These are a collection of notes from the Goswami's Course at Krotona, "Nurturing the Soul. We gather from 10 to 12:30 from Tuesday through Friday. Amit speaks first, then Uma. I am writing these notes the day after, which is never quiet as good as the scribbles are less decipherable.
April 21, 2009
Amit
'God is not Dead'
this "opportunistic world view is a problem"
Terminology
Godhead vs. God
Godhead as the conscious ground of all being. Nothing happens here.
God is creative action of the Godhead.
"This is all the dream of the Godhead"
"We have an outside experience, and we have an inside experience. So our inclination is to split it."
"I can with some effort, stop my thinking and feeling."
"Dualism has been criticized since the beginning."
Amit had an Upward Causation Model Slide up on Screen.
particles leading to atoms leading to molecules to cells to brain to consciousness
Amit asked what is wrong with the model.
It is the correct model for the mater, but wrong to claim that the brain creates consciousness.
Darkashan pointed out that everything except consciousness is quantifiable.
"Idea of Materialism is also old."
External = matter
Internal = not matter
The Goals of This Workshop:
1. Get a sense of the way the world works.
2. What is the meaning of the World? (if causation model was true, there could be no meaning.)
3. What is the meaning that you bring ? (What is the meaning of my life?)
4. What is the Meaning that you Want? (hard to be Friends with people that have a different sense of meaning, there is disharmony)
5. What can you do about it?
Brain and consciousness are always together but not the same.
Amit continually gives word and nod to HPV Blavatsky as being an early seer of all this.
Darwin said that meaning gives us a survival advantage, increases are value.
"How do love, truth and beauty come about?"
No body checked out if matter can process meaning.
Pendrose: "Matter cannot process meaning."
[note to self: want to find the quote from Marion woodman about mater coming from the same root as mother.]
We define matter through its characteristics
Definition of consciousness is impossible since it is the GROUND oF ALL BEING.
Maria pointed out that the model still prevails in medicine....that our body is simply chemicals and by correcting the structure of the chemicals we can heal and cure.
Meaning is central to our existence.
"Indians cannot keep a straight forward discussion."
Look for a book called, "Disturbing the Universe."
"Can our intentions disturb the universe?"
"yes we can."
"If we can do something, then we must. "
"Quantum Activism -- let your intention become a force of change in your own life and world."
what is necessary and unnecessary?
Causation Model is WRONG.
There was some discussion about the whole being greater than the sum of its parts but i spaced out a little.
David Summer, "Objects always give us objects."
Consciousness is a SUBJECT.
There is a LOOKER.
Subjectivity.
"Does not explain 'mind over mater.'"
Point about telepathy raised by Marjorie.
Telepathy is direct communication.
Three Common Characteristics in Quantum Physics
1. Non-Locality (signals communication)
2. Dis-Continuity (electrons jump from one orbit to the other with no intermediate step)
3. Tangled Hierarchy
Amit discussed the effects of QP 'internally' and 'externally.'
"In the internal feeling world, quantum goes on unabated."
"quantum effects are never subdued internally, in fact they dominate, which is what makes the experience of them mostly internal."
"But we do not need a 'dual' argument in external world cuz quantum effects are simply abated, that is why there seems to be an external."
To understand Q.P., need a concept of tangled hierarchy.
"Upper levels of cause and effect on lower levels"
"material interactions cannot produce:
- non- locality
- dis continuation
- tangled hierarchy, only simple hierarchy."
"What are the qualities of a cell?"
"dna makes protein and a dna needs protein to be made"
wholeism is one of the mysteries of life.
"There is a way of discerning God."
"All religions ascribe God some Power."
"'Be Good' is the main message of religions."
"Intuition helps make it an active principle."
Our brain is wried with negative emotions like competition. We have to transcend these. This is a correct idea of religions.
"Every time you succumb to negative brain emotions, you feel separate from the whole."
"Bad always happens"
"But if you do not succumb, if you can listen to the intuition and be proactive and be good, what we do makes us feel united."
"if we give to someone, i feel wonderful cuz i am united and feel happy."
"heaven is the name of place where we are whole."
"hell is where we feel separate to the extreme"
"relaxation is being whole and happy."
UMA
"What does evolution imply psychologically?"
"What do we mean by evolution"
"The Atman, the essential consciousness is already divine, perfect."
She recited the first stanza of Isha Upanishad.
Om
Purnamadah Purnamidam
Purnat Purnamudachyate
Purnasya Purnamadaya
Purnameva Vashishyate
Om shanti, shanti, shanti
Essentially, meaning:
Om.
That is the whole, this is the whole;
from the whole, the whole becomes manifest;
taking away the whole from the whole,
the whole remains.
Om. Peace! Peace! Peace!
So where lies the imperfections? The inadequacies?
Why do we suffer?
Is suffering necessary for us to change? grow? transform?
Where does change/evolution eventually apply?
To the instruments of Consciousness.
Atman does not work, it radiates through the 5 bodies of consciousness.
The Koshas.
"Our Soul needs to express itself."
"We come into this incarnation with specific properties."
SwaDharma
"Do your own duty, not someone else's duty"
"We are supposed to manifest"
Dharma is the property of our own soul.
"But there is a block which is preventing us from full expression of soul. The purpose of evolution is a realignment/refinement of our bodies to Vibrate with our Soul."
"I am thinking along with you...don't think I have the answer" Uma
"Yoga is to Consciously Cooperate with Nature in the Direction of her Design." Aurobindo
"Understanding is key to cooperation"
"Communication is when 2 peeps are interacting with each other at the same intensity at the same time." Krishnamurtiu
"Even the instruments of seriousness can be divinizied if we can bring the super consciousness, we can, " - aurobindo
PURIFICATION
REFINEMENT
"we waste away our life"
Why do we suffer?
3 fundamental problems of the ego:
We feel:
- inferior
- inadequate, or limited
- incomplete
yoga is designed to help build up stamina/stability.
for physical connection: need to be able to sit
and for emotional devotion: hard to be deliberate in state of bhakti for a long time
"we usually pray to god when we are in crisis"
"this is not bhakti, this is a cry for help."
She told the story of Kunti praying to Krishna for suffering because only when she suffers is her mind turned to him.
"Oh god, come to me in the summer of my life, not just the winter" - Kabir
"Suffering helps us change."
"Challenge your suffering producing concepts" - RM
"Why do you analyze the snake that has fallen on your body?"
"As long as we cling to the pain, something needs to be corrected."
"Why do we cling to unhappiness?"
"What is it in me that clings to pain?"
3 Gunas
Satvic - throws the neg. emotions out (force of purity)
Rajastic - explodes with the emotions (force of passion)
Tamasaic - clings to them (force of inertia)
"Go beyond the Gunas"
"go beyond nature itself"
"evolution/change happens in space and time"
[note to self: is this why we incarnate?]
it is changeless beyond space and time.
"yoga begins at samadhi" - aurobindo
even if you are enlightened, you come back and work for the welfare of society
"refinement/purification can happen when we touch the sorrowlessness in our self"
"we indulge in the negative emotions"
the story of her housekeeper wanting to maintain the social gap
with our negative emotions: "we get a positive reinforcement of our individuality"
a master has "flung his individuality to the the universe."
small identification
how to dissolve the ego?
how to open the connection to the soul?
(homework: spend 15 minutes contemplating your noblest aspect of self)
" A Rishi can see. He is a seer. He penetrates name and form."
has to be an urgency.
Aurobindo's 4 Aids for Evolution
Shastra
Study of the Scriptures.
To go beyond the word, to the Spirit
Not a mechanical study of the texts.
Swadya means study of yourself.
Utsaha
enthusiasm for God
to recruit the highest truth when we study the highest truths
you feel humble and like you do not know enough
feeling "i know nothing" has to come
without humility, the higher knowledge cannot be found
Guru
when their is a humility, the guru will come
"friend, philosopher, and guide," - aurobindo
Can be a mountain, a river, force of awakening
force of transformation
absolutely necessary
anything that brings you to himself
Kala
time
"don't fight with time, flow with it"
to see eternity in the moment
"to bring you in contact with one self."
time not to be squeezed as a moment
Maslow
"the aim is life is re-sacrad-a-lization"
How do we not give ourselves over to others?
we allow powers of others over our mind?
"Don't internalize events."
How stop Brooding?
1. Get up and do something else.
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1 comment:
thank you Kira xc
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