Aparokshanubhuti Lecture 01 Intro on 21-October-2026
Invocation
ॐ जननीं शारदां देवीं रामकृष्णं जगद्गुरुम्। पादपद्मे तयोः श्रित्वा प्रणमामि मुहुर्मुहुः॥
Oṁ jananīṁ śāradāṁ devīṁ rāmakṛṣṇaṁ jagadgurum | pādapadme tayoḥ śritvā praṇamāmi muhurmuhuḥ ||
ॐ श्रुतिस्मृतिपुराणानामालयं करुणालयम्। नमामि भगवत्पादं शङ्करं लोकशङ्करम्॥
Oṁ śrutismṛtipurāṇānāmālayaṁ karuṇālayam | namāmi bhagavatpādaṁ śaṅkaraṁ lokaśaṅkaram ||
Introduction: Bhagavān Śaṅkarācārya
Whenever we start studying the works of the great Bhagavān Śaṅkarācārya, we will have to remember him with the greatest gratefulness, because he was the person to bring out the ultimate essence – truth – of all the Upaniṣads, śrutis, Vedas, Upaniṣads, smṛti, all the Purāṇas.
Ālayaṁ Karuṇālayam
Ālayaṁ karuṇālayam – he is the greatest resort, filled with an ocean of compassion. He is the house of grace. Namāmi bhagavatpādam – his feet are no different from the feet of God Himself, because brahmavid brahmaiva bhavati – a knower of Brahman becomes Brahman only.
Why Śaṅkara?
Not only that – we know Śiva. His name is Śaṅkara. Every Sanskrit word is derived from its root's meaning. So Śaṅkara means – one epithet of Śiva: śaṁ karoti iti śaṅkaraḥ – "one who bestows the greatest blessing, one who gives the highest knowledge" – he is called Śaṅkara. And Ādi Śaṅkarācārya is considered as no less than the incarnation of Śiva Himself.
Why Was He Born?
And why was he born? For the sake of helping helplessly swimming people in this ocean of saṃsāra, going down, going up, etc. So he wants to do śubham, śaṅkaram. For whom? Not for this or that purpose or person, but for the entire world. So from today onwards, we are going to study a marvellous book by this Śaṅkarācārya. It is called Aparokṣānubhūti. We will go into the details later on, but for the beginning, as an introduction, this much will be sufficient.
Two Types of Experience
There are two types of experiences: direct experience and indirect experience.
Parokṣānubhūti – Indirect Experience
When we have an indirect experience – that means, just imagine you are looking into a mirror, or, in a modern analogy, you are looking at the monitor in front of you, be it small or big, and you are watching a drama, a cinema, hearing a song, or cricket, football, whatever. But very soon we feel that we are directly where the play is going on. We do not feel that it is an indirect experience. All that has been broadcast and our monitors are capable of receiving – we are looking at this reception. So indirectly, when we get knowledge, that is called parokṣānubhūti. Parokṣa means through the instrumentality of something.
Aparokṣānubhūti – Direct Experience
Aparokṣa means direct experience. And with regard to the knowledge of Brahman, it is a well‑known concept that we may study, we may know about Brahman through any type of scriptures, any type of medium, any type of lesson from the Guru. For example, I am talking – later on it is available on the website – that is indirect. And what you are hearing now is also not direct. Even if you are sitting in front of me, that is also, strictly speaking, an indirect experience, not a direct experience. Why? Because I am speaking, and the words have to go out, travel, reach your ears, and hopefully your mind is attentive, and then you hear them, and the ears carry those words to your mind, and the mind must be attentive, and it must convey the meaning to you. Then only what I am talking perhaps can make some sense. Because so many mediums through which the knowledge is coming to you, it is called – para means some other instruments – indirectly when we experience, it could be through one instrument, it could be a billion indirect instruments. All fall under that one category: parokṣānubhūti.
Becoming One with the Object
But when I become one with the object – when I am looking, for example, at a tree, and I become the tree, and then I will get that knowledge, because there is absolutely no difference between me and the tree. I do not say "I see the tree." I say "I am the tree." So that is called aparokṣānubhūti. No intermediary, direct identity.
The Mahāvākya
And that is what a Mahāvākya merely means. A teacher may teach: Jīvātman and Paramātman are one. That is still parokṣa only. Then he has to do manana, get rid of the least vestige of doubt. Then he must transform his life.
Transformation of Life
What is transformation of life? It is to say: "I am not the body, I am not the mind, I am not the three bodies: gross, subtle, and causal." And that is what exactly is called – when everything is denied, that is called Turīyāvasthā – or "I become one with the object of my quest," and that is called aparokṣānubhūti.
The Three Mediums
But to get that aparokṣānubhūti, I have to go through so many mediums. Śravaṇa is the first medium, manana is the second medium, and nididhyāsana. What is nididhyāsana? Getting rid of our identities with every other body. So this is a marvellous book, and it is called a prakaraṇa‑grantha.
What Is a Prakaraṇa-Grantha?
And what is a prakaraṇa‑grantha? I am going to talk about it later on. But every religion depends upon certain scriptures. The Bible, for example – Old as well as New – is the scripture for Christians. And then the first five books of the Old Bible, that is the scripture for the Jews. The Qur'an is the scripture for the Muslims. Tripiṭaka are the scriptures for the Buddhists. Guru Granth Sāhib.
Expressions of the Ṛṣis
Now, what are these things? They are the expressions of great ṛṣis, seers, who have identified themselves with the supreme reality, and out of compassion for this world, they try to come and express them. Expression always means secondary knowledge, depending upon their capacity of expression, the language with which they are familiar, and the type of people they are trying to express.
The Limits of Expression
No author, no writer, no poet can ever express one hundred percent what he is feeling and wants to convey to others. Even a speaker cannot express what he wants to express. If any speaker is capable of expressing one‑thousandth of what he really feels, that is the greatest success of the speaker, we have to tell.
Swami Vivekananda at the Parliament
That is the difference. That is why when Swami Vivekananda was heard, and the participants at the Parliament of Religions had also heard hundreds of other speakers, immediately all the listeners found a chord – like an instrument tuned in a particular way; every instrument that is tuned in the same way, they all respond and they also start vibrating in the same way. That is why when a person experiences, he understands.
The Sweet Analogy
To bring a small analogy: perhaps a person had heard about a very tasty sweet. He may read books about it. He may hear it directly from a person who experienced it, but his knowledge will be absolutely nothing – absolutely nothing. But the moment somebody, out of compassion, brings just one atomic particle of that sweet and puts it on the tongue of the person, he knows one hundred percent about that sweet.
Brahmānubhūti Cannot Be Expressed
That is why brahmānubhūti – in other words, aparokṣānubhūti – can never be expressed. But even if it is expressed, it can only be understood by those at least who have tasted one small bit.
Touching the Ganges
Śrī Rāmakṛṣṇa puts it in so beautiful a manner. To be able to say "I touched Gaṅgā," one does not need to go on touching from the origin of Gaṅgā until the Gaṅgā river enters into the Bay of Bengal, Gaṅgā Sāgara. No. Anywhere you touch for a millisecond – just put your tiny finger and touch it once – and you have touched the whole of the Gaṅgā. Śrī Rāmakṛṣṇa was a master of analogies like Kālidāsa, of similes like Kālidāsa.
Touching Any Part
So you see, if I want to touch you, I do not want to touch your entire body. Any part of the body I touch will be touching you, because you will immediately experience that sensation – "somebody is touching me" – and the person who is touching also feels "I have touched this person."
One Hundred Percent Experience
So touching a wee bit of what we want to touch is not one‑hundredth of the experience, not one‑millionth or one‑billionth of the experience; it is one hundred percent experience only.
Scripture and Revelation
So every religion is founded upon certain revelations. That is what is called scripture. And a scripture is nothing but expression of the knowledge of God – often God only, out of pure compassion, reveals through His own mouth. So He incarnates. You call them ṛṣis, call them incarnations, call them great saints, call them great ācāryas like Śaṅkara, Rāmānuja, etc.
No Difference Between Teachers
Here I want to remove one possible doubt that might arise in some of you. You should not see any difference. At least the followers of Śrī Rāmakṛṣṇa never see any difference between the teachings of Śaṅkara, Rāmānuja, Madhva, Śrī Rāmakṛṣṇa, Swami Vivekananda, etc. There are fools sufficient that are existing in this world: "Oh, Swami Vivekananda did not study the original scriptures. He does not know the essence of the scriptures. Only those who follow Śaṅkarācārya understand the true spirit of the scriptures." Such enormous ignorance is also part of the līlā of God.
The Only Criterion
But what is important – who is teaching, what is the school of philosophy, what are the arguments forwarded – that is not important. The most important part, as I am reminding you, and did so in the past, and will do so in the future, is: how does it affect me, you? Is it bringing a change? Is it making me less selfish? Is it making me more compassionate? Is it making me more loving? Is it making me more of a server than being served?
Transformation
So if even a little bit of transformation can occur in my mind, then I am a blessed person. That is the only criterion. My own transformation is the ultimate criterion.
Different Faiths, Same Goal
So there are different people with different faiths, beliefs. So Śaṅkara is useful for one particular type of person, Rāmānuja is useful for another – and yet millions of such followers – and they all will attain to the same goal. What Rāmānuja speaks – he does not accept, for example, the formless aspect of God – but does it matter? You reach the highest aspect that he outlines, and you reach there. And then let us wait and see what happens at that time.
Getting Rid of You
Because I have explained to you many times: you reach, for example, Vaikuṇṭha, then Nārāyaṇa. As I put forth funnily: what does Nārāyaṇa do? He wants to get rid of you forever. And the only way He can get rid of you forever is to give you liberation. Then you cease to be an individual, and you become only that Infinite. That is all that is wanted.
The Divine Mother
So I am putting it funnily, but truly speaking, this is what Śrī Rāmakṛṣṇa means: you surrender yourself to the Divine Mother, and the Divine Mother will give you the highest – just as any simple, ordinary mother wants her child to get the best, whether it is food, whether it is knowledge, whether it is happiness. Every parent, especially the mother, desires only the highest felicity of the child. And if this is so with any ordinary woman, what to speak of the Divine Mother, who is manifesting only in the form of every woman, every man – not only a woman: yā devī sarvabhūteṣu mātṛrūpeṇa saṁsthitā. This is the correct understanding, thanks to Śrī Rāmakṛṣṇa.
The Touchstone
What are you? Are you becoming a better person? Ultimately that is the only touchstone. And every other thing – how much you intellectually understand, but are profoundly miserable – is of no use.
The Prasthānatraya
So Hinduism is one of the major religions accepted by everybody. Hinduism, Islam, Judaism, Christianity, and Buddhism are generally considered to be the major religions. We can include also, of course, Sikhism, Bahā'īsm, etc. No harm in that. So what are the foundational works of Hinduism? They are given an apt name: they are called Prasthānatraya. Traya means three. Prasthāna – sthāna means a place; prasthāna means prakṛṣṭa‑sthānam – the highest desirable state. "Place" means state. So that which takes us – anything that takes us to the highest reality, which is Brahman, which helps anybody to reach that highest state – all that is divided, subdivided into Prasthānatraya.
The Three Prasthānas
The first one is, of course, the Vedas, and the essence of the Vedas is called Vedānta. Vedānta is another name for the Upaniṣads. Prasthāna means a mārga – not only a mārga. The word prasthāna has two meanings: the supreme state to be reached, and also an appropriate pathway.
Jato Mat, Tato Path
And here we have to remember Śrī Rāmakṛṣṇa's incomparable teaching: jato mat, tato path. You believe sincerely – even if you believe wrongly, it does not matter – but that will take you to the highest place. How can a wrong belief take a person to the highest state? Śrī Rāmakṛṣṇa gives: one condition is necessary there – he must be absolutely sincere. He may have a mistaken idea, but he must be very sincere.
The Devotee of Jagannāth
There was a devotee of Jagannāth, and he wanted – he was eager – to have the darśana of Lord Jagannāth. So, being ignorant of the path, he started travelling towards the north. And then he went on asking: "How far is Purī Jagannāth Kṣetra?" And God Himself appears to him in the form of any passer‑by and then he says: "My good man, you are travelling in the wrong direction. Now you have to travel to the south." So he goes on asking, and at last he reaches Purī Jagannāth to his heart's content. He has the darśana of the Divine Lord.
Lāṭu Mahārāja at Purī
In this connection, we have to remember Lāṭu Mahārāja stayed for some time at Purī and then he returned back. Some of his devotees asked him – I think this happened in Vārāṇasī – "What was your experience at Purī Jagannāth?" He said: "I was overwhelmed. I prayed to Lord Jagannāth: 'I want two boons from You.'" And the devotees were eager to know the two boons. What were the two boons?
The First Boon
So Lāṭu Mahārāja explained: "First of all, I want to have the same vision that Caitanya Mahāprabhu had while looking at You all the time from morning till evening, forgetting the entire world." Caitanya Mahāprabhu used to stand at a corner outside, inside a door, leaning against the wall, and he used to gaze at Lord Jagannāth. And then Lāṭu Mahārāja said: "By the grace of Jagannāth, I had the exact vision that Lord Caitanya had."
The Second Boon
Devotees were curious – what was the second boon? And he explained, which stunned the devotees: "Whatever I eat, wherever I eat, let it be digested." So to go to God, have His vision, and ask for better digestion was – had surprised the questioners.
The Explanation
Then he explained: "Do you not see, a sādhu gets food from various people, from various places. Various types of water he may have to drink, and sometimes it can turn into food poisoning. But by the grace of the Lord, whatever I have eaten anywhere has been completely digested. Otherwise undigested food will be a source of great obstacle for sādhanā, spiritual practice." These great mahāpuruṣas speak like that.
Śruti, Smṛti, and Nyāya Prasthāna
So coming back to our subject – sthāna means a state of attainment. Prasthāna means the highest state, which is nothing but Tat tvam asi or Ahaṁ Brahmāsmi. But there must be a pathway, and in this Aparokṣānubhūti, it is there. We were talking about three types of books. Traya means three.
Śruti Prasthāna
So first is the Upaniṣads – that is, the Upaniṣads are called Śruti Prasthāna, emphasizing the original revelations of the ṛṣis.
Smṛti Prasthāna – The Gītā
Their essence is nothing but the Bhagavad Gītā:
सर्वोपनिषदो गावो दोग्धा गोपालनन्दनः। पार्थो वत्सः सुधीर्भोक्ता दुग्धं गीतामृतं महत्॥
sarvopaniṣado gāvo dogdhā gopālanandanaḥ | pārtho vatsaḥ sudhīrbhoktā dugdhaṁ gītāmṛtaṁ mahat ||
So Arjuna was only a calf, a starter. Through the mouth of Arjuna, through the instrumentality of Arjuna, Bhagavān Kṛṣṇa had taught to whom? Sudhīrbhoktā – who are the enjoyers of this milk? Sudhīḥ – well‑endowed with the right and highest type of intelligence. And what is that dugdham? Gītāmṛtam. Gītāmṛtam is Upaniṣadamṛtam. Upaniṣadamṛtam is nothing but "each soul is potentially divine." So that is the Smṛti Prasthāna.
Nyāya Prasthāna – The Brahma Sūtras
Then various Upaniṣads use various languages because they were the personal experiences of varieties of ṛṣis. Naturally, there might be different expressions of language, and sometimes they may look contradictory. So Veda Vyāsa had studied the entire Vedas, edited them, divided them, classified them into the most logical way that is possible, and then he found out certain types of statements in different Upaniṣads. So if one person wants to study one portion of the Upaniṣad, and when he studies about that in another Upaniṣad, it might look even contradictory. But every Upaniṣad tells the same truth. So to remove those contradictions, he picks up all the important, seemingly contradictory statements, and such a work is called Brahma Sūtras. And even that is a voluminous work. This is called Nyāya Prasthāna.
The Foundation of Hinduism
So Hinduism is based upon these three invaluable books – that is, Śruti Prasthāna, Smṛti Prasthāna, and Nyāya Prasthāna.
Commentaries of the Ācāryas
And each of the Upaniṣads, Bhagavad Gītā, Brahma Sūtras have been commented upon by different teachers, bringing their own understanding. But one point we have to keep in mind: all these teachers were never insincere. Their purpose is not to defeat the opponent – which we have seen as neither jalpa nor vitaṇḍā – but it is to establish the truth.
Bhagavān Worked Through Them
And Bhagavān Himself worked through them to interpret all the three Prasthānatraya in that particular way. Why did Bhagavān contradict Himself? Śaṅkara comments one way, Rāmānuja another way, Madhva another way, Aurobindo another way. The reason is that there will be different types of minds, and some particular interpretation will be more appealing to one particular person.
Never Say Another Interpretation Is Wrong
Now the point here is: it does not matter. Never ever say some particular interpretation is wrong. Do not even enter into it; otherwise you will be the greatest sinner in the world. Simply say: "Is this helping somebody to move forward in spiritual life?" It may not appeal to me. Let me choose what is good for me.
The Doctor Analogy
When different patients approach different doctors, all of them treat every patient as an individual case, because so many other factors are also taken into consideration. What is necessary is that the doctor wants to help every patient to completely recover health and be free from that illness, sickness, problem. That is the approach.
Ye Yathā Māṁ Prapadyante
That is why Bhagavān Kṛṣṇa Himself said:
ये यथा मां प्रपद्यन्ते तांस्तथैव भजाम्यहम्। मम वर्त्मानुवर्तन्ते मनुष्याः पार्थ सर्वशः॥
ye yathā māṁ prapadyante tāṁstathaiva bhajāmyaham | mama vartmānuvartante manuṣyāḥ pārtha sarvaśaḥ ||
"Many people are approaching Me in many different ways, but all of them are travelling towards Me alone, and I respond to those people only in that particular way." What a marvellous, generous, liberal interpretation of Vedānta! We have to keep that in mind.
The Gītā for Simple Devotees
So we are talking about Prasthānatraya. The Bhagavad Gītā is meant for people who are simple devotees of God, and it applies not only to the followers of the path of devotion. You want to follow Yoga Mārga, it will take you to the highest. Want to follow Bhakti Mārga, it will take you to the highest. You want to follow the path of intellect, that will take you. Want to serve people, that will also take you to the exact same liberation. This is the Bhagavad Gītā's contribution.
Quarrelling
But then we have to remember, people like us go on quarrelling without understanding this particular way.
Practical Vedānta
So coming back to our subject: different ācāryas go on trying to defeat each other. Do not take those portions which are trying to defend their own particular school of philosophy, but take what is practical. In every vyākhyāna, commentary, there is something which is practical – what Swami Vivekananda calls Practical Vedānta – which definitely helps each one of us. Our business is only to see how we can progress in spiritual life practically. That should be our main goal, not to intellectually try to understand. Of course, if intellect can help us to understand, that is fine. But if the intellect creates doubts and blaming, criticising other ācāryas, other people, then that is bad.
The Gospel Incident
In the Gospel of Śrī Rāmakṛṣṇa, somebody had remarked some bad things about the Tantras. Immediately the axe had come down upon that devotee, and He said: "Even some people have realised God through that particular path." So whether a path contains a lot of wrong things – no; for a sincere devotee, every scripture gives unfailing guidance to reach the same goal.
The Two Remaining Schools
So these commentaries, for most of us, have lost their meaning now. In the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, the other schools of philosophy, which vehemently tried to outdo the other schools of philosophy, have absolutely no relevance. Some of the schools of philosophy – especially four: Nyāya and Vaiśeṣika and Yoga and Pūrva Mīmāṁsā – have no relevance nowadays at all.
Pūrva and Uttara Mīmāṁsā
The entire thing had condensed itself into two paths: Pūrva Mīmāṁsā and Uttara Mīmāṁsā. And Swami Vivekananda brought about a beautiful reconciliation of these two and said that you cannot neglect one. It is not either this or that. First we have to follow the Karma Mārga. And "do this," "do not do this" – that is the essence of the Karma Mārga.
Vidhi and Niṣedha
And then when one follows faithfully, this is called vidhi and niṣedha. These are also called nitya‑anuṣṭheya‑karmāṇi. Every day a person has to do, from getting up until he goes to bed – Hinduism is very strict – you have to do one after the other all these things. The essence of all these things is to purify our body, purify our mind – in other words, to make the instruments which God so kindly provided for us, the body and mind (and that includes the causal body also), so that we have a beautiful outlook when we are experiencing the waking state, very beautiful dreams when we are in the dream state, and a peaceful repose when we are in the deep sleep state. So all three help each other.
If our whole waking state is spent in the right way, our dreams we create in the right way, which will be pleasant, which will be uplifting, and which will reinforce our spiritual desire. Because you have to understand the psychology. What is that psychology? That what we imagine fondly – "This will give me the greatest good" – it may not be correct, but when I feel "This is the greatest good," and then I go on doing without heeding, without discriminating, I will end up worse than before. But if I follow the guidance of the scripture, which also comes in the form of the guidance of Guru, parents, teachers, wise people, etc., then our mind acquires a better understanding. And whatever is imagined by that better mind brings beautiful dreams, which are helpful for us. And then what we call today's dream is tomorrow's fact. So that reinforces. Then a person with beautiful dreams is more likely to have a very peaceful, restful deep sleep than other people. So this is how all three are interrelated.
The Gītā as the Milk
So the Bhagavad Gītā is the simplified version of the teachings of Vedānta. That is why it is said Bhagavān Kṛṣṇa is the cowherd who milks all the cows, which are the Upaniṣads. And the milk that comes is amṛtam – that which, by drinking, a person becomes free from the trammels, from the bondage of this saṁsāra‑sāgara.
Arjuna the Calf
And Arjuna was only the instrument – just like an Indian farmer, he has a calf. He leaves the calf to drink the milk of the mother because he has no love for that calf. He only wants the calf to start the milking machine from the cow, and as soon as it starts giving, it cannot stop itself. Then he takes away the milk, hardly leaving anything sustaining, nourishing to the calf. Anyway, that is a great wrong that is being done by us.
Holy Mother and the Calf
And if you remember, once Holy Mother was given a cow and a calf, and one day the calf was crying out of hunger, and this Mother can understand – "My child is hungry." So she unroped the calf. Immediately it ran and joyfully started sucking the milk of the mother. And that is our Mother.
Prakaraṇa-Granthas
So the whole Vedāntic teaching is so huge, and many ācāryas have decided to present the teachings in even easier formats. And they are called prakaraṇa‑granthas.
The Difference
What is the difference between the main – whether it is Upaniṣadic commentaries or Bhagavad Gītā commentaries – and between the prakaraṇa‑granthas? These prakaraṇa‑granthas, in a way of speaking, are secondary books. What do they do? There are two types of prakaraṇa‑granthas.
The Summaries
It is like you use ChatGPT to summarise even the toughest ideas so that they are understandable by an average intelligence – a ten‑ or twelve‑ or fifteen‑year‑old college student or school student. So this is the advantage of AI. So some swamis also, when they speak, sometimes it becomes very confusing, because they are sincere in their effort, but they have not understood how to present it to the audience, suitable for their understanding.
The Purāṇas
That is why our great ācāryas, ṛṣis, have created a lot of books called Purāṇas, illustrating the highest Vedāntic teachings in the form of biographies, stories, special incidents in the life of great devotees, etc., so that even an ordinary person can easily understand. Take the example of Prahlāda. Once you understand Prahlāda's life, you understand the highest Vedāntic teaching: sarvavyāpakaḥ nārāyaṇaḥ. So He is the Brahman. So nārāyaṇam idaṁ sarvaṁ, yat kiñca jagatyāṁ jagat, tena tyaktena bhuñjīthā mā gṛdhaḥ kasyasvid dhanam – Īśāvāsya Upaniṣad. So sahasraśīrṣā puruṣaḥ – whatever we see is of the same material, and that material is Brahman.
The Two Types of Prakaraṇa-Granthas
So these prakaraṇa‑granthas are simplified, very easily explained books created by these compassionate teachers. And there are of two types:
- The first type takes all of Vedānta, squeezes them, every concept, with simple language and illustration, so that it can be understood by everybody.
- The second type of prakaraṇa‑granthas does not take all the subjects; they take only a particular subject.
Ātmabodha
I will give an illustration. There is a book by Śaṅkarācārya called Ātmabodha. It is purely a description of the Ātman in simple words with plenty of analogies. Practically every śloka is bristling with an analogy, and Śaṅkarācārya is a master of these analogies.
Dṛg-Dṛśya-Viveka
Then there is another book – it is controverted whether it is the work of Śaṅkarācārya or not; we briefly had seen it, and I have a desire to take it up once more later on – this is called Dṛg‑Dṛśya‑Viveka. So what is the relationship between the seer and the seen? It only focuses upon the experiencer and the experienced.
The Three Experiencers
So there are three types of experiencers. The sense organs are the first experiencers. They are not only experiencers of every object that comes into their purview, but at the same time they are also experienced. Whenever I say "I see through my eyes," the eyes not only see the objects, but I am also seeing the function of the eye. So sense organs are both the experiencers (dṛk) as well as experienced (dṛśya).
The Objects
Whereas the objects are only dṛśyas. They do not have the power to be experiencers.
The Mind
But when it comes to the mind – because every sense organ presents what it gathers (the eye gathers forms, the ear gathers sounds, etc.) and presents to the mind – so from the individual point of view, the eyes and ears are the experiencers, but from the viewpoint of the mind, they are also experienced: "Oh, my eye has seen that one." When it comes to the state of the mind, the mind is both the experiencer (through the sense organs, the objects, etc.) but it is also the experienced.
Sākṣī-Caitanya
There is something called sākṣī‑caitanya, and that is experiencing the mind. And when we come to that third one, sākṣī‑caitanya, it is only the experiencer. Sākṣī‑caitanya is not experiencable either by the mind and much less by the sense organs. And to give a crystal‑clear view, the author presents six types of meditations: antar‑dṛśya, bahir‑dṛśya, and both.
The Two Types Again
So you want to go back to that – you will have to go; I am not going to explain now. So two types of these secondary scriptures, books:
- One, like Vivekacūḍāmaṇi, gives the entire world picture – bird's‑eye view of the entire Vedānta. Nothing is excluded, everything is included, but in very easy language, very briefly, beautiful illustrations, very easily understandable and inspiring language. That is one type of prakaraṇa‑grantha.
- The second type of prakaraṇa‑grantha takes up only a particular part of the teaching, a particular Vedāntic truth, and presents it, focuses upon it in a little more detail, so that a reader can understand that particular aspect of Vedānta in a better way.
Aparokṣānubhūti
So this particular book we have taken up for study is called Aparokṣānubhūti. Now, what is an anubhūti? Anubhūti means experience.
Two Types of Experience
So there are two types of experiences, which I hinted at the beginning of this class. One is called parokṣa. I see, I watch the cricket match on my monitor, TV, or maybe phone – it does not matter – but I am not directly present where the play is going on. I am only watching its broadcasting on my monitor. This is called secondary perception.
Whatever We Experience
So whatever we experience in the mind of this world belongs to this category. Sense organs go out, gather the information, present it to the mind, and the mind acts like a monitor. And whatever we see – "Oh, this is a mango tree; this mango is especially sweet" – all those experiences we get.
The Nitya-Sākṣī
But there is a nitya‑sākṣī, eternal witness. And it witnesses the sense organs, the mind, and everything, but it is never experienced by any of those – mind or sense organs. That is why it is called nitya‑sākṣī.
Knowledge Requires Identity
Now there is a principle of what is called knowledge. I told in my last classes also: the more a person identifies with a particular object of which he is desiring to have knowledge, the only way is he must become one with that object one hundred percent. If he identifies with ten percent, then only ten percent knowledge will come.
The Girl and the Man
A funny example I am giving to make – my only purpose is to make this point clear. Suppose a girl looks at a man – very handsome face – and then she falls in love. "He is the most lovely person in the world" – that is the wrong opinion she is cherishing. And one day, when he turned his back, you see that there are so many bumps on his back, which are the ugliest things, which he covered with his coat, etc., which she never had the opportunity to witness. The moment she sees, now her knowledge is better: "Front looks very handsome, beautiful, attractive, desirable, but the moment from the backside seen, he is not only not desirable – he is thoroughly undesirable."
Hiding Defects
Imagine if a person has got some TB, or what we call leprosy, and which he is hiding – she will never agree to have anything to do with him; maybe she will be sympathetic. So we have to understand this is only with regard to the physical aspect.
Young People Meeting
So whenever two young people meet, they only exhibit sweet words, very smiling words, appreciative words, and then both can be mistaken. But when they start living together, slowly the old saṁskāras come out. And that is where sometimes it can lead to even murder. So we have to understand this crystal clearly: unless we identify ourselves with the entire object, our knowledge will remain bound, will remain incomplete only.
Incomplete Knowledge
So whatever is incomplete, that is called parokṣānubhūti – indirect knowledge. Anubhūti means experience.
The Sweet Fruit
Even if we are looking at something, or eating something – suppose you are eating a sweet fruit or a sweet, and it is giving tremendous amount of pleasure, and it is more likely you end up eating more than what you should. And then soon after that, or the next day, or the day after, the reaction will start – purging will start, so many things will start. This is what we call food poisoning. What happens? Then you look back and understand that which was appearing to be the most desirable is the root cause of all this subsequent suffering.
The Candlelight Example
So that is why it is said very funnily, and I liked it, that is why I am repeating it to you. So when two young people – man and woman – meet together, they see only the outside appearance, that too unclear, indistinct in the candlelight, and then their imagination goes to work: "Maybe they will get married soon." And then starts the disillusionment, and it might run several years. And then slowly the understanding comes: "Just as I have my own defects, the other person also has her or his own defects. So life is all about adjusting with each other, taking the good, learning from the other, and trying to avoid what I feel unhelpful, unprofitable, unpleasant in some way." So that is what we need to do.
The Three Phases of Life
So that is why it is said: the first phase of life is romantic, the second phase of life is very practical, the third phase of life is – second time – true love dawns. What is true love? A person – both man and woman – understand each other, accept each other, adjust with each other, and they move forward towards their own destinations.
The Mismatch
But many people think: "This is a mismatch. If I had chosen another partner, it would have been better." You can have any number of partners you want, but the same experience will repeat. At last, wisdom dawns: "There is nothing called a perfect object in this world. God alone is the only perfect object, and that object I want." Because we all want perfect. Whatever is perfect is alone capable of giving us what is called unbroken happiness. It is a change in the outlook.
Parokṣānubhūti Is Defective
So parokṣānubhūti is defective. It leads to unimaginable suffering.
Aparokṣānubhūti
What is aparokṣānubhūti? "I am everything." So who is the other person? Myself. Who is my wife? Myself. Who is my husband? Myself. Who is my enemy? Myself. Who is my benefactor? Myself. And when a person attains to that, it is called nityānanda‑utsava, unbroken experience of bliss. That is called ānanda. So that unbroken bliss state in which we know there is nobody – "I am everything" – so to say, "I am Brahman, I am sac‑cid‑ānanda" – then that person has aparokṣānubhūti. So until I destroy what I call my separate existence, I will never attain to that state. And that is what is called aparokṣānubhūti.
Preparing for Aparokṣānubhūti
And of course, to have that kind of anubhūti, we must gradually progress in spiritual life – which means I must first of all acquire the instruments to take up the travel, whereby we move forward. Not only that, we must also be prepared to leave behind, without a look behind, no regretting look behind. That is going to be discussed here.
Yoga and Psychology
And in this particular book called Aparokṣānubhūti, there are so many things that are connected with Yoga, that is, Patañjali Yoga. Because Yoga is entirely a textbook on psychology – pure psychology. And what is spiritual progress? Pure psychology: find out what problems are there in my own constitution – psychological constitution – find out the solution to those problems, and then move forward.
Śrī Rāmakṛṣṇa and Tantra
So a great help is taken. In fact, that is what Śrī Rāmakṛṣṇa also did – if you notice, he had taken the help of tantric sādhanās. Only the terminology used is kuṇḍalinī, rising of the kuṇḍalinī, different cakras, and saptabhūmikā in dry Vedānta – seven stages of spiritual progress in Advaita Vedānta. It is posited in the Yogavāsiṣṭha Rāmāyaṇa. Śrī Rāmakṛṣṇa has no such preference or distinction. He takes up all these, harmonises them in the most wonderful manner, and presents them to all of us. We are not bothered about which path we are taking. If I need to change my plane – if I miss one plane, let me take the other plane, etc.
Conclusion
So this text we have taken up for study is called Aparokṣānubhūti, and it has 144 verses. And about this beautiful book in simple language, we will discuss in future.
Closing Prayer
Om Jānānāṃ Śāradāṃ Devīṃ Rāmakṛṣṇaṃ Jagadgurum
Pada Padme Tayo Śṛtvā Praṇamāmi Muhur Muhuh
May Sri Ramakrishna, Holy Mother, and Swami Vivekananda bless us all with bhakti.
Jai Ramakrishna!