Free lessons on the Bhagavad Gita will be held every Sunday from 3-4pm starting April 12 at the Saratoga Hindu Temple & Community Center in Saratoga, CA. The lessons are organized by ISKCON of Silicon Valley and will be taught by Damodar Vamsidhari Das. Those interested can email saratogatemple@gmail.com or call/SMS 949-981-4976 to participate. The speaker is a disciple of HH Bhakti Vikasa Swami and works as a senior executive while also teaching in corporations and temples in the Bay Area.

1. FreeLessonsof BHAGVAD GITA
When
Every Sunday 3 -4 pm
Starting 12 April
Where
Saratoga Hindu Temple & Community
Center
19655 Allendale Ave
Saratoga, CA, 95070
Organized by
ISKCON of Silicon Valley
( a non-profit to spread knowledge of
Bhagavad Gita)
Speaker
Damodar Vamsidhari Das
Please email to
saratogatemple@gmail.com or call/SMS
949-981-4976 if you want to be part of
this wonderful journey.
The speaker is disciple of HH Bhakti
Vikasa Swami and works as Senior
Executive in Hi Tech company. He
also teaches in corporates in Bay
area besides many Temples.
Chant “HareKrishna HareKrishna Krishna Krishna HareHare, HareRama HareRama Rama Rama HareHare” and beHappy
- Unleash the real You by arming yourself with the timeless wisdom of the Bhagavad Gita
- Think on the questions that arisen in you at some point
Can I be scientific and still believe in God? Is there a God? If so why is there evil in this
world?
Who am I? What is the goal of life?
Why to bad things happen to good people?
Why do I get stress? Why do I do something despite knowing its bad for me?
- Learn simple, powerful, practical truths about life and spirituality.
- A roadmap to inner peace and fulfillment by unleashing the potential of the soul
- Empower yourself with techniques to tackle Stress, Bad habits and Conflict.
- Discover the non-sectarian spiritual truths that can unify all religions and people.
Salient features- Exciting Q&A and discussion sessions

2. Once upon a
time...there was a
Rich King who
had four wives.

3. He loved the
fourth wife the
most and
adorned her with
rich robes and
treated her to the
finest of
delicacies. He
gave her nothing
but the best.

4. He also loved the
third wife very
much, and he was
always showing
her off to
neighboring
kingdoms.
However, he
feared that one day
she would leave
him for another.

5. He also loved his
second wife. She
was his confidante
and was always kind,
considerate, and
patient with him.
Whenever the King
faced a problem, he
could confide in her
to help him get
through the difficult
times.

6. The King's first wife
was a very loyal
partner and had made
great contributions in
maintaining his wealth
and kingdom.
However, he did not
love the first wife and
although she loved
him deeply, he hardly
took notice of her.

7. One day, the King
fell ill, and he knew
his time was short.
He thought of his
luxurious life and
pondered, "I now
have four wives
with me, but when I
die, I'll be all alone.

8. Thus, he asked the fourth
wife, "I have loved you
the most, endowed you
with the finest clothing,
and showered great care
over you. Now that I'm
dying, will you follow me
and keep me company?"
"Absolutely not!" replied
the fourth wife and she
walked away without
another word. Her answer
cut like a sharp knife right
into his heart.

9. The sad King then
asked the third wife, "I
have loved you all my
life. Now that I'm dying,
will you follow me and
keep me company?"
"No," replied the third
wife. "Life is too good!
When you die, I'm going
to remarry!" His heart
sank and turned cold.

10. He then asked the second
wife, "I have always turned
to you for help, and you've
always been there for me.
When I die, will you follow
me and keep me
company?"
"I'm sorry, I can't help you
out this time," replied the
second wife. "At the very
most, I can only send you
to your grave."
Her answer came like a
bolt of thunder, and the
King was devastated.

11. Then a voice called
out. "I'll leave with
you and follow you
no matter where you
go."
The King looked up,
and there was his
first wife. She was so
sad and thin, she
looked half-starved.

12. Greatly grieved, the King said,
"I should have taken much better care of you
when I had the chance!”

13. In truth, we all
have four wives in
our lives: Our
fourth wife is our
body. No matter
how much time
and effort we lavish
in making it look
good, it'll leave us
when we die.

14. Our third wife is
our
possessions,
status, and
wealth. When we
die, it will all go to
others.

15. Our second wife
is our family
and friends. No
matter how much
they have been
there for us, the
furthest they can
stay by us is up
to the grave.

16. And our
first wife is
our soul, often
neglected in
pursuit of wealth,
power, and
pleasures of the
ego.

17. 1. Soul 2. Friends & Relatives
3. Wealth 4. Body

18. However, our soul is the only thing that
will follow us wherever we go. So
cultivate, strengthen, and cherish it now!

19. Welcome
To
ATMA

20. Contents
•Introduction - The Search for Happiness
•Discovering the root
•Who am I? The Science of the Soul.
•Who is God?
•Why bad things happen to good people?
- The Law of Karma.•
•Demystifying Yoga
•Practical application of the Bhagavad-Gita

21. What are we
looking for in life?

22. Everyone wants to be happy!!!

27. Catering to senses = Happiness?

29. In spite of all this advancement,
Modern people are
 dissatisfied
 full of anxiety
 stressed
 depressed & above all unhappy

30. Public Unrest

31. Communal
Violence

32. T
e
r
r
o
r
i
s
m

33. Wars

34. Steadily increasing
every year

35. Before finishing school an
average child watches
8,000 murders
100,000 acts of violence
Before finishing school an
average child watches

36. Common Problems in School
• 1950s
– talking in class
– chewing gum
– making noise
– running in the
halls
– cutting into line
– dress-code
violations, and
– littering
• 1990s
– drug abuse
– alcohol abuse
– pregnancy
– suicide
– rape
– robbery and
– assault

37. ALWAYS ON RISE

45. An alternate
paradigm..

47. Humans
V/s
Animals
Eating
Mating
Sleeping
Defending

51. Intelligence –
Discriminate
Why am I
Suffering?

52. Why am I
being forced?

54. “If we do not explore this potential, we
are simply well dressed, sophisticated,
polished, 2-legged animals”
- Mahabharata

57. SrimadBhagavatam 11.9.29

58. Srimad Bhagavatam 1.2.10.

60. BG 4.26
api ced asi pāpebhyaḥ
sarvebhyaḥ pāpa-kṛt-tamaḥ
sarvaṁ jñāna-plavenaiva
vṛjinaṁ santariṣyasi -
Even if you are considered to be the most sinful of all
sinners, when you are situated in the boat of
transcendental knowledge you will be able to cross over
the ocean of miseries.

61. Bhagavad Gita
Answers most fundamental questions of life
• Who am I ?
• Where to I come from ?
• Where do I go ?
• What is my relationship between me and things around me ?
• Why am I Happy some times and sad other times ?
• Why does bad things happen to good people ?

62. 5. Karma
(Activity)
Five Major Topics in Bhagavad-Gita
1. ISVARA
(GOD)
2.Jiva
(Living Entity)
3. Prakriti
(Material
Nature)
4.Kala
(Time)

65.  Real inquiries
 Search for Happiness
 Incredible Material Advancement
 Still a pinprick somewhere..
 Defining Real Problems
 Common to All
 No one wants it
 No one can avoid it

66.  What are these problems?
 Birth, Death, Old Age, Disease
 Miseries caused by
• Body and Mind
• Other Living Entities
• Nature
 The special prerogative of Human Life
 Rise above the struggle for
 Eating, Sleeping, Mating, Defending
 Being a sophisticated Animal
 Athato Brahma Jijnasa
 Inquire into the real problems of life
 Why is no one able to avoid these problems?
 Why is it designed this way?
 Do you want to know?