The 6 systems of philosophy

Nyaya propounded by Gautama

Vaisesika propounded by Kanada
Sankhya propounded by Kapila
Yoga propounded by Patanjali
Purva (karma) Mimamsa propounded by Jaimini
Uttara (brahma) Mimamsa propounded by
Vyasa

Is material world complete?

Thiests so much right
Atheists so much wrong
See design in connection with the purpose
Eg. Cellphone for typing a new book

Human form & human rights

Human rights not the right to what
animals get from nature, but what
none but humans can get the right
to enlightenment

Be a part, not apart

Our completeness is dependent,
Krishnas is independent
Sense gratification keeps us incomplete,
trying in vain to fulfill
The minds foolish fantasies and
draconian demands
Devotional service makes us complete
by connecting us perfectly with the
complete whole

Ishopanishad Brief Overview

Invo-3: Live in harmony with Ishvara
4-8: The Ishvara can be understood by
spiritual vision
9-11: Right and wrong vidya (for
understanding Ishvara)
12-14: Right and wrong upasana (for
worshiping Ishvara)
15-18: Prayers to Ishvara to reveal
Himself

Ishopanishad section 1 overview

Invo 1. What is the principle?
Invo Everything is perfect
1. Everything belongs to the ishvara
2. How living in harmony with it
benefits
3. How living in disharmony with it
harms

The Principal Upanishads

1) Isa

9) Chandogya

2) Kena

10) Brhad-

3) Katha
4) Prasna
5) Mundaka
6) Mundakya
7) Taittiriya

8) Aitareya

aranyaka
11) Svetasvatara

Do plants not feel pain?

Scientific Trees have less developed nervous
system
Natural Crops perish if not cut; animals are killed
long before their normal death
Intuitive Harvesting has festive atmosphere;
slaughtering, horrific atmosphere. Parents will
happily take children to see harvesting, almost
never to see slaughtering. Why?

Are humans omnivorous?

Canine teeth only few meat small
part of diet if at all
Massive Slaughter houses where
millions of animals killed
scientifically is unprecedented

Why be a prasadian?
The perfection of life is not to
just avoid karmic entanglement
less or more; its is to
acknowledge and love the Lord.

Spiritualize apara dharma

Eg. Gita 2.13 You are not the body
2.14 Tolerate, O Kaunteya, O Bharata
Why use bodily designations after stating
you are not the body?
Dont massage or pinch the false ego
Pat it onwards spiritually

3 types of Karma
Karma: Actions which are performed in
terms of ones prescribed duties as
mentioned in the revealed scriptures
Vikarma: Actions which are performed by
the misuse of ones freedom which
directs one to the lower life forms
Akarma: Actions which free one from the
cycle of birth and death.

Spiritualize all isms

Sense gratification + God = Karma-kanda

Altruism + God = Spiritual altruism

3 levels of readings - Madhavacharya

The literal: The events described in these
literature happened historically as they
were described,
The ethical: These historical events serve as
moral benchmarks to guide us in our
present-day ethical decision-making.
The metaphorical: These historical events
symbolize truths relevant to seekers on the
spiritual path.

Metaphorical v/s literal readings

Metaphorical should supplement, not
supplant, the literal reading, unless the
literal reading leads to obvious absurdities
Eg. His house is on the river

Scientific advancement has changes form,

but not purpose of activities
Animals may gorge on refuse in a garbage pile,
whereas humans may titillate their tongues
with processed, packaged food.
Animals may mate in the middle of the street,
whereas humans may cultivate erotic
fantasies through magazines, television,
movies, and the Internet before indulging in
carnal revelry.

Scientific advancement has changes form,

but not purpose of activities
Animals may sleep on the hard street, whereas
humans may sink into oblivion on a soft bed
in an air-conditioned room.
Animals may snarl and show their teeth,
whereas humans may brandish weapons of
mass destruction.

Humans suffer more than animals

Animals dont die of starvation because of
artificial shortages created by others of
their own species
Animals dont suffer from insomnia, animals
dont suffer heartbreaks because of
betrayed love

Humans suffer more than animals

Animals dont feel stressed because of
overwork and loneliness
Animals dont fall prey to addictions, and
animals dont commit suicide

How revelation works

Neither uncertain speculation,
nor certain incomprehension
But gradual revelation through increasing
devotional dedication

The Lord and his energies

Eg. Fire burns
The two fire and burning are same and
different

Couple our initiative with Krishnas

intelligence
SP: Devotional service is
Individual
Voluntary
Spontaneous

Supreme must be inconceivable (p1)

AT is not illogical, but trans-logical
Let logic be our minister, not master
Dont make logic into a secular god

How AT is far yet near? (p2)

Contradiction: Opposite statements that

dont make sense
Paradox: Opposite-seeming statements that
make sense at a deeper level

The science of Deity Worship (p3-6)

To say that God cant appear as matter is to

limit him
Eg. Elephant sits down so that child can touch
its head

Three levels of vision of the Diety

Jada-maya: Just a statue

Mano-maya: A symbolic representation of
AT
Cina-maya: Non-different manifestation of
the AT

Ishopanishad section 2 overview

4-8: Understand Ishvara by spiritual vision
4-5: Ishvara is inconceivable to our normal
intelligence
6-7: First develop spiritual vision by seeing
wordly things, events and people with
equanimity
8: This vision developed further and directed to
the ishvara helps us understand him.

Anupashyati

Eg. Southward graph recession

Light reys path shifted black hole
Seeing is believing is a permanent progress
stopper intellectually and behaviorally

Shastra has one message (p6)

Veda eka vakyata:

Scripture is omni-form
Multi-level message seems contradictory to the
uninformed, but is seen as complementary
by the well-informed

See the full picture of oneness

Not just unity in diversity but diversity in unity

Eg. Rasa dance all gopis united in love with
Krishna, yet each uniquely individual

The river-ocean Metaphor

Not merging, but meeting

Cant neglect the flow aspect:
SB 3.29.11: Lords perspective
SB 1.8.42: Devotees perspective

The river-ocean Metaphor

VCT in 1.8.42 purport

A devotee holds nothing back;
Nothing holds a devotee back

Object
Material

Material

Vision

Consequence

Example

Material

Bondage

People get
attracted to
sense objects

Spiritual

Purification
(utility is the
principle)

SP: flatbed
truck for
Ratha yatra

Spiritual

Material

Offence

Deity
worship as
Idolatry

Spiritual

Spiritual

Purification
Ecstasy

Deity as
Krishna

Arthapatti (Postulation)

Infer third statement that resolves two

contradictory statements eg.
Ravi does not eat throughout the day
Ravis weight is increasing
Arthapatti: Ravi eats secretly at night

Arthapatti (Postulation)

Shvetashvatara Upanishad (3.19)

apani-pado javano grahita
pashyaty achakshuh sa shrinoty
akarnah
He has no eyes, but he sees. How?
Arthapatti: He has spiritual eyes

Akayam (SP - Unembodied)

The word body (kaya) has connotations
that dont apply to the Lords form:
Is separate from the real person soul
Has to be given up in due time
Tends to degrade the soul by stimulating
bodily desires
Is a product of the souls past karma

Karmavada
Everything is in
my hand
Nothing is in
my hand

Daivavada

Shuddham

How will lust go away by hearing Rasa-lila?

(10.33.39)
Why sannyasis glorify it?

Avidya

Vidya

Ignorant pursuit of s.g

Knowledge for
pursuing s.g.

10

Knowledge for pursuit of

s.g.

Knowledge for
pursuit of KC

11

Knowledge for bodily

maintenance

Knowledge for
pursuit of KC

The misconceptions o materialism and

monism
Materialism mistakes the counterfeit note
to be real:
Temporary material activities are the
essence of life.
Monism mistakes the real note to be
counterfeit: Essence sp activities are
illusory.

Mantras 9-11 Overview

9 Avidya takes to darkness and vidya to

greater darkness
10 Vidya gives one result and avidya,
another result
11 Vidya and avidya together grant
immorality

Changing conceptions of knowledge

Prahlad M: Knowledge is devotion

(transcendental)
Socrates: Knowledge is virtue (sattvic)
Francis Bacon: Knowledge is power
(rajasic)

The divorce of education from

transformation leads to disruption
Knowledge is not for pooling, but pulling
(towards Krishna)
What you know is not as important as how
you live

Why material immortality impossible?

Six changes in matter unstoppable, even

incomprehensible.
Ensouled matter grows, reproduces,
preserves itself; whereas ordinary
matter doesnt

How body is a bad bargain?

D Duration
I Intensity
V Variety
E Extent

Worst use of bad bargain

Obsessed only with Artha & Kama
sp degradation and material
devastation

Mantra 12-14 Overview

12: Asambhuti takes to darkness; sambhuti, to
greater darkness
13: Asambhuti gives one result; sambhuti,
another result
14: Asambhuti and sambhuti together grant
immorality

The Story of the

Prodigal Son
Krishna is God who doesnt just
welcome us back, but also strives
multifariously to get us back. One
such extraordinary effort of his is
the system of demigod worship

In the Brihadaranyaka Upanishad (III, IX),

the great sage Yajnavalkya is asked the
critical question: kati devah, how many
devas are there?
His answer progresses from three thousand
and three, three hundred and three, thirty
three, six, three, two and finally One and
he answers as if there is no contradiction
inherent in the various answers

Story
Real
Object of Object of
service
service
Some
Semi-god
other Land (Say-me
Lord
God)
Minister of Demi-god
King
King
Krishna

King

Krishna

Motive

Level

Wealth

Materialism

Wealth

Karma
kanda
Sakama
Bhakti
Suddha
Bhakti

Wealth

Love

The Vedic system of multi-level

worship bears testimony to:
1. A unique concern for the individuality of

the worshipper and

2. An unparalleled flexibility of the

worshipable in making himself

accessible

The compassionate logic of

demigod worship
Is 60% score good or bad?
For one capable of scoring 40%, it is excellent
For one capable of scoring 80%, it is undesirable
Is demigod worship good or bad?
For atheists and materialists, it is recommended
For serious spiritual seekers, it is discouraged

Vallabhacharya

Keshav
Kashmiri

Impersonalism in scriptures is
transitional, not final
Bhakti sp form

Jnana Kanda
Impersonalism while
going from material to
sp form
Karma Kanda Religious
materialism

Bhagavatam

Upanishads

Vedas

Mayavada
Vyavaharika : all form and variety
Paramarthika : formlessness

Scriptural contradictions
Jiva Jagat-jagadish-rel
Jiva Brahman relationship
: same or different?

Scriptural refutation
Repeated instruction by contrast eg. Ish
10,13;
Gita 3.31-32, 4.39-40, 9.25, 16.23-24,
18.58

Gita 4.11
All people are on my path; not all
paths lead to the same goal

Three Types of Paths

Pluralism:
All ways are
right.

Exclusivism:
My way is the
only right way
Inclusivism:
There is
only one
way

Is Manava Seva
not
Madhava seva?

Overview
Let the facts speak
Greed causes starvation
How can Greed be removed
The secret of compassion
Are good intentions good enough?

Simply envious

Let the facts speak

To satisfy the worlds sanitation
and food requirements would cost
only US$13 billion what the
people of the United States and the
European Union spend on perfume
each year!

Let the facts speak

Nearly one in four people, 1.3 billion
a majority of humanity live on less
than $1 per day, while the worlds 358
billionaires have assets exceeding
the combined annual incomes
of countries with 45% of
the worlds people.

Greed causes starvation

1. When people become godless, they
concomitantly become materialistic
and greedy and so exploit nature
and their fellow humans for their
selfish enjoyment.

Greed causes starvation

2. We may feed a few hungry people,
but till we remove greed from wealthy
peoples hearts, hunger will continue
to torment millions.

How can greed be removed?

When people are offered spiritua;
education and experience, they
understand that their real happiness is
in loving God, not in accumulating
material things. Then they give up
greed.

Conclusion from the facts

Transforming the heart of one greedy
wealthy person is more effective to
tackle starvation than merely feeding a
few hungry people.

The secret of compassion

When Mother Teresa was
asked What is the secret
of your compassion?
She pointed to her rosary
beads and said
By praying, I feel love for
God and all His children
and so want to help them
as much as I can

Are good intentions good enough?

If you give money to a
beggar, do you know what
he will do with it?
If a person with a venereal
disease is cured, what will
he do afterwards?
If you offer free treatment
to an alcoholic, do you
know what he will do
after being cured?

Are good intentions good enough?

The road to hell is often paved with
good intention

Eg. Srila Prabhupada Giving oily food

to a typhoid patient

Social service with yukta vairagya

Attract people to Krishna through it.
Material welfare is not unimportant
eg Prithu Maharaj
Primarily kshatriya responsibility to
provide material welfare, brahmana
responsibility to provide spiritual
welfare
SP wanted full varnashrama

BST to disciples outside Sakshi Gopal

temple
If married men think: I must not give any of my
money, which I consider reserved for Krishna, to
the poor and deprived, then they are really
showing symptoms of wretchedness, cruelty, and
lack of compassion for others. They should not
consider that giving charity to the poor is a
fruitive activity. This kind of mentality will make
their hearts hard an they will suffer from greed.

BST to disciples
As a result of this they shall not want to spend
their money even on the devotional service of
the Supreme Lord, which is the ultimate goal of
life. This will invite offences in service.
To save us from this kind of deceit and sinful
concept, Sri Gaurasundara used to give money
and other things to the poor people during His
pastimes as a married man.

Charity is an imp religious principle

The money we have, we have only gotten by the
Lords grace. If we give some of it to the
mendicant poor people, then it is not a waste of
money rather it is its correct use.
Serving prasadam to others is the necessary duty
of every married Vaishnava

BST to disciples
Even if these people have become poor by their
karma, even so they are still a part of the Lords
family. Therefore it is definitively the solemn duty
of every honest married man to help them.
Reproduction of a conversation with Major
Rana N.J. Bahadur at Armadale, Darjeeling on
June 14, 1935. Originally published in The
Harmonist (Vol. XXXI No.21) on June 27, 1935

Conclusion about social service

Dont exalt, dont

denigrate..
Utilize in KC

Conclusion about social service

The best Manava seva is to

connect Manava to Madhava
and to make Madhava
accessible to Manava

Jewish-Christian/Modern Science Time-Model

Linear Approach Start and End
Creation of
Universe

Appearance of
Unicellular Organism

Evolution of
Human Being

Devolution
of life

Vedic Model
Annihilation
Creation

Maintenance

Maintenance

Creation

Annihilation

Destruction
of Universe

51st year, 1st Month, 1ST Day

28

At the beginning and end of each yuga, there are Sandhyas

each equal to the 1/12th time of the Yuga in which it is.
E.g. Kali-yuga
= 432,000 years
= KALI-Sandhya + Kali-yuga + Kaili-Sandhya
= 36,000 + 360,000 + 36,000
At the end of each manvantara, there is another Sandhya
Kaal when, a great flood wipes out most life on earth.
At the end of the kalpa all life on earth is destroyed but the
planets continue to exist. The souls of individuals also
continue to exist to be reincarnated in the next daytime of
Brahma
At the end of a life of Brahma (Maha-pralaya), the entire
universe and its heavens and hells are destroyed.

 Kali-yuga
= 432,000 years = K
Dwapar-yuga
= 2K
Treta-yuga
= 3K
Satya-yuga
= 4K
1 Mahayuga
= 1 cycle of Staya-yuga, Treta-yuga,
Dwapar-yuga, Kali-yuga
= 4K + 3K + 2K + K = 10K
1 Manvantara
= 71 Mahayugas
= 71*10K = 710K
Each Manvantara is preceded and followed by Sandhya Kaal
(= 4K)
Day of Brahma
= 14 Manvantara (+15 Sandhya Kaal)
= 14*710K + 15*4K
= 9940K +60K
= 10000K
= 1000 (10K)
= 1000 Mahayugas

 1 Day
1 Night
1 Hour
1 Minute
1 Second
1 Year
1 Year
1 Life

= 4.32 Billion human years

= 1 Day
= 4.32 Billion human years
= 4.32 Billion human years / 12
= 360 Million human years
= 6 Million human years
= 100,000 human years
= 360 Days + 360 Nights
= 360*2*4.32 Billion human years
= 3.1104 Trillion human years
= 100 Brahmas years
= 311.04 Trillion human years

Age of Earth

Age of Universe

= Time elapsed since Brahmas day started

= 6 Manvantaras (+ 7 Sandhyas)
+ 27 Mahayugas (as we are in 28th one)
= (6 x 710K) + (7 x 4K)
+ 27 X 10K
+ 4K + 3K + 2K + 5108 (Kali yuga started 3102 B.C.)
= 4567K + 5108
= 1.972949108 billion years
= Age of Brahma
= 50 years of Brahma + Age of the Earth
= 50 x 360 x 2 x 1000 x 10K + Age of the Earth
= 360000000 K + 1,972,949,108
= 155.521972949108 trillion years

In
1 ms
Of
Brahma

Yes son!!!
Exactly!!!
Oh Brahmaji!!
I heard that your
1 sec is ours
100,000 years

.and that
your 1$ is ours
100,000 $

Wait a second,
my child
Can I have
your 1$
pleeeeeeease.

Lomaharsha Rishi had a benediction that his

one hair would fall in one Brahmas day and he
will die when all of his hair had fallen.

One hot day he was meditating on the bank of

Ganga when his disciples thought of
constructing some shade to protect him from
the scorching Sun.
While they were busy, the sage opened his
eyes and asked them not to waste the
precious time on irrelevant things.
According to him LIFE IS VERY SHORT and
must be used in pursuit of SPIRITUALITY.

HOW LONG IS OUR LIFE

How devotees transcends death

Sorrows about past

Pain at present
Fear about future

Ishopanishad Section 4 Overview

15-16: Take me beyond the white
light to the Supreme Person
17-18: Take me through all the
obstacles of conditioned life to
you.

Bhagavana is kalyana-tama
He is the highest and the best
destination
He helps devotees by bestowing his
grace

So ham to daso ham

Oneness in quality may be
emphasized at times, but that
doesnt deny difference in
quantity

DST (Durgama Sangamani

Tika): Jnana refers to:
1. Atma-Jnana
2. Ishvara-Jnana
3. Aiktava-Jnana

Why is Jnana Pratikula to Bhakti?

Aspect of Jnana

Adverse Effect

Constitution

Oneness denies
eternality of bhakti

Application

Hardening of the heart

Designation

Merging: End of Bhakti

Why is Jnana Anukula to Bhakti?

Aspect of Jnana

Beneficial Effect

Constitution

Emphasized
subordination of soul

Application

Stabilization of bhakti
practices
Enhanced appreciation
of the Lords glories

Designation

Attitudes towards the body

Jnana:
Demonize

Karma:
Romanticize

Bhakti:
Utilize

The art of leaving the body

The body will give us up, but we

will not give up the body
(bodily attachment) till our
subtle body becomes purified

The last thought

At death we will remember

that in which we have
sought shelter the most
during our life

Krishnas eyes

Animisha: keeps eyes always

open to our service
Nimisha: closes eyes to our
mistakes

Krishnas unfailing love

Ever-waiting
Ever-willing
Ever-working

Practice now

The present is all that we

have and all that we will
ever have

The omnipotence of the Lord

Have more faith in his

ability than doubt about
our own inability

The battle against anarthas

Helpless defeat
Struggle & defeat
Struggle & success
Effortless success

Never give up

We never lose till we lose hope.

Krishna hasnt lost hope on us for
so many lifetimes.
Why should we lose hope due to
struggle for a few years in one
short lifetime?