Bhagavad Gita Course 2016: Day 8

"As a devotee which is surrendered to God, surrendered to Love, one also should be similar. One should be empty inside and let the Love of God take full control over you. Let the Lord guide and act through you. Let the Lord reflect through you. Let His Glory be ever in your mind. Let His vision be ever in your eyes. Let your hands always be at service to Him. Like that you will always be next to Him, night and day. You will sleep next to Him. You will dwell eternally, like the flute, with Him."  - Paramahamsa Vishwananda, 23 August 2016

The final day of the Bhagavad Gita course with Paramahamsa Sri Swami Vishwananda was an extraordinary day that concluded the course with inspiration and gratitude. On Day 8, Swamiji gave commentary solely on chapter 18, the last chapter of the Gita. With only having one chapter left, Swamiji spent the entire day explaining the ending of the glorious conversation between Lord Krishna and Arjuna.

"Without any attachment either to the action or the fruit of the action, this is regarded as sattvic. If your heart is non-attached to the reward, to whatever you gain from it, how people are seeing, what they are seeing, this is true renunciation. You don’t expect any recognition. You do it in the quietness. So, that’s what Jesus said also in the Bible, no? He said, if you want to pray don’t make it a show. Go in the deepest corner, the quiet and the renounced corner and pray to your Father. Know that He is looking at you. 

So, those actions which are done without anybody noticing it, without even this playing upon your mind, 'I have done this, I have done that. I have given this or I have given that.' That action, Bhagavan said that this is true renunciation. 'I am not renouncing so that everybody can remember me I have renounced million just like that.' " - Paramahamsa Vishwananda, 23 August 2016

In chapter 18, Moksha Sannyasa Yoga (path of liberation through renunciation), Arjuna makes his final questions to Krishna. They all point to one direction - clarifying the route to Moksha, total realisation. After discussing many topics, Krishna gives particular emphasis to three paths leading to Moksha. Karma Yoga, Jyaana Yoga, and most importantly and most emphasised by Bhagavan, Bhakti Yoga.

Krishna then concludes his own teachings and summaries them for Arjuna, giving specific instructions in relation to what He wishes his disciple to do with these teachings he has received. By the end of the chapter, Arjuna has completely transformed, and with his ignorance and disillusionment dispelled, Arjuna is now ready to fight in the Mahabharat War.

"When that bliss awakes itself, all is transformed and all is purified. That bliss becomes eternal. Bhagavan is talking about the supreme bliss itself, Satchitananda. This eternal joy, it’s not a joy which comes today and tomorrow it's not here. It doesn’t depend on anybody. The ones who dwell into that sattvic state, they are always absorbed in that blissful state. It is like when you walk towards Realisation, when you are doing your sadhana, you have to have this joy of doing one’s sadhana. 

Those God-realised souls, those devotees which are longing for the Love of God, they should continuously focus upon that love. More they concentrate upon this love, they will go through the nine steps of devotion where all the five kinds of bhav will awake. One’s qualities, happiness, all this will awake itself. When one attains that true happiness, this happiness is also projected in all directions. This happiness purifies all. This happiness enlightens all. They become themselves an example of the Divine Love. They become themselves without any worry, without any effort. Things happen automatically through them.

You see, often people who encounter you, because you are centred into this divine quality, you know, because you chant the Name of God, sometimes people will like to be with you. It’s not that they want something from you, but just by being in your presence they feel happy. Just by being near to you they feel the sense of calmness. 

So, this is the reflection of true happiness in the devotees. They radiate this deep longing, yearning, around them and people find great joy and peace to be among you. They don’t want anything from you, but you are in a constant giving state. Whatever you are giving is not through material, is not through things, but it is through your vibration, through your divine connection with God. Through your absorption in that Love of God, you become a source which is continuously shining and giving. This is sattvic happiness inside of you. And here Bhagavan Krishna said, 'My devotee has this happiness.' "  - Paramahamsa Vishwananda, 23 August 2016

Towards the end of the commentary, Paramahamsa Vishwananda explained that verse 66 (ch.18) is the most important verse in the whole Shreemad Bhagavad Gita ("Abandon all dharmas and take refuge in Me alone. I will deliver you from all sin and evil, do not grieve" - Lord Krishna):

"This is the most important verse in the whole Gita. This is the most important phrase which our Sampradaya holds dear to. This is the main teaching of the Sri Sampradaya. 'Abandon all dharmas and take refuge in Me alone.' There is only one dharma and that dharma is to surrender to the Feet of the Lord.

Here Bhagavan Krishna Himself reminds Arjuna, 'You don’t need to concentrate on any rules. Once you are surrendered, those who are truly surrendered, those minds which are fully absorbed in the surrender to the Feet of the Master, for them all the rules are gone. All the regulations are gone, because that abandonment itself, the letting go of every concept and taking refuge at the Feet of the Lord will awaken the Supreme Realisation.


And Bhagavan Krishna Himself said, 'I am the Supreme Lord. It is Me Myself who has been incarnated in all the forms. I am that Supreme Personality. I am the one which is behind everything. There is no one else than Me and if you surrender to Me, you will be non-attached to anything.'

That’s the dharma. That’s the supreme dharma of all creation itself. Every living entity in this whole universe has only one aim: to attain the Lord, to eternally dwell with Him, to attain to that awareness, to awaken that realisation that Lord Krishna is the greatest well-wisher, the guardian and the supporter of all. 

One should not worry, one should not grieve, one should only have pure love inside of oneself. One should build this relationship to the Lord, attain Him with deep reverence. Whatever you do, your mind should always be absorbed in the Divine Form. Whatever you do, know that He is the closest of all and whatever you do in life, you have only this as dharma: surrender with love to Him."  - Paramahamsa Vishwananda, 23 August 2016

The course ended in the evening, and afterwards there was an extremely rocking kirtan. From the front of the tent to the back, everyone was dancing and singing the Divine Names. The course had certainly been a great success. Throughout the entire course, Paramahamsa Vishwananda had been making the teachings simple to understand, showing that the spiritual path is not as complicated as one may think it to be. Swamiji ended the commentary with these closing words:

"We pray that Lord Krishna awakes this love inside of you, that you grow in your devotion and love to Him. This is the only thing that He asks: love and devotion. How you do that? Surrendering the mind, chant the Name with devotion, and love Him. Jai Gurudev!" - Paramahamsa Vishwananda, 23 August 2016

Thank you for following the blog for these last 8 days as we covered the Bhagavad Gita Course with Paramahamsa Sri Swami Vishwananda. Jai Gurudev!

During the Gita course, a great resource for many of the participants has been the new Shreemad Bhagavad Gita: Verses and Translations book. This book contains the Sanskrit verses of the Bhagavad Gita with their English translations. Also included are short excerpts from Paramahamsa Vishwananda about specific sections, a Mahabharat Family Tree, and a Sanskrit Pronunciation guide. You can learn more about this resourceful book by visiting: http://www.bhaktievent.de/magento/index.php/books/sri-swami-vishwananda/shreemad-bhagavad-gita-verses-and-translations.html

Bhagavad Gita Course 2016: Day 7

For a week now, Paramahamsa Sri Swami Vishwananda has been giving discourse on the Bhagavad Gita, and the time has gone by fast. Each day, Swamiji has delivered on average around 10 hours of commentary and on Day 7, Paramahamsa Vishwananda covered chapters 15, 16, and 17

Chapter 15 is called, "Purushottama Yoga" (the yoga of how to attain the Supreme). In this chapter, Lord Krishna introduces a topic that is beyond Prakriti and the Purusha - Ishvara, the Purushottama. The Supreme Deity, which Krishna identifies as Himself, lies beyond even the Soul and is the origin of all things. This chapter speaks of the unity that can be attained with this Supreme Lord.

"When one lets the soul take control of one’s life, one realises that it is God which is the controller of everything. Actually, it’s like you are driving, He is a driver. You are sitting in a car and He is the driver. He is driving you everywhere. So here, you see, when He (Krishna) chose to become the charioteer, it was not just for fun, as if He said, “Okay, I don’t have some job to do, but if I fight this fight, I will win.” He said, “No, I will not fight.” You see? That’s why He chose to be the charioteer, to show that He is the one which governs everything in this entire universe and that we are eternally connected to Him, whether you want it or you don’t want it. His energy excels all energies, destructible energy and indestructible energy. So everything is Him. So, He is beyond that. He is the source of that energy itself. He is the source of all the forms of energies, all vibrations. 

That absolute pure reality, those who attain that supreme reality, perceive the unity in all. One becomes everything. One realises that one is with everything around. There is no separation. In this aspect there is no evil, there is no good. There is only the supreme calmness, tranquillity. There is this supreme bliss. There is the supreme peace. There is only the cosmic vibration vibrating everywhere. One pierces the barrier of understanding, hearing. One hears only the cosmic sound behind all the sounds, which is OM Namo Narayanaya. That’s why all the sages said, 'Chant OM Namo Narayanaya,' because this is the cosmic sound. 

Whenever you chant it, this is the sound which is beyond all sounds which you can perceive. That’s why the yogis have made it easy. Bhagavan had given and revealed that secret of OM Namo Narayanaya. The sages said, 'If you want peace, chant continuously OM Namo Narayanaya.' And let that vibration vibrate everywhere because this is the supreme vibration itself." - Paramahamsa Vishwananda, 22 August 2016

Chapter 16 is called, Daivaasurasampad Vibhaaga Yoga (the yoga of discrimination between the good qualities and the negative qualities). In this chapter, Lord Krishna explains the godly qualities that a God-Realised soul has. Sri Krishna explains to Arjuna how one can recognise somebody who is God-Realised, who has Divine qualities and how you would realise those who have demonic qualities, evil qualities inside of them. Here it's not in somebody else, it's inside of each person. 

"Bhagavan said there is certain practice how to purify yourself, how to cleanse yourself and if you want to follow, the Divine will make its way, will make things happen in such a way that you will be brought upon that. But the first step is that you have to want it. If you don’t want, it doesn’t come to you. But if you make that first step of wanting to change, that wanting to change itself will open a new world itself for you. 

Here Bhagavan said nobody is lost. Here on Earth there are always open chances for everybody. Whoever is born here, especially for the people of evil tendencies, tamasic quality people, God will always remind them. He will always remind them, but the choice is theirs. That choice He can’t force anybody. He will be a constant reminder. Same, as you are a constant reminder for so many people, so many people which are pointing fingers towards you, criticising you, judging you, saying all kinds of evil against you. But this is the reminder of God to them also.

Bhagavan will always remind them of His presence, of His power, of His Love. He will always help them, but the choice will be only theirs. So, you are an inspiration to others to crave for the Divine, but they have to walk that path, they have to walk that path of perfection by themselves. They have to walk that path of liberation by themselves." - Paramahamsa Vishwananda, 22 August 2016

Chapter 17 is called, "Shraddhaatraya Vibhaaga Yoga" (the yoga of distinction between the three types of faith). In this chapter, Lord Krishna touches upon several different themes, focusing mainly on the analysis of different aspects of life; including what we eat, our actions, or performing sacrifice (worshipping the Lord); in relation to the three gunas - sattva, rajas, and tamas. 

"One who does charity, helping of people, with the true sense of serving, not for a show, but from the heart, those who give and forget about it don’t expect any gratification or ‘thank you’. They do it because they feel this is their duty to serve and they feel great joy in serving. They feel elevated in serving, not because they want something in return. Here the real sense of service, service doesn’t mean that, you know, you are paid or expecting something in return. No. Service, 'seva' stands freely. You are doing it for the Lord, you are doing it for God, you are doing it out of love without any expectation. Because whatever you do out of love is without any expecting something in return.

'But those who think and do something, that’s not true charity, that’s not true service, that plays as a burden on the mind.' So, here Bhagavan is saying, that mind should be free when you serve. When you are doing service, when you are doing seva, you have to have a mind which is calm and enjoy that seva. Let that joy of service arise through you. When you have that joy of service inside of you, that arises from the sattvic quality. So, serve without expecting." - Paramahamsa Vishwananda, 22 August 2016

Overall, Day 7 was an intense day of commentary, as Paramahamsa Vishwananda had finished chapter 17 at 1:00 a.m., an hour after midnight. The week has gone by quick, and with one more day and one more chapter, it's exciting to see how the spiritual Master will conclude his epic commentary that captures the essence of the Shreemad Bhagavad Gita. Jai Gurudev!

During the Gita course, a great resource for many of the participants has been the new Shreemad Bhagavad Gita: Verses and Translations book. This book contains the Sanskrit verses of the Bhagavad Gita with their English translations. Also included are short excerpts from Paramahamsa Vishwananda about specific sections, a Mahabharat Family Tree, and a Sanskrit Pronunciation guide. You can learn more about this resourceful book by visiting: http://www.bhaktievent.de/magento/index.php/books/sri-swami-vishwananda/shreemad-bhagavad-gita-verses-and-translations.html

Bhagavad Gita Course 2016: Day 6

"At night when you are sleeping, if you have just one minute, close your eyes and say ‘thank you’ to God. Say, 'God, thank you for the day which you have given me. Thank you for all experiences which you have given me. You are always with me and I surrender that day to your Lotus Feet.' So simple. And with deep trust close your eyes, imagine the Feet of the Lord, you are putting everything to His Feet." - Paramahamsa Vishwananda, 21 August 2016

Day 6 of the Bhagavad Gita course was a particularly significant day, as it was on this day that Paramahamsa Vishwananda covered chapter 12, "Bhakti Yoga," - the path of devotion. In addition to chapter 12, Paramahamsa Vishwananda also gave commentary on chapter 13 and 14.

Chapter 12

After Arjuna had seen the Cosmic form of Krishna, and heard the profound teachings, he wants to know which is the best path: the path of devotion or the path of wisdom. Arjuna is asking if it is better to approach the Lord as an impersonal God, or as the personal deity. Krishna explains in the chapter of Bhakti Yoga, the various qualities a true devotee possesses, and how these qualities make one dear to Him.

“ 'My devotees know that it is Me who calls them, because throughout lives they have been centred in Me and in each life they always progress upon reaching Me alone. Nothing can shake them.' Those which are surrendered into that love, Bhagavan Krishna is saying, 'They belong to Me and they are dear to Me. From wherever they are, I go and get them. They have been mine, they are mine and they will always be mine, even if they are caught in the play of the daily routine, even if they are caught in the play of the mundane activities outside, I shall awake within their heart that love. I shall remind them from where they come from and I shall remind them their goal. Such devotees who have this in mind automatically come to Me.' 

That sattvic bhav, this longing for spiritual life is not something which happens just like this. It’s not a coincidence. Because you belong to Him, because you are dear to Him, that’s why this awakes inside of you." - Paramahamsa Vishwananda, 21 August 2016

Paramahamsa Vishwananda continued to deepen his commentary on Bhakti Yoga in a very practical way, by explaining how to become a dear devotee of the Lord:

"Let every expression of your daily life become a prayer, not only when you sit and meditate, not only when you sit and pray, but every obligation of your life. Even if you are sitting and talking, let it be a prayer. Even if you are joking, let it be a prayer. You are dancing, let it be a prayer. You are eating, let it be a prayer. You are working, and so on. Let all what you do with the senses, let all what you do with your mind transform into prayer onto the altar of the Lord. 

And that...how you will do it? I don’t say that every time you will be able to remember God at 24 hours continuously, you will not be aware of it, but time to time think of Him, chant. Even if one time you say ‘Sri Krishnaya Namaha’, even if it is one time ‘OM Namo Narayanaya’, it’s enough." - Paramahamsa Vishwananda, 21 August 2016

In chapter 13, "Kshetrakshetrajna Vibhaaga Yoga (difference between Kshetra – Field – and Kshetrajna –Knower of the Field)",  Krishna begins to introduce new topics of discussion (Sankhya philosophy). The most prominent of this discussion is, "What is the difference between Prakriti (Kshetra) and the Purusha (Kshetrajna). Arjuna wants to understand his own nature and where he stands in relation to God and His creation. He asks question such as, "What is the body? What is the soul?" Paramahamsa Vishwananda explains in his commentary these various topics and how one can come to live in this world, and yet, not be of this world:

"Here Bhagavan Krishna is saying that this world is like an office. You come here to do your Karma Yoga, Karma Bhumi, then you have to go back home. You don’t belong to this world. You are not from this world. You belong to the world of the Supreme. You belong to Him. That’s why we call Him Beloved, Beloved Lord. Because the soul always longs to be, the lover always longs to be with the beloved. Your soul is an eternal lover of God, and as a lover it always longs to be with the Beloved." - Paramahamsa Vishwananda, 21 August 2016

"Those who are wise know that behind everything is only the Lord. Whatever He does, that is for the right cause and it is only Him which is seated in the core of your heart. So that heart is very unique. That heart is very special. The heart is a manifestation of God itself. It is from that heart that you feel love. It is from that heart that you meet Him. It is in that heart that you speak with Him. It is in that heart that you have your union with Him. I’m not talking about the physical heart right now. I am talking about your heart chakra, the cosmic heart inside this body." -Paramahamsa Vishwananda, 21 August 2016

In chapter 14, Lord Krishna continues to teach Arjuna the Sankhya Yoga philosophy, and it is in this chapter that Lord Krishna focuses on the three gunas (the controlling principles or 'tendencies' of the mind, body, and consciousness): Sattva, Rajas, and Tamas. Lord Krishna explains that these gunas pervade all of Prakriti, the material manifestation, and together they form the nature of the creation.

Paramahamsa Vishwananda mentioned that the most important verse in chapter 14 is the final verse, Verse 26: "He also who loves and strives after Me with an undeviating love and adoration, passes beyond the three gunas and he too is prepared for becoming the Brahman." In regards to this quote from Lord Krishna, Paramahamsa Vishwananda said:

"It is Him, the Lord which is giving Himself to His devotee. You see, the devotees think always that they are surrendering to the Master. In reality, no, it is the opposite. It’s the Master which is surrendering to the devotee so that they can raise the devotee to their level." -Paramahamsa Vishwananda, 21 August 2016

Day 6 of the Gita course was a day that continued to deepen each participants understanding of the spiritual path more and more. But as Paramahamsa Vishwananda has reminded, it's up to each person to put the teachings into practice. May we all surrender to the Master and continuously chant the Divine Names!

Jai Gurudev.

During the Gita course, a great resource for many of the participants has been the new Shreemad Bhagavad Gita: Verses and Translations book. This book contains the Sanskrit verses of the Bhagavad Gita with their English translations. Also included are short excerpts from Paramahamsa Vishwananda about specific sections, a Mahabharat Family Tree, and a Sanskrit Pronunciation guide. You can learn more about this resourceful book by visiting: http://www.bhaktievent.de/magento/index.php/books/sri-swami-vishwananda/shreemad-bhagavad-gita-verses-and-translations.html

Bhagavad Gita Course 2016: Day 5

"Those minds which are focused on the Lord, those minds which are focused on loving God fully, which are absorbed into that love, whenever they sit in meditation they perceive God within their heart.

'Those who don’t judge anybody, those who know that I am the source of everyone and everything, those who protect the weak, those who protect the innocent animals, they come to Me and I make them dear to Me. I reveal Myself through the love. I transform that love into bliss where eternally they perceive Me, feel Me, enjoy My presence.' " - Paramahamsa Vishwananda, 20 August 2016

The fifth day of the Bhagavad Gita course focused on the glory of God. During this day, Paramahamsa Vishwananda gave commentary on both chapter 10 and chapter 11, the chapters in which Lord Krishna begins to reveal to Arjuna the greatness of the Lord and His Cosmic manifestation. 

Chapter 10 of the Bhagavad Gita is called "Vibhuti Yoga," (the Yoga of Manifestation - the Divine Glories). In this chapter as in chapters 7 and 9, Krishna delves further into His divine nature as the ruler of the cosmos. Teaching that through a loving relationship, one can attain His grace. Arjuna also asks Krishna how can one recognise Him in the world. In response to Arjuna's longing, the second half of the chapter sees Krishna give a series of poetic descriptions of His glory (vibhuti) showing how He can be known. 

" 'Among worship I am Japa.' Here again Bhagavan is saying what is the best prayer you can do: is to chant His Name. The act of chanting itself is Bhagavan. That’s why earlier I was saying, you know, when you are initiated in the Divine Name, already the Lord is with you. 

When you are chanting, you are thinking of Him. Wherever you go, each breathe that you are taking in with His Name, it is Him near to you. Here Bhagavan is saying this Mantra Kriya itself is a greatest sacrifice. It is through that chanting of the Divine Name that one will perceive Him. It is through that offering in the simplicity, how simple it is, just by chanting the Name, because the act of chanting it is Himself. That’s why He said that Japam is the greatest worship. 

So among worship, among all the prayers and rituals, chanting of the Divine Name is the ultimate, because that act of chanting, that act of worship, it is Himself. So when you chant, the mind becomes totally peaceful, totally relaxed. By chanting the Divine Name your mind excels and rises to the highest order, the highest state bliss." - Paramahamsa Vishwananda, 20 August 2016

In chapter 11, after hearing in detail the vibhuti's (glories) of the Lord, Arjuna's longing grows even more intense. As a result, Arjuna wants to see the 'avyakta murthi' that hides behind creation. This is the climax of the Gita, where Arjuna sees directly the cosmic form of Krishna, the cosmic form of the Supreme. 

Upon seeing this cosmic form, the Vishwa Swaroop, which Lord Krishna reveals to Arjuna, he goes into a state of shock. The sight of the Lord creates confusion and fear for Arjuna, as it is beyond anything which he could have ever imagined.

"You see, inside your mind you create a certain vision of God, but that’s not the reality, that’s not God. You create a limitation of God, a God which you feel cool about, which you can feel, 'Okay, I like Him like that.' It’s true. The whole world, people think like that. Everybody talks about God, but they are talking about a God that they can relate themselves to. Everyone creates an image of God which we feel comfortable with. And when we feel comfortable with it, then we build our own little heaven about that God. Then we put ourselves in a bubble and say, 'That’s it! My God is better than all the others!' 

So you build a certain image and you close yourself in that image, but when the reality really hits you, that bubble explodes. Then you are faced to the reality, 'Aaah!' You long for God, you long for that image which is inside of you, but when the Supreme Lord Himself is showing you that, 'That reality which you have created in your mind, I am foremost, much more stronger than that, more mightier than that', you will be shocked. Because this is beyond your control. This is the little God that you have created in your mind, it is under your control, but the Supreme is not, that Reality is not. That’s what is happening with Arjuna right now." - Paramahamsa Vishwananda, 20 August 2016

Day 5 of the Bhagavad Gita course reminded each of the participants, that in reality, God is a mystery to us, but it is through the grace of the Guru which He can be revealed. Just as Lord Krishna had blessed Arjuna with the vision of the Lord, so too is the role of the Guru for each disciple/devotee. It is up to each one to purify the mind through the chanting of the Divine Names, and to trust that the Satguru knows when to reveal the Ultimate Reality that governs all of creation. Jai Gurudev! 

"Devotee do everything in a state of love, and when one is in that state of love, there is no place of judgement in their heart or in their mind. 'Remember Me in whatever you are doing and offer up to Me all results of your actions. Know that I am the Supreme Lord Himself and I am the object, I am the Ultimate Soul.' Constantly remember, chant, reflect, contemplate, meditate on the Divine Name, meditate on the Glory of the Lord, meditate on His Leela that He has performed. Meditate on the virtue that He has placed inside of our heart. Like that you will rise and have inner peace, inner satisfaction, the Lord Himself will reveal Himself within yourself. He will give you the inner vision of Him." - Paramahamsa Vishwananda, 20 August 2016

During the Gita course, a great resource for many of the participants has been the new Shreemad Bhagavad Gita: Verses and Translations book. This book contains the Sanskrit verses of the Bhagavad Gita with their English translations. Also included are short excerpts from Paramahamsa Vishwananda about specific sections, a Mahabharat Family Tree, and a Sanskrit Pronunciation guide. You can learn more about this resourceful book by visiting: http://www.bhaktievent.de/magento/index.php/books/sri-swami-vishwananda/shreemad-bhagavad-gita-verses-and-translations.html

Bhagavad Gita Course 2016: Day 4

"You see, only by chanting, nothing else. So easy. You see how easy is spirituality? How easy is to realise the Self? Not difficult at all. All this is only in the Name of the Lord: OM Namo Narayanaya." - Paramahamsa Vishwananda, 19 August 2016 

The fourth day of the Bhagavad Gita course was characterized by Paramahamsa Vishwananda's simplistic explanations of Lord Krishna's words. By covering both chapter 8 and chapter 9 swiftly, the night had ended at the "early" hour of 21:30. Through out the day, Paramahamsa Vishwananda explained and reminded about how easy the spiritual path can be for the one who is sincerely devoted to the Lord.

Chapter 8 is entitled, Akshara Brahma Yoga, and it is in this chapter that Lord Krishna explains to Arjuna how one can attain God at the time of death. Teaching that it is a real devotee who is able to fix their mind upon the Lord in the last moment of life. Arjuna in response to this statement seeks to know more. 

"When one transcends that limitation of matter, when one stops dwelling on petty things, the Lord starts revealing the truth to them, and that truth is revealed within one’s heart. In other religion we say the communion of the Holy Spirit. That spirit which is inside of you, you know, in Christianity they say communion of the Holy Spirit, don’t think a bird will come and sit on your head and make a nest on your head. No. A dove will not fly on your head, but that communion happens within the heart, the communion between your soul and the Supersoul, the soul of all souls. You utilise the mind, purify the mind to access the heart, no? So when the mind unites with the heart, something else comes out. 

When you utilise the intellect, when the mind is purified to become intellect, that intellect is entering the heart. What awakes is the consciousness, the consciousness of the soul. Then the soul reveals itself. So that consciousness lies within the soul, then it reveals. When the consciousness is purified, it reveals the soul, but when that soul is purified, it reveals the Supersoul, the Supreme Soul. That’s what Revelations stands for. Those who are fully absorbed into that divine bliss, the Lord reveals Himself." - Paramahamsa Vishwananda, 19 August 2016

Time and time again, Lord Krishna is telling Arjuna in chapter 8 to have a single-minded focus on Him. Paramahamsa Vishwananda explains this part of the Gita in very practical way:

"Here Bhagavan is becoming a greatest therapist Himself, you know, the therapist for the soul. In that form of therapist He is giving the greatest therapy. And that therapy which He is giving He says, 'Give me your mind! Surrender that mind to me!' You know, therapist would tell you to do so many things, no? 

Here He is also doing the same thing and as a great therapist He is saying, “Let your mind be focused upon me. Don’t stuck in the daily routine, don’t enslave yourself in that unreality, chant my name. Easy, you don’t need to do anything: Let your mind be upon me and chant my name. Simple! Two things only I want you to do. You do only these two things, I promise you that you will be eternally happy, you will achieve that bliss, you will have eternal peace, only with these two things. Give me your mind. You don’t know how to handle your mind, I know how to handle that mind. Once you have given me that mind, chant.' 

So the giving of that mind means studying the scriptures. Go deeper into that knowledge. Feed the mind with the right things, transform that mind which is negative into light." - Paramahamsa Vishwananda, 19 August 2016

Chapter 9 of the Shreemad Bhagavad Gita is called, "Raajavidyaa Raajaguhya Yoga", the king-knowledge, the king-secret. In chapter 9, Krishna expands further on the themes that were found in chapter 7, upon the nature of His divinity and how to approach Him with true Bhakti. Lord Krishna explains that He is present in the entire creation and He is the Supreme Lord Himself and continues to say that for bhakta who is surrendered to Him, they will attain His Grace. 

"Here the Supreme Lord Himself is asking, you know, He is like begging. 'I am asking you to do that. Be devoted to Me, not for My sake. It is for your sake. Focus your mind on Me, not because I want your mind, but because you want it. You want peace of mind. You want peace of mind? This is the way to have peace of mind. Worship Me, serve Me, engage your mind in this manner, regard Me as the Supreme goal. Know that I am the Ultimate goal. Know that I am God Himself. I am this Brahman which the Veda is proclaiming. It is Me who has given this Veda, this, knowledge. Awake, let your heart dwell on Me. Without any doubt, if your mind is on Me, your heart is on Me, your body is serving Me, you will attain Me.' 

Here Bhagavan is saying this is the only Supreme path to perfection. Surrender is the only path to perfection, to peace and true happiness, a mind under control, free from vain attachment. Make your meditation, make life itself, whatever you do, a meditation upon the Lord. Those who transcend the body, mind and intellect they will eternally and supremely live with Him, live eternally in that bliss." - Paramahamsa Vishwananda, 19 August 2016

Day 4 ended with the last verse of chapter 9: "Focus your mind on Me, be devoted to Me, offer worship to Me, bow down to Me. Engaging your mind in this manner and regarding Me as the Supreme Goal, you will come to Me." - Lord Krishna (ch. 9 v. 34) Paramahamsa Vishwananda ended the night by specifically saying something quite special about this verse and chapter:

Meditate on this last verse and this last chapter because it’s one of the most beautiful chapters. Absorb it. If you concentrate only on this chapter, this love and devotion will grow inside of you. - Paramahamsa Vishwananda,  19 August 2016

During the Gita course, a great resource for many of the participants has been the new Shreemad Bhagavad Gita: Verses and Translations book. This book contains the Sanskrit verses of the Bhagavad Gita with their English translations. Also included are short excerpts from Paramahamsa Vishwananda about specific sections, a Mahabharat Family Tree, and a Sanskrit Pronunciation guide. You can learn more about this resourceful book by visiting: http://www.bhaktievent.de/magento/index.php/books/sri-swami-vishwananda/shreemad-bhagavad-gita-verses-and-translations.html

Bhagavad Gita Course 2016: Day 3

During the third day of the Bhagavad Gita course, Paramahamsa Vishwananda gave commentary on a total of four chapters. The chapters included were chapter 4 through chapter 7.

Chapter 4 is called, "Jyaana Vibhaaga Yoga." In the previous chapter, Karma Yoga, Lord Krishna had instructed Arjuna that he needed to do his duty and go beyond the senses and mind. In chapter 4, Lord Krishna goes deeper into the knowledge of how to perform one's action, teaching Arjuna about which kind of awareness one should have while practicing Karma Yoga. By combining Jyaana Yoga with Karma Yoga, Sri Krishna essentially teaches that one should not only be detached from the fruit of their actions, but they should also have the awareness of the Divine at all times.

"Do your duty and be free from that. By not doing their duty and renouncing everything, running away from one’s duty will not give you peace of mind, because your mind will still be attached to that. There is also this beautiful story where two friends were walking. They were going to listen to the Bhagwat Katha (Bhagavad Gita discourse). So, as they were walking to the Bhagwat Katha, they were passing by a brothel. One of them found his girlfriend. So the girlfriend said, “Come here.” He went. So the other one went to the Bhagwat. 

The one which went with his girlfriend, all the time his mind was in the Bhagwat. Inside of him he was continuously thinking of Krishna. Whereas, the other one who went to the Bhagwat, all the time he was sitting in the Bhagwat, he was listening, was just pretending to listen. His mind was not there. His mind was in the brothel. So who is truly renouncing here? That’s what Bhagavan is saying, you see? Renouncement is that mind state. Do your action, do what you have to do, but let that mind be focused on the Divine." - Paramahamsa Sri Swami Vishwananda, 18 August 2016

In chapter 5, Karma Sannyaasa Yoga, and chapter 6, Dhyaana Yoga, Krishna continues instructing Arjuna into the ways of Yoga, the ways to attain unity with the Divine. In chapter 5, Krishna reiterates that the path of action is best for Arjuna and that it is through this yoga that the mind gets purified to meditate on the Lord. In chapter 6, Sri Krishna begins to explain how one should meditate on the Lord and how one can control the mind. During chapter 6, Paramahamsa Vishwanada also mentioned the importance of the spiritual community, the spiritual family: 

"Find your spiritual family, your spiritual path. That’s what Bhagavan Krishna is saying here right now, “Your true family is not the blood family. The blood family, you have been born into that blood family so that the karma that you have with your blood family, with that souls, they are away. Either they help you to advance spiritually or they keep you away. But once that knowledge, once that urge, that longing, awakens, you must find shelter at the Feet of a Master. You have to find shelter at the Feet, in the Grace of the Master and the Master’s family becomes your family. So that is the spiritual family." - Paramahamsa Sri Swami Vishwananda, 18 August 2016

Leading up to chapter 7, Jyaana Vijnanna Yoga, Lord Krishna had explained the eternal, indestructible nature of the soul. By explaining to Arjuna how to act in the world through Karma Yoga, and how one should control the mind, Krishna now begins in chapter 7 to describe Himself as a personal deity, and how he can be attained through Bhakti. In the commentary of this chapter, Paramahamsa Vishwananda mentions the importance of surrender to attain the Grace of the Lord:

“Due to the attachment which these three gunas have created, you remain under the control of maya. But there is one way to awaken. There is only one way, and that way is to surrender to Me. Those who approach Me, those who take shelter under Me, those who have the true knowledge which I am giving, they are free from the cycle of the three gunas. Because as I am not touched by maya, so My devotees who surrender to Me are free. Maya stopped controlling them. Those who chant My Name, those who by any means try to control their mind, and those who are fully absorbed in My service, forgetting themselves completely, those who think only on Me, they are My devotees and they cross beyond the gunas. 

The gunas don’t have any effect on them, because they become as Me. I start to shine upon them, they start to reflect my Divine qualities, My Cosmic qualities, and where My Cosmic qualities are shining, maya doesn’t have power upon.” Here Bhagavan is saying, “I control that. Even if it appears that maya controls everything, but I am the Lord of maya, I control her.”- Paramahamsa Sri Swami Vishwananda, 18 August 2016

All in all, day 3 of the Bhagavad Gita course had shown to be another extensive day filled with the wisdom, love and grace of Paramahamsa Vishwananda. Swamiji constantly is giving us wisdom which is deeper than our mind could ever imagine. These words, when reflected upon and taken sincerely, can change the journey of one's soul to the Divine as they are infused with the Grace of a being who is ever-immersed into that Divine Consciousness we call God. Jai Gurudev!

During the Gita course, a great resource for many of the participants has been the new Shreemad Bhagavad Gita: Verses and Translations book. This book contains the Sanskrit verses of the Bhagavad Gita with their English translations. Also included are short excerpts from Paramahamsa Vishwananda about specific sections, a Mahabharat Family Tree, and a Sanskrit Pronunciation guide. You can learn more about this resourceful book by visiting: http://www.bhaktievent.de/magento/index.php/books/sri-swami-vishwananda/shreemad-bhagavad-gita-verses-and-translations.html

Bhagavad Gita Course 2016: Day 2

Fall not from the virility of a fighter and a hero, O Paartha! It does not befit you. Shake off this paltry faint-heartedness and arise, O scourge of your enemy! - Lord Krishna, Shreemad Bhagavad Gita, Chapter 2 Verse 3

The second day of the Bhagavad Gita course picked up right where it had left off. Paramahamsa Vishwananda started his commentary in the middle of chapter 2, the chapter where Lord Krishna begins to reveal the Knowledge of the Self. On the previous day we had seen that Arjuna experiences a 'dejected' state, a state in which he is reluctant to fight in the Mahabharat War. Lord Krishna listened to his words patiently and Arjuna, in an utter state of confusion, asked his dear friend for help. 

"Long for the Grace of the Lord, long for Him, don’t let yourself be spelled by Maya. Because for those who are centered into the Lord, Maya doesn’t have any grip upon them. Those who are fully centered, you know, the yogis, they are free. They go everywhere. They are eternal. They radiate their peace, their freedom, their true happiness. 

Without any expectation they radiate this freely to all, and they become a lantern to those who are seated in darkness. They become a guidance to those who sit in darkness so that they can also start shining their light. And this is the work of a devotee, the work of a bhakta; once they have tasted that sweetness of the Love of God, once they are strong enough, they should help others find that light." - Paramahamsa Vishwananda, 2016 August 17

What makes chapter 2 unique among all the other chapters is that, at this moment, Krishna takes the role of the Guru. Up until this point, Arjuna had only viewed Krishna as his friend, his cousin. But now, Krishna has taken this role of the Guru and is explaining to Arjuna in what attitude one should perform his duty, and how to be unattached to the fruits of action. Chapter 2 is often seen as a summary of the entire Gita itself. 

"Concentrate your mind. How to make the mind stable? He (Krishna) is giving, He is saying, “Fix your mind upon me!” He didn’t say fix it in the void or in the emptiness. He said, “Look, I am here in front of you. I have a form. I am not just a concept. I am visible. Focus upon Me. Bring that mind to My feet.” This is how a sadhak and bhakta, a devotee, should have their mind focused on the Feet of the Master. They should see their Guru sitting inside of them. They should not let the mind run around. Whatever they are doing they should do, but with the awareness that they are never alone. Guru and God is always with you. And when you sit in your meditation, you should perceive that Guru and God is seated inside of you." - Paramahamsa Vishwananda, 2016 August 17

Swamiji finished his commentary on chapter 2 at about midday, and soon began the commentary of chapter 3, 'Karma Yoga' (the Yoga of Action). In chapter 3, Arjuna expresses that he doesn't know what he should do: should he fight or should he not fight? Lord Krishna goes into depth about Karma Yoga by explaining that one's action should be a service to others, and that even the realised souls perform action. By explaining the primary cause of desire, Lord Krishna instructs in chapter 3, that one should perform Karma Yoga until these desires are transformed and one realises the knowledge of the Self.

"You are structured because of your physical embodiment in this world. You have the sense organ as communicator with the outside world. You dwell in this outside world, you do everything with the outside world. So, you use the senses. That’s why here, it’s said that supreme are the senses, because this is directly...this is what you use more. But the mind is superior to the senses. The mind controls the senses and the senses control the body. So the mind is superior to the senses. Each one is important and each one has their own part which they play in the game of the Self. So, when you see the body, the senses, from the senses to the mind, from the mind to the intellect, from the intellect to the heart, from the heart to the consciousness, from the consciousness to the Self, from the Self to the Higher Self, from the Higher Self to the Divine Self. This is the reverse state what you go through. So, controlling step by step, you will rise." - Paramahamsa Vishwananda, 2016 August 17

The night ended nearly at midnight, just like the previous discourse had done. Paramahamsa Vishwananda had asked the participants if they wanted the commentary to continue on or if they wanted to wait for the next day. With a response of silence, a mutual agreement had been made that it had been a long day and a lot of wisdom to take in, but for the Master, he was still full of energy and ready to give more. The second day came to a close with a kirtan and arati to Thakurji. Jai Gurudev!

During the Gita course, a great resource for many of the participants has been the new Shreemad Bhagavad Gita: Verses and Translations book. This book contains the Sanskrit verses of the Bhagavad Gita with their English translations. Also included are short excerpts from Paramahamsa Vishwananda about specific sections, a Mahabharat Family Tree, and a Sanskrit Pronunciation guide. You can learn more about this resourceful book by visiting: http://www.bhaktievent.de/magento/index.php/books/sri-swami-vishwananda/shreemad-bhagavad-gita-verses-and-translations.html

Bhagavad Gita Course 2016: Day 1

The beginning of the Bhagavad Gita course with Paramahamsa Sri Swami Vishwananda set the tone for the days to come. Participants took their seats at 10:00 in the morning, and waited for the arrival of the spiritual master. After the singing of bhajans, Swamiji arrived and the course officially began.

"When you come to the Master, you have to come as an empty vessel so that you can be filled. That mind must be emptied to receive. You have to have this willingness to change to have the full benefit. Don’t think what you are losing, think what you are gaining. Because if you start already to think what you are losing, you will never get anything. Because on the spiritual path you may lose everything outside, but in reality you are gaining everything, more than somebody which have some things. 

So here Arjuna is losing everything. He is sitting and crying, “What am I losing?”, forgetting that he is standing next – he is sitting next to the Supreme Lord Himself. But to whom else he would go? He is the only friend. He is the only true friend who really cares for you, no one else! Guru and God is the only one which cares for you. The rest are just a drama, a drama which you put on. 

Here Bhagavan Krishna is revealing that drama to Arjuna, “These are all drama, nothing else is real.” All these relationships that you put. What kind of ‘ship’? Friendship, relationship, what ‘ship’ else there is? Eh? Which ship you go in? Eh? Allship. Worship, partnership. Eh? Mothership, fathership, so all that kinds of ships will drown. So don’t enter this kind of ship. Only ship that you have to enter is Guruship. So in that boat you are safe." - Paramahamsa Vishwananda, 16 August 2016

On the first day of the course, Paramahamsa Vishwananda briefly summarised each of the 18 chapters and gave an in-depth foreshadow of the material to be covered. By providing the context of the Mahabharat and how this glorious conversation between Arjuna and Lord Krishna came to be, Swamiji started the course by giving an encapsulating introduction to the circumstances regarding the Gita itself.

"After the Kurukshetra war, one person was in a hurry to see the war, you know. So he arrived there, looked around, didn’t see anything, empty field, you know. Kurukshetra nothing can grow, even till today. He looked left – right, looking in the waste desert land, said, “There was a war here?” Holding the ground with his hand, trying to see all these thousands warriors, you know, have been killed, all this blood has been shed, but the land is dry completely, desert. He started wondering, “Am I in the wrong place or what happened? Is it an illusion? Is it Krishna have made everything disappear?” 

At that moment the sage appeared to him and said, “No my dear, you are in the right movie, not wrong one, but how you see it, what you perceive about it, that’s different.” Then he asked the question, “How the war happened?” The sage said, “Yes, it is still happening.” He said, “How?” Then the sage touched him and brought him to a different spheres, not outside of him, but inside of him. Then he perceived his inner struggle. He perceived this battle. Kurukshetra is this field, no? So he experienced this inner battle between the mind and the heart. So which one will win? Those who surrender, who have taken shelter to the Feet of Krishna, they will be victorious no matter what. Even if this world, even if this universe itself is annihilated, but those who surrender to Him will always be victorious. This is His promise in the Gita." - Paramahamsa Vishwananda, 16 August 2016

After Paramahamsa Vishwananda had done a summary on each chapter and spoke about the context surrounding the situation, Swamiji spent the latter half of the night giving commentary on Chapter 1 and almost half of Chapter 2. By the end of the night, it was nearly midnight, making the first day extensive and plentiful.

"Those who dwell only on the outside, even if they look for happiness, their happiness will always jump from one thing to the other. They will never have this inner satisfaction. But those – because the outside reality will never give one this satisfaction which you are looking for. The Kauravas stand for this outside reality which is looking, fighting, always want something, but it’s all material, it’s all external which brings superficial joy, joy for a very short time and misery for a longer time. Fully satisfied is the soul which has attained and realized the relationship with God. And this is where one finds real satisfaction, not just a superficial satisfaction, but eternal satisfaction, you know, which is forever, permanent. So due to for the sake of this satisfaction Bhagavan Krishna said, “Move from that reality which your mind understands to a different reality who you truly are." - Paramahamsa Vishwananda, 16 August 2016

Jai Gurudev!

During the Gita course, a great resource for many of the participants has been the new Shreemad Bhagavad Gita: Verses and Translations book. This book contains the Sanskrit verses of the Bhagavad Gita with their English translations. Also included are short excerpts from Paramahamsa Vishwananda about the specific section, a Mahabharat Family Tree, and a Sanskrit Pronunciation guide. You can learn more about this resourceful book by visiting: http://www.bhaktievent.de/magento/index.php/books/sri-swami-vishwananda/shreemad-bhagavad-gita-verses-and-translations.html

A Promise for Paramahamsa Vishwananda

“Whenever there is the fading of the dharma, like nowadays, and the uprising of unrighteousness, then I bring Myself forth into birth.” – Lord Krishna, Shreemad Bhagavad Gita, Chapter 4 Verse 7

When Lord Krishna delivered the Bhagavad Gita to Arjuna, He was living in a time when adharma (unrighteousness) had been on the rise. Demons like Kamsa had been wreaking havoc, and royal dynasties like the Kuru lineage had been corrupted by immoral inheritors. Hence, Sri Krishna vanquished the demons and guided the Pandavas to victory in the glorious Mahabharat War.

Nowadays, we are also living in a time that is saturated with adharma. The inner demons within people manifest themselves in acts of violence, cruelty, and other negative actions. One of the issues that Paramahamsa Vishwananda constantly voices out against is the brutality towards animals.

For those who follow Swamiji on twitter, you have seen the reality of how animals are treated when they are raised solely for human consumption. The state of this industry is shocking to say the least.

Recently during Gurupurnima, Paramahamsa Vishwananda shortly addressed this topic and had one request for the devotees present which can extend to all devotees and people worldwide. 

Transcription from Gurupurnima 19 July 2016

SV: Jai Gurudev everyone! If I ask you one thing, would you give it to me?

Audience: Yes.

SV: Do you promise?

Audience: Yes!

SV: Are you sure?

Audience: Yes!

SV: How many of you do promise that? And the rest? [laughing]

The ‘one thing’ I would like from you is that you spread vegetarianism; spread the message that people should not kill animals. Do you promise me that?

Audience: Yes!

SV: Good!

Audience: [clapping] Hari Bol!

SV: For the satisfaction of their own tongue, human beings are supporting the brutality towards animals. It’s really miserable to see. If you want peace, firstly we have to change the mind, right? And to change the mind is not an easy thing, but we can make it easy by controlling the senses. Like Bhagavan Krishna says in the Gita, if you want to control the mind, you start by controlling the senses. So start putting sattvic food inside of yourself and encourage people to become vegetarian. Like that, this change will be reflected upon the mind. 

What you put inside of you, it also reacts very deeply on the mind. So, much of the brutality in this world is also due to what we consume. Whereas, people who are vegetarian don’t have such aggressiveness inside of them. They are more serene and calm. Here you can see clearly how one can change the state of mind, and how one can change the way one thinks, for a better world, for a world with peace and love. Therefore, whoever is not vegetarian yet, please become a vegetarian. I guess all of you are, true?!

Audience: Yes.

SV: Good. Now, you have made a promise to me, right?

Audience: Yes!

SV: I hope I don’t need to come after you and poke you. Well, Mother Nature will do that work for me. It’s better if you do it by yourself, because if She does it, She has Her own ways. Maya Devi is very powerful. All of you know about that, eh? So don’t let Her come after you. Due to this promise you have just made to me, change! You will see that all goodness will come to you. 

The blessing of Mother Nature will flow to you and, together with that, the Grace and blessing of Giridhariji, because He is the great protector of animals. Many times, the Lord has taken the form of an animal, isn’t it? Tonight we have seen Devi Rani, Bhavani and Shen presenting a dance performance about the manifestations of Maha Vishnu: Matsya, Kurma, Varaha, and Narasimha. They were all animals.

Your body is a temple where the Lord Himself resides with all His splendour and all His love. So let’s remind everybody of this sacredness and keep the body healthy.

So that’s the ‘one thing’ I ask you. That’s it. Nothing else.

Jai Gurudev!

By being a vegetarian/vegan and advocating the adoption of a meatless diet, one immediately helps the world to heal and positively transform. The benefits for oneself and the world as a whole is impressive. Here are some facts (references below):

In a 2006 report, the United Nations said raising animals for food generates more greenhouse gases than all the cars and trucks in the world combined.¹

Estimates of the water required to produce a kilo of beef vary, from 13,000 liters 2 up to 100,000 liters.3 Whichever figure you use, the damage is plain when you consider that the water required to produce a kilo of wheat is somewhere between 1,000-2,000 litres.

Several studies show that a plant-based diet increases the body’s metabolism, causing the body to burn calories up to 16% faster than the body would on a meat-based diet for at least the first 3 hours after meals.⁴

Large studies in England and Germany have shown that vegetarians are about 40 percent less likely to develop cancer compared to meat-eaters.^5-7  

May all the devotees of Paramahamsa Sri Swami Vishwananda spread vegetarianism and veganism to help uplift the Earth and its people. Jai Gurudev!

"For the deliverance of the good, for the destruction of the evil-doers, for the enthroning of the right, I am born from age to age." - Lord Krishna, Shreemad Bhagavad Gita, Chapter 4 Verse 7

References

1. “Livestock a major threat to environment,” United Nations FAO Newsroom, Nov. 29, 2006:http://www.fao.org/newsroom/en/news/2006/1000448/index.html
2. Food and Agriculture Organisation. 22nd March 2007. FAO urges action to cope with
increasing water scarcity. Rome. http://www.fao.org/newsroom/en/news/2007/1000520/index.Html(link is external)
3. Pimental, D., Houser, J., Preiss, E., White, O., Fang, O., Mesnick, L., Barsky, T., Tariche, J.S. and Alpert, S. 1997. Water Resources: Agriculture, the Environment, and Society. Bioscience. 47 (2), 97-106.
4. Saunders, Kerrie K. 2003. The Vegan Diet as Chronic Disease Prevention. New York, NY: Lantern Books
5.Thorogood M, Mann J, Appleby P, McPherson K. Risk of death from cancer and ischaemic heart disease in meat and non-meat eaters. Br Med J. 1994;308:1667-1670.
6. Chang-Claude J, Frentzel-Beyme R, Eilber U. Mortality patterns of German vegetarians after 11 years of follow-up. Epidemiology. 1992;3:395-401.
7. Chang-Claude J, Frentzel-Beyme R. Dietary and lifestyle determinants of mortality among German vegetarians. Int J Epidemiol. 1993;22:228-236.
Facts and References found at: https://www.downtoearth.org/go-veggie/environment/top-10-reasons and http://www.pcrm.org/health/diets/vegdiets/vegetarian-foods-powerful-for-health