Chandogya Upanishad Lecture 14 on 07 July 2024

Full Transcript (Not Corrected)

We are studying the Chandogya Upanishad. In our last class, we have been studying the Peace Chant. And first of all, it is a prayer that my journey may not face any obstacles, of course, by the grace of God. Secondly, may God bless me. In fact, He had already blessed me with three things. Because what is the proof? We are attending this class, other classes, we are studying the scriptures, and we are praying to God. So, human life, a birth in a human body, also the desire for deep spiritual progress, and the splendid opportunity we get of spiritual people who can inspire us, guide us. These three are available only with a tremendous amount of Punyam, virtue, that we have accumulated, but only by the grace of God. Shankaracharya, in his Vivekachudamani, I think the second verse itself, he mentions this one. Durlabham, it is almost impossible to obtain these three. Why is he emphasizing? Because having obtained, anybody who doesn't strive sincerely to reach the goal, which is only one, that is, to know who we really are. Sometimes, there are people who would not like the words, God Realization, Brahman Realization. They say, we don't believe in God or Brahman. But if you use certain words to the same people, there should be no objection. We are not talking about God, we are talking about your own real nature, and your desire is always absolutely your own nature. This is a fact I would like to highlight. Some of these points we have to specially note down. Can I desire something which is not my nature? If my nature is temporary, for example, I can never desire permanency. If my nature is ignorance, I can only desire more ignorance, complete ignorance, not knowledge. If my nature is suffering, dukkham, limitation, in Vedanta, the word suffering or pain, misery, etc. is equated with limitation. What is the difference? If anybody says, I am suffering, what are you suffering from? From limitation. Every suffering is a manifestation of limitation which are classified into three. Time limitation, space limitation, object limitation. Kaala, Desha, Vastu, Parichcheda. But every living being is always striving to go beyond this, to break the bonds of these limitations. And a little glimpse of it, we get in the deep sleep. So this is possible only if we really strive. And for striving for any type of goal, we require certain fit instruments. And we have been given a human birth and a desire to know who we are and the opportunity to get guidance from several sources, not one source. And especially, I would like to highlight internet. What is the greatness of internet? Of course, it is not a substitute for actual living people, but it can be of enormous help. So this huge world-wide Maya, www is world-wide Maya, it contains, as Ramakrishna highlights, both the restricting factor and also liberating factor. What we seek, that we can get on the internet right at home. And we are talking about meditations. What is a meditation? Bringing God, who seem to be at a very highly remote place, to where we are. We cannot travel to God, but God can come to us. That process is called Upasana. In fact, all the qualities that we are talking about here, so this prayer, for example, and the strength that we require, everything is a kind of Upasana. As I mentioned yesterday, perhaps you have noted down, the more we delude deep, either into the sight or sound or smell or taste or touch, the greater, the more sensitive these organs become. That means they are developing their capacity more and more. That is why we all eat, but there are people who are called tea tasters, coffee tasters, wine tasters. Is it all? No. If any food company wants to develop something very innovative, then first of all, they will employ some people. I have seen it. So sometimes when somebody has concocted something, they distribute it freely and then ask people, what do you think about it? And if everybody gives unequivocal assent, then that means it is acceptable by a large number of people. That is how all the senses become very keen. And then what is the use of developing the senses? Because the keener the senses become, and mind also is one of the senses, and then it develops a tremendous amount of power of reasoning, power of concentration, power of deluding deep. In fact, that is what we pray. Every Hindu at least prays, Dhiyo Yo Naha Prachodayat. So if we want to acquire anything, we have to think deeply about it. And that thinking deeply about an object until it becomes very natural is one of the definitions of Upasana. So, O Lord, this is my Lord's grace. I should be able to completely overcome all obstacles, and God has very graciously bestowed on me on all required instruments. But now let us pray. You gave me the inspiration to develop the sufficient depth of each of these sense organs. Then our path becomes more and more clear to us. And the third factor, there are so many qualities which we have to develop. There are so many which we have to get rid of. This is called getting rid of an undesirable quality by meditating upon a desirable quality. There is a beautiful Sanskrit term for that. It is called Pratipaksha Bhavana. And Patanjali advocates this very much. And it is extraordinarily effective. So that is the third boon that we want from God. Of course, what is the purpose of all these things? Only so that I can know, O Lord, that there is no difference between You and me. Of course, the progress takes place in three steps. One is called dualism. Another is called qualified non-dualism. Another is called non-dualism. Dvaita, Visishta Dvaita and Advaita. This was what Sri Ramakrishna was talking about when in the form of Sri Ramakrishna quotes the words of Hanuman. Then Sri Rama asked, what is the relationship between You and me? Hanuman unequivocally answers, when I feel that I am the body, I am Thy servant. When I feel that I am the Jeevatma, individual soul, then I am the part and You are the whole. Insisting or indicating Visishta Dvaita of Ramanuja. But when I think I am the Atman, not Jeevatman but Atman, then there is no difference between You and me. There are never two Atmans. Only what remains is called Atman. Otherwise, it is Jeevatma. So, the whole universe, as we have seen in the speech chant, Sarvam Brahma Aupanishadam. And that is what we have to recognize. A special point to be noted here is this Sarvam Brahma Aupanishadam. Everything is Brahman and this is the highest teaching of Upanishad. This is a special function of liberated souls still occupying the body and mind and functioning through them. So, a liberated soul means God Himself because the earlier individual has become merged in Brahman. There is no such thing that the same individual is coming back. This is Brahman. But we call Him an individual because we transact with Him through that particular body and mind. We go there and we meet Him. We wish Him. We salute Him. We ask Him. We obtain the answers. We serve Him, etc. This is through that body and mind only. Actually, He doesn't require anything. This is only to show that our love, our acceptance of Him. And then, Maham Brahmanirakuryam. I may not understand how I am Brahman. I may not even believe because when we compare some things that we are experiencing in our day-to-day life everywhere. For example, how many innocent people are unjustifiably suffering, indescribably suffering. But when we look at this superficially, this person is innocent. But we do not know so many causes that happen. Interestingly, I am sure many of you are reading the WhatsApp application, the parables of Bhagavan Buddha. And some incident happens. And then invariably, either He Himself or in response to someone's question, Bhagavan Buddha says, in His past life, He was so and so. And clearly, He tells us, for every event, what we see as the cause is very superficial and may not have any relationship. For example, if somebody is very good, but he is suffering, he is in poor condition, he is in poverty, he is not advancing, nobody is helping him. A wicked fellow is prospering very much. We get doubt. So we connect. This is an evil person and that is the cause of his prosperity. But sometimes I make fun, you know. So these evil people, it is not easy to become an evil person. So here is a good person and he regrets being good because he is not prospering and he wants to become evil. So can he become an evil person? Not at all. An evil person, evil requires tremendous strength of body and mind, goodness. When a person is very weak, usually goodness means goody-goodiness. That's what Swami Vivekananda used to express often. So it is not very easy to become evil, wicked, murderer because a good person suffers more from such actions. If at all he does it, but an evil person, he can murder somebody, go and have a first class coffee and then sleep soundly, which we are not able to see at all. So the immediate cause may not point out to the effect. There are so many causes which are hidden, unconscious. That is what Bhagavan Buddha wants to say. The result of any action is inevitable, but sometimes when it fructifies, only there is a power that is beyond our capacity to see or to interact with that. We call it, you call it fate, you call it luck and in Sanskrit we call it Vidhi. Whatever is written by fate or by Brahmadeva or Chitragupta, that is what happens. But the result of actions cannot be escaped. So this evil person might have done, but one thing is sure, an evil person is very intelligent, much more intelligent. And an intelligent person prospers, there is no doubt about it, there is nothing surprising about it. So even if I don't see God, even if I am suffering, I should never say, much less I should say that God ordained me like that. God never looks, you don't even count in the count of God, you don't even exist. So what is the reason, my own, I am the architect of my own fate. So don't say God doesn't exist. The best that we are allowed is, I do not know, maybe God exists, but when I find the proof, then I will accept it. This was what Narendra Nath used to reply to Shri Ramakrishna, even when specifically asked, why don't you believe in the existence of God, Divine Mother and especially me as an incarnation of God. Narendra Nath was never afraid of speaking the truth. He said, even if a thousand people declare you as an incarnation of God, I will not accept it unless I have direct knowledge of it. And he had a doubt, when Ramakrishna was about to pass away, just a few days before, and Shri Ramakrishna physically was unable to move even from one side to the other side. And many people were convinced that he was an incarnation of God. Then Narendra had cherished a thought that if under these conditions, if this man can tell that I am an incarnation of God, if he can declare, then I might believe in it. And strange, Shri Ramakrishna looked at Narendra and said, oh Naren, even now you are doubting. He who was Rama, he who was Krishna, the same being is reborn in this form as Ramakrishna. And then Narendra Nath was forced to accept. But above all, every single day he was experiencing a mere glance, a mere touch, a mere word. He can change people's character. He who was completely unthinkable as a saint, slowly turns over and very fast also sometimes. So this kind of power was being seen in the life of Shri Ramakrishna practically every day. And yet his doubts do not disappear so easily. So what are we talking about? That may I never reject, deny Brahman. I may not know about it, but at least I can say that I am not sure. That is acceptable. But never say God doesn't exist. And mama brahman hira karo. May not Brahman deny me. Does God reject anybody? Has the power to reject? Because rejecting anyone of us is rejecting himself. That is not going to happen. So a repetition almost for meditation. Let there be anira karanam astu, anira karanam me astu. Let there be no rejection of Brahman by me. And then comes those qualities without which one cannot progress not only in spiritual life, but even in the secular life. May all manifest in me. Swami Vivekananda used to say, each soul is potentially divine. But what we have to understand by that, we have the capacity to have all these potential spiritual qualities are there. In fact, if we think deeply, a spiritual quality and a wicked or evil or demonic quality are not two opposed separate type of qualities. We have to understand it clearly. The same knife, however much we sharpen it, so depending upon its function, you hurt or harm or injure somebody, so that is not a good knife, we say. Knife has nothing to do with goodness. It depends upon how we use it. Theravad Krishna used to illustrate it. There is the hurricane lantern and somebody is studying Bhagavatam and somebody is forging a check. It is not the fault of the light. So it is not the fault of a quality. Quality is neutral, like a knife. But depending upon to which purpose it is directed, it is called evil quality or good quality. I have spoken on it at length. But just to remind us, in Hindu scriptures, especially Bhagavatam, etc., so what is considered as the enemies in common understanding, like lust, anger, greed, delusion, egotism and jealousy. These are called six major. Not that there are only six. There are many. But six are most powerful. And then in the Bhagavad Gita also we say, trividham narakasyedam kamah krodhah tathalobhah tasmat etatrayam cejet Kama, lust. So what is lust? Every desire is a lust. But especially the sexual attraction is indicated here. When we are thwarted, frustrated, then this desire turns into anger. And when this anger is not pacified, it turns into what is called depthless, immeasurable greed. Same thing. Now these are considered by normal people as enemies. But if they are directed towards the highest purpose, then those very things become the greatest aids, very positive qualities. That is what we need to understand. But what it means is, may I convert all these wrong usage of these qualities which I have in me into positive qualities. I have been travelling away from God towards the world, towards multiplicity. May I now travel more and more towards God, Brahman, my own nature. Te mayi santu, te mayi santu. But why should they stay in me? This is a prayer. Oh Lord, please see that these qualities not only abide in me, but grow day by day, so that they can aid my progress towards you. Why should God listen to our prayer? Because, tat atmani nirate So I am completely merged. You know that. You are an inner controller. You know what is happening inside me. That I don't want anything. This is what Shri Ramakrishna's prayer when he started his spiritual book, Oh Mother, I do not want any enjoyment. I do not want name and fame. I do not want money or other objects. I don't want long life. I don't want anything of this world. I just want the lotus feet. Unmotivated love for the lotus feet. No doubt, he succeeded in it. So then, by God's grace only, our mind can come under control. When mind comes under control, these negative qualities are cognized and then we fight against them and convert them. Like a base gold is turned into burnished gold. Te mayi santu, te mayi santu. By thy grace. Om shanti, shanti, shanti. Peace, peace, peace be unto all. And as I said, according to Sankhya philosophy, there are three sources of afflictions. Adhyatmika, Adhibhautika and Adhidaivika. You can say that from my own self, from the external world, from a realm called the Divine Lord manifesting in the form of the presiding deities. So what is the purpose of all this prayer? So that I can realize the truth which the Upanishad categorically declares. Sarvam Kalvidam Brahma. And what type of Brahman? Aupanishadam Brahma. We can know about Brahman only through the Upanishad, through the scriptures, be it Bible, be it Koran, be it Tripitaka, be it Guru Granth Sahib, etc. So if this prayer is from the bottom of our heart, then God is waiting for us to respond. He is waiting for eternity when my child will turn his face towards me. And so in summary, this Shanti Path is prayer for health, prayer for Shraddha, faith, prayer for the grace of God and for progress in spiritual life. But above all, it is a prayer that I should develop those qualities. They are like a very fast vehicle without which we cannot approach God. So the breeze of God's grace is always blowing. Therefore, it is not that God is waiting for His grace to bestow His grace, but He is waiting when we will have the capacity to receive His grace and use it. And then yesterday I have concluded that here nearly in the 13th chapter of the Bhagavad Gita, Amanitvam, Adhambitvam, etc., there are 20 qualities are there. If you count, nearly 20 qualities will come. So I will just read out because the Sanskrit is really so beautiful. And just a plain explanation I will give you. Amanitvam. Amanitvam means egotism. Amanitvam means that trying to slowly reduce everything is God's grace and no greatness is in me. If I am what I am, it is all because of God. So never feel I am a great person. Adhambitvam. Dambha means pretentiousness. That is, I don't have something, but I don't want others to know that. I don't want to show them. I have everything. Once it was my misfortune to come across a person. He always used to wear the best cloths and then come. Naturally, I took it for granted that he was a rich man. He was capable of affording them. But later on I came to know he was a washerman. So after washing the cloths and ironing them, he uses them first. And every day morning, one type of dress. Evening, another type of dress. And he will go back and then iron a little bit and deliver very happily like a pizza fellow. Comes to your house, tastes a little bit and closes the packet wrapper and then delivers it happily. And you also give him thanks for doing Mahaprasad. Really very good practice. Otherwise, in olden times, the kings used to pay a heavy price and employ fellows to taste. And if that fellow survives, that means there is no poison. Nobody is trying to poison him. Here the fellow happily proves that this is a very healthy food because I have not fallen down dead. So Adambitva means having no quality but showing off that I have quality. Ahimsa, through thought, through speech and through action. Much less through action. We should never hurt Ahimsa. Swami Vivekananda has given that beautiful explanation that Ahimsa means absence of jealousy because jealousy is the subtlest of trying to hurt other people. Our whole aim is that this fellow, may this person lose either money or beauty or jewellery or whatever it is. Then Kshanti, that is infinite forbearance. Kshanti, Arjuna, straightforwardness. If we are not straightforward, our understanding of scriptures will never be straightforward. There are some people, and in India we call it, so if they want to describe even the smallest bit of something, they start a Mahabharata, 2000 years before like that. This is not straightforward. This is a wonderful quality. I found it very helpful. Before reading a book, find out what is it that, what the heck am I looking for? And if I am trying to understand, what does this author wants to say? Develop this kind of questionary and then you will see very shortly that you will see, you will try to understand deeper implications of those things. So if somebody is talking, what is this fellow really wants to convey? Like that. Of course, Acharya Upasanam, that we have to take shelter at the feet of a person who knows, who is an Acharya, so Acharati, so he himself is practicing, but most important, he knows the path thoroughly and is capable of guiding other people. So Upasana means obtaining his grace, obtaining the directions as Bhagavad Gita tells very beautifully, try to know it, Pranipatena, by surrendering, don't go on arguing. You are not going to an Acharya to argue. You are going to obtain something which you do not have. Then please him, because without giving something, this only I will suck in, but I will never give anything. So the law of life is give and take. So we must give something and he may not require, but it is just your obligation to give. And third question, straightforward, is very important. Don't go on like as they say, Chinese people when they do business, two and a half hours, they will talk this and that and then only they come to the point, okay, this is what we are here to discuss and that business is concluded in two minutes. Don't be like that. First conclude the business and then afterwards, if you feel like you can do it, but if you are straightforward, you feel bored. If somebody is talking about Mahabharata, Shoucham, inner and outer purity, Styrium, infinite, what is called the capacity to hold on, even if we are facing millions of obstacles without deviating, that is called Styrium. Even though it may be taking a little time, I want to illustrate it, but very briefly. There was a disciple of Swamiji and one day, Swamiji ordered him go to the other side of the Ganges, buy a cow and don't come back without the cow. So the man said okay and he went there, purchased the cow. He wanted to bring it by a boat, but unfortunately, the cow jumped and then Swamiji Guru has commanded, don't come and then he caught hold of the tail of the cow, himself jumped into the Ganges and downstream, it was cows and buffaloes, etc, horses, they can swim very well. So they slowly disappeared down the Ganges and these people were waiting and waiting. Towards midnight, the Swami entered into the Belur mud compound, still holding on the tail of the cow. Swamiji at first felt, scolded him, you foolish fellow, why did you not give up after hearing? But then he said, Guru commanded me, how can I, don't come without the cow, here is the cow and Swamiji later on appreciated and said, only people with this kind of mental power, only they can succeed, not anybody else. This is called Sthyrium. Of course, control over the mind. Deep dispassion towards the objects of the senses, that is the objects of the senses, and then Vairagyam. Vairagyam means without dispassion, passion will not develop. So what is the dispassion? Dispassion is when we wash off all the dross from our mind of every object, what remains is tremendous power, which is until now divided a little bit towards this, a little bit towards that. This is called Vairagyam. Of course, Anahankara, that is egotism. Everything is mother's will. I have nothing to do. Then Bhagavan Krishna. This is from the Gita. He gives a beautiful Upasanas we have to do. What do we say in birth? We get very, very happy when somebody is born. Of course, we are happy, we are still living. Everything that comes into being has to go out of being. Whatever comes from the unmanifest into manifestation is called birth and the reverse is called death. Old age, oldness, even a stone becomes old stone. And in between, we are beset with plenty of diseases. Yadi means disease, but not only physical disease, bodily disease. Nowadays, more people are suffering from mental diseases. In fact, it is very surprising when I first heard about it in most of the so-called developed countries. If anybody wants to be humble, you are no good in today's society. We will give you how to bolster your ego, strengthen your ego. Otherwise, you cannot compete with others. They will just thrash you under their shoes and then move forward. But here the Lord is telling just the opposite that it is not good to have this ahankara, etc. So, dukkha, only what is called afflictions, not only physical, but mental. And what do we see in everything? We see positive something. But if we want God, dukkha, dosha, anudarshanam. Janma is dukkham, janma dukkham, jara dukkham, mrutya dukkham, yadi dukkham, dukkham dukkham. Everything is dukkham. The whole philosophy of Bhagavan Buddha is based upon this. And his conversion to renounce the world and then to seek the remedy is only for this. Janma, mrityu, jara, vyadi and dukkha. As we all know, he saw four people. First of all, he saw an old person. Then he saw a person, a deceased person. Then he saw a person who is dead. And then he saw a shramana, a sanyasi, shining as if he is an embodiment of bliss. And then he came to know everybody that is born has to go through this growth, old age, disease and of course death completely. Dukkha. We have to see tremendous amount of defects in them. Otherwise, our mind will not turn towards God if we see only happiness here. So every event brings this happiness. Then we have to see, find out, it is all defective. But how does it help? Because there is a way out of janma, mrityu, jara, vyadi, dukkha. And that is the real point. Asakti, that is non-attachment. So complete detachment from whom? Our intense attachment to our family, to our spouse, to our children, to our homes and to our possessions. And without that, it is impossible because these are called limitations. So our mind should be not moving too much. A little bit is permitted. After all, we are human beings or we have to show that we are not stones. So some happiness comes, don't die of blood pleasure. And if unhappiness comes, don't die of blood pleasure. This is the yoga. One of the three definitions of yoga in the Bhagavad Gita is samatvam, that is sameness. See, whether you are poor, you are rich, you are happy, you are unhappy, you are learned or you are illiterate or you are honored or you are dishonored, you win or you lose, keep the mind absolutely safe. This is what it is. When something which is pleasing happens or when something which is highly displeasing happens, keep the mind, okay, that has come, this also will go. And there is a beautiful jain saying and we have seen that one many times I have quoted because this is one of my favorite sayings. One disciple asked a jain master, jain by the way means dhyana, so a master of meditation, that is a particular branch of Buddhism, and what is the reason that you are always happy? What is the cause of your great bliss? And the master replied, when it is summer, I say it is summer, when it is winter, I say it is winter. What does it mean? It means I don't complain when it is summer and hot because it is summer, summer only heat will be there. When it is cold in the winter season, I don't say, I don't complain because we have to expect that cold in the winter season, that is accept everything as it comes and do not be what is called moved by it. That is the cause of my supreme bliss. That is what he said. This word vyabhicara means the mind running after many things, forgetting what is really good. But one of the qualities we have, have devotion to the divine Lord. What type of devotion? Unmoving devotion. So is God happy with me? I don't care. It is not my business. If God is happy with me, that is his headache. God is unhappy, that is also his headache. I want to love you. It has nothing to do. This happened also as you recall, Sri Ram Krishna tested Narendranath for one month. He is the person who could not stay without Narendra, who used to weep inconsolably for Narendranath. And for one month, he turned his face away. He used to show his backside only to Narendra. And Narendra came practically every day for one month. And for one month, there were some people who were very happy at this change in Sri Ram Krishna. They said, this good man is becoming a better man now. They could not tolerate Sri Ram Krishna weeping for Narendra because he never wept for those people. And of course, the best of the prasadam always goes to Narendra. So they might have been happy there at that time. Everywhere we get this Mahamaya manifesting. But after one month, Sri Ram Krishna turned and said, Why do you come here? I am not speaking with you. I expressed my desire not to even look at you. Narendra, nonchalantly, he said, Sir, if you don't want to look at my face and if you don't want to speak with me, that is your headache. But I like to see you, whether from backside or front side, it doesn't matter. But I feel very happy by just seeing, by being in your presence. It doesn't matter. Even if this same situation continues until the passing away of Sri Ram Krishna, Swami Vivekananda would not have been moved even one centimetre from that attitude. We have to understand these marvellous events that had happened. So this is called avyabhicarani bhakti, that intense devotion, which doesn't stray even a millimetre this side or that side. But what type of bhakti? Ananya yogena. I don't want anything excepting you. That is the type of bhakti. This is what Sri Ram Krishna used to call ahaituki bhakti. Then how to develop? That is now and then, Sri Ram Krishna's third commandment, go into the solitude. Solitude, he used a special word where people are not there. Nirjan, Bengali. That doesn't really explain much. But really nirjana means I do not have anybody who belongs to me in this world. That understanding, that knowledge, that is called nirjanatva. Nobody can help me in any way when the right time comes. This is called serving or going into solitude. And then he says arati janasamsadhi when this person comes across the company of people, lots of people and he is absolutely disinterested. He doesn't want any of their company. But not that everybody. If this person comes over, if the devotees of God, devotees of a great saint, etc. are spiritual people, he will be of course very happy. But worldly people, he will avoid. As Sri Ramakrishna used to say, I used to see people like tigers and lions. I used to run away from them. And then adhyatma jnana nityatvam keeping the mind steadfast only on the highest self and tattva jnana artha darshanam and continuously having the vision of tattva jnana. What is tattva jnana? The knowledge of the tattva, reality. That is, God exists. Brahman exists. That is, directing all the life only towards the divine Lord. And these qualities, 20 qualities, we have to strive. etad jnanam This is called jnana marga. And whatever is opposite to it is called jnana or ignorance. Now the doubt that comes is after hearing the catalogue of all these qualities, is it ever possible for us to acquire all of them? But one good news is there, which I have already intimated. That is to say that they are all good qualities come in company. All evil qualities also come only in company. So if we try to cultivate one good quality, then other good qualities also will come at the same time. So we have to focus only on one good quality. I gave you the story of Sri Ramakrishna's own to illustrate this point. All the divine qualities come together in a gang. All the demonic qualities also come in a gang. What is the story? Sri Ramakrishna promised a non-brahmin lady who helped his mother to bring him himself out of her womb. What is called a midwife, we call it. And she was a very pure lady, very loving lady. And then at the time of the sacred thread ceremony, she begged my son, if you can accept your first bhiksha, food after the ceremony is over, that will give me the greatest joy in my life. That will be the pole star of my meditation. And then he promised because he knew how much she loved him. But when his own mother, brothers and other relatives opposed him, he said, no, I promised. I must be truthful. The purpose of taking sacred thread is only to become truthful, to have complete control. And if you are trying to ask me to break my word in the very first instance, either I keep my word or I will not have the sacred thread ceremony. And they have to bow down their head even though they didn't like it. They were forced to do that. How could Sri Ramakrishna remember? He was only maybe eight or nine years old at that time. And in those days, to just imagine Victorian period, children defying the parents is almost impossible to think about it. But we know that Sri Ramakrishna did it. He, his father, or what is inflexible as far as truthfulness is concerned, how could he maintain that truthfulness? Because he has faith in the scriptures. Every scripture he heard tells that truthfulness is the greatest austerity in this world. But he had tremendous courage to keep up that truthfulness. That courage came from Shraddha. What is the Shraddha? That the scriptures say God is pleased with that person. There is a beautiful saying, Where there is truthfulness, there will be victory. Where there is Dharma, there is victory. He has complete faith in that. And he has seen a living demonstration of this faith in his father's life. Because he refused to bear false witness on behalf of the landlord of that village called Dehre, then he was thrown out. One day, one minute, he was the owner of nearly 40 acres of wetland. And next minute, he was bereft of the house, the land, all the possessions, only with the dress that he had on, which is no dress at all. He had to leave that village, come to Kamarpakur. He has seen. And did he criticize his father? No. He said, God is with them who stick to truth. So, a person is seeing and he saw his own mother, how pure she was, how innocent she was, how bereft of any hypocrisy she was. Straightforward person. So, those examples also are necessary. What is our problem? We rarely get any person who is really practicing these things to that umpteen degree. Okay, then I also want you to remember a story of the king of birds called Garuda and a small patriage. There was a small householder patriage, husband and wife, and they had an egg. And one day the egg was swept into the ocean. And then the parents determined that we will die in the process until we get our child back. We are not going to desist. That kind of tremendous determination. And then they started to empty with their small bodies the ocean water. And then everybody naturally must have discouraged. But then one day, the king of the birds was passing and he observed this strange sight. He came to know the reason and he appreciated their efforts, unflagging efforts. And then with one sweep of his wings, he pushed back the ocean. And the egg was nicely preserved there. Like you put something in a deep fridge like that. So they got back. This is a story beautifully illustrated. What is the moral of this story? That if you do your best, then God will come to your aid. Even the impossible becomes possible. Very interestingly, one of the definitions of Maya is that which makes the impossible possible. So capable of making the impossible possible. But in our case, what it means is, she, Mahamaya made Brahman to forget his real nature and become a Jivatma. But the same Mahamaya in the form of Vidya Maya can also make aghatana ghatana pati yasi that the limited being Jivatma can become the unlimited Paramatma and not really making, but seemingly that it is impossible. But the divine power can do that. So what am I trying? If we can make our own little effort, then even all other things are completely possible. Through this story, what we come to know, recovering the egg means recovering our own true nature. This is a marvelous thing. So for this also, we require the grace of the divine. Sri Ramakrishna says, a police sergeant goes on patrol every night. He is a powerful torchlight. Nobody can see his face, but he can see everything else. But if you want, if anyone wants to see his face, he has to pray. Oh, police sergeant, sir, kindly turn the light upon your own face. That is the only way. And if your prayer is sincere, he will definitely do that. So all the good qualities. Just a reminder, we have studied a little more detail on these qualities. And I have also elaborated, it came in a book form also. Now the prayer is over. That is, we take it for granted. Now we can start the Upanishad. And what is the first thing that the Upanishad is telling? What is this beautiful Upasana? What is the inner symbolism? How it is going to slowly take us nearer and nearer to God until we merge in God? That would be the topic from next class onwards. May Ramakrishna, Holy Mother and Swami Vivekananda bless us all with Bhakti. Ramakrishna.