Chapter 7 Jyaana Vijyaana Yoga Flashcards
7-1,2 Attaching to God - when there’s nothing else to attain.
Lord Kṛṣṇa says:
Now listen Arjuna, how one can have full knowledge of
Me without any doubts, by dedicating his yoga practice to Me, and absorbing his mind on Me. (1)
I will explain this knowledge to you fully, along with the
process of its immediate realisation. Once you understand this, there is nothing else that needs to be known. (2)
One who is detached from outside enjoyment, objects of the senses, free from egoism and pride can attach oneself to God.
When deeply attached to Narayana Krishna - seeing Him as everything, with faith, must first long for Him. Meditate on Him deep, within yourself. There’s nothing that isn’t Him.
Once one perceives the Lord everywhere, inside and out, there’s nothing else to attain. Nothing else to know.
7-3 Only humans can long for Him
Where some bhaktas fall short
The realizations of saints
Among thousands of men, perhaps one strives for
perfection; even among those who strive for perfection,
only one may know Me; and among those who know Me,
maybe one alone knows Me in truth. (3)
Only human beings are able to long for the Lord. Not even the devas who are at a high level in the high lokas can strive for God-Realization. But most humans don’t understand the chance before them.
The bhaktas often are so bound by their sadhana, outside reality, by their dharma, they can’t see beyond the foundation that they have laid. They know Krishna is the Lord, that He is beyond everything yet they can’t see beyond that. - Their bhakti and devotion are only based on what they can see/experience outwardly. On the other hand, when one sees Him within one’s own Self, perceive Him everywhere.
True Vaishnavas striving to attain God change inside and let the Divine qualities awaken inside them. - completely detached from the outside world - whatever they have, offer it to the Lord, don’t desire anything but Him.
When they sit in sadhana, don’t think “When will I finish?”
In lives of saints, fully absorbed into Krishna, nothing else mattered to them. When they find Krishna within, don’t need to run to the outside looking for Heaven. They have this yearning for God, they are humble, long to awaken/realize God, help people in society with an attitude of complete surrender, know in their inner core that they aren’t the body, only see God everywhere and know no difference between themselves and God - look equally at honor and dishonor.
With such limited points of view of “Jesus and no one else”, “Krishna….” etc, none of them fully realize Him. Saints don’t criticize, have the same love and kindness for everyone.
7-4 Eightfold principles of material nature
Earth, water, fire, air, ether, mind, intellect and the ego;
make up the eight parts of My material nature. (4)
Everything you see in the outside reality is created with these eight principles: earth, water, fire, air, ether constitute the body and the mind, intellect, and ego. When the intellect runs after the mind and the ego runs after the intellect, one gets deluded. Doesn’t see all this as the Lord’s play.
These eightfold principles are the Lord’s material nature - called Apara Prakriti - where the mind is veiled and can’t perceive the eternal reality.
7-5 Lower Nature vs. Higher Nature - Krishna’s eight wives
This is My lower nature. But, Arjuna, know that My higher
nature is different. It is made up of the embodied souls,
which sustain this universe. (5)
All one sees in the outside world is His lower nature, Maya Prakriti, Apara Prakriti. My nature in the form of the 5 elements and the mind, intellect, and ego is limited.
It is Me, but beyond I also have a higher, supreme nature - Yogmaya - Para Prakriti
It’s the life principle, Jivabhuta (or Jivatma) - the Atma, the soul beyond the duality of pleasure and pain - through Jivabhuta that the universe is sustained. God manifests Himself through the individual soul.
‘Apara’ - lower nature aspect, ‘Para’ - higher aspect. He reveals Himself here as beyond the duality.
Eight wives of Krishna symbolize the eightfold nature of Apara Prakriti.
First perceive Him within the core of yourself, realize there is no ‘yourself’, there’s only Krishna Himself.
7-6 How creation happens, God Realization versus those in ignorance seeing “separation”
Know that all beings originate from these two natures of
mine. Understand therefore that I am the origin and the
dissolution of this whole universe. (6)
Creation happens through Prakriti. Just as the sky is the medium (cause and support) or the clouds, the whole Universe comes out of and disappears back into Krishna.
God-Realization happens when you perceive God inside without any pride about it. People dwelling in the lower nature see a difference between themselves and God. Due to ignorance, there’s this pain/suffering of “separation”.
7-7,8,9 God is holding and sustaining everything - string of pearls
There is nothing higher than Me, O Arjuna. All of this
rests upon Me, like pearls on a thread. (7)
I am the taste of water; I am the radiance of the Sun and Moon. I am the sacred syllable oṁ in the Vedas; I am the sound in ether, and the valor in men. (8)
I am the fragrance of the earth; I am the heat of fire; I am the life of all living beings, and the austerity of ascetics. (9)
Like a thread holding pearls, God is holding and sustaining His entire creation - this analogy shows that beyond one’s limited perception, everything is only Him.
Krishna is the sacred syllable ‘OM’ in the Vedas (Atma Kriya Yoga). There is none beyond Him, He pervades everything.
Krishna is the energy of light in fire, He is the Sadhana of the bhakta striving for perfection.
7-10 The creation process, Krishna in all
Know Me, Arjuna, to be the original seed of all beings.
I am the intelligence of the intelligent, and the energy of
the energetic. (10)
He is the eternal seed of all existences, nothing comes from somewhere else because there is nowhere else. Krishna gives faculty to reason, Krishna is the One in their sadhana doing the chants, gives realization and longs for realization.
All just His para prakriti / Shakti itself. Through Maya Prakriti, everything is created.
7-11 He is the cause for everything - even our impetus to change
O Arjuna, I am the strength of the strong which is without passion and desire. I am that desire in all living beings which does not go against righteous principles. (11)
It’s Me who inspires one to rise above desire, gives strength to rise above duality - see the oneness. I am this eternal perfection seated beyond any duality. I inspire one to follow the path of renunciation, which leads to perfection.
7-12 The play of the gunas, where they come from and the soul’s perspective as well as the one longing for outward perfection.
Know that all the states of sattva, rajas and tamas have
their origin in Me alone. But I am not in them; they are in
Me. (12)
All is manifested through His Prakriti - His Will. The sattvic, rajasic, and tamasic qualities evolve from Aprara Prakriti - also come from Him. This Prakriti blinds men, that makes them attached to outside reality.
The gunas come from Krishna but He is not in them because the Supreme Quality is beyond that lower nature. The Atma isn’t touched by anything - only observing. These qualities of the Apara Prakriti are “secondary” because even though they form part of the Lord’s Cosmic Body, when you’re realized you rise above them.
The one longing for outward perfection can’t perceive true perfection, true knowledge because the mind is so full of doubts and misconceptions.
7-13 The gunas’ effect on people and the perspective of a true yogi
The entire universe is deluded by these three conditions
originating from the guṇas, and fails to recognise Me, who is unchanging and beyond. (13)
By the three qualities that are the nature of the gunas, people can’t realize the mystery of the Lord that lies beyond the gunas. Ones whose minds are so focused on the outside reality hang so much onto judgement.
The gunas are there to help one reach perfection, the Divine
A true yogi isn’t bewildered or attached to either happiness or sadness - stands firm in bliss. No judgement of others because one knows that God is doing His work through each person.
7-14 God is fully alive in the devotees who cross beyond the gunas and approach Him
For this divine māyā of Mine consisting of the three guṇas is hard to overcome. But those who take refuge in Me alone, cross over it easily. (14)
How can the mind, which always dwells on pain and pleasure duality, good and bad, go beyond duality? Nevertheless it is possible. Ones who delude themselves through these gunas find it hard to practice their sadhana. But those who are fully absorbed in serving Him, chanting His Name, doing everything with an attitude of surrender, forgetting about themselves, it’s not the “I” but Him doing everything.
These devotees cross beyond the gunas and approach Him. They display some Divine qualities, He is fully alive in them! But if people are in duality, He observes the game of life from deep within them. This is how they’re dooming themselves.
7-15 Demonic people doom themselves - the mercy of God
But the unrighteous, the foolish, the lowest of people, those whose wisdom has been stolen away by māyā and those who have taken the nature of demons, do not seek refuge in Me. (15)
What’s the use of any other knowledge other than knowledge of the Self? Souls attached to the world who do evil are far away from God. These demonic people doom themselves - happy to be in the darkness. Ones whose minds aren’t focused on Hell will never go to Hell. Those who fear Hell will go to Hell.
People in the outside world without any awareness of God develop evil tendencies. Nevertheless, God always guides and opens the door to opportunities - it’s up to the individual to embrace them or not.
7-16 The four kinds of devotees
Four types of devotees worship Me, O Arjuna: The
distressed, the seekers of knowledge, those who desire
wealth, and the jñānī who truly has knowledge. (16)
Four kinds of devotees who come to Him:
1) Arto: the suffering ones
2) Aartharthi: know that all comes from God, seek Him only to fulfill material desires
3) Jijnyasur: Sole aim is God - want to know God and attain God-Realization in this life. They perceive God outside themselves. Serve Him when He is present as a Deity but can’t see beyond that.
4) Jnani: Realized souls who abide completely in God consciousness. For them, there’s nothing other than Krishna. All desires have ceased, including the desire to meet Krishna or realize Krishna
7-17 Levels of surrender, surrendering to a saint
Of these, the jñānī who is steadfast and ever-devoted is the best. I am very dear to him and he is dear to Me. (17)
The one who is constantly absorbed in the love of God, whose life is fully dedicated to the Lord “is the best”.
If you surrender 50%, He surrenders 50%. When there is complete surrender, Krishna fully reflects you and you fully reflect Him. When one stands firm in the love for God, without expectation, without even an expectation for His blessing, then He reveals Himself within one’s own self. Then this person becomes a source of salvation for others - If one surrenders to that saint, it’s like surrendering to God Himself.
7-18 The way that the first 3 kinds of devotees fall short.
Those who approach Me are all noble people, but I see
the jñānī as My very Self, for such a person is steady and
exclusively devoted to Me as the highest goal. (18)
The first 3 kinds of bhaktas do consider God as supreme. They think “God is there outside me and I am here.” I must do everything to serve Him and love Him.
Whatever they do, be it praying, chanting, thinking, singing, or dancing, they do everything only for God but they still see this separation between them and God. God-Realized one is simply reflecting God Himself. The realized soul knows no difference between God and himself.
