Gita Camp Day 7

Are you afraid of death? Give 3 reasons for yes or no

What happens at death?

Recap Day1 Why read scriptures? What are vedas and what is contained in them? Why is Bhagavad Gita the most important scripture? What does Bhagavad Gita Talk about? Who was it spoken to and why?

Recap Day 2 Arjuna’s Questions 1. what is Brahman (Spirit)? 2. What is “Adhyatma” (the self)? 3. What are Karma (fruitive activities)? 4. What is this adhibhuta (material manifestation)? 5. What are the demigods (Adhidaiva)? 6. Who is the Adhiyajna (Lord of sacrifice)? 7. How does Adhiyajna (Lord of sacrifice) reside? 8. How can those engaged in devotional service know You at the time of death?

Recap Day 3 Whatever we remember at time of death, that determines our next life If we remember Krishna, we can go back to spiritual world If we Do not remember Krishna, we take another material body We can remember Krishna at death by remembering Krishna at every moment in our life Practice is very important to remember Krishna at every moment Chanting the Holy name daily is the recommended way

Recap: Day4 Remembrance through Meditation (10 ways) Kavi – Knower of everything(Past, present and Future) Oldest – All born out of him Controller of everything Smaller the smallest – In each aton, Heart of living entity Maintainer of everything Beyond material conception – Example all planets floating Achintya (Inconceivable) – beyond out thinking power Always a person – has a form like us Luminous like the sun Transcendental – beyond this material nature

Day 5: Recap Self endeavor “vs” Dependence on Krishna Requires Prior knowledge Requires renunciation Requires favorable situations No material impediments Only qualification is sincere desire Everyone can practice Self endeavor “vs” Dependence on Krishna Krishna give the intelligence how to attain him

Recap: Day6

Sections of Chapter 8 Krishna's answers to Arjuna’s questions Section vi (8.23 – 8.28) Supremacy of pure devotion in attaining Krishna Section v (8.17 – 8.22) Comparing the material & spiritual worlds / glories of Supreme abode Section iv (8.14 – 8.16) Pure Devotional Service (remembrance of Krishna through Bhakti) Section iii (8.9 – 8.13) Remembering Krishna (practice remembrance through meditation) Section ii (8.5 – 8.8) Remembering Krishna at the time of death Section i (8.1 – 8.4) Krishna's answers to Arjuna’s questions

Day 6 Remembering Krishna at the time of death Section vi (8.23 – 8.28) Supremacy of pure devotion in attaining Krishna Section v (8.17 – 8.22) Comparing the material & spiritual worlds / glories of Supreme abode Section iv (8.14 – 8.16) Pure Devotional Service (remembrance of Krishna through Bhakti) Section iii (8.9 – 8.13) Remembering Krishna (practice remembrance through meditation) Section ii (8.5 – 8.8) Remembering Krishna at the time of death Krishna's answers to Arjuna’s questions Section iii (8.9 – 8.13) Remembering Krishna (practice remembrance through meditation) Section iv (8.14 – 8.16) Pure Devotional Service (remembrance of Krishna through Bhakti) Section v (8.17 – 8.22) Comparing the material & spiritual worlds / glories of Supreme abode

How many Years is each yuga? Brahma's Life Brahma’s Day What is 1 Brahma’s Day? 1000 Yuga Cycles What is 1 Yuga Cycle? 4 Yugas How many Years is each yuga? Satya – 1,728,000 Years Treta – 1,296,000 Years Dwapar-864,000 Years Kali-432,000 Years Total: 4.320 billion years Total: 4,320,000 years One Day Brahma’s life 4.32 billion years 4.32 billion x 2 One Day + One Night 4.32 billion x 2 x 36,000 100 Years Total: 311.04 trillion years

Higher Planets vs lower planets The residents of the upper three systems have almost no disease or aging of the body, and they have no sense of fear. As the planetary systems progress downward there is lesser duration of life and standard of living, as well as a greater manifestation of disease and anxiety.

The Nature of this Material world 8.17 By human calculation, a thousand ages taken together form the duration of Brahmā’s one day. And such also is the duration of his night. 8.18 At the beginning of Brahmā’s day, all living entities become manifest from the unmanifest state, and thereafter, when the night falls, they are merged into the unmanifest again. 8.19 Again and again, when Brahmā’s day arrives, all living entities come into being, and with the arrival of Brahmā’s night they are helplessly annihilated. 8.16 From the highest planet in the material world down to the lowest, all are places of misery wherein repeated birth and death take place. But one who attains to My abode, O son of Kuntī, never takes birth again.

How does the world get destroyed Each Brahma’s Night And at the end of the life of Brahma So Brahma also has to die

Are you afraid of death?

Any place where there is no birth and death? spirirtual world Eternal free from birth and death Infallible full of unlimited bliss ,as opposed to the material world which is full of miseries Fulfills all desires All attractive Un manifest to the mundane eyes A place of no retun Supreme destination

How to obtain to that abode ? The supreme personality of godhead, who is greated than all is attained By ananya bhakti( unalloyed devotional service) Although he is present in his abode, he is all pervading and everything is situated within him When a living being leaves the spiritual world, it is not that you were in the pastimes with Krsna then you went to the material world. Let’s say you were cowherd boy and suddenly there is one cowherd boy less! Then one day, you are back to Godhead and suddenly, there is again another cowherd boy running, “Somebody came back to Godhead!” It is not described like that. Sanatana Goswami describes that Gopa Kumar comes back to this land and in this land everyone is absent minded. Gopa Kumar asks, “Where am I?” No one answers. Everyone is sort of looking in one direction, even the branches of the trees are pointing in that same direction, the birds are all looking in that same direction. That is the direction in which Krsna left that morning to go to the forest and all those remaining behind are looking in that direction, waiting for the evening, for the sign of that cloud of the dust coming in the sky. Before that cloud of dust, one can already hear the flute but it’s just the wind blowing into the bamboos in the forest that makes the sound of the flute. The dust is just created by some wind. It is not Krsna yet, it’s too early! So, everyone is waiting for the whole day and he sees that. So, finally when Krsna comes back from the forest and sees Gopa Kumar who in his spiritual body is known as Sarupa, he says, “Sarupa!!” Krsna sees him and faints. And gopas who see this ask, “Who is he? Is he an agent of Kamsa?” And they are ready to get heavy. Balarama says, “No, no, no. He is actually an old friend of Krsna. Krsna is very happy to see him.” Balaram takes Sarupa by the hand and tells him, “Chant into Krsna’s ear.” Sarupa chants into Krsna’s ear and Krsna comes back to his senses, he embraces Sarup says, “Come! You take prasadam with me!” And they go to take prasadam in the house of Nanda Maharaj who is already waiting. 

Description of spiritual abode śriyaḥ kāntāḥ kāntaḥ parama-puruṣaḥ kalpa-taravo drumā bhūmiś cintāmaṇi-gaṇa-mayi toyam amṛtam kathā gānaḿ nāṭyaḿ gamanam api vaḿśī priya-sakhi cid-ānandaḿ jyotiḥ param api tad āsvādyam api ca   sa yatra kṣīrābdhiḥ sravati surabhībhyaś ca su-mahān nimeṣārdhākhyo vā vrajati na hi yatrāpi samayaḥ bhaje śvetadvīpaḿ tam aham iha golokam iti yaḿ vidantas te santaḥ kṣiti-virala-cārāḥ katipaye I worship that transcendental seat, known as Svetadvipa where as loving consorts the Laksmis in their unalloyed spiritual essence practice the amorous service of the Supreme Lord Krishna as their only lover; where every tree is a transcendental purpose tree; where the soil is the purpose gem, all water is nectar, every word is a song, every gait is a dance, the flute is the favorite attendant, effulgence is full of transcendental bliss and the supreme spiritual entities are all enjoyable and tasty, where numberless milk cows always emit transcendental oceans of milk; where there is eternal existence of transcendental time, who is ever present and without past or future and hence is not subject to the quality of passing away even for the space of half a moment. That realm is known as Goloka only to a very few self-realized souls in this world.