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Bhagavad Gita Chapter 6

Character Sketch

  • Śakuni, the maternal uncle of Duryodhana embodies the pattern of self-hatred, which is cunningness personified.
  • Droṇa represents all the best knowledge one imbibes and the teachers one encounters, who guide us but are unable to take us through to the ultimate flowering of enlightenment. It is difficult to give them up since one feels grateful to them. This is where the Enlightened Master, the incarnation steps in and guides us.
  • Duryodhana, represents one's ego or root-pattern, the most difficult to conquer as it leads one to self destruction. One needs the full help of the Master here. It is subtle work and even the Master's help may not be obvious, since at this point, sometimes the ego makes us deny and disconnect from the Master as well.
  • Karṇa is the repository of all good deeds and it is his good deeds that stand in the way of his own Enlightenment. Śrī Kṛṣṇa has to take the load of Karṇa's puṇya, his meritorious deeds, before he could be liberated. The Enlightened Master guides one to drop one's attachment to good deeds arising out of what are perceived to be charitable and compassionate intentions. He also shows us that the quest for and the experience of enlightenment is the ultimate act of compassion that one can offer to the world.

Bhagavan Ṣri Kṛṣṇa, the 8th most powerful purnāvatar of Ṃaha Viśnu, is the embodiment of pure celebration, boundless love, compassion, and completion.

Bhagavan Ṣri Kṛṣṇa is the only incarnation demonstrating and expressing Ṣarva Ṃangalatva all the auspicious qualities and all dimensions of an avatar during His physical happening. The līla Bhagavan Ṣri Krsna is one of sheer innocence and simplicity, in a peace-loving, diplomatic, conflict-free way.

Karṇa is the repository of all good deeds and it is his good deeds that stand in the way of his own Enlightenment. Śrī Kṛṣṇa has to take the load of Karṇa's puṇya, his meritorious deeds, before he could be liberated. The Enlightened Master guides one to drop one's attachment to good deeds arising out of what are perceived to be charitable and compassionate intentions. He also shows us that the quest for and the experience of enlightenment is the ultimate act of compassion that one can offer to the world.

Till now everyone blames Bhagavan Sri Krishna for this Kurukshetra war but that's the greatest sacrifice Bhagavan Sri Krishna did to save the planet Earth. If Kurukshetra was not conducted at that time under the controlled conditions and direct supervision of Bhagavan Sri Krishna, planet Earth would not have survived more than three years.

Character Sketch act of compassion that one can offer to the world. Bhagavan Ṣri Kṛṣṇa, the 8th most powerful purnāvatar of Ṃaha Viśnu, is the embodiment of pure celebration, boundless love, compassion, and completion. Bhagavan Ṣri Kṛṣṇa is the only incarnation demonstrating and expressing Ṣarva Ṃangalatva all the auspicious qualities a nd all dimensions of an avatar during His physical happening. The līla Bhagavan Ṣri Krsna is one of sheer innocence and The wide spread availability of the Astra shastras without Shastra, without the knowledge and vision, was posing a huge threat to the whole of humanity and planet Earth, and for life itself. The greatest achievement of Bhagavan Sri Krishna is destroying all the weapons in one controlled condition and saving planet earth, eliminating the nuclear weapons and the knowledge of these nuclear weapons to save humanity from total annihilation.

conflict-free way.

simplicity, in a peace-loving, diplomatic,

Bhagavad Gītā appears in the heart of Mahābhārat in Bhīṣma Parva, the sixth chapter of its eighteen chapters. Veda Vyāsa, the narrator, in glorifying the Gītā sings, 'the one who drinks the water of Ganges (the sacred river for Hindus) attains liberation, what to speak of the one who drinks the nectar of Gītā?

Gītā is the essential nectar of the Mahābhārat, bhāratamṛta sarvasvam as it is directly spoken by Nārāyaṇa, Bhagavān kṛṣṇa Himself.'

The armies assembled in the vast field of Kurukṣetra, now in the state of Haryana in modern day Bharat. All the kings and princes were related to one another, and were often on opposite sides. Facing the Kaurava army and his friends, relatives and teachers, Arjuna was overcome by remorse and guilt, and wanted to walk away from the battle out of total powerlessness unbecoming an invincible warrior among warriors.

Śrī Kṛṣṇa's dialogue with Arjuna on the battlefield of Kurukṣetra out of His utmost concern and love for him and humanity is the content of Bhagavad Gītā. Of its seven hundred and forty-five (745) verses, Bhagavān Śrī Kṛṣṇa sings the Gītā in six hundred and twenty (620) verses responding to Arjuna's fifty-seven (57) enquiries.

Śrī Kṛṣṇa persuades Arjuna to give-up his powerlessness unfitting an Ārya—the spiritually evolved one who understands human life and urges him to raise himself again as Parantapa—the conqueror of enemy, and take up arms and vanquish his enemies. They are already dead,' says Śrī Kṛṣṇa, 'All those who are facing you have been already killed by Me. Go ahead and do what you have to do. That is your responsibility. Do not worry about the outcome. Leave that to Me.'

yogī yuñjīta satatam ātmānaṃ rahasi sthitaḥ ekākī yatachittātmā nirāśīraparigrahaḥ

A Yogī should always try to concentrate his mind on the Supreme Self; situated in a secluded place, he should carefully control his mind without being attracted by anything and should be free from the feeling of possessiveness

Bring integrity to control the senses

śucau deśe pratiṣṭhāpya sthiram āsanam ātmanaḥ nātyucchritaṃ nātinīcaṃ cailājina-kuśottaram

On a clean and pure place, one should establish his seat by laying kuśa grass, a deer skin and a cloth, one over another, neither too high nor too low

The most important thing to be aware of in any meditation is to be relaxed.

tatraikāgraṃ manaḥ kṛtvā yatacittendriya-kriyaḥ upaviśyāsane yuñjyād yogamātmaviśuddhaye

Sitting firmly on that pure seat, the yogi should practice the purification of the self by controlling the activities of mind and the senses

When we are not attached or attracted to external objects, when we are not led by our senses, we have steadied the mind and senses samaṃ kāyaśirogrīvaṃ dhārayannacalaṃ sthiraḥ samprekṣya nāsikāgraṃ svaṃ diśaścānavalokayan

Holding the body, head and neck steady, look at the tip of your nose without looking in any other direction

By fixing our eyes on the tip of the nose our awareness will settle on the third eye praśāntātmā vigatabhīr brahmacārivrate sthitaḥ manaḥ saṃyamya maccitto yukta āsī ta matparaḥ

Sit with an unagitated mind, free from fear and in tune with Existence, controlling the mind, focusing it on Me and make Me the supreme goa

Meditate on the formless energy of Kṛṣṇa that is beyond the form

Kṛṣṇa gives directions for the practitioner of Yoga, the Yogī. These are general and practical guidelines given to help us with how we should sit and meditate. Senses are our doors to the external world. As long as they are open and uncontrolled, we are immersed only in the external world.

Controlling the senses requires controlling the mind. Controlling the mind requires control of thoughts. Controlling the thoughts requires integrity. When we continuously live integrity, we will become aware of the thoughts and processes happening in our inner space.

Constantly listening to our own inner space is the beginning of integrity. If our inner space says that there is nothing more to listen, if only silence is there, then that is the end of integrity. We have achieved integrity. When we start listening to our inner space, we start integrity and when we listen to only silence from our inner space, we have achieved integrity

Go on listening. Even while you are sitting, driving, talking or walking, listen to you. Also listen to you, when you are talking! It is listening to you that is going to bring integrity to you! Listen! You will see that by their very nature our thoughts are illogical, unconnected and irrational.

We need to do two things to control our thoughts. First, we need to stay in the present moment. Second, we need to disconnect thoughts. This is called Unclutching. It is not staying without thoughts. That is not possible; just witness thoughts. Understand that thoughts are unconnected. Detach yourself from the emotional baggage of the thoughts.

If we detach ourselves from the regrets of the past and the speculations about the future we will automatically rise into the present.

Unclutching is not like switching off the electricity to your house. It is like cleaning, sweeping and wiping your house. It is not like electricity that you will just switch off and be unclutched. No! It is like cleaning, sweeping and wiping. First, listen to your inner space! That is the first step to meditation, to life. Listen!! We should go to a secluded place. Why? Whatever said and done, in the house, the phone may ring, somebody may knock or some salesperson may call. A secluded place is really just a means to move us away from these disturbances.

The kuṣa, deerskin and all those things are like insulation, so that the earth will not absorb the energy we create. But now we don't have to bother about that, since we usually sit in a chair. The seat should neither be too high nor too low and it should be comfortable. That's all.

The most important thing to be aware of in any meditation is to be relaxed. We cannot meditate in discomfort. Keeping the head, neck and spine, all in one line, helps in two ways. Firstly, it prevents us from dropping off to sleep. Secondly, as long as the head, neck and spine remain steady and vertical, the flow of pranic energy, the life-giving energy, through the energy pathways will be unblocked and smooth.

Whether we close our eyes fully or half close them, it is important that we disconnect from the external world. When the eyes are focused on the tip of the nose, they are not looking at external objects and ninety percent of sensory inputs are cut off. In addition, the focus is on the third eye between the brows.

We can meditate on the form of Kṛṣṇa, with a flute and peacock feather.

When we enter into our third eye, automatically we will go beyond the form. We will start meditating on the formless energy that is beyond the form.

Learning to control our illogical thought by staying in the present moment and unclutching To learn techniques for meditation

  • What happens when our senses are open and uncontrolled?
  • What is the beginning of integrity?
  • What is the end of integrity?
  • Can we listen to us while we're sitting, driving, talking or walking?
  • Are our thoughts logical and connected, or illogical and unconnected ?
  • What can we do to have no disturbances while meditating?
  • Why should you be a little off the ground when meditating?
  • Can you fall asleep with the head, neck and spine in a straight line?
  • What helps the flow of pranic energy through us?
  • What does focusing on the nose help us do?
  • To meditate on Kṛṣṇa, what does Swamiji prescribe?

MATERIALS NEEDED:

  • 1. Paper
  • 2. Colourful pens.

PROCEDURE

Draw a poster for a meditation room that includes the words "please sit with your head, neck and spine in a straight line".

INFERENCE

Informing meditators of Kṛṣṇa's techniques for meditation because they help you meditate

PROCEDURE

Let the children sit in a circle. One child starts by thinking of a few words or a short sentence. The child whispers their words into the ear of the child sitting on their left. Whisper only once! The child who heard the words has to pass on whatever they heard, going round the circle in a clockwise direction. The last child to hear the whispered words says out loud whatever they heard, then the first child says the words they used to start the game.

Play another round starting with a different child.

INFERENCE

It is very easy to hear something different to what was said. Listen with integrity