Chapter 7 | Bhagavad Gita Class

BHAGAVAD GITA CHAPTER 7

Gnyan Vignan Yog (The Yoga Of Wisdom And Science)

The chapter 7 study classes will cover:

•The first chapter of the Gita spoken entirely by ShreeKrushna. Why ShreeKrushna rather than Arjuna began this chapter. Only when a relationship is strong and close is there less of a need for words and less of a need for questions, and the answers just come straight away. And the more of a distance between people in a relationship then the more there is a need for words. The deeper the topic of conversation then the less that there is a need for words and the shallower the topic then the more there is a need for words.

•The transition of the Gita from the path of karma (action) in chapters 1 to 6 to the path of bhakti (devotion) in chapters 7 to 12 before going on the path of gnyan (wisdom) in chapters 13 to 18. Why bhakti (devotion) is placed between karma (action) and gnyan (wisdom). Once we learn about meditation, who should we perform meditation of?

•Why we have so many Gods and so many Idols in Hinduism; the beauty and uniqueness of Hinduism.

•The difference between dvaita (dualism) and advaita (non-dualism).

•The characteristics of Dharma and science. Dharma is belief without any doubts and acceptance in its totality whereas science is belief with doubts. How science keeps changing its conclusions and Dharma never changes its conclusions. How science does not regard its decisions as final whereas Dharma does. Science tries to bring Truth within its own grasp whereas religion goes and stands within the grasp of Truth.

•The reason why there is corruption, poverty and problems in India: the flaw of the education system. There was a time in India when people lived the Gita. There was a time when people were living the Upanishads. Now the system of education is changing. The education that we are getting today is that of doubt and confusion. We are trained to doubt. And the more a person doubts then the more that society calls him an intellectual person.

•Wisdom after knowing which there remains nothing left to be known in the world. The famous story of Shvetaketu’s enlightenment in the Chandogya Upanishad.

•A study of what Yagnyavalkya says in the Brhadaranyaka Upanishad about how easy it is to attain God and why we put limitations around ourselves.

•The eight things that the material world is made up of: earth, water, fire, air, ether, mind and understanding and self-sense.

•The two different types of nature: aparā (lower or material) and parā (higher or consciousness).

•A study of Shrimad Adi Shankracharya’s Nirvana Shakatam about the autosuggestion of how God and you are not different.

•A description of Shakti and the explanations behind the events involving Shiva and Parvati in the Shiv Purana.

•A glimpse into the vibhuti (Divine Manifestations) of God.

•The five gross elements and the five subtle elements. A study of the Tarkasandra and the logic of Vedanta in explaining these.

•An explanation of the Aumkar and the Gayatri mantra

•The importance of and power behind words and why we should choose our words carefully. The power behind chanting the names of Ram and Krushna.

•The revolutionary nature of ShreeKrushna in describing Himself as the strength of the strong and in saying that the wish for projeny comes from God. The mantras chanted during weddings and why the writer of the Kama Sutra is regarded as a great Muni (Sage) in Indian culture. Why Vatsalyan Muni says in the Kama Sutra that one who learns and totally understands this scripture will win over his senses.

•The differences between kaam (lust), prem (love) and bhakti (devotion)

•Understanding the Divine māyā (illusion) of God and its features through the works of Shrimad Adi Shankracharya, Thukaran, Narsihn Mehta, Shridhar Swami, Nilkanth Swami, Vallabhacharya, Ramanunjacharya and the Vedanta of Raja Sarpanyay. Why māyā (illusion) is there, how māyā (illusion) was created and also the purpose of māyā (illusion). Why māyā (illusion) is Divine.

•How the world was created by God. A study of the Chattushloki Bhāgavad in the second canto of the Shrimad Bhagavad spoken by the Supreme Soul to Brahma.

•The difference between the sat (Truth) and the asat (non-Truth), and how māyā (illusion) is the third thing between them. A study of Shrimad Adi Shankracharya’s Vivekachudamani

•How do we become free from māyā (illusion). A study of the Sundarkanth of the ShreeRam Charit Manas.

•A study of the Rudra Astha Adhyai and why our Rishis said that wealth is important.

•The biggest sin of all: forgetting the good deeds of and having enmity with the person who has done us service or the person who has done us good.

•The four types of devotees who come to God: the person in distress, the seeker for knowledge, the seeker for wealth and the person of wisdom. The stories of Gajendra, Draupadi, Dhruv and Vibheeshan.

•The importance of efforts with faith. A study of the Advaita Siddhi and Bhakti Rasayan Granth of Madhusudhan Saraswati, and the inspirational story of how a pair of small birds took on the mighty ocean and won.

•Swami Ramsukhdas’ story of a father and four children showing how the person of wisdom is the greatest out of all the devotees. Why a gnyāni (the person of wisdom) is ikshar (the perishable), akshar (the imperishable) and Purushottam (the best among people).

•The experience that Vāsudeva (the Supreme) is all that is. A study of the Rig Veda, Yajur Veda, Chandogya Upanishad, Yajuranyak Upanishad, Taitrreya Upanishad, Mandatopya Upanishad and Narayan Upanishad

•Why Idol worship is essential and five qualities that come to a person who meditates on an Idol of God: namrata (humility), anurāg (love), sardaitā (conversation), titikshā (tolerance) and uthghata (oneness with God)

•The importance of conversations with the form of God. A study of the Silva method about how a person receives the answers to all questions through visualising the form of God.

•Why the knowledge that we collect throughout our lives in reality creates confusion in our lives. The story of Buddha and the hankerchief with five knots.

You can watch all of the chapter 7 videos by clicking on the below links next to the verse numbers.

Chapter 7 introduction: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WFed3uYy5Es

Chapter 7 verse 1: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CuJSszEPE1Y

Chapter 7 verse 2: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p4bnUvrTP34

Chapter 7 verse 3: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DuEOO2MqjOQ

Chapter 7 verse 4: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5OnkIJBJsaQ

Chapter 7 verse 5: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5gUBvysWtD4

Chapter 7 verse 6: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4RnvH9kTreE

Chapter 7 verse 7: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8fY3Q4Vr5TQ

Chapter 7 verse 8: http://youtu.be/VjSQGxk7C88

Chapter 7 verse 9: http://youtu.be/5koU7iNTmBs

Chapter 7 verse 10: http://youtu.be/WPt3hqowE60