Lesson B-2

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"Enlightenment Secrets Revealed"The Ultimate Self Realization Course, Lesson B2 by His Grace Sriman Sankarshan Das Adhikari Under the all-merciful guidance of His Divine GraceSri Srimad A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada

 

 

We can talk about spiritual enlightenment all day, but unless there is some practical knowledge to help us reawaken our spiritual consciousness what is the use of so much flowery language? Many gurus, yogis, and swamis can certainly razzle-dazzle us with all kinds of big, big words about merging with the Absolute, etc, etc., but what is that practical knowledge that can help anybody in today's hectic dog-eat-dog society to easily and successfully understand who they are?This knowledge is given by Lord Sri Krishna in the Bhagavad-gita:raja-vidya raja-guhyampavitram idam uttamampratyaksavagamam dharmyamsu-sukham kartum avyayam"This knowledge is the king of education, the most secret of all secrets. It is the purest knowledge, and because it gives direct perception of the self by realization, it is the perfection of religion. It is everlasting, and it is joyfully performed." Bhagavad-gita 9.2The real key of success

for anybody who wants to become self-realized is to study and implement the teachings given in the Bhagavad-gita under the expert guidance of a bonafide spiritual master. By far and above the very best edition and the only one in good conscience that I can recommend is the Bhagavad-gita As It Is by His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada. This is the world's most popular edition, with literally millions of copies in scores of languages already sitting on bookshelves throughout the world. Check your bookshelf. If you don't have a copy order one right now from our online bookstore:http://www.ultimateselfrealization.com/storeThat being said, let's get down now to a basic understanding of the incredible wisdom that the Bhagavad-gita is offering us. The basic knowledge given in the Bhagavad-gita is very nicely stated in Chapter Two:dehino 'smin yatha dehekaumaram yauvanam jaratatha

dehantara-praptirdhiras tatra na muhyati"As the embodied soul continuously passes, in this body, from boyhood to youth to old age, the soul similarly passes into another body at death. A sober person is not bewildered by such a change." Bhagavad-gita 2.13The first principle is to understand that you are not your body. Your body is changing throughout your life, but yet you, the person or the soul within, are the constant factor through so many bodily transformations. The cells, the molecules, and the atoms that make up your body are never the same. But yet there is something there, namely consciousness, which is a constant unchanging factor. That consciousness is a symptom of the unchanging conscious self within the body. Self-realization is simply a process of waking up the dormant enlightened consciousness that is currently lying asleep within the heart.Today you are wearing a green shirt. Yesterday you wore a blue shirt. Tomorrow you will wear

something else. But yet you remain the same in spite of wearing so many different shirts. Similarly whether you wear a baby's body, the body of a youth, or the body of an adult you are still the same person. The body always changes, but you do not. Therefore any sane person can understand and admit, "I am not this body." This is the foundation upon which the self-realization process is built. You must first and foremost be totally convinced that you are not your body. Then your spiritual awakening can actually begin. Otherwise you will go nowhere.Why does Krishna call this the most secret of all secrets? This knowledge is certainly being made open for everyone here through the Internet. But how many people are heeding it? Practically everyone's consciousness is covered by the maddened pursuit of temporary material pleasures. Even if we directly approach them and offer them this knowledge it will be extremely rare to find a person who is interested. If you find yourself

genuinely interested in this course you should count your blessings. You are one of a very elite group of insiders who have understood that there is something beyond this material world. Now that we know what we are not, we will study next week what we are. We'll learn how to be what we actually are and thus escape all the miseries of material existence. Don't forget to find or order a Bhagavad-gita As It Is. You need to study it scrutinizingly to get the full benefit of this course.Om Tat SatSankarshan Das AdhikariBhaktivedanta Ashram, Austin, Texas, USAJanuary 13, 2004

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