Folder: online classes

Past Classes

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Ashtanga Yoga

What is Ashtanga Yoga? – 10 February 2012

Yama & Niyama – Introduction – 17 February 2012

Yama & Niyama – Ahimsa – Part 1 – 24 February 2012

Yama & Niyama – Ahimsa – Part 2 – 02 March 2012

Yama & Niyama – Satya – 09 March 2012

 

What is Yoga? – 3 June 2011 – Part 1


Ishvara Pranidhana

Class 1: 29 April 2011 – Part 1 – Part 2

Class 2: 06 May 2011 – Part 1 – Part 2

Class 3: 20 May 2011 – Part 1

Clear Reflection of Consciousness – 25 February 2011
Part 1 – Part 2

What is Mind; Law of Karma and Samskaras – 18 February 2011
Part 1 – Part 2

Body, Mind, Consciousness – 04 February 2011
Part 1 – Part 2

Factors for good meditation – 17 February 2009
Part 1 – Part 2

How to measure progress? – 27 January 2009
Part 1

Purpose of Human Life – 10 February 2009
Part 1

Explanation of ‘Baba Nam Kevalam’ mantra – 10 February 2009
Part 1

Class 2: Ahimsa – Part 1

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October 18, 2013

Listen to the audio recording of the class online: [audio:http://en.prabhatsamgiita.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2013/10/Class2_ahimsa_101813.mp3]

 Audio recording download link

Download: Reading notes – Ahimsa
Download: Ahimsa examples

 

Reading Notes

1. Recall that practice of Yama always requires an external second party. It is intro external action; arising from within but expressed outside. Also remember that whole purpose is to guide us on the path of Dharma. Dharma means principles of Vistara, Rasa and Seva. The dictates of Dharma should be clear and not require you to consult scriptures. Dharma-deshana means pointing to the dictates of Dharma. Deshana comes from Diish (Diisha i.e. direction, or boundary – So the word Desh, which is land indicated by boundary).

2. Ahimsa – Definition: Manah Vak Kayah sarva bhutanam pidanau Ahimsa

That action which stops someone’s physical, mental or spiritual progress by your speech, action or mind is called himsa. Although speech is part of the action but we tend to forget that improper speech can also be an act of himsa.

When you block someone’s progress, you are blocking vistara and so your action is against Dharma and it is himsa. If you commit suicide, it is also himsa because you are blocking your vistara, expansion of mind. If you kill an innocent animal in the forest because you enjoy hunting or fishing, it is himsa.

3. Himsa vs. use of force (in AM terms “violence”):

Use of force is necessary to sustain and survive. It is not himsa if the intent is not of harming and it is necessary for self sustenance. In Dharma and in law, it is the intent that is more important than the action itself. The use of force may be for self sustenance (survival), self preservation (food), self defense (self protection), or presumable self defense (pre-emptive strike). The application of the force must be measured, judicious and rational based on concrete evidences. This applies to individual as well nations.

When the intent is not to harm, the action is not motivated by mean propensities or blocking of someone’s expansion. The judicious application of the force may be necessary for your Dharmic progress, and unfortunately harm had to be done to others. Let us examine when such judicious force may be required.

4. Food Gradation:

It is the law of nature that the life is food of another life. Life subsists on another life. However, common sense (and Dharma) dictates that if you must take life take the life that has least developed consciousness. In general you can determine development of life by biological evolutionary scale or by the psychic evolution. For example, dog is behind monkey in biological evolution but more psychically developed than monkey. Therefore vegetarian diet is more Dharmic than meat diet, and eating meat when vegetarian diet is available is himsa. Under no circumstances one is justified in killing one human being for the sustenance of the other. Otherwise, one should follow the law of gradation for self preservation.

5. War Zone:

As a soldier you are justified in killing another soldier. That is not to say that you support war. Although b taking life you are stopping the development of another person, you had no intention of taking life except for preserving your own. At the same time, you should support humane treatment of prisoners of war and have no revengeful tendencies towards enemy soldier. To kill a soldier that has surrendered is himsa. Abusing a soldier, in any way that is your prisoner is himsa. In all cases application of the force must be judicious and measured.

6. Jatmitram, Jatshatru, and Nirapeksha:

Inherently a friend, inherently an enemy, and inherently neutral life:

To kill a Jatmitram (e.g. goat, cow, sheep, horse etc.) is himsa unless it is for food and also justified by the gradation law. To kill a Jatshatru is not himsa if it is for self sustenance, or self defense. It is himsa unless it is for food and also justified by the gradation law. Neutral life force may be Jatmitram or Jatshatru depending on the situation and should be treated as such. A monkey is neutral life but if it destroys your orchard, it is Jathatru. Man can be Jatmitram or Jatshatru. A criminal intent on harming you is Jatshatru and judicious and measured use of force (“violence”) is not himsa.

 

 Ahimsa examples

Blocking physical, mental or spiritual natural expression; by thought action or speech.

Intent, a primary determining factor:

Self preservation? Last recourse? Self defense? opposing evil or belligerent forces? Imposing discipline

“False” belief (dogma), ignorance (anti-neo humanistic sentiments), exploitation, greed, ego.
Examples:

1. War time :

a. 1A: balance – treatment of prisoner – mind must be pure.

b. Geneva agreement for prisoner treatment

c. 1B: Pre-emptive action – (Intent)

d. 1C: 2nd WW dis-location of Japanese – is it use of force or Himsa? What are the potential consequences if you do not – what is the intent?

e. 1D: Burning Koran – by mistake – as a counter protest – as initial action – as pre-emptive action – dogma creates further Himsa if not checked – Burning of American flag?

 

2. Himsa, vs. use of force (minimal, judicious use of force – Rodney King case and riots), – Non-violence. – Gandhi’s nonviolent movement – Subhash Bose’s war against British, American war of Independence, WW 2,

3. Someone punches you and you say you shot him to death in self-defense – Judicious use of force in self defense? This is himsa. A single woman with a baby shot and killed an intruder as soon as he entered the house – She was being followed by him and she knew it – she suspected him and it was him – This Is not himsa.

4. Muslim slaughter of Buddhist monks in India – Nonviolence (appeasement) only inspired more himsa. Vietnam War – Curtailment of Communism, result?

5. Killing tiger in forest for sport, Killing man eating tiger in the village or chasing it to kill it in forest – Hunting as sport – fishing as a sport

6. Killing deer in the forest for food when you are stuck in forest or live in forest, hunting deer as a sport, hunting (killing) deer that is eating crops

7. Killing goat in town and in desert without any other resources at hand.

8. Gradation rule applied to man

9. Crop eating insects, mice, monkeys and birds destroying crops.

10. Eating meat – in Arctic Circle, in hot countries, when prescriber by doctor for temporary period.

11. Self defense – minimum application of force

12. Pre-emptive strike – Iraq war of 2000 (WMD war), as a last measure, proper evidence, examples: 6-day war, Iraqi nuclear facility, Manhattan project,

13. Use of atomic bomb on Hiroshima – Judicious or not? Bomb on Nagasaki judicious or not?

14. War of Mahabharat – Bhagavat giita

15. Himsa in the mind – violation or not? Why? No external entity involved.

16. Destruction of idols; symbolic icons, Taliban destroying Buddhist statues – Hurting the sentiment of idolater –

 

Class 1: Intro to Yama and Niyama

 in online classes by

October 11, 2013

Listen to the audio recording of the class online: [audio:http://en.prabhatsamgiita.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2010/08/Intro_purpose_of_human_life_YamaNiyama_11Oct2013.mp3]

 Audio recording download link

Download – Reading notes – Yama/Niyama Introduction

 Reading notes

  1. Spiritual Endeavor: For fulfillment and meaningfulness of life – of being a human. Without which are conflicts, disharmony and sufferings – lack of self understanding is the source of all frictions – also life is beyond what you see – think of your position and purpose –
  2. In the past this developed as nature worship and rituals. – Extroversive – defocus – seeds of conflicts and dogma – ignorance –
  3. Introversive is integrating.. towards one – unification – so inherently less conflicts and harmonizing – Inner perception of self is hampered if mind is not calm – Need control on our conduct – However we also have to live in the material world and have to balance with it – Subjective goal and objective compromises – Mind may be influenced by Spirit and/or outer world – Both must be balanced.
  4. Yama / Niyam – disciplined conduct –  to help us balance and facilitate inner practices – Yama = to control – From Yam is Yantra i.e. machine – Machine with specific output and efficiency based on its design. The principles of Yama are sub-machines which allow controlled behavior in the outer world. Niyama is more like self regulatory rules. It regulates conducts relating to self for inner purifications. Yama requires contact with others and external expression. Niam is self contained.
  5. Each machine based on its design produces specific output – Human mind and body is a machine designed for attainment of the Supreme self. No other machine can do that. In this journey Yama machine helps us to make inner perception easier.
  6. Bhaeravii Chakra: Also a machine, that helps balance our spiritual and objective energies. Downward triangle relates / links mind to cognition and upward relates / links it to physical energy. They should be balanced and the more they are balanced the higher potential will your mind reach. It is therefore called Bhaeravii Chakra because it links spiritual and physical energies – It links Kaushiki and Bhawani Shakti. i.e. it links causal matrix and physical vibration. All vibration emerge from Kaushiki shakti, yet it s a realm of no vibration. Contact with Bhaeravii Chakra elevates the mind. Mind receives spiritual inspiration. Sadhaka sit in this chakra in the burial ground to do sadhana and obtain and imbibe the spirit of this chakra.
  7. Yama practices will be expressed externally and others will know of it. Your actions can not be concealed. The practice emerges from within but expresses outside. It establishes a link between internal and external world and therefore we say that the spiritual practice begins with Yama. Yama is a guiding point for the mind and leads it to Dharma. Yama has five principles and when your mind comes in contact with the outer world, it should be governed by these principles. These  principles are : Ahimsa, Satya, Asteya, Aparigraha, Brahmacharya.

Meditation Course

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Click on the links on the left side-bar to access the audio recording and notes from the meditation course.

From Kirit’s mail:

The overall plan is to first fully and in detail discuss matters related to the Sadhana and lessons. I will take step by step approach and logically present the details of the practice, the purpose of the process, and psychology involved. I do not know how long that may take. But, the whole thing will be discussed in the backdrop of Ashtanga Yoga… i.e. how Ashtanga Yoga is applied in our sadhana lessons. Then my plan is to teach some important topics from the Krishna book. This book is a jewel of a book and very significant in developing devotional psychology of the aspirant. This will create a force in your sadhana. But of course you must know the sadhana process well first. After that, other relevant topics from Idea and ideology, and other books may be taken upon in order to prepare you not only for your sadhana but also so that you can satisfy the intellectual curiosity and questions that you often hear from people who have studied but not practiced the meditation. This is a long way away for now.