Class summary for Nov 4, 2025 - BG Chapter-6 Conclusion

 Summarized by: Yamini

Recap: Last class we talked about how vasanas determine the environment into which we are born. And once we are born into that conducive environment, one needs to continuously practice to attain moksha. We also talked about the hierarchy or yogi, tapasvi, gyani and karma yogi. 

Bhagavan tells Arjuna that being a Yogi is the most superior quality and he should stove to attain that. Yogi is somebody who can meditate even when going through their daily activities.
Also someone whose minds are always absorbed in God and are in complete surrender to Him.

Two important  techniques to control the mind and being able to completely surrender to God are Vyragya and abhyasa.

Summary of chapter 6: 
What is Mumukshva : When a disciple asks his Guru this question, he dunks the disciple’s head in water for a few minutes and releases him. When the disciple question the act, the Guru explains that the extreme longing he felt to take a breath when he was under water, when he has that kind of deep longing for seeking knowledge then he is a mumushva.

What is knowledge? Knowledge is jnana yoga, devotion is bhakti yoga and service is karma yoga. A combination of all three things is going to help us get to that state.. 
Despite all the volunteer and seva activities that we do , all the scripture we read, all the rituals we perform, if we still have a nagging feeling that it is not enough, that is the mark of a true sadhaka. That longing for realization is what catapults you to becoming a yogi. That excessive longing is being Mumukshitva.

We also learned unhealthy attachment  v/s healthy detachment. Being righteous all the time  is of the highest. We cannot compromise at any point and it has to be part of us. We also recapped about how vasanas make the environment. So we have to exhaust our vasanas by karma yoga so we are born into a conducive environment . Another point to remember is be a Yogi. Yogi is who is always going to be immersed in bhagavan’s thoughts, while doing his daily activities. The karma yoga, Bhakti yoga and jnana yoga, go hand in hand preparing us to the point of desire for moksha. That is the point when these qualities become ingrained in us. 

These three yogas that lead us to moksha are only preparatory. They only clean up the mind, and intellect and they make way for that desire to take deep root, so that it is the only thought that we have.

Gurudev’s Videos:
Contemplation is the interaction between mind and intellect. God cannot be explained in words. When we don't understand what God is, how can we think of God. Although we do not understand what God is, we understand other things surrounding it. Through prayers and hymns we can experience him. 
Wherever we have talked about Brahman, we have only talked about aspects of Brahman but did not define Brahman.
Definition can be of two kinds. Explanatory definition and indicative definition. 
Explanatory definition is when we are trying to explain a person in relation to another person or place. Indicative definition is when we actually showing, for example pointing to a bird and saying ‘look at the bird’. But if you are looking at the hand that is pointing to the bird instead of the direction in which it is pointing, you will never be able to understand the bird. Similarly, all descriptions of God in all scriptures are mere pointers.The scriptures give you the various indicators for turning the attention of your mind and intelligence in a specific direction. 

Group Exercise:

We then split into 2 groups to talk about 4 questions.
Group A : 
What are the key preparations for meditation?
What factors show we are making progress in meditation?
Group B : 
What are the prerequisites for meditation?
Explain to how control/ overcome the restless mind?