KY Chp7-How To Become Unselfish-Dec 10, 2018 – VUSG

Unselfishness- VUSG – Dec 10, 2018

Class material covered in Vedanta US Study Group on Dec 10, 2018

Pg101

So Karma-Yoga says, first destroy the tendency to project this tentacle of selfishness, and when you have the power of checking it, hold it in and do not allow the mind to get into the ways of selfishness. Then you may go out into the world and work as much as you can. Mix everywhere, go where you please; you will never be contaminated with evil. There is the lotus leaf in the water; the water cannot touch and adhere to it; so will you be in the world. This is called Vairâgya", dispassion or non-attachment. I believe I have told you that without nonattachment there cannot be any kind of Yoga. Non-attachment is the basis of all the Yogas. The man who gives up living in houses, wearing fine clothes, and eating good food, and goes into the desert, may be a most attached person. His only possession, his own body, may become everything to him; and as he lives he will be simply struggling for the sake of his body. Non-attachment does not mean anything that we may do in relation to our external body, it is all in the mind. The binding link of "I and mine" is in the mind. If we have not this link with the body and with the things of the senses, we are non-attached, wherever and whatever we may be. A man may be on a throne and perfectly non-attached; another man may be in rags and still very much attached. First, we have to attain this state of non-attachment and then to work incessantly. Karma-Yoga gives us the method that will help us in giving up all attachment, though it is indeed very hard.

ATTENDEES: Nandini, Tara, Neelam, Bhama, Priti, 

© Nandini Mitra Banerjee

Points discussed:

1.       -Servant attitude helps us become humble, lessen ego. (Bhama)

2.       - But in our ignorance, we do not know if I am full of pride.! (Neelam)

3.       -Good and Bad are both given by Divine Mother; learn the lesson from it.

4.       Add value, quality

5.       While being aware and discriminating, we tend to become Judgmental: I am better than you attitude develops.

How to root out the very thoughts that give rise to this judgmental attitude:

a)       Step1: Acceptance – yes I have a problem

b)      Step2: Do Not React – breaks the samskara

c)       Step 3: Pratipaksha Bhavana – rooting out the thoughts.

6.       Be Careful of our actions (Neelam)

7.       Be careful of Laziness and procrastination (Bhama)

8.       Be careful of: I have control over my actions – a sense of do-ership develops (Tara)

9.       Be careful of: Attachment to Karma (Nban)

10.   Be careful of feeding the ego (Bhama)

11.   Giving up the do-ership is most difficult. However, in do-ership, surrender My-Will into Your-Will should be the path.(Priti)

12.   In do-ership, one can get attached to the Ananda. Even that is an attachment.

a.       Be like a Substitute Teacher. Has to perform to the best of his/her ability to keep her job. Enjoys the joys and suffer the sorrows but no attachment. (Nban)

Food for Thought for Next Class:

What are the pitfalls a sincere aspirant has to face in the paths of 4 yogas?