Class Notes | Week 26 | April 13, 2021 Class Notes by Sharmila The word “Samartha” means one who is successful . ‘Sam’ means well and ‘Artha’ means wealth or meaning. Another meaning for the word Samartha is Sama-Ratha, where Ratha means to revel/be immersed in and Sama means balance. Sama here symbolizes Sama-Brahma or infinity. So Samartha is to revel in infinity…

Class Notes | Week 23 | March 30, 2021 — Class Notes by Sharmila Ignorance is when one ignores, ignoring is when one takes for granted — we take for granted our environment, people and reality. For one who is ignorant, they chase a mirage. The more they chase a mirage, the farther they become from where they started , they become more tired…

Class Notes | Week 22 | March 16, 2021 — Class Notes by Sharmila In Ramayana, one of the greatest seekers is Sri Bharata. He lived in the minimum so as to be able to see and experience the maximum, that is Bhagavan Rama. He survived only to be with his brother. In Srimad Bhagavatam, the Gopis are called by Bhagavan Krishna to come…

Class Notes | Week 20 | Feb 23, 2021 — Class Notes by Sharmila In a strict Samskrit sense, the word ‘Darshan’ means sight (that which happens with our eyes). ‘Sudarshan’ means vision (that which happens with our intellect). In our puranas, Bhagavan Narayana has a chakra named ‘Sudarshana Chakra’ and what it does is Vinasha (kills Rakshasas), and the one who remains in…

Class Notes | Week 18 | Feb 9, 2021 — Class Notes by Sharmila The word for animal in Samskrit is ‘Pashu’ because they are ever engaged in ‘Pashyati’ which means seeing. Seeing is believing for them, and they live by what they see. How this relates to us is — we come to feel the conditions of whatever we identify with, such as…

Class Notes | Week 16 | Jan 26, 2021 — Class Notes by Sharmila When we practice Advaita, we seem to be most caring about a certain personality and in the next moment we are most harsh with someone who is not that person. So our Advaita tends to be momentary. Viveka means discrimination/differentiation/deeper. The deeper we are within oneself, the deeper we will…

Class Notes | Week 14 | Jan 12, 2021 Class Notes by Sharmila A ‘searcher’ is one who is looking for happiness outside of oneself — the world is real. A ‘seeker’ looks for happiness inside of oneself — the world is unreal. For a ‘seer’ (Drk), one who is happiness — the world is real. All this is facilitated by insight. We…

Class Notes | Week 12 | Dec 8, 2020 — Class Notes by Sharmila When Kaliya was being crushed by Bhagavan Krishna, Kaliya’s wives come to Bhagavan Krishna to plead with him. Two of the insights they shared are: “Bhagavan is the one who resides in the elements” “Bhagavan is the seen and the seer” If Bhagavan is residing in the elements like space…

Class Notes | Week 10 | Nov 17, 2020 — Class Notes by Sharmila In Srimad Bhagavatam there is a narration that when Bhagavan Brahma is becoming sleepy, it is the beginning of Pralaya, that is when all of creation becomes unmanifest. As Bhagavan Brahma exhibits His drowsiness, the Veda falls out of His mouth. A rakshasa named Hayagriva steals the Vedas and dives…