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 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.'

arjuna uvāca yoyaṃ yogastvayā proktaḥ sāmyena madhusūdana etasyāhaṃ na paśyāmi cañcalatvātsthitiṃ sthirām

Arjuna says: O Madhusūdana, I am not able to see this system of yoga as told by You in the situation of the mind being restless and not steady

Detachment from the ego or the identities will lead to detachment from desires. This is detachment from the past and future. This is being 'Unclutched

cañcalaṃ hi manaḥ kṛṣṇa pramāthī balavad dṛḍham tasyāhaṃ nigrahaṃ manye vāyoriva suduṣkaram

O Kṛṣṇa, the wavering mind is agitated, strong and firm. I think it is difficult to control the mind like it is difficult to control the wind

The moment we categorize something as easy or difficult, we have made it that way

śrībhagavānuvāca asaṃśayaṃ mahābāho mano durnigrahaṃ calam abhyāsena tu kaunteya vairāgyeṇa ca gṛhyate

Bhagavān says: O mighty-armed Kaunteya (son of Kuntī), it is undoubtedly difficult to control the wavering mind but by practice and detachment, it can be controlled

Persevere with authenticity until we experience the Truth

Arjuna introduces the word 'difficult or su-duṣkaram' here. Be very clear, the moment we categorize something as easy or difficult, we have made it that way. Understand that the ego can be fulfilled only through difficult things. Simple things cannot satisfy the ego.

After listening to Kṛṣṇa about controlling the mind, Arjuna expresses his doubts about being able to still the mind. His question is not just an individual's question. The questions are the fundamental quest of the individual and the answers are the eternal Truth.

Arjuna addresses to Kṛṣṇa his concerns about the mind being so strong that it sometimes overcomes the intelligence. The first and foremost thing is to accept that we have a problem, we have a root pattern. The next thing is to understand how the root pattern is created.

That is what Arjuna does here. It is only then that we can overcome the root pattern. If we ignore or run away from the pattern we can never resolve and complete with the pattern. Here, Kṛṣṇa has to answer from the same plane that Arjuna asks the question. Kṛṣṇa has to give a technique for the mind to play with.

Masters give meditation techniques so that we try all these and ultimately realize we are bliss, and that meditation is our natural state, and that there is nothing to be achieved.

The mind cannot believe something so simple.

Kṛṣṇa emphasizes perseverance and penance. Don't think penance means leaving home, going to the Himalayas and sitting in meditation while fasting. Penance is persevering with authenticity until we experience the Truth. Whether we say ego or mind, it is just the collection of thoughts. Thoughts can exist only in relationship to our identity and the past or the future. The mind moves only because it is attached to the identities that we carry. The mind becomes so attached to these identities that it is constantly reviewing the past incidents or it is constantly planning the future to either protect or develop these identities. If we look deeply, staying in the present moment of completion means total insecurity. It requires us to be ready to embrace the present without planning for the future or reviewing the past. This seems like a great danger for our ego.

Any identity that we create about ourselves that is less than the idea of our being God, is a false identity. If we consider ourselves to be anything less than God, we suffer from an inferiority complex. If we have the courage to detach ourselves from the certificates of society, if we have the courage to drop these false identities, then we can embrace the Divine.

Detachment is the direct technique that Kṛṣṇa is suggesting here. Detachment from the ego or the identities will lead to detachment from desires. This is detachment from the past and future. This is being 'Unclutched

When we realize the infinity of everyone, we will express our unconditional love and compassion towards everyone without discrimination, because we know that all discrimination is baseless and false. Our very walk and talk will start radiating so much bliss that our very presence will start healing others.

We will become a blessing for planet Earth and the people who experience our presence.

Goals: Understanding the mind, thoughts, and unclutching

• When we categorize something as easy or difficult, what happens?
• What is the first thing we need to do to overcome our root pattern?
• Why do Enlightened Masters have to give meditation techniques?
• What does penance mean?
• Can thoughts exist by themselves?
• ✓ What Is the mind attached to?
• ✓ What does staying in the present moment of completion mean to us?
• ✓ What seems like a great danger for our ego?
• ✓ What do we need courage for?
• ✓ What is the technique that Kṛṣṇa suggests to Arjuna?

MATERIALS NEEDED:

• ❖ Each child to get a piece of paper with the outline of a person on it
• ❖ A variety of bits of string, wool, button scraps of material, sequins and so on
• ❖ Glue
• ❖ Scissors

PROCEDURE

Challenge the children to decorate their person as complicated as possible

INFERENCE

Simple things cannot satisfy the ego. The mind finds it is easy to go beyond simple.

MATERIALS

• o Paper
• o Pens

PROCEDURE

Each child writes two things on their piece of paper without showing it to the other children. One of these things must be true and one must be false. For example, "I go to dance classes" is true and "I go to swimming classes" is false. Then the children take turns to read out their two statements, and the other children have to ask questions until they know which is true and which is false.

The questions can only be answered by yes or no, and cannot use any of the words of the statement. For example, if a child says they go to swimming classes, the questions cannot use "swimming" or "class". Instead, they can ask about the pool, for example, is it big, is it small, or if the classes are every week.

Note: Help young children to do the writing and reading.

INFERENCE

Persevere with authenticity until we get to the Truth

Do Vaakyartha Sadhas on this topic:

Say there are two trees in a forest. Now, if one tree falls on the other, we can say that the tree on which the other tree has fallen feels the impact or the pain of a falling tree. Now, say the tree actually feels the entire forest as a part of its own self. Can we say that it will feel 'another' tree falling on it? When everything is a part of its own self, where is the idea of 'other'? When the idea of 'other' disappears, then where is the pain?