Advaita Vedanta Basics: What is Mind, Intellect, Vasana, Karma (2)

[@sandraekhoff8937]

this type of teachings SHOULD repeatedly be taught at every school across the glove!! Vital information here, we need it like the air that we breath at each moment. I love it, so so grateful for this, I have been looking for it. Thank you to this teacher and to this channel for the available opportunity to learn the lessons!!! A gift from myself to myself!! tk you....

[@sandraekhoff8937]

I am SO THANKFUL FOR THIS CHANNEL!!! To say that you are a GREAT teacher is an understatement!!! Thank you for helping the world better, to brake away from IGNORANCE!!!! 😊😊

[@Alaskaborn]

Round 3 of listening to these all these lectures . Thank you Andre.

[@MeuConhecimentoMeuTesouro]

Thank you André 🙏🕉️

[@lordmacaulay8739]

Fantastic. Thank you.🙏

[@exstazius]

You explained it beautifully. Thank you.

[@sue3497]

Great explanation, thank you...🙏

[@rajenderbhati2006]

Superbly Explained 👍👍

[@marcosjesus]

thank you very very very much about all.

[@nithasashidharan647]

Excellent explanation! However, some misinterpretation of words. Manas is Mind that perceives. Intellect is a faculty for reasoning and understanding. 'Vasana' is the impressions of the karmic actions; it literally means 'dwelling' or 'imprint' in Sanskrit connected with the subject discussed in the video here, and is not 'fragrance', which is a colloquial usage in some current Indian languages. 'Purushartha' is literally translated as purusha= human being, artha= object, 'human objective'. Awareness in Consciousness is subjective. A coma patient is in awareness, only that some of their brain activities do not respond to stimuli. As a whole, liked the presentation! Thank you!

[@YesVedanta]

Indeed Nitha. These definitions will be refined to Sanskrit specifics, as course progresses. We generalize them at beginning only.

[@nithasashidharan647]

@@YesVedanta Thank you for the reply. Would love to watch further on your discourses. Please do keep sharing them on KZbin.

[@sandraekhoff8937]

Please help. In the video the teacher talks about self-effort along with the word free-will, so I am a little confused. I know that I am Brahma the totality and that I am the one running the show of experience at every level. That the non-existent human form (Body/Mind) is no separated from Brahma and hence it does not have free will so when he uses the word self-effort along with word free will back and forth, I got lost. Is he referring to the Brahma's free will? What would be the difference between these two terms: Free will and Self Effort, in this path? Please clarify. Also, can you recommend me a good source where I can learn about the topic on what you wrote in your comment. I am a self-study student of Advaita-Vedanta so that is what I am asking. I just want the truth. I am currently helping myself with videos from Francis Lucille and Rupert Spira. Thank you for your help!!!

[@nithasashidharan647]

@@sandraekhoff8937 Thank you for bringing up this point. I am not sure why 'Purushartha' is interpreted as self-effort here. In the Bhagavad Gita, Krishna very nicely explains it in the chapter on Karma Yoga. There are 4 'Human Objectives/Purposes', termed as Purushartha, specified for human life- Dharma(righteousness), Artha(wealth), Kama(pleasures), Moksha(Liberation), which are utilized as basic needs to understand and evolve through life to achieve spiritual liberation eventually. Please do read the Bhagavad Gita to understand it better. It is confusing indeed to mix up self-effort and free will, because both are totally different in meaning. Self-effort is the action put forth to achieve a goal, while free-will is the ability to make choices without any external influence. To draw parallels- one has the ability(free-will) to choose a particular path to self-realization, but has to act upon it(self-effort) to practice the required ways by utilizing the human objectives(Purushartha) to achieve the ultimate goal of liberation! Hope I was able to provide some understanding about it. You will find more information on www.dayananda.org/ about Advaita-Vedanta. Francis Lucille talks really well about the subject, indeed. There's another Swami Tadatmananda- www.arshabodha.org, who has plenty of videos on KZbin on the subject. Thank you once again

[@sandraekhoff8937]

@@nithasashidharan647 Thank you, this help a lot!! Thank you for taking the time to answer my question, you are very kind. Thank you☺. Going to follow your advice!!

[@OMAIMHREEM]

Vasana + imprinted moment in our brain..... Some dominant neurochemicals are serotonin, which, among other things, helps us sit still; testosterone, our sex and aggression chemical; estrogen, a female growth and reproductive chemical; and oxytocin, a bonding-relationship chemical. ... Additionally, males process less of the bonding chemical oxytocin than females.

[@sandraekhoff8937]

Please, I understand that Brahma is the only one who has free will (I am the unknown). non-existent human form (body/mind, object) doesn't have free-will of its own, only Brahma has. Brahma is the Body/Mind, the same so when you talk about self-effort synonymously with free will are you referring to Brahma's free will? Please Clarify. Thank you. Also were I can print the diagram of the triangle and get a list of the terms that your are using in the video, for instances you are using Vasanas= Tendencies. When i try to find them online to print them, it gives me another translation. Very Confusing. I tried to use the captions available on the video still the spelling is different. I am going to watch all your videos so please help. Thank you again

[@YesVedanta]

Hi. What has capacity to choose? The body-mind instrument. So free-will or self-effort is at level of body-mind, not at level of Brahman (Awareness). Otherwise we're turning Brahman into some anthropomorphic being. There's no entity out there whose choosing how your life is to unfold. You (in this case word "you" refers to body-mind) are choosing who your life is unfolding based on every day choices. And yes it's true our vasansas (past impressions) do influence our decision making (free-will), but not completely, as each situation is unique, thus demands a different decision/response.

[@peetprive]

Q: what creates a Vasana ? The first reaction of the mind on a situation or the action/reaction of the intellect afterwards? Thank you so much for sharing this wonderfull knowledge. Very Gratefull for that!

[@YesVedanta]

Own decision to say "yes" to anything creates a vasana (habit, tendancy). An action stemming out of like/dislike (profit/loss) creates a vasana. EG: We like a certain transit from A to B, then find our selves repeating it everyday to work. Whereas a mom doesn't spank a naughty child out of like/dislike, but out of duty to discipline child... thus mom doesn't create a vasana for spanking her child. In upcoming lessons, Karma Yoga will be prespcribed to manage these vasanas which cause bondage to them.

[@arunkumart.g5546]

@ yes Vedanta.Can you pls explain how to eliminate vasanas .? And how the awareness, mind and intellect involved in the above process.

[@tiwariketan157]

Doesn't the vasana is created because of the mind and intellect performing a certain task/role over and over with due course of time..?? Thank you sir for this wonderful knowledge 🙏

[@YesVedanta]

Indeed. Repetative thought > leads to action > repetative action > leads to impression (vāsana) > impression then becomes binding (addictive) > thus one lives a bound life consisting of many binding impressions. Not remembering what said in that sessions, however saṃskārās/vāsanās is expanded in many sessions.

[@exstazius]

@@YesVedanta but this is all linked to the ego? When the mistake in identity is seen (the illusion of being a subject experiencing objects) new vasanas are not created? (As there is seen that the person that is under the influence of this vasanas is not existent in an inherent solid way)

[@YesVedanta]

​@@exstazius When the mistake in identity is seen, new vasanas are not created? It depends how FIRM mind is established in self-knowledge. For eg, apprentice financial adviser gives advice to clients how to manage money... but himself, isn't that wealthy. It's not that financial adviser is a fraud, only that he needs more years himself to actually LIVE the advice. In same way, we can't expect to suddenly never create new vāsanās. Therefore, there is aspect of humility here, by not expecting oneself to go from zero to hero overnight. Childhood patterns are strong! If one has vāsanā for seeking love, it will go away upon self-knowledge, but GRADUALLY.

[@exstazius]

@@YesVedanta thank you for your answear. I want to also show you my gratitude for the teachings you are spreading through these videos and your site. Thank you for that. I am a zen practitioner but life brought me closer and closer to advaita vedanta. The clear and simple way you explain the teachings is really helpful. Is there any possibility to contact you to get some guidance regarding some issues I have? (Off course I would give a donation for your advice)

[@dawnwest3495]

A vasana creates or entertains a desire. The two terms create and entertain denote present and past, so your saying a vasana can create or strengthen a desire ?

[@YesVedanta]

Greetings Madam. Vāsanā means impression. IE: Habit (which is really just a desire repeated). Habits aren't always negative. There's positive vāsanās like being mindful of one's words. Anyway, when habit is created, then it's continued practice further strengthens it. The firmer it is, the more it's considered "normal", thus less likely for person to see their habits as a possible hindrance in self-growth.

[@dawnwest3495]

@@YesVedanta Thank you, and I would like to say I’m so grateful for the time and energy you’re giving and making these videos available to all.

[@NehaMishra-kn7il]

U r great... U really r

[@YesVedanta]

Appreciated Neha. Doing best I can. Not perfect, but always improving. :)

[@NehaMishra-kn7il]

I really want to meet u

[@pillettadoinswartsh4974]

Not all who seek, seek because of a feeling of emptiness. Otherwise, how would a teacher exist?

[@YesVedanta]

Yes and no, depending on context as always. For eg: Lost child will seek mommy due to sense of 'incompletion' being away from her. The longer child is away from mommy, the more anxious he/she becomes to find her. (Child is analogy for seeker of truth. Mommy is analogy for Absolute Truth.)