Vrindavan Bhagavad Gita Study Group

  Summarized by Rajesh Question - Can we not receive enlightenment w/o God’s grace? Discussion - Grace at the highest level could be that if we made some progress in our previous life, we will start from that point going forward.  An extreme example is Duryodhana - where he says he knows what the right thing to do is but he can’t do it - that essentially he hasn’t been touched by grace.  We should talk about grace in a positive sense, such as that out of 100+ people signed up for the Whatsapp group,  a dozen or so people found the grace to attend the class. Gurudev quote on the chat: When the frequency of our thoughts upon the Lord becomes as high as the frequency with which we now remember the ego-idea, we shall come to realise the Brahman-ideal as intimately as we now know our own ego. Verses 69-72, completing chapter 2, are setting the stage to proceed to the next chapter.  Though Bhagavan talks about a sage, he will have to rope Arjuna back to Karma Yoga....

Summarized by Sachin Gaikwad Class started with the opening prayers, Om, Pranayama, and meditation. Question: Is it safe to do Pranayam right after dinner? The Anulom Vilom Pranayam version we usually do in class is safe to do after dinner as we only inhale and exhale. We don't do the Kumbhaka version of Anulom Vilom pranayama, which involves holding our breath for some time. Shlokas 65-68 In these verses, Bhagavan Krishna expounds on Bhakti Yoga and confirms that with faith & God's grace, it is possible to control the mind and senses. After reading the verses and their translations, we covered Bhakti Yoga and the stairs to enlightenment. Here are the steps: 1. Thinking of GOD 2. Reduction of rajas, tamas, and increase of sattva 3. Likes & dislikes getting destroyed 4. Senses will be under control 5. We will stay away from sensual experiences 6. Mind will be under control 7. We will get clarity of mind 8. This will help get atma darshan 9. This will enable complete fait...

  Summarized by:    Neelima Turga The class started with Opening prayers, followed by pranayam, meditation and a quick recap of the last class. A helpful technique to control the mind - We have no control over the external stimuli that affect our mind. Many times these stimuli cause varied emotions in us.  For example if we are worried about something, even though we try to curb it and continue with our routine, it stays in the back of the mind. One of the techniques recommended to eliminate this constant nagging worry, is to remember the Lord's name or a higher ideal.  Whenever the thought of worry comes up, it should be replaced with the chanting. With constant practice of this technique, the mind can be trained to automatically switch from the worrisome thought to the taking the name of the Lord. This substitution of the lower thought with the higher will help us control our mind. In the previous class, we had discussed abou...