Five - Senses, Organs

Five gross elements

• Ether
• Air
• Fire
• Water
• Earth

Five senses

• Sound
• Touch
• Sight
• Taste
• Smell

Five knowledge-acquiring senses - Gyan Organs 

• Ear
• Skin
• Eye
• Tongue
• Nose

Five working senses - Action organs 

• Voice/Tongue
• Legs
• Arms
• Reproductive organs
• Evacuating organs/Excretory

A story related to Gita context building

A story related to Gita context building

One evening an old old man told his grandson about a battle that goes on inside people. He said, ‘My son, the battle is between two ‘wolves’ inside us all. One is Evil. It is anger, envy, jealousy, sorrow, regret, greed, arrogance, self-pity, guilt, resentment, inferiority, lies, false pride, superiority, and ego.

The other is good. It is joy, peace, love, hope, serenity, humility, kindness, benevolence, empathy, generosity, truth, compassion and faith.’

The grandson thought about it for a minute and then asked his grandfather: ‘Which wolf wins?’

The old Indian simply replied, ‘The one you feed.’ This is such a lovely story: so simple and yet so true. Each and every one of us has these two wolves running around inside us. The Evil wolf or the Good Wolf is fed daily by the choices we make with our thoughts. What I think about and dwell upon will in a sense appear in my life and influence my behavior.

Remember thought become words & actions. Which in turn become behaviour, and repeated becomes habit. And that builds your character. True for all teh characters in Mahabharata as well as in life.

We have a choice, feed the Good Wolf and it will show up in our character, habits and behavior positively. Or feed the Evil Wolf and my whole world will turn negative: like poison. The crucial question is “Which wolf am I feeding today”?
Therefore importance of spiritual activity as it helps identify that the Mind has enemies called greed,anger, pride jealousy, hypocrisy delusion. These are within, once these inside enemies are conquered no outside enemies remain.

About the Gita

Arjuna thousands of years ago had the same questions as we have how is it possible?

........

Sun was there thousands of years ago so was the moon and same goes for the seasons
Bhagwat Gita is happening in every ones life all the 18 chapters

First chapter is vishaad yoga when in life you are worrying and grumbling have all the doubt's
Second chapter Krishna says come on wake up and then you shake off and wake up smile emoticon
Then third chapter he says now you have woken up then act smile emoticon

Then the fourth chapter happens he says now that you are acting do action with knowledge and awareness

Fifth chapter
Material and spiritual knowledge go hand in hand you cant just be spiritual and say everything is happening you have to act and use intelligence .Also you can't be just material and say I am doing everything 

Then talk about meditation is sixth chapter

Now after meditation you know who I am then seventh chapter you come to know who is meditating and what is time .

8th chapter then happens Vibhooti yoga.Vibhooti means miracles .sometime in life you wake up and see miracles not just cause and effect and the more you become witness to miracles more miracles happen 

9th -17th chapter

Krishna shows the universal self and says all the divine qualities are within.

There are three types of ego and mind .
Sattvic ego I am here I am available for you

Final chapter is to drop everything .Just feel you are mine and I will take care just relax that's the final one its about sanyas and about liberation

The 100 Kuru sons & the Kauravas

The first post on this blog was "How come Dhritrashtra has 100 sons!!! "

Once again am writing about them.

In short, the Kaurav's symbolise the numerous desires and negativities in us, born out of Moha / Attachment and agyaan (delusion and ignorance).

That is one simple explanation.

Then there are several interpretations by various saints, but all true and leading to explain the same point

1. So there were 7 maharathis in the Kaurav Army ( accomplished men of war & they represent the 7 negative qualities and 11 huge battalions (the 5 senses (see, hear, touch, smell & taste)  and the 5 action organs (hand, feet, tongue & ) & the mind


2. Another explanation is : 5 sense organs + 5 action organs = 10
The 10 negative qualities namely

Kama, krodha, lobha, Moha, mada, matsarya, mal, dambh, darpa, agyaan.
Lust, anger, greed, delusion, pride, envy jealousy , hypocrisy, arrogance , ignorance 

Each sense organ can act with the 10 negative qualities so 10*10 =100 modifications / combinations
So we have to fight with these 100 forms of negativities that arise in us and defeat them with Gods grace to move forward....


3. Another interpretation is

• Duryodhana is vainglorious desire and his brothers the 99 other Kurus are sense tendencies. 
• Kripa charya is delusion or ignorance 
• Karna is attachment or Raga
• Bhisma is ego
• Vikrana is repulsion 
• Jayadratha body bound inclination 
• Son of somadatta is material action or karma
• Drona habit or sanskara 
• Ashvattaman latent desire

4. And one more interpretation is: The Pandavs are the five elements and Drupadi is our kundalini shankti or life force. The sons of her are our five energy centers.  Yet one says that the pandas are teh energy chakras and Draupadi is married to all as she as Kundalini awakens them all to lead to nirvana.

New Word Plays with D

DIVE IN to understand DIVINE

Discipleship - 2.07
Detachment - Chap 2 & many more mentions
Devotion - Chap 6
Discipline - Chap 6 and Chap 16
Discovery - Self discovery
Doership - or rather non -Doership

Verse 2.47

Its a popular verse and often misinterpreted and misunderstood by many.

In India for this verse commonly people say " Karam kar aur pal ki iccha mat kar" .....literally meaning "do your work and don't desire a result".

But what this verse really means is that

•You have the right to work only
•Never to fruits of actions
•Let not fruits of actions motivate you to work
•Let not your attachment be to inaction

If one could imbibe just this verse it will be like living the Gita principles..because:

1. It tells you to do your duty. Must do ones duty in what ever place & role we are in 
2. Reminds you that you have no control on the result...profound knowledge. We always want to manage the result
3. It is saying that results should not motivate your action. Action is your duty.
4. Also it says don't be attracted to inaction, or distracted away from your duty

To understand the verse ...it is in a way Sankhya Yoga..profound, intellectual stuff
To do what it says..... is pure Karam Yoga
To do it and be un attached and unaffected is Dhyan Yoga
To believe in it.... faith..is Bhakti Yoga

Chap 1 is about context setting and Arjuna being deluded - Arjun Vishaad

In Chap 2 Krishna shares the knowledge and is called Sankhya Yog

This shloka explains  :

By doing ones duty as directed by God with focus and commitment , in the given role is reaching God thru KY...so Communion thru Action Chap 3

Doing ones duties with the awareness that my control is only on my action choices and not on result , and that I must do my duties with full integrity is what chap 4 ( Yoga of Knowledge in action) speaks about.

Chap 5  talk about communion thru renunciation. So if Fruits are not to motivate us , does it imply renounce the fruits. Attachment to fruit will lead to the spiral of desires or anger. Detachment will lead to liberation.

Chap 6 talks about meditation and discipline etc . That is Dhyan Yoga. If one can remember this shloka for all our action that would be complete meditation.

Chap 7 -12 progress to speak about the Lord, his incomprehensible nature, God in all and all in God, manifestations of God and the un manifest,  and Gods creations, and maya ...and   builds up to Bhakti Yoga in chap 12.  Unless one has the faith / shraddha  in the word of God , one can't be living this shloka in all our actions.

Chap 13 shares about Knower & Known, then Chap 14 about Gunas, and chap 15 about Purushottam Yoga , Chap 16 about the Divine & Demonic qualities, and Chap 17 tells us the 3 fold path for faith, food, yagna, tapas & charity. And the culminating Chap 18, talks about moksha.

Only someone

• with faith, 
• with ability to channel the gunas 
• having divine qualities 
• aware of the 3 fold paths 
• knowing God is eternal, everywhere, the cause of the world, but not the world 
• with focus 

will be able to live up to this shlok and attain liberation

To be able to live this verse completely, one would need to be living the Gita pretty much.

Action & Gita

Action we have to do ...it is not a choice....there is no such thing as inaction...what action we choose is a choice and what intention and attitude we choose is a choice

Each action will have a result...even just sitting around means muscles will act & react in a way and heat & cold will affect teh body.

Action will have some result is the law. And there are only 4 possible outcomes

• as expected
• better than expected
• worse than expected
• the un expected

We can do it 

• Happily 
• As a duty with a straight face 
• Happily as a duty
• Duty as a chore 
• Duty submitted to God 

Now for doing an action we need ( 18.14)

• Base / Place : Where / Body
• Doer / Person : By whom 
• Tools (sense organs, actions organs, intellect, ego & mind) BMI or external : By medium 
• Effort : Getting Thought (from mind) into action by various functions using sense & action organs 
• Devyam : X Factor / Grace / Wow factor/ Prarabhd / Conciousness

And teh most important , well known and often misunderstood verse 2.47 , which basically says...

•Right to work only
•Never to fruits of actions
•Let not fruits of actions motivate you to work
•Let not your attachment be to inaction ( inaction means action that is not your duty)

Sour Grapes story & Gita

We all have heard the story of the Fox and the sour grapes.

Is that Tyag or Renunciation? - giving up what you don't even have cannot be renouncing???

Or is it giving up action as result not as expected. Did the fox do his best? How did he decide they are sour without tasting?

Or was the Fox limiting himself that he cannot do it...did he ask God to help?

We can analyse any story or situation and that will probably make us critics. Or we can look for learnings.

1. Fox was probably being practical. And if he had to feed his kids found alternate food. THIS IS NOT RENOUNCING

2. Yes he should not have tagged them as sour without reason. DO NOT BE JUDGEMENTAL

3. And if you look at true nature, do Fox usually eat grapes? fruits is one of the many things they eat. Or was he just playing ?

Also remember the sour grapes story was written by a literate man/woman not the Fox. It is not the word from God.

Desiderata & Gita

Have read this poem several times...but the other day while in a Gita discussion, it came to my mind that this connects to teh qualities of Stithpragna in chap 2. Also highlight the good virtues as mentioned in chap 16.  Talks about love and nurturing inner strength, about Peace & God , and that we all are the children of the universe.

The poem somehow connected to Gita and wanted to share.

Verse 2.23 & 2.24

Here is where Krishna explains

Soul cannot be cut
Soul cannot be burnt by fire
Soul cannot be wetted by water &
Soul cannot be dried by air

He is explaining with direct connection to the elements ( Earth, Fire, Water & Air)
Gross to subtle

Earth is the Grossest
& Space/Ether/is the subtlest

Explaining gross & subtle to children is sometimes challenging.
Try doing with the 5 elements
1. Earth - we know, feel, touch, see, hold, cut - the grossest of all!
2. Water - we know, feel, touch, see, hold, but cannot cut - going towards subtle!!
3. Air - we know, feel, touch, hold, but cannot see or cut
4. Fire - we know, feel, see, touch, but cannot hold or cut
5. Space - we just know - out of reach of our 5 senses....most subtle!!!!

And Soul is surely as subtle as it can be

Another explanation of Kauravs and Pandavs

“The Mahabharata is an Epic, a ballad, perhaps a reality but definitely a philosophy.” The Old man smiled luring Dev into more questions.
“Can you tell me what the philosophy is then?” Dev requested.

“Sure. Here goes,” began the Old man. “The Pandavas are nothing but your five senses, sight, smell, taste, touch and sound and do you know what the Kauravas are?” he asked narrowing his eyes. Dev shook his head. “The Kauravas are the hundred vices that attack your senses everyday but you can fight them and do you know how?” Dev shook his head again. 

“When Krishna rides your chariot!” The Old man smiled brighter and Dev gasped at that gem of insight.
“Krishna is your soul, your guiding light and if you let your life in his hands you have nothing to worry.” 

Dev was stupefied but came around quickly with another question. “Then why are Dronacharya and Bhishma fighting for the Kauravas, if they are vices?”
The Old man nodded, sadder for the question. “It just means that as you grow up your perception of your elders change. The elders who you thought were perfect in your growing up years are not all that perfect. They have faults. And one day you will have to decide if they are for your good or your bad. Then you may also realize that you may have to fight them for the good. It is the hardest part of growing up and that is why the Geeta is important.”

Dev sat down on the ground, not because he was tired but because he could understand the enormity of it all. 

“What about Karna?” he whispered.
“Ah!” said the Old man. “You have saved the best for last. Karna is the brother to your senses, he is desire, he is a part of you but stands with the vices. He feels wronged and makes excuses for being the vices as your desire does all the time. Does your desire not give you excuses to embrace vices?”

Another perspective to chapter 2

All thru Chapter 1 Krishna listens to the nervous release of tension by Arjun as a good mate.

Says nothing till Arjun's seeks help & surrenders. First Krishna encourages as a friend and scolds in 2.2. Then Arjun mentions his intent to surrender in Shlok 2.07

Let us remember that the fives senses, collect information and pass to brain.
From Body to mind & then mind seeks help from intellect.
Intellect based on past experiences gives judgement & back to mind
If mind & intellect not in agreement then confusion arises and then body reacts, trembles & sweats due to imbalance.

Arjun was confused as ego had come in : I am fighting, My relatives, the fact that he is part of Pandava and they are fighting for righteousness (PS Bheeshma & Drona had drowned their identities and merged in Kauravas army)

Surrender to Krishna : This signifies - Ego merges into intellect 

Krishna holding reigns (intellect controlling senses) & directing the Jiva

Advice starts from 2.11

Krishna explains by traditional & various logics : 

• Kshatriyas Dharma, people will condemn you 
• Then explains soul being eternal, indestructible. Soul takes birth for experience.

Explains the Stith Pragya.

Material world, senses contact objects and create desires, then anger, Raag & Dwesh or more desires and eventually delusion ....like a boat without Majhi at mercy of wind & waves....till we become a witness to the world and control our senses and be like the ocean that is so full

Rise above  all 3 (BMI) levels of dwandha ( Raag Dwesh) 

2.47 use energy on performing action. Do not dissipate energy worrying about future / result.

Sun rays all around. If focussed thru a lense can burn where the combined rays fall. Focussed efforts have bit results.

Night to usual people, is day for Yogi : 

Night is all darkness, no shapes & forms. Day is bright and forms & shapes

Yogi does not see forms & shapes 

Likes & dislikes due to past impressions, but if aware & do not dwell on them, then, one will not be swayed. Do not let the raag / dwesh overpower you.

A bit of Karam, Dhyan & Bhakti yoga are in this Chapter. Many call this the index to the Gita, as it touches or mentions what comes later.

Karma Phala and Playing Tennis

Karam Phal and Karam Yog are often misunderstood / misinterpreted.

Here is an example that may help.

If one plays Tennis to win, then during teh game the energy is on winning. And at end if one does win, its the temporary happiness and the desire to play to win again. If loose then angry and frustrated.

If playing as a sport or as a form of exercise , the approach and emotions are different. I want to improve my game, get more agile, learn how to tackle the opponent, burn calories, loose some weight  ...and so on.  Now the focus may be one or all these, but the focus has moved away from winning. While playing to burn calories and improve game, as a by product may also win the game....that is a bonus!!!

When focus moves away from result to effort , one can put in 100% effort , else teh contemplation of result dilutes the effort.

Choices in Gita

Many religions , scriptures give instructions. Gita gives you options....make a choice...and makes you aware of possible consequences.

First we are made aware of the different path : Karam Yoga, Dhyan Yoga & Bhakti Yoga.

And in the last chapter Krishna in 18.63 says, have shared all, now do as you deem fit.


True friend, mentor & consultant. Prepared Arjun for taking an informed decision

An interesting visual summarising Chap 1 to 6