“Yoga is the separation from union with pain.”

—Krishna in the Bhagavad Gita

Why has the Bhagavad Gita been a wisdom-guide for so many people, for so many centuries? Because it really does tell us how to live a spiritual life in the world. In Krishna’s teaching to Arjuna there is a powerful transmission that meets you where we are and takes you to the next stage. That’s why we can study it again and again and find that it’s always relevant to our lives at this moment in time. The more you practice its teachings, the more you realize their power and truth, and the more they refine and open you.

Many of you who took Part One of this class shared your deep experience of the transmission that came through the text and the course itself. This second 6-week class takes us deeper, not only completing the teachings on the enlightened action, devotion, dharma, and surrender, but offering granular guidelines for examining the quality of your inner life, your motivations, and your relationship with spirit. Using the powerful commentaries of three enlightened teachers—Abhinavagupta, Aurobindo, and Jnaneshwar—we will examine the often koan-like words of Krishna to Arjuna in depth. We’ll meditate, discuss, contemplate. Above all, we’ll discover how to apply this transformative wisdom to ordinary situations.

Topics include:

• The real secret of navigating dark times
• Choosing a skillful action: Krishna’s infallible guide to doing the right thing at the right time.
• Surrender: the myths and the reality
• Combining the four great paths to Self-realization
• What is devotion, why does it matter, and how to awaken it in yourself
• Using the three Gunas to understand your own actions and the state of your mind
• The inner guru, guidance, and the discovery of discernment

Those who did not take Part I will be provided with the first lecture of the series to download and listen prior to the first call. In addition, they will need to have read at least through Chapter 9 in the Winthrop Sargeant translation, or in the translation that will be provided in the student area for Part II. If you would like to purchase the full Part I telecourse, please click here.

The course includes six 2-hour lectures in mp3 format, one Q&A session in mp3 format, guided meditation, and weekly guidance for personal practice.