Q: What is a Holistic vision?

Ans: Holistic vision is also called ‘helicopter view, or bird’s eye view’. If we sit inside the plane while on a runway, we can only see a very narrow stretch outside but when we fly high, we have a bigger picture. Similarly it is important to have a bigger picture of any situation before we make a decision. Every situation must be seen from a variety of perceptions. The world is different for a young child, for an adolescent and to an older person. Perception also changes based on generations, exposure and life’s experiences. Taking into consideration different viewpoints, helps us to make an objective, unbiased decision instead of one’s own opinion alone not only in spiritual but also in worldly life.

Q: What’s the nature of this Self?

Ans: Lord reveals the atma in verse 20

It existed in the past but is always new. Atma is not destroyed even when the body is destroyed. All the modifications that happen to the objects of this universe,but not on I the Self.

Q: What is Self, Atma or Consciousness?

Ans: Do you ever wonder any time, when you say, ‘my hand hurts, my legs are strong, my thoughts are positive’, who is that ‘my,me?’ Who am I?

When there is one hole in a balloon, the air escapes, Have you ever stopped to think how does the air goes in and out of something with nine holes? That’s our body. How is that possible? Can you create one such equipment? A newborn with all the systems functioning, with a thinking mind and an intellect that can make decisions?

That which enables your eyes open, that which triggers your hand to feed you, that which activates your legs to transport you, that which energises the mind to think thoughts, that which enables your intellect to make decisions is all due to that ‘presence’, without which none of these is possible. We can call it with any name.

Atma, Self, Consciousness, God, Lord, power are all the words describing the indescribable. These words are only sounds.

“I”, knower of the change, is seeing the change happening in this body, mind and the world outside. Since every ‘this’ is seen, heard, tasted, smelt or felt, the ‘I’ is different from all of them and therefore the seer, the witness of all actions, “I” is changeless.

“I” is…

Avinashi.. Indestructible: Eternal, ever existing. The five elements keep modifying.. The atoms and molecules keep changing whereas the Atman does not modify, it is Indestructible, pervades everything.

Idham and aham. ‘This’ and ‘That’.

‘Idham’ is all experiences, “aham” is the experiencer.

‘aham’ pervades all ‘idham’. You cannot experience the world without experiencing your Self.

There cannot be an experience without the subject. I see, I hear, I touch, I taste…

We cannot do any of these without ‘I’. Nothing can be known without ‘I’. A subject is required for experience of this world. So every experience of this world is due to “I” in all. “I” pervades this entire world.

Who is that ‘I?’ Because we associate with this body, it is very difficult to comprehend that ‘I’ pervade everything. For ex: The space inside the pot seems limited within the pot but in reality the space inside and outside, is the same in the world, universe, galaxy.

Avyayam: Atma cannot be destroyed. It is imperishable, there is no loss of diminishing value.

Destruction of the self is impossible. Even people who commit suicide do so only to the body, the atma is indestructible.

The nature of the body is to constantly change, constantly dance ultimately comes to an end, dismantled and disintegrated. The same materials goes to make some other body. This cycle goes on and on.

Aprameya… prameya is that which can be known through pramana, through some means of knowledge, an instrument or equipment. Color is seen by the eyes, music is heard through ears,. Eyes and ears are the means of knowledge,

That which is known is ‘prameya’

Pramata is the knower

Pramana is the instrument

Prameya.. That which is known

To know anything, we need an instrument but Atma is aprameya… cannot be known by any means of instrument..

If it is known, then you, the knower is different from the known.

Q: What are the means of any knowledge?

Ans: There are six modes of instrument, six means of knowledge that we use to know anything in this universe.

1. Thru Senses (prathyaksha praman)

2. Thru inference smoke reveals fire (Anuman praman)

3. Thru comparison, comparing the metals in Mars to what we know in earth (Upamanam)

4. Thru the words of a realized master (Sabhdha praman)

5. Thru studying the effect we understand the cause, like health ( Arthaa patthi ex:flood reveals that there was rain)

6. Thru unavailability, by knowing nothing is there, they know nothing is there. By negation in blood test negative for certain things (Un upalapthi)

All the scriptures are sabhdha praman (mode of sounds), those who have realized atma, are verbalising it to us. We cannot see it, we cannot infer it. we cannot compare it but only by the words of a realized master one can know atma then realized that we are atma, the true nature.

Sabhdha praman (what is verbalised) is not to gain the knowledge of the Self but to remove the misunderstanding of the Self. By the study of scriptures from a guru, all misunderstandings go away and self reveals itself. It is Self shining, (svayam prakashaham).

Ananda… It is happiness, not because of something.

Self is consciousness by itself not conscious of something!

Anadhi..with no beginning

Anantham with no end.

Nithyaha eternal, Atma is not born, it doesn’t die ever. There is no punarjanma, rebirth for atma. Atma doesn’t undergo reincarnation, Ajaha unborn.

Sashvataha unchanging,

Puranaha..pura api navam ancient yet new at all the time.

Q: Explain karma yoga

Ans: Karma is an action but karma Yoga is an attitude with which you do any karma.

Everything happens in space. Space doesn’t do anything, it does not trigger any action on any thing. But there is something that makes everything happen in space. All the planets are in space, rotating, revolving but the space isn’t doing anything.

Similarly everything is happening in that Self but the Self itself is not the doer.

The doing happens in the level of the body, in the level of the mind, because of the gunas. The ego is the doer, not the Self. like the vehicle moves because of the gas but the gas doesn’t take the car anywhere. The same atma is present in every being.

Asangaha… atma remains unattached..atma is not a ghost, it is not an object existing in this body, in between the eyebrow or in the heart. Atma doesn’t fly out when the body dies, like shown in movies!

It is all pervading.. It cannot move in space. Space also exists in THAT.

One who thinks I’m the doer of action or the action is done on me don’t know the Self. It remains untouched in all circumstances.

Q: What are the changes that happens to all bodies?

Ans: Before the physical body is born, it exists as a materiel in parent’s body. There is no “I” at that time.

That material foetus is born with a shape. grows, modifies, decay, die.

Every body undergoes six modifications: Asti, jaayathe, vardhathe, Veeparinamathe, apaksheeyathe, vinashyathi

Exists, born, grows, modifies, decays and dies.

Atma is untouched by time. It doesn’t get modified by time. For ex.. In a movie we see the little child grow into an adult and achieve lots of things, getting old, handing over to the next generation but the screen behind is the same. That doesn’t change a bit. Similarly atma does not experience any modification.

Q: What does it mean that Self is the witness in all?

Ans: When we see a mirage, we see water. We also see the movement of water but actually, there is no water at all. Similarly Self appears to be acting. Self is not the doer.

Also, the moon appears to be moving but when in reality, the clouds are moving. The moon is stationary. We superimpose the idea of the movement of the clouds on the moon.

Similarly, the actions are happening at the level of the body, the mind and outside the body. Atma, the pure Self, is not the doer of any action. In its very presence all actions happen through the body, mind and intellect, just like

the very presence of Sun all activities happen but the sun doesn’t perform any action. One who realizes this of Atma, is free of doership and enjoyership.

Another example would be electricity. In its presence various equipment functions but electricity by itself doesn’t have heat light or sound!

Self is pure presence.. Sat-Chit-Ananda.

Sat..pure existence. Any and all ‘it’ exits. Self doesn’t exist. It is existence itself.

Chit… It is pure consciousness. Because of “It”, we’re conscious of something.

Ananda… is Bliss.that cannot be described.

Q: What is life and death, different bodies, reincarnation?

Ans: This body is like a dress of the Self. As we change our outfit depending on the activities, wedding, party, exercise jogging, swimming so also Self changes the body for the functionality.

Dress has an effect on our mind. If gives confidence in sports clothes, race clothes, relaxation in walking clothes, professional mind and attitude in work clothes, humility in clothes that we wear to temples. Same with colors too.. Each color has an impact on our mind. Uniform of a military personnel, police and school uniforms have an impact in their mind.

When we change clothes, the body doesn’t undergo change. Similarly our physical body is only a dress, when it becomes ineffective, is dropped and a new body is taken.

We have a physical body inside which there is a subtle body with mind and intellect. Science has advanced in many many field but cannot show what’s life. What makes a matter tick? Our body is matter! What gives intelligence to those chemicals in the body, the hormones, the self healing?

How does an ant know where your sugar is? Not only that, it also communicates with other ants. How does it know to store for the rainy day?

How does the squirrel know there is a seed underneath the soil? How does the bunny know that greens are edible?

If I throw a stone up in the air, we know, due to gravity it will come back to the ground but when I release a bird, no one can tell where it will go! Because it is not just a matter but intelligence due to the presence.

There is a life with intelligence. It is not dull or inert. Life force is intelligence. The bacteria, the virus, germs, worms, the fish they all have intelligence in them and in all the “I” is present… Everything has something beyond matter.

When a person dies, the subtle body, (Sukshma Sarira) moves from this pot to a different pot. That subtle body gathers impressions and is carried forward to different life times.

Atma is not a ghost, the impressions don’t die when the body dies, they remain. That’s the individuality, personality. That personality creates another body.

We, create our own blueprint for the next birth with our thoughts, words and actions.

Like the chip in a phone. The chip is the personality of that phone. It had all the details, when your physical equipment dies, you can take out the chip into a different body! Even if the chip is lost, we still get the bill for payment. That bill is for the chip not the for the phone.

Similarly karma phala (consequences of actions) comes to the mind not to the body, whichever body we’re in, it will come.. Because karmas are performed by the mind… Body replicates it. Karmas are like boomerang, it will always come back to the one who initiated.

Mind and intellect with all the karmas of the past is not the supreme Self, it is functioning because of Self.

In Gita, Lord is removing that grief through knowledge. When one is sad, materials cannot remove that sadness. When a loved one is dead, anything that you give is not going to remove that sadness of a family member, you can’t get pizza, sweets or take them to a movie… grief cannot be removed by entertainment, pleasure, wealth or material objects. It can be suppressed for sometime but can be removed only by knowledge. Atma is indestructible.

For fifteen years I thought I was one of the two witnesses in a vision of grandeur that is typical of a person that suffers from Bipolar Disorder which I suffer from. Tonight as I was reading “An Insight Into Heaven” the compiled supernatural visions of Dr D.G.S Dhinakaran I read about how he met Elijah and Enoch in the third heaven and this is what they said.

From Dr Dhinakaran’s book An Insight Into Heaven I will quote from page 79 and 80.

“The very first time when I had the privilege of visiting the Third Heaven Jesus introduced the Old Testament Saints to me. I was indeed thunderstruck to see the physical frame of the prophet Elijah and Enoch. As the Scripture says, they both were taken to Heaven without seeing death(Genesis 5:24; Hebrews 11:5; 2 Kings 2:11) IN Heaven. The souls of all the departed Saints look as exactly as they looked in their physical frames in the world. However these two men of God have been in flash and blood for a long time in Heaven and hence their bodies look like shining gold in appearance. Their faces glittered like the face of Moses after he was with God for forty days in the mountain as described in Exodus 34:30,35.

While I was still with the Lord in the Third Heaven. Elijah asked the Lord a direct question. “Lord, has the time come for me to go back to the world?” Enoch too put a similar query. The Lord immediately said to both of them. “No not yet. Wait” As in Revelation 11:4, both Elijah and Enoch are to come back to the world to die as martyrs at the appointed time. (Revelation 11:7-8)”

The two witnesses are therefore Elijah and Enoch

Hebrews 9:27 says, And as it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment,

For the two witnesses they either have to be two ordinary men that are born on this earth and given supernatural powers, or if they are saints from the past, the only two men that didn’t die are Enoch and Elijah.

I have long held the belief that they will be Enoch and another person. I held this as I thought Jesus said Elijah had come in John the Baptist.

But tonight as I have read what Dr D Dhinakaran has seen in his vision, it seems that Elijah’s spirit may have been in John the Baptist, but Elijah the person has been in heaven for thousands of years in his mortal body.

I read from prophet Bill Hamon that the two witnesses would just come from heaven to earth in a day and I dismissed it. I assumed the two witnesses would be born like all humans are born, just like Jesus.

But they were born like humans were and grew up like humans and were taken by God into heaven in their bodies, therefore it is not unfeasible that they might also come back in a chariot as full grown men and come just for the 1260 days that they are to prophesy for.

Whatever your mind is saying, Dr Dhinakaran has cleared up the mystery for me. His book An Insight Into Heaven is well worth the money of purchase.

How do you define a ‘duty?’ How do I know what my duty is? Why should I do my duty?

Duty is that which must be performed. There’s no option to the doer, like a student has to study, human need to brush our teeth and keep us clean, parents taking care of kids and grown up adults caring for elderly parents.

When you don’t do what you’re supposed to do, you experience a guilt, ‘I should have done that’, that which is needed to be performed is your ‘duty’. That’s your innate alarm system cautioning you.

Often we choose to work that which we like and eliminate those that we do not like. That attitude makes us anxious as we work about the results of the action and then get agitated when we get the results. We might or might not get the results that are desired.

The same task when done as a duty, the doer is focused and efficient. He is also mentally calm during and after the task.

Gita says,’Do your Duty’, depending on our stages and position in life. This varies from person to person. Duty can also be defined as to assume the responsibility to do what we need to do. When a duty is performed with full enthusiasm and maximum effort, at the end of the day, one experiences a sense of fulfillment, contentment without any sort of guilt.

When we carry out our duties choiceless-ly and unconditionally with the right attitude, our mind is calm as we work and steady or equipoised with the results whether this is a joy or sorrow, positive or negative or in any dualistic way.

What is the difference between one’s ‘right’ and one’s ‘duty’?

Often times, people are aware of their rights but not their duties.

Swadharma, in Sanskrit has no corresponding word in English, it is often represented as ‘duty’.

Swadharma or ‘duty’ should always precede one’s rights. Duties must be done at all costs no questions asked.

When an individual performs one’s duty whether it is in a family or at work the benefit goes to all that are involved. If a few miss their duty, then the effect of not doing one’s duty will also affect everyone in the family or society.

For example, if we all follow the road rules, everyone is safe. So every driver’s duty is to follow the road rules. If few drivers skip their duty many other drivers could be injured, causing a chaos in the street..

Humans have duties based on one’s position and the role they play. A parent is responsible for the emotional, psychological, financial security of children. It is their duty, not a choice. Children have the duty to take care of parents when they’re old whatever maybe their situation.

So also it is everyone’s duty to vote, to choose the right leader for the benefit of their city, state and nation. When the wise, educated, knowledgeable group of people refrain from voting, it can be counterproductive to the society on the whole.

What’s the main theme of Bhagavad Gita?

Ignorance of the Self (thinking one is the transmigratory, with body and the mind) is the cause of every suffering. This misunderstanding can be removed only through the Self-knowledge with a surrendering attitude is the theme of Gita. First, we need to understand that we are ignorant, then we need to realize that we need help, and then develop a surrendering attitude. Only then the ignorance could be removed. As long we continue to believe that we are this body and/or/both the mind, we are in the karmic cycle of birth & death, samsara.

Gita says, “Your choice is only in action, never in the result”.

We humans have the choice to act, not act or act as one wishes, but the results are determined by the law of nature. We can give any number of examples from our daily lives.

We can sow the seeds but whether the crops will come is based on many factors. When the results are not in our hands, it is vital we do it right with full concentration and commitment at its best.

An arrow shot, left the bow, is beyond our control. We can choose the path before we send it. Once it is oit of our hands, we have no control over it. Similarly every action we perform has a consequence which we are not and cannot be aware of the outcome. It is important therefore to think objectively and do our duty without fail.

Not doing an action also bears consequences. Therefore, recognize that we have the choice to either do it or not do it or do it in a different way.

The wise person is simply motivated by the joy of what needs to be done, at every moment and the joy of doing that, which, must be done. The wise does not worry or anxious about the process or the result and is not agitated at the outcome of the action.

The wise stay focused, complete the work with focused attention, with best possible effort for complete satisfaction. This helps the person experience the joy of improving oneself through selfless actions, which are not desired prompted.

Explain how karma-yoga attitude can make us fit for worldly pursuits leading to higher pursuits.

Efficiency is when a task is done systematically in an orderly fashion, with limited resources, within a short period of time, to get maximum output but even the negatively motivated actions could also be that precise. for ex: a robber or a murderer does them also in a very efficient manner without being caught.

All desire prompted actions bring about results. These results form deeper impressions, also called vasanas. These impressions give rise to more desires, leading to more actions, producing more impressions and these impressions in turn create desires. This is a cyclical process and the individual is caught in this cycle. This cycle is called bondage of action that prevents one to go in for higher pursuits. When an action is performed efficiently with a selfless attitude, then it is yoga.

In chapter 2, “karmani eva adhikarah te ma phaleshu…” is a very important verse to reiterate and retain. We all have the right only to do the action. We should not be inactive, as beings cannot be inactive. We, humans need to constantly do meaningful activities. Action by itself will not bind one but the anxiety and worry over the results of the action is what binds us. Normally humans work to earn power, authority, higher salary, fame, awards and recognition.

These are desire prompted actions. They will cause stress, tension as we work and we either get elated or dejected depending on the results of the actions. This never stops. A student is stressed to get highest grade, then he is stressed to get admission in a college, again stressed, then stressed to get a job, and on and on…

When the action is performed as karma yoga, ie. without any attachment or expectation of the results of action, that person develops a pure mind. Such a person performs all actions without any likes & dislikes and accepts the results as Iswara prasadam. This equanimity in the results of the action is yoga. he is unperturbed by the worldly transactions.

Karma yoga is a selfless attitude with which the actions are performed. It is important to have ambitions and set goals to bring out our full potential but at the same time, we must focus on doing our best and accept whatever result that is derived. In doing so, the mind is calm, focused on the process without agitation for the results leading for higher pursuits.

Who is a realized master? What are the characteristics of such a master and how does such a person interacts with the world?

Generally people are fascinated by the objects around them based on the age, exposure and their stage in life from toys to cars, houses and a variety of things. When a toddler is asked what would you want, one would ask for balloons, then as the individual grows it changes to a cycle to a motorbike to a car.

We operate on the pretext that objects, other people make us happier. Therefore everyone is looking for happiness outside of oneself, in objects or in other people.

But a realized person knows that the happiness lies within oneself. His happiness does not depend on anything outside of himself. He cannot be lured by the external objects or by people around. He is fully contented, fulfilled from within.

This realized person is compared to an ocean which is ever full and doesn’t make any difference when a river flows into it or have stopped flowing to it. He is full, contented with or without any of the external worldly things or people around. Situations do not affect him. Such a person does not associate himself with anything, therefore is a witness of everything around him, including his body.

Explain how Gita describes ‘How to live as a human’. What qualifies one as human? How can one avoid sliding down from being human?

The game ‘snakes & ladder’ is an example of the cycle of going up & down. Playing this game helps us recognize to choose our path in life.

We can prevent our fall from our civilized human stature by taking some conscious steps in our thoughts, words and behavior.

Remaining in a state with a firm knowledge that happiness is within us and not in external objects or people.

Keeping ourselves busy by performing our duties & meaningful activities and not go after material objects. This is Arpana Bhudhi (sacrificing attitude)

Increasing desires that take us to the higher Self than desiring for the temporary objects, actions, results & goals.

Accept life AS IS. Understanding that not all our desires will always be fulfilled. This is ‘prasada buddhi’ (accepting what ‘IS’ attitude).

Refrain from saying words, taking action when emotional, sad, guilt or angry. In fact managing the thoughts is ideal. This is possible only when we think of the higher power and accept the fact that our experiences are due to our own actions.

Reading scriptures and attending satsangs would be healthy.

What prevents us from experiencing peace? How to manage the flow of thoughts? What are the benefits?

When we toss a tiny rock in a lake, the ripples disturbs the lake. So also, we are always in peace until the thoughts cause those ripples, agitations in the mind. That’s why meditation or prayer is recommended early in the morning when we wake up, for, at that time we have not yet experienced any contact with the external world, the mind is at peace.

During the entire day we interact in this transactional world and experience different emotions and the mind is unfit to do meditation at the end of the day, with anxiety and agitations due to day’s experiences.

The effort should be not to disturb the peace that already exists.

The below mentioned four prevents us from experiencing peace.

Ego ~ Ahamkara – the “I” thought causes disturbance. The moment we think ‘I am the doer, speaker’ then we also think “I am not happy, I am restless’ when the desired results are not achieved. The better attitude would be to think that ‘I am only a custodian, caretaker’ and you tend to do your best to serve your master and the result does not affect you and retains the peace within.

My-ness ~ mamata – Again, if you are the custodian then nothing is yours. The thought that we own the objects or the people causes agitation resulting in the fear of losing them, angry when we lose them. Loss is inevitable as they all are temporary in existence. The famous philosopher Kahlil Gibran quotes, “Children are not born to you but born through you”. Our scriptures ask us to be like a droplet, on the lotus leaf that doesn’t wet the leaf, recognizing ourselves to be a part of the world, yet apart from it..

Desire ~ kamana – We see many things as we go through the day and not everything really influences us. But when we try to recall that one object or person that was attractive to us,we keep thinking about it again and again, and develop an attachment. This attachment leads to the thought, ‘I must possess it’. That’s the desire. Interacting is not a problem but recalling often is like a quicksand, it can take us deeper into it thus causing agitation in the mind.

Cravings- This is the longing, yearning for the desired object or person, re-living the past experiences and dreaming or expecting future pleasures. This is the result of desire.

Self knowledge destroys the false ego that we all possess. Even though we claim as doctors, CEOs, Managers and Directors, all these are of the body, mind equipment. Each of us is the witness of these equipment and everything around.

Once the ego is removed then all that is leaning on that ego also disappears. Gita suggests that we should reduce the ‘my-ness’, desires and cravings thereby experience total peace.

What is the ‘ladder of Fall’, ‘sliding slope’ as mentioned in Gita?

Brooding or pondering causes attachment ~ (dhyayato visayan pumsah sangah) Sanga, attachment – is the link, attachment is caused by thinking over and over again about a particular object or a person. Sri Krishna describes as ‘anudharshanam’. In this transactional world, nothing sticks to our mind unless we try to retrieve them, like them to own them. Such an mental thought causes sanga, attachment..

Attachment gives rise to desire (sangat sanjayate kamaha) ~ Such pondering, ruminating thoughts, attachment to any object deepens intense desires to possess them thus prohibiting one to focus on other thoughts & actions..

Desires causes agitation & anger ~ (kamad krodo bhijayate) ~ The desire to possess the object causes agitation and anger when the object is not attainable. More the desires, more the agitation. This agitated, frustrated mind leads to anger.

Anger causes delusion (krodhad bhavati sammohah) ~ The mind thinks thoughts but the intellect makes decisions. When the mind is in a state of anger, it tries to convince the intellect that what it pursues is the right thing and the intellect gets confused and loses it capability to differentiate between the right and wrong thus unable to make any decision. It simply gets influenced by the thoughts of the mind. Then the rational thinking is not possible resulting in people raising their voice, shout, yell and talk absurd. The intellect is bypassed, rational thinking is put on hold and emotion takes over.

Delusion makes us forget our past knowledge (sammohat smriti vibhramah) ~ We all possess the wisdom of all our knowledge and experiences. For example when the computer is frozen, we are unable to access our data & images, so also, when the intellect is frozen, all the knowledge & wisdom that we gained over our lifetime in the past years becomes inaccessible. Even though we know some things are wrong, we tend to do them anyway because at that time the mind has taken over the intellect and we are engulfed in delusion, moha.

When the past knowledge is forgotten, the intellect is destroyed (smrti brahmasad buddhi nasah) ~ Intellect’s responsibility is to be able to sort, analyze, compare, comprehend and decide. When such an intellect is neither able to do these with the current information nor retrieve knowledge from the past experiences, it is crashed and completely shuts down.

A destroyed intellect destroys the individual (buddhinasat pranasyati) ~ Humans are far superior to all other species mainly because of this discriminative faculty of the intellect. We are able to identify the right from wrong, good from bad and have this ability to choose our thoughts, words & actions. Once this important faculty is destroyed, we act on instinct & not intellect. That’s the total destruction of a human being. To be born as a human is very very rare and to lose the opportunity for higher pursuits is the ladder of fall…

We can avoid this fall by managing our flow of thoughts, directing the mind to the higher level towards the Self knowledge.

What’s the essence of chapter four in Bhagavad Gita?

To start with, action is very important and inaction is not advised. Continue to act and act with a worshipping attitude (Iswara – arpanam) and not worry or be anxious about the results of actions. Focus on the process than results.

Do your duty with a selfless attitude (karma yoga attitude) without expecting anything in return in whatever hat you wear. That way you’re not anxious or agitated, and you also experience the joy of doing whatever you do, thus experiencing peace from within.

Perform your duty with selfless attitude and surrendering the results of actions to the Lord until they become your second nature. Do them because they need to be done, not for external rewards or self promotion or recognition. Human birth by itself is a rare opportunity to minimize the bondage and rebirths.

Practice silence to minimize the activities through your senses (dhamaha) except when needed in this transactional world. Watch your thoughts (Kshamaha) and make sure that you always take the higher road and be diligent to avoid the ladder of fall. You have the ability to choose your path, by living a conscious life, stay focused on the higher path, surrender, and live in peace.

Develop the ‘daiva drishti’, ‘divine vision’ to see the divinity in all creatures, be kind, compassionate and dutiful..

Recognize that you’re complete whole, devoid of anything less and using this transmigratory body to stay steady in ‘Self knowledge’ via satsang through the scriptural readings, and teachings

What is the attitude of a sincere seeker?

We are comfortable in our own home compared to someone else’s home. Why? Because of a sense of belonging, known surrounding and known faces.

Similarly, this entire universe is one BIG home, the home of the supreme. God’s home is ‘Sri nivas’, Nivas is home, the entire existence is His home and He is in everything here. How can we not be comfortable with Him around all the time with us? He resides as the Self in all and all reside in Him, He is the substratum of all. He alone is the refuge and resting place of all.

When the devotee sees only God in everything and everywhere, without duality, then there is no negative experience. When everything and everyone is known, makes the whole world comfortable and one feels at home.

God is the eternal seed, (Beejam) the source of the entire existence, A normal seed would destroy itself to become a tree where as He is indestructible. He is the warehouse to provide for every need and to every existence. He also a storage for all the consequences of or actions, papa and punya. He is everyone’s needs provider, a sustainer, a mentor, a playmate and a lover. When we operate with such an attitude, we definitely feel at home with no agitation or stress. He is the karta and bogta. No one need to feel lonely even when we live alone.

All we need to do is remember Him, call out for Him. He is with us all the time. He appears to His true devotees in human form.

God alone is directing us from within as our consciousness, (adhyatma), from our surroundings, (Adhibuta) through circumstances and from nature around, (adhidaivika) light, heat and rain.

He alone appears as death and immortality, the relatively changing and the changeless worlds. He alone is the gross and subtle world and the unmanifested potential (prakrti) behind the world.

His presence alone IS at all the times and all around us and within us. So why fear? The bhava, the attitude with which we live makes a big difference on how we live.

Why is Self-knowledge, referred as ‘raja-vidhya, the king’ amongst all knowledges?

Sri Krishna in this chapter says Self knowledge is the Raja Vidhya, meaning the King of all knowledge.

Self knowledge is one without a second. There are plenty of objects in this world and a plethora of information about them. We can know about the particles, atoms, molecules, cell biology, astronomy, astrology, biometrics and you name it. We learn about all diseases, their symptoms, cause, and treatments… There is a whole lot of information on animals, plants, planets and weather but all these are known by the mind. This mind, which is powerful, creative, imaginative, logical, analytical, critical and synergistic is nothing but inert and is activated by the ‘Self’ in the body.

The Self is the illuminator as well as the substratum of the mind. Without the presence of this divine Self, the mind cannot function. I, the ‘Self’, is the foundation of all knowledge. Without knowing this Self, all the information gained about this universe is all nothing but our perception. It would change with each mind. That’s how all the scientific truths and evidences keep on evolving.

All these knowledge/information that we acquire have an end, therefore are temporary. They can help us in getting worldly accomplishments, which are also temporary. These also accumulate both merits and demerits (punya) and demerits (papa).

Self knowledge alone can help us eliminate both merits (papa) and demerits (punya), gain peace and contentment, thus enabling us to get out of this samsara forever. The one with Self knowledge becomes totally independent in this world of samsara.

Self knowledge is the highest and best, easy and effortless. Because knowing of anything and everything, whatever we learn or know, is only through the mind. This mind has its own limitation and is activated by the presence of Self alone and is incapacitated without the presence of Self. The Self is the substratum of the mind. Self is beyond the mind. For ex..we use a flashlight in the dark but the same flashlight will not, cannot help us see the battery in it. Recognized knowledges can give us temporary satisfaction in life whereas the Self knowledge, puts an end to all our sorrows and we gain instant supreme Bliss.

This Self knowledge integrates the entire universe. Knowing the Self, who is the knower of all, is the true knowledge. Self knowledge puts an end to all our sorrows and gives supreme bliss.

This knowledge cannot be taught or learned like other knowledge. This is the only knowledge that can only be directly experienced by the seeker. The seeker do not need to do anything or go anywhere but just ‘be’ his true Self and therefore is easy and effortless. The Self is eternal, the Self knowledge is eternal and results of the Self knowledge is also eternal unlike any other knowledge which keeps on evolving and thereby tend to become obsolete.

Describe the Creations and Dissolutions

The. entire cosmos, planets and all the beings of this universe are created, sustained and dissolved by the avyakta maya which is bound by the divine almighty.

GOD represents Generator, Operator, Dissolver. Some say destroyer but destroying something simply means that it cannot be recreated. Therefore the right usage of the term here would be dissolver.

This dissolution is of four types:

(1) Nitya Pralaya

(2) Naimittika Pralaya

(3) Maha Pralaya

(4) Aatyantika Pralaya.

Nitya Pralaya: This depicts that change is the only one that is constant. There is a continuous flow of change, the thoughts change, actions change, seasons change, the cells in the being’s body change, thus transforming to a new form. Also, each day we create our own world of likes and dislikes, pain and pleasure and finally at the end of the day dissolve them all in sleep. We are totally unaware of any of these when we are in deep sleep. This happens everyday by each one of us. That’s why it us called Nithya (daily) pralayam (dissolution).

Naimittika Pralaya: This is the end of a single day of Brahma. In Vedic philosophy, it is mentioned that there are four yugas, namely, Krita Yuga, Treta Yuga, Dvapara Yuga, and Kali Yuga. All these four yugas together is called a chatur yuga, which means “four epochs”, also termed one maha yuga.

Together one chatur yuga (4 yugas) constitutes 4,320,000 human years and the lengths of each chatur yuga follow a ratio of (4:3:2:1:).

Thus,

Krita-yuga–1,728,000 years

Treta-yuga–1,296,000 years

Dvapara-yuga–864,000 years

Kali-yuga–432,000 years

1 chatur yuga (mahayuga)–4,320,000 human years

In this cyclic process of time, 1000 chaturyuga or mahayuga period is called a Kalpa, and period of time is equal to a daytime for the Brahma, the creator of the universe.

A two thousand chaturyuga-s are said to be one day and night of Brahman (the creator). Each Kalpa,

1000 chatur yuga (mahayuga)

1 day and 1 night of Brahman = 2 kalpas

At the beginning of creation begins the day of creation. At the end of that goes back all of the creation of the Absolute.

This is a Kalpa a cosmic cycle of creation and dissolution is Naimittika pralayam.

Maha Pralaya: is the great deluge at the end of the age of one each Brahma, which consists of 100 Brahmic Years (365 Times 2,000 ChaturYugas)

The entire universe goes into the unmanifested, avyakta form and emerges again. This is beeja Avastha and all the merits and demerits earned are also frozen only to come back from the same point to each being.

Aatyantika Pralaya: is the final deliverance or the attainment of Salvation by a Jivan and after that the Jivan is never again in the clutches of Karma nor bound by the tight ropes of Samsara.

The individual jiva is born and dies, again and again in different forms and different places life after life. Once he realizes his true nature, he puts an end to this cycle. For such a realized master the Self alone exists and the entire world dissolves and ceases to be. The entire creation, sustenance and dissolution is only an appearance of the true atman.

What is GOD? Could you describe GOD?

GOD is acronym. Generator, Operator, Dissolver. There’s only One, without a second! He alone IS, without any attributes, indescribable.

In this chapter, Sri Krishna is describing three different types of people & their mode of worship.

1, The general belief is that the Lord is the creator of the Universe/Jagat, just like the pot maker making the pots. They believe that the GOD is the instrumental cause of this entire creation. They also believe that God is up somewhere and making us go through our lives with all sorts of sorrow. It is all His Game. These are dvaithis.

2. The next group of people believe that the entire universe is His body. There is only one God but He is in the form of the entire cosmos. These are called Visishta advaitins as there is no duality in their belief and different from the first one. This belief is like a tree (Advaita view), branches, leaves, fruits and flowers are part of the same tree (Visishta view). These are called Visishta advaitas.

3. The third group or religion believe in only in the entire universe. They believe everything in nature is God and there is none other than nature. These are called ‘Sunyavadhis’.

4. The fourth group is called Siddantha and they are different from the first three groups. The first three groups are called ‘Purva meemsa’. Their thoughts are entirely opposite of ‘Siddanthis’. These are called ‘Advaithis’.

Advaithis believe that there is only one God and the entire universe is only an appearance. ‘Sathya/Mithya sambhandam’, ‘True/False relationship’. The entire universe is only an appearance of the Truth and does not have independent existence.

Advaithis deny the first three group’s theory. Here is why.

In the first group there is both the creator and the creation, meaning two entities. God is only One. If there are two, then God cannot be called as ‘poornam’, ‘complete or Sarva shaktiman’, and ‘infinite’. For He is just One, without a second.

In the second, Visishta advaitas, the entire universe is not separate but like one’s body. Advathis deny this as well, for any and all samsaras of this jagat, becomes God’s attribute but God is avyakta and therefore is not acceptable.

The third group where ‘Eva Isvaran’, God is none other than nature, is also denied because Lord is anithyam, asukam whereas the universe is full of duality, with merits/demerits, pain and pleasure.

God is in all – The popular example is ‘Vedanta Sarpaha’ on a rope. When we see a ten feet rope in a dark alley at dusk, often we mistake it for a ten feet snake. The snake exists in mind though not physically and It creates the emotion of fear that we experience it.

The snake is not Asat (non existent), for it exists in the mind. The snake is an appearance on the existing rope. We cannot deny its existence for that creates the emotion of fear. That is called ‘mithya’, an appearance of existence, just like a mirage. It is neither Sat (existing in all three states) nor Asat, (non-existence).

Similarly, the entire universe is an appearance of the Divine. ‘Brahma Sathyam,, Jagat Mithya’. The entire universe from Saguna Brahman to all beings, plants, animals, planets, seasons and everything that we experience through our senses is all an appearance of that Nirguna Brahman.

Nirguna Brahman is the father, mother, sustainer of all, is the means to know God (Vedas), the means to worship (Om), and the goal to be reached (vedantic).

Brahman is both destination and the one who accelerates our progress to the destination.

GOD is the supporter, the sakshi, witness, nivasa, refuge, a friend, He is the Origin and Dissolution, the immutable seed. He is the heat and the rain. He is both the existence & non existence. He is the immortality and death. That’s why Bhishmacharya welcomed Him as death. He is the illuminator of the change itself in the changeless world.

He sees all and knows all as the objective illumination of all our actions, being the witness consciousness in each of us (Saksi), substratum in all, nivasa. Without His signature no action gets validated.

He is the essence in all. The essence of the clay pots is clay, even though we may call the objects as flower vase, a flowering pot or a tea cup. The essence of the waves in a ocean is water. There is no additional substance in them. The pots and the waves are mithya, they’re only appearance, expressions with name and form but not different from source.

Similarly the ‘Essence’, substratum of this entire universe is God. He is Nirguna Brahman, One, appearing as many. He alone IS.

Is God separate from the creation?

Verse 4, second line and verse 5 first line explains this.

Lord confirms his relation-less relationship with creation with the following statements…

1. I pervade this entire world in My unmanifest form.

2. The whole world and all beings exists in me

3. I’m not in them

4. They are not in me.

1. I pervade the entire world in My unmanifest form: God is the ultimate cause of this world. World is the effect. The cause pervades in the effect. The effect exists in the cause.

For ex: When clay pots are made, all the pots have clay, they have no separate identities. We can create ten pots with ten different shapes and sizes but they are not ten entities. The essence in all the pots is the same one entity clay. Similarly He is the cause and pervades the entire world. Gold ornaments and ocean and waves are also other examples used in Upanishads.

1. The whole world and all beings exists in me: In Vedanta, all than be experiences as ‘this’, whatever can be objectified is called the ‘world’. All theories, concepts, laws, phenomena, matter, energy, things, senses, emotions, beings could be objectified as ‘this’. Therefore they all constitute as world. Only thing that cannot be objectified as this is ‘I’, the knower of this world. Also all that is born are subject to death and a life in between, the only changeless factor in this world is ‘I’, present in all three states (waking, dream & deep sleep)(Jagruti, Swapna, Nidra) is the substratum of all changes. The world exists in ‘I’.

In the clay pot example, when these pots are dismantled, broken clay alone remains. The clay is present before the pot was made, in the pot and when the pot is broken. Therefore the pots exists in clay.

1. I’m not in them: I pervade all that is ‘this’ existence. This computer ‘is’, this body ‘is’, this finger ‘is’. All ‘this’ exists in the ‘I’. Without the ‘I’ there are no ‘this’.

At the same time this ‘I’ is independent of ‘this’. I is a witness to ‘this’. In deep sleep state the ‘I’ exists, for it was the witness of the one who slept. So we say, ‘I slept well’ when we wake up. Therefore the ‘I’ is not located in the world. The world is located in the ‘I’.

The third statement means that the pots are dependent on clay in the example. The pots cannot exist without clay. The pots are dependent on the clay while the clay has an independent existence. Similarly, the entire universe cannot exist without the presence of ‘I’ and ‘I’ is independent of this universe. Everything in this universe is nothing but Nama, Rupa alone and are dependent on the ‘I’.

1. They are not in me: The entire world exists because of God. God pervades the entire world but God is independent of the world. World is dependent on God, therefore it has no existence at all and therefore in God there is no world.

The fourth statement seems contradictory to the second one. This is the extension of statement 3. Lord, from the Nirguna Brahman perspective addresses that, ‘If they are dependent on me, then they don’t have an existence of their own. In that case, they are NOT in me’. They are all nothing but expressions, appearance like a mirage.

A good day-to-day example would be when we see our own shadow, the shadow exists because of our body. It has no independent existence, from its perspective. It is dependent on the body.

From Him alone we are born, in Him we exist, and into Him we merge back. He is the eternal seed. This explains the relation-less relation between the God and the creation. This might trigger a question then, ‘For a relation to be, we need two entities, how is relationless relation possible when there is only One?’

The response to this would be when we look in the mirror do we see a second person? Do we order two coffee for both? What relation do we have with the person that we see in the mirror? A reflection of the one that exists, which is Satya,Truth to the appearing reflection, mithya, a false appearance. That’s the relationship between the Nirguna Brahman and the world.

Advaita is the only phenomenal response to explain the One existence.

Understanding Apostolic Spheres

It has always been my ambition to preach the gospel where Christ was not known, so that I would not be building on someone else’s foundation. (Romans 15:20)

The apostle Paul talks about “spheres” in his epistle to the Corinthians. The word sphere comes from the Greek word kanon meaning “a boundary or place of activity.” This is the same Greek word where we get our word for canon meaning “a reed or rule to measure something”, much like the criteria used to canonize the Scriptures to determine biblical authenticity and authority. A sphere is a place of activity where you:

• labor or minister to produce lasting fruit.

• have respect and influence.

• exercise spiritual authority.

• have dominion to bring about change and transformation.

For instance, Paul’s apostolic spheres included:

a.) People (Groups) – Gentiles and their kings, and the Jews in Israel (Acts 9:15). He later defined himself more as an apostle to the Gentiles, although he ministered to the Jews quite frequently.

b.) Places (Geography) – Paul’s spheres included areas of geography in Asia Minor (Modern day Turkey), Macedonia, Achaia, Rome and maybe Spain. Paul saturated a large portion of geography with the gospel message.

c.) Personal (Governing Self) – The most important sphere is yourself, which includes your mind, will and emotions. This sphere also includes your calling, gifts and abilities. We cannot enlarge our other two spheres without enlarging our personal sphere since this one dictates the other two. Paul talked frequently about mastering his flesh and subjecting it to God’s will.

Apostles of Another Kind

There are different types of apostolic spheres. For instance, Dr. C. Peter Wagner has identified the workplace as a sphere of activity where apostles function. In his book, The Church in the Workplace, Wagner calls them extended-church apostles. This breed of apostles is a dominant force in the marketplace, which according to Wagner, includes the spheres of the family, religion, business, government, education and the arts and media. For example, a workplace apostle is one who has a kingdom mindset to partner and strategize with the church apostle for city transformation.

Our Founding Fathers were apostles who occupied and dominated in the sphere of government. They were ordinary, law-abiding citizens who emerged as apostles in the political realm at a particular place and time in history to pioneer and establish God’s purposes for a new and free society that would be known as the United States of America. The Founding Fathers were apostles because they rose up in a time that demanded their abilities and talents and they used their gifts to forge a new constitutional government through a time of civil unrest, fear, economic hardships and persecution. They won a general consensus from the cantankerous colonists who banded together to forge a sovereign and free nation. They would do this with great sacrifice to their lives, property and wealth.

The Founders understood and used biblical principles as their guiding philosophy to steer them in their decision-making processes. For instance, the Declaration of Independence states that, “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.” The Founder’s understood that a constitutional government was essential to protect our God-given freedoms, like the freedom of religion. These political apostles had the ability to take an unstable government and pioneer a new free system and birth a paradigm that has existed for over 230 years. Collectively they had the ability to see and define the blueprints for their posterity something that apostles seem to do. Today, we live under their influence and are known as the greatest nation in history.

We, however, will not boast beyond measure, but within the limits of the sphere, which God appointed us-a sphere which especially includes you. For we are not overextending ourselves (as though our authority did not extend to you), for it was to you that we came with the gospel of Christ; not boasting of things beyond measure, that is, in other men’s labors, but having hope, that as your faith is increased, we shall be greatly enlarged by you in our sphere, to preach the gospel in the regions beyond you, and not to boast in another man’s sphere of accomplishment. (2 Corinthians 10:13-16)

It is important that apostles recognize and respect other legitimate apostolic spheres. For instance, in our network one of our apostolic friends is Dr. James Marocco, the senior pastor of Kings Cathedral in Maui, Hawaii. His apostolic sphere includes the Pacific Rim where he has two Cathedrals and over forty church extensions ranging from his home base in Hawaii to Japan, the Philippines, Alaska, French Polynesia, Chile and other places in or around the Pacific Rim. My pastor, Paul Goulet, who has been recognized as an apostle by C. Peter Wagner’s apostolic network, is a personal friend of Dr. James Marocco. They recognize and respect each other’s apostolic spheres of ministry and will not plant churches within their Canosphere (the apostle’s canopy authority over a region) unless they have come to a common consensus and strategy to work together.

This respect is evident in Acts 16:7 where Paul was forbidden by the Holy Spirit to venture into Bithynia, a sphere where the apostle Peter had a work in process or would later on in his ministry (1 Peter 1:1). Although the list in 1 Peter 1:1 has overlapping geographical spheres where the apostle Paul and Peter had both labored, they acknowledged and respected each other’s work (Galatians 2:8). A work within a sphere is permitted if the two apostles of different networks, like Peter and Paul, are in relationship with each other, and when their work is different. Although there were some overlapping geographical locations between Peter and Paul, Peter’s sphere was mainly to reach the Jews while Paul’s concentration was to the Gentiles and their kings.

Enlarging Apostolic Spheres

He was accompanied by Sopater son of Pyrrhus from Berea, Aristarchus and Secundus from Thessalonica, Gaius from Derbe, Timothy also, and Tychicus and Trophimus from the province of Asia. These men went on ahead and waited for us at Troas. (Acts 20:4-5)

When you develop apostolic associations or relationships you are enlarging your sphere of influence and ensuring the ongoing supervision and success of God’s agenda. Paul’s network included key leaders from three regions: Galatia, Macedonia and Asia. These areas were provinces or regions where the apostle Paul labored in his missionary journeys. In these three journeys alone he established ministerial relationships. They were:

Galatia – First Missionary Journey

•Derbe: Gaius and Timothy

Macedonia – Second Missionary Journey

• Troas: Luke (See the use of “us” or “we” in Acts 16, referring to Luke the author of Acts and others on the team.)

• Berea: Sopater

• Thessalonica: Aristarchus and Secundus

Asia – Third Missionary Journey

• Ephesus: Tychicus and Trophimus, Greek Christians (Acts 21:29)

We have to ask ourselves, what was Paul doing with this group of people during his third missionary journey? What was the purpose of this gathering? We need to remember that the Holy Spirit would warn Paul about the hardships facing him in Jerusalem (20:23). Later this was confirmed when Paul was tipped off by the Prophet Agabus that he would be bound and imprisoned by the Jews living in Jerusalem (Acts 21:11). Apparently Paul sensed a need to meet with his apostolic network to form a future strategy for the churches in these three spheres. Paul, a key strategist, was probably giving final instructions to his leaders who were apostolic overseers in those areas. Paul was ensuring that his spheres were going to be supervised properly and enlarged by these men.

In summation, we enlarge our sphere of ministry by expanding our spiritual authority and anointing by:

• growing deeper intimacy with God.

• growing in our anointing.

• exercising our authority.

• enforcing that authority to bring about change.

• subduing the works of darkness and establishing God’s works in its place.

• developing new relationships and improving old ones.

• influencing these relationships to partner with us.

Identifying Your Sphere

There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit. There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord. There are different kinds of working, but the same God works all of them in all men. (1 Corinthians 12:4-6)

You maybe asking, how do I identify my spiritual sphere of influence? You will need to identify and understand three things about your life. They are your:

• Presents: “Different kinds of gifts.” (1 Corinthians 12:4)

• Placement: “Different kinds of service.” (1 Corinthians 12:5)

• Passion: “Different kinds of working.” (1 Corinthians 12:6)

This passage shows us three distinct areas that are instrumental for identifying our sphere. Your sphere will likely include a blend of all three areas. First, let’s start with your spiritual gifts:

a.) Presents: “Different kinds of gifts.”

The Greek word for gifts is the word charis where we get the word charisma. We all have the potential to display a spiritual charisma to those we minister to by using our spiritual gifts. We just need to identify, understand and use our cluster of spiritual gifts. You can find your gifts by taking an assessment on the internet by googling “spiritual gifts.” At the writing of this book I retook Dr. Wagner’s spiritual gift’s assessment. I discovered that my three dominant gifts are:

• Knowledge

• Administration

• Teaching

My three subordinate gifts are (See the right hemisphere of the Apostolic Canopy):

• Apostle

• Wisdom

• Prophecy

If you take a closer look at my gifts you will see that I possess three out of the five gifts listed in Ephesians 4:11. I have the potential to operate from the right hemisphere of the Apostolic Canopy paradigm. If I develop these gifts over time I can grow into and function in the fivefold offices of teacher, apostle and prophet. The primary purpose of spiritual gifts is to edify and strengthen the body of Christ. Your spiritual gifts will edify and strengthen those that receive the ministry of your gift. There is a secondary effect and benefit that happens when you use your spiritual gifts. I have discovered that my influence grows with others when I use my spiritual gifts.

Every believer is bestowed a cluster of spiritual gifts by the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 12:7-11). You are probably using your spiritual gifts everyday without even knowing it, but it would be better if you knew what they were and learned how to operate with them. Some gifts are more demonstrative than others. Once you discover your gifts you will need to develop them over a period of time by learning about them (knowledge) and constant application (understanding).

Mastering these two areas (knowledge and understanding) will hone and sharpen your spiritual gifts and make you more effective and fruitful in the ministry. Gifts that edify believers are found in 1 Corinthians 12:7-11. Motivational gifts are gifts that help you lead and build influence with others. They are found listed in Romans 12:6-8 (See Appendix A & B). You can order and take Dr. Wagner’s spiritual gifts assessment.

My current ministry gifts are often confirmed by people who say, “Go ask Pastor Joel, he is a man of wisdom.” Others have said, “Pastor Joel, I just want to thank you for making the Bible easier to understand” (Knowledge and teaching). I have planted a church extension in the south area of Las Vegas (Apostolic gifting).

b.) Placement: “Different kinds of service.”

The word service refers to the Greek word diakonia meaning “a place to serve like a minister, an attendant, an official or administrator.” It can include any of the fivefold ministry offices, the capacity of a deacon or any leadership position in the church. A place of service is where you serve. For instance, I am known as a pastor, and a teacher with a bent toward prophecy. However, my gift cluster reveals the potential offices of a teacher, apostle and prophetic giftings. These gifts fall at the right hemisphere of the Apostolic Canopy (See Appendix C), so my strengths and abilities are keeping and maintaining standards, developing strategy, and equipping people to send them on their mission in life.

c.) Passion: “Different kinds of working.”

Finally, your sphere also has to do with the area in which you labor. Your area of “working” is usually the place where you have a greatest amount of impact and passion. It can also be an area where you have a strong interest in. The Greek word for working is the word energema meaning “a place of operation or working.” It denotes a place of operation that energizes you rather than depleting you. The reason for this surge of energy is because you love it so much, and can’t see yourself doing anything else! Another reason is that it is God’s assignment for your life at the moment. Areas of passion may change when your assignment changes. Let me provide an example to enlighten your understanding.

One late afternoon, after an evangelistic outreach that my team conducted in an impoverished area of town, our team was so pumped up that you could literally feel the energy of God working within each one of us. After this outreach we weren’t depleted nor fatigued, instead we were so full of God’s energy. We felt as if we each drank ten cups of coffee. God provided the energema for us to function in our area of “working” for that outreach. This was a church-planting endeavor, an area of my passion.

The apostle Paul identifies his area of working in Colossians 1:28-29 where he says:

We proclaim him, admonishing and teaching everyone with all wisdom, so that we may present everyone perfect in Christ. To this end I labor, struggling with all his energy, which so powerfully works in me.

Paul’s area of working included the proclamation of the gospel in the capacity of a herald, evangelist, and a missionary or soul winner. Paul excelled in this capacity with power and authority. The apostle was also a teacher according to his three-fold call (1 Timothy 2:11). Furthermore, a place of working can be any place where you minister with a heart of passion. Here are a few examples of “areas of working”:

• Children’s ministry

• Counseling

• Creative Arts

• Education

• Inner City Outreach

• Marriage ministry

• Missions

• Men’s ministry

• Publishing

• Technology

• Women’s ministry

• Worship

• Writing

For instance, my areas of working or passion are developing people (See Appendix D). With this in mind, I am writing this book to help people understand the fivefold ministry. While doing this I am teaching the reader to develop a deeper appreciation and understanding of God’s word in the area of the fivefold ministry.

When I blend these three areas together I can emphatically say that my sphere is developing people through the medium of teaching, prophecy and writing which confirms my current passion. For instance, I am currently taking classes to acquire my master’s degree in Organizational Leadership with an emphasis in Executive Coaching and Mentoring. My life goal is to start a consulting practice for executives, businessmen, pastors and churches. I personally receive great joy by equipping (teaching) and sending people into their destiny (See Apostolic Canopy: teacher + prophet = sending). This is my sphere of influence and I enlarge it by taking steps of faith to move in these areas and God supplies the energy for me to succeed. When you review the Apostolic Canopy paradigm, I currently tend to work more effectively on the right side of Canopy’s hemisphere since my prominent gifts are teaching, apostolic and operating in a prophetic gifting.

[1] Wagner, C. Peter (2006) The Church in the Workplace. Ventura, CA: Regal Books, 32.

An Eight Point Strategy

He said to them: “It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by His own authority. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be My witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” (Acts 1:7-8)

This statement was Jesus’ response to the disciple’s initial question, “Are you at this time going to restore Israel?” Although Jesus gave previous hints in Luke 24:49, the disciples had one thing in mind; the restoration of Israel to the glory of its zenith epoch. However, this is not what Jesus had in mind, He wanted more than the restoration of Israel; He desired the restoration of all mankind. His plan would include not only the restoration of the Jewish people but also the restoration of all the Gentile nations.

The details of this new strategy are revealed during this forty-day, post-resurrection period. The Great Commission is mentioned in all four of the gospels, and for the fifth time we find it in Acts 1:8 formatted in a different way. This Scripture reveals a more specific strategy than the other four versions reveal. In essence this strategy revealed a progressive geographical movement from a local epicenter that would extend to global proportions. The further they removed themselves from Jerusalem the more challenges they would encounter with language, cultural beliefs and varied pagan philosophies. If we dissect and study this passage carefully and breakdown each section we can discover God’s intent and strategy to save a misplaced humanity.

Ironically, Jesus established one purpose in the minds of His disciples, that of continuing the ministry expansion of the kingdom of God on earth after His departure. He associated this purpose with eight points that he alluded to in Acts 1:8. The first one starts with people, which include you and I. (Please take note of the italic words in the Scripture passages that follow after each headline.)

Point #1: People – “But you…”

God’s initial intent was to bring the good news of salvation through His Son, Jesus. First, Jesus in His earthly ministry demonstrated the kingdom and then taught His disciples (Acts 1:1). He then turned this responsibility over to the most unusual people. No one would have considered and chosen these twelve men to be on their team. Jesus did. The team consisted of a few fishermen, a tax collector, a zealot and others. All of which were Galileans with the exception of Judas Iscariot who came from the southern part of Israel. Many of these Galileans were unschooled (illiterate) and ordinary (idiots) men (Acts 4:13), while others were from the marketplace arena. This was not a dream team by any standards. The apostle Paul in his letter to the Corinthians noted:

Brothers, think of what you were when you were called. Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were influential; not many were of noble birth. But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. He chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things and the things that are not to nullify the things that are, so that no one may boast before Him. (1 Corinthians 1:26-29)

God was going to use the most unusual people to spread His gospel to a lost world. His purpose for choosing these men was so they would understand that salvation and the miracles would be wrought by divine intervention, not by man’s ability or ingenuity. God would receive the credit for the blind receiving their sight, the lame walking, the dead rising to life, and countless of people coming to Christ.

Point #2: Promise – “But you will receive…”

Jesus spoke about this promise during his public ministry:

I am going to send you what my Father has promised; but stay in the city [Jerusalem] until you have been clothed with power from on high. (Luke 24:49)

But it was a particular itinerant preacher, by the name of John the Baptist, who initially pointed to the Messiah as the One who could baptize them with the promised Holy Spirit:

I baptize you with water, but He [Jesus] will baptize you with the Holy Spirit. (Mark 1:8)

Jesus not only promised them the Holy Spirit but He would be the one who would fulfill His own promise. This promise, found in Joel 2:28, was fulfilled by the ascended Christ in the second chapter of Acts. Jesus had spent forty of His post resurrection days with His apostles reminding and revealing to them His kingdom strategy. Among the many strategies He shared with them was the promise of the Holy Spirit. This promise would be fulfilled fifty days out from His resurrection. The disciples did not know exactly when this promise would be fulfilled but only that it would happen soon. They simply believed and acted upon His words.

It was to all flesh, from the least to the greatest, that God promised to pour out His Spirit; to His sons and daughters, maiden and handmaiden, young and old alike. This Old Testament promise came to fruition on the day of Pentecost following Jesus’ death and resurrection. It was, indeed, a wonderful gift from heaven. When God promises you and me something it will come to pass in the timing that He decrees. However, what did this promise produce in his people? It provided them with a divine ability to produce tangible results in a world consumed by pain, infirmity and death. This power would now be available and operable in God’s people.

Point #3: Power – “But you will receive power…”

What was the by-product of this promise? The product was the supernatural power required to proclaim the good news of the kingdom with authority. This power brings forth powerful results. God foreknew that this new message was not going to be received very well by His own people, the Jews, much less the pagan world. This unpopular message was going to be opposed, ridiculed and rejected by men. Those who spoke its message were going to be threatened, persecuted and even martyred for their faith. So the Father knew that we needed to demonstrate His power so that His love would be made known to humanity. When we are perfected in His love it casts all fear away, and threats of death have no impact upon our lives.

The Greek word for power is dunamis meaning to “possess a supernatural ability, a power or force needed to authenticate ones dominion and accomplish the mission.” From this word, we derive the English word for dynamite. God provided the formula where a supernatural explosion would bring a demise to the works of the enemy.

Also with this power He would send out His people to preach to the lost, those with hearts of stone. As explosives penetrate the hard surface of the ground to loosen it, the Word of God would be a powerful force to soften the heart of man and remove any hindrances or excuses. Man’s hearts would be opened to receive this free gift of salvation. This power to affect change in a person’s life is the product of this promise.

This power gives us the ability beyond any human prowess imaginable. It is a divine power to destroy the works of darkness and bring it under God’s dominion. This power removes and overcomes any fear of persecution, ridicule and death. In the book of Acts “unschooled and ordinary men” stood in times of persecution and spoke the message of the Savior with boldness. Boldness to proclaim an unpopular message is a sign of the Holy Spirit’s presence operating in one’s life. Through this power He gives us the courage to stand in the midst of opposition and persecution to speak His message with authority. This scenario happened in the first few chapters of the book of Acts.

Point #4: Pentecost – “But you will receive power when…”

The word when denotes a specific time. When would this promise take place? It would happen during the Jewish feast of Pentecost. Pentecost is a word signifying fifty; a feast that occurred fifty days after the Passover festivities for the Jewish people. It was significant because they celebrated the ingathering of the wheat harvest for the season. On that day they would present to God the finished product of the wheat harvest in a first fruits offering. After the fifty-day harvest, two bread loaves were presented to represent the completion of this season. It was a celebrative time of thankfulness and rejoicing. How does this parallel with Christian Pentecost? It signifies the completion or the fulfillment of a promise; a new breed of Christians would arise and become like Jesus. They would represent the finished product of Christ work. Jesus would now be multiplied in and through His chosen ones.

The wheat and barley sheaves were reaped and waved in the air on the first day of this harvest. This action of waving the sheaf represented Jesus’ resurrection. He was the first-fruits of many more that would soon follow. After the initial fifty days the apostles would gather 3,000 new believers in a spiritual harvest. It was on this day that God would send the promised gift of the Holy Spirit to 120 people praying and seeking His face in the upper room. As they received the Holy Spirit in a dramatic way, they began to speak in “other tongues” which was heard by the masses of people crowding the streets of Jerusalem. The heavenly language spoke to a multilingual and multigenerational crowd. Many of the Jews visiting Jerusalem for the annual festivities heard the wonders of God in their own language. This phenomenon is referred to as the miracle of languages.

This strange new phenomenon drew an audience to the speaker who happened to be Peter. He would explain this “new thing” occurring in their midst. Peter preached a sermon that convicted and convinced 3,000 Jews to believe upon the message of salvation. This reaping of souls was analogous to the natural reaping of the wheat harvest. This mass conversion was the first harvest of souls through a believer after the death and resurrection of Jesus. An “uneducated” man, by the name of the apostle Peter, who was anointed and empowered by the Holy Spirit to deliver the first message. This day would be known as the birth of the Christian church.

Point #5: Person – “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit…”

What they received was not anything magical or mystical, an electrical current or impersonal object as some cults today would have you believe. On that day they received the third person of the trinity, the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is a person of the godhead. If the Holy Spirit is made to be anything less it would diminish the nature of the triune God. There is one God in three persons; the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit has all the attributes of a person; intelligence, knowledge, feelings, etc. The person of the Holy Spirit is the one whom they received that day and He would continue the ministry of Jesus through his disciples (Acts 2:39). Jesus said that without Him we would be ineffective in the ministry (John 15:5). The same holds true with the Holy Spirit, without Him we cannot do much of anything of eternal value.

An Acts 1:8 strategy is a strategy of penetration. We cannot be effective in the supernatural realm by any human ingenuity of our own but only with a demonstration of the Spirit’s power.

The Holy Spirit would be the one to orchestrate the affairs of the church and direct its evangelism throughout the world from that point on. The Holy Spirit would be known as the parakletos; one who would stand by our side as our advocate, comforter and intercessor just as Jesus did when he was with them. Any believer in the church has a counterpart in the ministry today, the Holy Spirit. Under His supervision and influence, the church can penetrate the hard places and become effective to overcome any spiritual opposition.

Point #6: Presence – “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you…”

Jesus said that we would be “endued with power from on high.” The word endued means “to be clothed” with a Divine presence. God’s plan was, and is today, to fully clothe His people with the Holy Spirit. This new clothing is the presence of God’s Spirit in our lives. This is God’s way of empowering us to share the good news of the kingdom. The disciples would now be emboldened with courage and authority as they faithfully shared the gospel. God foreknew that we would need His boldness to proclaim an unpopular message. Peter preached with boldness and was not ashamed of the name of Jesus. Even after being persecuted and flogged for sharing his faith, he went out again in the public square continuing to share his faith without fear.

The Holy Spirit brings a supernatural boldness that we cannot get any other way. This is the presence of God living within us. His presence empowers us with a passion for the lost. His presence also compels us to speak His truth even when we are opposed or outnumbered. It does not matter what happens to us, all that matters is that His love and truth is operating within us penetrating the world around us. Have you been clothed with the Holy Spirit? Are you shy and afraid to share the good news of salvation with others? If so, you need to be clothed with the Divine presence of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit will empower and embolden you to preach the gospel with an authority and power that brings effective results.

Point #7: Preachers – “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses…”

God’s initial design was that we preach His message to a lost world. It is not a popular message:

For since in the wisdom of God the world through its wisdom did not know him, God was pleased through the foolishness of what was preached to save those who believe. Jews demand miraculous signs and Greeks look for wisdom, but we preach Christ crucified: a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles, but to those whom God has called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. (1 Corinthians 1:21-24)

God does not make it hard for people to go to heaven because the gospel is really a simple message to understand. How can people hear this message? It is the responsibility of all Christians to testify or preach the good news to the lost. This does not mean that we are all called to be preachers, but we are certainly called to share His word with others. We are to proclaim (preach by any means) His message of salvation to a depraved and degenerated world. We do not have to worry about being persecuted because we have been clothed with the Holy Spirit. The apostle Paul was one of them:

Then some Jews came from Antioch and Iconium and won the crowd over. They stoned Paul and dragged him outside the city, thinking he was dead. But after the disciples had gathered around him, he got up and went back into the city. (Acts 14:19-20)

What kind of person re-enters a city after being stoned and left for dead outside the city gate? The answer is simple, it is a person who is in love with God and with the lost people around him. The apostle Paul understood the power inherent in the gospel to save others. He was so compelled to express God’s message of salvation for he says, “Woe is me if I do not preach the gospel” (1 Corinthians 9:16b).

The love that God put in us by His Spirit compels us to preach to the lost. Jesus is the hope of glory and we cannot keep Him a secret once we have tasted of this free gift of salvation ourselves. Paul proclaimed this message to his generation and he transformed it. Now it’s our turn to proclaim this gospel of salvation to all mankind. St. Francis of Assisi once said, “Preach the gospel. And if necessary, use words.” How well cultivated and established are you in God’s text? How effective are you at delivering the gospel message? Preaching (also witnessing) involves more than just words of wisdom, it requires a redeemed and sanctified life that brings conviction and draws the sinner to Him. Some people are simply convinced by words, while others need to see a demonstration of signs, miracles and wonders to believe.

Point #8: Places – “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”

Since the whole world is populated with lost people, it made sense that God would not put restrictions or boundaries where the proclamation of the gospel was to take place. The good news is to spread globally, to all people in every island, continent, and to the distant and obscure regions of the world. The epicenter or the beginning of this proclamation was to start in Jerusalem, then spread to nearby regions and extend as far as people lived; to the ends of the earth. Paul dreamed of fulfilling Jesus’ command to go “to the ends of the earth.” After his initial campaigns his aim was to travel to Spain because at that time it was known as the uttermost part of the world.

God’s desire is that we take the good news of salvation to all places of the globe. In those days they traveled on foot, on boats or by cart and horse to distant lands. Today, we have no excuse to go into the entire world to preach the gospel. Modern travel, the media and the internet has made it easier to evangelize the lost in our world today. If Paul did it in his day with substantial results, then what hinders us from doing it in our day?

The Three Stages of Acts 1:8

Every church should have and implement an Acts 1:8 vision and strategy. This strategy is not an overwhelming one since it is progressive in nature. It starts small within your community then it’s enlarged and carried out further into broader regions.

Jesus waited until His post resurrection days to disclose His final strategy to his apostles. This strategy differed from the Great Commission. Jesus came to seek and save the lost so it was fitting that this strategy would have global implications since lost souls can be found everywhere in the entire world. An Acts 1:8 strategy focuses on three geographical locations:

1. A Local Strategy

A church’s strategy should start small but it should not stay small. A church that is just starting out should have its eyes set on winning and influencing their neighborhood and community for Christ. This is the first stage of church strategy. Jesus commanded His disciples to go into the entire world. It is obvious that this would include more than the geography of your neighborhood, it includes your city, your region and the entire world.

The key is to have a vision and a plan to reach your city for Christ. Pastor Paul Goulet of the International Church of Las Vegas (also knows as ICLV), and a recognized apostle, has a vision to win a city for Christ. They have a local vision to create extensions of the church within the city. These extensions will stay connected and accountable to the mother church. We call this local strategy the 5-5-1 Vision. Our goal is to have five church locations around the city within five years with one purpose-to win a city for Christ and leave a legacy. At the writing of this book, my team and I opened our third location on April 1, 2007 in the south area of Las Vegas.

Another factor in winning our city for Christ is our local 20/20 Vision television program, which is disseminated to viewers on three time slots. Many of those who attend on Sunday mornings for the first time say that they saw our senior pastor on our television program. ICLV’s influence is growing in the community and the city at large, even those who do not attend our church services either know of someone who does or at least knows of its existence. Where there is a true vision from God there will also be the provision to see it funded. God steps up and provides supernatural financing when His people take steps of faith in the community and city to reach people for Christ.

There are many indicators that measure our impact in the city; one of them is attracting the local governing officials to our church doorstep. The church should be drawing and influencing their local politicians and impacting them for the kingdom (Acts 13:7). Is your church turning the heads of your political leaders? If not, you may want to reevaluate your vision for your city. A radical vision should attract the politicians since they want to be aligned with the “good” works in the community.

2. A Regional Strategy

Your influence will grow regionally when you are faithful in the first phase of this strategy. When this happens the voice of the church should spread out into larger regions. A regional strategy takes place when others in your region hear about what God is doing in your church. For instance, my pastor has been invited to speak in other churches because they hear what God is doing in and through our church. Currently, my pastor conducts regional conferences and imparts the presence and power of the Holy Spirit to the leaders and those who attend services. Many of these churches have been impacted and have expanded in many ways because of the anointing that our pastor imparts into their lives.

Our church is now associated with many other apostolic networks of like-minded individuals. These associations are created in time and by cultivating relationships. Apostolic networks, instead of denominations, district offices or what is commonly known as “church bureaucracies,” are becoming the leadership models of today. Apostolic networks are the new wineskins that will govern the church in the future.

3. A Global Strategy

When you think and pray big you will eventually go down that path. The church should incorporate an aggressive mission’s program that reaches to some part of the world. Can a single church really make a difference in the world? I believe it can. The church I attend, the International Church of Las Vegas (ICLV) under the leadership of Paul Goulet is actually impacting many large areas around the world.

One of our church strategies is to plant, build or partner with existing Bible schools to raise up the indigenous people in those areas. Currently we have established a Bible school in India that has produced over one hundred church plants. Students attend a school for a period of time, but before they receive their certificate of graduation, they are required to prove that they can pioneer and sustain a viable church plant during their training. We have established or sponsor Schools of Ministry in Las Vegas, India, Mexico, Canada, and the Middle East.

We also send missionary teams into these regions biannually to organize conferences where the pastors and local church leaders attend. At these conferences they receive an impartation through teaching and the laying on of hands. This process produces like-minded pastors and leaders who operate with the same anointing and character as ours. When our team returns to these areas they notice a difference among the leader’s character, anointing, maturity and ministry expansion. The Holy Spirit has a way of maturing individuals who submit under His care and listen to His voice.

How do you know that a ministry is operating in this third phase of expansion? You can tell by reading their label or listening to their language and deeds. Usually ministries in this phase of expansion have words such as world, global or international in their ministry brand.

This trend is rapidly increasing with today’s generation as they are setting their sights on transforming the world. This new generation has been dubbed the Millennial Generation. For instance, my daughter who attends a Southern California Christian liberal arts college is a Millennial. She is majoring in Global Studies and plans to have a ministry that reaches and ministers to the poor and destitute far into the corners of the world. Optimism and the belief that they can change the world are two characteristics of this generation.

A church does not have to be large in size to make a great impact in the world. Our church consists of around five thousand worshipers. The contributing factor in our church is not in our size but it is the presence and power of God working in and through our people.

Latino Townhall’s blog: http://latinotownhall.wordpress.com/

Bhagavad Gita is about each individual, our challenges, our world view and an effort to bring harmony in the society. I have been studying philosophy for the past twenty years and passionate to share with others that has helped me deal with challenges and grow in every aspect of my life.

Q: What are Srutis?

Ans: Sruti in Sanskrit means heard. Vedas are called Srutis as they were not written but realized by Rshis during meditation. Therefore Vedas are considered apaurusheya, meaning not from a human mind. They were then imparted to the disciples by word of mouth. It was passed on to generations through verbalizing, listening, repeating & reflecting. Vedas present the ultimate Truth and therefore considered as eternal. Veda’s are of two parts. The former parts of the Vedas are Karma kanda and the later part of Vedas is the jnana kanda, also called Vedanta or upanishad.

Q: Explain Veda Vyasa’s infinite knowledge.

Ans: Veda Vyasa was a great seer with enormous knowledge. Today’s man has only a fraction of his knowledge. In his lifetime he wrote Mahabharata which as 10,000,000 verses, 100,000 of its extract is called Mahabharata, with minute details, thousands of names, their relationships. positions, personalities, actions, incidences & consequences of those actions. The Bhagavad Gita is called a ithihasa, as it gives us practical guidance on how to attain the Truth and live fulfilled lives. The amazing part is the linkage between the numerous stories that are intertwined with full of morals applicable to anyone at any period of time. He also wrote Brahma Sutra and 18 puranas as Sanskrit verses. He carried out the major task of classification of one huge Veda into four separate vedas as known today, namely Rig, Yajur, Sama, Atharvana vedas for easy reading and understanding of today’s human.

Q: What are ‘Puranas’?

Ans: It is that knowledge that though ancient is ever new and relevant. (bautika-jnana-grantha, pramana-grantha, purana). Puranas are descriptions, explanations of Srutis & Smrtis through stories, dialogues and examples. There are 18 Puranas composed by Veda Vyasa. They also speak of what might be possible (sambhava pramana). some stories appear to be improbable just like certain fictions an eon ago are a known fact today.

Q: Describe the background of Mahabharata war.

Ans: Lord Ganesa is the scribe of Mahabharata. Sage Vaisampayana narrated the entire Mahabharata to Janamejaya, the great grandson of Arjuna.

Mahabharata is an Ithihasa (history) describing many short stories intertwined presenting many morals and messages to seekers. Kuru vamsa had two brothers Dhritarashtra and Pandu. Dhritarashtra was born blind and therefore his brother Pandu was crowned as a king of Hastinapuram. There was an innate craving to be a king by any means in the mind of Dhritarashtra. Dhritarashtra’s 100 children were kauravas and Pandu’s five children were Pandavas. The kauravas not only disliked pandavas but they carried lot of animosity to the extent that they did not hesitate to plan to kill pandavas at every opportunity they could get. Kauravas were mean and evil while pandavas were extremely patient, honest, objective, good hearted and liked by all. Finally their patience decided to fight back which resulted in Mahabharata, also called dharma yudham (war of the good over evil).

Q: Was Mahabharata a family feud?

Ans: It is a story of two brothers, whose children, cousins, with no love for each other and developed animosity to the extent of killing each other. Kauravas were wicked and hostile to Pandavas, who were inherently good, principled and with noble thoughts and actions. The pandavas were striped off their power and kingdom, insulted, dishonored and sent on exile, They were not given their kingdom on return as agreed upon. The pandavas tried their level best to avoid war in the best interest of not only the family but of the nation at large. Finally the war became inevitable to fight for the just against unjust. In this war between the good and the evil, Lord Krishna supported the good.

Though this family feud finally has taken the shape of a war, it really depicts the war between dharma(good) and the evil (adharma), thus applicable to anyone at any time. It is not the fight, war and killing. It is about doing the right thing at all times when we face a conflict.

Q: What is ‘Bhagavad Gita’?

Ans: The word ‘Gita’ literally means song in Sanskrit. There are many Gitas. These are spiritual dialogs between a teacher and a student. Rama Gita, Ramana Gita, Hamsa Gita in Bhagavatam, Guru Gita in Skantha puranam, to name a few. In general the word Gita refers to Bhagavad Gita which is the dialog between Lord Krishna and Arjuna during Kurukshetra war, also called dharma war. This was a war between the good & the evil. This also depicts the war that goes on in individual minds between the good and evil as we face the internal war more often which is addressed here. Thus Bhagavad Gita helps the seeker to gain the attitude to handle the challenges of the world leading to the realization of the Self in the body. The Bhagavad-gita is found in the epic Mahabharata. Since Brahma-vidya is the main theme of the Gita, each of its chapter is called an upanishad. The Bhagavad Gita is likened necklace of 18 sections (chapters) strung with 700 pearls of wisdom(verses).

Q: It is commonly said that Bhagavad gita must be studied under right guidance and in its entirety? Why so?

Ans: Bhagavad gita provides us with the knowledge, attitude, vision and values but has to be studied under right guidance as the words have to be understood clearly in the right context. Out of context meanings will lead to misunderstandings and thereby to incorrect thinking, unintended actions leading to unwanted consequences. Each word has a different meaning at different context. misinterpretation of the words could be dangerous.

Bhagavad Gita shows three paths to the Divine. Gita shows three paths to the Divine called karma yoga (path of Action), Bhakti yoga, (path of Devotion/love) and jnana yoga, (path of knowledge, enquiry).

Lord Ganesa agree to be Sage Vyasa’s scribe on one condition. Lord Ganesa agreed to be Sage Vyasa’s scribe on the condition that he would write continuously without a pause and Veda Vyasa need to keep on providing the information to write, and were he to pause his writing to wait for the information, he would stop writing once & for all. To this Veda Vyasa put a second condition that Ganesha should not continue writing until he has completely understood what is meant in any statement.

Veda Vyasa originally named Mahabharata as ‘Jaya’ meaning victory. It reflects the victory of ‘pandavas’, the ‘good’ over the ‘kauravas’, the evil.

What does not exist in Mahabharata does not exist anywhere

Mahabharata is a wealth of knowledge, the seed (Beeja) of ALL things that is in the universe. Emotions, experiences, personalities and concepts including abstracts to the effect that nothing exists beyond Mahabharata.

Q: Who is an Adhikari, a qualified student to listen and understand Gita?

Ans: All students come with a variety of background, life experiences and attitude. In secular knowledge hard work and memorization might help but for spiritual studies, which are much harder, additional qualities are required from each student. Every student should be humble and respect both his/her teacher and the scriptures with full faith and a surrendering attitude. Student should approach the teacher with nobility, present the problems precisely & objectively trusting fully the guru’s knowledge and the willingness to learn. recognizing the teacher’s enormous calibre, They should have the intention to listen attentively, clarify their doubts without an attitude to challenge the teacher rather ask intelligently with a firm belief to understand and reflect to make one’s life better.

Q: Why is Bhagavad Gita called ‘the Universal Book of Guidance’?

Ans: Bhagavad Gita does not talk about the current, contemporary issues of the world which are often limited by time and space, like women empowerment, girls education, land acquisition or political dominance etc. It talks about the universal issues of life, beyond the borders of nations or any demarcations.

It answers the universal quest for inner peace that everyone on the earth is seeking for. Seekers look for it outside on a variety of objects, situations and relationships. Bhagavad Gita applies to anyone with any background and with any life experience at any time. It is not limited in any sense and therefore is referred to as the Universal Book of Guidance. Bhagavad Gita has been a guidance both globally to, J. Robert Oppenheimer, German American physicist, Aldous Huxley, English writer, Lord Warren Hasting, first governor of British India, and locally to Mahatma Gandhi, Lok Manya Tilak, Sri Aurobindo and many other leaders in India and abroad, when they faced challenges in their lives.

Q: ‘What YOU become depends upon YOU, not on the situation.’ How do you explain this?

Ans: Doing one’s own duty is swadharma but when the same duty is performed with the bigger picture for the common good, it becomes dharma. When a seeker is in conflict with situations of life and mentally weak, the Lord in the form of guru gives spiritual knowledge that strengthens the seeker’s virtues so as to help the seeker regain the inner peace & quietude but the seeker has to approach with humility for that knowledge.

His efforts to learn with an attitude to surrender to the guru is a must. One must be in a position to accept one’s own weaknesses, and approach the Lord asking for help like a drowning man gasping for air. This is total surrendering. The arrogance and ego are utterly counterproductive in the process of surrendering.

Such an attitude makes you what YOU can be, rather than the situations that often pulls you down,

Q: How does Gita help us in today’s life?

Ans: We all face challenges in life and often times we take the guidance from parents, family & friends and use our own life experiences and handle it pretty well but there are some totally unforeseen circumstances when we get lost completely, feel helpless and suffocated. People respond to problems in different ways. We are baffled, alarmed, anxious, agitated as to what to do or what not to do. Many find no means to cope with such situations, face depression, disease and death. I know of a woman who lost both her parents within a year was unable to handle the loss, went into depression and in the next 18 months she passed away leaving behind her husband and two children. When parents, spouse, children and loved ones go through unexpected challenges we get confused, overwhelmed, exhausted, nervous, agitated,and anxious. With the right knowledge from the scriptures, we get the strength to handle the situations with calmness and inner poise, enabling an objectivity in our perception. The first chapter of Gita is called Arjuna-Vishada yoga (The path of Arjuna’s grief).

Q: What is the glory of the Bhagavad Gita.

Ans: Bhagavad gita, a dialogue between a man Arjuna and the Lord krishna, has been translated to more than 100 languages all over the world. People from many background atheist, theist, philosophers, scholars, scientists, rulers and common men have read, debated, questioned, commented, reflected, meditated, chant and sought solace from it for inner peace.

The scripture defines three specific paths to follow thereby catering to all types of people to follow their personality.

The glory cannot be exemplified beyond this incident when Arjuna after the Kurukshetra war, requested Sri Krishna to repeat the Gita advice, to which Krishna responded that the master piece can be produced only once. Gita is a book of life & its problems which cannot be taught.

Every seeker has to individually put one’s own effort, compare to his or her personal experiences and find a solution. This is not a one size fit all or an instant answers to anyone’s problems. So people who look for such answers may be disappointed. One need patience and commitment. It is a slow process with a definite results.

Q: Can an ordinary reader identify with Arjuna?

Ans: Sure, everyone can. Arjuna was a warrior in the battlefield when Lord krishna introduced Gita to him. Arjuna’s experiences are very similar to a common man’s emotions often elated and dejected ( for ex: elated when you pass the exams with high scores and dejected when you don’t land in a job, or admission to further studies or when you do and don’t get promotions), honored & insulted (honored when you do the right thing and insulted when a person with power or authority can do it to you), angry and frustrated, (when you feel you have been cheated, mistreated), confused and astonished.

Since a common man goes through all these emotions and experiences of life, he can understand and relate to what Arjuna is going through. So when Lord Krishna explain the Gita to Arjuna, it is also that Krishna is answering the common man questions of his everyday problems.

Arjuna was surrounded by the people who were selfish, evil and competitive, he was in the midst of stress & tension, torn between the right & wrong thing to do and in a situation of life & death. Every human being goes through such a situation, though not a battlefield but a constant battle is going on in the minds of everyone on a daily basis.

In such a situation Arjuna turned to Lord Krishna, who guided him to restore his inner calmness, to think objectively and to take appropriate action. Similarly, a common man can and should approach the Lord and s/he can gain the ability to deal with situation which is a much better way without letting the situations pull the person down.

Q: What are the different ways in which Bhagavad Gita is looked upon?

Ans: Bhagavad Gita has been looked upon as a religious book, an authoritative source of knowledge, a book of spiritual knowledge, a book of secular knowledge and as a book of guidance & unfoldment.

Gita is worshiped as a religious book. People read it on a daily basis as a spiritual practice. Hindus know that it was the advice given by Sri Krishna to Arjuna at the Mahabharata war front, but they might not know the depthness of it.

Both Adi Sankaracharya and Ramanujacharya have looked upon Bhagavad Gita as their source of authority to authenticate their Advaita Vedanta and Visistadvaita Vedanta schools of thought.

The freedom fighter Lokmanya Tilak wrote a commentary on Gita, as a book of authority, while in the prison, imprisoned by the British and is called ‘Gita Rahasya’ where he establishes that the essence of gita is in acting right. Doing the right thing at all times, righteous way of living, dharmic way of living. Gita teaches the ability to choose to do what is right vs. doing things that gives pleasure.

Vinoba Bhave was another freedom fighter in india, who gave talks on Gita to prison inmates, while in the prison as a book of spiritual knowledge.

In the secular studies, I am not convinced if Gita was used in the right context by German born American scientist Robert Oppenhimer.

Though Robert Oppenheimer has quoted Gita ch 11 verse 32, at the onset of the first Atomic Bomb to the Viswaroopam of Lord Krishna, I am not convinced that the atomic bomb could be equated to Lord Krishna, the mighty power to fight in the war. My thoughts are he justifies his action by quoting Krishna. Krishna supported a dharmic war, but there are no evidence that bomb on Hiroshima & Nagasaki was not dharmic.

If we compare Robert Oppenheimer to Arjuna and he had to do his duty as a physicist, fission, atomic bomb… it was still not dharmic action for the common good.

As a book of guidance and unfoldment, Gandhi has used it during his challenge of freedom of India from the British. Many have never read the original Gita.

Q: Does Bhagavad Gita bring about inner transformation in our life?

This is for your own reflection. You can think about your life, challenges, dreams and both worldly and spiritual goals and write it down as you progress through the study of Gita. Studying Gita is not like studying subjects like Physics, Chemistry,nHistory or Geography. It is a DIY program that one has to study, comprehend and practice on a daily basis to really understand the depth of this knowledge.

Q: What are the important topics in ch 2?

Ans: This is a very long chapter, also the gist of Gita. There are four topics discussed in this chapter as below.

1. The nature of our problem is fear, confusion and sorrow. Jiva vichara, self enquiry.

2. Knowing the supreme presence. Gita reveals the solution.. To know the nature of Self is meant for everyone, like hunger and sleep. Only when you’re really hungry you’ll feel satisfied. This atma knowledge is for everyone but one has to aspire for it.. All the fear confusion are removed. Mighty sorrow will not disturb us. We becomes free of all grief. How to get there?

3. The connection between the two the jivan, individual and the supreme. Yoga (not the popular physical yoga) reveals us moving from the present state to the state of enlightenment very systematically and scientifically.

4. Benefit of this Self knowledge. From karma yoga to various stages of upasana to knowledge to stage of meditation and finally, the state of realization where one comes to recognize one’s own Self..

Q: Explain the ‘Karma theory’, ‘Cause & Effect theory.

Ans: Every action has a consequence. When we walk we reach our destination. When we eat we subside hunger,

There are two types of consequences for every thought, word and deed. Tangible and non tangible benefits. (Drishta palan and Adrishta palan). When you donate something, you get tangible benefit like tax benefit or name, fame in transactional life. Such a benefit is ‘Drishta palan’.

There is also a non tangible result and gita says it is ‘Adrishta palan’ which is is ‘punyam’ says sastram (A drishta..not seen)

Adrishta Palan, not tangible result is two types

Su adrishtam is punyam.. danam, charity, donation. Dhur adrishtam is papam, like harming,stealing etc.

An example would be a surgeon vs. murderer, based on their intentions. The intention is named as ‘Sankalpam’ in Sanskrit. If the intention creates appropriate consequences, which results in positive or negative experiences. names as punyam and papa min Sanskrit.

“Karmanyeva adhikaraha… ” Ch 2.47 is a very important verse in Gita.

We’re responsible for my intentions and actions and therefore consequences comes to us based on our actions.

We have accumulated consequences, which gives happiness and sorrow. It is like fuel in a car..it will exhaust once used, similarly the results of our actions exhaust once we experience it. This exhaustion does not take place instantly. it is like the seeds. watermelon seeds may give the fruits in three months but a coconut seed will take many years.(incubation period)

Q: How do the consequences of actions materialize?

Ans: Pain and pleasure both are only when we identify with this external world, in sleep we do not experience this world. Therefore the consequences of our actions first has to give us a body, the world and conducive situation to experience. Then the five elements (panchabhootam) create this body based on our karmas.

These consequences give us pain and pleasure to purge our impressions (vasanas).

We have earned this body and the world around us based on our karma. What goes around comes around.

The pain and pleasure is different in a dog from humans. One body can’t enjoy all the sufferings and all types of pain and pleasure therefore different bodies are required. Therefore many bodies are needed, which explains and confirms the need for reincarnation.

For all the accumulated consequences of actions (papa punya) one needs a human body. Once those are exhausted, then it ends and this body is not needed any more, that’s when a particular body is dropped, meaning death to the body.

For some, human body is necessary, for others animal body may be necessary. So our life expectancy is based on our karma palan, consequences of actions.

Q: Where did the papa punya (good and bad consequences) originally came from? Egg or the chicken? Seed or the tree? Body or consequences?

Ans: Each individual has a big bag of consequences of actions(papa punya). This big bag of collection of karma is sanjita karma, say your savings.

There are three types of consequences. Sanjitha karma, Prarabdha karma, Agami karma in Sanskrit, very much like your bank savings, cash on hand and future income or expenses.

Therefore it is only a fraction from Sanjita karma that we experience in this body. You have withdrawn ‘X’ amount. That’s called ‘Prarabhdha karma’. We have much more left in Sanjita bag to experience.

As we go through life! what’s accumulated in the current birth through thought, word and action called Agami karma gets added to Sanjita (bank balance).

Sanjita – Prarabhdham – Agami

Savings – Liquid cash – income/Expense

This cycle goes on because when one exhaust liquid cash, one also adds much more expense than cash on hand. The prarabdha karma palan (the cash on hand gives our body, parents, siblings,situations and the experiences. Once the praraba is exhausted this physical body (stula sariram) dies and Agami karma gives the next body.

Q: What is the Nature of realized person? How does he interact in the world, other beings, good and bad pleasure and pain?

Ans: Answer to this question is the goal of a spiritual seeker..

This has nothing to do with his dress or what that person does, or personality. It is very subtle and last 18 verses talks about the nature of a realized person..

Sthitta prajna, realized person. The enlightened person lives in the world from a totally different plane. How he responds to the world and worldly situations is very different.

Faulty interaction causes all negative emotions. As I see, my mind interprets it and emotions arise.

There are lots of misunderstanding based on our own faulty philosophies. For ex.. When I watch a movie in a different language my emotions are different than the one that I can understand.

There are lot of misunderstandings of a realized person because we see him from our standpoint, confusion of scriptures, our own likes and dislikes, ideas prejudices, faulty philosophies. We see the outer image, his beard, dress etc..

These are not signs of realization.

Lord replies in 18 verses.. 18 is imp. Gita has 18 chapters, 18 verses describes stitha pragya.

18 days war was fought, 18 chapters 18 puranas, 18 verses describing stitha pragya. “1” is the reality, “8” expression of that one is eight fold.

“Ekam evam Adyiteyam, Brahma”

He is in a state of complete contentment, Bliss, ‘thushti’, santhushta, enough without the need for any object or outer condition.

Changes in the body, situation or others nothing can change that Bliss. A person is happy even if he changes the clothing!! Likewise even if his body is dropped dead his Bliss doesn’t change.

Body is only an outer equipment to interact with the world like a microphone, if the equipment is taken away the speaker is still speaking but others can’t hear. Similarly a realized master ‘stitha pragya’ is ever present. He rejoices in atma alone, which is all pervading. He is enlightened, but others might not understand him. For a realized person, his body mind and intellect are in alignment. When a situation of sadness comes, his mind doesn’t get agitated. doesn’t cause sorrow.

Most of the time, our balance is based on external conditions like the welfare and wealth of our family, then we feel like a realized person, only when a sudden shocking message comes we know where we stand. Even a little sorrow or pain disturbs our mind. A realized person is beyond all these..

Q: What is Ladder of fall and ladder of rise?

Ans: verses… 62-63 very important

Ladder of fall starts with likes, desires, you want an object, or a thing, or a person, which you contemplate on it, enjoy it in mind. That desire, called ‘kama’ turns your mind to now want to possess it… Now this kama is at a deep intense level, and often is out of control.

When it is not possessed, it turns to anger. Intense need to possess and anger go together. When our desire is fulfilled, it is converted into loba, greed wanting more and more, with six enemies of mind.

Desire, attachment (kama)

Anger (kroda)

Greed (lobha)

Delusion (moha)

Pride (madha)

Jealousy (mathsarya)

This is the spiritual energy wasted!! If you know the obstacles then you can be cautious, you can avoid it or when you meet them you know how to get out of it. In martial arts they teach how to fall down without hurting ourselves, then you rise up.

Ladder of rise

One should first try to be free from raga dvesha (Likes and dislikes). Through Karma yoga, upasana, knowledge, meditation attachment and repulsion are eliminated. Peace and happiness are not in the field of objects. An object by itself don’t make you happy or unhappy. They have no control it is over us. It is our mind that have ideas superimposed to that feeling of happiness or unhappiness… It seems to be making us happy or unhappy

Vairaghya(dispassion) is free from the world of stimuli of the world. Cause of all happiness and sorrow are on something outside of me due to the likes and dislikes.

Continue to experience everything in life without raga dvesha (likes & dislikes). You eat to live not live to eat. You don’t need to restrain yourself from enjoying but try not to over indulge!!

Prasad means prasannatha, a deep sense of joy. We experience it when we are with nature… Water, mountains, stillness,… Only the sound of water flow, without music, or trash around, you’re sitting silently, without desires… You don’t have to go anywhere, meet anyone, do anything, you don’t need to get anything, no important phone calls, no appt. as though everything is standstill and at that moment where there are no negative emotions in your heart fear anger worry, there is a deep sense of peace that you experience… It is not coming from any object but from within. You’re totally at ease with nature. You have no complaints against anyone. That is called Prasad, (prasannatha) moksha, not because of any attachment. to any object but contact of our senses with the worldly things outside of you. Hate no one like no one.

When this Prasad arises in our heart all sorrow disappears.

The pleasures cannot reduce the deep sorrow in anyone, can temporarily be paused, can be suppressed or forgotten for some time by becoming workaholic, alcoholic or sleep but sorrow is exists. Even if you go to a different place it is with you.

When the heart becomes free of raga dvesha (likes & dislikes), fills with joy, then sorrows get destroyed. They don’t have the potency to affect your mind.

Even death cannot destroy sorrow. If one dies with sorrow, one is born with sorrow.

Once we gain this vairaghya, free from likes & dislikes, we gain this prasad that’s when the intellect becomes absolutely still in that Self which is all pervading, goes into the state of samadhi, no other effort is required but only the attitude of living. Such a person is stitha pragya (realized person).

When there likes and dislikes, meditation cannot happen.

Q: Describe the Spiritual journey.

Ans: Our spiritual journey begins with recognizing our duties with the current body and performing them with a specific attitude that becomes a sadana to reach the state of enlightenment.

Performing actions is different from the attitude with which it is performed.

It is like a soccer game. There are many players, goal keepers, referee in specific positions, they have their duties within that area. Offensive, defensive positions, they can’t be chatting when the game is going on… One has to understand the entire situation and one’s role in the bigger scheme of things. Responsibility is a team work. We’re a team, all animals, plants, the entire system, existence. We have responsibility to avoid imbalance and take care of ourselves our family our society our nature, our environment to create a harmony in this world.

Q: What is the attitude with which we should perform actions in this planet, in this life?

Ans: Adjust your mind with samathva, equanimity, then you’ll not get entangled in samsara..pain and pleasure, gain or loss, victory or defeat. Make your mind to accept both in advance. Attention should be focused on performing and not on the result.

I’m fine with winning and I’m also fine with a loss that’s the attitude in bhakti language it is called Prasad.

When you’re balanced in the result you’re balanced in your actions towards it. Otherwise you’re always scared, worried, inefficient in performing action because the more focused what would happen than the task on hand. The result depends on the totality so perform your duty and leave the result to happen..

Equanimous, samathva in both joy & sorrow, in advance then we’re balanced but if we leave this thought to the end, it causes tension and we’re imbalanced.

Gita is not a secret of success, it gives us the secret of the attitude to face both success and failure in a balanced way.

Do your duty in this attitude and you’ll not experience confusion fear and grief. Mind becomes free of any anxiety.

Q: What are the modes of acquiring any knowledge?

Ans: 1. Direct experience, (Prathyaksha praman) is we use our senses to understand the knowledge of the world. Red colored rose is known to the eyes, music through ears..

2. Inference.. Through smoke and we can infer fire

3. Comparison, (Upamanam). The unknown is understood by comparing to the known

4. Cause, (Arthapatti). Be studying the effect we know the cause… Flood and rain

5. Verbalzing, (Sabhta praman) We have not seen atoms and molecules but we trust the scientists. We accept it because people who know about it talk about it

6. Absence (Anupalabdhi) Knowledge of absence of something… By having the positive knowledge of the absence of something. You see confirm and say there is no cat in the room. A definite knowledge of the absence.

Astronauts go to a planet and confirm that they’re is no life there… The knowledge cannot change but if it is a belief, it can change.

When you follow the method (praman) properly, gain knowledge then that knowledge becomes conviction. Convictions gained with knowledge do not change. Only through the study of the scriptures, satsang, contemplation we gain conviction about our spiritual goal and path.

At present our intellect is wrongly convinced by the mind that we’re the body, a limited being.

Your intellect is convinced that five plus five is ten, if you try to tell the intellect it is five, it will resist because your conviction is based on the knowledge.

If you already believe that it is five, the knowledge that it is ten will change the belief!!

If you’re convinced that science is always right, then you’ll always go with science but if you know science is evolving, what is today may change with another scientist tomorrow and when the change happens, that knowledge will then change your belief in that particular theory of science.

Similarly there is a false conviction of our own identify and goal of life and his we can attain it

Therefore the sankhya buddhi and yoga buddhi are based on scriptures, logic and on personal experience. One who understand this full proof knowledge, the conviction is firm and that person’s life is different.

Such a strong conviction based on scriptures will enable a seeker to realize that all are One.

We all want happiness which is eternal, peace, contentment and want to be free. Such a state is ‘moksha’, freedom from the bondage which can only be attained in human life through Self knowledge.

The Expert’s Guide to Collecting and Investing in Rare Coins is an enormous book. It contains over 600 pages full of information on coin collecting. The title is somewhat deceiving though in my opinion. I would not call it an investment book at all but rather a complete overview of almost any type of numismatic material made in the United States.

The book certainly does cover investing in rare coins as an investment. The book contains a whopping 34 chapters and the first 15 are devoted to investing or determining the value of rare coins. Within those chapters, there are discussions regarding the common basics of coin investing such as quality/grading, rarity, and demand. As with any commodity or collectible, if there is no demand there is no price appreciation. The best example of that is the 1909 S VDB Lincoln Cent. There are more of these coins available than many other rare coins from 20 to 30 years prior but the 1909 S VDB commands a much higher price because of the shear number of people who want that coin.

The next several chapters (chapters 16 through 30) are devoted to each different collectible type. For example there is a chapter on copper coins, a chapter on nickels, a chapter on silver coins, and a chapter on gold coins and so on. These chapters provide a very brief overview of each coin type. If you want to more detail of let’s say the Buffalo Nickel, then you would want to spend the money on a book specific about Buffalo Nickels and fortunately, there are a few on the market. The same holds true for many other series such as Lincoln Cents, Shield Nickels, Mercury Dimes, and so on.

There are also chapters devoted to lesser known collectables. There is a chapter on proof coins, a chapter on colonial coins, a chapter on pattern coins, a chapter on commemoratives, a chapter on tokens, and more. Each of these chapters gives an overview of each particular item. There is even a chapter devoted to collecting Confederate paper money.

While these chapters are quite diverse, they offer a wealth of information that many collectors may not know. It is written in a manner that is very easy to follow and enjoyable to read.

Chapter 31 is devoted to developing your own personal numismatic library. If you are a series collector, it is not unheard of to spend hundreds, if not thousands of dollars on numismatic material. The old adage of buy the book first is true.

Chapter 32 delves into the world of coin cleaning and protecting your coins. Of course the best advice when it comes to cleaning coins is DO NOT DO IT. With that notion, the book discussed the various ways coins are cleaned. It also provides an overview of how to store and protect your coins.

I personally did not get this book for the advice on investing in rare coins, rather because I am more of a collector than an investor. Certainly we all want our collections to grow in value, but I read this book just because of the shear volume of general numismatic material. It is chocked full of information that for the beginning collector is priceless. It could certainly guide a beginning collector down the path of determining what he/she might have in interesting in collecting to become a true collector rather than a hoarder.

I highly recommend this book

While you may file for bankruptcy any time you wish, if you previously filed and received a discharge, you must wait a specified period of time before filing bankruptcy a second time – at least if you wish to receive a discharge, that is.

Believe it or not, in some situations, filing bankruptcy twice without receiving a discharge makes sense – but not for most people. Additionally, problems can arise when filing a second bankruptcy prematurely. The consequences can be disastrous.

Once you file a Chapter 7, you can’t automatically “dismiss” the petition. This has the effect of handing over your property to a bankruptcy trustee whose job it is to liquidate it at fire sale prices for the benefit of your creditors. However, receiving a nominal reduction of still-outstanding debts is not a good result for most.

Timing is everything when it comes to filing bankruptcy twice. The waiting periods applicable to filing bankruptcy a second time are addressed below.

1. When Originally Received a Chapter 7 Discharge and Plan to File Chapter 7

If you previously filed a Chapter 7 bankruptcy, you must wait eight years before filing to be eligible for discharge. Pursuant to Bankruptcy Code section 727(a)(8), this is calculated from the original filing date to the filing of the second petition. For example, if you originally filed on January 1, 2000, you would want to wait until January 1, 2008, or later.

2. When Originally Received a Chapter 7 Discharge and Plan to File Chapter 13

Pursuant to Bankruptcy Code section 1328(f)(1), if you previously filed a Chapter 7 bankruptcy and received a discharge, you must wait four years before filing a Chapter 13 in order to be eligible for a discharge.

If a Chapter 13 plan is not confirmed, a bankruptcy trustee may recommend conversion to Chapter 7. The rule stating that you cannot receive a second Chapter 7 discharge before eight years elapses from the prior Chapter 7 filing still applies, however, so in most cases you will want to dismiss the Chapter 13 action rather than convert to a Chapter 7.

3. When Originally Received a Chapter 13 Discharge and Plan to File Chapter 7

Under Bankruptcy Code section 727(a)(9), if you received a discharge in the Chapter 13, you are not eligible for a discharge under Chapter 7 for another six years, subject to a few exceptions.

4. When Originally Received a Chapter 13 Discharge and Plan to File Chapter 13

Pursuant to Bankruptcy Code section 1328(f)(2), if you received a discharge in the original Chapter 13, you cannot receive another discharge until two years has passed.

5. When Filed any Chapter but Didn’t Receive a Discharge

In most cases, you can file again after waiting 180 days. In such cases, it is important to speak with an attorney familiar with bankruptcy law.

The bottom-line is that while it is not unusual to file bankruptcy a second time, timing is crucial when you wish to receive a second discharge.