Atma Bodha Slokas 1-4

Examples in Atmabodha were apt. Cooking, sun/cloud, light/darkness. Everything else we do in preparation for cooking is equally important. All the yogas have a role to play in terms of creating chitta-shuddhi. Sloka 1 is summary of Sadhana Chatushtaya. Tapas: Chaturmasa - food control. Thinking within - anything to do to restrain in the material world - japa, pranayama, value reflection Tapas is the attitude with which we do. Tapas & Yagya - what is the difference? You deny yourself what you are normally used to - because of a higher knowledge driver /desires - either through restriction or extra effort. Atma - four amazing derivations of the word ap - yat apnoti iti atma - that which pervades ada - that which resolves itself  atti iti atma - that which experiences /chaitanyam satatam asti - that which exists always is atma pervader, resolver, experiencer, eternal - atma. bodha - objective knowledge of the subject. Without a thought (vritti) in the mind, we cannot have chaitanya jnanam.  Ashtanga yoga steps are dos /don'ts and other preparatory steps - but does not give Atma jnanam till we have knowledge. avidya - kama - karma are connected. Only other way to get moksha (other than jnanam) is to roll the akasha like a carpet! [Svet. U]: Impossible without atma jnanam. Life is not separate from attaining moksha..... mukti, moksha, nirvana, kaivalya - four stages Adi Sankara's five cardinal principles: 1. permanent happiness with lasting peace can happen ONLY through moksha 2. moksha can ONLY be through spiritual knowledge 3. spiritual knowledge (atma jnanam) ONLY through Systematic learning 4. Systematic learning is ONLY with a pure mind 5. To get pure mind has several paths - charity, iswara dhyanam, pranayama, karma yoga, bhakti etc.  Most of the work to be done is in step 5 - to purify the mind. Most of the humanity is at either step 5 or below step 5 - trying to get to step 5. Yagya, daana, tapah are never to be given up. keep saying GITA fast....it comes to TA GI....TYAGI - renouncer of desires. Who is a tyagi? vritti vyapti /phala vyapti - mind takes the shape of the object/ what is there has to be illumined by the light source. phala vyapti is not required for realizing brahman. Ganga (knowledge), Yamuna (Bhakti) will merge to Saraswati (underground - enveloping both).