Relevance

I once read that Churchil did not know his home phone number and had to look in a notebook for that. His reason was that it was irrelevant to remember it.

When Watson commented that Sherlock Holmes may be a genius at chemistry and knowledge of london lanes & by lanes, but knew nothing about astronomy, Sherlock responded that he chooses not to clutter his brain with irrelevant informations and keeps what he needs to do his job.

Someone commented that on reading a book about Steve Jobs its amazing that he had various fans and plenty of people who disliked him, was arrogant and yet a genius in his own way. It was summed up as he is part of our lives because his products touched us and too that extent relevant!

In this age of information overload, deciding the relevance is quite challenging.

Keeping focus will help in deciding what is relevant to a large extent.

Do unto others as you wish them to do to you

The famous proverb was the golden rule that a monkey had in his life and applied it always.  He live on a tree in the banks of a river that had many fish. One day there was a flood. So the monkey thought , if there was a flood he would want someone to rescue him and with that though goes into the river to rescue fish. And the fish he rescued soon died. He applied the rule literally !!

There was another wise monkey in the next tree who was aware of the proverb, but also had the intellect that this rule cannot be literally & universally applied. We need to use our intellect before action.

Knowledge and Action need to be combined. As in the Gita it mentions that action with awareness and for the common good is Karamyoga.

Intention ref. Bathing in the Ganga

One person can go and bathe in it as its a river
And one may say well its water , H2O
Another will think , all are having a dip & so will I

Then comes along someone, who has heard stories of Ganga being the revered river and the holiness associated with same and that many sages have contemplated on the banks of Ganga and so on. And with these thoughts and filled with gratitude for the opportunity to dip in Ganga he goes ahead.

The first few fellows have a physical cleansing only.
And the person who goes in with awareness and gratitude gets physical as well as metal purity with the dip.

It's all in the intention and bhav !

A saying in Hindi " samjho to maa Gange, nahi to behta paani"

Positive attitude

The difficulty in keeping a positive attitude is because we are in the " I " mode. The minute you switch to the  I am God's instrument mode, it becomes easier to be positive .

I is one straight line and a little loss of balance or bend becomes a flat line :  - ( the negative sign)

The positivity of a person is his sattwa / divinity reflecting

Also note when we study quadrants & intercepts we see that the positive is going up & right ( note majority of population is right handed, so moving ahead is right convention )

Can we learn to be positive?  In m opinion its about believing in the power of it & then practicing it and it becomes a habit and eventually second nature

Duality

• Pain & Pleasure
• Happy & Sad
• Action & Inaction : There is really no inaction, choosing to sit & do nothing is also an action!
• Me & rest of the world
• Body & Self 
• Budhi & Bhakti : Devotion & Reasoning can't co-exist

Gita touches upon various perspectives of duality to explain the true nature of the self.

Dividing Space or Air or water

We can't really do that...

Its only when we pull out water from a well/river or lake in a container it gets separated from the rest, let it out of that and the water will eventually via the water cycle meet with the water again.

Similarly with space. By constructing a house we demarcate the space as yours & mine, no walls and space would be one again.

This morning read a quote by Krishnamurthy (http://www.jiddu-krishnamurti.net/en/commentaries-on-living-series-1) talking about how when we identify ourselves basis religion or nation or anything else, we are separating ourself from rest of mankind

Very profound thoughts ...think about it!

What makes us upset?

At a physical level : Comfort & discomfort
At an emotional level : Sukh & Dukh / Raag & Dwesh
At an intellectual level : Maan & Apmaan

Also we can agree to disagree, but not be disagreeable

Similarly we can like or dislike, as long as we do not hate.

Think about it !

A dimension for E

Explore
Experience
Exposure
Express
Expand
Experiment

Is that EERIE..but for a seeker on the spiritual path all these are important.

Repetitions of the concepts within Gita

It is important to revisit & reiterate important concepts while teaching.
Hence the Master Teacher intertwines and gives similar messages again and again in the Gita.

For example 2.47 dwells on focussing on action and not fruit of action or inaction.  Then in 12.6 there is a mention of same

Similarly in 2.55-62 he explains about the Sthirpragya and in 12.13-19 he speaks about qualities of bhakta , which have a lot in common.

And the Guna's are mentioned / elaborated in chap 4 & 14

THE PREGNANT DEER ( a copy paste story)

THE PREGNANT DEER - such a beautiful story !

In a forest, a pregnant deer is about to give birth.
She finds a remote grass field near a strong-flowing river.
This seems a safe place.
Suddenly labour pains begin.

At the same moment, dark clouds gather around above & lightning starts a forest fire.
She looks to her left & sees a hunter with his bow extended pointing at her.
To her right, she spots a hungry lion approaching her.

What can the pregnant deer do?
She is in labour!

What will happen?
Will the deer survive?
Will she give birth to a fawn?
Will the fawn survive?
Or will everything be burnt by the forest fire?
Will she perish to the hunters' arrow?
Will she die a horrible death at the hands of the hungry lion approaching her?

She is constrained by the fire on the one side & the flowing river on the other & boxed in by her natural predators.

What does she do?
She focuses on giving birth to a new life.

The sequence of events that follows are:

- Lightning strikes & blinds the hunter.
- He releases the arrow which zips past the deer & strikes the hungry lion.
- It starts to rain heavily, & the forest fire is slowly doused by the rain.
- The deer gives birth to a healthy fawn.

In our life too, there are moments of choice when we are confronted on αll sides with negative thoughts and possibilities.

Some thoughts are so powerful that they overcome us & overwhelm us.

Maybe we can learn from the deer.
The priority of the deer, in that given moment, was simply to give birth to a baby.

The rest was not in her hands & any action or reaction that changed her focus would have likely resulted in death or disaster.

Ask yourself,
Where is your focus?
Where is your faith and hope?

In the midst of any storm, do keep it on God always.
He will never ever dissapoint you. NEVER.

Remember, GOD neither slumbers nor sleeps...THE PREGNANT DEER - such a beautiful story ! 

Love

As per Kabir :

Pothi Padh Padh Kar Jag Mua, Pandit Bhayo Na Koye
Dhai Aakhar Prem Ke, Jo Padhe so Pandit Hoye
[Reading books where everyone died, none became anymore wise
One who reads the word of Love, only becomes wise]

As per Sri Sri 

What are the signs of love? When you love someone you see nothing wrong in them. Even if you see a fault in them, you justify it in some way saying, "Everyone does that; it is normal." You think you have not done enough for them and the more you do, the more you want to do for them. They are always on your mind. Ordinary things become extraordinary. When you love someone, you want to see them happy always and you want them to have the best.

As per Krishna

He mentions in the Gita about oneness and duality. There is also a mention about when you love all as your own then there is no jealousy and negative feelings. It is a beautiful world

Lots has been said & written about LOVE and more will be said & written.

Love & Attachment

As per the dictionary:

LOVE A strong feeling of affection:babies fill parents with intense feelings of love or their love for their country

ATTACHMENT : An extra part or extension that is or may be attached to something to perform a particular function:

Love is unconditional...it shares & gives & cares & expects nothing. Best example is parents love towards their children. It is forever & does not change. It is was ready for sacrifice. Takes you higher.

Attachment is relative, there is an expectation, there is a give & take, its temporary & everchanging. Pull you down.

Attachment causes grief eventually.

Love is a connecting to ones real self & only outcome is joy!

It is all in the mind ( or about the mind? )

Then there is mind over matter!!

An empty mind is a devils workshop!

An uncontrolled mind, leads to sin....

Could MIND be an abbreviation for ME INSIDE!!!

It is said, ‘Manaiva manushyanaam karanam bandha-mokshayo’. It means, the mind alone is the reason behind bondage and liberation. Whether we experience some bondage or attachment, or whether we feel free, the reason for this is the mind. So we have to train the mind again and again. This is the essence of knowledge. ~~HH Sri Sri Ravi shankar.

Gita Chapter 2 summary

Chapter 2 recap ( supposed to be the essence of Gita in this chapter)

• Sh 1-10 : Arjun Vishad and confusion. Laments. In 2.7 surrenders to Lord
• Sh 11: Krishna speaks & teaching starts 
• Upto 2.30 : Krishna shares about Gyan yoga / Sankhya Yoga . Krishna tries to explain from Atmic & Brahmic point of view why Arjun has to fight. Details about the body & soul and their journeys.
• Sh 31 to 38 : Explains the Duty of Kshatriya & the Dharmic angle. Also the worldy perspective of being infamous.
• Sh 39 to 52 : Speaks of Karam Yoga. The famous 2.47 ref Fruits of action. Commitment to action and excellence. 
• Sh 53 to 61 : Speaks of the Stithpragya; the tortoise limbs and senses; about equanimity & samatvam
• Sh 62 to 72 : Touches on Bhakti yoga and speaks of Nirwana & Mukti.

Gita Chapter 1 summary

Chapter 1 recap

• An introduction to all the many warriors assembled there and what they represent.
• At the battle ground , a bit of ego : wants to see who I am going to fight.
• Arjun sees family in the enemy side and is confused.
• Finds excuses for not fighting. Pleads all kinds of reasons ranging from don't want kingdom, war will cause destruction, will not be able to live with the guilt and so on & on
• Wants to withdraw from the war!

Attachment wrecks duty

A child's prayer

A small story: 
Papa~ betaji aap mere sath Gurdware aake kya karoge ?                                                                  Aapko Ardas nai aati !!                                            
Phir bhi Beta-papa k sath Gurdware gaya...           
Ussk papa ne matha tek kr-Ardas suru ki...                
Tabi unhone dekha k beta b kuch bol raha hai..           
Bahar aak papa ne pucha ~aap Gurdware mei kya bol rahe the ?                                                                                          Beta~ papa meine poori A to Z five times bola & Waheguruji ko keh diya ki isme se aap apni Ardas bana lena !!                                               
WAHEGURU ji....                                                  
Intention dekhte hai-presentation NAI !!    

Its all about the INTENTION.

Intentions are so powerful. In case of Meera Bai she unknowingly drinks poison, but in her mind she was drinking what the Lord had sent/destined for her and it could not kill her.  There are many such stories about faith & INTENTION.