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(a) Without elevation of knowledge sacrifices are simply material activities – how?
(1) Purpose of all sacrifices:
- To achieve complete knowledge
- To gain release from material miseries
- To engage in loving transcendental service to the Supreme Lord
(2) Mystery behind all these different sacrifices
- Different types of sacrifice –Sacrifices sometimes take different forms according to the particular faith of the performer.
- Sacrifice with knowledge is better – When one’s faith reaches the stage of transcendental knowledge, the performer should be considered more advanced than those who simply sacrifice material possessions without such knowledge.
- Sacrifice without knowledge is material – Without attainment of knowledge, sacrifice remains on the material platform.
(b) Two divisions of sacrificial activities – depending on “differences in consciousness”
- Karma-kanda (Fruitive activities)
- Jnana-kanda (Knowledge in pursuance of truth)
(a) Material entanglement – a loop difficult to escape: Ignorance → Sinful life → Drags one into material life → Ignorance & so on in a loop.
(b) Only loophole: Human life
(c) Role of Vedas to help us escape
- Vedas gives us a chance for escape by pointing out Dharma, Artha, Kama and Moksha
- Dharma give Artha – Path of religion, or different kinds of sacrifices, automatically solves our economical problems – By Yajna we get enough food, milk etc.
- After Artha comes Kama – When the body is fully satisfied, next stage is to satisfy the senses, therefore Vedas prescribe sacred marriage for regulated sense gratification.
- Gradually one is elevated to the platform of Moksha; All this starts from performance of Yajna, therefore yajna is very important for happiness.
(d) Life of Krishna consciousness – only solution to all problems because there is higher level of happiness.
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(a) Material entanglement – a loop difficult to escape: Ignorance → Sinful life → Drags one into material life → Ignorance & so on in a loop.
(b) Only loophole: Human life
(c) Role of Vedas to help us escape
- Vedas gives us a chance for escape by pointing out Dharma, Artha, Kama and Moksha
- Dharma give Artha – Path of religion, or different kinds of sacrifices, automatically solves our economical problems – By Yajna we get enough food, milk etc.
- After Artha comes Kama – When the body is fully satisfied, next stage is to satisfy the senses, therefore Vedas prescribe sacred marriage for regulated sense gratification.
- Gradually one is elevated to the platform of Moksha; All this starts from performance of Yajna, therefore yajna is very important for happiness.
(d) Life of Krishna consciousness – only solution to all problems because there is higher level of happiness.
Purposes of all sacrifices – These purposes are similar to the goal mentioned in the Summarized Theme 4B.
(a) Common aim – To control the senses
- Sense gratification is the root cause of material existence
(b) Freedom from sinful reaction
(c) Gain transcendental knowledge and gradually devotional service (4.33 purport)
(d) One tastes the nectar in this life and the next – Happy in this life and later enters into Supreme eternal atmosphere – Kingdom of God.
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Purposes of all sacrifices – These purposes are similar to the goal mentioned in the Summarized Theme 4B.
(a) Common aim – To control the senses
- Sense gratification is the root cause of material existence
(b) Freedom from sinful reaction
(c) Gain transcendental knowledge and gradually devotional service (4.33 purport)
(d) One tastes the nectar in this life and the next – Happy in this life and later enters into Supreme eternal atmosphere – Kingdom of God.
(a) Pranayama is the system of yoga for controlling the breathing process
- In the beginning it is practiced in the hatha-yoga system through different sitting postures
(b) Goal of ‘hatha-yoga’ and ‘pranayama’
- To control senses
- To increase longevity – Intelligent yogi wants to achieve spiritual perfection in one life only; therefore needs increased life span for perfection in spiritual realisation.
- To help in spiritual advancement.
(c) Practicing pranayama – This practice involves controlling the airs within the body so as to reverse the directions of their passage (Study purport for details of the air currents).
(d) Conclusion 4.25 – 4.29: Krishna consciousness is transcendental to all types of sacrifice – Why?
- Because it is direct service to the Lord (4.28)
o Automatically controls all the senses and one is transcendental from the very beginning (4.29)
▪ e.g. Controlling senses is done by honoring Krishna prasadam
o All the senses are thoroughly engaged and naturally transferred at the end of life to Krishna’s planet – therefore no need to increase longevity (4.29).
o Ref. Bg. 14.26 By Devotional Service, one immediately transcends the modes and elevates to Spiritual Kingdom (4.29)
- It is attained only by mercy of the Lord and devotees (4.28)
o Krishna consciousness cannot be attained by any of the above mentioned methods in Texts 4.25 – 4.29.
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(a) Pranayama is the system of yoga for controlling the breathing process
- In the beginning it is practiced in the hatha-yoga system through different sitting postures
(b) Goal of ‘hatha-yoga’ and ‘pranayama’
- To control senses
- To increase longevity – Intelligent yogi wants to achieve spiritual perfection in one life only; therefore needs increased life span for perfection in spiritual realisation.
- To help in spiritual advancement.
(c) Practicing pranayama – This practice involves controlling the airs within the body so as to reverse the directions of their passage (Study purport for details of the air currents).
(d) Conclusion 4.25 – 4.29: Krishna consciousness is transcendental to all types of sacrifice – Why?
- Because it is direct service to the Lord (4.28)
o Automatically controls all the senses and one is transcendental from the very beginning (4.29)
▪ e.g. Controlling senses is done by honoring Krishna prasadam
o All the senses are thoroughly engaged and naturally transferred at the end of life to Krishna’s planet – therefore no need to increase longevity (4.29).
o Ref. Bg. 14.26 By Devotional Service, one immediately transcends the modes and elevates to Spiritual Kingdom (4.29)
- It is attained only by mercy of the Lord and devotees (4.28)
o Krishna consciousness cannot be attained by any of the above mentioned methods in Texts 4.25 – 4.29.
(a) What is ‘parag-atma’ and ‘pratyag-atma’
- ‘Parag-atma’ – the soul attached to sense enjoyment
- ‘Pratyag-atma’ – the soul unattached to sense enjoyment
(b) What is the principle and goal of this yoga system
- Principle – The soul is subjected to the functions of ten kinds of air at work within the body and this is perceived through the breathing system o Patanjali system instructs one how to control the functions of the body’s air in a technical manner so that ultimately all the functions become favorable for purifying the soul of material attachment.
- Goal – Pratyag-atma
- Different functions of the airs
o ‘Prana-vayu’ – Interaction of senses with sense objects and their engagements in activities outside the self.
o ‘Apana-vayu’ – Goes downwards
o ‘Vyana-vayu’ – Acts to shrink and expand
o ‘Samana-vayu’ – Adjusts equilibrium
o ‘Udana-vayu’ – Goes upwards
- Status of enlightenment – One engages all these airs in searching for self-realisation.
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(a) What is ‘parag-atma’ and ‘pratyag-atma’
- ‘Parag-atma’ – the soul attached to sense enjoyment
- ‘Pratyag-atma’ – the soul unattached to sense enjoyment
(b) What is the principle and goal of this yoga system
- Principle – The soul is subjected to the functions of ten kinds of air at work within the body and this is perceived through the breathing system o Patanjali system instructs one how to control the functions of the body’s air in a technical manner so that ultimately all the functions become favorable for purifying the soul of material attachment.
- Goal – Pratyag-atma
- Different functions of the airs
o ‘Prana-vayu’ – Interaction of senses with sense objects and their engagements in activities outside the self.
o ‘Apana-vayu’ – Goes downwards
o ‘Vyana-vayu’ – Acts to shrink and expand
o ‘Samana-vayu’ – Adjusts equilibrium
o ‘Udana-vayu’ – Goes upwards
- Status of enlightenment – One engages all these airs in searching for self-realisation.
(a) What all the varnas meant to achieve?
- They are all meant to become perfect yogis or transcendentalists
(b) Brahmacaris
- What does he hear – Only words concerning Krishna consciousness; especially engaged fully in “harer namanukirtanam” (Chanting and hearing the glories of the Lord).
- What he does not hear – Restrains himself from vibrations of material sounds
- How does he controls the mind – Stays under the care of a bona-fide spiritual master and abstains from sense gratification
- How a pure brahmacari engages fully – ‘harer namanukirtanam’
- “Basic principle of understanding” – Hearing is the basic principle for understanding
(c) Grhastas – Restricted unattached sex life (under marriage) is a kind of ‘yajna’ – how?
- It is a Yajna because the restricted householder sacrifices his general tendency towards sense gratification for higher, transcendental life.
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(a) What all the varnas meant to achieve?
- They are all meant to become perfect yogis or transcendentalists
(b) Brahmacaris
- What does he hear – Only words concerning Krishna consciousness; especially engaged fully in “harer namanukirtanam” (Chanting and hearing the glories of the Lord).
- What he does not hear – Restrains himself from vibrations of material sounds
- How does he controls the mind – Stays under the care of a bona-fide spiritual master and abstains from sense gratification
- How a pure brahmacari engages fully – ‘harer namanukirtanam’
- “Basic principle of understanding” – Hearing is the basic principle for understanding
(c) Grhastas – Restricted unattached sex life (under marriage) is a kind of ‘yajna’ – how?
- It is a Yajna because the restricted householder sacrifices his general tendency towards sense gratification for higher, transcendental life.
(a) Who is perfect yogi or a first class mystic – a person engaged in discharging duties in Krishna consciousness.
(b) Varieties differ superficially, but one factual aim
- Different categories of sacrifices by different types of performers only superficially demark the varieties.
- One factual aim of all sacrifices is to satisfy the Supreme Lord, Vishnu who is also known as yajna.
(c) Two primary divisions to classify sacrifices
- Sacrifice of worldly possessions
- Sacrifice in pursuit of transcendental knowledge
(d) Comparison of sacrifices performed by different worshippers –
- Krishna conscious devotee: sacrifices all material possessions and own self for Krishna’s satisfaction
o e.g. Arjuna sacrifices everything for satisfaction of Krishna
o Thus Arjuna is a first class yogi, without losing his individual existence
- Demigod worshipper: Sacrifice material possessions for material enjoyment
o They worship demigods for various material benefits and are called ‘Bahu-isvara-vadi’ (believers in many Gods)
- Impersonalist: Sacrifices own self into fire altar of “Supreme Brahman”
o They regard the forms of demigods as temporary
o They sacrifice their material designations and end their individual existence by merging into the existence of the Supreme
o Sacrifice their time in philosophical speculation
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(a) Who is perfect yogi or a first class mystic – a person engaged in discharging duties in Krishna consciousness.
(b) Varieties differ superficially, but one factual aim
- Different categories of sacrifices by different types of performers only superficially demark the varieties.
- One factual aim of all sacrifices is to satisfy the Supreme Lord, Vishnu who is also known as yajna.
(c) Two primary divisions to classify sacrifices
- Sacrifice of worldly possessions
- Sacrifice in pursuit of transcendental knowledge
(d) Comparison of sacrifices performed by different worshippers –
- Krishna conscious devotee: sacrifices all material possessions and own self for Krishna’s satisfaction
o e.g. Arjuna sacrifices everything for satisfaction of Krishna
o Thus Arjuna is a first class yogi, without losing his individual existence
- Demigod worshipper: Sacrifice material possessions for material enjoyment
o They worship demigods for various material benefits and are called ‘Bahu-isvara-vadi’ (believers in many Gods)
- Impersonalist: Sacrifices own self into fire altar of “Supreme Brahman”
o They regard the forms of demigods as temporary
o They sacrifice their material designations and end their individual existence by merging into the existence of the Supreme
o Sacrifice their time in philosophical speculation