The tenth in a series of talks by Swami Nirmalananda Giri (Abbot George Burke) on the Bhagavad Gita, India's most famous scripture: the unforgettable dialog between Sri Krishna and Arjuna about the essence of spiritual life.

In this talk, starting with Chapter 3:13, Swamiji discusses a wide range of topics, including “Eating” through the senses, how to make our lives more spiritual, and our lives as examples to others.

Here are the main points from Swami Nirmalananda Giri's talk on living for spiritual evolution from the Bhagavad Gita:

• Everything as Food: All experiences, whether through sight, sound, touch, or taste, are forms of food that shape our consciousness. These should be approached with the intent of spiritual growth.
• Spiritualizing Consumption: Consuming or experiencing things with an attitude of offering to the divine (like prasad in Hindu rituals) transforms the mundane into the spiritual, purifying the mind and body.
• Sin in Eating: Eating or living for mere physical gratification without spiritual intent is considered sinful or wasted.
• Ritual and Scriptures: The rituals and teachings of sacred scriptures, like the Vedas, are meant to facilitate spiritual evolution, guiding one towards union with the divine.
• Duty Without Attachment: One should perform their duty (karma) without attachment to the outcomes, which leads to the realization of ultimate truth. This non-attachment is crucial for spiritual progress.
• Example of Janaka: King Janaka is cited as an ideal, who ruled his kingdom while being an enlightened yogi, showing that one can live in the world and still pursue spiritual enlightenment.
• Setting an Example: Living one's duty properly serves as an example to others, promoting dharma (righteous living). This is how one influences the world positively.
• Life as Teaching: Your life should reflect your spiritual principles, teaching others through action rather than just words.
• Spiritual Growth through Action: Everyday actions, when performed with the right consciousness, can transform ordinary life into a spiritual practice, effectively turning "earth into heaven."
• Continual Self-Assessment: One must continually assess their spiritual progress not by mystical experiences but by changes in consciousness and behavior.

Swami Nirmalananda Giri emphasizes the importance of living with a spiritual purpose, transforming daily activities into acts of worship or meditation, and thereby evolving one's consciousness towards enlightenment.

The ninth in a series of talks by Swami Nirmalananda Giri (Abbot George Burke) on the Bhagavad Gita, India's most famous scripture: the unforgettable dialog between Sri Krishna and Arjuna about the essence of spiritual life.

In this talk, Swamiji discusses the Yoga of Action (Karma Yoga) and the Yoga of Knowledge (Jnana Yoga), how they differ and how they are related.

Here are the main points from Swami Nirmalananda's talk on the two paths of yoga from the Bhagavad Gita:

• Arjuna's Dilemma: Arjuna questions Krishna about why he should engage in a battle, which involves terrible deeds, if knowledge is considered superior to action.
• Contradiction in Teachings: Krishna’s teachings seem contradictory to Arjuna, leading him to seek a definite path to the highest good.
• Two Paths to Enlightenment:
• The Path of Knowledge (Jnana Yoga): For the contemplative, this path involves meditation and introspection leading to direct knowledge of the self or Brahman.
• The Path of Action (Karma Yoga): For the active, this involves performing selfless actions without attachment to the results, doing what is right and beneficial.
• Action vs. Inaction: Krishna explains that no one can truly abstain from action due to the inherent nature of the world (governed by the gunas - qualities of nature). Even thinking and meditating are forms of action.
• Self-Deception: One deceives themselves by renouncing physical actions but still desiring the objects mentally. True virtue lies in the state of mind, not just in abstaining from action.
• Controlled Senses and Will: A commendable person controls their senses with willpower, performing actions without personal interest in the outcomes, focusing instead on what actions signify or lead to spiritually.
• Duty and Karma: Duty or one’s karma should be performed as an offering to the Divine, without attachment to the fruits of actions. This is how one honors the deities or the natural order set by the divine.
• Divine Cycle and Human Duty: In the beginning, beings were created with duties according to their karma. Fulfilling these duties leads to spiritual prosperity and fulfillment of desires in alignment with cosmic purpose.
• Gratitude through Action: By performing our karma, we show gratitude to the creators or deities for our existence and the opportunity to evolve. This, in turn, ensures that our prayers or wishes are granted by being in harmony with the divine plan.

Swami Nirmalananda Giri concludes by emphasizing the importance of understanding and acting upon one's karma as a form of thanks and a path towards spiritual awakening, encouraging listeners to engage actively with the teachings of the Gita.

The eighth in a series of talks by Swami Nirmalananda Giri (Abbot George Burke) on the Bhagavad Gita, India's most famous scripture: the unforgettable dialog between Sri Krishna and Arjuna about the essence of spiritual life.

In this talk, beginning with Chapter 2:63, Swamiji continues to discuss the sequence of obstacles which leads to a spiritual downfall as outlined by Krishna in the Gita.

Here are the main points from Swami Nirmalananda Giri's talk on the Bhagavad Gita on the path of downfall:

• Loss of Discrimination: Forgetting one's experiences leads to a loss of discrimination, which is essential for living life intelligently. Without this, one's life purpose is missed, leading to a wasted life.
• Detachment: A person free from desires and aversions walks safely among them. This detachment comes from regular and prolonged meditation, which helps in focusing inwardly rather than being swayed by external attractions or repulsions.
• Meditation and Peace: Without meditation, there is no peace, and without peace, there is no happiness. Meditation is crucial for maintaining an inner calm that external circumstances cannot disturb.
• The Wandering Mind: Just as winds move a ship off course, the wandering senses can lead the mind astray, making it difficult to meditate or maintain judgment.
• Illumination and Enlightenment: Krishna describes an illumined person as one who can still the senses. This person's mind is awake in the knowledge of the Atman (Self), which is considered darkness by the ignorant.
• Desires in the Mind of the Seer: Even though desires may flow into the mind of the enlightened, they do not disturb him. He recognizes them but does not act upon them, maintaining his peace.
• Life Without Craving: True peace comes to those who have forgotten desire, living without craving, ego, or pride. This state is described as enlightenment, from which one does not fall back into delusion.
• Enlightenment as a Permanent State: Once a person reaches enlightenment, it becomes their nature, or he is reestablished in his True Nature. Even at the moment of death, they remain in this enlightened state, indicating that real life is living in Brahman (the ultimate reality), and everything else is akin to being dead.
• Spiritual Practice: The path to this enlightenment is through yoga, specifically through meditation and japa (repetition of sacred names or mantras), which are emphasized as practical tools for spiritual evolution.

Swami Nirmalananda Giri wraps up by encouraging his listeners to continue their spiritual practices with dedication, suggesting that understanding and living by these principles can lead to a meaningful and enlightened life.