The Heart of the Bhagavad Gita: The Key to Liberation – Finding Your True Purpose with Rukmini Chaitanya – September 2024

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The Heart of the Bhagavad Gita:
The Key to Liberation - Finding Your True Purpose

with Rukmini Chaitanya

12-WEEK LIVE ONLINE CERTIFICATION COURSE

September 17, 2024 – January 7, 2025, Tuesdays 3:00 – 4:30 pm ET

Become part of our spiritual community and infuse your life with greater meaning and purpose every day!

Join this 12-week course and take the opportunity to deepen your understanding of the timeless teachings of the Bhagavad Gita!

Participate in live gatherings for a joyful spiritual experience amongst like minded people from all over the world. Or watch the recordings at your own time and contact Rukmini Chaitanya at any time with your questions and thoughts. The course is approved by the Yoga Alliance for Continuing Education Units (CEUs). 

Join this upcoming course and tap into the timeless wisdom of the Gita’s final chapter.

The Bhagavad Gita (‘the Song of God’) is a spiritual dialogue between Lord Krishna and the warrior Arjuna, set on the battlefield of Kurukshetra. It teaches the paths of duty, devotion, and knowledge, emphasizing selfless action, inner peace, and the pursuit of spiritual liberation. The Gita offers timeless wisdom for living a righteous, purposeful life. It addresses fundamental questions about human purpose, ethical decision-making, and the pursuit of inner peace. The Gita’s teachings on selfless action, devotion, and the unity of all beings provide a roadmap for living a balanced and meaningful life. It transcends religious and cultural boundaries, offering universal wisdom relevant to people of all backgrounds. The Gita’s importance lies in its ability to inspire personal growth, moral integrity, and spiritual liberation, making it a cornerstone of spiritual literature.

Chapter 18 of the Bhagavad Gita, titled “Moksha-Sannyasa Yoga, teaches the importance of performing one’s duty without attachment, the true meaning of renunciation, and the paths to liberation through selfless action, devotion, and knowledge. Krishna emphasizes surrender to the Divine as the ultimate path to inner peace and spiritual freedom.

This vital concluding chapter of the Gita contains several key teachings that summarize and integrate the spiritual wisdom of the entire text.

 

“Abandoning all duties, take refuge in Me alone: I will liberate thee from all sins; grieve not.”

– The Bhagavad Gita, 17.16 

 

Here are the main teachings:

Renunciation and the Threefold Nature of Action: 

  • Sannyasa (Renunciation) and Tyaga (Renunciation of the Fruits of Action): Krishna distinguishes between these concepts, teaching that true renunciation is not the abandonment of action but performing one’s duty without attachment to the results.
  • Actions, knowledge, and the doer are categorized according to the three gunas (qualities): Sattva (goodness), Rajas (passion), and Tamas (ignorance).

Paths of Liberation (Moksha): 

  • Krishna emphasizes the significance of following one’s own Dharma, even if it seems imperfect, over performing another’s duty well. Fulfilling one’s responsibilities according to their nature leads to spiritual growth and contentment.

Paths of Liberation (Moksha): 

  • Krishna explains that liberation can be achieved through the paths of Karma Yoga (selfless action), Bhakti Yoga (devotion), and Jnana Yoga (knowledge). These paths help individuals transcend the cycle of birth and death.
  • Surrendering all actions to God with devotion leads to freedom from the bondage of karma and ultimate peace.

Surrender to the Divine: 

  • In his final instruction, Krishna advises Arjuna to abandon all forms of Dharma and take refuge in Him alone. This surrender to the Divine is the key to liberation, freeing one from all sins and leading to eternal peace.

Arjuna’s Resolve and Krishna’s Assurance:

  • After receiving Krishna’s teachings, Arjuna’s doubts are dispelled, and he decides to fulfill his duty as a warrior without attachment.
  • Krishna assures that wherever there is dedication to righteousness and divine guidance, there will be victory, prosperity, and morality.

Summary of the Gita’s Teachings:

  • Chapter 18 synthesizes the central themes of the Bhagavad Gita, reinforcing the importance of living according to one’s Dharma, performing selfless actions, cultivating devotion, and pursuing knowledge to achieve spiritual liberation.
 

These teachings provide a comprehensive guide for leading a life of purpose, devotion, and spiritual fulfillment, culminating in the realization of one’s true self and union with the Divine.

What You Will Learn in this Course:

Join Rukmini on a deep dive into this profound spiritual text and you’ll gain the following further insights…

The three main tenants of this course are 

Connect, Study, Practice.

In Sanskrit we call them: Satsanga (association with spiritual people and teachers), Swadhyaya (Self Study or study of scriptures), Sadhana (Spiritual Practice)

SATSANGA

 

During this 12 week course you will connect with…

  • Like-minded spiritual seekers from around the world.
  • An experienced teacher whose life is dedicated to spiritual study and practice.
  • An authentic living lineage of great yoga masters – Swami Sivananda, Swami Vishnudevananda, and Swami Swaroopananda. This lineage goes all the way back to the great 8th century saint Adi Shankaracharya. It goes back even further to Lord Narayana, the Supreme Being Himself.
  • Lord Krishna, the Divine Incarnation and the Jagad Guru (teacher of the whole world), who is the in-dweller of your heart.
  • The sacred dialogue between Lord Krishna and Arjuna, his beloved friend and disciple, the spiritual hero that represents all of us.

SWADHYAYA

 

During these 12 weeks, you will study from the Bhagavad Gita which is..

  • The Song of God (because that which you are can only be described in poetry, not in prose).
  • A revelation of the most profound, sublime, and soul-stirring spiritual truths.
  • The rare secret of Yoga, Vedanta, Bhakti and Karma.
  • Your great guide, supreme teacher, and the source of all wisdom.
  • An inexhaustible spiritual treasure, a fountain of bliss, and ocean of knowledge.

SADHANA

 

 

Classes will include short practices of… 

  • Meditation — calming the mind, watching the breath, focusing within. This helps cultivate a sense of inner peace.
  • Japa  silent repetition of Mantra, a sacred sound. This helps foster concentration.
  • Kirtan  Chanting the Divine Name either alone or in a communal environment with the accompaniment of musical instruments; this boosts your energy reserves, helping you stay alert, awake, and aware throughout your daily activities for longer and with more joy.
  • Students will be encouraged to practice Asana and Pranayama (yogic postures and breathing techniques) on their own time. You will also be asked to maintain a spiritual diary; you will have the option to share with Rukmini Chaitanya and receive spiritual guidance from her.

What people are saying about Rukmini Chaitanya…

"This was a great course. Rukmini Chaitanya is a great teacher. I was very impressed with her knowledge of Bhakti and her easy way of presenting it."
- Susan Bushe
"Rukmini was my yoga philosophy teacher, meditation instructor, and karma yoga supervisor for three months. I cannot say enough good things about her teachings and her worldview. Take the course. You owe it to yourself and to the world."
- Christopher Holvenstot
"Rukmini Chaitanya is so smart and so sweet and a very good teacher. I enjoyed myself very much."
- Jasmin Cromwell
"I have always wanted to understand the Gita and Rukmini made it so easy and fun to learn."
- Victoria Montanino Ortiz
"Rukmini Chaitanya is very knowledgeable and even if you don't know much about the topic, she will transmit her passion and engagement to you."
- Rita Rapella (Omkari)
"I found this Bhagavad Gita Course very interesting . I’ll recommend it everyone."
- María Prendes Rodríguez
"Beautiful clear teachings. Rukmini offers invaluable insights and nuances to the understanding of the Bhagavad Gita."
- Debica Sarkar

Additional Information:

Offered as 12 weekly sessions – Tuesday Sept 17, 24, Oct 8, 22, 29, Nov 5, 12, 19, 26, Dec 3, 10, 17 & Jan 7 from 3:00 – 4:30 pm ET This program is offered live through Zoom webinar with the availability for students to interact through Q&A with the presenter. For enrolled students, a video recording will be available after each class in the event you miss a class or would like to review the content. It is possible to register and take the course at any time. You can catch up on any classes you miss with the recordings.

Requirements and Recommendations:

Course Includes:

More praise for Rukmini Chaitanya…

“Rukmini Chaitanya presents online courses in a variety of areas, based on the sublime scriptures and monistic non-dual Vedanta tradition in a clear, consistent, uplifting and most important loving way. Highly recommended for seekers of all walks of life.”

– Menas C. Kafatos, Quantum Physicist, Philosopher, Writer

 

 

Rukmini Chaitanya

Rukmini Chaitanya is a senior staff member of the Sivananda Ashram Yoga Retreat Bahamas, and the personal assistant to Swami Swaroopananda, the Acharya, or spiritual director of the Ashram. She regularly teaches the Bhagavad Gita during the Sivananda Yoga Teacher training as well as other courses on the Bhagavad Gita, Vedanta, positive thinking, meditation, and yoga philosophy.

Rukmini Chaitanya is known for her enthusiastic and inspiring teaching style as well as for her devotion to the lineage and the scriptures. She is dedicated to each of her students and has an innate desire to share knowledge with them. She brings a great deal of clarity to every topic and is highly appreciated for her capacity to unfold complicated topics and present them in a coherent and pure way.

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