BhagavadGita - Chapter # 2

 Today we discussed verses 15,16 and 17. 2/13/22

Here are some aspects that were discussed:

1. What happens after we die?

  After we die, it is not the soul that leaves the body - it is the subtle body that departs with all the vasanas. Pradeep made an excellent example - the subtle body is like a memory chip or external hard drive with everything that you stored. The body that we acquire is like a new computer. When you plug in the hard drive everything in the hard drive will be accessible and will influence you.

This is profoundly simple. Free will plays a huge role in shaping our destiny. It is up to us to store what is on the hard drive. Junk in the hard drive is the biggest impediment to our progress.

Brahman = Human body - Vasanas

There are not multiple steps between us and Brahman - there is only one

In essence, the summary of 15,16 and 17 is:

There is a difference between a Vira and Dhiraa. Vira is a valiant warrior, whereas dhira is not affected by pain and pleasure. The idea of pain and pleasure is an illusion and is caused when our senses interact with matter. Vira state is a prerequisite to attain the dhira state - as one has to experience the conflicts in life and tempered by them before realizing that one needs to develop detachment to manage them effectively. The dhira state is the prequalification to be liberated.

The 16th verse is very deep and profound and again reinforces the point that the soul is indestructible. Our physical body didn't exist before our birth and will not exist after we die. The soul always exists. 

The 17th verse extolls the virtues of Paramatma by using the word Avinashi meaning the Paramatma is indestructible, unlike the Jivatma.