Atma Bodha Verse Week Notes

Guidelines for Atma Bodha
Class Notes
Student Writers for Class notes
Sowmya Gopal
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Sep 5, 2017 · 2 min read
Mananam (reflection) is an important sadhana (means) to

truly learn something. Class Notes are intended to be an
opportunity for the class students to do some mananam on the
class and write their reflections to share with the rest of the
class. This will be useful for the rest of the class, and most
beneficial to the student writing the reflection.
Each week the class notes will have reflections from Two
Satsang groups.
Each assigned group can choose an individual to write the notes.
Tentative schedule with Groups of the Week posted here.

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1MKCaBrP5Atb2Gl3E
betgYB957o0e1ps9IXoTiueRtzQ/edit?usp=sharing
We will tweak this schedule to reflect holiday breaks.
The class notes by 2 different groups will enable the rest of the
class to get a balanced perspective / summary of the class and
provide great mananam.
Instruction for writers

1. Posting class notes — Email the class notes to vg-
abc@googlegroups.com
2. Class notes template provided here (if you would like

a template): http://tinyurl.com/ABC-ClassNotes
3. Class notes are due within 4 days of the class. Eg Atma

Bodha class notes for class 1 on 9/7 will need to be submitted in
for publishing latest by Monday 6:00 pm EST. This is so we can
all have time to read, write and reflect on the content while it is
still fresh in our memory and in time for the next class.
4. In case the assigned writer groups need to be excused (like

Swamiji visiting center) from class for the week they are
assigned to write — please work with the class coordinator 2
weeks in advance to be assigned to an alternate writing
schedule.
5. Please feel free to email out

to vicharagurukula@googlegroups.com for questions/concerns
Atma BodhaVerse 1
Class Notes from Week 1 — Sep 7, 2017
Sowmya Gopal
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Points Mentioned:
· What you are is based on what you pursue
· What you are will determine what you pursue
· Pause! Reflect on the pursuits of your day! Why you did what
you did? How you did what you did?
· When we are unclear of who we are…unclear of what we are
pursuing — we get tired.
· With greater reflection — we are actually pursuing peace!
· We are pursuing it but ineffectively, in effectively.
· What we are is the Atman!
· To benefit from being the Atman — one has to know that one
is Atman.
· This ‘knowing’ will begin intellectually then go to belief to
faith.
· To understand Atma Bodha life style changes need to be made
— when I use the word ‘i’ …i know , i walk , i talk — what is that i
, who is that i?
· We all have a moha about ‘i’.
· The ‘i’ never changes so we take it for granted.
· Moha of ‘i’ — leads to fear -> devolves into sorrow.
Shloka (Recap of Bhaja Govindam (Moha Mudgara))
· Bhaja:
o Bhaja — Sing, seek , serve, worship, love, Be
o Bhaja is the mudgara (hammer) for Moha
· Recap:
o Shloka 1 — Use the intellect
o Shloka 2 -Share your wealth
o Shloka 3 — The body is Dying
o Shloka 4 — Uncertainty is certain
o Shloka 5 — Develop independence proactively
o Shloka 6 — Deepen your Relationships
o Shloka 7 — Desire being Desireless
o Shloka 8 — Evolve enquiry to inquiry
o Shloka 9 — Associate with Nobility
o Shloka 10 — Knowledge cures Ignorance
o Shloka 11 — Peace brings Peace
o Shloka 12 — Pay attention Now
o Shloka 13 — Focus on Faith
o Shloka 14 — Renunciation is within
o Shloka 15 — Fulfilling desires is futile
o Shloka 16 — Denying desires is futile
o Shloka 17 — Knowledge dismantles egoism
o Shloka 18 — Independence is invincibility
o Shloka 19 — Be beyond context
o Shloka 20 — Practice makes perfect
o Shloka 21 — Depend on God
o Shloka 22 — The wise live simply
o Shloka 23 — Get the Fundamentals right
o Shloka 24 — People train us
o Shloka 25 — Separation is shallow
o Shloka 26 — Vices are Hell
o Shloka 27 — Evolution is being generous
o Shloka 28 — The Present creates the Future
o Shloka 29 — Functional is Meaningless
o Shloka 30 — Growth must Grow
o Shloka 31 — All we need is a Sadguru
Shloka (#1) — Mangala Shloka
o Tapa (Disciplines) — Burn down comfort zones.

o Tapa will vanquish papa(sin).
o Original sin (that which takes you away from who you are)
— ignorance.
o Vasanas (a habit to be away from who I am) in the
unconscious expresses in subconcious as Eshana (desires) ..
Eshana manifests in the conscious as Vrittis (thoughts) —
thoughts manifests as Actions
o we Feel Incomplete — Project Happiness — get attached —
leads to Krodha, Bhaya
o If I am disciplined — I will be a mumukshu.
o Main message : Sada Tapa — Always engage in Tapa —
from now till we die — Be disciplined.
o Sada Abyasa — Always Practice.o
Discussion Question/ Reflection Question
· Will start with next class

Mananam Question (Home Work — for Atma Bodha
Course)
· Will start with next class
RAW
· Reflect on what virtue would make the biggest difference in the

world …
If more people had “this virtue” (the one you picked) would
make the biggest difference in the world. Reflect and practice on
it.
Atma Bodha Verse 2,3
Class Notes from Week 2— Sep 14, 2017
Sowmya Gopal
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Notes from CHYK Boston
• What is most powerful that you know? The Rishis felt

that- that which stays, not that which comes and goes,
is most powerful. Rishi means seer- someone who can
see with their intellect.
• Every breath we take is for joy- the joy of Ananda,

which is very closely intertwined with knowledge of
Atma.
• 1st word of Atmabodha- tapah. Last word: Amrita

(without death, without fear). A life of tapah will bring
amrita.
• Mangal sloka (#1) of Atmabodha is good to memorize.
• Verse 2- Sadhana is the means, the path, the route. The

route to what? Sadhya, which is the ends, or
destination. What is the ends/purpose of life? Ananda.
One who invokes or uses that knowledge is called a
sadhaka. Knowledge is the direct means to
freedom/liberation. Liberation from what, we must
know? Liberation from the one vice we all suffer from-
Anger. The cause of Anger is fear, the cause of fear is
attachment, the cause of attachment is projection
(project that worldly experiences will bring me joy), and
the cause of projection is incompleteness/ignorance of
where joy is. Only when we are sensitive to suffering
will we take moksha seriously. Gaining knowledge of
the self is like rediscovering that joy, which is the
purpose of knowledge. Knowledge purges forgetfulness
to reveal the true self. The analogy in Verse 2: to cook
requires a fire, just as to be free requires knowledge.
Without knowing your own nature, you will not be
fulfilled.
• Verse 3- Actions come from thoughts, which come from

desires, which come from vasanas, which come from
incompleteness. Vedanta doesn’t focused on the
symptoms, it focuses on the absolute source of our
problems. We are always engaged in objects, but
Vedanta is a subjective science. Arjuna, in the Gita, was
not going through an ability crisis (ie forgetting certain
mantras/weapons), he was going through an identity
crisis. You can only make darkness go away with light-
they are mutually exclusive. The only opposite to
ignorance is this knowledge.
• Notes from Questions:

• What is Sin- that which makes you unaware, further
away from atma. Self-forgiveness is very important to
combat self-loathing so you can keep growing.
• What is the difference between jnana and vijnana?

Jnana is that which makes you quieter. Vijnana is
special knowledge, which makes you silent, where you
live life with such clarity about why you live that there is
no confusion, no shaking. Jnana is the subject of Ch. 1–
6 of Gita, which focuses on Arjuna. Vijnana is the
subject of Ch. 7–12 of Gita, which focuses on Brahman.
• How to get yourself out of fearful chains of thought?

When looking for a proper solution, we need to ask: is
there something that we are doing which is making us
more unaware? If so, we need to find the proper
antivenom for a specific venom. Neither spiritualism
nor ritualism is the proper antivenom for fear. There is
nothing to fear but the fear thought itself- if the thought
is not there, you can’t be that thing. The most effective
way of combatting fear is to chant the Lord’s name.
When you do so, you have abhayankara, fearlessness, in
your mind.
• 2 discussion points: What are the unique features of

self-knowledge? How to change the purpose of our
actions?
• RAW from last week: What is one virtue that would

make the biggest difference in the world? Patience.
• RAW for this week: Do not use any screens before 9 am.
• Next week, Vivekji will be joining us at 8:15 pm, and

study groups should start discussing at 7:30.
Class Notes from CM Boston
Shloka2:
• Knowledge is only true means for liberation.

Sadhana(साधना) is the means which leads to the goal —
Sadhya (साध्या), which is the liberation. Sadhaka(साधकः )
is the aspirant who strives to reach Sadhya by means of
Sadhana. Previous verse alludes to Tapas as a means. In
this verse it is definitively said that true self knowledge
is the ultimate means for moksha. Our ignorance of our
true nature of bliss, sat-chit-ananda, is the source for all
sufferings such as anger (क्रोधः ) and fear (भयः ).
Shloka3:
• Actions (including puja,tapas etc) cannot destroy

ignorance as they are not a negation of ignorance but in
fact born out of ignorance. What the actions such as
puja and tapas serve to accomplish is to purify and
cleanse our inner equipments (अन्तः करण शुद्दि:), so that
they reflect our true nature clearly. Ignorance or
darkness cannot be ‘pushed’ away, the only way to
eliminate darkness is with a source of light. Just as light
& darkness(द्दिद्दिरः ) are mutually exclusive in the same
way Knowledge & ignorance are. As soon as the
knowledge dawns ignorance disappears. (Ref
Gurustotram: अज्ञान द्दिद्दिरान्तस्य … of the darkness of
ignorance)
Discussion points:
• What are unique features of Self_knowledge?
• Unique feature of Self knowledge is that it ALREADY

exists within us, the veil of ignorance when removed
reveals that which is already present. This is distinct
from other wordly knowledge where the means is
to Acquire some new information. Self Knowledge is
in contrast where the means is to Renounce and not
acquire anything.
• How to change the purpose of our Actions?
• Purpose of our actions is to purify oneself, the change is

to shift the focus away from selfish motivations and
towards a greater good. Change is with our attitude
during performing actions so as to “divinise” our
actions so that it is no longer motivated by ego and ego
centric desires.
Atma BodhaVerse 4,5
Sowmya Gopal
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Notes from CM Chicago
Introduction
Asato ma sadgamaya
Tamaso ma jyotirgamaya
Mrytorma amrtamgamaya
What does this mantra mean?
Lead me from non-existence to existence

Lead me from darkness to light
Lead me from death to deathlessness.
When we question whether any of these can happen, we realize

that it is impossible to go from mortality to immortality or non-
existence to existence. For someone who is not thinking, these
mantras have no power to transform. However, when reflected
upon, it can help us cross over fear and ignorance. These
mantras are not to be taken literally. This is a course on HOW to
think because it is more important to learn HOW to think than
WHAT to think.
Sloka review
Sloka 2 compares Knowledge as the direct means to Liberation

just as fire is the direct means to cook. Just as there are
materials (wood, fuel, matches, vessel) that are needed to start a
fire, so too preparation is necessary to understand Self-
knowledge. That preparation helps us clean our minds so the
Knowledge can be taken in fully. We must understand that seva,
dhana,etc, have a purpose and we must engage in these
“preparatory” actions to acquire Self-knowledge.
Sloka 3 tells us that Knowledge is directly against ignorance just

as light is directly against darkness; just as dreaming and
waking are mutually exclusive. We cannot say we understand
Vedanta and still cry unnecessarily. To get to the level of
Knowledge, we have to be conscious of how we speak, how we
act, how we think and this awareness will continually push out
ignorance so when we are given the Knowledge that we are
infinite, we will know that.
Slokas 4 and 5
Sloka 4
paricchinna ivajnanattannase sati kevalah,

svayam prakasate hyatma meghapayem sumaniva
Paricchinna ivajnanat
· Ignorance makes us feel like we are small/infinite.
· In infinity, there is no movement in space or change in time so

when we feel a sense of movement in space or change in time,
then we are either not infinite or we are ignorant. (the answer is:
we are ignorant!)
Tannase sati kevalah
· When ignorance is destroyed, what remains is infinitude.
· Ignorance has no beginning but can end whereas infinitude

has no beginning and no end.
· Lord Krsna tells Arjuna that the 4 lower elements (earth,

water, fire, air) cannot touch space. Space is more subtle than
the other elements. With respect to our nature, even space
cannot touch our nature. So whatever applies to infinitude, also
applies to our nature.
Svayasan prakasate hyatma
· Your Self/nature will shine naturally (when ignorance is

destroyed)
· Atma, in English, is “I”; it is Sat (existence)-Chit (awareness);

that which allows perception
Meghapayem sumaniva
· Like when the clouds pass away, the sun “re-shines”. It doesn’t
stop shining; it is still there.
· Your nature will not be created, it will be re-discovered.
We have to unlearn who we think we are. And the change with

happen acirena (ere long); it will happen in no time and
depends upon your sincerity.
Sloka 5
ajnanakalusam jivam jnanabhyasadvinirmalam

krtva jnanam svyam nasyejjalam katakarenuvat
Gurudev has said we are suffering from spiritual hallucinations

that we are not spiritual and not the spirit.
ajnanakalusam jivam
· Ignorance (vasanas) is a stain on the personality. Another word

for vasana is fragrance but when we look at the vicious cycle of
vasanas, it actually can be thought of as a stench. How I act
leaves an impression on how I speak; how I speak leaves an
impression on how I think, how I think leads to desires which
then become vasanas. The more we engage a vasana, the more
you have to engage in that vasana. The more you indulge a
habit, the more you have to indulge the habit.
· Vasanas are a stain which is why we are called jiva and not
jagadeeshwara (God). This is the spiritual hallucination that I
am this body.
jnanabhyasadvinirmalam
· When we practice this Knowledge without vasanas, we become

clean (nirmalam).
· Abhyasa sounds like adhyasa which means superimposition

(or hallucination). Right now we are engaged in ajnana adhyasa.
We are feeling we are finite and this makes us change our
external surroundings (ABCs) to feel infinite; this is not
possible! We cannot alter finitude and make it infinite.
· Jnana abhyasa: Instead we should practice feeling content,

feeling big, being disciplined. Will move from being extrovert to
introvert; to looking within for infinitude.
· Vinirmalam: no ignorance; there will be zero incompleteness.

One will be happy once and for all!!
krtva jnanam svyam nasye
· Having brought Knowledge into one’s life, naturally that

ignorance will be purged.
· Once you know your joy, you cannot unlearn that. There is no
more ignorance.
jalam katakarenuvat
· Everything related to Knowledge will join ignorance and will

go away just as the powder of the kataka-nut settles away after it
has cleaned the muddy water.
Concluding thoughts
Srvanam (listening): get the clarity that scriptures with guide

me to freedom
Mananam (reflection): remove doubts and the message

becomes real that the scriptures will lead me to freedom
Nidhidhyasanam (contemplation): the message becomes my

own; it is about me; it is for freedom
Questions:
1. Clarification about the kataka nut and cleaning the muddy

water
· When we reach our true nature (Sat-Chit-Ananda), all the

means, including the guru-shisha-parampara and Bhagvan, are
not there because they are still part of Maya. However, these
means are needed as long as we are ignorant.
2. Is this teaching similar to Gayatri Mantra?

· Vivekji explained that this in the context of the practice of
simple living and high thinking. Before simple living, we should
have high thinking. However, for most of us who are extrovert,
we need that external cue to be able to internalize. We need to
see how the sun illumines the world and then try to internalize it
to make my intellect brilliant. We start with simple living and
then our thinking becomes higher. Whether we start
transformation from the inside out or from the outside in, it is
ok.. just start!
3. We find ourselves not being our “true” selves when we are

with different groups of people and in different environments.
· As we are becoming more sattvic and less dependent, initially

it will be confusing and scary because for so long we have been
dependent. But as we continue to grow in our self-development,
we will start to connect with people at a deeper level that we
were not able to connect to before. Have faith. If we conduct
ourselves based on other people’s opinion, we will regress in our
development. Develop the relationship with your nature not
with the ABCs.
4. Which comes first the Guru or the Knowledge of our

existence?
· Only one who knows can point out our ignorance.
· We cannot realize our nature without a guru.

· The guru takes us to Brahman.
Discussion points from 9/14/2017
1. What are the unique features of Self-Knowledge? It is NOT a

discovery; it is a RE-discovery.
2. How to change the purpose of our actions? Force selflessness

(fake it until you make it). As you experience the joy of this, it
will become more natural.
Notes from CHYK Chicago
Introduction
Asato ma sadgamaya — From nonexistence to existence
Tamaso ma jyotirgamaya — From darkness to light
Mrytorma amrtamgamaya — From death to immortality
How can we existence come from nonexistence? This logic is not

necessarily consistent with what we have learned before. This is
an example of extracting meaning from the scriptures in context
and not purely literally. Contemplation is used to change how
we think most importantly. Even so, we thought more about
this, and took it as a shift in mindset. Our minds are more or
less currently occupied with thoughts of the material and the
temporary. We took this to also be asat (nonexistence). We are
ignorant of the truth, something we took as tamas (being in the
dark). We also fear our mortality and see ourselves as
temporary, something we drew a parallel with mrt (death). If we
shift our focus to existence, light, and immortality.
Verse 4
1. Paricchinna ivājñānāt
2. We feel finite (paricchinna), which is due to ignorance

(ajñān)
3. Again, it is shown that self-knowledge vs. ignorance is

the backbone of finding infinitude
4. We do not actually believe we are ignorant, because we

still live the same way
5. We should work towards that first realization that we

are ignorant
6. Tannāśe sati kevalaḥ
7. Kevalaḥ is another word for infinitude
8. Upon destruction of ignorance only infinitude remains
9. Space supersedes the other elements, and infinitude

supersedes space
10. If we are indeed infinite, then space cannot affect us,

so we cannot be beholden to the physical world
11.Discussion: We struggled with understanding how to
use such statements of our nature in our daily life.
Contemplation on it sometimes quiets mind, but we
also saw such larger ideas start to overwhelm us at
times upon further contemplation, but we will continue
to work on it
12. Svayam prakāśate hyātmā
13. True nature is always there, it will show through

under the right circumstances
14. Meghāpāyem śumāniva
15. Analogy with how the clouds cover the sun
16. We also saw how the sun always shines, but we see
day and night separately because of the rotation of the
earth
17. Our rotating perspective away from the infinite truth

also is what creates the impression of duality
18. Pratyaksh is what is seen/perceived, while aparocha is

that which is beyond perception
Verse 5
1. Ajnānakaluṣam jīvam
2. Ignorance (Ajnān) is a stain on the egoncentric self

(jīva)
3. It is what makes you feel that you are jiva and not
jagadishwara (which is why you associate yourself with
your personality — vasanas)
4. Dom (DiCaprio) in Inception was restricted by aptly

named Mal (Cotillard) but after his realization that it
was not reality, he never looked back
5. Jnānābhyāsādvinirmalam
6. So how do we get rid of that stain? Jnānābhyā
7. Constant practice of feeling infinite and contemplation

on self-knowledge gets rid of the stain and makes us
pure
8. Discussion: how do we do that? — maybe a question for

next week. Similar to earlier concerns about feeling
overwhelmed by the infinite truth. To practice feeling
infinite, we would imagine it would be an intense
experience
9. You will have to use the temporary to take steps

towards infinite
10. Kṛtvā jnānam svayam naśyej
11.Once you know, you cannot unknow (Dom!)
12. Jalam katakareṇuvat
13. Katakanut emulsifies the clean water above the water

pollution
14. Like that the truth will rise above
Final thoughts and questions
● What happens if there is friction while pursuing this from

family/friends?
○ Have faith that self-development in time will enhance all your

relationships and allow you to connect on a much deeper level
with people
○ Discussion: at college, we have friends with various beliefs

and stances on this; we must have faith in what we are doing
and not allow possible detractors to slow our spiritual
development
● At some point you will have to let go of both Guru and

Bhagavan (ultimately to the infinite truth of Brahman)
Further reflection on last week’s discussion questions
● Rediscovery vs. discovery (self-knowledge vs regular

knowledge)
● Force selflessness at first and then it will become natural.

Then the purpose of our other actions will become enhanced by
the selfless service we initially forced ourselves to do
○ Discussion: seeking volunteer and social service opportunities
through the university
○ We also saw this as selflessness being simply a part of our true

nature (ananda), so while it may seem like something that
would need to be developed, it is always there but needs that
opportunity to shine through
Sowmya Gopal
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Oct 3, 2017 · 5 min read
Notes from CM Cleaveland East

Review of Shloka 4
A beautiful story of marble statue and marble floor was narrated

to remind us how the marble statue allowed itself to be chipped
and chiseled before its beauty could be adorned. On the other
hand, marble floor did not undergo any transformation and as a
result, the marble statue gets more attention. In our lives, we
too need to unleash our true nature and unmask our true Self.
Like sun, our Self will shine itself, if we remove our ignorance or
dissociate with our finitude.
Review of Shloka 5
Avidya Maya leads us to knowledge. When ego is guided by

intellect, we are led to knowledge. Constant practice of this
knowledge eventually clears the Self from the impurity of Ego.
Shloka 6:
Samsara is caused by Maya and is full of likes and dislikes.

Meaning of Samsara- Sama Sarati iti Samsara. That which is
constantly changing or slipping away is Samsara. Just like a
dream appears to be real as long as the dreaming state lasts, this
Samsara appears to be real in the waking state. This Samsara is
nothing but a long dream. One needs to wake up to “true
nature” to realize that this world is a dream. We have likes and
dislikes in our waking state. It is relative. Absolute is free from
any limitations of space, time and matter. Therefore, knowing
that the waking state is a relative state and is like a dream, one
should focus on the absolute.
Tactile lesson- Count the negative words you hear in a day
and compare those words to all the words that you hear in a day.
The essence of this sadhana for us is to realize that negativity is
relative and not the absolute. The number of negative words or
remarks may be negligible in comparison to the total number of
words that we hear. Yet, we tend to focus on negativity giving it
a more prominent form.
Shloka 7:
How do you define what is real? Where have you come from and
where are you heading to?
The meaning of Maya is Ma +Ya or that which is not. So,
whatever, we see in this world is not true. So long as we don’t
act, we will continue to live a meaningless life. We often
experience different types of mirages and in ancient texts the
example of sea-shell appearing to be silver is often cited. This
samsara is actually a sea-shell appearing to be silver. If we don’t
make an inquiry into true nature, we will continue to mistake
sea-shell for silver. Hence, we must act to find the real meaning
of life and inquire into our true nature. If there is a name, there
is a form and if there is a form, there is existence. Therefore, one
must transcend the limitations of name and form (likes and
dislikes) and focus on the existence.
Tactile Lesson- When we do Brahmarpanam, we should think
of seeds as food whatever we eat comes from the seeds directly
or indirectly. This will bring our focus back on Brahmarpanam.
Discussion points:
How will having a quiet mind help us see

reality ?
Before answering this question, it is important to understand

the meaning of reality, which is finding our true nature or the
Self. The self that we have known so far is conditioned by mind-
intellect. However, the reality is the Self, which is Atman.
1) A quiet mind is needed to see the Self in the same way as the
clean water is needed to see a clear reflection of the face.
2) Moreover, clear water helps us to see impurities clearly. If we
have quiet mind, we can see our negative and positive thoughts
clearly.
3) More thoughts in the mind prevent us from seeing the reality.
Therefore, having very few or a single thought is essential to see
the self with clarity.
4) Thoughts lead to desires and desires lead to actions. Thus, to
break this vicious cycle of thoughts-desires- actions, one needs
to start with
focusing attention on single thought. Bhajans and Japa can be
helpful in that the only our mind and mouth are at work
initially. At a later stage, doing inward Japa or practicing silence
can help.
• What are Vedantic ways of experiencing the higher quality of
sleep ?
1) Chanting some mantra such as “Hare Rama Hare Rama”
2) Reading scriptures before going to bed
3) Doing meditation before sleeping.
4) Keeping the conscience clear because clear conscience is the
softest pillow and the quality of pillow affects the quality of
sleep.
5) Practicing karma yoga (arpana buddhi + Prasada Buddhi)
helps one get rid of excitement and anxiety. This leads to better
sleep
6) Having fewer possessions. More possessions cause
attachment and fear and
affect the quality of our sleep.
Notes from CHYK Cleaveland

SHLOKA 6:
Samsara is a product of Maya.

Sama Sarati iti Samsara. Hence changes w time. Hence not
“real”.
Everything in the Samsara remains relative, hence there are
likes and dislikes that may vary between individuals and leads
to a “reality” that is open to interpretation.
SHLOKA 7
Maya= Ma+ya= Not+Is

Samsara is maya which is like a mirage
We need to act to transcend the limitations of name, form and
focus on existence.
What is the proof that infinity is? Since we consume all that is
finite all our life and yet remain unfulfilled is testament to our
infinite nature. Hence effort is needed to look and search
beyond maya (that which is not).
What does jana abhyasa look like? You look forward to not
thinking about “mum” ie me and mine. That is when you are
practicing “jana abhyasa”
Dont let yourself get desensitized to rituals like chanting
“Brahmarpanam…”, instead think deeper each time into why
and go to the root (think about seeds).
DISCUSSION POINTS
How will a quiet mind help us see reality?
Quiet mind rests judgement and one can see behind superficial
behaviors, and follow cause more clearly. clean water is needed
to see a clear reflection/or to see impurities.
What are Vedantic ways of getting better sleep?
A clean conscience is the softest pillow
Work hard, always try your best
Dont worry about results (only possible if one gives ones best)
Dont waste time
Decrease attachments to ABC
Class Notes from Week 5— Oct 5, 2017
Sowmya Gopal
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Notes from CM Cleaveland West
What did you do for the world today? Think about that — what
did you do? We can’t take this big beautiful world for granted.
We must offer gratitude.
There are various states that we go through that are symbolized

by AUM.
A: Waking state
U: Dream state
M: Sleep state
Then, there is silence, which is no longer a state. Silence is
always present.
Tactile thought for Shloka 6: Words are relative to — negative

words don’t have to be absolute. As long as you experience the
unknown, you will project.
Acharya Shankar is trying to get us to existence and awareness,

so then we will know joy.
Tactile thought for Shloka 7: When you eat food, think of the
seeds that it came from. Seeds are functional.
Worldly problems cannot be solved by worldly solutions, only

spiritual solutions.
Shloka 8: Support for all is the material cause. Every effect has a
cause. Practice reverse engineering. For example if you think of
a pen, then think of the design, then think of the ink and keep
going backwards.
Ishvara means “Creator”.

Parameshwara means “Creator of Creators”
Now, change “Creator” to “Cause”
Existence, awareness is the uncaused “Cause”. Existence &
awareness is the foundation for all of the outer and inner
worlds.
Don’t depend on what is changing. We need to depend on the

“changeless”. There is only existence, awareness, and Bhagvan.
There is no room for fear, anger, and separation.
Tactile thought for Shloka 8: What gives value to valuables?
Shloka 9: Existence, awareness is Atman. There are different

words to describe “oneness”. None of us have experienced the
same word. If you know God is filled in time, space, and matter;
God is infinite.
Tactile thought for Shloka 9: Whenever you interact with other
people, think that their cause and your cause is the same. We all
have the same parent.
Discussion questions from last time:
1.) If you know that pleasure, position and possession is relative,

how does that change your perspective?
-It becomes fun. You can’t win a game that is constantly
changing. How can a quiet mind help you see — less
interferences.
2.) What are vedantic ways to experience high quality sleep ?
-Be responsible and fulfill all your responsibilities throughout

the day. Then, you will be able to get high quality sleep. You
should also reduce your input: speak less, eat less, think less,
and experience the moment.
Discussion questions for next week:

1.) What does is mean to be a fundamentalist?
2.) What is the really solution to ending violence?
Last week’s RAW: How many interactions do you have in one

week? The lesson from this is to be aware of the quality and
quantity of your interactions.
Next week’s RAW: Come up with tactile thoughts for Slokas 2–

5.
Sowmya Gopal
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Class Notes from Sharmila
Bhagwan Krishna says in Gita Chapter 7 that everything is

connected and HE is that common connection, all-pervading
(Sutre Manigana Iva), He is the catalyst and the “purpose”.
When we cannot see the purpose is when we feel “separate”.
How do we get a fuller understanding of this oneness ? — the
answer is by reading AtmaBodha.
From shloka 8, we saw that “Reconversion is alone creation”.

We are all different but equal; equal because we are all
“existence” “awareness”. This existence, awareness is what gives
value to valuables.
From shloka 9, we saw that We only experience God; but we

should know it (that is have the knowledge of this, Bodha) to
benefit from it. When we understand that we all have the same
“cause”, that we are all related, then we would all treat each
other very differently!
Shloka 10:
In this shloka, AdiSankaracharya compares the sky/space to
God/Infinity. When we stand in the front or back of the ship
and stare into the vastness in front of us, we see no shapes or
limitations. This space is like Infinity, on which a lot of
equipments have come to exist. When the space and water is
conditioned, we give it labels. Conditioning is what makes us
feel separation — such as good people, bad people etc. Then we
begin to think that the conditioning is real ! Assuming labels
only makes us weaker and limits us. When labels are broken,
what remains is “oneness”. This is the foundation and the
fundamental truth, just like the Akshara (or letter) is the
foundation for words, sentences, paragraphs and Akshatha , or
food is the most fundamental wealth which symbolizes the
fundamental blessing!
HrishikeshaH means one who has curly hair that is tied tightly,
referring to Bhagwan Krishna.
Another meaning of the word is Lord of the senses (Hrshika —
senses, Isa- Lord) or the Life behind the senses.
This shloka hence declares that all conditioning is only “as if”
and is not reality!
Sutra for Shloka 10: Colors are colorless

A beautiful representation of the Sutra is that of the color
associated with Mother Parvati being red , Mother Lakshmi
being pink (white-red) and Mother Saraswati being white —
Symbolically representing going from color to colorless!
Shloka 11:
Acharya Sankara elaborates further on conditioning of Atman
and compares it to water which is superimposed with flavor and
color.
Conditioning is what makes the hardware different, the software
different but the electricity behind it is the same. It is the
conditioning on the Atman that makes this one Life force appear
as plurality. Species, color etc are just labels, just like the
colorless water is given color and taste which is not the inherent
nature. There is only one electricity, but manifests differently
through different equipments. When we focus on this
separation, we are only limiting ourselves and others!
Sutra for Shloka 11: Projections cannot harm

Projections can only harm the ego, but not the SELF. So use the
Self as the center or pivot and all else as reference points, not
the other way around!
Reflection questions from last week:

How has your outer life changed based on changes in your inner
life?
One becomes:Deeper,Simpler, Quieter,Happier (lesser FOMO
— Fear of missing out),More focus
What does it mean to be a fundamentalist?

Fundamentalist is someone who knows their priorities
What is the real solution to ending violence?

Have the education that we are not this body; we are more than
that!
Notes from CHYK DC — Hopkins
Notes from CM — London
Verse 10: Just as space becomes one when the limiting adjuncts
are destroyed, so also, the omnipresent Truth becomes one
when the upadhis are destroyed.
Verse 11: Just as water assumes flavour and colour depending

on the associations, so also, the conditionings of caste, colour,
position and so on are superimposed on the Atman.
Summary of sutras so far:
Verse 2: All we need is knowledge

Verse 3: Vision keeps busyness away
Verse 4: I is the original light
Verse 5: Practice makes perfect
Verse 6: Words are relative
Verse 7: Who made Who
Verse 8: All are related
Verse 9: Valuables depend on value
Verse 10: Colours are colourless
Verse 11: Projection cannot harm
Atma Bodha Verse 1–11
Recap
Bhargavi Rao
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Class Notes from Bhargavi
Vivekji started off the class by saying that anytime a message,

thought or teaching is given, it has to be supported by three
ways for it to become real and to move us. One of these
is Anubhooti or experience. If we experience quietude to
experience a teaching, it becomes real to us. This is at mental
level. Deeper than this is Yukti, rationale. This is
understanding at an intellectual level. Third support is
called Shruti, which is what do the scriptures have to share
about this teaching. This is deeper than the mind and the
intellect. When our experience is supported by mind, rationale
and Shruti, then the teaching becomes real. We are transformed
by that. Only a few have access to the Shruti. Atma Bodha
course is supporting us at this third level. If we feel Acharya
Shankara’s teachings, we will begin to feel more confident and
the thought of enlightenment will be clear to us. Vivekji
reminded us that we have completed six classes of Atma Bodha,
with our satsanga community extended to 43 study groups.All
the courses we have studied are different. Most of us try to pull
down the philosophy to our level. A sadhaka tries to life
themselves up to the philosophy instead. There are two
perspectives to doing this:
1. We have to make the philosophical, practical. We do so

by using poetry or sutras.
2. To make practical, philosophical. As we go about our

daily affairs, we practice to make this philosophical.
These two methods will help us life ourselves up to

enlightenment. This makes the teaching real.
Shloka 1: Acharya Shankara says “Purpose pulls performance”.

The more elevated purpose, higher will be performance (all we
do in our lives). For those who think there is more to life than
what they are experiencing, then Atma Bodha is the guide to
realizing what is this more. This demands Tapas (exertion,
effort). Trying to find the answer to this quest, requires us to
work hard. We as sadhakas, should be the hardest working
persons. People working harder than us should be our role
models. We need to step outside our comfort zones.
Shloka 2: Those who feel that there is more to life than meets
the eye, they know this “more” is not external. It is internal, so
they need insights. We need more insights into our Anubhooti,
into Yukti.
Sutra: All we need is knowledge. Poetry: Fire, we should
visualize fire everytime we think of this shloka.
Shloka 3: We have forgotten why we are doing, what we are

doing. Once we break out of the habit of thinking about the why
in our daily activities, we just keep doing and doing and doing
and the why is purged. We are experts at forgetting.
Forgetfulness manifests as procrastination, being distracted and
denying.
Sutra: Vision keeps “busyness” away. Poetry: Darkness.
Shloka 4: Our experience is not the final say in anything. Our

current experience of life is Dukkha (sorrow). “Living is too
amazing for the nature of living to be misery”
Sutra: “I” is the original light. Poetry: Clouds, know that

nothing has happened to the Sun (original You), even if the
clouds cover it (I am experiencing misery)
Shloka 5: If you want to change, this has to happen at the

knowledge level. Change has to happen at knowledge, vision,
which in turn affects attitude, attitude towards living. Attitude
manifests as thoughts, words, actions. Change has to happen at
all these levels.More we change, more natural this becomes.
Then these means of change will then become redundant.
Sutra: Practice makes paradise. Poetry: Pool.

Shloka 6: With inner changes, comes outer change (body,
society, multiverse). But we have to be vigilant to not lose our
balance with all these changes occurring. Knowledge gives you
the strength to brace the external changes. Our busyness keeps
us from finding the space inwardly. No space to think and
orient, and we feel stressed out. Don’t be stressed out, be
stressed in!
Sutra: Words are relative. Poetry: Dream, anything happens in

a dream doesn’t linger on in waking state.
Shloka 7: Meaninglessness is a weight. People who are sitting

through rituals that they don’t understand, feel frustrated.
Similarly, when our life, relationship and profession have no
meaning to us, it becomes a weight. Feeling of discomfort creeps
in.
Sutra: Who made who. Start thinking about “who made

you”. Poetry: Shell.
Shloka 8: Vedanta is focused on cause, not effect. Our lives are

driven by efficiency. But too much efficiency creates
inefficiency. Companies are replacing human resources with
machines (Vivekji gave an example of Deloitte laying off
workers and replacing with Artificial Intelligence). Society needs
to be ready to brace unemployment. This causes stress.
Sutra: All are related. Poetry: Bubbles are all related

Shloka 9: Ego will never admit to being wrong, being unaware
or not knowing something. Where there is Avarna, there will be
Vikshepa. When I don’t know, I will imagine. Vivekji shared
about a line from a song by one of the greatest Canadian singers,
Gordan Downie. The line goes: “Your imagination is having
puppies” (indicating the infinite extent of our imagination/mind
games)
Sutra: Valuables depend on value. Behind all those projections

is incompleteness. If we focus on value, we won’t project or
expect. Poetry: Gold
Shloka 10: Greatest himsa (violence) is ourselves to ourselves,

believing you do not deserve to be happy. When we believe this
for ourselves, we share with others too. When we harm
ourselves, it is natural to harm others too. Be natural, letting go
of labels. Just like natural pearls are better, natural people are
more valuable.
Sutra: Colors are colorless. Poetry: Everytime you experience

space, think “colors are colorless”. Since we are always
experiencing space, we should always be experiencing Atma
Bodha.
Shloka 11: There is no differences in the Absolute. Absolute in

One! We are learning the science of oneness, so leave the focus
on differences. Even if there are differences, they are
insignificant. Focus on what unites us.
Sutra: Projections cannot harm. When we treat everyone as
Jeeva, our expectations align. Poetry: Water. All lakes and
oceans are same, we just call them with different names.
Discussion questions from last time:
1. What is the implication of “many finites do not create

infinity”?
• To cease and desist from thinking that the finite

(articles, beings) will complete you and make you
happy.
2. What caste systems do we still live with?
• Judging subjectivity by objective measures. Example:

Thinking young people are not as wise as the old.
Wisdom is subjective, then why do we measure it
objectively?
Discussion questions for this week:
1. What are ways that we overly simplify self

development?
2. How can we cope with pain?
RAW from last week: Deepawali is preparation to get to the

process to get to peace.
RAW for this week: Catch up! Don’t be too busy, breathe,
walk, relax!
Class Notes from CM Milwaukee
• The Teaching, Message and Thought of Enlightenment

are supported by 3 pillars to make it real for us –
1. Experience (Anubuddhi) — at the level of the Mind
2. Rationale (Yukti) — at the level of the Intellect
3. Scripture (Shruti) — beyond the level of Mind and

Intellect
• Self development — understand the distinction

between sacred development vs. secular development
• Lift yourself up to the philosophy of enlightenment vs.

pull philosophy down to your level
• There are 2 perspectives to enlightenment –
1. Make philosophy practical e.g. using poetry, sutras,

tactile thoughts
2. Make the practical philosophical
• You are the light that illuminates the mind — you are
independent joy
• In this class, we recapped the 11 verses/ shlokas that we
have studied so far.
Discussion Question/ Reflection Questions
• Last week’s discussion/ reflection questions
1. What is the implication of “Many finites do not

create infinity”?
Cease and desist from finites trying to complete you

1. What caste systems do we still live with?
Judging subjectivity with objective measures e.g. Wisdom
Mananam Questions (Home Work — for Atma Bodha

Course)
1. What are ways that we overly simplify self

development?
RAW
• Last week’s RAW: What is Deepavali to you? It is

the Preparation to get to the Process to get to Peace.
Reminder to live a life of preparation.
• This week’s RAW: Catch up on prior verses and

content on Vichara Gurukula website
Class Notes from CHYK DC — Maryland
• What is required for a vedāntik teaching to be real to

us?
1. Anubhūti — experience, necessary at the mind level
2. Yukti — logic, necessary at the intellect level

3. Śruti — Scriptural injunctions, which run deeper than a
mental or intellectual level
Ātmabodha gives us the Scriptural perspective, and this is a

most valuable blessing for our lives.
• We typically try to pull philosophy down to our level,

i.e. making it “practical.” However, a true sādhaka will
rise to the level of the philosophy!
• Both are necessary:
• Making the philosophical, practical, allows us to get a

solid footing with the vision.
• Making the practical, philosophical, allows us to align

ourselves fully with the vision and lift ourselves to
Enlightenment.
Verse 1
• Having a higher purpose will in turn pull our

performance higher.
• This demands tapas (exertion of ourselves at all

personality levels).
• We must be the hardest working person we know!

Verse 2
• Those with a higher purpose know that true gain comes

via internal betterment, not any external pursuit.
• For such a person, insights (revelations about the inner

personality) are needed.
• Sūtra — All we need is knowledge.
Verse 3
• We have forgotten why we are doing what we are doing,

and thus living has become mechanical.
• If the why is forgotten, life becomes an endless cycle of

doing, doing, doing…this mechanical living then
manifests as procrastination, distractions, denying, etc.
• Sūtra — Vision helps keep busy-ness away.
Verse 4
• Our experience is not the final say in anything.
• Our experience right now is duhkha, but living is too

amazing for the nature of living to be misery!
• Sūtra — I is the original light.

Verse 5
• If I want change, the knowledge must be internalized

and reflected in all that I think and do.
• KVA-TWA — Knowledge-Vision-Attitude — Thoughts-

Words-Actions
• The knowledge must permeate through all parts of me.
• The more we change in accordance with this vision, the

more natural this path becomes.
• Sūtra — Practice makes paradise.
Verse 6
• Outer change is constant, and so vigilance is required to

maintain our inner balance.
• Despite knowing this, we keep losing our balance. Why?

Because we have given ourselves no space for balance.
• We are too busy — we must create that space for

reflection and inquiry, as that is what allows us to stay
poised internally amidst external change.
• Sūtra — Words are relative.

Verse 7
• Meaninglessness is a weight.
• Living with no meaning is akin to not living.
• Even if we are experiencing prosperity among the ABC

(articles, beings, circumstances) — if we are imbalanced
internally then we will experience nothing but misery.
• Sūtra — Who needs who?
Verse 8
• Vedānta focuses on the cause, not the effect.
• Too much efficiency creates inefficiency.
• Sūtra — All are related.
Verse 9
• Ego will never admit that it doesn’t know
• Āvaraṇa (ignorance) leads to vikṣepa (projection).
• The mind games we play always result in a mass

proliferation of projections.
• Projections come from incompleteness.
• Sūtra — Valuables depend on value.
Verse 10
• The greatest hiṁsa is the harm that we inflict upon

ourselves.
• This manifests as the belief that we do not deserve to be

happy.
• We must let go of labels and be natural.
• Sūtra — Colors are colorless.
Verse 11
• There are no differences in the Absolute.
• Even if we perceive differences in names and forms —

these differences are so meaningless compared to the
oneness that we can tangibly perceive, let alone that
Absolute oneness.
• Sūtra — Projections cannot harm.

• Self-development is sacred development, not secular
development.
Discussion Questions
· What are ways that we oversimplify self-development?
· How can we cope with pain?
RAW
· Catch up!
Atma Bodha Verse 12,13,14
Sowmya Gopal
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Oct 30, 2017 · 10 min read
All articles, beings and circumstances have a specific nature. For

example, nature of sugar is to be sweet and the nature of a
cranky person is to create disharmony. When we think more
deeply about this and ask “What is the nature of life”, we will
come to understand that the nature of life is completeness,
contentment, joy. That is the reason why we all are pursuing
joy! The Sutra for shloka 7 is “Who made who”, so when we go
beyond the biological perspective and think about who is
holding all of this together, the answer is the “Creator” (who is
always smiling, whose nature is joy). But if we don’t go deeper,
all we see is stress and we start to accept it! So we need to be
clear as to what the nature of life is.
Right now it looks like life is hard (going to work is not really
hard but it’s the people) and living is hard. Knowledge makes
living softer. Hence we focus on Bodha to make our living more
smooth and serene.
Acharya Shankara in the next few shlokas helps us to be clear

about who we are not (that way who “I am” becomes clear).
Shloka 12:
Acharya Shankara says here that the elements that are not
manifest go through the process of Panchikrta, to become
manifest. Panchikrta is like the elements in a periodic table
combining to become molecules. The five elements — air, space,
fire, water and earth — combine to have their own properties
and also they share the property of others, this is called
Panchikrta.
These elements which are unmanifest, become manifest

through Panchikrta and create this gross body, by our karma.
Karma is created by the way we think. By thought we are
designing this body and even now we are creating our future
body. Right now we are engaged in our best action for our
brightest future — because we are learning how to think! So
never neglect the body or try to change it, because it is we who
created it by our own Karmas for our self-development.
This body is referred to as “Sharira” which means “that which is

forever perishing”, and what this perishing looks like is “Sukha”
and “Duhkha”. This body is utterly demanding and is
continuously engaged in pleasure and pain! Hence it is called
“Bhogayatanamuchyate” — a house for experience (Bhoga).
Something to ponder is — when we are dreaming we don’t go
through any bodily experiences. But when are are identified
with body , we are always interacting. Sri Ramana says “anyone
who is identified with the body is a Samsari , anyone who is not
identified with the body is a Sanyasi”. So the factor that decides
whether one is a Sanyasi or Samsari is this body !
In Sadhana Panchakam, Acharaya Shankara says “Nijagruhaat
Vinirgamyatam” — which means escape from the bondage of
home. Here home refers to this gross body.
Sutra for Shloka 12: Watch what you wish for!

If you think in a worldly way or negatively, then the body is
going to be the same way. But if you think in a Saathvik way and
in an aspiring way, then you create a different body in a
different field. So watch what you wish for.
Shloka 13:
In this shloka we go from the gross body to the subtle body.
Gross body is perceivable by the senses.
Subtle body is not perceivable by the senses (really the subtle
body is senseless, the way the mind functions!)
Here Acharya Shankara says, the subtle body is made up of

Pancha Pranas, Manah, Buddhi and the ten senses (Dasha
Indriya).
Prana means physiological function. The five physiological
functions are:
1. Praana — inhalation
2. Apaana — excretion , sweating
3. Samaana — digestion
4. Vyaana- circulation
5. Udaana — extrication
When we are close to dying, it is Udaana that propels the subtle
body into a new gross body.
Then comes Manah — the mind. Nature of the mind is
Samshaya , which literally means “that which doubts”. Mind is
ever engaged in interpreting.
Next comes Buddhi –the intellect. Buddhi is of the nature
Nischaya , which means determined or that which instructs.
Next is the ten senses (Dasha Indriya) — Ravana has ten heads
which is symbolic of our Dasha Indriyas. None of the ten heads
are communicating with each other or coordinated! Lord Rama
on the other hand was completely co-ordinated, which tells us
that only discipline can defeat indiscipline. So Vijayadashami is
when we should become disciplined with our five organs of
perception (Jnaanendriyas) and five organs of response
(Karmendriyas).
Samanvitam means assemblage. The subtle body is an

assemblage of the PanchaPranas, Manah, Buddhi and Dasha
Indriyas. A machine is made by the assemblage of different
parts, and this subtle body too is just like a machine. The gross
body is like the house and the subtle body is like the artificial
intelligence.
The subtle body is made of subtle elements and not the gross
elements. Subtle elements means that space, air, fire, water and
earth are pure and have not mixed.
Body is made of Bhutas (elements that are manifest), and the
mind is made up of Mahabhutas (elements that are pure).
The spirit is made of just “Maha” — Infinite, Brahman.
This body is the instrument or means for experiences. The body

is the field for experiencing and the mind is the experiencer. The
body is the house and mind is the one living in the house, the
body is what is happening and the mind is the one interacting
with the happenings.
The implication is that you are neither the gross body nor the
subtle body !
Sutra for Shloka 13: The subjective is an object

The subjective here means the mind, the intellect. But that is
also made up of same material as the objects are. Example —
steam, water and ice are all made up of the same thing. But we
make the mind so real. However if we know the nature of body
and mind, we can become free of that.
Shloka 14:
The hardware is made up of materials and the software is also
made up of materials. Body, mind and ego are also made up of
the same materials, so try not to give them undue importance.
Avidya or Ignorance, feels like forgetfulness. Forgetting that I
am more than this body, mind and intellect. This Avidya is
“Anaadi” or beginningless. Time is a product of the mind and
here we are talking about ego which is more than the mind.
Avidya is also defined as Anirvaachya which means “that which
cannot be defined” or “definition less”.
In Vedanta there are three levels of reality –
What is “Real” is “that which never changes” — it was there, it is
there and it will be there.
That which “ever” exists is Real. Other than existence and
awareness, nothing “ever” exists.
Unreal is “that which never exists” — analogy given in scriptures
is “like the horns of a hare” which never exists.
But as far as ignorance is concerned, we cannot say it “exists”
because it is changing and will come to an end, but we can also
not say that it “never exists” because we are experiencing sorrow
and fear. And hence, ignorance is indescribable.
Avidya is the cause for the gross body and subtle body, and is
called the causal body. The causal body causes the subtle body,
and the subtle body causes the gross body. These are all Upaadis
or equipment. There is something more than just these three
equipments. If there is an equipment then there needs to be
someone else, the user of that equipment and that someone else
is Atma (that which is closest). By knowing this, life will no
longer be hard and it will be joyful.
Sutra for Shloka 14: Not this, this and this

Discussion points from last week:
What are ways we overly simplify self development?
We try to practice general Sadhana without doing specific
Sadhana. For example, we try to think of Atma Bodha while we
do dishes or other work, but we never spend time by ourselves
in the morning thinking about Atma Bodha. Another example is
doing japa while driving versus doing Japa with a Japa maala.
We should learn to practice specifically (Vyashti) and not in a
general way. The practice has to be in a controlled environment
before we can do it in a general and uncontrolled environment.
How to cope with pain?

Choose discomfort. Choose to sleep on the floor, choose not to
add condiments to your food, invoke pain in advance — then we
will be ready for pain or discomfort when it really comes. Swami
Tejomayananda says “The more we sweat in peace, the less we
bleed in war”.
RAW from last week: Catch up!

There is a lot of joy in closure. By catching up, the idea was to
get us to feel some of that closure. Visualize and imagine having
a closure to the purpose of living! (KrtaKrtya — I have done
what is needed to be done)
Class Notes from CM Kansas
General Class Notes

• Each article, being, circumstance has a specific nature. For
e.g., the nature of sugar is to be sweet. The nature of Life that
holds all article, being, circumstance together is Joy or
Completeness. That is why we run after things trying to find joy.
• Living is hard, going to work is not hard but the people we

interact with make it harder. Knowledge makes living smoother,
softer, and more serene. Knowledge helps us to be clear who we
are not.
Shlokas 12, 13, 14 help us to be clear about who we are not.

Shloka 12:
Gross Body
• Made up of the five elements.
• The 5 elements in unmanifest form have undergone
panchikarana to become manifest. Just as elements combine to
form molecules, in the panchikritam process, space, air, fire,
water and earth combine to form the gross body.
• Gross body is determined by our own karmas and by the way
we think. Thought by thought we create our body.
• We created the body for self-development. So, engage in the
best action for the bright future
• Sharira (body) is
o Forever Perishable
o Utterly demanding
o It is engaged in pleasure/pain
• It is called bhogaayatana, house for experiences.
• The Gross Body is perceivable with the senses whereas the
Subtle Body is not
Ramana Maharishi — ‘One who identifies with the body is a
samsari and one who does not identify with the body is a
sanyasi.’
Swami Tejomayananda describes panchikaranam as “Penta
myrium Self Duplication and Mutual Combination”.
Sutra for Shloka 12 — “Watch what you wish for!”
Shloka 13
Subtle Body:
5 physiological functions called pancha pranas
Praana — Inhalation
Apaana — Excretion (Sweating)
Samaana — Digestion
Vyaana — Circulation
Udaana — Extrication
Manas — Nature of mind is samshaya, that which doubts and is
ever engaged in interpreting.
Buddhi — Nature of intellect is nishchaya, that which instructs.
Dasha indriyas
5 organs of perception
5 organs of response
The subtle body constitutes the five pranas, mind, intellect and
the ten senses.
The subtle body constitutes the instrument of experience. It is
like the machinery in the “house”(gross body)
The Body is the field for experiencing, the mind is the
experiencer
Subtle body is made up of subtle elements i.e. these are in their
pure state
Subtle body is the bhogasadhana, instrument of experience.
The body is called bhuta (grossified elements)

Mind is called mahabhuta (pure elements)
Spirit is called maha (Infinite/Brahman)
Sutra for Shloka 13 — “The subjective is an object.”
Shloka 14
Causal Body
• Avidya (Ignorance) is beginningless and definelessness
• Avidya is forgetting that I am more than my body, mind, and
intellect
Three levels of Reality in Vedanta –
1. Real — That which ever exists
2. Unreal — That which never exists (horns of a hare)
3. Ignorance — indescribable
• The Causal Body causes the Subtle Body which in turn causes
the Gross Body.
• Casual Body  Subtle Body  Gross Body: There are just
equipments (upaadis)
• There should be something more, if there is an equipment,
someone should be using it. hat is the Atman, that which is
closest
Sutra for Shloka 14: “Not this, this and this!” (Neti, neti, neti)
Last week’s discussion questions:

1. What are ways we overly simplify self-development?
We try to practice general sadhana instead of specific sadhana.
For e.g., we do japa when we do chores, but we do not sit with a
japamala. We must practice Sadhana in a controlled
environment before we practice in an uncontrolled
environment.
Choose discomfort. When you invoke pain in advance, you will
be ready when it comes.
Swami Tejomayananda — The more we sweat in peace, the less
we will bleed in war.
This week’s discussion questions

1. How to identify less with the body
2. How to reduce fueling negative thoughts
Class Notes from CHYK DC — Newport
Atma Bodha Verses 12–14, Class Notes from Week 8

(10/26/2017)
Each article, being, and circumstance has its own nature. The
nature of life is completeness and contentment. Living is hard,
but knowledge is what makes living softer.
Shloka 12
- panchikrta — combination of 5 elements that shares its
collective properties with others
- elements keep combining and manifesting to create the gross
body
- body is designed thought by thought by thought
- our thoughts help to create our future as well
- sharira — that which is forever perishing (body)
- samsāri — identifies with the body
- sanyāsi — doesn’t identify with the body
- SUTRA — Watch what you wish for.
Shloka 13
- pancaprāna — 5 physiological functions (inhalation, excretion,
digestion, circulation, extrication)
- manaha — mind
- samshaya — that which doubts (nature of the mind)
- buddhi — intellect
- nischaya — that which instructs (nature of the intellect)
- dasha indriya — 10 sense organs (5 organs of perception, 5
organs of response)
- samanvita — assemblage
- this body is the instrument for experiences
- SUTRA — The subjective is an object.
Shloka 14
- avidyā — ignorance, forgetfulness
- anādhi — beginning-less (time is a product of the mind)
- anirvachya — definition-less
- upādhi — equipment
- if there is an equipment, there must be a user of this
equipment (ātmā — that which is closest)
- avadhārayet — think carefully
- life is joyful knowing this
- SUTRA — Not this body, this mind, and this ego.
Discussion points
1. We try to practice general sādhanā, not specific sādhanā in a
controlled environment.
2. Choose discomfort. The more we sweat in peace, the less we
bleed in war.
RAW
There is a lot of joy in closure. Imagine having closure to the
purpose of living.
Class Notes from Week 9— Nov 2, 2017
Bhargavi Rao
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Nov 6, 2017 · 9 min read
Annual seva training’s in CM centers goal is to teach us to serve

one’s community/city. Part of this training focuses on Balavihar
teachers. Consistent message that is provided is not to make up
answers to questions that you don’t know the answers to. If the
student finds out that the answer was not true, then they will
not have belief in what you say. Training shares that you admit
not knowing. This is relatively easier to do in Sunday Balavihar
setting but the ego never wants to admit that we are wrong. We
will keep making excuses and justifications. For ego to admit it
does not know, requires great courage. Since we do not admit,
we play a game of Vikshepa (projections). More we project,
heavier our lives become. That is why during Deepavali (festival
of Lights), one is to feel the light in their hearts. We should feel
the light in the “cave of the heart”. That light is deeper than the
ego. The way we know that we are celebrating Deepavali, the
way we know we are invoking the light, is when we start feeling
light hearted. This person is beginning to have Bodha of the
Atma (Knowledge of Ananda/joy).
Vivekji wanted us to think about whether after 8 classes (this
was class 9), do we feel light hearted? If so, that would be real
efficiency! Our idea of efficiency is “fast life” (faster in
everything we do). Real efficiency in not at the surface, it is
deeper.
Revision of last week’s shlokas:

Shloka 12 focused on Gross body, made up of elements and
when energy from this body is pulled away, the elements will go
back to its natural state. Bible says “Ashes to ashes/dust to
dust”. Sutra: Watch what you wish for! because our thoughts are
determining our body. If you think you are handsome/ugly, you
will feel and look like it also.
Shloka 13 focuses on subtle body. This body energizes and
gives meaning to the gross body. Focus of gross body (food
sheath/annamaya kosha) is interactive. Sheath beneath that is
breath sheath (Pranamaya kosha). This is inputting (oxygen,
food) from outside. Deeper than this is mind sheath (manomaya
kosha). Mind is ever engaged in interpreting. Deeper than that
is intellect sheath (Vignanamaya kosha). It is ever instructing.
So gross body has one eye (interactive). Subtle body has three
eyes (inputting, interpreting and instructing). Sutra: The
Subjective is an object! The elements that make up the gross
body (hardware)are same as that that make up the subtle body
(software).
Shloka 14: Message is about causal body. This is the fifth eye,
the ego, the Anandamaya kosha. The Ahankara sheath!This “I”
is identifying with body, breath, etc and has no other function
than to identify. This too is made up of elements. Sanskrit term
for elements is Tat matra (simply That). If one has knowledge,
then we know all these are “Simply That/Simple Infinity”.
Causal body is like genetics of the plant. Subtle body is like
health of the plant, and the gross body is like appearance of the
plant. Sutra: Not this, this and this! Many questions arise relate
to relationship between objective and subjective, especially in
work place. When the supervisor has to judge the suboordinate
(performance) or even parents, then Vivekji suggested this be
done in objective way and not subjectively. Don’t allow the
subjective mind and ego to affect the objective.
This week’s shlokas:

Shloka 15: Now in Shloka 15 Acharya Shankara is elaborating
on the terminology used in the previous shlokas to enhance
clarity. First quarter says that we are identified/united with the
five sheaths, etc. One more way used to analyze who we are is
the three states or avasthas (waking, dream, deep sleep). It
doesn’t matter how we look at ourselves, what is uniform about
these forms of analysis? These sheaths are not delineated and
ever changing. Avastha means that which comes and goes. It is
temporary (sharira means ever changing). In second quarter,
Acharya Shankara says where there is closeness, there is
sameness. For example, when we see people with brown skin,
we assume they must be of Indian origin. We call out this
racism. This closeness does not mean sameness but should lead
to sameness. We should call out this generalization. Life
principle is close to the ego but that doesnt mean that it IS the
ego. Similarly, life principle is illuminating the mind but is NOT
the mind. In the third quarter, The great Acharya says, we are
the Atma that is of the nature of “Shuddha” (pure). It is not
subject to the changes and is experienced as existence
awareness. The feeling of “I”, of existing is Shuddhatma.
Awareness is expressed as “Knowing”. We cannot deny our
awareness. In the last quarter, Acharya says when a crystal (it is
colorless in its pure form)is close to a blue, etc cloth, it looks
blue but it really isn’t. That closeness has created the sameness
with the cloth.
Sutra: Association determines limitation! If you spend time

with friends, and they are tardy, you get included in the group of
tardy people. Vivekji gave an example of how two teenagers
were accused of murder when they threw a rock from an
overpass crushing the driver on whose car the rock landed. The
boys’s three friends who were standing there and witnessing
them, were also charged and jailed. Their “association” with the
actual boys who actually performed the act, lead them to be
worthy of the accusation as well. Therefore, be careful of who
your friends are.
First word of Atma Bodha is Tapa (to Burn). Most

important tapa is Right Thinking. This leads us into the
next shloka as to how we can do tapas.
Shloka 16: This body is covered in the same way that husk
covers rice. Vivekji had read a slogan on a packet of makeup
remover that he saw at someone’s place. It read: Dissolve the
drama!!!! Atma Bodha is dissolving the drama. This is just a
cover. Halloween is a shady celebration with all the costumes we
don. We need to disassociate with the body covering. Just like
you separate the husk from rice by hitting against the rock, we
have to dust off the limitation through Yuktya, meaning right
thinking. The first Yuktya here means limitation and the second
one has a positive meaning. We are engaged in Yoga but that
tends to make us smaller instead we should aim at Yoga that
makes us bigger. Yukti means rationale/mananam. So through
mananam, we can rid ourselves of the limitation. Atma is
unaffected by what we believe is us. Mother Seeta and Lord
Rama knew that she will be kidnapped, so she entered into fire
and it was the maya Mother Seeta that was kidnapped by
Ravana. We experience all the sorrow in our lives but at the
deepest level, we are Shuddha. Like rice is hit against the rock,
we have to be intensely and constantly engaged in
vichara/contemplation/right thinking.
Sutra: Unlearning is unleashing! We have to unlearn habits to

be happy, to unleash independent joy.
Shloka 17: This shloka described how to separate spirit and

matter. Atma is perpetual and which is gone everywhere.
Perpetual related to Time and Time relates to awareness. sarva
gata relates to space. However, this existence awarenes does not
shine in all places. All of us are alive (biological) but only some
of us are living (living our nature). Existence awareness is
everywhere but in some places this shines more clearly, from
our understanding. This place is in the Buddhi. Intellect is
always engaged in instructing. When the intellect is directed to
the world, person is bossy, feeling Ahamkara. Such a buddhi in
a sadhaka, does not intruct, it inquires. That intellect changes us
from Ahamkara to Buddha (enlightened one). People engage in
Gyms for body, cooking, etc but the study groups are our gyms
for the mind. If we look at our reflection in clear bowl of water,
it is very clear. Similarly, When our mind is clean (that happens
when we make self development a priority and loves divinity) it
unites with the intellect, then we will see that I am the source of
happiness.
Sutra: Polish the mind mirror! We chant this mantra everytime

we chant the Hanuman Chalisa. “Take the dust from Guru’s feet
and polish my mind’s mirror” (Shri Guru Charana saroja raja,
nija mana mukura sudhari)
last week’s question:what is your greatest

achievement?Implication is whatever you come up with, it is
through the equipment, therefore it is small in comparison to
your nature.
1. How to identify less with the body? Use mirror and

bathroom less. Look after hygiene but extensive
grooming is not needed. Simple personality is beautiful
anyway.
2. How to reduce fueling negative thoughts? By

remembering the three superficial sheaths (mind,
breath and food). All are the same. By treating
thoughts, breath and blood the same, objectively, you
do not fuel negative thoughts.
RAW on bullying was to realize that biggest bully in our lives are
ourselves. Bullying ourselves is believing you require articles,
beings and circumstances for joy.
RAW: Write an e-vichara called Yukti for Mukti. Come up with

3 points on mananam that will help us feel Mukti.
Discussion questions for this week:
1. What are more ways to classify our equipment?
2. What are ways we are Ayukta (illogical way)?
Class Notes from CM Jac / Aug
Recap of last week:
Shloka 12
Sutra: “watch what you wish for”
Relative level: you feel so you think (ie if you are think you are
handsome, you will feel handsome)
Gross Body (Food sheath)=focus of it is Interactive
The gross body is made up of five elements
Shloka 13:
Sutra: “The subjective is an object”
Subtle Body:
Breath Sheath=Inputting (ie: oxygen, food)
Mind Sheath=interpret (ie: mind interprets the world through
sense organs)
Intellectual Sheath=Instructing (ie: planning for the future)
Shloka 14:
Causal body. What caused the subtle body
This is the fifth “I’ or Ego Ahankaram sheath=Identifying
This too is made of the elements.
Sutra: “Not this, this and this”
New lesson
Shloka 15:
The 5 sheaths (maya or coverings) and the avasthas (states).
These analysis shows us that everything is changing.
If you have many views, there will be more clarity. This shloka
allows us to see from a different view about who we are.
Where there is closeness, there tends to be sameness. Just
because we are close to or identify with a certain equipment
doesn’t mean we are the sheath.
The life principle illuminates the mind but it doesn’t mean it is
the mind.
We are the Self. It is unchanging and simply exists.
An example is given like a crystal that takes the color on which it
sits, but the crystal itself is colorless.
Sutra: “Association determines limitation”
Shloka 16:
How do we realize the true Spirit? We must separate spirit from
matter.
Example is given like rice is obtained by removing the husk
against a rock.
In the same way one has to differentiate the Self from the
covering (the non-self). One will then realize the Self in a pure
state.
We are connected to this “husk” as we are connected to it but we
must differentiate from it.
One must be detached from the various sheaths.
Atman that is inside is suddham-uneffected by what we believe
is us right now.
Sutra: “unlearning is unleashing”
Shloka 17:
How do we separate spirit and matter?
Atman is perpetual-that which is gone everywhere.
Atman is existence and awareness. But this existence and
awareness doesn’t shine in all places.
As an example “some of us are alive but only some of us are
living”.
In the bhudhi this atman shines more brightly.
By practice the subtle intellect can be driven from a worldly
budhi to calm, steady and inquiring budhi.
When you have a clean mind, you make self-development a
priority. You love Divinity. You then see more clearly. This is
polishing the “mind mirror”.
Sutra: “Polish the mind mirror”
RAW: Write a e-vicharya about “yukti for mukti”. A rationale for
joy.
Discussion points:
1. What are more ways to classify our equipment?
2. What are ways we are Ayukta-irrational?
Class Notes from CHYK DC — Somnath
Shloka 15
-The five sheaths (that which cover us) are what we identify
with, rather than the pure consciousness that is being covered.
-We also identify with the three states or avasthas.
-Avastha means that which is temporary.
-Acharya Sankara says that life illuminates the mind, but life is
not the same as the mind.
-We are neither the five sheaths nor the three avasthas, so we
should not identify with them.
-The example he uses is a crystal that lies on a blue cloth. From
far away the crystal appears blue but it is not blue. The same
way, life illuminates the mind but it is not the mind.
Shloka 16
-We should learn from this shloka that association determines
limitation and that the most important tapah is higher thinking.
-We need to disassociate with limitations and instead associate
with yukta or “right thinking”
-Our bodies are like husks that cover grains of rice.
-We should “dissolve the drama” and try to forget about what is
on the outside and instead focus on the inside.
-At the deepest level we are balanced.
-We need to unlearn our bad habits to unleash a more
independent version of ourselves.
Shloka 17
-When our minds are clear we can see that we alone are the
source of happiness just like looking into a clean mirror.
-Clarity of the mind means that self-development is our first
priority and we have love for the divine.
-The first line of the Hanuman Chalisa also says that we should
polish our mind-mirror using the dust of our Guru’s feet.
Sowmya Gopal
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Nov 13, 2017 · 10 min read
In the Ellora caves in India, it can be seen that in a lot of the

Murtis, the heads have been cut off and only the bodies remain.
This was done by those who invaded Bharat for decades, and
what they did was “Taadatmya”. “Tat” means other and “Atmya”
means me. So Taadatmya is when I start to believe that I am
another. So in this case, the invaders wanted the people of
Bharat to believe that they are not Bharateeya but they are
whatever invading country or religion is coming in. They wanted
us to believe that we are not who we are. At a more intimate
level, this is what is happening with the body, the breath, the
mind, the intellect, the ego — there is Taadatmya. The Atman is
“I” but the “I” am now referencing to the body or to the mind.
This is because, in a harsh way -we are ignorant; but in a lighter
way — it is because we don’t think about ourselves at a deep
level. Ignorance cannot handle inquiry. As soon as we start
inquiring, that ignorance fades away, which is why we are
asking for guidance from Acharya Shankara-one who has no
ignorance, one who has no ego, to guide us through this
unknown territory of actually feeling what Atma is. He has
created this Prakarna Grantha, which is an introductory text
that elaborates on technicalities (technicalities like ignorance
being indescribable), and on principles (principles like the gross
body, the subtle body). When someone has these technicalities
and principles clear, then they can begin to study the Shastra.
Shastra is science, so one can start to study that which is
comprehensive like Srimad Bhagavad Gita and Ramayana. But
without such technicalities and principles, one is eligible but not
capable of studying these life-changing and life-making
manuals. Many people read Ramayana, read Gita — but reading
and studying are very different. By having access to Atma
Bodha, Ramayana and Gita will come to life. You will come to
life to your own potential.
Recap from last week:

In Shloka 15, we studied about how a crystal when placed near a
cloth of another color, appears to have that same color, even
though it has no color of its own. In a very worldly way, if a poor
person wears real jewellery as compared to a rich person
wearing fake jewellery — who would you believe is wearing the
real jewellery? We will believe that the rich person wearing fake
jewellery is wearing real jewellery! And that’s why our Sutra for
Shloka 15 was “Association determines limitation”
If I am a rich person, I can wear fake stuff but I am associated
with that richness, so that fake stuff becomes real also.
In Shloka 16, we studied how in order to get to rice we have to
remove all the husk. Mananam destroys doubt. When we start
to think about the subject, the doubt that is covering the idea is
destroyed. The Sutra for Shloka 16 was “Unlearning is
unleashing”. When I start to unlearn that I need praise to serve,
I start to unleash how great I am, in the sense of how much I can
contribute. We are reminded of this with rice. So when we eat
rice, we should think about how Mananam can destroy doubt.
In Shloka 17, we studied how belief is at the mind level and faith
is at the intellect level. Belief and faith are of different
equipments, and as long as the mind is dirty we can never get to
faith. But when the mind starts to become cleaner and purer, we
start to have more faith. Sutra for Shloka 17 was “Polish the
mind mirror”. Every time we see a mirror we should think about
polishing the mind mirror!
Shloka 18:
In Shloka 18, Acharya Shankara continues to encourage us to
not take for granted every moment of our living and specifically
about who we think we are. “Deha” is body, “Indriya” is senses,
“Manah” is mind, “Buddhih” is intellect- all of these are
equipments or upaadis and there is a difference between using
an equipment and being an equipment. To help us realize the
difference between using an equipment and being an
equipment, we have to slow down. When we slow down, we
have a tendency to step back. When we step back, we have a
tendency to see more. Slow, step, see! They way to make this
practical is by doing this, and if we don’t then we “are” the “tool”
instead of “using” the tool. The equipment is made up of matter
— intellect and mind is made up of thoughts, breath and body is
made up of cells — its all Prakrti or matter. If we know that they
are just thoughts and cells and that they are changing, then we
don’t have to assume those limitations. “The most valuable
things in life are not things” — thoughts, cells and Prakrti
(equipment) are all things, but you are not a thing.
So Acharya Shankara says “Vidya” — know this, think about this

and feel this. Vilakshanam- means that there is a distinction
between the equipments and who you are (the subject matter).
We are that which illuminates (TatVrittiSaakshinam), that
which can see these Vrittis (cells, thoughts)- which means that I
am not these Vrittis. We are different than matter, we are the
spirit. In Srimad Bhagavad Gita there is Prakrti and Purusha —
Purusha means Purnatvam or that which is full, that which is
Infinite. The spirit is a presence. In Srimad Bhagavad Gita,
Bhagvan says that when you know this presence, all else is
known. What He is indicating is that if you know Purusha
(Purnatva), you become happy once and for all — and no other
science can do that. Bhagavan says this is all that has to be
known, and our only purpose is to be happy. In the last quarter
of this shloka, Acharya Shankara gives an example and says that
the Atman is like the Raaja and the equipments are like the
Praja. Raaja is the presence and Praja is the people. In a
functional way, the Raaja has nothing to gain from the Praja.
The self has nothing to gain from the equipments because the
self is Infinite, the self is independent. So from this last quarter,
it can be invoked that the only friend we need is the spirit. So
date yourself! Why date others when you can date yourself in
the most meaningful, lasting, productive, cheap , simple and
happy way.
Sutra for Shloka 18: “I am Illumination”
Please note that it is not “I am the witness” or “I Illuminate” —

those are still lower understandings because if “I Illuminate”,
then its not about me being the presence anymore, I am actively
acknowledging that there is a difference between me and
matter. But when I say “I am Illumination”; then whether there
is matter or not is irrelevant because I “am” Illumination”.
Is the sun illuminating the earth? From the earth’s perspective

yes but from the sun’s perspective it is not! The sun is
illumination whether the earth is there or not. You are
illumination and you are that independent — this is called
Visesha Jnana or detailed knowledge. All else is Samanya Jnana
or general knowledge. “I am this” and “I am that” is all Samanya
Jnaana, but Visesha Jnaana is “I am illumination”.
Shloka 19:
In this Shloka, Acharya Shankara brings up the word Vyaapara
which means business. Vyaapari means some one who is always
active — here what is active is the Indriyas. The senses are ever
active and so I start to think that the Atma (the Self) is also
active. In Srimad Bhagavad Gita Chapter 12, Bhagavan Krishna
says anyone who wants to love Bhagavan, anyone who wants to
live for life, live for the highest and live for peace, they should
have
-a content intellect
-a balanced mind and
-disciplined sense organs.
The word here is Yataatma — without the discipline of sense
organs one cannot love God, one cannot love life. If our senses
are so active, then we will never realize that we are more than
the senses.
In the second quarter of the shloka, Acharya Shankara says

Vyaapari or being active is like someone who is Aviveka. For
someone who is not thinking, it seems as if the Atman is
enlivening the senses. The Atman is not enlivening the senses,
the Atman is a presence. Atman is not a Sakshi, Atman “is”, I
“is”. The senses are enlivened because they are in association
with the Atman. But the “I” does not identify with any
equipment. The word Aviveka is similar to Avichara. “Avichara
Krto Bandhah” — by not thinking we make ourselves separate,
small, sad, stressed and stuck.
When we see moving clouds, then we tend to think that

anything that is around that cloud, like the moon, is moving and
not the cloud. Anything that is closer to us, it feels like it is not
moving and anything that is further away seems like it is
moving. Actually the cloud is moving, and it is closer to us- but
beyond that it is not moving while we feel that it is moving. It is
an optical illusion. That is Taadatmya and not the truth. If we
look carefully we will see that the clouds are moving and the
moon is stable. The moon is not affected by the clouds. So all the
ups and downs in our lives don’t have to affect us if we know
that I am distinct from the equipments.
A similar experience is when we travel in the train and the
landscape appears to be continuously changing, when in reality
it is us who is moving. So we go through these experiences all
the time, but never think that it is happening to us, that we are
“Kootastha”, the Self “is”.
Sutra for Shloka 19: “Perception is deception”
Online Mananam question from last week:

What are indications of closeness?
Indication of closeness is being ready and willing to sacrifice. If
you are close to a person you are ready and willing to sacrifice
for them, if you are close to an idea, you are ready and willing to
sacrifice for that idea.
The reason for this Mananam question is that, though we are

studying a text that is Jnaana focused, if we are really close to
this Jnaana then we will be ready and willing to live by this
Jnaana. If we want to bring God into our lives, then we will be
ready and willing to do what God is asking us to do.

1. What are more ways to classify the equipments?
One of the ways to classify the equipments is based on the
Gunas. If we study the equipment through the Gunas we realize
how hypnotized we are. When the mind is Rajasic, we act in
such a robotic way. For example, being angry because of hunger.
If we know we get angry because of hunger, then we should not
allow ourselves to be hungry. But we just go through this again
and again!
2. What are ways we are Ayukta (disintegrated)?

We are learning such brilliant and practical insights into life and
we just don’t follow. If we don’t follow Bhagavad Gita even after
learning, its like saying “Bhagavan you know lots, but I know
more!”
This week’s discussion point:

1. What is the utility of knowing that spirit is different from
matter?
The obvious utility is that matter is going to die and the spirit is
not, so you become fearless! The matter is limited and the spirit
is not, so you become limitless!
2. What is the relationship between the mind and senses?
The mind is incomplete and so it makes the senses move to
bring completion, then the senses get so habituated to eating, to
walking, to talking that it makes the mind more incomplete. The
more you use a drug, the more dosage you need to get the same
high. This is the relationship between the mind and senses.
RAW for the upcoming week:

Be Achala and Sthira for 5 minutes everyday this week. Achala
means you don’t move your bottom and Sthira means you don’t
move your top. Be motionless. Bhagavan Krishna describes both
Achala and Sthira in Bhagavad Gita Chapter 2.
Class Notes from CHYK DC — Tech
General Class Notes
· Ignorance cannot handle injury
· Prakarana Grantha
o Introductory texts on technicalities (gross bodies, subtle
bodies, etc.)
o Pave the way into the shastras
· Reading/ studying texts such as Ramayana an Geeta is
different from living it
· Our only purpose is to be happy!
o Date yourself!
· By not thinking we make ourselves stuck and stressed
· Living for the highest peace requires (according to chap 12 of
Geeta)
o Content intellect
o Balanced mind
o Disciplined sense organs
· Our closeness to someone is measured by our readiness to
sacrifice for them
o Atma Bodha is jnana-based à We must be prepared to live by
it
Shloka 15
· Association determines limitations
Shloka 16
o To get to the rice, we must remove the husk
§ Mananam destroys doubt
o Unlearning is unleashing
§ Unlearn labels ( such as “I need praise to serve”) to unleash
potential to contribute
Shloka 17
· Belief is at the mind level and faith is at the intellect
level:
o Both belief and faith are of different equipments
o When the mind is clearer, there is more faith
§ Polish the mind mirror
· Not just polishing physical appearance
Shloka 18
· I am Illumination:
o Note: this is neither “I am the witness” nor “I Illuminate”
o Earth is illuminated by the sun but the sun is illumination
independent of the earth’s presence
· Equipments
o There’s a difference between being an equipment and using an
equipment
o made up of matter (prakriti)
§ all of these keep changing
· so I don’t have to assume those limitations
o you are not “a thing”!
o We are different from matter. We are the spirit.
§ Purusha (complete) vs. Prakriti (matter)
§ The spirit is a presence
· Recognizing this presence à happiness
o Similar to relationship between Raja (Presence) and Praja
(People)
§ Raja has nothing to gain from praja = the Self has nothing to
gain from equipments
· The Self is independent
Shloka 19
· Perception is deception:
§ Vyapara (business/ “active”)
· Indriya/ senses are what’s active
o We wrongly start to believe that the Self is also active
§ For those who are not thinking (Aviveka), it is as if the atman
is enlivening senses
§ Atman is not a saakshi (witness) it is presence
· The I does not associate with any equipment
§ When clouds move we think the moon is moving when it is
really the clouds moving
· We must look more closely to realize that the moon is not
affected by the clouds
§ When looking out from a moving boat/ train, what is moving?
· Looks like trees etc are moving really fast but it is really the
vehicle moving

1. What is the utility of knowing the Spirit is different from the
equipments?
o Matter is going to die and you (spirit) are not à fearlessness
2. What is the relationship between the mind and sense organs?
o The mind is incomplete so it uses the senses move to try to
bring completion
§ Perpetuating and amplifying incompleteness like drug because
senses get habituated
Bhargavi Rao
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Nov 20, 2017 · 8 min read
Vivekji started off the class by reminding us about our

knowledge/awareness of ourselves. When we see a person
involved in an accident and suffer memory loss, we ask them if
they remember who they are and not some question like : “Do
you remember E=mc2?”. We are experiencing divinity in the
form of Sat (existence) Chit (awareness) Ananda (joy). We feel
like this existence is outside of us, it is not so ambiguous. We
feel “Chit” (awareness) is inside and outside of us. “I know the
clouds are there because I am aware of them” and so on.
However, when it comes to Ananda or joy, it is to be felt inside.
We don’t feel this joy, which is a deeper aspect of us.
Feeling Sat is gross and obvious (full of Tamas) as we cannot

deny our own existence. To feel Chit, there has to be more Rajas.
But to feel Ananda, there has to be Sattva (quietitude of mind).
To take us deeper from Tamas to Sattva, we engage in Atma
Bodha, which is really Ananda Bodha (science of joy).
Review of Last week’s shlokas
Last week, in Shloka 18, Acharya Shankara shared that senses

(indriya) and body (deha)are made up of materials. These
“materials” are cells. The physical body is made up of cells, the
mind and intellect are also made up of materials, not cells but of
thoughts. Just as we don’t hold on to the cells (hair, etc) when
they come off our body, we should not hold on to our thoughts
as well. We are not our thoughts, we should use them to
know “I am illumination”.
In Shloka 19, a similar message is resonated but from a

different perspective. Acharya Shankara says that the senses are
ever engaged (Vyapara). These senses and body (equipment) are
known as Anatma. They are only working because of the Atma.
These equipment are known as “other” and Atma is known as
“I”. These equipment are known as objects and I am the subject.
Acharya Shankara is urging us to know the relationship between
user of the equipment and the equipment themselves. We have
the tendency to feel that which is apparently more closer to us,
is real. The example given is that the clouds moving gives an
impression that the moon is moving. Similarly, we think that
the spirit is moving and don’t realize that it is actually the body
that is getting older. “I” is a presence and sutra was
“Perception is deception”. If you depend on the equipment
for knowledge, that knowledge is going to be faulty. Just like the
sun doesn’t really rise and set, its merely a perception.
This week’s shlokas
Shloka 20: Here we bring in the presence of the Sun. Atma

which is “I” is of the nature of Chit (awareness). So “You” are
awareness. Second quarter of the verse describes “Anatma”,
which is, body, mind and intellect. Atma is the subject and
Anatma is the object. Object is of relevance only in reference to
a Subject. Nature of Anatma is jada (inert). This body, mind
and intellect is just material, just stuff! These depend on
“I”, the awareness. With I being present, these equipment are
engaged in their own play. Vivekji gave an example of the show
“The Simpsons” where Bart is in a tournament and Lisa is his
coach. Bart is very distracted and Lisa tries to get him to focus
by giving him Zen Koan, “What is the sound of one hand
clapping”? and Bart just starts clapping with one hand by
pressing his fingers on the palm. Another Koan she asks is “If a
tree falls in the forest, and there is noone to hear it, does it make
a sound?” Vivekji asked us to think about this as well and shared
that it indeed does not make a sound, meaning if there is no
Chaitnya, there is no tree and no expression of the tree falling.
There is the need for Chaitnya (Awareness, Atma). Value comes
from Chit. Child can never be as great as their parents. Parents
are the cause of the effect that is you. They gave us value. Fourth
quarter brings the example: Just as Sun is shining on the world,
people are able to work. In chapter 8 of Shrimad Bhagawad
Geeta, people who follow the path of darkness, go to darkness
and people who follow path of light, go to light. Darkness here is
people who follow the path of “valuables” (pleasure, possession,
position). The path of light is when we focus on our duty and
responsibilities, the path of the Sun, path of “values”.
Sutra: Be careful of the full! Full here means awareness,

one’s spirit. “Careful” here does not have a negative
connotation. Being careful is to care, fully.
Shloka 21: To introduce this verse, Vivekji narrated the

incidence of Shri Ramayana, where Shri Bharatha, comes to
Chitrakoota, to urge Bhagwan Rama and Mata Sita to come
back to Ayodhya. Everyone in Ayodhya including 365 queens of
Raja Dasharatha came to request him to come and wanted to
meet with him and Sita mata. So they expressed themselves
(manifested) in multiple forms and met with each one of them.
Similarly, there is only One Atma, only One divinity, it manifests
as all of us and appears as different. We should see through this
and see the Oneness.
Quality of my body and senses will determine how they

function. Our purpose will direct our performance. If our
purpose of attending this course is to attain Joy, then it will
drive us to prepare by reading ahead, take notes, etc. But if the
purpose is to sit beside someone you like, then you pretend to be
sincere. The key word here is “Guna”. In Shrimad Bhagawad
Geeta, Bhagwan Krishna says your Varna (color of your
personality) is determined by your Guna. Whether you are lazy
(Tamasic), aggressive (Rajasic) and quiet (Sattvic) and based on
the Guna is your Karma (body level or ego-intellect-mind level),
what you do with your life, your profession, schooling,
relationships, etc. Atman has no Vasanas (good or bad). Self has
no Varna, no Guna and hence no Karma. This Self is just
Being. In the third quarter, Adhyasa is happening. When you
are nearby them, we assume the limitations of the body, mind.
Vivekji shared how we take our families for granted and
therefore have most expectations from them. That is AViveka.
We don’t think of them as them. Just like we take the sky to be
blue and not colorless. Gurudev in the text says, that is being
childish. Manava is sanskrit word for Human, someone who is
engaged in Manyate ( to think). If we don’t think, we are not
humans. These equipment are perishing, and yet we want
lasting happiness from them. That is AViveka.
Sutra: Senses create sensations!
Questions from last week:

How do you find lasting solutions to short term difficulties?
Answer: The only lasting solution is: Knowledge which is
catalyst to vision which is catalyst to attitude. Difficulties
are not intrinsic to the place, they are an attitude. If you have
the right vision, you don’t have difficulties.
Last week discussion questions:

What is the utility of knowing that spirit is different from
matter?
Thought shared: You stop worrying, it’s the matter that is
suffering.
2. What is the relationship between mind and senses?
Thought shared: Mind and senses collude to be extrovert. They
encourage each other.
This week’s discussion questions:

How do we make less mistakes?
Thought shared:We should reflect on the repercussions of our
thoughts, words and actions. We would then be more Dharmic
in what we think, say and do.
2. Two more sutras on shloka 21:

Thought shared: “Incorporate Shreya” and “Instincts are
for animals”
RAW from last week was given to feel the presence in the
quietude.
RAW: Re-read the whole text studied until now.
Class Notes from CM Niagara
When one is in an accident and assessing for a concussion, we

ask do you know who you are?
As humans we continually forget who we really are as we live
our lives.
We are Satchitananda. Breaking down this word, further:
Feeling “Sat” represents the characteristic of tamas
Feeling “Chit” represents the characteristic of rajas
Feeling “Ananda” represents the characteristic of satvika
We don’t hold on to (or get agitated from) fallen hair and dead
skin cells, so why do we hold on to our thoughts? We need to
remember that “We are Satchitananda”
Shloka 20
We have Aatma (the Self) and the bodily and mental
equipments.
The Sutra for Shloka 20 of Aatmabodha is “Perception is
deception”.
Don’t rely on what the sense organ equipments see, hear, feel,
think…as this perception is deception…..remember you are
Aatma.
The nature of Aatma is Chit [awareness]; the nature of unaatma
is inert [Jadah]
If there is no Aatma, there is no awareness of anything around
us. Essentially, without Aatman (the Self) there is no life! It is
because of the awareness of Aatman that shines within us, we
have life.
Follow a life of values (lightness), don’t follow a life of valuables
(darkness)
Shloka 21
“Be careful of the Fool”… for fools, in lacking proper
discrimination , superimpose on the Aatman (the Self), all
senses and bodily functions and tend to forget truly the
realityàabout Aatma as Satchitananda.
The Aatma has no vasanas.
Taking people for granted is an example of aviveka (non-
discrimination).
Our bodily equipments and mind are perishing and yet we want
everlasting happiness from them..not possible!
The Sutra for Verse 21 is “Senses create sensations.”
-Instincts are FOR animals
Discussion question
How do we make less mistakes?
Answer: When one thinks about all the repercussions
beforehand (before making the mistake), then one is less likely
to commit the mistake.
Class Notes from CHYK Fairfield
· Need only tamas to know sat, need rajas to know chit, need
sattva to know ananda
· Mind and intellect are made up of thoughts, like the body is
made up of cells
o We don’t keep parts of our body like fallen hair and nails, so
why keep our thoughts
· The indriyas (senses) are ever engaged
o Only moving and working because of the Atman
· If you depend on the equipments for knowledge, it will be
faulty
· Shloka 20:
o The nature of the Atman is chit (awareness)
o BMI is just material and depends on awareness
o Just like with the sun shining on the world, people work but
the sun is not dependent
· “Be careful of the full”
o Full = awareness, spirit
o Being careful is caring fully
· Realize all of the value in our life comes from life
· There is only one Atman but it manifests in different ways
· Shloka 21:
o Quality of my body and senses will determine how they
function
o Our purpose will dictate our performance
o When you’re near the body or equipments, you start to think
that you are them
o The equipments are perishing, yet we expect lasting happiness
from them
o “Senses create sensations”
o “Incorporate shreya”
o “Instincts are for animals”
· How do you find lasting solutions to difficulties?
o Vision, which is a catalyst to attitude
o Difficulties are an attitude
· If you know you’re not matter, you don’t worry about matter
· Mind and senses collude to be extroverted
· To prevent mistakes, reflect on the repercussions
· RAW: re-read everything we have covered thus far

Atma Bodha Verse 22
Class Notes from Week 12 — Nov 30, 2017
Sowmya Gopal
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Dec 6, 2017 · 11 min read
Acharyaji started the class by talking about the significance of

Sri Gita Jayanti and Swami Tapovan Jayanti. Reality or Turth is
known as Brahman. Brahman is infinity. We cannot hold on to
infinity because we are so conditioned by our limitations.
Brahman out of compassion assumes a form and a name which
we refer to as Bhagavan (such as Bhagavan Rama or Bhagavati
Devi). Bhagavan too is not reachable for us due to our habits. So
Bhagavan out of compassion assumes more of a form and name
that is known as the “Shastra”. Even the Shastra is too difficult
for us to navigate because of our extroversion. The Shastra or
scriptures assumes more of a form and name out of compassion,
and that is known as “Satguru”. We are on the other side as
jivas. Gita Jayanti is the day that Bhagavan Krishna shared
insights into life and living with prince Arjuna and prince arjuna
went from fear to fearless. Gita jayanti is also the the Jayanti of
Swami Tapovanam, who is the Shiksha Guru of Pujya Swami
Chinmayananda. He is the one who taught Swami
Chinmayananda to go from fear to fearless. So it is a special day
for all of us because it is the day that the Shastra and Satguru
came into our lives.
If you are thinking about changing something in your lifestyle or
personality, then start right now. If you want to change the way
you eat- start now, if you want to change the way you wake up —
start now, if you want to read more — start now. The Satguru
has His/Her hand out to us, and we will extend our hand by
putting in effort, that is Svakrupa or gracing oneself. Then the
Satguru will take our hand and bring it to the Shastra, then the
Shastra will take our hand and bring us to Bhagavan. Bhagavan
will take that hand and bring that to Brahman!
Today’s Atma Bodha class:

We studied a shloka which is shared that if there are electronics
then there has to be electricity. Without electricity, the
electronics becomes irrelevant. This is what Acharya Shankara
taught us in shloka 20. The Sutra for shloka 20 was “Be careful
of the full”. Be careful of that which enlivens an article, being or
circumstance.
In shloka 21, Acharya Shankara is asking us to think about how

purpose pulls performance. So the question is what is the
purpose of the spirit/Atman? The answer is — there is no
purpose, because the Atman or spirit is full. So the Atman or
spirit is just “being”. We are moving, we are changing, we are
exerting but the self is “being”. There is no incompleteness
there. Sutra for shloka 21 is “Senses create sensations”. The
senses are moving, changing and exerting but not the spirit
which brings relevancy to the senses.
A brief review of all the icons that we have studied so far is as
follows:
Shloka 2 — fire
Shloka 3 — darkness
Shloka 4 — clouds
Shloka 5 — pool
Shloka 6 — dream
Shloka 7 — shell
Shloka 8 — bubbles
Shloka 9 — jewelry
Shloka 10 — space
Shloka 11 — water
Shloka 12 — house
Shloka 13 — an assembly
Shloka 14 — seeds
Shloka 15 — crystal
Shloka 16 — rice
Shloka 17 — mirror
Shloka 18 — king / royalty
Shloka 19 — moon
Shloka 20 — sun
Shloka 21 — sky
All the above are worldly icons that we see all the time. These
icons should shift our thoughts to the ideal of that shloka. We
are given a shloka, a commentary on the shloka, then a
commentary on the commentary of the shloka, we are given a
Sutra (to help remember that commentary on the commentary
of the shloka), we are given an icon (to know the Sutra on the
commentary of the commentary on the shloka). It should be
hard to forget!
Shloka 22:
To understand Shloka 22, Acharya Sankara and Chinmaya
Mission is trying to make us prince Arjuna before we can
become Bhagavan Krishna. We have to become prince Arjuna
first because he is “Arjavam” or straightforward and balanced,
only then we can go deeper.
Acharya Shankara in this shloka talks about the ignorance of

mind (which is an equipment or Upaadi). The mind expresses
ignorance by mixing the Absolute with the relative and the
relative with the Absolute. So ignorance of the mind is
expressed as “mixing”. In a deeper sense, we take the Absolute
(existence, awareness and joy), and we feel that it is actually
relative- for example we think that our nature is to be
depressed. We take that which is relative (such as the body,
mind and intellect) and make that Absolute. For example, when
someone says “who am I”, we say “I am this body, how much I
weigh, how I look “and such. This mixing is called “Mogha”. In
the language of Srimad Bhagavad Gita, this mixing or “Mogha”
means to be vain. A vain mind is a superficial mind, that does
not think deeply and clearly. A straightforward expression of
vain thinking or Mogha is to expect the nature of an article,
being and circumstance to be different than its actual nature.
For example, expecting a cell phone to bring me joy. The nature
of a cell phone is not of joy but me expecting that, is me thinking
superficially. Expecting that everyone will like me is vanity or
Mogha. This is the expression of ignorance in the mind.
When we go to a zoo and see an animal which is a carnivore, we
don’t expect it to be a herbivore — then why do we change that
when it comes to people? The same holds when it comes to diet,
I expect you to eat the same food I do, or when it comes to
ourselves we expect that when I donate a certain amount of
money that I should become enlightened! That is not the nature
of articles, beings and circumstances.
The greatest expression of vanity is the feeling of “I do” or

“Kartrutva”, that this is happening because of me. Where there
is doership there is deservership. I project that the self is the
doer and deserver. But we also just studied that the self does not
have a purpose, self is complete and self is “being”. It is the
mind and intellect (equipments) that express this “I do” and “I
deserve”.
Going deeper into “doership”- this is indicative of isolation. We

only say “I do” when there is another person. “I do” is only in
the field of separation or Dvaita. In Sanatana Dharma, at a
cultural level, when one gets married, the “I” is rubbed out and
its only “we” which involves both sides of the families. When we
learn about “we”, then we can start to feel “He” or Bhagavan. If
we can start to feel “He” then it finishes with “Be”. Me, we, He,
Be!! “I” is an expression of ignorance.
This projection of “I do”, “I deserve” on the self is like the

reflection of moon on the water (“Kalpyante Ambugate
Chandre”). We project the mind as Atman. When we think
about the most intimate part of us, it is the mind. When the
mind is rattled, I am rattled. When the mind is calm, I am calm.
That is just a projection. The deepest part of you is not the
mind. The way to understand this is — whenever there is control
there has to be two entities there. If a car is being controlled,
then there has to be the car and the driver of the car.
Throughout the self development scriptures, we say “Control the
mind”, “control the ego” — which means that you cannot be the
mind or ego. Control is an expression of an equipment being
there and a driver being there.
Acharya ji mentioned here that when asked by someone about

what was the most significant change that Acharyaji had
observed in Acharyaji from being in the Vedanta course to now
— Acharyaji’s observation of the tactile benefit from the Vedanta
course to now for Acharyaji was “focus”.
When we are able to focus the mind, it teaches us that we are

not the mind. The mind allows this spirit to interact with
materials/matter. If we can control the mind, then it is just an
equipment- which means that the equipment is not the self.
Acharyaji here quoted an example from Ramayana, where

Bhagavan Rama as a little boy is playing with the pots of water
reflecting the moon. Bhagavan Rama sees that the moon is
shaking or not still and He gets upset. Then Bhagavan Rama’s
mother explains to Him that when the pot is not shaking and
the water is still, the moon does not look broken. To think that
when the water is shaking then the moon is also shaking is
childish. In the same way to think that when the mind shakes,
the Self shakes is also childish. Being exposed to this insight
starts to make us independent of that shaking. You are that
electricity to this electronic.
Sutra for Shloka 22: “Dedication gifts humility”.

In Sanskrit, there is a saying “Vidya Dadati Vinayam”, meaning
“Knowledge gives humility”. However in this Sutra it is
“Dedication gifts humility”, because in this shloka, what is being
highlighted is doership and deservership. Someone who is
dedicated is not focused on deservership and the idea of
reciprocity and recognition. If we can balance out that feeling of
deservership then one starts to realize that there is no point of
even feeling doership. This brings in humility.
Another way to bring this Sutra to life is to think about who your
role models are. The most effective role models to shake one
from being Tamasic and Rajasic, is to have hard working role
models. They are the most effective role models in the beginning
and at the end, but definitely in the beginning. This is because
hard working role models don’t use words such as “I deserve
this” or “I am doing this”. Is your name on the list of hardest
working people you know? If the answer is no, then we need to
change our role models. Deservership and doership will be
nullified and that’s what this shloka is about.
Online Question: “What are you doing to be more Saatvik?”

Listen more carefully. A Rajasic person is someone who is
listening with ego. They are listening from their perspective. But
a Saatvik person is listening carefully not from their perspective
but from another’s perspective. Listen carefully and you will
find that Sattva will develop in one’s personality.
Discussion points from shlokas 20 and 21:

How to make less mistakes?
To incorporate Shreya into your life. When one starts to think
long term then one makes less mistakes. A tactile example
Acharyaji mentioned is that — many of the corporations today
hardly pay taxes in USA, while they should be. When America
needs to repair bridges and highways, the way to find money for
that is from people who pay taxes. So the government
supporting corporations who do not pay taxes is a strategy of
Preya. If they think long term, then they should encourage those
corporations to pay taxes.
Two more Sutras for Shloka 21:

1. Reflect on repercussions.
2. Instincts are for animals.
Discussion points for this week

1. What ways are people secretly selfish?
2. What policies should be passed to encourage people to be
responsible?
Earlier RAW from Nov 2nd:

“Yukti for Mukti”
You came up with the logic or rationale, so now you follow
it.Don’t philosophize on the insight but follow the insight now.
Nov 16th RAW:
Read 3 Pages a day for 15 days and review AtmaBodha.
Commit to owning AtmaBodha. Not just treating this as a
Saatvik social group but owning it.
RAW for this week:

Read the comments on Acharyaji’s youtube video “Essence of
Hinduism”
Class Notes from CHYK Jersey
Introduction
Brahman -> Name and form: Bhagwan -> Scriptures: Shastra ->
Sadguru
o Today we are celebrating Gita Jayanti and Tapovan Jayanti
o What you are changing: START NOW
o Put in the effort — Svakrupa
· Last week Review

o Sutra for Shloka 20: Be careful of the Full
o Sutra for Shloka 21: Senses create sensations
· Analogies / Symbols
2. FIRE
3. DARKNESS
4. CLOUDS
5. POOL
6. DREAM
7. SHELL
8. BUBBLES
9. JEWELRY
10. SPACE
11. WATER
12. HOUSE
13. ASSEMBLY
14. SEEDS
15. CRYSTAL
16. RICE
17. MIRROR
18. KING
19. MOON
20. SUN
21. SKY
· These ICONS should shift our thoughts to the IDEALS

Shloka 22
· We are ignorant of the mind as equipment
· We mix the relative and Absolute
o Take existence which is Absolute and make it relative
o A vain mind is a superficial mind
· Expression of Vanity is this feeling of “I do”
o Where there is doership there is deservership
o This equipment expresses as “I do” / “I deserve”
· “I Do” is in the field of separation
o We need to go from ME — WE — HE — BE
o “I” is an expression of ignorance
· The projection is like the reflection on the water of the moon
o The deepest part of you is not the mind
o Control the mind and the ego — we can’t be the mind or be the
ego
o Focus the mind to teach me I’m NOT the mind
· Follow the Rationale
o Equipment is NOT the self
o The reflection, NOT the Moon, is moving/ shaking on the
water
o If we believe when the water shakes the moon shakes — that is
CHILDISH
o If we believe when the mind shakes the Self shakes — that too
is CHILDISH
· Sutra for Shloka 22: Dedication gifts Humility

o Expression of ignorance is “I DO”
o Balance out the deservership and doership
o Have hard-working role models
Discussion Question from last week:

1. What are you doing to be more sattwic?
· Listen more carefully
· Listen from another’s perspective
· Practice Shreya (long-term thinking) as that will lead to one
making less mistakes
2. Two more sutras for Shloka 21
· Reflect on repercussion
· Instincts are for animals
RAW: Read comments in the video Essence of Hinduism
Class Notes from CM Peoria Home

Class Notes from Week 13 — Dec 7, 2017
Sowmya Gopal
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Dec 12, 2017 · 8 min read
Acharya ji started the class with an example from Ramayana. If

we see in Ramayana, the monkeys in the jungle are all obeying
the instructions of Sugriva. Sugriva is following the vision of
Bhagvan Rama. What this looks like subjectively is that those
monkeys are the thoughts (we can remember this as “Man”
“ki”). Possession of the mind is the thoughts. These monkeys are
following Sugriva (Griva means neck, Sugriva means one who
has a strong neck). Some one who (has a strong neck) has a
strong head , means someone who is clear with what their vision
is. Rama means joy. The thoughts follow the voice of the
intellect towards joy. As long as there are doubts with the voice
of the intellect, the thoughts go all over the place. Purpose of
living is Happiness (as mentioned in the Happiness series) and
the path to that purpose is development. The same is true with
the Atma Bodha course. Atma Bodha is trying to clear our
doubts about where happiness is and where happiness is not. As
long as these doubts are there, we just get tired — tired of
school, tired of work, tired of our relationships! The tiredness is
because of the weight of doubts. When there is clarity,
conviction and confidence — one is never tired. If you have met
someone tireless, its because they have such clarity that there is
no weight in their heart, there is no weight on their personality.
When an article is too close to us, it is difficult to see that article

fully or see the nature of that article. Acharyaji told everyone to
take their hands and bring it to the tip of our nose to check how
our hand looks — to practically show us that we cannot see what
our hand looks like when its so close. The only way to see the
lines and shape of our fingers is to take it back and look from a
distance.
What Acharya Shankara is doing for us is that He is bringing

icons of our day to day existence to life. Icons like the cloud, the
moon, a pool of water, our own reflection — we see them so
closely that we take them for granted. He is asking us to take a
step back so that in our own life we can start to recognize reality.
We can start to feel joy!
In shloka 22, we saw a fine example of the relationship between

purity and clarity. Where there is purity, there is clarity. For
example, if there is purity in diamond then it is more clear. The
example given in the shloka is of water being like our mind. The
first thing we need to do if we have a pail of dirty water is to
quieten that water — which means we have to quieten the mind,
quieten the Rajas (aggression). That is when we become more
steady. The way to know that we have quietened the mind is that
we become more steady. Once the water becomes quiet and
there is total stillness, we can start taking out the dirt. That’s the
removal of Tamas , the laziness or ignorance. What this feels
like is that we become more sincere. Steadiness is less Rajas and
sincerity is less Tamas. The Sutra for shloka 22 is “Dedication
gifts humility”. When there is less Rajas, i am not focused on
deservership and when there is less Tamas i am not so focused
on doership.
Shloka 23:
If you know the time that you slept, that means you are not
sleeping — a similar thought is brought out in shloka 23.
Here Acharya Shankara talks about Raga — attachment, Iccha-
desire, Sukha-pleasure, Duhkha-pain. These can be reordered
as Iccha Raga Sukha Duhkha. Where there is desire, there is
attachment and when I get what I am attached to, there is Sukha
(pleasure). But, built into pleasure is pain (Duhkha). The word
at the end is “Adi” which means etcetera or on and on and on.
As soon as the Duhkha comes, we tend to go back to another
Iccha, followed by Raga, Sukha and Duhkha again! This cycle
goes on.
In the next line, Buddhou means the Antahkarana (the mind
and memory, intellect and ego), Satyam means “this is the
nature of” ; and Pravartate means “this is functioning or
moving”. The desire, attachment, pleasure and pain is known as
long as the software or Antahkarana is working.
In sleep (Sushupta) , when the software stops working , there is
no desire, attachment, pleasure or pain. When the software does
not work, the vices don’t work either, so the vices are just an
expression of the software. Since the vices are intrinsic to the
software, and the Antahkarana can be turned on and off, it
shows that this is just an equipment. “You” are different from
that which is turned on and off. If you were the software that
turned off, then you would never know what is happening in life
day after day. Imagine dying and being reborn every day, you
would never know what you ate yesterday or what school you
went to. But we do know this, which means this is just an
equipment with an on/off switch. When it is on, there is all the
noise (Raga Dvesha etc) but when off there is no noise.
Acharyaji here mentioned a quote by Edgar Allan Poe which
says “ Sleep, those little slices of death — how I loathe them”.
Here sleep is known as a little death, death of that micro or the
software but not of macro. It is not the death of the user of the
software. Therefore, these vices such as disappointment,
depression, anxiety, frustration, jealousy, comparison, greed
belong in the mind and not in the Self.
In a very technical way, these vices and the mind are known as
concomitant variables. Concomitant variables means if A is
present, B is present. When A is not present, B is not present.
Therefore B depends on A. B is concomitant to A. A is the mind
and B is the vices. The vices depend on the mind. “You” are
different, “you” are deeper, “you” are “Atman”.
Rishi Patanjali’s second Yoga sutra is “Yogashchittavritti
Nirodhah”. Transcending (nirodhah) the Vritti (thoughts) of the
chitta (mind) — is Yoga.
Sutra for Shloka 23: “Transcend the thoughts”

Where there are thoughts there will be vices. We cannot control
the thoughts, or suppress them, but we have to transcend these
thoughts. When you are serious about happiness, you become
less “serious”. Acharyaji here mentioned an observation that
when some people become serious about happiness, then they
become more serious, which means they are less happy — and
this is a poor way of interpreting and practicing self-
development. If you are serious about happiness, when thoughts
of desires, attachments, pleasure and pain come, then we should
know that they are just thoughts. “i” am bigger than these
thoughts and i am going to transcend these thoughts.
In the happiness series, we saw how we are habituated to think

that we are not happy. If you think you “are” or think you “are
not” happy then you are probably right! We are habituated to
think we are not happy but here Acharya Shankara is trying to
change our habits.
Shloka 24:
Where there is Arka (sun), there is going to be Prakasha (light).
Where there is water (Toyam), there will be coolness (Shaitya or
Sheetala). Where there is fire (Agni), then there will be heat.
If sun then light
If water then coolness
If fire then heat
Bhavaha means feel, Sva means feeling of the Self (moments of
deep feeling), the most centered feeling, the most real feeling
which is of Sat-Chit-Ananda (Existence-awareness-joy), which
is of one’s nature and does not change! This Atman is forever
(Nitya) and never changes ( Nirmala). So,
If Atman then “Existence-awareness-joy”
If Atman then “forever” and “changeless”
In this shloka, we learn a lot about Dharma. We learn that
Dharma in a verb sense is that which integrates and in the noun
sense it means responsibility. The Dharma of sun is not going to
change, the Dharma of water is not going to change, the Dharma
of fire is not going to change — then why do we think that our
Dharma is changing?
Sutra for Shloka 24: “Our nature is like nature”
Rabbits are cute and they will always be cute. That’s the nature
of rabbits. Their nature is to nibble grass and not to fight dogs.
With nature, there is so much acceptance and appreciation that
we should also accept and appreciate our nature. No other
science teaches us what our nature is.
Online Question: “Why do hardworking people work hard?”

Just because they do! It is a natural expression of who they are
and they don’t even feel that they work hard. Its just their
Svabhava, Dharma. These are the people Acharyaji describes as
tireless.

1. What ways do people secretly practice selfishness?
People do this by judging others from their self-absorbed
perspectives. Selfish is not just about taking, selfish is looking at
living only from our perspective.
Judging others is a secret way of being selfish.
Acharyaji here referenced the “Beyond Bullying” workshop and
said that the way to reform bullies is by being compassionate
with them. So if we look at living from their perspective and not
from a judgmental perspective, there would be less bullying in
the society. We always take the path of Preya and “isolate” them,
which encourages more inner rebellion.
2. What policies should be passed to encourage people to be

responsible?
By having communal results than having individual results. A
whole college should be rewarded for doing well rather than
individual students. Acharya ji here said — that is the reason
why Acharyaji is a fan of team sports than individual sports.
Raw from last week: “To read comments from Essence of

Hinduism recording on Youtube.”
It is very easy to get lost in that which is in-essential. Maya
drives us towards that.
Raw for this week: Create a Christmas wish list, to give.
Class Notes from CHYK Lexington
Introduction:
- In the Ramayana, the monkeys of the jungle listen to their king
Sugreeva, who follows the vision of Lord Rama. In this example,
the monkeys represent thoughts and Sugreeva is clarity. When
there is clarity in thoughts, one has joy (represented by Lord
Rama).
- An object right in front of the face is hard to decipher, but it
becomes easier to see as you step away from it. Until we take a
step back from circumstances, there will not be clarity in
thought or action.
- Just as mud cannot be filtered from water until it settles to the
bottom, total stillness of the mind is needed before it can be
purified of Tamas.
Verse 23:
- Where there is desire (Iccha), there is attachment (Raga),
which leads to pleasure (Sukha) and ultimately pain (Dukha).
This cycle continues.
- However, all of these (desire, attachment, pleasure and pain)
are only known as long as the “software” (mind and ego) works.
- During sleep, the mind stops working and we do not
experience pain or pleasure.
- Vices like pain, pleasure, attachment and desire are fully
dependent on the mind. These vices are intrinsic to the
“software” and thus different from our true nature.
- Sutra: Transcend the thoughts.
o We cannot suppress or control thoughts- we must transcend
them. As Acharyaji put it wittily, when you become serious
about happiness, you become less serious!
Verse 24:
- Where there is sun, there will be light. Where there is water,
there is coolness. Where there is fire, there is heat.
- Just as these properties are inherent, the nature of Atma is
Sat-Chit-Ananda (existence-consciousness-bliss).
- Sat-Chit-Ananda is unchanging, just as the sun’s properties are
unchanging. The nature of Sat-Chit-Ananda is beyond labels
and instruments.
- Sutra: Our nature is like nature
Last week’s questions:
- What ways are people secretly selfish? They judge others from
their own self-absorbed perspectives.
- What policies should be passed to encourage responsibility?
Communal results should be emphasized instead of individual
results (ex: teamwork should be the focus of team sports instead
of individual abilities).
RAW: Create a Christmas wish list of what you’d like to give.

Atma Bodha Verse 25, 26,
27
Class Notes from Week 14 — Dec 14, 2017
Bhargavi Rao
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Dec 16, 2017 · 25 min read
Acharyaji started the class by sharing that when studying Viveka

Choodamani, Pujya Swami Tejomayananda told the students
that Acharya Shankara is describing “you”. You should leave this
class feeling that you are Brahman!
Acharyaji jokingly said here about how He was thinking of

filling a e-tourist visa form as Brahman! Name — nameless, age-
not born, gender- no form, address- all pervading, education —
omniscient and so on — and that’s the truth! When filling out
the form with details that we believe, then that is the “small
me”. But if we fill out the details with the “Infinite me”, then
everything described is real.
In Srimad Bhagavatham, there is a beautiful dialogue where

Bhagvan Krishna is being described as the one who has many
colors. Bhagvan Krishna has many colors to his personality,
which actually means that He is beyond color. Bhagvan Krishna
is described as having many parents, which really indicates that
He is not born! Bhagvan Krishna has many names which really
means that He is the one who is all of us
We are engaged in an intense experience of unlearning.

Unlearning this small identification that this is my name, this is
my gender and this is where I live, that I have a specific color, a
specific parent, a specific lineage. This intense experience of
unlearning needs constant remembrance. When you remember,
you feel more large hearted, you feel infinite. When you forget,
then try and remember again!
When you are feeling well, you don’t take medicine, but when
you are not feeling well, you take some medicine and feel well
again. If you still don’t feel well, you take medicine again! This is
the same, this is medicine for our life, medicine for our vision!
Acharyaji quoted a joke told by Guruji Swami Tejomayananda

where a patient went to a physician and the physician was very
angry because the patient gave a check that bounced! The
money went into the account and left! So when asked by the
doctor, the patient said the same goes with you — I was healthy
when I left but now I am unhealthy! So it’s the same transaction.
Acharyaji said — Don’t be like that!
Don’t be that misinterpreting patient! The more you remember,

the more natural this becomes.
In Shloka 23, we saw the characteristics of the thoughts and

how these thoughts belong to the equipment that is the
“Antahkarana”. You are not that equipment. Similarly, in
sociology, we try not to use the word “bully” or “bullied” — but
we say people who bully or people who are “bullied”. This is
done to avoid labeling.
Looked at differently, an experience that all of us can relate to is

stress. Who creates stress — we create stress. If I am the creator
of stress, then I am the only one who can uncreate that stress.
The ultimate way to uncreate stress is to know that stress is a
thought, a thought is an expression of an equipment and I am
not that equipment.
The Sutra for Shloka 23 is “Transcend the thoughts”. This really

means transcend the equipment. You can only transcend when
you are depending, identifying, loving that which is Higher, that
which is deeper.
In Shloka 24, we studied our nature never changes, just like

the nature of sun is light and nature of water is to be cold. The
first Ashram that Chinmaya Mission purchased outside of
Bharat was in Piercy California. One of the best parts about
Northern California are the Redwood trees. They are gigantic
and old, some of them 400 or 500 years old. When you go to
this forest and are with those trees, those are the same trees that
were there when Pujya Swami Chinmayananda used to visit this
forest, those are the same trees that perhaps the people who
first came to America from Europe got to see. These are the
same trees that the first nation’s people depended on. Those
trees are essentially unchanging. If I got to experience them in
2005, it’s the same experience from 1985 or from 1785 and so
on! Our experience of Atma or Brahman is the same! If you
think of the Atma being ten thousand years old or ten million
years old, by identifying with the Atma right here right now, it is
the same Atma from ten thousand or ten million years ago.
That’s a very inspiring and incredible insight — that I can
experience the same that Sri Adi Shankaracharya experienced,
that Veda Vyasa experienced, that Bhagvan Vishnu is
experiencing. I am eligible for the same. The Sutra for shloka 24
is “Our nature is like nature”.
Nature does not change, and if nature is changing it is because

of us.
Acharyaji shared a funny incident here about how He was

teaching Avadhoota Gita to a group of kids and telling them that
we should be like the ocean. When criticisms come in, or when
compliments come in we should be unchanging like the ocean.
And when Acharyaji said that, the kids asked Him “Aren’t the
ocean levels rising?”!! Unfortunately we humans are changing
even the natural aspect of nature. We can buy watermelons
shaped like cubes, people have pets that can be fit in a purse!
But if we think of animals back in the day, they were wild. But
now we are making it more and more unnatural, for us! This is
the importance of coming back to our nature.
Shloka 25: Acharya Shanakara says that a part (Ansha) of You

is Existence. A small part of infinity is also infinity. Ansha here
means “aspect”. An aspect of you is existence, awareness.
Existence does not fade in or fade out. We never feel “more or
less existent”. You as existence is infinite. However, “Budhihi,
vrittihi iti dvaya” the nature of Budhi (antahakarana, software)
is Vritti. Vrittis keep coming and going. We have 60,000
thoughts a day, 420, 000 thoughts a week and so on…one at a
time. These thoughts are of Raaga (likes and dislikes), Iccha
(wants), Sukha and Dukha (pleasure and pain). These thoughts
are not present as you are sleeping or going to sleep. Vivekji
talked about when he guided the yatris to “not become” in the
contemplation retreat. When he asked them to not move, etc
everyone was on their way to sleep because we are so
habituated to “becoming”. We are so habituated to thinking
all the time, we don’t know what it is “to be”. In the third line,
Sanyojya Avivekena means because I am aviveka (Discriminate
in wrong ways and don’t discriminate in right ways). Vivekji
illustrated an example of indiscriminate politicians. For such
people, there is a relationship between the unchanging existence
, awareness, joy and ever changing thoughts. Is that possible?
Can there be a relationship between light and dark? can we ever
be so happy that we are sad? This is not possible. Adhyasa
(Adhi=locus, Aasana=sit). When one entity sits on the other, we
think they have combined to create a new entity. But if they are
of opposing nature, they are mutually exclusive, like light and
darkness, joy and sorrow. Another interpretation to Adhyasa is
one doesn’t think. Adhi=one who doesn’t think. So whatever
they are associated with, they start to associate with that. Vivekji
gave an example of High school students that associate with
friends that use harsh words resulting in the student treating
their parents in the same way. We use words that we don’t the
meaning of but use because of the people we associate
with…without thinking. People become confused and the
expression of this confusion is “I know”. That I is existence, the
thoughts that come and go are of the mind. Without thinking,
we believe this is the real entity, and I go about my life thinking,
“I do”, “I deserve” and I feel small. Vivekji quoted an example
given by Guruji of an actress who has her own personality.
When she wears the costume of a princess, she becomes a
princess. But what if she forgets her own real nature and that
she is NOT a princess, it becomes a problem. Similarly, that
personality is SatChitAnanda and that costume is the mind. We
are wearing the mind and forgetting that these are separate
entities.
Sutra for shloka 25:” I know, the I know”. If I know this

feeling of “I know” then the feeling of I know is small. There is a
bigger, deeper aspect to me than this feeling of I know.
Shloka 26: The Atma is not involved in vikriya (engaging).

That means you do not have to do anything to be happy. That
not doing is developing independence from articles, beings and
circumstances. A complete person cannot become anything. You
would just “Be”. Becoming is indicative of incompleteness.
Vivekji gave an instance of when he mentioned to the devis,
during a Devi retreat, that “when you find your divinity, you
would become a purusha”. Purusha here meant “Human
(purnatva)”. Human is someone who feels complete. If one finds
their divinity, one finds completeness which really means they
have completed the purpose of living. Until then, we will keep
on engaging in action/becoming.
The intellect/software/antahkarana intrinsically is incapable of

functioning. We are separating Life from living, electricity from
electronics. An alarm clock with no batteries is purposeless.
Acharya Shankara is hinting that any value in our life, is coming
from Life and not what is in front of life. In Rama Geeta,
Lakshmana asks Bhagwan Rama five questions. What is Jnana,
maya, jeeva (Ishwara), vairagya and bhakti? A jeeva is one who
is small and never asks “Who am I” and never asks about
creation and creator. Because they are so busy with Vikriya
(doing, doing, doing). Once you slow down, there is a different
feeling towards living. Jeeva is one who does not enquire. When
someone doesn’t enquire, they become tired. They feel tired
because they are engaged in something that is meaningless. The
beauty of God’s creation is that someday we will become a
seeker, if not already, because some day we will get tired….tired
of relationships, working, school, etc. We will want to find
meaning in everything. It doesn’t mean we will stop going to
school or have relationships (that would be the wrong
interpretation). It means that we find meaning in all these. The
smart person will be proactive and realize that they will get tired
eventually and prepare for it and find meaning now. Jeeva
sarvamala: they are just succumbing to what they are.
Jeeva feels that he is the seer, knower because he is delusional.
You cannot be knower and seer at the same time. This is
logically not possible. We cannot be perceiver and perceived at
the same time. For example, if my eyes are seeing the table, it
means my eyes cannot be the table. can the eyes see the eyes?
Eyes cannot be the seer and the seen at the same time.
Vivekji shared a story told by Guruji about going in the green

(light room) room where there is a reel and the arc light. This
light has nothing to do with the reel. That reel is the play of
colors. The light and the reel are separate, they cannot be the
same thing. We are that light, that arc light, not the reel. This
arc light is brilliant and long lasting.
Sutra for Shloka 26: “Believing the illusion is delusion”. If

you don’t believe the illusion, it is fun. If you do, it takes over.
Stop believing in the illusion.
Vivekji shared a thought he was sharing with the retreat

attendees: “A distraction is a distraction if you are distracted”.
When video games become our live, we cannot complain about
them being a distraction. They are infact not a distraction, it
depends on our ability to focus. One’s ability to be complete.
You are the light!
Atma Bodha is subtle. Vivekji shared that we feel taken for

granted because we are doing the same by taking them for
granted. A jeeva is one who is taking for granted about living
and life.
Shloka 27: Rajju means a rope, on this rope is a Sarpa (snake).
Acharyaji here quoted an experience where another student and
He were walking in the Ashram in Mumbai and mistook a snake
for a rope! Acharyaji here jokingly said how He was
subconsciously pushing the other student to the front towards
the snake! This shows how deep our instincts of survival is! This
is an example of Adhyaasa — the snake is sitting on the locus
that is the rope. There are other such examples like the ghost
sitting on the post and so on, however the most severe example
is the “jiva” sitting on “Atma”. We get it when it comes to snakes
and ropes, we get it when it comes to ghosts and posts — why
don’t we get it when it comes to us, that this is happening to us?
We take for granted and don’t inquire enough as to who we are,

what is creation, or about the created and creator!
“Jivam Jnaatva Bhayam Vahet” is a very powerful line. As long

as you do not know that you are Atman, as long as you do know
that you are Jiva, one will carry Bhaya or fear. Who created
stress — I did, who should uncreate stress — I do, who lifted fear
— I did, who has to let go of fear — I do!
In Chapter 9 of Srimad Bhagavad Gita, we study how if you

worship (worship here means that you feel) the small (small
here refers to pleasure, possession, position) — then the
expression of this is the feeling of worry. Whether I verbalize it
or not I know that the “small” is unable to provide me with
“completes”. Every time you experience worry, think about why
you worry! We worry because we know that whatever it is that
we have or are working towards is not going to complete us. But
we take it for granted that may be the next vacation will
complete me, may be the next marriage will complete me, may
be the next lifetime will complete me, may be the next Guru will
complete me ! This is us worshipping the small. When you
worship the infinite, when you identify with the deep — the
expression of that is not worry but it is feeling natural, because
you know that infinitude, that depth “will be able to” provide for
your completion. Here Acharyaji quoted the example of how an
infant feels that the parents are infinite, because these are the
people that help the infant when hungry or uncomfortable. So
the infant feels most natural with the parents. Imagine we
started worshipping God, and identifying with Bhagvan — we
would feel so natural, because that is who our parent is.
“I” am not small, “I” am not a name, “I” am not a form —

intrinsic to this is “I” am “Paraatma”. I am not the Atma that I
think I am — which is the body, the mind, the ego — I am
“Paraatma”, I am “the Atma” , I am “the Absolute” — and by
knowing that I start to let go of that fear, I start to resume my
fearlessness.
Can you even visualize the last time you felt fearless? Acharyaji
mentioned here jokingly about how during a field trip in a
summer camp, Acharya ji went to play laser tag with a bunch of
10 year old kids and how He was much taller than the rest and
how He protected his spot and could shoot everyone’s lasers, got
so many points and walked out of that laser tag feeling fearless!
Imagine feeling fearless in every circumstance- and that is
possible. It is possible when we start to inquire !
Guruji shared an insightful Subhaashitam (words of wisdom )

for this shloka which is — “Karishyami Karishyami Karishyami
iti chintaya, marishyami marishyami marishyami iti praakriya”
Chintaya means to think. “I do, I do, I do and die, die, die” —

One forgets that we are going to die ! In our “busy”ness we
forget to find meaning. We forget that we are holding on to fear
right now.
Sutra for Shloka 27: “Courage to be fearless”
Courage is a Saathvik sentiment. Courage is knowing that there

is challenges but I still face those challenges. Courage is being
responsible.
The best example is Monday mornings, we know there will be

challenges but I am going to follow through with my
responsibilities. Courage is being part of the “Silence Retreat”,
knowing that the retreat will intensify our Sadhana!
Fearless is when there is no challenge anymore. Fearlessness is

actually synonymous with oneness. Who do you fear the least —
yourself — oneness!
A lot of courage is needed in parenting, or arguing with a family

member which is totally different than being daring. People
confuse being daring with being courageous. Daring is Rajasic,
it is like skydiving, bunjee jumping, heli skiing etc. Be
responsible — reach fearlessness.
Online Question: “What are the symptoms, sources and

solutions to stess?”
The symptom of stress is failure — failure physically, mentally,

intellectually. The source of stress is thoughts. If you don’t have
a thought, there is no stress. If there is a stress thought, there
will be stress. The solution is to be efficient with your thoughts
and here is how. Here are the triggers for stress thoughts:
Trigger 3. Time
Solution: Use time tactfully. Be more organized, be more of a

planner.
Trigger 2. Money/Resources
Solution: Use money/resources gratefully. Use materials

gratefully.
Trigger 1: People
Solution: Use people virtuously. People are an ideal experiment

in knowing whether you are value oriented or virtue oriented.
Value is still theoretical. Using people virtuously when they are
trying me and I am being patient shows that I have that virtue.
RAW from last week: To come up with a holiday wish list, to
give.
Reasons why Acharyaji asked us to do this:
1. To experience or taste the joy of giving. There is going to be

more joy in fulfilling that wish list than any wish list where the
focus is you getting.
2. Now do it! Its your wish list so follow through with it.
RAM: Everyday leading up to Jan 11th, use this sequence of

words:
Slow down, step back, see more, smile one.
Acharyaji’s sharing to the Sadhakas:
To internalize Vedanta, one needs to be appreciative of Vedic

culture — sitting straight, have a note book to take notes. Unless
we create that Vedic culture outside, we cannot create that
inside. Be careful about the Vedic culture in your environment
— how you are sitting, the aura of the room, the altar, the notes,
the sounds, only drinking water — all of that.
September 2014 to May 2015 — the first text was taken up for
the Thursday study group and that was “Fear, Face it”
From 2015 to 2016 — we studied “Self Unfoldment”.

From 2016 to 2017 — we studied “Moha Mudgara” (Bhaja
Govindam).
From 2017 to 2018 we are taking up Atma Bodha and within

this Acharyaji is also teaching “Tattva Bodha”. “Tattva Bodha” is
in prose , “Atma Bodha” is in poetry. Same subject but shared
differently. Studying a prose is not as engaging if we don’t have
that Vedic culture. Acharyaji shared that if we study Atma
Bodha that means we have also studied Tattva Bodha.
From 2018–2019 — Acharyaji mentioned we will be studying

“Masshodanam and Upadesha Sara”. Manashodanam is about
purifying the mind by Swami Tejomayananda and Upadesha
Sara is the essence of Vedanta and advice by Sri Ramana.
If we go see Swami Chinmayananda’s advice to seekers on what

they should do with their self-study, we would have completed
all those texts by next year!
Acharyaji pointed out how we are studying in a very systematic

way all these recommended texts!
Class Notes from CM Pittsburgh North
Introduction
Acharya Vivekji started the class with an saying from Swami
Tejomayananda when he was teaching Vivekachudamani class.
Acharya Shankara wants you to leave the class with a feeling
that “You are Brahman”. Acharya Vivekji was recently filling
the e-tourist visa for Bharat and explained how would Brahman
fill out the questions in the form. Name — Nameless, Age — Not
born, Gender — Formless, Address — All pervading, Education
— Omniscient. All of this mak when we think of the “Infinite
me” instead of the “small me”. In Srimad Bhagavatam, a
dialogue where Bhagavan Sri Krishna is described as one who
has many colors to his skin (personality) which just means he is
beyond colors. He is also described as having many parents
which really means that he is not born. He is also described as
having many names which really means that he has all names.
We are engaged in an intense experience of unlearning of our
color, names, personality etc and we need to be constantly
reminded of this unlearning. We then forget our true nature and
again have to be reminded of it. This is like taking a medicine
when we are sick to be well again. Similarly we need to engage
in this constant unlearning to be reminded of our true nature,
all pervading nature.
Recollection from Shloka 23

We studied the characteristics of our thoughts and how these
thoughts are coming from the antahkarana which is the
equipment. We have to identify ourselves as not being the
equipment and as the one who controls the equipment. A
similar example that relates to all of us is the experience of
stress. Who is the creator of stress? I am the creator of stress.
Hence I can only end the stress. If we realise that the stress
comes from the thoughts we have and these thoughts are from
the equipment, then we can uncreate the stress. Sutra for Shloka
23 — “Transcend the thoughts”. We can only transcend these
thoughts if we have love for the higher Self.
Recollection from Shloka 24

Our nature never changes, just like the nature of sun, water etc.
Acharya Vivekji talked about the Chinmaya mission in Northern
California where there are a lot of Redwood trees. These
redwood trees are 400 years old and these are the same trees
that the initial people who settled in America saw and the same
tree that the last 400 years people of different generation have
seen it. Those trees are essentially unchanging in certain aspect.
Our experience of Atman is similar. If we can experience Atman
at this instance, it is the same Atman that that has been
experienced thousands of years ago. This is the same Atman
that Bhagavan Adi Shankara, Sage Veda Vyasa and Bhagavan
Vishnu have experienced. Sutra for Shloka 24 — “Our nature is
like nature”. If nature changes, it is because our understanding
of nature is wrong, not the essential nature of it.
Shloka 25
Amsha — a part, Atman — of you; Sat — existence, Chit —
awareness; meaning a part of you is existence-awareness. If you
take a part of the Infinite, how big is that part ? Infinite. Here
we should not consider amsha as literally a part. Here the
indirect meaning is “nature” as in “nature of atman”. Existence
never fades in or fades out; does not change. You as existence is
Infinite. Nature of the buddhi (antahkarana) i.e. nature of the
software is vrtti. They keep coming and going. How many
thoughts do we have in a day ? 60,000 a day. They just keep
coming and going, but one at a time. What are the nature of
these thoughts ? raga, iccha, suka or dukha. These thoughts are
not present as we are going to sleep or in deep sleep. Aviveka —
indiscriminate; discriminate in the wrong way or don’t
discriminate in the right ways. For such a person, there
is “Samyojya” — relationship between the ever unchanging
existence-awareness and the ever-changing thoughts. Is this
even possible ? Can darkness and light have a relationship
? adhyasa — “adhi” means “locus” and “asa” means “to sit”. So,
the explanation is that we have one entity that sits on another
entity and we think this together has created another entity and
treat it as real. If they are of opposing nature, they are mutually
exclusive. Another interpretation of “adhi” as split
into “dhi” meaning “to think” and “a-dhi” meaning “someone
who does not think”. This expression of confusion leads to the
thought “I know”.
An example Guruji gives is that of an theatrical play where an

actress takes on the garb of a princess to act. And what if you
forgot that you are acting and that you are an actress and think
that you are the princess. Here the person is the Atman — Sat-
chit-ananda and the costume is the mind. And we forget our
nature and think that we are the mind and go about with “I
know”.
Sutra for Shloka 25 — I know, the I know.
Shloka 26
Atman does not engage in anything. In other words, you being
Atman does not have to do anything to become happy. A
complete person, what would he become ? becoming means that
you are incomplete. Acharya Vivekji gave an anecdote from Devi
retreat where he told the folks that “When you find your
divinity, you become a purusha”. Purusha means purnatvam —
human who feels complete. Until we find our divinity, we keep
trying to complete ourselves; but once we find our divinity, we
feel complete and need nothing more to complete ourselves. The
intellect or our software is incapable of functioning on its own.
We are separating life from living, electricity from electronics.
In Ramayana, Lakshmanah asks Bhagavan Rama — What is

Jnana, Maya, Vairagya, Jiva and Bhakthi ? Here “What is Jiva”
really means “What is Iswara” and Bhagavan Rama answers
about Jiva — One who is small never asks “Who am I”, never
asks “Who is Creator”, “What is creation”. Such a person never
thinks about Ishwara because they are busy with vikriya —
doing things. Acharya Viveji also related an advice he gave to
the seekers at the “Silience Retreat” — asked people to
slowdown first. Once we slowdown, we have a different feeling
towards living. A jiva is someone who does not enquire.
Eventually we all will come out of this state because we will
eventually get tired of all of these daily activities we are doing
and find meaning of life.
This jiva feels “I am the knower”, “I am the seer” because of

delusion. You cannot be the knower and the seer at the same
time. We cannot be the perceiver and the perceived at the same
time. Acharya Vivekji recollected a saying from Guruji who gave
an example of a theater’s backroom where the actual projection
of the movie is done. We have a reel and an arc light. Together
they project the movie as the arclight gives life to the reel. Here
the reel is not real and the arc light is what is giving life to the
reel. So, our nature is that of the arc light.
Sutra for Shloka 26- “Believing the illusion is

delusion”.
If you don’t believe the illusion, then it is fun. When you watch a
movie and don’t treat what you see on the screen as a movie,
then you keep the feelings after the movie and cannot be at
peace. But when you treat the movie as illusion, then it is fun
while you are watching the movie. Stop believing in the illusion
and then it is entertainment. A related thing Acharya Vivekji
gave is “A distraction is not a distraction unless you are
distracted from it”. If you are not distracted from it, then the
distraction is non-existent.
Acharya Vivekji asked “How many of you feel, you are being
taken for granted”. Do you know why that is ? Because you are
doing the same for others. If you take others for granted, then
you will feel that you are being taken for granted. A jiva is taking
for granted everything that is happening in life.
Shloka 27
Rajju — rope; on this rope is a snake that is projected. This is an
example of adhyasa. The snake is sitting on the locus which is
rope in this case. Another example: Ghost is sitting on the post.
There are many examples, but the most severe example is that
of “Jiva sitting on Atman”. Though we understand the rope-
snake and other numerous examples, yet we fail to absorb the
projection of jiva on atman. This is also an example of “taking
for granted” and the lack of enquiry. As long as you do not know
the Atman and as long as you know that you are the jiva, then
one will carry fear. Acharya Vivekji related a snippet from
Bhagavad Gita course Ch. 9 where he said “We worship the
small”. Here small refers to the 3 Ps — pleasure, position,
possession and worshipping means we are feeling the small.
When we do this, we have the feeling of worry or fear. And this
worry or fear is because we don’t find completeness in that
thing. We hope whatever we do next will complete us and keep
going on and on. Acharya Vivekji gave another example of infant
feeling fear or agitation in the hands of strangers. The minute
that infant goes to his father or mother, he/she feels secure and
happy. The infant is more natural in the hands of his parents.
What if we start worshipping the GOD and identify ourselves
with Bhagavan, then we feel so natural because the Bhagavan is
our natural mother/father.
I am not jiva, I am not small, I am not a name. This translates

to “I am the Atman”. In other words, I am not the Atman I think
I am. I am para-atman. By knowing this, we start to let go of the
fear and become fearlessness. Imagine feeling fearless in every
circumstance we are in. Guruji shared a subhashatham “words
of wisdom”. The saying is “karishyami karishyami karishyami
iti chindaya, marishyami marishyami marishyami iti
prakriya” — If we think I am doing, I am doing, I am doing,
then we die, die die.
Sutra for shloka 27- “Courage to be fearless”.

Courage is knowing that there are challenges and still pursuing
ahead. Courage is being responsible. Feerless is when there is no
challenge. Feerlessness is synonymous with Oneness. Courage is
different from daring. Daring is raajasic — skydiving, bungee
jumping etc.
Question 1 — If cause pervades the effect, and within pleasure

there is pain, then how do we really know the nature of pleasure
?
We are “vasana anusari”. When our life revolves around feeling
small, then we have a propensity to follow
our vishya (pleasure). “Vishvanthi bhadnanthi iti vishya” —
Within this pleasure, there is bondage. So realizing that within
pleasure is pain, we should change our lives.
Question 2 — When you are in a relationship with a significant

other who is not a seeker, how do you deal with it ?
1.Talk to someone who are married and are in the same
circumstances.
2. All of us will become seeker at some point. We were all not
seekers at some point in the past, but we are now. So in a similar
fashion, your significant other will become a seeker at some
point in the future. Have faith in that One will become a seeker
when one is supposed to become seeker. That is Bhagavan’s
kripa or Will that will cause this.
3. Lead and expose. When someone insults you and you smile at
them and not become insulted, then they will be surprised. This
is where you lead and expose your learning to that someone to
become interested in seeking. Expose, but do not preach. This is
not teaching. We are not teachers.
4. Acceptance. This can suppress anger and bring a change in
the other personality.
Question 3 — There are many things in our life we do not want

to do, but yet we do ?
There are 2 reasons:
1. Vasanas. For our lifetimes and decades, I have been thinking
like this, but I want to think different now. I have been doing
things like that, but want to do it differently, yet there is greater
difficulty in achieving that because of our vasanas.
2. “We know, yet we don’t know”. We know that we are
Brahman, but yet we pursue pleasures. We are not having
clarity on it.
Question 4 — Clarity on the word upadhi ?

You should think of the word upadhi as equipment. Upadhi and
adhyasa are similiar. Upa means near, adhi means locus. When
I come near this locus or equipment, then I start to believe that I
am the equipment. When there is a equipment, there are
limitations. Then I start becoming limited. Our limitations is
based on what we identify. If we think that our body is just an
equipment and we are not that equipment, then we realize
Atman.
Question 5 — When we are surrounded by negativity, should I
put myself in a forcefield or a boundary?
Shri Ramakrishna uses an example of a sapling that has
protection. Once the sapling is ready to survive on its own, then
that protection is not needed. Similarly when we are not yet
ready to face the negativity in the world, then you stay away
from that until you are trained in that controlled environment.
Once we become strong, we have to get exposed and come out of
the bounded environment. We cannot stay in that boundary
forever.
Question 6 — Elaborate on knower and seer not being the same

and the concept of Oneness ?
In oneness, there is no Knower or Seer, just Being. Knower and
seer are concepts when you are in Dvaita including witness.
When you are using “sakshi bhava”, then you are doing a
sadhana which means you are using a means and that means
that you are not at the end.
Online Question — What are the symptoms, sources and

solutions of stress ?
• Symptom of stress is failure — physically, intellectually

or mentally.
-Source of stress is thought. If you do not have
thoughts, then no stress.
-Solution is to be efficient with your thoughts. There are
3 triggers to stress thoughts.
Here are the triggers and the solution to avoid those
triggers.
№3 trigger is “time”. Solution is to use time tactfully, be
more organized and planned.
№2 trigger is “money or resources”. Solution is to use
money or resources gratefully.
№1 trigger is “people”. Solution is to use people
virtuously. Being patient in tough times when people
test you.
Class notes from CHYK Houston

Intro/Recap
• We are trying to unlearn who we think we are. We need

constant remembrance that we are not thoughts or the
equipment of expression. Then our true nature becomes
more natural to us
• Shloka 23 Sutra: Transcend your thoughts
• Shloka 24 Sutra: Our nature never changes — if you

think about it, the experience of Atma should be the
same for everyone. We could experience it the same
way that even great saints and rishis experience Atma!
Shloka 25:
• An aspect of you (Amsas) is Sat Chit (Awareness

Existence)
• Existence does not fade in or out — it is infinite

• The nature of Buddhi (our software) is for thoughts to
go in and out all the time, and those thoughts are
centered around our likes and dislikes
• We are so used to thinking, that it is hard for us to just

BE
• Aviveka — discriminating in the wrong ways —

especially thinking of the relationship between two
opposing things. For example — everchanging thoughts
vs. the changeless
• Adhiyasa — one entity that sits on another. We tend to

think that if one is “sitting” on the other, it is actually
one entity, but that is not the case. Our mind is “on the
seat of” Atma, so we mistakenly take our mind to be the
same as that Atma
• Jaanaam iti = I know — Thinking that the mind is

existence instead of understanding the existence of the
mind. Don’t confuse the two!
• Sutra: I know, the I know — The first “I know” is in

reference to awareness, the second I know is in
reference to the equipment and thoughts. Know that
our equipment/thoughts are really a smaller
perspective/aspect of the larger Atma
Shloka 26:
• The self does not act -meaning you do not have to DO

anything to be happy. This comes from independence
from articles, beings, circumstances,
• Purusha does not mean man, it means human, feeling

complete or having completed the purpose of living
• The intellect is intrinsically not capable of functioning

without that light/essence similar to how the light bulb
cannot function without electricity
• From Lord Rama — a jeeva never asks, “Who am I?”

because it is constantly doing instead of slowing down.
Our current identity does not inquire on our true
nature, so we feel tired. We are going through so many
emotions and motions.
• Instead, we should try to find meaning in everything

instead of waiting for meaning to come or getting
sucked into that lifestyle of thoughts/motions/emotions
• Feeling jnatva — we are falsely identifying the Atma,

think that we are the knower, when currently we are the
seer. This is delusion — the knower and the seer cannot
be the same, it must be separate
• Sutra: Believing the illusion is delusion — if you don’t

believe the illusions, then life can be fun. We allow
ourselves to entertain thoughts and become distracted.
Also, understanding that if we feel taken for granted, we
are probably taking something else for granted.
Shloka 27:
• Thinking the rope is the snake — Adhiyasa — because it

is the most severe example of the Jeeva sitting on Atma
• As long as we do not know that we are Atma and

instead, we identify with the Jeeva, we will live in fear.
When you worship/feel the small, then it creates worry
because the small items do not complete us
• When you identify with the infinite, you feel most

natural — like a baby with their parents. you are
complete
• Realize that I am not the Jeeva (small!), instead I am

Paramatma (supreme soul). Resume your fearlessness
• Sutra: Courage to be fearless — Courage isl facing

challenges and responsibilities instead of hiding from it,
fearless is when you don’t feel challenges. Remember, it
is not the same as being daring — which is more rajasic
quality
Atma Bodha Verse 28, 29
Class Notes from Week 15— Jan 11, 2018
Sowmya Gopal
Follow
Jan 16, 2018 · 12 min read
A text that is to be studied after Atma Bodha is known as Viveka

Choodamani. It’s a comprehensive text on Vedanta and in this
text Acharya Shankara constantly uses an example of a waveless
lake or a waveless ocean. Whenever we think of a lake there is
always movement, whenever we think of an ocean there is
always change. Pause and try to visualize that same body of
water with no movement or change. By doing so, we come to
appreciate more about what our nature is. Our nature is
consciousness. Thoughts are ripples in that consciousness. By
nature, there is steadiness and stillness. When you throw a rock
in a pool of water, there are ripples. Desires begin these ripples
in the form of thoughts. The more rocks you throw into water,
the more ripples there are, the more desires we have the more
thoughts there are. The important part here is that our nature is
“still consciousness”.
When we come to understand and appreciate who we are more

clearly, we come to understand and appreciate that our nature is
light. This light is transferred to equipments like the intellect,
mind and body and these equipments then create experiences. I
am light, but unfortunately I think that I am the equipment, and
so I am lost in my experiences. If this relationship is clear, then I
won’t be lost in my experiences then!
Acharyaji here shared that He took a 14.5 hour flight from Delhi
to Toronto, and that while He was watching a movie, He was
aware that this is just a movie and so it was enjoyable. However
if one starts to think and believe that one is in that movie, for
example, if one starts believing to be a lego character while
watching the Ninjago movie , then the disorientation about who
I am can cause great fear and great stress. Acharyaji asked “Is
that not what we are doing right now, until we have fear and
stress?”
These equipments are suffering from ignorance. These

equipments are going to be enlightened, the ego specifically.
The ego suffers and the ego is going to be saved. You are beyond
both, and when we come to feel that, then that is AtmaBodha.
That is when I am experiencing who I am, I feel the light then.
In shloka 25, Acharya Shankara explains Adhyasa. “Adhi”

means near and “aasa” means sit. When you sit near someone,
you come to be associated with them just by that closeness.
When the light sits near the equipment, then it is as if there is a
blending of the light and equipment. Acharya Shankara says
here that the Atma or spirit is of the nature of existence, the
mind/intellect is of the nature of thoughts. When these two
come together, we feel “I know — ” whatever that thought is of
— such as weather, or the person across from you. The “I know”
is coming from the spirit, the thought is of the nature of the
object and I come to fear that this is who I am — I know this, or
I know that! When there cannot be a relationship between light
and darkness, then there cannot be a relationship between
consciousness and that which is inert. This is a false
relationship. “I know” — that never changes, but the thought is
always changing — what are we focused on? We keep focusing
on that which changes and that’s what brings us down. This
person is judging me, I am being judged, I am not good enough,
I am better than that person — what about the “I know” which is
the same in me and in you and in that animal and in that plant?
This creates a lot of humility.
Sutra for Shloka 25: “I know the i know”

“I know” — that is the existence awareness, and “i know” — that
is the modification of the mind.
In shloka 26, Acharya Shankara explains “Upaadhi”. This word

is similar to “Adhyaasa”. “Upa” means near and “Adhi” also
means near. When we mistake that which is near us, as “us” —
that is called “Upaadhi”. Upaadhi means equipment. The pen is
an equipment, our mind is an equipment- but there is a
confusion that the upaadhi is “me” because we feel that there is
a nearness and we feel that this is who I am and that I was born
like this. Acharya Shankara is sharing that the nature of Atman
or spirit is light and the nature of the equipment (the ego,
intellect and mind) is different. The nearness does not imply
that I am that. I am wearing the sweater but I am not the
sweater, I am near my skin, but I am not the skin.
Sutra for Shloka 26: “Believing the illusion is delusion”.
If you don’t believe the illusion, that is you know what the light
is and what the equipment is — then this is all fun and like a
movie! But if I don’t know that this is just an illusion, I start to
suffer the same limitations of the characters in the movie.
In shloka 27, we studied the classic rope-snake example. Here

Acharya Shankara says that there is a lot of fear when you
mistake a rope as a snake. In Vivekachoodamani, Acharya
Shankara says that there is greater fear when you mistake a
snake for a rope, it is even more dangerous! As long as we live a
small life, I believe in the snake rather than the rope. I believe
that I am the equipment rather than the light. As long as I live a
small life, this will be characterized by worry.
We are only 11 days into 2018, and have we not experienced

worry already? This is because we are oriented towards
smallness, because we don’t know that there is the equipment
and there is that which enlivens the equipment. Acharyaji
jokingly shared here about how when there is a special sweet at
the Bhiksha, there is a lot of worry that there is not going to be
enough! But when there is no Bhiksha and no sweet, there is no
worry, there will be endless rotis and white rice! When we start
to live a big life then we stop worrying because in living a big
life, I know that infinity is my nature and that infinite living is
possible. Think big, feel big, identify big, then smallness like
selfishness and worrying all goes away. Only knowledge can
help us to know that I am not the jiva but I am Ishwara, I am
not alpa (small) but I am Bhuma (infinite). You cannot create
infinity, you can only know infinity. The next three shlokas
accentuate this more.
Many may wonder why we are studying the same shloka again
and again. But do we really “feel” whatever is taught in these
shlokas? If we don’t feel it, then we should have the humility to
want to hear this again, to think about it more.
Shloka 28:
“Atma” means that which is closest and “Avabhaasayati” means
illumines. We have to be careful with the word “illumines”
because we presuppose that there is a relationship between the
spirit and the equipment, that I am illumining my hands or the
glass. But my hands and glass are inconsequential. The Atma
does not illumine, but the Atma is “illumination”. There is a
difference there. This is like us thinking that the sun is
illumining us. But that is not true. The sun’s nature is
illumination. What is in front of that illumination is
inconsequential, that just happens to be there. So
“Avabhaasayati” has to be understood as illumination. “Ekah”
means one. There is only one light and that is you. The Veda and
Vedanta is a course in reorienting who we are and how we think.
It is a course in unlearning. Right now we are stuck on
knowledge “of”, such as I have knowledge of computer science
or I have knowledge about what movies are playing or I have
knowledge about how tomorrow is going to be, it is always
“knowledge of” instead of “knowledge”! We are stuck on
illuminating tomorrow, the thoughts, my eyes, the people
around me instead of thinking about illumination — my nature.
We have to shift from being someone who has knowledge of,
aware of to that which is more fundamental which is knowledge,
awareness. The words that Swami Chinmayananda uses is
“objectless consciousness”. Whatever we are conscious- we are
“conscious of” , when it has to be just consciousness.
For example, whenever we are listening to music, we are either

thinking of past or future, eating or writing. But do you ever just
listen to music? Even that small activity of listening to music is
so difficult for us to just do that, which is why it is more difficult
for us to just be aware — to be “objectless consciousness”. There
is only one light and that is what is important, anything in front
of that light is less important.
What is in front of the light is “Buddhi” which is the mind,

memory or ego and the indriyas like seeing, tasting, smelling. If
we think of this in terms of independence, then light is the
cause, the Buddhi is the effect. The effect depends on the cause
and not the other way around. This takes us back to how the
ocean is always changing and we have to envision the
changeless ocean. The change happens at the equipment level
(Buddhi) not at the light level!
“Deepa” means light and “ghata” means pot (like a lamp

illuminates a pot). There is one light and in front of that light
there could be lots of pots — such as a pot of honey, a pot of
butter, a pot of yogurt — we need to keep relating this back to
ourselves! Taking this in a Puranic sense, we have always read
about Bhagavan Krishna going into people’s homes and stealing
butter, but how was he able to see in the dark room (because the
butter was probably kept in a cellar)? Bhagavan’s nature is
illumination, so when He went into a dark room he would shine
and be glowing in spite of his dark skin! Have you ever thought
about black glowing in the dark? That’s what has been shared
here — that “Swaatma” or the nature of one’s self illumines all
that is in front of it because one’s nature is illumination, like
Bhagavan Krishna. There is no difference between Atma and
Bhagavan Krishna.
“Jadaihi” means that which is inert. All is inert other than you.
That which is inert does not have illumination and it needs to be
illumined. If you know that something is inert, then what else
has to be there? There has to be awareness, consciousness. If
consciousness is not the nature of that which is inert, then it
means it is “your” nature.
Sutra for Shloka 28 : “One love, one heart”.

This is a song from Bob Marley. If we realize we have one heart,
then we would all be in love with each other. Vedanta teaches
the same thing, if we all realize that in our heart is that same
light then we would all be in love with each other. If you
romantically love one person, then you don’t love that person
and it only means that you like that person a lot. Real love is not
in the singular, but real love is inclusive of all.
Shloka 29:
“Svabodha” means I am of the nature of “Bodha” which is
knowledge or light. “Na anya” — there is no need for another
light. My nature is of the nature of light so I don’t need more
light to know my nature. An example is, you don’t need another
flash light to see a flash light because the flsh light is already
shedding light. I don’t need an external source to know who I
am. For example, if we were to turn the lights off in the room
and if someone asks “are you there”, then we don’t need to turn
on the lights to answer “yes”. We don’t need that light because
the nature of consciousness is light. The nature of “my self” is
light. When we think of the word “nature”, we should think of
causeless. There is no cause for sugar to be sweet, or a cause for
why oxygen makes me healthy — it is just the nature of sugar to
be sweet and it is just that the nature of oxygen in the lungs is
that of synergy to make me healthy. So too our nature is
causeless and this is who we are. We cannot use logic to
understand this fully. Since this is causeless, it means this “is”.
That which is causeless “is”. Existence is causeless, which means
existence “is”.
What is the cause for awareness? Is it possible to bring

electricity, kinetic energy and radio active waves and skin cells
and thought waves to create awareness? This is not possible!
Did awareness come from ignorance or non awareness? There is
no cause, which means awareness “is”.
Joy is also causeless, joy “is”.
My nature is light and I don’t need more light to know my

nature. A lamp does not need another lamp because, the nature
of the lamp is “Prakaasha”. Nature of the lamp is to shine just
like “my self” or “Svaatma”. Acharyaji reminded us here about
how we have heard this in Vedic chanting in the Mantra:
“Na tatra suryo bhati na chanda taarakam
Nema vidyuto bhaanti kutoyam agnihi
Tam eva bhaantam anubhaati sarvam
Tasya bhaasa sarvam idam vibhaati ”.
“Na tatra suryo bhaati na chandra taarakam”

“Na” means no. “tatra” means there. “surya” means sun. “bhati”
means light.
“Na” means no. “Chandra” means moon. “taaraka” means stars.
There is no light in the sun, moon and stars. This refers to
space. There is no light in space.
“Nema vidyuto bhaanti kutoyam agnihi”
“Na ima vidyuta” — “vidyuta” means lightning. “bhati” means
light. There is no light in the lightning.
“Kutah” means how. “ayam agnihi” means fire I am holding.
How can there be light in the fire that I am holding. When we
chant this Mantra we have an Aarti taali in hand, and we cannot
chant this mantra without that fire.
The second line says “there is no light in the lightning, leave
alone the fire that I am holding right now”
There is no light in the space and no light in the world.
“Tam eva bhaantam anubhaati saravam”
“Tam” means yours. “eva bhaantam” is your light. “anubhaati
sarvam” means illumines all. The light referred to here is
awareness, consciousness, Atma. It is your light by which there
is light in the sun, moon, stars, lightning, fire.
“Tasya bhaasa sarvam idam vibhaati”
From your light, all other lights shine.
This is an amazing insight that our Rishis have come up with.
At a very relative level, one cannot hear thunder when one is
dead, nor can one see the lightning. So if you are dead you don’t
know. Also if you are not paying attention, you don’t know. If
your nature is not awareness you definitely don’t know!
Awareness is fundamental, all else is functional.
Sutra for Shloka 29: “Selflessness leads to fearlessness”.

In shloka 27, we saw that when one knows their nature, they let
go of the heavy weight of fear. A selfless person is one who
knows that there is more to life than just themselves. They don’t
believe in just their equipment, but they believe in another
person’s equipment also. It is not just about me eating, but it is
also about you eating. It is not just about me making money, but
it is about us making money. When I start to think of your
equipment also, I start to feel myself. I am this delusion that I
am just this boy or just this mind. But when I start to identify
with all bodies, all minds, all intellects, it is called Ishwara or
Godliness. A selfless person works for others so they don’t focus
on results. When you start to act for others, you enjoy that so
much that you actually let go of the results in a most
experiential way. Our evolution will be gauged when we are less
result oriented and more responsibility oriented. You will know
that you are flowing with Vedanta, flowing with Atma Bodha,
flowing with this shloka when you are more responsibility
oriented because this shloka says you don’t need another light.
You are becoming more independent. The thought from shloka
29 is on independence. The more selfless you become, the more
independent you become. The more independent you become,
the more this shloka comes to life.
I won’t need people to compliment me, or people to be around
all the time.
Discussion points:
For shloka 28:
What are ways that people are dependent?
For shloka 29:
How do we deepen our relationship with the scriptures?
RAM from last month:

Slow down, step back, see more, smile on.
This is actually how we should go from reflection to
contemplation. When we contemplate we have to slow down,
step back, see more and then smile on. So it is actually
contemplation with your eyes open. If you can practice this with
your eyes open, then you never need to practice this with your
eyes closed because you are always in that causeless joy.
32
Bhargavi Rao
Jan 22, 2018·8 min read
Class Notes from Week 16- Jan 18 2018
Acharyaji started the class by sharing insights from his recent

Bharat Yatra. He pointed out that unlike yatras in the past, this
yatra included extensive traveling by buses only. It was the
scariest part too as the terrain was hilly. The buses had to
reverse on these terrains. While the yatris in the buses were
scared, the drivers were relaxed. They know the vehicle very
well and that made the fearless while the yatris were fearful not
having this knowledge. Vivekji told us they saw local carnivals
that many times had house of mirrors. We look at the mirrors to
make us appear in different shapes and sizes. However, when a
dog enters into this house of mirrors, it thinks that there are
many dogs and starts barking. This do now faces many dogs
barking at it.
We know that there is oneness in duality, so we are fearless. The

dog in the above example does not know oneness but knows
only duality, and so there is fear. Vivekji said :”From the yatra,
we learnt that the purpose of the equipment was to learn that
which enlivens the equipment. Purpose of the bus was to take us
to where we wanted to go”. Similarly, purpose of living is to
realize life. Purpose of duality is to go deeper than duality, to
reach that oneness. There is no other purpose or path. If we
think there is another path, it is due to the ego that fantasizes
that there are more options. The more honest and humble we
are, more we appreciate this purpose and start walking the path.
This is the path! We are fortunate to experience Atma Bodha
which gives us the Knowledge of equipment to know that which
enlivens the equipment, Knowledge of living so we can tune in
to life.
In Shloka 28, we studied how one lamp can illuminate many

pots. Single cause and infinite effects. Life is singular, oneness is
One but the duality or living can be lots. But we are all
connected and within us (effects), the presence of the cause
(Infinite) is still there. The wooden table, no matter its use, is
still flammable because wood is flammable
Sutra: “One Love, One Heart”! One path and following this path
we realize in all heart of hearts there is one life.
In Shloka 29, we studied how a lamp is not needed to light

another lamp. In the same way, when there is one light that is
my awareness, I don’t need another light to know my
awareness, to know who I am. To understand this shloka,
Vivekji wanted us to substitute the word “light” with
“knowledge”. When we have this knowledge, no other
knowledge is needed. This is the knowledge of happiness. The
third way to understand this is to again substitute the word
“knowledge” with “joy”. When I understand my nature is joy, I
become independent.
Sutra for shloka 29: “Selflessness leads to fearlessness”!Here

fearlessness can also be interpreted as independence. Selfeless
people are fearless, they don’t care for praise or criticism. They
don’t care for pleasure, position or possession. This is their
purpose to become independent.
Shloka 30: Acharya Shankara says that having negated

(nishidhya) Nikhila (all Upadhis), all the limitations associated
with the equipment (body, mind, intellect, ego). We tend to
think/hallucinate that body will bring me joy and so live for
pleasure, mind will bring me joy and live for possession,
intellect will bring me joy and live for position. The means to get
to that understanding of negation, is to negate the possibility
that the body/mind/intellect will bring me joy. When I negate
the possibility that these equipment will bring me joy, then I
start to disassociate with them. Acharya Shankara is giving
100% message that we need to negate that we are the mind.
That is difficult for us because we are always in our mind. We
have to think about making this practical. One way to do that is
to negate the possibility that the body can bring me joy. Vivekji
shared that he was asked why he chose to live in the ashram as a
Bramhachari for two years. He replied to them that it was
because he was clear that the articles, beings, circumstances
were not going to bring him joy. That door was closed. The other
door was open but he did not know what was in that door. But
since the other door was closed, he walked through this one.
That is negation, where the path becomes simpler and the
simplest path is where there is only one path.
The science of Self development says “Na iti, na iti”, you are not
the equipment and therefore not subject to the limitations of the
equipment. Vivekji reminded us that he had asked back in
Shloka 22 to think about how our relationship with Vedanta had
changed. Vivekji shared that the way his relationship had
changed was that he was more focused and was able to direct
his mind more and concentrate more. He noticed that his mind
became malleable. To make the mind malleable, we have to
practice “na iti”. Know that this is just matter, just an equipment
and that you can do whatever you want to it. We are most
distracted because we think “iti”, this is who I am. One who
learns to concentrate, they have a new relationship with the self,
and the equipment in front of the Self. You should know the
oneness that is taught through the MahaVakyas. The beauty of
Vedanta is that it is not just about negating. When we rock
climb, we have to hold on to higher grips and then let go of
lower ones. When I hold on to a higher grip, I am confident of
letting go of the lower ones. This quarter says “iti”, I am This!
Vivekji shared that although there are 4 Mahavakyas, in fact
every statement in the Upanishads is a Mahavakya.
Mahavakyas: 1. Prajnanam Brahma (That is Infinite),

Consciousness is Infinite This is called the Lakshana Vakya.
Purpose is to indicate what you should be thinking about.
2. Coming closer, second Mahavakya is Tatvam Asi (You are

Infinite). This is Upadesha Vakya. Guru says that what you are
thinking about is You
3. Coming even closer, Ayam Atma Brahma (This is Infinite).

This is Abhyasa vakya. This is for us to practice. Make this our
own.
4. Closest is Aham Brahmaasmi (I am Infinite), Anubhava

vakya, experience vakya.
In the last quarter, Acharya suggests that The jeeva is acutally

Ishwara. We are no servants, we are Patis (Lords). Atma is
Brahman and therefore doesn’t go anywhere, contrary to belief.
That is the teaching of Atma Bodha.
Sutra for Shloka 30: “Arrogance expresses Ignorance” because

an arrogant person always feels separate from Ishwara.
Ignorant person will feel their Atma is different from Brahman.
Arrogance is feeling of separation that happens when someone
is ignorant.
Shloka 31: Acharya Shankara shares that gross body (Sthoola
sharira), subtle body (Sookshma sharira) and the ignorance
(Avidyakam) known as Kaarana sharira, all these are not you. If
you keep switching between them, then which one are you? We
keep flirting around in restless way, just like when people
having affairs keep switching partners. Logically, I cannot be
any of these, if they keep moving in and out. These are all
“drishyam”…these are all perceived. Anything that is perceived,
is perishable (kshanam). Perceiving equals perishing. Sanskrit
term for this is: “Yad drishyam, tan nashyam”. Shanakacharya
now says these bodies (gross, subtle and Karana shariras) are
like bubbles. Bubbles is how my body, mind and intellect is.
Vivekji said he cannot think any more examples of things that
are any more insignificant than the body, mind and intellect. He
suggested that we should try telling someones that we are mad
at, that they are like a bubble to us. We should know that we are
different, separate from these equipment, we are more than just
living, more than waking, sleep states, more than the bodies.
Why do we feel small, and live in small way? The fact that you
can think right now, there must be a presence of that which is
sentient (knowing that mind is simply matter, insentient)., that
which is alive. So instead of hating the body, we should learn
that there is more. We need scriptures and teachers to help us
know this. In the last quarter, The Great Acharya says that “I am
Brahman”, that which is nirmalam (pure) and not that is dirty.
If we imagine the body to be the light (bulb above us), case of
the bulb is mind and filament is the ego. We are interested in
the light. But we are actually the electricity. if there is light,
there has to be electricity.
Sutra for shloka 31: “Separate the separable”. If it cant be
separated, that is You.
Shloka 32: The benefit of the knowledge we are exposed to is

that I am different than the body, which means “Na janma”, I
am not born. Body is born but “I” , existence awareness is not
born. Then we are free. We are born into limits. If we are born,
there will be ageing, senility (to thin out/lean). Gurudev says the
mind thins out, become disoriented, and finally death and so
much that comes in between. We think it is not going to happen
to us. As we get older, we come to appreciate old age more.
Vivekji says he sees many who will die fearfully (some will die
fearlessly). Old age is hard due to physical limitations. We
should stop associating with the pleasures that come for the
senses, in other words, don’t think of pleasure. Pleasure is for
the body. Vishin badnanthi iti vishaya (Etymology for Vishaya),
pleasure is that which has bondage/pain built into it. Nirindriya
(without sense organs), I don’t have to have those demands
because I have the knowledge that “Joy is uncaused”. Why
should I then invest in pleasure? Vivekji shared how in the
shram in the mandir the temperature is kept warmer as
opposed to the dining room. If I know that this body is like
those tables and chairs in the dining hall, do I treat them so
well?
Sutra for shloka 32: “I (not the body, mind or ego) don’t have a
birthday”. Vivekji shared a hilarious story about when some
students would go and tell Guruji that it was their birthday. He
would respond saying “Main kya karoon (What am I supposed
to do)?” Vivekji shared that on our birthday, we should
remember our parents, Guru and God. That’s it!
Question 1: How do we practice growing out of materialism?
Answer: By being grateful and use all the materials you have
fully. This way you realize how much you have.
Discussion question for Shloka 28: What are ways people are
dependent?
Answer shared: People are dependent when they believe they

are an exception. When one believes they are an exception, they
are dependent from being separate from every one else.
Discussion question for Shloka 29: How do we develop a better

relationship with our scriptures?
Answer shared: When you observe someone who knows the

landscape of the scriptures, you come to develop a relationship
also. Such people show reality of the subject.
Discussion question for Shloka 30: What is your Mahavakya?
Discussion question for Shloka 31: How do we negate?
Discussion question for Shloka 32: How does someone who

doesn’t have knowledge die?
RAM before we went for winter break: Slow down, step back,
see more, smile on.
Thoughts on the RAM: Slowing down is like Karma Yoga,

stepping back is like Bhakti Yoga, seeing more is Jnana Yoga
and smile on (culmination of all is Joy). Another way to look at
it is: Slow down is like reflection, step back is inspire, see
more is love and smile on is Be!
RAW for last week: Snow/Mud forts. Vivekji shared the reason
for the RAW. He shared that in Hanuman Chalisa, when
Hanumanji burnt down Lanka. Lanka represents body
identification. Just like we built the fortress, we develop the
body identification. Just like when the fortress is gone when the
snow melts, the body is going to be gone one day and we should
be fine with that. If we know that, we age and die beautifully
rather than fearfully.
RAW: Presuming we have finished half of Atma Bodha, what

has been you greatest lesson from Atma Bodha in the last five
months?
Class Notes from Week 17 — Jan 25, 2018
Sowmya Gopal
Follow
Jan 31, 2018 · 9 min read
One of the most significant attacks on our quietude is what

people say
to us and what people don’t say to us. You work hard and are
successful but when people don’t recognize, then we become
agitated.
If you don’t succeed and everyone points that out, that agitates
us as
well. As long as we don’t understand ourselves, we will never
understand others. The more we understand ourselves, then if
someone says something to us, we understand that more and
even if
someone does not say something to us, we understand that
more too.
The more you understand yourself, the more balanced you
become and
the more joyous you become. This course is called AtmaBodha.
Bodha
is to understand — understand the Atma. At one level there is
the body,
deeper is the mind and deeper than that is the ego, the deepest
is the
spirit. Those great seekers who are able to go to the depth of
who they
are, know their spirit and they understand people in perfection.
They
understand how to administrate people, they know how to
please
people, they know how to inspire people, because the spirit they
identify with is the same spirit that is across from them and
beside
them. We are all very fortunate that we are able to study an
instruction
manual on how to understand our self.
In shloka 30 Acharya Shankara is teaching us that when we
know that
we are not the micro, we begin to realize that we are the macro.
The
jiva realizes that they are Ishwara.
Sutra for Shloka 30 is : “Arrogance expresses ignorance”
When I think I did it, that is my ignorance. When I say we did it,
that is
more knowledge. When I say he did it, that is the most
knowledge.
In shloka 31, Acharya Shankara explains what we are and what
we are
not and uses an example where He says that our body, the
physical,mental and egotistical body, is like bubble. Bubbles
come and bubbles
go.
Sutra for Shloka 31 is: “Separate the separable”
If you can separate it, then that’s not you. If you can’t separate
it- that’s
you. You have gone to the lowest common denominator. Prime
numbers cannot be divided, and Vivekji said that we are like
prime
numbers!
In shloka 32, Acharya Shankara says that if you know that you
are not
the micro, if you know that you are not that which can be
separated,
life becomes so simple. We don’t have to race towards pleasure
or
compete with anyone. When someone knows that they are more
than
the body and the senses, they engage in Dharmic enjoyment.
They
enjoy sleeping on time, they enjoy waking up on time, they
enjoy soft
music rather than materialistic music. We keep thinking that if I
am not
the body, then I die. This is not true. You just die away from
Adharma.
An Adharmic person thinks that they can cause happiness. But a
Dharmic person knows that happiness is uncaused. They live
more
dynamically and independently.
Sutra for Shloka 32 is: “I don’t have a birthday”
Shloka 33:
“Amana” means not the mind. When there is “not mind” then
there is
no sorrow that belongs to the mind because I am not the mind.
Since I
am not the mind, I am not that which incurs what is felt because
of the
mind, specifically “Duhkha” (sorrow). Kha is “Kham” which is
space,
“Du” is negative (like in “Dustarka” or “Dusanga”), so “Duhkha”
is bad
space. Often our mind gets into a bad space such as judgment
and
lethargy. But if that’s the mind and you are not the mind, then
you are
never in a bad space. A mind that is Tamasic or dark is ever
engaged in
carelessness. A Rajasic mind (mind filled with aggression) is
mindless. A
Rajasic Saathvic mind is that which is mindful. This is like the
fad that is
happening right now, like the “mindful living” or “mindful
schooling”.
More evolved than that is the Saathvic mind, one that is filled
with
quietude, that mind is careful- cares fully about every
experience
because they can empathize.
Only when we are apathetic we get caught in bad space or
“Duhkha”.
When we are empathetic we are in good space, there is “Sukha”.
Sorrow comes in the form of Raaga or likes. Whenever there are
likes,
there is also going to be dislikes (“Dwesha”). Changing the word
Raaga
to attachment, we see that whenever there is attachment, there
is fear
(“Bhaya”). What if I don’t get what I am attached to? Even if you
do get
what you are attached to, it cannot stay with you forever. So
with fear
comes “Krodha” or anger. So why do we have attachments? This
is
because we project that this article, being or circumstance will
complete me. And the reason we project is because we are
unhappy
and feel incomplete. One who is complete does not project and
so they
don’t get attached, so they are not afraid, so they don’t get
angry.
Nothing to gain so nothing to lose — that person is free.
When Ravana went to kidnap Mother Sita, the word used by
Goswamiji
to describe Ravana is “cur”. A cur is a wiley dog that eats the
remnants
of other dogs. They are very scared all the time of dogs that are
eating
food, because they are waiting for them to leave so they can eat
that
food. Ravana goes to kidnap Mother Sita like a cur. Ravana is
fearful
because he is projecting that if he has Mother Sita then he will
be
happy. He is trying to find happiness outside in the form of a
woman,
instead of taking Mother Sita as “Sri”, as a value (to respect Her
and
invoke Her). If he had gone to pray to Mother Sita then he
would not
have been afraid, he would have gone confidently.
Acharya Shankara reiterates that we are not just without the
mind but
we are without “Prana”. We are “Aprana”, “Amana” and implied
in all
this is we are “Adeha” , “Abuddhi” — we are without any of these
sheaths. We are infinite.
We engage in “Abhisheka” of external icons such as Bhagavan

Vishnu or
Shivalinga. But the greatest Abhisheka is of oneself, where I am
bathing
ego and when the ego is completely removed what is there is the
self.
Acharya Shankara telling us to clean out the idea that you are
the
breath, clean out the idea that you should depend on the mind.
“Shubra” means colorless. “Shubra” here means to get away
from the
dirtiness, to become Saathvic. But deeper that Sattva is infinity.
“Shaasana” or the instructions come from “Shruthi” or
scriptures. The
word “Ityaadi” or etcetera implies that it is not just from the
scriptures
but those who use the scripture or the Guru-Sishya- Parampara.
So the
scriptures and the Guru Sishya Parampara are teaching us that
our
nature is infinite, we should try to be more than the breath and
the
mind. As long as we are the breath and mind we will feel sad. If
we start
to realize that we are more than the breath and mind, we start to
feel
happy. It is only the scriptures (Shaastra) and guides
(SathGuru) that
show us it is possible to live independently joyous. They show us
that
we are not Manava but we are Madhava, they show us that we
are not
Jana but we are Janardhana.
Sutra for Shloka 33: “Concentrate on colors”
When you concentrate on the skin color of the person across
from you,
you realize that it is just a pigment, it is just the body. Then you
concentrate on their personality — very angry or very patient.
But if you
go deeper and see how the mind is working, it is because of the
Vasanas or blueprint. If you go even deeper that blueprint can
only be
seen in light. So I am the life that is deeper than the ego, mind
and so
on.
Shloka 34:
Acharya Shankara is describing someone who is getting to
understand
who they are. He says they are “Nirguna”. “Guna” literally
means rope,and “Nirguna” is someone without ropes, which
means someone
without limits. Whenever a rope is involved, there is limit.
“Kriya”
means action, “Nishkriya” means I am not becoming but I am
being.
Why did God create the world? The idea of purpose is a human
framework. It is not a Godly or divine framework. I have a
purpose
because I am incomplete. God does not have a purpose, God is
already
complete! So one cannot ask why God created the world,
because I am
then assigning a human sentiment to that which is not human.
It is like
measuring water in decibels! God is independent.
“Nishkriya” means no becoming, no purpose. If someone has no
limits
and are not “becoming”, then they are “being” (“Nitya”).
“Vikalpa” can be interpreted as desire, “Nirvikalpa” means no
desire,
which means they have no sadness. Whenever we have a desire,
it is
because we are sad, we feel incomplete, so we project. The word
“Niranjanaha” explains why there is no sadness.
“Anjan” means dirt, and in Vedantic sense it means Vasanas.
There is
no sadness because there is no smallness. Vasanas make us feel
small,
but if I know that I am infinity then I don’t feel small and I don’t
feel
sad. For example, when people eat in a public place and know
they may
run out of food, they feel sad because there is not enough food.
But if
there is endless food, there is no smallness and hence no
sadness.
“Vikaaraha” sounds like “Samskaara”. Vikaara means
destruction and
Samskaara means construction. “Nirvikaara” means no change.
“Aakaraha” means form. Only that which has a form can
change. No
change means no form, no form means no change. Acharyaji
here
asked if Hanumanji was stronger or if Ganeshji was stronger.
There is
really no difference between Ganeshji and Hanumanji. Any
difference
about who is stronger is decided by me. My smallness I project
on to
the infinite also. Only that which has no form is that which
cannot
change. That is the truth, that is all inclusive and that is not
exclusive.
So a practical way to bring this to light is to stop judging

people’s form.
Then a lot of judgment goes away. Surdasji was blind and He
was
grateful that He was blind because He did not have to see
anyone but
Baby Krishna.
We are “NityaMukta” which means ever free. We should feel
“Nirmalaha” , which means I am not white but I am colorless.
The word
“Nirmalaha” here means “Duhkha Nivrutti”, that I do away with
bad
space or sadness. The word “Mukta” means “Sukha praapti”. It
is not
just that I have let go of sadness, I am holding onto happiness.
“Nirmalaha” is like me sleeping, because in sleep there is no
pain, being
in a coma or being intoxicated there is no pain. But that is not
good as
we get hung over! That is why “Nitya Mukta” is important
because I am
not just away from sadness but I am towards joy or “Sukha
praapti”.
Sutra for Shloka 34: “More freedom, less needs”
The more free you become, the less needy you are. If you are
more
needy then it is because you are less free.
Class Notes from CHYK Minneapolis
Acharyaji began class by discussing the importance of studying

and understanding ourselves, as we do
with the guidance of scripts like Atma Bodha. Looking
specifically at the title of Atma Bodha, he noted
that Atma means spirit and Bodha means to understand. Thus,
with the goal of understanding ourselves,
he began speaking on verses 33, 34, and 35.
Shloka 33
• I am not the mind, thus I am not the sorrow that comes from
the mind
o Being in a “bad space,” or feeling sorrow is merely an attribute
of the mind
o Sorrow comes from attachment, which then leads to fear and
anger
o If your mind is in a bad space, but you understand that you are
not the mind, you can never be in a bad space
• We are without “sheets” or coverings. We are infinite.

• This guidance comes from the Upanishads and those who use
these Upanishads
• You are not even your thoughts. Your thoughts are changing
so quickly, which one are you?
SUTRA: Concentrate on colors.
Shloka 34
• This verse seeks to describe a person who has come to fully
understand themselves
• A person who understands who they are:
o Exists without “ropes” or limits
o Exists without actions
o Exists without purpose, is just being
 Purpose is a human construct, and therefore we cannot
project this human
limitation onto something that is infinite
o Exists eternally
 No form, no thought, no desire, no change, no ‘stains’, ever
free, and ever pure
SUTRA: More freedom, less needs.

Atma Bodha Verse 35
Class Notes from Week 17 — Jan 25, 2018
Sowmya Gopal
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Jan 31, 2018 · 2 min read
Shloka 35:
In this verse, Acharya Shankara says one who understands the
all
pervasiveness of life is Achyuta and also elaborates the qualities
of the Self.
Life is like space which is everywhere, space is contained in life.
For someone who does not fall from Brahman (completion),
there is no
expectation, attachment, fear or anger.
Although Advaita is referred to in many ways (such as nitya,
sadaa,
shubra, timeless, spaceless or causeless), it is just the feeling
that gets
you connected to that essence, so don’t get overwhelmed by the
words.
Develop the virtues of independence, simplicity and balance,
then you
get to go past living to life.
Acharya Shankara is taking us from life to vision, from
physicality to
divinity.
Sutra for Shloka 35: Be quiet to ‘Be’
Online Question: How do you die gracefully?

Invoke “Krta Krtya” which means completion of all of one’s
responsibilities. Softest pillow is a clean conscience.
Shloka 30 discussion question: What is your
MahaVakya?
God is my Master. (Bhagavan is my boss). This Mahavakya then
means
that I am never not serving.
Shloka 31 discussion question: How does one negate?
Observation is a form of negation. That which you observe, you
can’t
be. Great way to practice this is to choose discomfort.
Shloka 32 discussion question: How does one die
without knowledge?
Someone who is dying without knowledge, they are attached to
articles, beings and circumstances as they leave.
Shloka 33 discussion question: What vice are you
focusing on
transcending and how?
Impatience. To do this, listen more.
Shloka 34 discussion question: Who do you know who
is free?
Swami Tejomayananda. Someone who is free lives by Bhagavan.
They
live for God, they know God is around, there is no separation of
God
ever in their life. When an infant is in the arms of the parent, the
infant
is free.
Shloka 35 discussion question: What experiences help
you rise above
the noise of the mind?
To know and observe how quickly the thoughts change. Why
take these
thoughts so seriously?
RAW from last week: What is your greatest learning

from Atma Bodha?
Servicing equipments is different than serving equipments.
Right now
we serve these equipments, that is worship the body and mind.
But we
should only service them. Serve life, service living.
Class Notes from CHYK Minneapolis
Shloka 35
• Life is like space, which exists everywhere
• We, like space, are independent, simple (or pure), unattached,
and motionless (or balanced)
• We continue to exist in all times
SUTRA: Be quiet to be.
Since discussion preceded the lecture, Acharyaji discussed the
questions that were posed based
on the verses we learned in class.
• What vice are you focusing on transcending?
o Acharyaji spoke about his focus on transcending the vice of
impatience by
listening more
• Who do you know who is free?
o Ex: Swami Tejomayananda
• What experiences have helped you rise above the noise of the
mind?
38
Class Notes from Week 18 — Feb 01, 2018
Bhargavi Rao
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Feb 4, 2018 · 5 min read

Shloka 36:
In this Shloka Acharya Shankara is explaining the nature of
Oneness or Infinity.
Nature of Oneness is Shuddha (Infinite), Nitya (Incessant or

forever), Vimukta (Independent). So it is worth practicing
Oneness as it invokes joy!
There is no Advaya (two-ness) and because there is no two-

ness, there is Akhanda (without change). My nature is that of
joy and is not going to change. Tuning into our nature is the
highest investment we can make.
What Acharya Shankara is talking about, The Oneness, is of the

nature of Truth, and is Ananta (without beginning or
end):”Satyam-Jnanam-Anantam”
You are Para Brahma (Para indicates The Highest state). You
are not Tvam (You), you are Tat (Divinity) meaning You are not
You, you are God alone!
Sutra for Shloka 36: Identify the identity crisis
Shloka 37:
Having explained the nature of Brahman, Acharya Shankara

urges us to practice this knowledge constantly.
Acharya Shankara says that Knowing all this, you should be

practicing the teachings incessantly. If we Practice dealing with
our challenges, our identification will change eventually.
We should practice creating a Vasana (fragrance) that “I am

Infinite Alone”. Vasanas are natural and have formed over our
trillion years journey. We now have to develop the vasana for
peace.
When we have this propensity to know we are more than who

we are, Vikshepa (expectation) gets stolen. With
the vasana that I am Infinite (developed due to the teachings
thus far), the projections and incompleteness will be stolen.
For this disease (of becoming and depending), one needs a elixir
or medicine: “I am Infinite” (Aham Brahmasmi)!
Sutra for Shloka 37: The One is Only
Shloka 38:
Acharya Shankara, in this shloka, having told us to contemplate,
now explains, how do we contemplate and Explains meditation.
Find a place and sit in a place that is Vivikta (where it is alone

and provides least amount of input). This trains you to focus
even if there is lot of external input and feel free of any
limitations.
If I am free, I do not have to act. “Contemplation is not an

action, it is a vision”
That which is closest to us is Oneness. Don’t feel that Brahman

is an intellectual word, it is You! Feel it!
With complete identification, which comes through complete

focus, I am that Atman, I will be happy once and for all. This is
not an experience (with a start and end point), this is Being!
With practice, we perfect the art of Being. Being is!
Sutra for Shloka 38: Living purely lights up priority
Question of the Week: How does a seeker celebrate

MahaShivratri?
It is the greatest day of the year, Birthday of god. We celebrate
by practicing minimalism. Don’t do anything that you don’t
need to do.
RAW from last week: Come up with a RAW for all in
your study group
The purpose of this RAW was for us to engage in the Sadhana at

all times, consistently. You never leave mananam.
Class Notes from CHYK Raleigh

Can you go deeper than Vedanta?
Atman (that which is closest) and absolute so no, one cannot go
deeper than Vedanta
Only those who are not peaceful are pursuing peace.
When we experience independent joy, no more to gain, nothing
to lose
Hopefully from the start of this course, people feel more
courageous and content with all aspects of life
Atma Bodha: 3 levels of seekers
• Challenge 1: Ignorance
• Ignorant personality — potential Shravana
• Challenge 2: Incertitude
• Potential about me or someone else — purges the

doubts
• Challenge 3: No incertitude identification
• Too much time→ identified dependent joy

Atma Bodha is meant to be taken as a real and personal
message. The subject is YOU!
The truly realized don’t agitate the world and they are not
agitated by the world.
Analogy: Air/wind passes through rose petals the same way as
thorns
Shloka (36)
· You are parabramha: we cannot be more
o You are God alone realize this truth through contemplation
o No tvam (you) only God (bliss)
o Sutra: identify the identity crisis
Shloka (37)
· Sit down and practice that you are only the infinite
o What is your vasana? Propensity to know that we are more

than we are.
o Bhava Roga (disease) of depending/becoming can only be

treated with the knowledge that “I am infinite.”
o Sutra: The ONE is ONLY.

Shloka (38)
· Meditate on “I am Bramhan” and have no input

while doing so.
o Don’t intellectualize Bramhan, sit quietly in a controlled

environment with no inputs, and surrender yourself to the
infinite.
o Sutra: Living purely lights up priorities.
· How would life change if God was a lie — God was a created
character like Santa Claus?
· This question is dependent on your perception of God. If you

truly believe that God is infinite (all-encompassing) then if God
was a lie, all else would cease to exist, including yourself.
· If you perceive God as something separate from yourself:
o People may not feel the need to be accountable for their

actions
o People may not hate each other for religious reasons either
· What do we do that is incessant? What are you that is

incessant?
• Name, Gender, relationships (daughter, sister, etc.),
ethnic origin, breathing are all aspects of us that are
incessant
• Human beings are incessantly seekers of either lower

or the higher
Class Notes from CHYK Philadelphia

Shloka 36:
Atma — that which is closest — absolute
Only those who aren’t peaceful are pursuing peace
Atma — Ananda- Peace
No more to gain - no more to lose
Atma Bodha shows knowledge of who one is
No ignorance- no uncertainty — no identification
Beyond the mind is balance and oneness
Our nature is like space — Be quiet, to be
Shloka 36: Oneness is that which has no opposite or limitation

à infinite. It is also forever and incessant. It is also perfectly free
and independent.
Oneness = Joy. Advaiya = no twoness, no change. This is the
highest investment because it will not change. No beginning, no
end.
Sutra: Identify the identity crisis. Contemplation shlokas
Shloka 37: Knowing what you know you should be practicing

incessantly, indefinitely. Practice creating a vasana that I am
infinite alone. Only Brahman. Natural à body, articles, beings,
circumstances. Develop the vasana for peace. When we have a
propensity to know who we are, expectation is stolen away.
Expectations stop us from being patient. You cannot meditate if
you have expectations. Understand we must live a life of purity.
We will lose our incompleteness/separation/ignorance.
Separation à feeling of smallness/sadness. Elixir for disease
(becoming/depending) is bhava roga (I am independent).
Sutra: The one is only.
Shloka 38: Sit Now Practice. Find a place and sit, be ready to
work, be alone. A place of the least input. No where to go but
deeper inside. Focus so that input doesn’t affect you. You feel
like you are free of all that which describes and confines you.
You don’t have to ask then. Contemplation is not an action, it is
a vision. Envision being free. Don’t act, be. That which is closest
to me is oneness. With complete identification and complete
focus, I am that Atman, I will be happy once and for all. It is not
an experience à it has no end. Only through practice we perfect
ourselves from becoming to being. Sutra: Living purely lights up
priority. This will become the only priority.
Sowmya Gopal
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Shloka 39:
Path of Shreya is long term thinking. Self-development is
understanding and pursuing path of Shreya. So Atma Bodha is
the best investment towards this goal. Atma Bodha brings
infinite to our attention.
In this shloka there is a focus on that which is relative. Acharya

Shankara in this shloka explains about how all that we
experience is dependent on that which is independent, and
explains the nature of the independent Self.
In the infinite (Self), all articles, beings and circumstances exist.

In peace, all pleasure possession and position finds a place.
“Drshyam” means all our experiences, and all our experiences
are dependent on existence, awareness.
One whose intellect is refined (Sudhihi) is able to analyze and

realize that all names and forms, articles, beings and
circumstances are to be immersed/submerged in the Atman.
These are not as real as the Self, not as important as peace.
Submerging is based on vision and not physical.
Bhaavayed means to feel (the oneness). Vices can only exist

when there is separation, not in pure oneness. To feel the
oneness is virtue development.
Our nature is like space, which does not change and is pure. The
four grosser elements (earth, water, fire, air) cannot
harm/touch the subtler element-the space and you give
existence to space! Anger is of the mind, ignorance is of the ego,
but I “am”.
Sutra for Shloka 39: Relativity implies the absolute.
Shloka 40:
Acharya Shankara in this shloka is implying that differences and
separations are not to be given importance, names and forms
should be immersed in oneness.
Differences based on names, forms (Rupa) and color (Varna)

are not to be given importance.
Let go of differences by being the highest (Paramarthavit)! In

Advaita Vedanta there are 3 planes of existence-
Praatibhasika Satta (illusory existence)
Vyaavahaarika Satta (transactional existence)
Paramaarthika Satta (Absolute reality)
Completely complete, completely aware, completely joyous —
this completeness is because there is no change. Where there is
change there are challenges, if no change then we are at ease
(Swasthi).
Avastha is that which comes and goes, an experience.

Avathishtathi is “being”. The deeper you go, there is less
“becoming” and more “being”.
Sutra for Shloka 40: Attach to the detached.
Class Notes from CHYK Boston

Shastras are for making the infinite more identifiable. Sanatana
Dharma was not founded by any one person. Sankara and
Vedavyasa were visionaries, not founders.
• Verse 36 review: Oneness is nitya (eternal). There is no

other to depend on. Lack of another. You are pure, you
are independent. Sutra: Identify the identity crisis.
• Verse 37 review: By creating new vasanas, we let go of

the old ones. The more we cling to atma, the more we
give up anatma. The more you cling to Krishna, the
more you give up Arjuna- the confused mind. Sutra:
The One is Only.
• Verse 38 review: Feel the supreme by learning to enjoy

your own company, learn to be alone. In deeper
meditation and contemplation, be paramahamsa- free.
Contemplation is not possible if attached to the BMI.
Sutra: Living purely lights up priority.
• Verse 39: All else is submerged in the atman, all the
Articles, Beings, and Circumstances (ABCs). Drshyam
means- that which can be experienced. This is
dependent on existence. Association with independence
is more important. ABC’s are not as real as the self, not
as important as peace. Vices can only exist where there
is two-ness or separation. You need to know the higher
self to get rid of the lower self. To destroy vices, you
need virtues, like patience, forgiveness, and self-
restraint. If you are not aware of that which you are
experiencing, how can you be sure you are experiencing
it? Water, air, fire, earth → these can’t impact space
(the subtle element)- similarly we give existence to
space but we cannot be impacted by it. Sutra: Relativity
implies the Absolute.
• Verse 40: When you have some roopa and varna, and
others have a different roopa and varna, then you have
a hard time connecting with them. Thus, be the highest,
and then you don’t see anyone else’s roopa and varna.
There are 3 states of existence- the foam (illusory
existence), wave (vyavaharic/worldly exchange), and
ocean (deep knowledge, sleep, underlying substratum).
Completeness comes when there is no change. Where
there is change, there are challenges. If there is no
change, there is no challenge- you are at ease- there is a
natural sense of being at peace. Once you learn to enjoy
your own company, you never get lost in FOMO (Fear
Of Missing Out). You won’t depend on others. If you do
what you value and you value what you do, jealousy is
purged. Sutra: Attach to the detached. Invest in the
long-term, the independent, that which will give you
greater returns, you will let go of what is more shallow.
Once you taste the independent joy, how can you go
back to the dependent joy? The deeper you go, the
closer you are to being. Being closer to silence means
separation from noise.
Class Notes from CHYK Pittsbutgh , CM Raleigh

The infinite is always being
Recap :
Shloka 36 — Oneness is Shudha (Pure)- no other to make this
entity impure
Vimukta — no other to depend on hence this oneness is
Vivek ji stresses you ARE pure. You ARE independence- it is our
equipments that are dependant
Sutra for 36 — Identify the crisis
The ego is experiencing the crisis not me
Create a new vasana — the more we give to the Atma, the more
we give up anaatma (the shallow aspect of our personality)
Sutra for 37 — The One IS only
Shloka 38 talks about learning to be alone
Learn to feel like you are in paramahamsa.
Vivektadesha is not just on the outside but the inside
Sutra for 38 is Living purely lights up purely
Shloka 39 talks about in peace we all find a place

All experiences depend on existence. Drishyam is in all our
experiences. If existence is not there we cannot experience all.
All that we have experienced depend on independence. That
which is more independent is more important.
All of the ABCs (differences) should be submerged in the
Atman. They are not as important as being/peace. Analogy: An
acquaintance becoming a friend. Mental, not physical, change
caused this to occur.
Bhavaya here means feel the oneness. In oneness there are no
vices, desires, greed and so on.
Need to develop virtues in order to feel the oneness.
If we give existence to space, can space touch us?
Grosser elements cannot touch the fifth subtler element.
Sutra for 39 Relativity implies the absolute
Shloka 40 — Rupa is form, varna is colour

We are stuck on rupa and varna. Vihaya (let go) by
understanding, following, and being the highest.
Three satta’s (reality levels):
1. Pratibhasika satta — illusory reality — Similar to the dream
state. Analogy: Foam in the ocean.
2. Vyavaharika satta — transactional reality — Similar to the
waking state, a place of exchange.
Analogy: the waves of the ocean.
3. Paramartika satta — absolute reality — Similar to the sleeping
state. Analogy: Like the ocean.
Foam depends on the waves which depends on the sea.
Where there is change there are challenges. But, no change,
then no challenges. (Svasti — su vasti — at ease).
You should have less noise and enjoy your own company
Do not be another form — “Know what you love and love what
you know.”
Sutra — Attach to the deattach
The more I attach to myself, the easier to detach
Invest on what is long term and then you will see yourself letting
go of that which is more shallow
Have a thirst for desirelessness
43, 44
Class Notes from Week 20— Feb 15, 2018
Bhargavi Rao
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Shloka 41:
In this Shloka, Acharya Shankara describes the nature of
Oneness as being independent and joyous.
Acharya Shankara introduces the term “Truputi”(Knower,
Knowing and Known). We all see them as different.
However, one should realize in the highest Atman, this
difference does not exist.There are no factors of experience
because one’s nature is not an experience. This is simply
“Being”.
Nature of who we are is this Oneness and in oneness there is

joy. Be aware of this! Way to do this is by being sincere
in Seva (service). “Seva is the means to enlightenment and also
expression of enlightenment”-Sw. Tejomayanda.
There is no separation, there is only independence like a light.

Light is illumination (To be), not illuminating (To become).
Sutra for Shloka 41: Live light like light
Shloka 42:
In this verse, Acharya Shankara emphasizes how in
constant Sadhana (trying to change), there will be disturbances.
We should overcome them and Knowledge will ultimately
burn all negativity.
Acharya Shankara is saying that the practice
of Dhyana (bringing knowledge into our lives)will become
relevant when we realize there is more than what we experience.
When one is constantly engaged in bringing lower self to the
higher self (churning), fire is generated. During the churning,
negativity will come out. We have to be ready for it and not give
in to it.
More that we live to who we are, that is the manifestation of
knowledge. Knowledge is having common sense (achieved when
we are less egotistical). Knowledge here means objectivity!
With this knowledge, all ignorance and by products of ignorance
are burnt up instantly.
Sutra for Shloka 42: Lift yourself above restlessness
Shloka 43:
Importance of Knowledge is pointed out in this verse. Just as
Sun dissipates darkness instantaneously, Knowledge (having
a purpose) removes darkness (purposelessness) and
lights our path immediately.
Where there are rays of Sun, Sun is following. Similarly, where
is Knowledge rising, the ego is being immersed in the Self.
Knowledge changes our identification (from gross to subtle).
Rising of the Sun’s rays (Knowledge) leads to destruction of
darkness (ignorance). In this context, purpose (Knowledge)
dispels purposelessness (darkness). Purposelessness leads to
rapid destruction.
With the rising of Knowledge, rising of Atman will be felt.
My purpose should only be enlightenment. The more I give to
this purpose, more I destroy distraction. God realization
requires Ananya Bhakti (single pointedness).
Sutra for Shloka 43: Momentum frees up potential
Shloka 44:
In this Shloka, it is pointed out that Atman is always with us, we
need Guru to help us remove the ignorance and point
the presence of Atman to us.
Indeed, Atman is always with you, is always You.

The idea that I have to gain Atman is because
of avidya (ignorance). Due to our habit of “becoming”, we think
we can “become” Atman without realizing It is You!
This ignorance will be destroyed, and you will feel “as if” you
have gained the Infinite.
Just like the necklace was always there on our neck, we just
needed someone to point it out. Similarly, Atman is always with
You, you need Guru to point it out to you.
Sutra for Shloka 44: We are born from brilliance
Class notes from CM Raleigh Chapel Hill
In sloka 41, the term triputi is referred which means, three
factors in every experience — The Knower, The Knowing and
The Known. All the three are different (The object, the subject
and relationship of experience between the both, example that
Vivek Ji mentioned was Vivek has his experience with the
paper). One should realize , in the highest, aatman (The Self),
there is no triputi , there is no factor of experience, because ones
nature is not an experience but instead it is “existence-
awareness and joy”
In English, the verb that implies ‘no moment’, ‘no change’ and
‘no effort’ is ‘being’. In ‘being’ there is no factors of experience,
there is no known, no knowing, there is only knower —
Existence, awarness joy. The nature of who we are , we should
always be careful and aware of this. Practically, we experience
this in our sleep. In sleep, there is no knower, knowing or
known, it is not that we feel joy but there is no pain or fear or
stress. We should try be aware of this experience of joy that we
have in the sleep .
The nature to get to this is to be more steady and sincere in seva
, when we are serving we come past the experience, i am serving
so and so , we come closer to whom we are serving .Then there
is no separation, there is only independence like light. Seva is
means of enlightment and expression of enlightment also .
Just like how light is independent, the Lamp or light is
illumination and not illuminating, in the same way, we should
not think ‘my spirit’ is illuminating the body or objects instead
remember that the “the spirit” is illumination.
Sutra for 41 is “live light like light”. Be a minimalist, simple
living high thinking, minimal i/p, no rndom youtube videos etc.
Shloka 42
Acharya Shankaracharya ji explains in this that there are two
kinds of Atman .Lower atman which is Body , Mind, and
Ego.and the higher atman which is Brahman “ I am Brahman “
(aham brahmasmi) .Higher atman is like arani (wooden logs )
which are to be rubbed against pieces of wood to create fire by
friction.Means through contemplation and meditation one has
to burn ego and knowledge shines.Religion is more meaningful
when we understand there is lower self and we are something
beyond that which is brahman.We have to rehabilitate by
uniting and becoming knowledgeable.Churning the poison
(negativity ) by surrendering to lord Shiva ,By practising
Dhyana ,uniting lower self into higher self and igniting the fire
of knowledge .This will burn the fuel of ignorance.
Further it is elaborated that with changes challenges come .And
one has to adapt it is difficult.As negativities will surface like
greed ,lust etc.we have to be Satatam meaning constantly
practicing the higher truth .Then fire will shine and knowledge
will reveal which means there will be humility,
objectivity,common sense ,responsibility will come.Inner
environment is more uplifting. Basically we should understand
we are not body but are spirit which is permanent . In summary
Aganya,ignorance is burned
Sutra for sloka 42 “ Lift Yourself above Restlessness .”
Shloka 43:
Aruna means dawn, charioteer of “sat”. Here the rays of sun are
being compared to knowledge. When the rays of sun are rising,
the knowledge rises and the ego is immersed in self. Knowledge
changes our identification. When we know brain and mind are
different, we focus on subtle self. Rising of sun’s rays leads to
destruction of ignorance. Darkness is purposelessness. When
one has purpose, there is light. The more knowledge we have,
the better our purpose and vision. With more knowledge, the
atma rises. Light and darkness are mutually exclusive. With
more knowledge, we rise from ego to ego & spirit and the just
spirit. Our sole purpose should be enlightenment. God requires
single mindedness. Inside “Rama” outside drama.
Sutra for 43: Momentum frees up potential, with rising rays you
have more energy and purposefulness.
Shloka 44:
Atma is always with you, Atma is always you. You are that if
something that can’t be gained. The whole time I’m Atma. The
idea that I’ve to gain Atma is Avidya. We’re always “becoming”
but can’t because what you already are. Avidya means forgetting
and Knowledge is remembering that we already are Atma. You
can only “be” the infinite, not gain it.
The Guru knows who’s God. Guru only reminds us of that. Just
like an ornament on one’s neck. The Guru only points out it’s
been there, not created it or helped you gain it.
Sutra: We’re born from brilliance.
Class notes Chyk Rochester
41: Everything is me. Our intellect only perceives and relates
with objects of experience and thus this world was created. But,
the main goal of a seeker’s journey is to understand that the
experiencer(subject) experiencing(action/relationship) the
experience(object) — all are the same. A form of energy or the
supreme self. One of the practical habit to reach to this stage is
to be more sincere in SEVA as that is the means as well as
expression to enlightenment. “Live light like light” = Be
minimalist; simple living, higher conscience.
42: When the resistance caused by negativities and positivities

of self are dealt with patience, knowledge and discipline, the
ignorance of finite self is burned down; thus the feeling of
separation vanishes. Lord Rama beautifully explains a similar
concept to Taara ‘If Vali(killed by Rama) is the body, then he is
still infront of you and if Vali is the spirit, then he is still infront
of you (and around you everywhere)!” Thus we need to
consciously understand that ‘I am more than I am
experiencing.”
“Lift yourself above restlessness”- this can be swallowed in by

accepting the fact positively that with change comes challenge.
43: Vasanas are the past impressions that lead to darkness or

the sad days of our life and they shall continue to do so unless
treated with diligent efforts of meditation, discipline and
knowledge. Knowledge destroys ignorance like the dawn of day
dstroys darnkness. Once we firmly decide to put efforts towards
making good habits, the momentum shall continue until it
becomes a part of ourself — “Momentum frees up potential”.
Also, we need to be aware that all that is going on in ‘life’ is just
act of the supreme self — “Inside Rama Outside Drama.”
44: We need to understand that “You cannot find yourself

because youare YOUR-SELF; just like you cannot find infinity
because you ARE that infinite!” Atman is like the missing
ornament of one’s neck. We shall know about the supreme self
intellectually but only the supreme experience which is beyond
intellect’s perception can lead to eternal awareness(happiness);
and guru’s grace plays a big role for this experience.
Sharmila Sridharan
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Mar 5, 2018 · 7 min read
Class notes from Sharmila

Shloka 45:
We are what we are seeking. All that we need is guidance to take
our eyes from articles, beings and circumstances to look more
closely at who we are. Acharya Shankara in this verse explains
how delusion causes doubts in mind and how with right
knowledge, the true nature of the Self can be understood.
Due to delusion I project that a post is a ghost. We always

project one who scares/hurts us. Doubts hold us back. Imagine
the doubt that I am not the nature of joy!- How much this will
hold us back!
There is a wrong knowledge that instead of I being the Self, “i” is

the ego. Instead of me being united with the substratum which
is “existence-awareness-joy”, all I perceive is the world that
grows and dies. I feel finitude in infinity. This is Bhranti
(confusion/delusion).
We have to find the fundamentals of this individuality — then
the Jiva (individuality) will go away just like when you face your
fear, then it fades away.
Swami Tejomayananda shares that “Maya” cannot handle

introspection. Like a dream that rolls up into itself when a
dreamer wakes up, our true nature can be experienced — of
being independently joyous.
Sutra for Shloka 45: Divinity is in the details.
Shloka 46:
In this Shloka, Acharya Shankara says when you experience

your own form which is like the divine/Absolute (Tattva), there
is knowledge that you are joy. The ignorance of “i” and “mine” is
released.
Pay attention to your own experience, that your happiness is

from the Self. The more we reflect on this, the more we become
independent of people’s words, success/failure and stress does
not touch us.
With Right thinking (realizing that source of joy is myself), there

is experience of joy and the more experience I have the more
insight there is to the source of that experience. This can be
reversed and understood as — with right thinking there is
insight and with insight comes experience.
With enough reflection, contemplation becomes natural. “i” and
“mine” is wrong thinking. Ignorance such as “i” and “mine” is
released with right thinking, experience and insight just like
being directionless is rectified when you are given one direction.
When we start to have Vairagya then we start to become

independent of “Ahamkara” or ego. Renunciation of ego (“i”),
and realizing that there is a deeper, higher “I” makes one free.
Sutra for Shloka 46: No separation means all

directions.
Class notes from CM Peoria — Center

You are what you are seeking: A story about ourselves. One
day 10 devas went for a hike and crossed a river to move from
one valley to another. After a gut-wrenching experience, they
crossed the river and wanted to make sure that all 10 of them
reached safely. One of the devas counted the other devas and it
turned about 9. Other devas in the group did the same thing
that resulted in a count of 9 devas only. They started worrying
about the missing deva. A devi who was passing by observed
this and offered to help count them. Her count came to be 10,
which is the original number of devas in the group. The devas
prostrated to the devi as they believed that the devi brought one
of the dead devas back to life. The central point of this story is
that we are what we seek, and we need to take our eyes off the
material things and look closely at what we are to help ourselves
understand who we are. We need to keep talking about
brahman, Ātmabōdha so that we become the same as what we
are seeking.
Recap of Ślokas 41, 42, 43, and 44:

Śloka 41: There is no duality between knower, known, and
knowledge. Seeing them as separate is being extroverted while
seeing them as oneness (Trupti) is being introverted.
Sūtra: Live light like light: Light hearted person doesn’t depend
on articles, being and circumstances.
Śloka 42: Our mind must be fixed in the churning Vedanta

through śravana, manana, and nidi dhyāsana. For example,
Pāndavās chased a deer that was Yaksha (Yudhistara’s father)
testing nobility of Yudhistatra. More sādanā we do, the more we
will do; the more ego gets immersed into the Self.
Sūtra: Lift yourself above restlessness. By doing so, we will be

able to taste the joy of calmness and quietude
Śloka 43: Aruna, the light of sun comes even before the sun
Itself and removes the darkness of the night. Once darkness of
the night is removed the Sun manifests itself. Aruna/Arun
represents right thinking that frees us up from wrong thinking.
When we hear gossip and go around validating or spreading it is
an example of wrong thinking and doing so is wrong.
Sūtra: Momentum frees up potential: Momentum builds up

more momentum.
Śloka 44: The distance between moksha and myself is purely
ignorance. It is like looking for the necklace outside when it is
on my own neck and I fail to see it.
A dynamic person always gives and works without expecting

reciprocity. Way to get away from stress is to give without
expectation
Sūtra: We are born from brilliance: So, one need not go in

search of ātma.
Class Notes on Ślokas 45 and 46:

Śloka 45: In this Śloka we learnt that even though we are all
the time Brahman, we tend to superimpose Brahman with
jīvātma buddhi, ego, kartritva bhāva, etc. and fail to recognize
the Brahman in us. As a result, in darkness we see a Stanav (a
trunk of wood or post) as a human/ghost due to confusion and
ignorance. However, we don’t picture that post/ghost to be our
mother or someone who protects us. The unknown is projected
which is scary and we do not attempt to even move toward
something that is unknown and scary. It is like us holding back
when we see people talking in a different language than we
understand and entertain doubts on the nature of the
conversation. Confusion arises when there is wrong knowledge
of “I’, resulting in confusion between jīvā and Brahman:
Brahmani jîvata bhrantya krute. “I” associate myself with my
EGO instead of the substratum. When we face our fears, the fear
starts to fade away and the process does not seem to be so
intense as imagined. This is because we fail to introspect, and
we always look outside for justifications. When we Introspect,
we will experience that we are independently joyous. It is like, as
Gurudev says, when we wake up, the dreams roll off. Similarly,
when we turn the car light on, the darkness goes away.
Sūtra: Divinity is in the details: Detailed study reveals the idea

because once Brahman as Brahman is known, along with
jîvâtma buddhihi, fear also goes away
Śloka 46: In this Śloka we learnt that knowledge is born out of

tattva svarūpa Anubhava. Anubhavaha here means that it the
experience of knowing myself as Brahman (Tattva, the absolute
reality). Every one of us will experience joy through study and
contemplation. When we live a virtue, we feel that joy. We
should always pay attention to our own experience/joy and
figure out where it is coming from. The more we reflect, the
more we become independent — from peoples words, stress,
emotion etc. With right thinking there is experience of joy. With
right thinking there is insight and with insight we experience
joy. Therefore, with right thinking/knowledge we will
experience joy and the joy will give us insight that “I” a joyous.
When we practice enough mananam, nidhidyasanam becomes
easy. “I” and “MY” are wrong thinking that leads us to “you” and
“yours”, which in turn leads to wrong thinking of comparison
that eventually leads us to jealousy and feeling of insecurity.
Acharya Vivekji quoted Shakespeare: “ Oh what a tangled web
we weave / When first we practice deceiving”. For example, we
deceive ourselves by making excuses to miss Satsang. Ignorance
is released when unknown because known. Renunciation of “I”
leads to Moksha.
Sūtra: No separation means all direction (infinite): If there is

no “I” there is no separation, only existence, awareness and joy
which is al pervading, all present, all powerful, and all joy.
Class notes from CHYK West Viginia

Vivekji started the class by telling a story of 10 Devas crossing a
river. When they had crossed, a Deva took it upon himself to
count how many made it across. He counted nine. Another Deva
tried, and he also counted nine. They all lamented the loss of
one of their Devas, until a Devi, who was watching this scene,
decided to interject. She counted the Devas and claimed there
were ten The idea is that we are what we are seeking… but we
keep looking for joy externally rather than within!
Sloka 45: When there is a post, and it is seen with delusion, it

appears to us as a ghost. Doubts hold us back. When we cannot
see something clearly, we have a tendency to see the worst
possibility and back away.
The doubt that Infinity doesn’t exist deludes the fact that the “I”
is the Self and not the Ego. Finding the actual nature of this
individuality removes the finitude of our understanding. Face
that fear!
Maya cannot handle introspection; it disappears quickly!

Sutra for Sloka 45: Divinity is in the details.
Sloka 46: When taking a value and living it as a virtue, it is an

experience like Divinity itself. The more we reflect on this
Truth-like experience, ignorance will be destroyed. It will be
realized that the source of Joy is myself!
right thinking -> insight -> experience
This process is immediate! With enough reflection (mananam),

contemplation (nidhidhyasanam) becomes natural. This process
is like finding your way out of the web of emotions that you
yourself have spun. We started all of the (joy &) sorrows in this
life, so it is up to us to make it a priority to rid ourselves of such
(joy &) sorrows and see the one in all.
Directionless is rectified when given one direction. When we

start to have vairagya (independence from the “i”), we can
renunciate the ego and be free.
Sutra for Sloka 46: No separation means all directions.

Class Notes from Week 22— Mar 01, 2018
Bhargavi Rao
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Shloka 47: These two shlokas are not about the path of peace
but expression of peace (in an enlightened being).
In this Shloka, Acharya Shankara describes the nature and
quality of the enlightened one.
The yogi who has followed the path of peace well, is enlightened.
This means they followed the direction of the wise by being
inward looking and thus becoming independent.
The entire multiverse (external and internal) is actually within
me, is me. This is possible when I don’t see only names and
forms but see Sat Chit Ananda in all and myself.
There is one Atman that is all around me, and I am in all. When
we realize this, we will become most comfortable with all as we
will see ourselves in all.
Such enlightened beings see with the eye of wisdom. They don’t
merely “see” but they have the vision.
Sutra for Shloka 47: Infinity is Inclusivity

Shloka 48: In this shloka, Acharya Shankara further
elaborates on the qualities of the enlightened one.
The whole multiverse (creation) is Atman (existence
awareness). For the enlightened ones, there is no illusion, there
is only Absolute.
There is no “other” reality other than Atman. There is only
Atman, there is only God.
Just as clay as if becomes pots, etc but pot is clay itself.
Similarly, we are Atman inspite of all separation that is
superficial.
An enlightened being sees nothing but the Self everywhere.
Sutra for Shloka 48: Manifestation is not Modification

Class Notes from Week 23 — Mar 08, 2018
Sharmila Sridharan
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One of the first Upanishads that one studies in their study of
self-development is the Ishavasya Upanishad. There is a prayer
chanted in the beginning of Ishavasya Upanishad which is
“Purnamadah Purnamidam ……Purnam Eva Avasishyate”
Purnam Adah — means “that” is full/complete/infinite. You can
think of “that” as being the environment outside of your
Satsang.
Purnam idam — means “this” is complete. Think of your
Satsang/study group as Idam.
Purnat Purnam Udachyate — From “that” completeness, “this”
completeness has come/manifested.
Purnasya Purnam aadaya — When this completeness is taken
away from that completeness, (when this Satsang is finished),
Purnam Eva Avasishyate — That is still complete/full
When we start to tune into the depth of this prayer, we stop

feeling separation. When separation stops, then doership also
stops. When doership stops, being tired stops too. With vision,
there is single experience of love and life, and one feels rest.
This is what Atma Bodha teaches us.
Shloka 49:
In this Shloka Acharya Shankara describes about how someone
who loves himself/herself fully lives.
One who knows the Truth, one who knows themselves (vidwan)
is indeed free while living. Knowledge directs our identification.
For someone who knows themselves, they are not limited
because they are not identified with the limited.
They let go of the ropes (GunaaH) of these equipments (upaadi)

of their previous identification. They are not identified with
what meets the eye (such as gender, skin color and so on). Let
go of these ropes, because the ropes are not holding on to us, we
are holding on to these ropes.
When one lets go of the ropes, one comes to understand that

they are not “Rupa” (forms and names) but they are “Swarupa”
(Sat-Chit-Ananda). When you know you are existence, then
there is no more fear of death. Implication of knowing that you
are awareness, is that there is no fear of the unknown.
Implication of knowing that one’s nature is Ananda is that there
is no fear of sorrow.
One cannot force the wasp’s larva to become a wasp, it is a

natural unfoldment. Similarly, we cannot force ourselves to
manifest our full potential. Here larva is like jiva and wasp is
like Brahma. It cannot be forced and will come only from a
single purpose. The more we think , speak and act towards
freedom, the more potential manifests.
Sutra for Shloka 49: One identification, many
renunciations.
Shloka 50:
In this shloka, Acharya Shankara describes how we will be when
we are realized. This shloka teaches the Ayana (path) to Rama
(joy).
The ocean of confusion in our relative lives is complacency.

When we don’t feel like there is more to who we are, then what
we are experiencing is complacency. It is compared to an ocean
because, when you are in the middle of an ocean it looks
endless. A complacent person is complacent forever. Imagine
mukti was mithya! What would be the point of breathing?!
Where there are likes and dislikes, there is a whole army of vices
that come. The word “Rakshasa” comes from whom you need
Raksha (protection) from. We need protection from our inner
enemies — likes, dislikes, fear, anger and so on. The more inner
enemies we have, the more outer enemies we have. A content
person is courageous and has no inner enemies.
One who has united the lower self with the higher Self (Yogi),
once and for all experiences Shanti (peace, rest).
A yogi shines because His nature is Rama inside. They become

low maintenance, they can empower others. That is the
“shining”.
This is Ramayana in a single shloka. Bhagavan Rama is joy and
Mother Sita is peace. Joy and peace live together joyfully and
peacefully in Ayodhya and even after they leave. However for a
moment, when Mother Sita who represents “peace” is not
looking at “joy”, and forgets “joy”, there is “projection”, (because
where there is forgetfulness there is projection). She projects joy
on the golden deer (which represents pleasure, possession,
position). Thus joy and peace are forcefully separated. Someone
who wants joy should re-find peace. First go through the
projections (which are the inner demons). After this Vikshepa
(projection) is addressed, then you can address the Avidya or
Avarana (ignorance). When that is done, joy and peace are
together again!
Sutra for Shloka 50: Journey from darkness to light.
Shloka 51:
In this shloka, Acharya Shankara talks about the experiences of
the enlightened.
“Sat” is that which is ever present. Opposite of that is “Asat” or

that which is never present (like the horns of a hare). Something
that “maybe” present is called “Mithya” — it’s there and it’s not
there, such as our forms, names, health and so on. Here the
word used is “Anitya” which means “not possible”. One cannot
find joy from the outside (Baahya).
If I am clear that the source of joy is not outside of me, I start to
experience the source of joy as being inside of me. Baahya is
“mithyaH”, “antaH” is “Sat” (that which is real).
AstaH means to establish, “Swa” or “Su” refers to our nature.

“Su” “AstaH” means to be established in one’s nature. In a
relative sense, it means to love oneself. Someone who loves
themselves is secure. Only a secure person can engage in their
Dharma (responsibilities). Our Dharma is to reach Brahma
(independent joy).
Earlier, we studied how a light placed in a pot illuminates things

around, but this shloka goes deeper. It is not about illuminating
outside but it’s about illumination. In our self-development it is
just “being”. For one who is enlightened, there is only light.
Sutra for Shloka 51: Focus on light’s flow.
Class Notes from CHYK Cleveland
1st Upnishad to start is the Isha Vasya Upnishad
Beginning prayer, “Purnam adah, Punam idam…”
That is Full/Complete/infinite… i.e. outside satsang
This is Complete…. ie at Satsang

From this infinitude, the infinite originates. When this
completeness is removed, the full or complete remains.
IMPLICATION:
When you come to the study group and after you leave, the
world is still/remaining FULL. Therefore, the teaching is to stop
the Do-ership and ego. Once that happens, the tiredness stops
too. With Vision, the Dvaita will disappear and unite across the
board.
REVISION:
Shloka 47
When we decide that there is Sat-Chit-Ananda is inside one is

more natural.
Infinity is inclusivity
Ego of clay>> manifests as a pot
Shloka 48
Manifestation is not Modification
Shloka 49
How does one who loves infinity live?

Knowledge directs our identification
Letting go of the ‘Gunas’ that are like ropes. However, the ropes
are not holding us. In fact it is us that are holding on to the
ropes.
Tyaga →Sanyasa means feeling free
Sanyaasis realize that they are not Roopa (name/form), but

rather Swaroopa
-No longer afraid of death
-No longer fear of unknown / social security
-No longer fear failure
The timing of this transformation is ones own…
You cannot force a larva into a wasp.
Sutra-One identification, many renunciations
Shloka 50:
Arnava: ocean
Moharnava: Ocean of delusion- leads to complacency

Raaga dvesha di rakshasam
Rakshasa->whom you need protection from
Our inner Rakshasa are — likes, dislikes, fear, anger
Someone who is content, lives courageously, not fearful.
If you have nothing to gain, you have nothing to loose, hence

fearlessness.
“Yogi Shanti Samayukta”
One who unites w the higher is always peaceful.
Such people are low maintenance, they inspire others
This is the whole Ramayana in one shloka….
Bhagwan Rama is Joy, Mother Sita is Peace. For one moment

she takes her eyes off Joy. She projects on to the golden deer
(Position, Pocession). you have to go through
Rakshasa/Projections to find Joy again.
SUTRA: Journey from darkness to light.
From Tamas->Rajas->Virajate (Shines).

Shloka 51
Rabbits don’t have horns, so you don’t think about . Everything
else is mithya.
Anitya=not possible
Nirvatah=content
Outside is mithya, inside is Sat
Svastaha=Su/sva (my nature)+Astha(to be established) → to

love oneself →Feel secure →Engage in Dharma — →Reach
Brahman/joy
A lamp in a pot is not worried about what its lighting

up/illuminating. It is just illumination itself. Same w the Sun.
When Neo (The Matrix movie) enters Agent Smith, he breaks

him apart. Light starts coming out. What is left is only Neo, only
the Light.
SUTRA: Focus on Light’s flow.

Atma Bodha Verse
52,53,54,55
Class Notes from Week 24 — Mar 22, 2018
Bhargavi Rao
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Shoka 52: Vivekji commented that this was His favorite shloka
that describes the state of a Jivanmukta.
Being close to a vehicle, you assume limitations of that vehicle,

meaning you get associated with whatever you are close to.
Someone who thinks, one who is perpetually

reflecting(Munihi)is like space.
They are unattached, they are in their own world. They are
foolish when it comes to foolish matters. They are unconcerned
about material things and concerned only about Infinitude.
This person is free and flows like the wind. They are the most
powerful and impactful like the wind.
Sutra for Shloka 52: Reflecting is relieving.

Shloka 53: This shloka described how the enlightened one sees
oneness everywhere.
When we are relieved of the upadhis (equipment), all that

remains is Vishnu. Here relieving indicates withdrawing one’s
identification. This merely indicates functional destruction.
Completely absorbed is this munihi (nirvikalpa Samadhi:

Sam=well, A=fully, dhi=placed). They are identified with
Vishnu well and fully with no change. Vivekji described that
when you can think of the same subject for 20, 736 seconds (6
hours), that is Nirvikalpa samadhi!
Just like water going into water and space going into space,
when one is enlightenment, there is no separation, there is no
ego, only oneness. We never take anything said by anyone
personally when there is oneness.
Like light merging into light so does the enlightened person see
oneness.
Sutra for 53: Surrender makes one stronger
Shloka 54: In this shloka, Acharya Shankara further describes

how content the enlightened one is.
When one gains Independent joy, there is no other gain.

Vairagya can be aso be described as passion for giving. This
means you have nothing to gain and nothing to lose. Hence are
fearless.
When someone has experienced this Sukham, there is no

other sukham (su=good, kham=space). The best space within us
and not in the context.Strong people live in content way, not
contextual way.
When one knows who they are, there is no more to be known.

They know all! All curiosity comes to completion.
This is Brahman and is to be realized and felt. Acharya

Shankara is asking us about what it is that we are doing! There
is nothing else to be done other than dedicating our lives to this.
Sutra for Shloka 54: The pursuit has an end.
Shloka 55: This shloka expounds further that once we reach

this state, there is nothing more to be seen or achieved in life.
Having seen this there is nothing else is there to be seen. When

you have seen all, you are a Rishi. When you see this, you stop
feeling insecure.
When one is Being, they stop becoming.
Once you know the Truth, the non Truth does not hold our
interest.
All of our experiences in life have not completed us. Acharya
Shankara is prodding us and saying what it is that we are doing.
Once one knows Brahman to be themselves, that is
completeness.
Sutra for Shloka 55: Make Truth the Truth.
Class Notes from CM Pittsburgh — Monroeville

General Class Notes
Atma bodha course is a subjective science/shastra. How do you
relate to it?
-We can relate to it as of now-imminent
-It’s where we would want to be-transcendental
-It’s a journey from being dependently on externalities for
joyous to be independently joyous; i.e.
journey from ignorance to enlightenment
Verse 52
Sutra: Reflecting is Relieving — Relieve yourself from
attachment/expectation
• Indicates qualities of a muni, manana seelavan ithi muni (one
who has good conduct when it comes to reflecting)
o Muni is a perfect man who has renounced his attachment to
conditionings/upadi’s
 Being close to conditioning you assume the limitations of that
conditioning
o A jivan muktha is someone who thinks is like space
 He/she is untainted by his/her surroundings
 Fearless like a ghost, moving around like a child or a mad
man, the
contemplative man is like the wind: unstoppable, most free,
most powerful
 Impactful like a hurricane but not without the destructive
nature
 The contemplative man is the Sthitaprajna, as described by
Chapter 2 of the
Bhagavad Gita.
 The contemplative one, though he lives in the conditionings,
has learned to live constantly balanced, where conditionings
does do- not pull affect him down.
 Though he may give the outwardly seem likeappearance of a
fool, unconcerned with anything, he moves around free,
completely unattached.
 No moment passes without them him learning about
themselves himself from their his past experiences
 Wise person sleeps when others are awake and viceversa
Verse 53
Sutra: Surrender Makes One Stronger
• When the Upadi’s / conditionings are destroyed at a functional
level, i.e. not destroying the body, what remains is Vishnu
o So, What is Vishnu?
 What was, what is, and what will be is Vishnu, one who has
entered everything and everyone; it is all-pervading,
transcending time & space
o Upon attainment of the complete realization of true nature of
one’s own self, a person
becomes a Jeevan-Muktha.
 The Jeevan-Muktha does not have any ego, and realizes that
he is one with the Supreme Soul
 This is not any different from a Videha-Muktha, since the
Atman is not the body
o On the dissolution of the upadis, the muni (contemplative one,
thinker) is totally absorbed into the all-pervading, attribute-less
spirit
 Like water into water, light into light, space into space
 When the conditionings are dissolved, and the thinker is
assimilated into a
larger entity, the thinker comes to experience an inner bliss with
perfect clarity
 The stains on the mirror are now washed, the existence is
bright and evident
 Nirvikalpa — Identifying oneself without change
 Nirvikalpa Samadhi — If you can think about the same
subject without
distractions for 20736 seconds
 Dharana — 12 seconds
 Dhyana — 12 X 12 = 144 seconds
 Savikalpa Samadhi — 12 X 12 X 12 = 1728 seconds
 Nirvikalpa Samadhi — 12 X 12 X 12 X 12 = 20736 seconds
 One who enlightened — Like space going into space, no
separation and no ego
Verse 54
Sutra: The pursuit has an end –
• When one gains independent joy, then there is no other gain.

All curiosity comes to completion.
• When one gains independent joy, then there is no other gain.
All curiosity comes to completion No happiness is higher than
the attainment of independent joy — but which is possible only
with full & complete identification with bramhan.
• Realize that state to be brahman, attainment of which leaves
nothing more to be attained, nothing more to be known. They
are in a state of complete
vairagya/Abhaya/Fearlessness
o Vairagya — When there is a deep passion for giving, the
dispassion to gain is automatic. When there is nothing to gain,
there is nothing to loose.
• Only person who is not pursuing peace is the peaceful person
• Sukham: Su-Kham- Best space
Verse 55
Sutra: Make truth, THE TRUTH
This verse continues to describe the state of a Jnani , the one
who has reached the state of tranquility,peace and perfection
• For Rishi/ Seer- Having seen this, there is nothing else to be
seen.
• When one is in being they stop becoming. Nirvana is the state
of being. Being is the most natural. Then the non-truth is of no
interest.
• When one has independent joy, they stop being insecure
• Just like a cow does not care whether one places a garland
around its neck or not, the enlightened person does not care
whether he is praised or criticized
Class Notes from CHYK Newport

Competition, criticism, and contentment is subjective. The
shastras are imminent and immediate, transcendental and
distant. This is a journey of someone trying to find independent
joy. Avathistathi is the idea of being centered while also being
dynamic; this is to be balanced while also moving.
Shloka 52
- being close to an equipment, you assume the limitations of
that equipment
- someone who thinks is like space; free of limitations
- munih — one who has good conduct when reflecting
- someone who thinks knows everything and they are aloof, like
a fool
- this thinker is concerned with infinitude and unconcerned
with worldly attributes
- be impactful like a hurricane, but not actually a hurricane
- SUTRA — Reflecting is relieving.
Shloka 53
- understand that the body is something we use; try to remove
identification with the body
- the one who is reflecting is totally absorbed in all
- when one is enlightened, there is no separation and no ego
- when there’s oneness, you stop taking things personally or
taking compliments personally
- SUTRA — Surrender makes one stronger.
Shloka 54
- when one gains independent joy, there is no other gain (this is
the highest gain)
- vairāgya — passion for giving
- one who loves to give has nothing to lose and is fearless
- sukham — best space
- someone who lives in a content way is not living in a
contextual way
- jignāsu — one who is curious
- one who knows who they are knows all
- This is Brahman. What are you doing?
- SUTRA — The pursuit has an end.
Shloka 55
- Rshi — one who has seen independent joy
- Rshi has no insecurities
- when one is being, they stop becoming
- being is most natural
- once you know the Truth, that which is not the Truth does not
hold our interest
- SUTRA — Make Truth the truth.
Sharmila Sridharan
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Apr 2, 2018 · 6 min read
Class Notes from Week 25 — March 29, 2018
Class notes from Sharmila
Shloka 56: In this shloka Acharya Shankara gives examples of

species, Gunas and periods of time to explain that we should be
feeling the infinitude.
There is fullness everywhere. “Tiryak” means horizontal,

another word for animals. Above (Urdhvam) animals is
humans. Those who are lower (adhaH) than the animals are
plants and stones. All of this is Purna, infinite. Superficially
none of them are the same , but if we stop the shallowness all
are same.
They are existence-awareness-joy, there are no differences. Sat

is compared to Tamas, it is impossible not to feel existence
(Sat). Chit is compared to Rajas, more subtlety is needed to feel
one’s awareness. Ananda is compared to Sattva, even more
subtlety is needed to know one’s nature is joy. Beyond Tamas,
Rajas and Sattva is the Truth.
You are there in the beginning, middle and end. Are we feeling
this infinitude?
There is no such thing as present, there is only presence. The

presence is existence-awareness and knowing that is joy.
Sutra for Shloka 56 : Infinity is indivisible.
Shloka 57: In this shloka, Acharya Shankara further explains

that we are Brahman.
If we want to feel Brahman, it is going to take every strategy,

every methodology — I have to know what I am not, I have to
know what I am, I have to know what I am in between, I have to
know what is Absolute, relative and illusion — all of it! If you
show up in front of the ego, then ego will take all your power
away. Vali is like ego, so be like Bhagavan Rama and go behind
Vali (ego).
When our mind is calm, quiet and still, we will come to

experience how simple Vedanta is.
Existence-awareness is the most fundamental. Unbroken joy is

who you are. Any breakage that has happened, we are just not
looking in the right place (meaning we are looking outside for
joy).
You are that Brahman, that Brahman is you. Feel this, be this.
Sutra for Shloka 57: The method, use every method.
Class noted from CHYK DC — Washington
Context/Background
o Hanuman Chalisa
 First quarter
• Focused on Guru
 Last quarter
• Focused on God
 When introduced to one’s Guru, God must be near
• Ability to be able to see God in Guru is a matter of sincerity
o Acharya Shankara is our Guru  with him in our lives, we are
near atma
 Should feel closer to self while studying Atma Bodha
o Acharya Shankara is really teaching Tattva Bodha through
Atma Bodha, but in poetic form
 Tattva Bodha is more technical
• Review
o Shlokas 52 and 53
 Someone who knows what they are and what they are not has
let go of
unnecessary weight
 Body identification and tamas
• The more I identify with my body, the more tamasic I am
• The less I identify with my body, the less tamasic I am
 Reflecting is relieving
 Just as when water is mixed with water, water results  when
ego knows
the truth, no more separation, only truth
• I become one with what I am studying
o Not true of any objective science; only true for subjective
science of Vedanta
 Surrender makes one strong
o Shloka 54
 Absolute nature of Brahman: once I feel this divinity, do not
need any
other knowledge/feelings/circumstances
 Have to see God within first, and then outside
• If I try to see God outside first, then that feeling will be broken
• Control of external vs. control of internal
o Much easier to control body (external) than to control mind
(internal)
o See God in myself before in others
 Sutra: Pursuit has an end

• I will be happy once transition from bodha to atma occurs
o Shloka 55
 If we were not born right now  would “experience” being
 Since we are born  engaged in so many words, so much
becoming
 Sutra: make truth, the truth
• We are studying the truth  must also live it

• New Shlokas
o Shloka 56
 Tiryak-urdhva- Madhah-Purnam
• Literal translation: there is fullness everywhere
• Different interpretation (to make the shloka more livable and
lift
ourselves)
o Tiryak
 Horizontal
 Another word for animals: all organs of an animal
are on the same plane
o Urdhvam
 Humans are theoretically above animals
o Adhah
 Plants and stones are lower than animals
o Purnam
 Fills
o Overall meaning of this quarter
 All of this (tiryag, urdhvam, adaha) is infinite
 If we go beyond shallowness, all of these are the
same
 Sat-Cit- Anandam-Advayam
• Literal translation: no difference, no duality
• Different interpretation
o Sat: cannot NOT feel existence; can be tamasic and still
feel existence
o Chit: to feel it, more subtlety is needed (rajas)
o Anandam: to feel it, even more subtlety is needed (satwa)
o Advayam: beyond satwa, rajas, tamas  truth
 Anantam-Nityam- Ekam-Yat
• Ekam
o Really the word eka (one)
o Eti (this) gacchati (gone) sarvatra (everywhere)
• Yat o You
• Nityam o Continuum
• Anantam o Without end
 Overall meaning of last three shloka quarters

• I am the same as stones, plants, animals, humans; I am the
same as
tamas, rajas, satwa; I am there, at the beginning, middle, end
 Tad-Brahmety- avadharayet
• Overall meaning of this quarter: Do you feel this?
• Acharya Shankara has stated this so many times
 Sutra: infinity is indivisible
• There is no such thing as the present; only the presence
o Shloka 57
 Atat-Vyavrtti- Rupena
• Rupena
o By this process, methodology…
 There is a special philosophical process by which
we distinguish existence from non-existence
o If we want Brahman to win, we will need to use every
strategy/methodology
 If I am not identifying with Brahman yet, have to
start identifying through these methodologies
 Vedantair Laksyate-Advayam
• Vedanta
o Veda: know
o Anta: inside
o Straightforward meaning: know what is inside
• Laksyate
o Am I reflective/subtle enough to feel oneness?
o Sri Lakshmanaji
 Lacchamana
• One who indicates
• By seeking Sri Lakshmanaji  guided to Bhagavan Rama
o When mind is quiet/still  come to experience how simple

Vedanta is
• Inertia to change oneself is real tamas

 Akhanda-Anandam- Ekam-Yat
• Ananda o Joy
• Akhanda o Unbroken
• Existence-awareness- fundamental/unbroken joy: this is who
we are
 Tad-Brahmety- avadharayet
• Tat Brahman
o I am that Brahman, that Brahman is me; Look inside for joy
o  Feel this, be this
 Sutra: the method, use every method
o Same last quarter for Shlokas 54, 55, 56, 57
 Sense of urgency
• Question and Answer
o Question 1: No present, only presence  Presence of what?

 When we say we are experiencing the present: as soon as that
takes place,
has already become the past
 Presence (bhakti) — presence of Bhagavan
 Existence-awareness- joy is that presence
o Question 2: Object borrows existence from subject  clarify?
 Example: rope vs. snake

• For the snake (object) to be there, the rope (subject) has to be
there
 Every object is borrowing existence
 Na tatra suryo: outer light borrows awareness from inner
light
 When I experience joy from a person or circumstance, I
should
acknowledge it is coming from me
o Question 3: Is the goal sole consciousness and, if so, how will I
be able to perform my bodily duties?
 Soul = consciousness
 Become conscious  know oneness in oneself  oneness
radiates into all
places  all is me  nothing to gain or lose  no fear  only love
Bhargavi Rao
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Class Notes from Week 26 — April 05, 2018
Shloka 58: This shloka focuses on quantity…on our primal

nature to always assess what it is that we can get from any
experience/object, etc.
Nature of Life is independent joy and we are That and so our
nature is the same.
The joy we experience is like a grain of salt as compared to our

Real Nature. Acharya Shankara is emphasizing the extent of
Bliss/joy that is our Real nature by quantifying the
proportionality of what we experience now
(pleasure/possession/position) vs what we have the potential to
experience (peace).
Acharya Shankara says that Lord Brahma, our Creator enjoys

more of this joy as compared to other less evolved beings. More
evolved you are, more you experience the joy. Happiness
depends only on your state of evolution.
There is no joy outside of you. This constant contemplation
makes you independent. This happiness is not a want, it is a
need!
Sutra for Shloka 58: “I” is inimitable (cannot be

copied), meaning I whose nature is joy cannot come
from another external source.
Shloka 59: In this Shoka, Achrya Shankara points out that

every object, experience has the joy, peace. This peace pervades
all.
Of the Happiness that we just discussed, all

objects/beings/circumstances are pervaded and filled with this
joy. The reason we don’t experience it in the daily objects
because we don’t acknowledge that the nature of these is Joy, we
get caught up in the object itself, superficially.
Our actions depend on This Happiness, we only live at the idea

of the possibility of Independent Joy. If we forget about the idea
of independent joy, we will stop being inspired, will cease and
stagnate.
Therefore, existence, awareness, joy IS everywhere. Our efforts

should be inspired and tuned into joy and Life (Sarvagatam).
Every day to day activity, every single moment should be tuned
in to Joy. If you are Happy every moment….you are HAPPY
FOREVER!
Just like butter pervades milk, there is joy pervading every
moment, every experience, every single object. We don’t see
what’s inherent in the milk (the butter) but it doesn’t mean it is
not there.
Sutra for Shloka 59: Churn up contentment
Shloka 60: In this verse, Acharya Shankara is trying to explain

the nature of Brahman by describing what It is not (negation,
unlearning to help us learn). He is bringing to our attention that
these references only apply to limitations. Brahman who is
beyond these limitations cannot therefore be described by these
references.
Brahman is neither subtle nor gross, neither long nor short.
Brahman is without birth or change.
Brahman is without form, attributes, color or name. In Bhakti,

we focus on the divine. By focusing on Divine form, name and
attibutes, you forget the egocentric name, and qualities. You
lose yourself when you focus on service of others.
This is Brahman, realize It that You are Brahman.
Sutra for Shloka 60: References further limit us

Class notes from CM Washington
Experience comes and goes, but nature doesn’t. Nature of sugar

is sweetness, nature of sun is to be
luminous. We cannot change that.
We are studying in a course that is not about experiences but
about nature. Acharya Sankara is urging us
to live and think simple. There are less complications outside,
less mind games inside when we learn to
live and think simply. This helps us learn more from our own
experiences, and helps us see life. In the
terminology of Bhagavad Gita, you stop concentrating on the
pearls, and start concentrating on the
string that holds them together. Life is natural, it is not an
experience that comes and goes.
Summary of previous weeks Shlokas
Verse 56: Life does not depend on devas or objects or living
things. It is the other way around. In the
Bhagavad Gita, Lord Krishna says I’m not in them, they are in
me. Life doesn’t depend on these
directions or beings, but the directions and beings depend on
Life.
Sutra: Infinity is indivisible
Quote from Sri NiSagaradatta — “There is only life, there is no
one who lives a life”
Verse 57: Acharya Sankara teaches about how we are to learn
about life through the methods of
Vedanta, what we are not, what we are.
Sutra: The method, use every method.
Verse 58:
Akanda Ananda — Independent Joy, Rupasaya — Nature
In the first line, Acharya is teaching us that Nature of life is
Independent Joy.
Visualization — Think of a person who you know who is most
complete and multiply that by the same
level of completion. That would be like the truth.
Tasya Ananda — All that happiness, lavasritah — What You and
I experience
What we are experiencing is like a grain of salt as compared to
our nature. You can bring the best
combination of pleasure, position, possession and all of that is
like a grain of salt, in comparison to
peace.
In Taitriya Upanishad, the Rishi compares all healthy, happy
people as the numerator which is 1 and for
the denominator, the happiness the realized person experiences
(a drop of their joy) which is 1 followed
by 15 zeros.
In the second line Acharya Sankara is trying to quantify that

which is quality oriented to help us
understand. Lord Brahma the creator enjoys more of the grain
of salt than others who are not yet
evolved. The more evolved you are, the more you enjoy this
grain of happiness.
Happiness does not depend on how much you earn or how fast
you run, but on how much evolved you
are. Evolution does not depend on the body or brain, but
determines how much of the joy we get
through experience,
In the last line Acharya Sankara is saying we can all enjoy this
Ananda. There is no joy outside of you.
Happiness is a want not a need. Understand that the joy is
coming from inside.
Sutra: I is inimitable.
Verse 59
In first line, Acharya Sankara is explaining that all
objects/articles/beings/circumstances are filled with
joy. We fail to experience it since we look at it from the surface.
Deeper than space is energy and deeper than that is existence.
That is what is the real substance in our
experience.
What we do every day depends on this existence, this happiness.
We live with inspiration, purpose at
the idea of the possibility of independent joy. If you let go of that
idea that there is independent joy, you
will stop being inspired and everything will cease and stagnate.
Existence awareness joy is everywhere and our efforts should be
aspiring to tune in to this Existence
awareness. Try to be independently joyous always — while
driving, cooking, bathing, etc.
If you are happy every moment, that equates to being happy
always.
Just like butter pervades milk, Acharya Sankara says we only
see the milk, but don’t see the butter
inherent in it. Instead of taking our experiences generally, we
need to go deeper into our experiences.
Sutra: Churn up contentment.
Verse 60
Ananu: neither subtle
Asthulam: nor gross
Ahvstham: neither short
Adheergham: nor long
Ajam: without birth
Avyayam: without change
Aroopa guna varna aakhyaam: without form, qualities, color
and name
Tadbrahma: that to be Brahman
Ithi: thus
Avadharayet: realise
Acharya Sankara is taking up different sizes, descriptions, and
limitations as references
Anima — in Hanuman Chalisa it’s one of Ashta Siddhi (8

physical powers) that Hanumanji has. Ashta
Siddhi reference only at functional level.
Acharya is trying to explain that what we study is beyond
quality, form, name, color etc.
Bhakthi’s flow is through Nama, Rupa, Guna and Dhama. Focus
deeply on divine name, divine form ,
divine quality which will help us forget about ego centric
personality. When you lose yourself in
Bhagwan, you find Brahman.
Quote from Mahatma Gandhi — The best way to find yourself, is
to lose yourself in service of others.
Acharya Sankara is using negation to help us learn.
Sutra: References further limits
Virtual Questions Posted

————————————-
How do you know what is important to you?
What is important to us is always fueled by the plan to get and
naturally, if there is a plan to get there is
a focus on giving. What we give our resources, time and effort to
should give us an idea of what is
important to us, we are giving because we want to get something
from that. Rewind a week and look at
where you spent your resources, time, effort and that will teach
you what is important to you.
Acharya Sankara in Atmabodha is saying that we should make
Brahman the only important aspect of our
lives.
Shloka 56 : What supports space?
Naturally what supports space is energy. If we delete the space
between us, we will be one, essentially.
Try to treat space as existence, space is not existence awareness
joy, but if you can start to feel that
space, you will start to feel the joy that is everywhere and that is
when we get close to Brahman. Our
efforts should be aspired to be tuned into life, tuned into joy
when doing everything and in every
moment.
Shloka 57:
How else will you learn what your nature is? What are methods
to learn your nature is joy?
Vivekji’s observation is that you can never know your nature is
joy without a systemized, verbalized
method.
Shloka 58:
Why do we externalize the truth?
We live by the senses, the senses engage in sense objects and
sense objects are external.
Hanuman chalisa verse
o sat bar path kare kohi | Chutehi bandhi maha sukh hohi|
This means that anyone who chants the Hanuman Chalisa with
sincerity gets freedom from all sorrow
and will experience great bliss. However, we externalize
everything and think that we need to chant the
verse 100 times. But, if we chant the chalisa 100 times without
sincerity we are lost. If we give
importance to quantity over quality, we are lost and that
becomes dependent joy.
Shloka 59:
Who inspires you the most and why?
Vivekji said that people who give themselves to sadhana and
those whose lives revolve around sadhana
and not sadhana around their lives inspire him the most.
A person who is engaged in sadhana is clear about the sadhaya
which is the purpose — independent joy.
A person who is not engaged in sadhana is lost and they believe
that joy will accidentally come to them.
Shloka 60:
Discuss and describe indescribable
Indescribable is indescribable and we all need to have the
humility to appreciate and accept that.
Nobody likes to be kept in the dark and nobody likes the idea of
not knowing and we push ourselves to
know more. Our shastras say that we cannot know maya — but
having the humility and the power to
accept that we cannot know this moves your focus on things that
you can know which is the truth and
which is Brahman
Shloka 61
Memorize mantra: Na tatra suryo bhati na candra tarakam
RAW:
Last week: Different hairstyle every day.
The purpose of this raw was to observe and feel the reaction of
people.
Observation of this RAW: People are fickle and are so lost in

their own minds. Anything we see and
anything we do, there is no response from others but only
immediate reaction.
One can change his or her hair every day and can expect and get
different reactions each day. People
who are lost in their own minds react and people who are not
lost in their minds do not react.
The purpose of this RAW is to not take people’s reactions
seriously, that is how people are.
Sharmila Sridharan
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Class Notes from Week 27— April 12, 2018
Shloka 61: This shloka in Atma Bodha is very similar to the

Mantra in Upanishad “Natatra Suryo bhaati…....Tasya Bhaasa
Sarvamidam Vibhaati”. Here Acharya Shankara describes how
all experiences are because of “you” (existence-awareness).
The light of existence, awareness, joy — this causes illumination

to the Sun and moon. Without existence, awareness, joy, there is
nothing! Articles, beings and circumstance depend on existence,
awareness, joy.
The sun, moon and stars cannot give light to existence,

awareness. When you are not there, there cannot be happiness,
but when you are there, then there can be happiness. This shows
that you are happiness, and happiness depends on you. Value
for anything in life is because of “you”.
Happiness is intrinsic to all and gives meaning to all.

Atma Bodha is a study of you. This is infinity, this is Brahman —
one should feel this.
Sutra for Shloka 61: Feel the burn.
Shloka 62: This shloka explains how our nature is not

darkness, but it is light !
Infinity, God is inside and outside. At a relative level, we should

visualize our mind to be like a room mate. If the mind keeps
talking and judging, tell the mind to be quiet or leave that
environment. This means you are different from the mind.
This whole multiverse is experienced because of awareness.

Jagat means “Jayate (that which is born), Gacchati (that which
goes), Tishtathi (as if that which stays)” — the fact that I know
that which is born, changing and as if standing, there is
awareness there and “I” am that awareness.
Kashi should lead us to Prakasha, Kashi is outside and Prakasha

is inside. Kashi is an environment of Sattva and studying, and
that should feel like Prakasha where I get to know who I am. It
is the death of the ego.
A steel ball is dark (Rupa) and cold (Guna). When the steel ball
is put in fire, it becomes red and hot. All that we experience
outside and inside is dark and cold. If there is a reason to smile,
its because of the fire within oneself or Prakasha.
Sutra for Shloka 62: Infinity glows in the dark.
Shloka 63: In this shloka, the multiverse is compared to a

mirage, and Acharya Shankara says that there is only Brahman
and nothing else.
This Jagat is not Brahman. You cannot know the truth just by
living in this multiverse, because the multiverse will not teach
you what your nature is.
Other than infinity, there is nothing. There is only Brahman and

no multiverse. Infinity and finitude have the opposite nature.
While infinity is existence-awareness-joy, finitude is fear of
death, fear of unknown and fear of sorrow. If I start to feel
Brahman then I don’t believe in multiverse.
If there is anything other than infinity that is shining or being

experienced, then it is an illusion (Mithya). The moving part of
the multiverse is Jagat which is not Brahman. It is the non
moving part of the multiverse that is Brahman. The moving part
refers to names and forms, which is an illusion. The existence-
awareness part of the multiverse and “you” is not an illusion.
Mithya should be understood as relative. One is lost in an

illusion if one treats the relative as absolute. A mirage is fun if
you understand that the waves are an illusion and the reality is
sand.
Sutra for Shloka 63: Evolve from sight to vision.

Class Notes from CM St.John’s
Our shastras teach that we should keep 1/3 of our earnings for
our own use (enjoyment) today, invest 1/3 for tomorrow (future
enjoyment) and share the remaining 1/3 with others for their
enjoyment. We should care for others as much as we care for
ourselves. Our first reaction to this suggestion is that it’s not a
practical way to live. That’s because we don’t see the Oneness.
When we do, sharing with others is the same as giving to
ourselves.
Sloka # 61. Without Existence-Awareness-Joy, nothing exists.

The sun depends on Existence to shine. All forms of light in this
world — sun, moon, stars — depend on Existence and not the
other way around.
Similarly, if you aren’t present, happiness doesn’t exist. For

example, if you leave a room and the room is now empty, can
happiness exist there? No, because you are no longer there.
Therefore, happiness depends on you.
Sutra for sloka 61: Feel the burn. All forms of light — the sun,
moon and stars — are seen and experienced because of you.
# 62: Infinity is inside and outside. Jagat means that which is

born, Ja(jayate), that which goes (gachati), and that which
seems to remain (tishthati). The fact that I know that things
around me are being born and are dying means I’m different
from them. I can only be aware of something that is other than
myself.
‘Kasi’ should lead to prakasa’. Kasi is a holy city and a centre of
learning, where through learning, the ego should die and lead to
Prakash, enlightenment.
A steel ball is dark and cold. That is its quality or guna. When it
comes in contact with fire, it glows. It takes on the heat and
color of fire. So too with us: all we experience outside and inside
is dark and cold. That does not bring happiness. Happiness
comes only in the light and warmth of the Divine.
Sutra for #62: Infinity glows in the dark. We are fascinated by

things that glow in the dark! We should be fascinated by the
glow of Light from the Divine.
# 63. This jagat is not Brahman. You cannot know the Infinite
just be living in this world. Other than infinity, there is nothing:
there is only Brahman. In reality, there is no multiverse.
Infinity is Existence — Knowledge — Joy. Finitude is fear of the

unknown, fear of death. Once I start to feel Brahman, that
means I no longer believe in the multiverse. The two are
mutually exclusive.
If anything other than Infinity appears to exist, that is an

illusion. The moving parts of the world are name and form only.
If we know the waves are a mirage, we can be entertained by the
sight. We are not attached. If we believe the mirage, we get
attached to the ‘water’ and our need for it.
Sutra for #63: Evolve from sight to vision! When you know the
illusion, you can enjoy the multiverse for what it is while
remaining unattached.
Bhargavi Rao
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Class Notes from Week 28— April 19, 2018
Shloka 64: Acharya Shankara very beautifully explains how

everything is nothing but divinity. The “Maya” we call is also
infact nothing but divinity.
That which is seen and heard is Brahman. Every experience we

have had or will have is divinity. We only experience God!
There is nothing but divinity everywhere. From the infinite,

finite cannot manifest. When we think something is finite, it is
actually infinite…we just don’t experience it.
When we have knowledge of Tattva (fundamental), then we

experience this divinity…The Infinity. Knowledge determines
our vision, which determines our attitude. Attitude then decides
the thoughts which lead to the actions. Having this knowledge,
even brings meaning to Maya (we realize there is no Maya to
begin with).
When comes to experience existence, awareness joy, there
is Advayam and they become most loving personality. They love
all!
Sutra for Shloka 64: Being Happiness is natural
Shloka 65: In this shloka Acharya Shankara emphasizes how

having the Knowledge gives us the divine vision to experience
divinity at every moment.
The Atman has gone everywhere. Whereever we go, at every

time, there is existence awareness joy.
One who has vision (eyes of knowledge, eye of wisdom)can

perceive existence awareness joy. We get these eyes with
harmony. When there is alignment between Body, mind and
intellect (calm body, quiet mind and still intellect), there is less
distortion and vision becomes clear. This is called intuition!
Person without the eyes of knowledge leads us to perceive only

limitations. Such people identify with breath (limited aspect).
For someone who is blind (without the eyes of wisdom), even

though the Sun is shining (divinity everywhere), they only see
darkness (Ignorance). Ignorance is ignoring.
Sutra for Shloka 65: Integration is Insightful.

Class Notes from CM Springfield
Shloka 64
• That which is seen or heard is Brahman. Every experience that
we have ever had or will have is of divinity. This moment right
now is Divinity. When there is always infinity / divinity, how
can there be anything else
• You have only seen a reflection of your face never actually seen
your face and you will never see it; then why treat your face so
meaningfully, treat it casually. After all it is open to every
persons interpretation
• From light there cannot be darkness, similarly from the
infinite the finite cannot manifest. From the divine there cannot
be something that is not divine.
• When I hVe knowledge of the fundamentals there is only
Gyan. Knowledge leads to Vision to Attitude to Thoughts to
Words and to Action.
• Give a meaning to Maya. Maya is meaningless but when I get
meaning to Maya, it is no longer Maya, it is Bhagwan.
Hanumanji did not experience Maya, he experienced only Ram
in every Particlevof dust
• When one experiences existence awareness, they can see
Advyam or Oneness and they become the most loving
personality.
• Sutra for shloka 64- Being happiness is natural
•Shloka 65
• Atman is that which is closest to existence awareness and joy,
it is that which has gone everywhere in creation, just as the
creator has been everywhere in creation.
• How can we get eyes of knowledge vision experience —
through harmony. When there is harmony between body mind
and intellect, there is alignment. When body becomes calm — -
mind becomes quiet and and intellect to be still. There is less
torsion and you experience intuition
• If I identify with the limited, then the experience is going to be
limited
• Ignorance is ignoring. One who is ignorant about about
happiness is ignoring happiness
• Sutra 65 Integration is insightful. The more integrated I am
the more insightful I am towards life
Summaries
Shloka 20 Body mind intellect are moving because of the
consciousness which enlivens these equipment . Reminder :Sun
Sutra Be careful of the Full
Shloka 21
People who are foolish they think they r the equipment which is
why they feel busy. Reminder : Sky
When someone thinks sky is blue it is because they are too busy
Sutra : Senses creates sensation
Shloka 22
Talks about the Idea of not knowing the depth of equipment,
one starts to believe in doership. The sutra is — Dedication gives
humility
Shloka 23
Vices are only present when awake
Sloka 24: Spirit IS. Everything above spirit is doing. Life is
being, life is moving , nature of our equipment is the nature of
the equipment like doing, acting, etc. But nature of Brahman,
Atman, Life is to BE. And enlivens the equipment.
Reminder: Elements like sun, moon, stars etc..
Sutra: Our Nature is like nature, Be in nature
sloka 25: Acharya Shankara talks about someone not engaged in
vichara, there is a possibility to mix conscious and unconscious,
or even light and dark can be mixed up.
Reminder: Combination
Sutra: I know the ‘I know.’
Second ‘I know’ is my experience, experiencing a chair, a house
etc.. The first ‘I know’ is the consciousness, awareness and
existence. first ‘I know’ enlivens the second ‘I know.’
Sloka 26: There cannot be a mixture of both sentient and
insentient, these possibiiteis should denied. I can’t be a subject
and an object. These are wrong notions.
Reminder: Ego, which leads to wrong notions.
Sutra: Believing the illusion is delusion.
Sloka 27: explains that wrong notions cause lot of discomfort,
like snake and rope. If we mistake rope for snake, that causes lot
of fear and discomfort.
Reminder: Snake — have courage to be fearless
Sutra: For courage there are challenges, so rise above
fearlessness.
Sloka 28: To know any experience, there has to be the presence
of existence, awareness and chit, like pot gets illumined by
illumination.
Reminder: pot
Sutra: One Love one heart, one light and one life — one light
and many pots.
Sloka 29: Shows that we need only one light. asking us to live in
a direct way.
Reminder: Lamp
Sutra: Selflessness leads to fearlessness
*** Upto this point, these are several ways to engage in vichara,
highlightinh our ignorance and Truth.
Slokas 30 to 39 highlight the Truth, and tells us how to
internalize that Truth, the inner discipline like listening,
contemplating, reflecting etc,. we can see that we are unfolding.
This is not the outer sadhana.
Sloka 30: We should know what we are not. This is the catalyst
to know what we are.
Reminder: Scriptures, they are most clear and most
authoritative of what we are not. Then we know what we are.
Sutra: Arrogance expresses ignorance. As long as we identify
with what we are not, we are ignorant, which leads to arrogance.
Sloka 31: Knowing what we are not starts from lowest to
highest. We are not what we are from smallest ant to highest
Lord Brahmaaji. There is only Infinity and we are that Infinity.
Reminder: the body, that is not you
Sutra: Seperate from whatever.
Sloka 32: If I know what I am not, then I become free to keep
with what I am not. worrying about wrinkles, weight, beauty
etc..
Reminder: Age — free of excuses, agig only for equipment not
for you
Sutra: I do not have a birth, no need for birthday celebration,
cards, instagrams etc..
Sloka 33: This sloka is even deeper. Not only I am free of body &
breath, but also from the noise caused by mind, intellect, ego
etc..
Reminder: vices
Sutra: Concentrate on colors, colors of mind — Sattvic, Rajasic
and tamasic, then I know the cause of agitation.
Sloka 34: If I am not body, mind, intellect and breath, then who
am I? Logically I am free.
Reminder: Infinity
Sutra: More freedom and less needs
Sloka 35: We are oriented towards what is Infinity, what is
freedom. Think about space. Don’t fill with thoughts, think of a
pastry filling, thoughts are like Atma Bodha stuffing.
Reminder: Filling — filling outside and inside
Sutra: Be quiet, to BE
Sloka 36: More contemplation, more teaching on what is
Oneness. There is only Oneness
Reminder: connecting, (WI FI)
Sutra: Identify the identity crisis
Sloka 37: Right now we have Anatma vasana, but we have to
practice to create Atma vasana, “I am not this body, this mind or
intellect and not even “name — so and so”, but Atma or
Brahman. Need to develop this vasana.
Reminder: Medicine
Sutra: The ONE is only medicine, we have to internalize more.
Sloka 38: Now internalized, “who am I”, go to solitary place,
practice contemplation — — deepest way to internalize.
Reminder: Solitude
Sutra: Living purely lights up priority, then mind becomes quiet,
intellect becomes stiller and more contemplation becomes a
priority.
Sloka 39: Whatever experiences we face outside like body, mind
etc., and even in contemplation, everything merge inside. We
have to disassociate from all those experiences, I should feel I
am Brahman.
Reminder: Relative — all outside and inner world is relative
Sutra: Relativity implies Absolute. If there is a relative, there has
to be an Absolute.
The rest of the slokas will be covered in the next class.
Acharya Vivekji was talking about virtualization, what to do to
internalize Atma Bodha?
He was suggesting, great way is to write, because writing is like
imprinting on a carbon copy, making several copies.
DISCUSSION TOPICS:
Sloka 62: Discuss visualization: Treat thoughts like dishes and
mind like a dishwasher, and clean them out, need to clean the
dishwasher too. Because thoughts popup like the letters pop up
in a post office, or a room-mate talking like a chatter box. This
gives CHITTA SHUDDHI.
Sloka 63: This is related to the prayer — asatoma sadgamaya —
there is only jyothi, no tamas. Not possible to have tamas when
there is jyothi, only light. very relative prayer.
Sloka 64: what are the symptoms of what next disease? constant
irritation because there is constant work, when one is
completed, another one is waiting to be done.
Sloka 65: What is Ignorance? Ignorance is not inquiry. When
one inquires, then they are not ignorant.
Sowmya Gopal
Follow
Class Notes from Week 29 — April 26, 2018

Shloka 66: In this shloka, Acharya Shankara elaborates how
knowledge can lead to freedom.
Shravana or listening leads to Mananam and Nidhidhyaasanam

(reflecting and contemplating). This kindles/sparks more
interest, meaning and focus about life. Listening is complete
when one knows what they listened to is “the” message. One
knows Manana is complete when one knows the message is
“real”. Nidhidhyasana is complete when we start to feel that the
message is real and is personal.
TapaH means to burn. Greatest discipline or practice one can

engage in is that of self-knowledge (AtmaBodha). Greatest Tapa
will facilitate the greatest Phala (reward) which is independent
joy. Being inward looking is the greatest investment.
The word “mala” is indicative of Vaasanas. More deep than the

“mala” of vaasanas is that of separateness. Only in separation
we feel small or have vaasanas. Where there is oneness there are
no vices.
The deeper we go the more we will shine. Shining here is smile !
Sutra for Shloka 66: Listening leads to remembering
Shloka 67: In this shloka, Acharya Shankara elaborates on

how a “new you” is not felt externally but internally, not
physically but metaphysically.
Imagine feeling infinite!
This is like the destruction of darkness(TamaH) by the sun of

knowledge (Bodha Bhaanuhu). We should start to feel that we
are not the effect but the cause.
Sarvavyaapi means what is in “my heart, my Atma” is not just in

“my heart, my Atma” but “all hearts, all Atma”. Sarvadhaari is to
be understood as “the most important”.
This life makes all else shine. Life brings about living and not
the other way around.
Sutra for Shloka 67: The center of centers.
Class Notes from CHYK DC — Tech

Ravana vs. Vibhishana
o Ravana (extrovert): “Rama is death”
o Vibhishana (introvert): “Rama is life”
o Knowledge facilitates drishti
• Are we more inward looking than before? Are we more joyous?
• Everything we have experienced/ will experience is joy, but we
need knowledge to realize this
• Shloka 64
o Sutra: “Being Happiness is natural”
• Shloka 65
o Sutra: “Integration is insightful”
o Right now this knowledge is hidden by ignorance
o When one starts to inquire & engage in vichara, they
attain divine eyes to see divinity
• Shloka 66:
o Sutra: “Listening leads to remembering”
o Listening/reflecting/contemplating  sparks meaning/ fire of
knowledge
o One knows mananah is real when one knows/ feels the
message is real
o “Tapaha” = to burn
 Greatest Tapaha  greatest phala (fruit/return)
• The greatest phala = independent joy
o Krishna says in Bhagawad Gita that even the most worst/most
sinful people can be saved by this knowledge
o To be free of vasanas
 realize that I am beyond them (no vasanas because infinite)
 Only in dvaita/duality can there be vasanas
o The deeper we go, the more we will shine (smile)
• Shloka 67:
o Sutra: “The center of centers”
o You will feel a new you (fresh)
o We are not the effect but the cause!
 All pervading
 All holding
• “sarva dhaari”
• What is holding our attention?
o Are we giving Life and Happiness importance?
o “light brings relevance to what is on stage”
 “Life brings about living” (not vice versa)
Review
• Shlokas 10–15 address ignorance in detail
• Shlokas 16–29 address general reflection
• Shlokas 30–39 address systematic thinking/ reflection
• Shlokas 40–45 address general benefit of reflection
• Shloka 41:
o Sutra: “Live light like light”
o Reminder: light
o When we reflect, even the deepest dualities can be overcome
• Shloka 42:
o Lift yourself above restlessness
o Sutra: “Lift yourself above restlessness”
• Shloka 43:
o Sutra: “Momentum frees up potential”
o We should take Brahman/ the Infinite/ the big and make it
personal
 Manaha
• AND contemplate on it
o Reminder: Dawn
• Shloka 44:
o Sutra: “We are born from brilliance”
o We are what we are seeking
 We seek joy and we are joy
o Reminder: necklace forgotten on neck
• Shloka 45:
o Sutra: “Divinity is in the details”
o Appearances are not the entity/ the reality
o Reminder: Ghost
• Shloka 46:
o Sutra: “No separation means all directions”
o “I” and “mine”
 Attachment
o Reminder: Directions
• Shloka 47:
o Sutra: “Infinity is Inclusivity”
o Having all objects negated/ renounced  there is no subject
o Subject <->object
 We must transcend this
o Reminder: eye
• Shloka 48:
o Sutra: “Manifestation does not equal modification”
o There is only Brahman
o We can know what we are by knowing what we are not
o Reminder: clay
• Shloka 49:
o Sutra: “one identification, many renunciations”
o Pay attention to experiences
 Pay attention to the infinite to become the infinite
o Reminder: worm
• Shloka 50:
o Sutra: “Journey from darkness to light”
o Symptoms to source
• Shloka 51:
o Sutra: “Focus on light’s Flow”
o Nature is being virtuous
o Security virtues
o Reminder: Security
• Shloka 52:
o Sutra: “reflecting is relieving”
o When one feels the freedom, they’re like the wind
 They bring freshness to their surroundings
o Reminder: wind
• Shloka 53:
o Sutra: “Surrender makes one stronger”
o Water + water = water (oneness)
o Vishnu + us = oneness
o Reminder: Vishnu
• Shloka 54:
o Sutra: “The pursuit has an end”
o This is Brahman; what are you waiting for?
o Reminder: completeness
• Shloka 55:
o Sutra: “Make truth the truth”
o When this purist ends, there is rest
o Reminder: being
• Shloka 56:
o Sutra: “Infinity is indivisible”
o One is never lost when there is oneness
o Reminder: beings
• Shloka 57:
o Sutra: “The method is use every method”
o Need to navigate Vedanta
o Reminder: methodology
• Shloka 58:
o Sutra: “I is inimitable”
o Reminder: salt
• Shloka 59:
o Sutra: churn up contentment
o Churning = change
 Necessary to find the essence
o Reminder: butter
• What is the difference between concern and worry?
o Concern
 Dharmic
 Something can be done so I am doing to address it
o Worry
 Work is not addressed
• What are techniques to change heavy habits
o Develop strength systematically
 Change lighter behaviors and then work up
• Why is Sat Guru vital for enlightenment?

o Shoes us that this experience is possible
• Previous RAW (wasting 90 minutes)
o The best use of 90 minutes is to be in Satsang
Atma Bodha Verse 68
Bhargavi Rao
Follow
May 7, 2018 · 1 min read
Class Notes from Week 30— May 03, 2018

Shloka 68: In this verse, Acharya Shankara concludes by
saying that One who engages in mananam and
nidhidhyasanam, realizes the Truth and experiences untainted
eternal Joy
Acharya Shankar points that one who is Independent of Space,

matter and time.
One who is always Happy, Blissful regardless of any form of
disturbance (hot or cold or facing criticism). Sukham here
means real joy without any taint.
The One whose Atman is Teertha (Yatra), best Teertha for such
a being is Himself. He crosses over fear, and ego. This begins
by Bhajana. When we Become the Aatma, there is rest.
Someone who Knows the Truth, That Truth becomes amritam.

He knows Oneness and experience all joy of onenes.
Sutra for Shloka 68: Live Happily ever after
Atma Bodha Discussion
Questions
Discussion questions with Acharya Debrief
Sowmya Gopal
Follow
Each week Vivek ji gives us discussion questions for each verse

that was taught in class. Will capture the questions and Vivek
ji’s debrief for study purposes.
Shloka 20 question: How to make less mistakes?

Incorporate shreya into your life — think long term and we will
make less mistakes.
Shloka 21 question: Come up with two more sutras for

shloka 21.
- reflect on repercussions
- instincts are for animals
What ways are people secretly practice selfishness?

We do this by judging others from our self absorbed perspective.
Shloka 22 question: What policies should be passed to

enourage people to be responsible?
By having communal results rather than individual results.
Shloka 28 question: What are ways that people are
dependent?
People are dependent when they believe they are ‘exceptions’ —
they need to be heard , seen etc.
Shloka 29 question: How do we deepen our

relationship with the scriptures?
Observe someone who knows the landscape of the scriptures —
you come to develop a relationship with scriptures also.
Shloka 30 question: What is your MahaVakya?

Vivek ji’s MahaVakya — God is my Master. (Bhagavan is my
boss). This Mahavakya then means that I am never not serving.
Shloka 31 question: How does one negate?

Observation is a form of negation. That which you observe, you
can’t
be. Great way to practice this is to choose
discomfort.
Shloka 32 question: How does one die without

knowledge?
Someone who is dying without knowledge, they are attached to
articles, beings and circumstances as they leave.
Shloka 33 question: What vice are you focusing on

transcending and how?
Vivek ji’s response — Impatience. To do this, listen more.
Shloka 34 question: Who do you know who is free?
Swami Tejomayananda. Someone who is free lives by Bhagavan.
They
live for God, they know God is around, there is no separation of
God
ever in their life. When an infant is in the arms of the parent, the
infant
is free.
Shloka 35 question:What experiences help you rise

above the noise of the mind?
To know and observe how quickly the thoughts change. Why
take these thoughts so seriously?
Shloka 36 question: How would life change if God is

not Satya?
If God was not real, we would lose the best role model.
Shloka 37 question: What are ways that we are

Nirantara (endless,
constant, incessant)?
Our identification with our thoughts! There is no time when we
are not identified with our thoughts.
Shloka 38 question: How can we grow to be more

comfortable alone?
Listen and relate to the dialogue of our scriptures.
Shloka 39 question: How have you become wiser?
The more i know my vices — it shows i am more honest and
more aware — shows i am wiser.
Shloka 40 question: What experiences have you gone

through where you have felt most Purna (complete)?
Acharya ji’s response — When others feels ‘Purna’ or complete.
Shloka 41 question: Come up with an example for

independence.
Laughter. When you laugh, then its coming from you.
Shloka 42 question: How to inhibit dejection?

To connect with those who are experienced in dejection.
Someone who is experienced is someone who has toughed it
through dejection.
Shloka 43 question: How to make knowledge more

impactful?
Try to live without knowledge — for example try to drive
without knowing how to go anywhere. Knowledge makes
everything we do possible. This is for secular knowledge, then
imagine for sacred knowledge!
Shloka 44 question: Discuss you are what you seek.

Our journey is almost over. The fact that we know “we are what
we seek” means we are near enlightenment!
Shloka 45 question: What doubts hold us back from
yearning for liberation?
-Not knowing what we are experiencing is less real.
-We are not clear enough of the sorrow we are experiencing. We
don’t have the conviction and confidence that we live so
dependently. The more clarity, conviction and confidence I
have, the more independent I will want to be.
Shloka 46 question: What is right thinking and what

are ways to encourage right thinking?
Anything that encourages unity is right thinking. To encourage
right thinking — slow down! You need time to think, if there is
no time, you cannot think!
Shloka 47 question: Describe enlightenment

It is an unbroken vision and lifestyle that life is divine.
Shloka 48 question: Discuss prayer: Purnamada..

There is only purna (completion). We learn this completion in
gurukula and we have to take this completion to samsara.
Shloka 49 question: How to find God in work/school?

If we go for management (social, joy, hygiene management) and
virtue development, we will find God. God is the manager. If we
go for a cheque and grades we will not find God.
Shloka 50 question: Discuss profound symbols

between Puranas and Upanishads
Bhagwan Shiva is known as Bhikshu begging for prosperity as
He only focusses on peace. In one Shastra, Acharya Shankara
says to Bhagwan Shiva that He should take a monkey with Him
when He goes begging and He will earn more profit. The mind is
like a monkey and we offer the mind to Bhagwan Shiva.
Shloka 51 question: What does a jeevan mukta

percieve?
Exactly what you are perceiving but with understanding
Shloka 52 question: What are wordly comparisons to

one who is enlightened?
Basement- It holds the structure but does not depend on the
structure. Enlightened persons give an ideal to society but do
not depend on society themselves.
Shloka 53 question: What is relation between Brahman

and Bhagvan?Relationship is of expression. When Brahman
wants to express, that is Bhagvan.
Shloka 54 question: How to cultivate faith that

freedom is possible?Exercise both inside and outside.
Shloka 55 question: What would you miss the most

about the world if you were not to be reborn?
Sanatana Dharma
Shloka 56 question: What supports space?

Energy (existence) supports space. Treat space as existence.
Shloka 57 question: How else will you learn what your
nature is?
You can never know your nature is Joy without a systemized,
verbalized method that shows us that we are more than that
meets the eye.
Shloka 58 question: Why do we externalize the Truth?

We live by the senses. Senses engage in the sense objects. Sense
objects are external.
Shloka 59 question: Who inspires you the most and

why?
People who give themselves to Sadhana. People whose lives
revolves around sadhana, and not Sadhana revolves around
their lives. Such people are clear about the Sadhya (purpose).
Shloka 60 question: Discuss indescribable

We need to have humility to appreciate that IT is indescribable.
Nobody likes to not know. Our Shastras say that you cannot
know Maya, Avidya. We should have the humility to appreciate
this.
Shloka 61 question: Memorize Shloka Na Tatra Suryo

Bhati
Shloka 62 question: Discuss visualizations of the mind

To treat thoughts like dishes and mind like the dishwasher.
Thoughts should be cleaned in the dishwasher. That is why
purity of mind (Chitta Shuddhi) is important.
Shloka 63 question: Relate Shloka 63 to prayer ‘Asato
ma sadgamaya…’
Its not possible for there to be Tamas where there is Jyoti
(light). There is no Tamas, only Light!
This prayer is highly dvaitic, highly relative. Someone who has
strong Viveka will know its not possible to have darkness to
Light….there is Only Light!
Shloka 64 question: What are the symptoms of ‘What

next?’ disease?
Symptoms is that they are constantly irritated because there is
endless work. There is no purpose to that work and I am
constantly irritable towards others.
Shloka 65 question: What is ignorance?

Ignorance is not enquiring.
Shloka 68 question:How would you share happiness?

Share happiness through satsang.

Atma Bodha Verse Week Notes

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Guidelines for Atma Bodha

Mananam (reflection) is an important sadhana (means) to

Tentative schedule with Groups of the Week posted here.

Instruction for writers

2. Class notes template provided here (if you would like

3. Class notes are due within 4 days of the class. Eg Atma

4. In case the assigned writer groups need to be excused (like

5. Please feel free to email out

Shloka (#1) — Mangala Shloka

o Tapa (Disciplines) — Burn down comfort zones.

Discussion Question/ Reflection Question

· Will start with next class

· Will start with next class

· Reflect on what virtue would make the biggest difference in the

Notes from CHYK Boston

• What is most powerful that you know? The Rishis felt

• Every breath we take is for joy- the joy of Ananda,

• 1st word of Atmabodha- tapah. Last word: Amrita

• Mangal sloka (#1) of Atmabodha is good to memorize.

• Verse 2- Sadhana is the means, the path, the route. The

• Verse 3- Actions come from thoughts, which come from

• Notes from Questions:

• What is the difference between jnana and vijnana?

• How to get yourself out of fearful chains of thought?

• 2 discussion points: What are the unique features of

• RAW from last week: What is one virtue that would

• Next week, Vivekji will be joining us at 8:15 pm, and

Class Notes from CM Boston

• Knowledge is only true means for liberation.

• Actions (including puja,tapas etc) cannot destroy

• What are unique features of Self_knowledge?

• Unique feature of Self knowledge is that it ALREADY

• How to change the purpose of our Actions?

• Purpose of our actions is to purify oneself, the change is

Notes from CM Chicago

What does this mantra mean?

Lead me from non-existence to existence

When we question whether any of these can happen, we realize

Sloka 2 compares Knowledge as the direct means to Liberation

Sloka 3 tells us that Knowledge is directly against ignorance just

paricchinna ivajnanattannase sati kevalah,

· In infinity, there is no movement in space or change in time so

Tannase sati kevalah

· When ignorance is destroyed, what remains is infinitude.

· Ignorance has no beginning but can end whereas infinitude

· Lord Krsna tells Arjuna that the 4 lower elements (earth,

Svayasan prakasate hyatma

· Your Self/nature will shine naturally (when ignorance is

· Atma, in English, is “I”; it is Sat (existence)-Chit (awareness);

· Your nature will not be created, it will be re-discovered.

We have to unlearn who we think we are. And the change with

ajnanakalusam jivam jnanabhyasadvinirmalam

Gurudev has said we are suffering from spiritual hallucinations

· Ignorance (vasanas) is a stain on the personality. Another word

· When we practice this Knowledge without vasanas, we become

· Abhyasa sounds like adhyasa which means superimposition

· Jnana abhyasa: Instead we should practice feeling content,

· Vinirmalam: no ignorance; there will be zero incompleteness.

krtva jnanam svyam nasye

· Having brought Knowledge into one’s life, naturally that

· Everything related to Knowledge will join ignorance and will

Srvanam (listening): get the clarity that scriptures with guide

Mananam (reflection): remove doubts and the message