81: Upadesha Sahasri (ch17 v38-40) One Thousand Teachings of Adi Shankara

[@alukuhito]

Thank you, Swami-ji. 🙏

[@makingofmandala7264]

Namaste Swamiji. Listening to these profound teachings and being in presence of Dear Swami Tadatmananda is like being home, safe and sane. Thank you humbly! Blessings! 🙏❤💐

[@joaopossa7661]

Amazing class, thank you swami! This text is really a blessing that Shankara gave to us, so clear! OM 🙏

[@gridcoregilry666]

mind-blowing class, thank you very much. After having studied for more than 3 years now, it continues to amaze me how much clarity you bring to your classes based on Shankara

[@daisybelleamberbush]

Thank you for all these classes! 🔥🙏🙏🔥

[@koochithatha7486]

Salutations, Guruji! I look forward to your classes each week on Sri Shankara’s “mind blowing” teachings, and this one was among the best of them. Wonderful for sadhana. Thank you. Om Shanti 🙏🏼

[@Pallasathena-hv4kp]

Shankara’s teachings truly leave me flabbergasted. Makes me just want to sit and stare…..It feels destabilizing, but it can’t. be. denied. 🙏❤️ It’s so incredible that every single experience is irrefutably “pointing,” to the Self.

[@chrisaav100]

Shanti, shanti, shanti 🙏

[@tim2269]

These have become my favorite lectures.

[@gridcoregilry666]

yes, so great

[@torussaga3428]

Awoke about five hours after this at 5am Sydney AUS time and what a wonderful start to the day with this teaching.

[@Pallasathena-hv4kp]

Pranam, Swami 🙏 Thank you for the teaching!

[@monikavarma4]

Spectacular !

[@kanishkajoshi563]

🙏 Thank you Swami ji.

[@girishnanoti954]

Pranam Swami ji

[@albertoiztueta3850]

👏🙏

[@bakedlotus3150]

Karma does not exist to punish and reward. The law of Karma exists to facilitate the growth of our souls. The doctrine of equity, which seeks to end disparity, is not only a vicious lie, it would be a grave spiritual injustice to souls that seek growth and would be a slap in the face of Ishvara. Suffering is not evil; it is necessary. Root canals hurt. Not getting them done hurts more. We must never fail to appreciate that souls born into poverty collaborated with God to do so. It was their choice. Robbing them of that choice, of that opportunity for growth, is an ignorant and dangerous proposition.

[@dayanidhi9391]

8:38 - "Even to call consciousness a witness is a provisional description, and not a fundamental description." I'm not clear about this, if anyone can help? 🙏

[@rsr9200]

That which we really are need not be spoken about or thought about using terms such as Sakshi, Brahman, Ishvara, Chaitanya, Consciousness, Awareness, etc. If we needed such words to be what we are, it would logically imply that we are not limitless (anantam) as the Upanishads reveal. This is because any need that we may have (such as the need to be identified by particular words or thoughts) implies that we are limited by that need and hence not limitless. However, the Upanishads employ such terms (aka lakshanas) as Sakshi for a good reason. The ABSOLUTELY TRUE meaning of these lakshanas cannot be be objectified through our mind. Nonetheless, if their APPARENTLY TRUE meaning is understood as it is meant to be understood that is sufficient to remove all our mistaken beliefs about what we really are. Since our mistaken beliefs about our true nature are many, the Upanishads help us by providing a variety of lakshanas to negate those erroneous beliefs. Tatastha lakshanas such as Sakshi and Turiya could be viewed as “lower” or “provisional” descriptions compared to svarupa lakshanas such as Satyam-Jnanam-Anantam Brahman and Satchitananda Atma since the former rely heavily on adhyaropa (intentional superimposition). Ultimately, per the Upanishads, we have no need for any lakshanas at all and, perhaps, that is what Sri Shankara and Swamiji are conveying. Also, Sakshi (the Witness) is our tatastha lakshana because it relies on the adhyaropa that the sakshya (the witnessed) is always present as a seeming second to Sakshi. Without this adhyaropa, this lakshana would not be logically sound.

[@dayanidhi9391]

​@@rsr9200 Thank you for taking to time to explain. So, basically, consciousness is certainly the witness, but that lakshana of it being the witness (Sakshi) is provisional in the sense that it only applies in relation to the presence of adhyaropa. But at the fundamental level, in the absence of adhyaropa, then the lakshana of being the witness does not stand. I also see that Swami explains this at the start of the next class (No.82). It appears that he may have seen my comment and your response, and this is why he gave some extra clarification. Both your response, and his explanation at the start of the next class, have helped me to understand, thank you 🙏

[@bakedlotus3150]

forgiveness obliterates karma. incorporate forgiveness in your practice.