Class Notes – SRV San Francisco

Mind (manas) creates the worlds, chitta (thoughts) sustain it, intellect (buddhi) travels these worlds, and ego (ahamkara) goes along for the ride and enjoys and suffers in turns.  This is the antahkarana, the fourfold mind of mankind, which requires controlling and dissolving, constantly, until pure mind, or enlightenment, is realized.

There is a vast difference between consciously manifesting the world with the aid of the five elements and sporting there, as opposed to desiring these elements, manifesting them, and forgetting that they came out of you — and consequently abjectly grasping after them.

If you take the five elements and involve them, you will see they are all based on desire — desire for earth, water, fire, air and ether which have come out of subtle thoughts of solidity, liquidity, radiance, homogeneity, and all-pervasiveness.  

Spiritual life is Samadhi.  Rakhal (Swami Brahmananda) said nirvikalpa was the beginning.  Thus, dharmic life is not full spiritual life yet.

The traditional arati hymn to Sri Ramakrishna begins with the three most loaded words imaginable:
Om Hring Ritang.  Om refers to transcendent Reality.  Hring is the Dynamic Power.  Ritang is the oldest word in any language for Truth.  There is a close relationship between “ritang (ritam),” Truth and “amritam,” nectar/immortality.

Observing humanity in this age, and especially the West and its shallow spiritual aspirants, I was thinking that it is really practically impossible to live a spiritual life in the world: those who accomplish it to any degree enter monasteries or convents.  Even there the “rust of monasteries,” as Buddha remarked, is present.  Thus, renunciation of the world is a necessity, and the householder is no exception to this rule — not if he/she desires to live a life of presence and productivity.

The only proof that you are not matter is if you can leave matter alone —  so states Swami Vivekananda.

Everything must come to rest eventually.  One needs to recognize this before seeking Sattva, balance.  If you shine a light on tamasic people, they will only seek a darker place.  When a rajasic person is shown the light, he uses it for works and personal gain.  A sattvic person uses that light for subtle enjoyment.  But eventually one sees that these constant guna-based cycles will not lead to Peace.