Time Stephen hawkins

The urge to worship sparked civilization. / the birth of religion.

Gobekli Tepe in Turkey

IM outlet for his energies.

There is a very marked tendency among persons of culture to feel dissatisfied with themselves and their success in life when they do not exercise direct and visible influence over others. He is apt to think that his culture and intelligence are lost upon the world and that hi is a failure or he finds fault with the world in general for not giving him a proper chance of making his abilities tell. The facilities for obtaining culture are so many and great, and within the reach of so many well to do people that hundreds of people become so clever in various ways, who otherwise would have remained utterly uncultivated had they lived in previous century.
A few of course distinguish themselves in literature and other pursuits which bring notoriety to the successful.
A greater number have to remain in positions of obscurity, often being clearly conscious that they have ability and knowledge. the position of the clever man who remains bscure is, if he has ambition, rather trying to the moral fibre, but there are certain considerations which might help to give a direction to his energy and so procure him a sure relief, which reputation too frequently fails to provide.
Intellectual men often keep their intellect to themselves. it is often useless they think to elevate any human being above his own intellectual level unless he gradually climbs himself as a man who ascends a mountain.
Often we find considerations not of a common type which do charities like the for example the alpine snows are good for the irrigation of the valleys though the meadows that they water must be eight or ten feet below them. it can never be given to the intellect that has not developed. and that power and activity comes only with years of labour.

How important it is to let go.

you cannot count on the physical proximity of someone you love, all the time. A seed that sprouts at the foot of its parents tree remains stunted until it is transplanted.

Even the sparrow pushes its young one from the nest to make it independent.

Chapter 8 verse 3

Akshram is that which is not subject to decay or destruction

This is further explained in verse 11.
Meaning given by Bhagwan Ramanujacharya..


Lord Krishna explains the padam or state for the aspirants who wish for atma tattva or realisation of the soul and the secure and permanent destination of moksa or liberation from material existence. This state is aksaram or imperishable. It is the state which the ascetics of the world attempt to gain accent to. It is that ardent longing for which men strictly follow the vow of brahmacharyam or voluntary celibacy. Padam is that which one mentally proceeds to achieve the goal of their endeavours. Padyate here means the method adopted by the mind..

Prabhasmi sasi suryayoh. (Chapter 7 verse 8.)

Raso 'ham apsu kaunteya prabhasmi sasi suryayoh
Pranavah sarva vedesu sabdah khe paurusam nrsu.

O Arjuna, I am the sweetness of flavour in water, the radiant lusture of the sun and the moon. The primordial root syllable Om, within all the vedas. The subsonic element of sound in ether and the ability in man.

rasohamapsu kaunteya prabhaasmi shashisooryayoho |
pranavaha sarvavedeshu shabdaha khe paurusham nrishu || 8 ||
 
I am the taste in water, O Kaunteya. I am the light of the sun and moon, Om in all the Vedas, sound in space, valour in men.
 
rasaha : taste
aham : I
apsu : in water
kaunteya : O Kaunteya
prabhaa : light
asmi : I am
shashihi : moon
sooryayoho : sun
pranavaha : Om
sarvavedeshu : in all the Vedas
shabdaha : sound
khe : in space
paurusham : valour
nrishu : in men
 
We are exploring the topic of bhakti yoga in this chapter, where we learn to channel our thoughts towards a single ideal, which is Ishvara. Ishvara is in everything, and everything is in Ishvara – these statements were proclaimed by Shri Krishna previously. Even if we intellectually understand Ishvara as the ultimate cause, our senses do not literally “see” Ishvara. So then, how do we learn to remember Ishvara at all times?
 
Shri Krishna helps us in this regard by giving us a list of Ishvara’s vibhootis or glories. He recognizes that our mind tends to see wonder and glory in some aspects of the universe. If we can train ourselves to remember Ishvara whenever we see his glories, it will help us advance towards our goal of learning to see Ishvara everywhere.
 
The first example of Ishvara’s vibooti is the taste in water. Water is an important part of everyone’s life. Over 60% of our body is made up of water. Shri Krishna says that Ishvara is the taste or essence of water. In other words, Ishvara is what makes water behave like water. So whenever we have a glass of water when we are extremely thirsty, it is Ishvara that is refreshing us. This is a wonderful meditation that we can practice.
 
Similarly, whenever we are dazzled by the brilliance of the sun, or the soothing light of the moon, we should remember that it is Ishvara that is providing the brightness or the effulgence. Whenever we hear a sound, we should know that it is Ishvara that provides the ability for sound to travel through air. Moreover, when we read stories about people who selflessly protect their country or their fellow human beings, we should remember that it is Ishvara that provides valour to them.
 
Finally, Shri Krishna says that Ishvara represents the word “Om” among the Vedas. Om takes a special place in the Vedas. It symbolically represents the eternal essence out of which this entire universe is created. Meditation on the word “Om” is considered one of the highest meditations possible.

aksaram brahma paramam svabhavo

aksaram brahma paramam svabhavo dhyatmam ucyate
bhutabhavodbhava karo visargah karma samjnitah.     8. 3.

Sri Ramanuja's commentary.
What is designated in the first verse as tad brahma or the supreme spiritual substratum pervading all existence is the aksaram brahma or the supreme indestructible atma or soul. Aksaram is that which is not subject to decay or imperishable and is the collective given by the ksetrajnanis or those knowledgeable of the field of action or the informers of uninformed matter and atma embodied beings. The Subrala Upanishad  II states avyakta the indiscemible compound of spirit and matter merges into the aksara the indivisable compound which descends into tamas or nescience. Parama aksaram is the supreme indestructible atma nature which is completely disengaged from prakriti or the material substratum and not connected to even the aksaram, which comprises even the embodied beings and combines both. the word svabhavo is also called adhyatma and indicates subtle material and its accompanying erratic tendencies. these subtle elements are what adheres to the atma in the descent of the supra subtle quintuple process.
to be continued.