Hari OM,

Carrying forward with the previous class discussion of action and duty.

1. Krishna says that we have only a right to action and action alone,

we cannot be attached to the results while doing the action And not

doing any thing or inaction is not an option.  As humans one thing is

absolutely guaranteed is that we have to act.  We are wired to do

stuff.  It is the attitude of doing that Krishna is teaching us about.

 When Michael Jordan takes the 3 pointer on the last second buzzer all

he is thinking of is the ball and the hoop, everything else the roar

of the crowd, the on rushing defender, the weariness of the long game,

the prize money at the end of the game  all of it is completely out...

 any thought about winning or losing the game cannot enter his mind.

That is the attitude that Krishna is talking about all the time every

time...  (verse 2.47)

2.  All of us have unlimited potential, Krishna is showing us how to

become more efficient in what we do and unleash that potential to

reach unlimited heights.  The philosophy of the Himalayas has now

found a way of manifesting itself in our day to day lives to make us

more efficient and reach our potential.

3.  This attitude is Karma yoga.   How do we we do it. ...  How do we

make sure that what ever we do we do it the best the very best we can

and how do we make sure that we embrace what ever results that may

come out of our actions. As humans act we must and every action will

have an out come, some good some not good. How do we act in a manner

that we are 100% focused on it and do it to the best of our ability

and how do we make sure that we embrace the results no matter what the

results may be.

The 2 part method to this is

a)  when we are doing any thing, think of that action as a our

offering to the lord..  if we do that the quality of the action will

be the best this is Ishwar Arpan Budhi. (attitude of action as if it

is a offering to the lord)

b) the second part of this is that we accept the results as if it is

blessing from the lord.  Like the way we accept prasad in a temple.

With humility with reverence and with a thank you on our lips. We do

not cross compare with others on prasad received,  we are content with

what each one of us has received and embrace it.  This attitude can help

us in embracing the results of our actions and this is called "Prasad

Budhi"

4. Krishna also explain to Arjuna the reasons why this does not work

and give the 8 steps to failure or destruction.  Thoughts abt objects

- attachment - desire - anger - delusion - loss of memory -  loss of

discrimination - man perishes.  What is unique about this thought

process is not the end but the beginning..  It all starts with a

simple thought...  Also the point that needs to be understood here is

that Anger is  nothing other that desire denied.  (verse 2.62 and 63)

5.  So in Chapter 2 Lord Krishna has given Arjuna the importance of

action and has also talked about the importance of divine knowledge.

So at the beginning of Chapter 3 Arjuna who still does not want to

fight asks a question whether as to what is more superior Action or

Knowledge and also says that obviously Knowledge is more superior and

hence why is Krishna asking him to act and fight.

6.  Lord Krishna now unequivocally announces that Action is superior

to knowledge.

7.As humans we must act, however it is that action that is done with

an attitude of sacrifice that action is the most superior.  Sacrifice

is when we do some thing that connects us with some thing higher than

us as individuals.  It is interesting to see as to how many things

that we do in a given day that are truly one of the nature of

sacrifice.  Expanding that type of action should be our on going

endevour.  The word Selfish is bad when some one is selfish about his

own self however that same word selfish dissolves away into selfless

when the attachment of the word goes from one as an individual to

larger and larger contexts like family, community, society, country,

humanity, to creation.  (Verse 3.8 and 9)

8.  Also when we act we must keep in mind that others people who look

up to us will follow our actions.  Even as high school students the

younger siblings as well as children from lower classes look up to the

high schoolers as an example and it is incumbent upon each one of us

to set an good example by what we do and how we do it. (verse 3.21)

9.  Krishna also says that doing OWN duty is the most important thing

even if it is not done 100% correctly.  Trying to do some one else

duty is full of peril. (verse 3.35)

10.  At the beginning of 4th chapter Krishna tells Arjuna that the

knowledge that he is giving him is the same that Lord Krishna had

given to the Sun and Manu and all the rishis of the past.  Arjuna does

not belive this and says that Krishna could not have done so because

the Sun and Manu were born much before Lord Krishna,

11.  To this Krishna starts revealing his true nature...  Krishna

tells Arjuna that though both Arjuna and Kirshna have had many births,

Krishna knows all his past births but Arjuna does not.  Kirshna being

the lord himself wills himself into being born and the objective of

his birth has always being to establish righteousness, protect the

good and destroy evil (verse 4.7)

12. Different people worship the lord in different ways.  The lord

does not prescribe a path,  all that the lord does is to give the

devotee all that the devotee has aspired for.  This leads into a

discussion on what are the different types people and Krishna now

gives Arjuna the caste system.  The cast systems is based on the

attitude (guna) and work (karma) of an individual and NOT based on

birth.  There is no superior or inferiors caste.  All castes are

equally important for the smooth functioning of any community.  In

every organization there is a caste system in play, the Principal, the

teachers, the office staff and the Janitorial staff in a school are

like the Brahmins, Kshatriyas, Vaishyas and Shudras..  each is

required for the smooth functioning of the school. The present state

of the caste system is not the way it was designed or supposed to

function.  the present system is a concoction of power and greed and

has no meaning for us as Hindus.

See you all on 10/14.