it nurtures feelings of fear instead of love. This causes people to fear their own god, and this is shown in Abrahamic religions like Islam and Christianity. "Fear Allah". "Do bad, and God sends you to hell". Instead, it is possible t nurture a loving or amicable friendship with Bhagavan. Take, for example, the relationship of Sri Krishna and Sudama. Taking a relationship of a parent, witness, companion, or sibling is also possible to connect with Bhagavan.

Reminders:

Dharma 9 - Do not forget to register for dharma 10 for next year

Annual day is coming up, make sure to finish up those Gita slides and send them over to Vishal Uncle.

Those who still do not know which slide is assigned to them should see the attached files.

• Gita Chanting

• Assignment of Gita Chanting verses

Have a great week, and good luck!

April

April 18

We begin class by chanting all of the verses that we had learned throughout the year from the Gita. We then continued our discussion of the path of Bhakti yoga. We begin by discussing how all that is required to follow the path of Bhakti yoga is to love God with faith, without any selfish motive, and with a focused mind. Bhakti yoga is therefore the most popular because it is the path of least resistance and because those who practice it reap its benefits immediately. The first step of Bhakti yoga is developing a relationship with God. There are many ways to develop a relationship with God. We first discussed nine means or ways to establish a relationship that were taught by Prahlada. The first way is Sravana, or learning to listen to people who are pious, noble, and saintly. The second way is Kirttana, which is singing songs of Bhakti. The third way is Smarana, or remembering Bhagvan. The fourth way is Archana, which is performing pujas to show love and devotion. The fifth way is Padasevana, or serving God. The sixth way is Vandana, or praising god. The seventh way is Dasya, or serving God as your master. The eighth way is Sakhya, or treating god as a companion or friend. The ninth way is Atmanivdeana, or surrendering oneself to god. There are many other ways to connect with God. Some include using a japa, visiting mandirs and completing yajnas while others include celebrating festivals and going on pilgrimages. Regardless of whichever method is used, as long as it is done out of devotion and love, you will successfully establish a relationship with God.

Reminder: Don't forget to send your completed slide about your verse from the Gita to Vishal Uncle before next week’s class! Your Gita verse assignments and the Gita verses are attached to this email

March

March 28

First off, a very heart and happy Holi on behalf of the Dharma 9/10 teachers and volunteers team! Although we cannot celebrate in person, hopefully, we can get that chance soon when this quarantine period is over.

Onto today's class summary:

There are many forms of Bhagavan. One should think of the divine as neither a "he" or a "she", nor a divine being or an inanimate object. Bhagavan is everything and is everywhere, and can be worshipped in any way possible. Constructing huge temples just to show glamour does not reflect your piety; instead, it shows you to be foolish, impractical, and not with good faith.

Reminders for upcoming classes:

As this year's Dharma sessions start to come to a close, do not remember to memorize your slokas as your assignment for this year's annual day. Vishal uncle had sent details on this just a few hours ago, so please refer to that. If there are any additional questions, please do not hesitate to contact the volunteer team.

March 21

Today we started class by practicing our Gita verses. We are almost done learning all 20, so make sure to keep practicing them for Annual Day! For our Annual Day presentation, we will assign 1 Gita verse to each of the students - they will recite the verse and give a short description of the meaning.

This week we continued our learning of Yoga and tied it back to our previous lesson on Dhyana Yoga.

We started class by discussing many stories around the goals and uses of Yoga. Our first story illustrated the true goal of yoga. The purpose of yoga is to purify the atma, not to be fit physically.

The story of Changadeva vs Sant Jnaneshvara show the influence of pride with Yogi Powers. True Yogis do not show off their powers, instead they focus on the goal of clearing their minds of negative emotions/thoughts. The Yogis who use their powers for fraudulent uses and do tricks are driven by arrogance and ego, and do not reflect the meaning of what a Yogi should be.

The true goal of Yoga as illustrated by Krishna in the Bhagavad Gita is:

Of all these yogis, he whose inner soul abides in Me, and who worships me, full of faith, him I hold to be the most devoted to Me in Yoga.

- Gita 6.47

We had a discussion on Yoga Practices in the West, and moved into the question of how Hindus should deal with other people profiting off of the practice, without giving credit.

There are many different aspects of Divinity. Some of these are Nirguna Brahman and Saguna Brahman which show the different forms Bhagavan can take on. We will discuss these further in future classes. Finally, we discussed why all Hindu Rituals and Prayers start with OM. AUM was the first sound of that was uttered by Bhagavan at the beginning of creation. This is also reflected in the scriptures of other religions, such as the Quran and the Bible.

Homework:

Read the first 5-6 verses in Chapter 12 of the Bhagavad Gita. We discussed the summary of what is in here, but it will be extremely beneficial to your learning to read them yourselves!

Make sure to continue practicing the Gita Verses and have a great week!

March 14

Today in class we discussed Dhyana Yoga and more specifically yoga. Dhyana yoga is its own path that will lead one to moksha but it can also be used to help one stay focused on karma yoga, or doing the dharmic thing. Practicing Dhyana Yoga is challenging as the mind can be easily distracted, therefore we practice yoga to stay focused. Yoga is one of the six schools of classical Hindu philosophy, but it is also very popular in the US. In fact, 25 million Americans practice yogic exercises. There are three yogic practices that should be done daily. These are called Kriyayoga. The first is Tapa, which means forbearing the opposites and maintaining equanimity and mental balance under all circumstances. The second yogic practice is Svadhyaya, which means the study of spiritual scriptures regularly. The third is Ishvara Pranidhana, which means to do our best and leave the rest to Ishvara. Next, we looked at Rishi Patanjali’s 8 steps of Yoga. The first is practicing the five Yamas, which are ahimsa, truthfulness, non-stealing, celibacy, and non-hoarding. The second step is having the five Niyamas, which are purity, contentment, austerity, self-study, and surrender to Divine Will. A person needs these ten traits to be a Yogi. The next three of Rishi Patanjali’s steps involve external practices of yoga. The first is Asana, or using yogic postures to still and calm the body. The second is Panayama, or regulated breathing that leads to regulation of life-forces in the body and purification of the mind. The third is Pratyahara, or withdrawing one's senses from external objects and turning them inwards. This leads to the last 3 of Rishi Patanjali’s steps which involve the inner practices of yoga. The first is Dharana, or intensely focusing inwards. The second is Dhyana, which involves going into a state of meditation. The third is Samadhi, or when the atman is disconnected from external objects and connected to the Divine. Lastly, we talked about the benefits and side effects of yoga. The benefits of yoga include, health benefits, mental benefits, social benefits, professional benefits, and educational benefits. The side-effects, which are not necessarily negative but are not the main goal of yoga, include things like a longer life, reading the mind of others, levitation, the ability to die when one wants to, and much more. At the end of class we talked about how the main purpose of yoga is not for the side-effects that it gives you, but instead its purpose is to allow you to become closer to god.

February

February 28

One of the most important ideals of Karma Yoga is the detachment from worldly objects. One must not delve over a bad grade or desire an object for a long time. The greed perpetuated by us Manushya not only becomes a hindrance for ourselves, but also for others too. We must stay content with our present and continue living a pious and simple life. This ties into the ideal of non attachment. Although you may need something, there is always someone who needs that thing more. For example, consider that you are sitting in a metro rail. An elderly man walks in, but there is not a seat for him to use. It is moral to give up your seat for the elder man, as he needs it more. From this, not only will the elderly man be comforted, but also you will feel a sense of devotion and diligence towards yourselves.

We must exercise Shraddha (faith) in our lives. This means you must use your position to help those in need. If you have some extra change, what better than to give it to one who needs it, such as someone who has not eaten in some time, or someone who does not have a roof to sleep under? You are who you are due to your work and your family’s support, but you have to stay steadfast and footed. Use what you are given to give back to the society that needs it.

Using these ideals and moral values, Karma Yoga can be easily practiced.

Questions/Homework:

Answer the following questions before the next class:

• Identify the following as Sattvic, Rajasic, or Tamasic:

  • A wealthy philanthropist devotes $1,000,000 to creating schools in third world countries during the Coronavirus pandemic

  • A wealthy philanthropist raises money to develop a new medical research facility corporation under him/her

  • A small organization raises money for homeless shelters in the local community and are published in the local news and are awarded for it.

• Research and understand the role of Medicare in the American history. How is this program Tamasic/Rajasic/Sattvic? Who does this affect? How can you change the program, if required?

Look at emails frequently as Vishal Uncle and the volunteer team may send you additional supplements to read over the week.

Next Class is next Sunday 03.07.2021. Link is the same. Enjoy your Week!

February 21

Today we started class by practicing our Gita verses. We are almost done learning all 20, so make sure to keep practicing them for Annual Day! This class, we learned about the first step in Karma Yoga, Svadharma, which refers to your personal duty to the world. To understand the concept of Svadharma, it’s important to consider your intentions and motives. When doing a karma your intentions are more important than the means to achieve the result. Even if you don’t reach your goal, having the purest of intentions is best. However intentions are not the ONLY thing that matters, since having good intentions cannot balance out acting irresponsibly. The two most important parts of Svadhrama are Varna and Ashrama. The four Varnas are Brahmins, Kshatriyas, Vaishya, and and Shudras. We previously discussed the three Gunas, today we discussed how our Gunas decide our Varna. The four stages of Ashrama are Brahamacharya( student), Grihastha( householder), Vanaprastha, and Sannyasa. So to satisfy your duty to the world, Svadharma, you have to find your personal duty and perform it to the best of your ability at 110%. You have to be motivated by higher intentions, not by lower considerations. Being aware of what your role is in which you can serve people around you in the best way possible. You need to make sure you have purest intentions, and do not accept any accolades in return. All karmas that bear fruit or lead to rebirth are a trap because they are motivated by desires which never end. Reliance on good karma alone takes us away from our Divine, so for optimal we must combine good karma with spirituality.

We listened and discussed many stories discussing this concept, with good class participation.

One important lesson we learned is that truly worshipping god does not mean simply chanting in front of a murthi but spiritualizing your whole life with the nobelest intentions.

The attached file (click here) gives stories to illustrate Karmayoga. We looked at some of these stories today but many of them are new (e.g. The story of the squirrel in Ramayana. Or the story of the US Soldier in Afghanistan who found meaning in his duties as a soldier through the teachings of the Gita). Please read these stories.

The key message today is that in Karmayoga, we spiritualize the performance of all our duties towards our friends, family, neighbors etc. We should fulfill our duties towards all with 110% effort, with noble intention, with understanding (and knowledge), with reverence for the Lord and with an eye out for Rajasic defects like anger, desire, greed, pride.

यतः प्रवृत्तिर्भूतानां येन सर्वमिदं ततम् ।स्वकर्मणा तमभ्यर्च्य सिद्धिं विन्दति मानवः ॥ १८-४६॥

yataḥ pravṛttirbhūtānāṃ yena sarvamidaṃ tatam ।svakarmaṇā tamabhyarcya siddhiṃ vindati mānavaḥ ॥ 18-46॥

The Lord from Whom all beings are born and by Whom all this is pervaded, by worshiping Him through the performance of one's own duty (Svakarma or Svadharma) does a person attain spiritual perfection. Gita 18.46

Make sure to practice the Gita verses and have a great week!

February 14

Throughout life, we sometimes see good people suffering and bad people enjoying their lives, some people being born into good fortune while others are born into bad fortune, or someone's good luck may be someone else’s bad luck. These circumstances bring up the question of whether God is just and whether there is fate. Hinduism answers these questions through the ideas of Karma, rebirth, and Moksha. In class today we discussed these three doctrines as well as the four stages of life. The doctrine of Karma says that “As you sow, so shall you reap”. It assumes that God is just and that He gives us the fruits of our actions. He is not vindictive or capricious. There are multiple types of Karma. Karma can be in thought, in speech, or a physical action. It can be done by oneself, instigated through others, or assisted by others. The first effect of Karma are simply good results or bad results depending on what type of Karma you do. The second effect of Karma is rebirth which results when there's a “time lag” for the results of your Karma. The doctrine of Karma states that we are free to act however we want, but there is Fate as well with residual Karma. We all have residual good or bad Karma which occurs as a result of actions done in the past. This presidual Karma, or fate, helps determine what we do with our free will because of the third effect of Karma, which is that we become what we do. When we are reborn, we can be reborn as ‘god’ or as a human being. If we have a good residual Karma, we are born into a fortunate family and if we have bad residual Karma, we are born into an unfortunate family. We can also take birth in lower life-forms where we can only suffer the consequences of our bad Karma, but do not have free will. We attain Moksha when we are liberated from the cycle of birth and death and we become one with God. Having good Karma is not enough to attain Moksha, we must do good Karma without desiring its fruits and we must follow a spiritual path. There are multiple spiritual paths one can follow depending on the circumstances in their life and what type of person they are.

The four stages of life, or Ashramas, are Brahmachari, GrIhastha, Vanaprastha, and Sannyasa. Brahmachari is when one gains knowledge as a student. GrIhastha is when one has a job and a family. Vanaprastha is when there is a reduction in family work and when one begins to focus more on philosophical knowledge. The last stage, Sannyasa, is when one renounces most things and lives a monastic life. We ended class by chanting some prayers.

See attached 3 files to close out the previous section on Jnana Yoga.

1. We had learned how the time and space paradigms of Hindu spirituality are very consistent with modern notions of multiverse, long/infinite time spans and so on. In the attached article on Edgar Mitchell, a space traveler, it is revealed how he could make sense of space travel only through Hindu teachings. CLICK HERE

2. The second article is on Dr Sarvapalli Radhakrishnan, a renowned scholar of Vedanta/Gita and the second President of independent India. His birthday (5th September) is celebrated as 'Teacher's Day' in India. While concluding Jnana Yoga, we learned some people are overcome with ego and pride due to their knowledge. In their case, their knowledge has not necessarily reached the level of wisdom, because it does not reflect in their behavior (or they have temporary lapses from their high state of spiritual attainment). Please do not forward these articles, at least the second one. CLICK HERE

3. The third article is a brief biography on the life of an ideal Jnana Yogi Sant Bahinabai. Her life shows how she was a realized soul and lived her last life with the awareness of why she was born, who she was and why she must live her last life before Moksha with patience and Bhakti. We had mentioned in the class today examples of why saints suffer (Ramakrishna Paramahansa who died of throat cancer; or Ramana Maharshi who died due to a tumor on his arm) but how they react to their suffering in such a way that their suffering becomes inoperative. Her life is another example which brings in a lot of concepts that we studied in Jnanayoga (like rebirth, past life recollection etc.). Read it till the end. CLICK HERE

February 7

We talked about how to overcome evils and/or obstacles that come up in your life; whether that be overall dissatisfaction or difficulty on school homework, you must persevere to get through that stage and come up on top.

We began our main session today with a recapture on Jnana Yoga and its practice (qualifications of gurus v.s. Qualifications and personalities of teachers or professors). We must learn to reflect our actions to real life. These qualities make a good person and may lead to Gyan Yogi status: Atma-Darshan (equality amongst all life forms without discrimination on color/race, gender, body shape, culture), Non-Prejudicial, and Empathetic. One must love without boundaries: we are all related to each other through the Supreme Soul, so one must not discriminate against color or socioeconomic status.

There are many dangers that could hinder the path to Jnana Yoga (this leads to hypocrisy). One of these is Hubris, or Pride to a large extent. This would make Jnana Yogi a hypocrite. Yogis cannot be connected to material things. Everything is temporary, whether that be a friend or a car. Yogis also cannot be prone to popularity or celebrity status due to their nature.

Summary on this:

• Humility

• Respect (Gurus, teachers, parents, everyone)

• Accept your flaws

• Disattached from all things material (people, objects, animals)

• Committed only to spiritual wisdom.

Before the next class, think about these questions, and answer these and share to your parents:

1. What is the most important thing in your life, whether that be material, emotional, or spiritual?

2. What would happen if you were to lose that thing? (How would you react and recuperate)

3. Why is self - acceptance of popularity against the teachings and practices of Jnana Yoga? If some community were to popularize you, what would be your reaction?

4. Say you were to start a fundraiser and donate all the money to charity or homeless shelters; you take a picture of you doing the action, and post it on social media, under the caption

“We donated so much money! Thanks to all who donated. We would like to go further and raise more money to outreach on an international scale. Please consider donating!”

In saying this, are you doing something to popularize yourself (going against the Yogi practices) or are you being empathetic? Why? How could one argue the other way?

5. You have a test tomorrow, but although you have prepared a lot, you are confident in yourself. You share your nervousness with your friend, who will take the test one period before you. He offers to help you by giving you the answers to the questions on the test. You accept. How are you going against the practices of Yogis? How is your friend going against proper practice of Jnana Yoga? Reassess the situation; what would you do or change if you were in the place of the student who was unconfident? What would you do or change if you were in the place of the student who helped him cheat?

Next Class is next Sunday 02.14.2021. Link is the same. Enjoy your Week!

January

January 31

Today Arvind Uncle was a guest teacher and informed us on the greatness and mechanisms of meditation. Information is simply facts, knowledge is the analysis of the information, and wisdom is when knowledge becomes part one one’s character. Dhyan Yog is a method to obtain the wisdom that all things are material. It is the path of yogic meditation. Yoga can be followed by an 8 fold path, and it was first revealed by Brahma himself. Meditation is a verifiable science and understanding the science of spirituality can enable one to see the light within. Since the spiritual essence is within everyone, all humans are connected, and all Gods are the same. Meditation is the process of connecting to that one God. The difference between humans and animals is the ability to be conscious of that God power. Love for God is unconditional and can be achieved through meditation. Later in class, Arvind Uncle taught us the method of meditating and we practiced it.

January 24

Today we continued learning about Jnāna Yoga. We reviewed the prerequisites for Jnāna Yoga, with the most important being Shraddha, which is Faith in God and Faith in the spiritual truths and Samādhāna, which means to calm your mind. We then moved on to discuss the practice of Jnāna Yoga. There are three steps for practicing Jnāna Yoga. The first step is Shravana, where you study the scriptures and spiritual principles under a qualified Guru. It’s important to study from a qualified Guru, who has knowledge and information and can guide you through your teachings. The next step is Manana, where you reflect rationally upon the teachings, and ask questions if you have doubts. You keep your faith intact, and look at the teachings from many different angles. The final step is Nididhyāsana which is the state of constant meditation. In this step is when you finally “see” the truth. There are two techniques to achieve this step: Dhyāna Yoga, also knows as Yogic Meditation and Parisamkhyāna, in which you constantly reflect on the great spiritual statements. The Mahāvākyas are the 4 great spiritual statements that come from the 4 Vedas. You reflect on the Mahāvākyas in the second technique from Nididhyāsana, known as Parisamkhyāna. We then had a class discussion on the practice of Jnāna Yoga, and evaluated the purpose of these three steps and discussed them in further detail. There was great class participation today! We ended class by listening and discussing some stories.

During the lesson, we learned and discussed the meanings of some new Gita verses and practiced chanting them. We chanted some previously learned Gita verses as well.

Have a great week!

January 17

Today in class, we discussed the concept of Jnana Yoga. Jnana is defined as wisdom, and wisdom is the knowledge that the world is material, and you are not the body, but the Atma. Some prerequisites are required for Jnana Yoga, however these prerequisites do NOT include gender or caste. The first prerequisite is Viveka, or the ability to choose wisely, which is knowing the difference between the soul and the body. Choosing wisely also includes eating good food, which is honest, uncontaminated food that is not obtained by exploitation. The second prerequisite is Vairagya. Vairagya is attained by not getting attached to anything in the material world, and comes with the understanding that everything we are attached to will perish some day. Everything in the world is impermanent except the Atma and Brahman. Vairagya includes nonattachment to wealth and food. Another prerequisite is Dama which is having control over your senses to make good decisions. In addition, titiksha is required which is forbearance, the tolerance of hardship and staying equanimous no matter the situation. And uparati is keeping life simple, and avoiding unnecessary distractions. One of the most important prerequisites is shraddha, which is faith in God, and faith in truth. These six prerequisites are known as the treasures.

January 10

At the beginning of class we discussed the Hindu festival of Makara Sankranti which marks the beginning of the Sun’s northward journey. In western astrological calendars, Makara is known as Capricorn. The festival is on January 14th every year and it is observed as the most auspicious day by Hindus. Next we discussed the philosophies of different religions on death. The Atheist philosophy is that nothing remains after death and that since life is a product of matter, it dissolves into matter upon death. The Abrahamic Religions philosophy is that God creates souls before birth and depending on whether you are believers or infidels, you go to heaven or hell permanently on the Day of Judgement. Between death and the Day of Judgement, souls are in a limbo and the bodies remain in the grave. The Hindu viewpoint is that souls are eternal and separate from the body. Death results in rebirth and the new body we get is dependent on our prior Karma. By following one of the four paths, we can escape the cycle of birth and death and we obtain Moksha. There are two different views, New Age views vs Hindu views. Original Hindu views say that depending on our karma, we are born an animal or a human. New age beliefs say that we move up the food chain and someone born as a human is therefore never reborn as an animal. Hindu Dharma says that we reap the fruit of our Karma individually while New Age believes in ‘Group’ Karma. We wrapped up the class by chanting some verses from the Gita.

Attached is some reading material. We will complete this topic next week and then jump into 'pre-requisites to Jnana Yoga'.

• What happens when we die: CLICK HERE to view/download

December

December 20

We started out class with a quick recap of the Bhagavad Gita, a topic on which all of us should be well-versed.

We moved on and talked about the Koshas of ourselves. Our personalities are composed of many layers: Anna (physical body), Prana (life forces), Manas (mind and senses), Vijnana (Jivan Atman, soul), and Ananda (peace, bliss). There are many implications of understanding ourselves and what we are made of, such as controlling your health, and living a productive and useful life. Koshas such as Vijnana and Ananda are awakened through penance and extreme devotion and inner peace. These Koshas help us attain a balance in our lives in a way.

Annamaya Kosha: We are able to train our Koshas through Ayurveda, Patanjali, and Hatha Yoga. These Ancient studies show practices that are very supplemental in controlling your Koshas, which ultimately assist the soul in attaining Moksha. Ways to attain the Koshas include eating plain and modest food in proportion. This is known as the food sheath, which is important to control to spiritualize the Anna Kosha. Those who are unable to control the Anna Kosha are known as inanimate, or vegetative.

Vital Sheath (Prana): to activate the Prana Kosha requires one to be active and lively, in other words, show vitality. This also goes hand in hand with avoiding negative thoughts and people.

Mental Sheath (Manas): have the behavior of a human being: use dharma effectively, be logical, be moral, help the society

Extra Applications (click on links):

• to understand how the control of Anna Kosha could medically be beneficial, check out this article of vegetarianism by Harvard

• Abstract article on Pranamaya Kosha

• Neuro-study on the science and physics of Astral projections and OBE’s

• To understand some cool things about auras and more magical experiences with real life encounters, consider looking up some articles on Chi (or qui, or qi, they are the same thing). It is commonly accredited as a martial arts application that allows you to control your energy. Perhaps this movies you an activity for winter break!

Reminders: No classes the next 2 weeks, due to winter break and holiday season. Stay safe and stay inside! Some activities you could do during winter break are meditate and read books and watch netflix (but obviously not too much). Classes resume January 10.

Feel free to reach out to any one of us in case any questions or issues arise. Have a great break and we hope to see you all soon!

December 13

Today in class we listened to a story, we discussed the two different paths that people take, and we discussed who we are. We learned about the story of Nachiketa. The story explained what happened after death and the relationship between the soul and the body was explained. In the story, the Lord of Death said that wise people who realize the self attain moksha, foolish people seek pleasure and stay in the cycle of rebirth. The Lord of Death also said that the we were like a chariot: the horses are sense organs, the intellect is the charioteer, the master of the chariot is the soul, the chariot is the body. The disciplined person controls their horses or sense organs in order to keep the chariot going as giving into your sense organs can put you onto the wrong path. The master of the chariot can only reach Bhagvān by keeping his chariot(body) sturdy and stable, keeping his charioteer(intellect) wise and capable, and keeping the horses(sense organs) trained and disciplined.The two paths are the Path of Pleasure and the Path of Goodness. The path of pleasure is guided by the desires of the sense organs. It only brings temporary joy though it may be more alluring. It is the path of the majority of the people though it is denounced by majority of the religions. The path of goodness is guided by the refined intellect and soul. It is unpleasant in the beginning, but it will lead to permanent bliss. This path is only followed by a few people despite the fact that it is recommended by all religions. According to Taittiriya Upanishad, we are comprised of five “materials”. They are Annamaya Kosha, our skin, organs, muscles, etc., Prānamaya Kosha, the life forces that keep our body functioning, Manomaya Kosha, the mind and senses that it controls, Vijnānamayan Kosha, the intellect which makes rational decisions, and Ānandamaya Kosha, a Soul that is full of bliss. These 5 materials are with us throughout life, but not all of them survive our death. Death happens when the Panamaya Kosha, Manomaya Kosha, and Vijnanmaya Kosha leave the Annamaya Kosha(body). Upon death, the Annamaya disintegrates. The Pranamaya, Manimaya, and Vijnanamaya Kosha enter another body during rebirth. When we enter Moksha, we shed of everything and the soul unites with Anandamaya Kosha. We concluded the class by chanting some verses from the Gita.

Reminder: We will not have HATS class on December 27 and January 3 for Winter Break

December 6

In class today, we discussed the three approaches to the divine and Nirakara Brahman. The first approach to the Divine is Saguna Sakara which is worshipping God with a personality, positive characteristics, and one or more Forms. This is the most common type of worship in Bhakti-Yoga. The second approach is Saguna Nirakara which is worshipping God with positive characteristics, no Form, and an impersonal personality. This approach is used in all four Yogas. The third approach is Nirguna Nirakara which is worshipping God who is Formless, has no personality, and is incapable of description and comprehension. This approach is used in Jnana-Yoga because Jnana-Yoga is the path of knowledge and wisdom so therefore its followers think more rationally. This may cause them to doubt the idea of God having an appearance that seems impossible, such as having 4 arms, and therefore find worshipping a Formless God easier. Some religions believe that you can only take one approach to worshipping the Divine in order to reach Heaven, but the Gita states that any approach to the divine will help you attain Moksha though worshipping God with a Form will allow you to attain Moksha quicker as you have something tangible to worship. Next, we discussed Nirakara Brahman. Nirakara Brahman is the Creator, Sustainer, and Dissolver of the Universe. The Universe arises within Him and dissolves in Him. He has no selfish motives in creating the Universe and everything in the Universe derives its properties and powers for Him. Nirakara Brahman is within everything and He is also outside everything in the Universe. At the end of class, we discussed what we had learned in class and chanted some verses from the Gita.

Reminder: HATS will be off on December 27 and January 3 for Winter Break

November

November 22

In class, we discussed the universe, the cycle of creation and destruction, and evolution. Brahma’s life is 311.04 trillion years long which is 36,000 kalpas, or days of Brahma, and the same amount of nights. At the beginning of Brahma’s life there was creation and at the end of it there will be total devastation. One kalpa is 4.32 billion years and night is the same length. At the beginning of a kalpa there is partial creation and at the end of one kalpa there is partial devastation. At the end of every kalpa, Brahma goes to sleep and everything he has created dissolves. During the night, Brahma dreams of the next kalpa when he will awake and create a new world. We also discussed the Hindu view on evolution. Hindu tradition is comfortable with the idea of evolution as diversity and evolution is the very nature of the world. When looking at evolution and avatars of vishnu we see that they are very similar. Scientists believe that the first animals were aquatic creatures and likewise the first avatar of Vishnu is the Matsya avatar. As you examine the other avatars of Vishnu and compare them with the course of evolution many more similarities become clear. We concluded the class by chanting some verses from the Gita.

Reminder: We do not have HATS to on November 29 for Thanksgiving

November 8

The class this week was led by our Meditation teacher Arvind Naik. He went over the basics of Meditation, its benefits and useful tips on how we can start meditating as a beginner.

The attached file has some useful information: CLICK HERE. Please note that we will have a complete instruction unit on 'Dhyana Yoga', one of the four paths of Moksha in the Gita, and 1-2 more meditation sessions by Arvind.

Next weekend (November 15th) is a holiday for HATS due to Diwali. We will resume Jnanayoga on November 22nd. Those of you who did not pick a hard copy of the class textbook can download the electronic version available at the beginning of this page.

Swami Tejoymayananda suggests this five steps to start meditation for a beginner:

“Meditation in Five Steps:

1. Seek Solitude: Through karma-yoga, prayer, and satsanga, develop a mind that loves solitude – a mind that wants nothing from the world and possesses nothing. Know the nature of the Self to be Bliss and desire to experience It.

2. Relax: Select a clean and solitary place for meditation. Place a thin and soft cushion to sit on. Sit erect in a comfortable posture. Close the eyes lightly. Relax the body completely by focusing the attention on every limb and relaxing each one by auto-suggestion.

3. Have the Right Attitude: Mentally prostrate to your teacher with reverence. Sincerely pray to God and seek His blessings. Make the mind cheerful. Bring the attitude of a sincere seeker of Truth. Drop all other identities. Determine to realize and get established in the Truth.

4. Withdraw the Mind: First withdraw the senses from the world of objects by not contemplating on the sense stimuli you receive from the world. Through discrimination, drop all wanderings of the mind to the present moment. Make the mind single-pointed by chanting Om, first loudly and then mentally. Remain totally aware of the chanting. Shift the attention from the chanting to the silence underlying it.

5. Fix the Mind in the Self (the Soul): With a mind thus made quiet and single-pointed, contemplate on the Self, which is the witness of this quietude. Take the help of scriptural pointers like “I am unattached,” “I am Pure Consciousness,” to contemplate and fix the mind on the Self. If the mind wanders, make it quiet and patiently fix it in the Self again. Once the mind gets absorbed in the Self, do not initiate any new thought. Do not think, do not do, do not become. Just Be!”

Arvind also emphasized that the best time for meditation is early morning (just before sunrise) or just after sunset. But if these times are not open, we can pick some other time, however making sure that we pick the same time every day so that it becomes part of our spiritual and physical routine. We can start meditating 10 minutes every day, gradually increasing it in steps. Given the hectic lifestyle that we have these days, a good option would be to meditate for around 20 minutes in the morning before shower and before the sun rises. There is a lot of calm in the environment around us during this time of the day. One should not meditate right after exercising. Therefore, if you are going to exercise as well, first meditate and then do your exercise. Or do them several hours apart.

Please note that Meditation is not a waste of time, because meditating increases our focus and efficiency while we are awake.

When we systematically study Dhyana Yoga in the future (sometime in Feb-March), we will look into secular and religious benefits of meditation, the way to perform Pranayama (breath regulation) and so on in much more detail.

In our class on 22nd November, we will resume where we left on the 8th and continue with the topic, 'The True Nature of the Universe'. That file starting with '06' is attached.

Thereafter, we will go to the next topic, "The Divine in Jnanayoga". The file '07' is attached as well. If you get a chance, please peruse these two PDFs. We will only discuss the main points and have more class discussions than usual.

• True Nature of the Universe

• Divine in Jnanayoga

November 29th is a holiday for Thanksgiving. On 6th December, we hope to start the next topic "Who am I?".

Regards,

Level 10 Teachers.

November 1

Today in class we discussed the Jnāna philosophy of Sāmkhya Darshana which is made up of two eternal entities: Prakriti and Purusha. According to many religions such as Christianity, Judaism, and Islam, the universe was created out of nothing. Hinduism, on the other hand believes that’s God created the universe out of 2 kinds of materials, or Prakritis. The first is the physical universe and it is called the lower Prakriti. Our bodies and minds are all part of lower Prakriti. The second material is the higher Prakriti which are our souls or atman. This higher Prakriti is what makes our bodies alive. Prakriti is also comprised of 3 Gunas which are are tamasic, rajasic, and Sattvik. Tamas is matter, rajas is energy, and sattva is intelligence. These three Gunas are intertwined together like 3 strands of a rope and everything has these three Gunas in them to some degree. The next eternal energy is Purusha, which is separated into the two categories of Paratman, which is Brahman, and jivatman, which is the individual soul. After discussing the philosophy of Sāmkhya Darshana,we discussed how Hinduism’s teaching of how the universe was created is very similar to the way modern scientists believe the world was created. Finally we concluded the class by chanting some verses from the Gita.

Reminder: Last chance to pickup a textbook from the mandir is on November 7th from 12pm to 5pm. Books will be available in the library room. Don’t forget to pick one up!

October

October 25

Namaskar! We completed an OVERVIEW of the first path to Moksha, i.e., Jnanayoga (The Path of Spiritual Knowledge and Wisdom) taught in the Bhagavad Gita. To summarize the take home message of this path:

1.We are not the perishable body. We are the soul. Outer changes do not affect the soul. When we die, only our body perishes. Our soul is reborn in another body till we attain Moksha.

2.Our soul is eternally different from the material universe, and similar to the Soul (i.e. Bhagavan) that creates, preserves and annihilates the universe. Everyone has an identical Divine spark within them.

3.Our present life is just one of many. We are eternal, we never die because the soul is immortal.

4. All our external differences of race, gender, caste, appearance etc., are superficial and temporary because the eternal Divine spark within all of us is identical. One who is a white male from Europe can become a black woman in Africa in the next life (or was one in his previous life). Therefore, everyone deserves a basic respect and dignity when we interact with others.

5.Let us all exert to reach our final goal – Moksha, through knowledge, and first-hand realization of the truth of that knowledge.

Use this links for the PDF and the corresponding Slides.

• Introduction to Jnanayoga powerpoint: CLICK HERE

• Introduction to Jnanayoga pdf: CLICK HERE

• True nature of the universe: CLICK HERE

Next week, we will learn about what the Samkhya Darshana portion of Jnanayoga teaches us about the nature of this Universe, and see how it correlates to modern Science. Attached also is the PDF of that class ('06 True Nature of the Universe').

October 18

Namaste! The Bhagavad Gita teaches 4 major paths to Moksha: Jnana Yoga, Karma Yoga, Dhyana Yoga, Bhakti Yoga.

Shri Krishna introduces first the path of Jnana Yoga - or the path of spiritual knowledge and wisdom, in Chapter 2, returning to it in chapters 13-15. This path forms the underlying wisdom in each of the other three paths as well. No matter which path we focus on depending on our preference and ability, Bhagavan eventually bestows us Jnana - the spiritual knowledge, understanding and wisdom that is needed to reach Him.

During the class on 10/18, we started with an overview of the basic concepts in this path, which helps us understand the true nature of this universe, of Bhagavan and of who we are. Our Gurus have used 100s of examples to explain all this knowledge, and many of them have become a part of common Hindu wisdom down the ages. We will continue with the overview on 10-25-2020, and then start with what the Gita and other scriptures have to teach us about the nature of this world.

Click HERE for the PDF of the lesson that we started last Sunday. Students and parents are requested to read this - or at least the stories and examples that are given in the document.

Jnanayoga is the longest section of this year and will typically last through December.

Regards,

Level 10 Teachers.

October 11

Today in class, we learned about the lessons the Gita teaches us on how to live our life. Krishna lays out a four step process to solving conflicts in the Mahabharata-sama, dhama, bedha, danda. Sama is being reasonable and discussing, dhama is compromising, bheda is threatening, and danda is conflict, the last option. Krishna tried all of these options, but the Kauravas refused, which resulted in the Kurukshetra War.The scriptures teach that the only instance in which you can skip to the last step directly are when someone is in imminent danger. There are multiple paths to reach Bhagavan. Bhakti yoga is the path of devotion, Dhyana yoga is the path of meditation, Jnana yoga is the path of knowledge, and Karma yoga is the path of using your actions to reach Bhagavan. However certain prerequisites are required to follow the yogas. These include having a good character, and being generous. Next class we will go into more depth on each of the yogas.

Below are this class’ slides.

• Multiplicity of Paths to Bhagavan

• Prerequisites to Moksha

October 4

Today we learned about the Bhagavad Gita and its history. The Bhagavad Gita is a part of the Mahabharata and has 700 verses, spoken by Krishna, Arjuna, Sanjaya, and Dhritarashtra. It is the second most translated scripture in the world, with the first being the Bible. However, while most Bible translations are done by Christians, most Gita translations are done by individuals who are not Hindu but are fascinated by its teachings. It is debated how old the Gita is, but it doesn’t matter because unlike Abrahamic religions which are based off of historical events, Hindu Dharma is based on eternal principles. These principles are not dependent on any history and it can be applied to to anyone at any time. The Mahabharata war, involving 4 million warriors, was between two parties led by evil Kauravas and righteous Pandavas. Arjuna was hesitant to fight against his family and elders, which is when Krishna stepped in and revealed to Arjuna the Gita. We discussed some stories about Arjuna and Krishna and talked about the lessons that accompanied these stories. We concluded class by chanting our closing prayers.

Attachments:

• Background of Bhagavad Gita

• Background and Trivia of the Gita

Have a great week!

September

September 27

During class last Sunday we discussed the importance and relevance of the Bhagavad Gita to our lives and why we should study the Gita. We talked about how the Gita helps us balance Dharma, Kama, Artha, and Moksha. We also compared the Bhagavad Gita to other religious texts like the Bible and the Qur’an. Texts like the Bible and Qur’an talk about how it is necessary to follow their respective religions to go to heaven while the Gita is more action-oriented in the sense that anyone who does good can attain Moksha. This is also a reason why we see many spiritual but not religious people following the teachings of the Bhagavad Gita. We concluded the class by chanting some verses from the Gita.

Have a great week!

Vishal Agarwal

Aayush Goud

Stavya Arora

Samarth Ram

Anuj Kakkad

September 20

If you do not have a textbook (and you want one), please contact us by email; we will try to deliver to your house or send an address to receive.

Please stay alert and read through these weekly updates; your understanding and engagement is key for the class. The summary in addition to the materials covered in class are attached below.

|OM|

Welcome Dharma 9/10 students! It is a new year to learn about dharma, and this is most likely your last stretch before you are done! This year, we will focus on ideas from the Bhagavad Gita. We will talk about the ways and rules of life, Dharma, and values in general, and will have many interesting discussions on topics such as reincarnations. We will also identify the differences between beliefs and ideals in Hinduism versus other religions. Let us get the year off to a great start!

Class 1 summary (09/20/20)

The Gita is nothing but a dialog between Arjuna (average human) and Sri Krishna. The dialogue and plot of the Gita revolve around Arjuna’s disposition to fight in the Mahabharata against his own family members, and whether it is righteous and dharmic to fight against his own people/kin. The Bhagavad Gita is nothing but an allusion to real life, where the battlefield is our lives and Arjuna’s decisions are synonymous with our everyday decisions.

There is a difference between living and non-living things, specifically, we can single out our human race to all other forms of life; mainly, our needs and rationality are so much more complex. We have the ability to think ahead, plan for the future, remember things for very long times (mental retention), and ultimately we have the power to make decisions for ourselves.

All forms of life follow the hierarchy of life: big fish eat small fish. As humans, we keep equality within ourselves and follow certain ethics (Dharma).

Life in Hinduism started with Manu and Sri Vishnu’s Matsya Avatar: Manu, a fellow human, was bent on saving the small fish (Matsya). After trying his best to save and protect just a fish, Sri Vishnu blessed Manu as the first human; Manu started the way of Dharma when he wrote the Manusmriti.

We must look beyond ourselves to see the truth of the world and experience spirituality. Our “Atma” and Bhagavan are connected; if we pay heed to our atma's decisions and choices, we will live good lives.

Some values Hinduism encourages are ethics, respect, virtue, responsibility, empathy, righteousness, peace of mind, fulfillment, piety, along with many other values.

Questions for thought (formulate an answer before next class):

Are we really any different than animals? If yes, how? If not, how are we the same?

Today we see many Indian / acclaimed Hindu business tycoons and politicians showing off their wealth through properties, social media, etc throughout the world. However, at the same time, we see those very people engaging in philanthropic activities as well. Can you explain how connected they may be to their Hindu faith?

Let us take a hypothetical situation. You are about to make a huge business deal, which will be beneficial to not only you and your family but millions of your employees. But, your sibling, who is also a businessman, snatches your business deal from you, and teases and makes fun of you. How should you react? Is it viable to induce violence because of this offense?

One of the ideas stressed in Hinduism, or at least the start of the faith, is how Manu met with the Matsya avatar (the so-called first avatar). In this event, Sri Vishnu announces that there have been many more universes in which he had taken avatars as well. The idea of multiple universes, and also the theory of how our universe began (with the leading idea being the Big Bang Theory) is a burning question in the scientific world right now, and one of the leading ideas align exactly with Lord Vishnu’s words. The theory says that due to conservation of energy and mass, mass must have condensed and then expanded; but it is very plausible for that condensed mass to have at one time been a whole other universe, creating the theory of the big bang and infinite time. What is your opinion on this? Do you think there is scientific proof and ideas embedded within the Hindu ideas?

The next class is next Sunday: 10:00 to 11:30 on 09/27. Please refer to the same google meets link to join the class.

Have a great week everyone!

Regards,

Vishal Agarwal

Aayush Goud

Stavya Arora

Samarth Ram

Anuj Kakkad