Hari OM YuvaKendra,

1.  Chapter 13 is about Lord Krishna answering Arjuna's questions
around 6 key terms. Field and  Knower of field,  Knowledge and That
which ought to be know, and Matter and Spirit.  We had looked at Field
and Knower of field in 11/11 class.  TO recap. Lord Krishna says that
"This body" is the field and "I" am knower of the Field.  For what is
the Field please refer to 11/11 notes.

2. To go deeper into the Knower of the field which Lord Krishna simply
says "I am the knower of the field" .  The question that comes up is
who is this "I" is it  Krishna the Cowherd, the Charioteer or what ?.
Here it will be interesting to think of the Laws of causality.  The 3
laws of causality are.
a) For every effect there must be a cause.
b) All effects are nothing but the cause in different forms
c) Remove the Cause all the effects disappear.

With these 3 laws in mind it is easy to how they apply to say "gold
ornaments"  all the different ornaments are the effects and Gold is
the Cause.  The ornaments are nothing but Gold  in different forms.
If Gold is removed then all ornaments will disappear.  Similarly one
can apply these laws to say "cotton clothes".  Where different Clothes
are the effects and Cotton is the cause.  Now if we apply these
causality principle to all of creation..  We start wondering as to
what is that ultimate cause of all creation.  What is that cause that
manifests all of creation.  What is that cause that if removed all of
creation ceases to exist.  That ultimate cause is the "knower of the
field" and Lord Krishna says that that is Me.  It is the ultimate
subject and every thing else is the object and hence the field.

3.  Now we move to Knowledge and that which ought to be known.  The
term Knowledge is used to represent a set of 20 values that in their
totality actually indicated the Knower of the field.  These are in
verses 8-12.  The very first values is Humility.  It is not a random
chance that the very fist value is Humility.  Without humility no
learning can ever start.  There is no way more water can ever be
poured into a cup that is already full.  Also Humility is a a very
ephemeral value.  The moment some one says "I am humble'  humility
itself has disappeared.

4.  In verse 9 an interesting value of "perception of evils in birth
death old age and pain" is described.  Here Lord Krishna is drawing
attention to the pain that represents every transformation that
happens to the human body.  Only sharp and constant awareness of that
pain will prompt a seeker to look for a higher purpose of life.  Also
evil in birth sounds strange but the fact is that every birth is a
function of unfulfilled desires, desires driven by ignorance of ones
true nature.  Also the fact is that every thing born must necessarily
age and die.

5. In verse 10 another interesting values is described and that is
'non -identification of self with son, wife, home and rest'  what is
Lord Krishna saying here.  Should we not care for our near and dear,
yes we should but it is intense attachment that builds up to
possessions and relationships is what Lord Krishna is alluding to.
The very word Selfish when associated with ones own self is obviously
a negative emotion but when we associate selfish with an ever
expanding realm like Selfish about  family to Selfish about Community,
about country and then to finally selfish about all of creation
suddenly the word selfish itself disappears and it its place we see
selflessness.  It is not the emotion but the place where the emotion
is attached to is the problem.  Gurudev when asked to summarize
Vedanta once said "Detach Attach"  Detach ones own mind from mundane
relationships and possessions and attach to the higher and higher to
the supreme lord himself.

6.  It s important here to understand that the word Knowledge used
here to signify values is like calling a train bound to New York as
New York Express.  The train is not New york but if we are in that
train we will reach New York.  Similarly the values are not the
Knowledge of Self but if one has these values in entirety, then
Knowledge of Self is easy to come by.

7. Verse 13 to 18 Lord Krishna talk about " That which has to be
known"  All these verses are indicative in nature as it is not
possible to describe the subject itself.,  The moment one tries to to
describe some thing one is objectifying it and the fact is that " that
which has to be known " is the ultimate subject which cannot be
described as an object of language or thought.

8. Lord Krishna says that Knowing what ought to be know one gains
immortality. and that Brahman is neither a being nor not one. It
exists every where and every thing is in it. It is enlivens all the
senses but at the same time is unaffected by them. It enables all
movement but at the same times does not move itself. It is a supporter
of all life and it also destroys all life and also generates life.  It
is self effulgent  at the same time beyond darkness.  These verses may
sound self contradictory obviously when trying to describe some thing
that logically cannot be described because it is the ultimate subject
language and thoughts cease.  In fact these verses are excellent
meditative verses.  Reflecting on these verses with faith and devotion
is meditation in itself.

Next class we will discuss Matter (Prakriti) and Purusha (Spirit)
and will hopefully close Chapter 13.

Look forward to seeing all of you  Sunday morning.