Class summary for Mar 3, 2026 - BG Chapter 7 - Slokas 23-26

 Summarized by Sucheta Dighe:

Maniji started the discussion by talking about last week's yagnas. where swamiji said that even if the scriptures are for everyone, their meaning changes for each one of us as we are at different places in our journey. 

Saiji mentioned the importance of a good guru who understands our spiritual level and guides us accordingly.

Even if we do not understand the Brahman, the meditation, etc, if we continue with our sadhana, we will reach our goal. The sadhana could be as simple as remembering Rama's name when you wake up and when you go to sleep; or as hard as reciting HIS name throughout the day, while working, etc. Don't give up, do it consistently.

Swamiji said that we are all lucky to do what we are doing in terms of this sadhana. It reflects on our past life's karmas too.

Swamiji, during his Q and A session answered a question about faith by asking us to test God by putting our problems at his feet and telling him to solve them. Invariably we will have a solution. That will be the start to strengthen our faith in HIM. When we put our problems at HIS feet, we need to remember to surrender.

Sachinji mentioned how Krishna has said that you have to surrender everything to Him and He will then take care of you. Of course, your efforts are very much necessary too.

Maniji said that Swamiji, before his 11 am classes, did not meet anyone, talk to anybody nor ate or drank anything. After the class, he took bhikaha. Then he talked to everyone and answered questions. After that he went back to his "cave" and repeated his morning routine until it was time for his evening session. When Maniji asked him if he takes this time to prepare for the class, Swamiji said yes, but that doesn't mean that I am referring to notes, books, etc. It means that I am getting in touch with the Almighty so that his sessions/talk will be blessed by HIM.

We should do the same and take some time to cleanse our minds by chanting in silence before starting our work every day. 

Our elders and people from the older generations followed certain rituals. These rituals grounded them and prepared them to face the challenges of the day.

There was a discussion about parenting today and how important it is for parents to answer truthfully the questions their children pose about our culture, rituals and other aspects of our sanatan dharma. 

Sachinji mentioned the book In Indian Culture...Why do we?

Video 175 - Ch 7 verse 23 - Running after balloons

Swamiji started by saying - Even though this is a law, a universal law that you desire, you start pursuing. As you pursue your faith increases, your efficiency increases. The cumulative effect of your patience or efficiency and your faith is that you gain the goal, whatever the goal is. When you gain the goal, it is given by Him. But He will not give you unless you put in the effort for it. Dull witted fools, thoughtlessly strive for the things outside - wealth, family, house, power, etc. They put in their efforts, work hard and get these things, not understanding that these are impermanent things. They will not last.

E.g. A small child cries for a balloon. The father gets him a balloon. The child holds on to the string, but let's go of the string and the balloon flies away and the child starts crying. The father buys another balloon and ties it to the shirt if the child. In some time, the balloon pops and the child starts crying again.

All of us are running after balloons, bubbles, which will not stay with us more than a few years. Everything in this world of time and space is in a state of flux. So that unintelligent man selects finite things, pours out all his energy, vitality and faith in it. He gets those things, but by the time he embraces them, they collapse because that is their nature.

Video 176 - Ch 7 verse 23 (contd) - Turn to the Permanent 

Swamiji says all these various mighty powers in the world, political, economic, social, commercial, material powers, when you seek them, you get them. But if you have spent that same energy, with the same faith, with the same consistency of effort with which you try to gather things of the world of O-E-T, you get them, but they are all finite and when they go, you have to weep. It is assured that you will have to suffer because that thing you gained will disappear. Nothing is permanent. On the other hand, with the same amount of mental faith, consistency of purpose, continuously, as you are doing it in order to win things in the world outside; if you had applied your faith in reaching Me, you will reach Me. But the difference is I am eternal, immutable, changeless, permanent. While, these are...you gain, but these are all perishable. So unintelligent people run after the perishable. They get it, but all that win is temporary. But with the same effort and consistency if you seek Me, who is permanent, eternal, you will attain Me.

Video 177 - Ch 7 verse 24 - The Orphan

Swamiji says this your greater nature is nothing but that greater God, Me, who is immutable, inimitable. That is your nature, but you are unaware of it.

E.g. A king or a rich man's son grows up in an orphanage. The poor child doesn't know that he is the son of a rich man, but the man knows and he is watching. The boy grows up poor and uneducated. Suddenly a situation comes that the man decides to claim him. Then he starts educating him. It takes the boy some time to change and forget his past as a hapless, helpless child who grew up in an orphanage. Similarly, you have lived in the prison of the body, mind and intellect so long, that even when you are told that you are the Higher Reality, you don't believe it. It takes time for us to accept that we all are the Supreme Unmanifest, not only the body, mind and intellect. It is because of our ignorance that you don't recognize that God is not in the clouds, but He is our own Higher Nature. We have to come to our senses and experience Him.

Two more videos are remaining. We will watch those next week.