Chandogya Upanishad Lecture 26 on 18 August 2024

Full Transcript (Not Corrected)

We are studying the 6th chapter of the Chandogya Upanishad and this Chandogya Upanishad belongs to the Sama Veda and the story we have covered in our past classes. There was a young man, very good person, very highly intelligent and at the age of 12 he was sent to a Gurukula by his father and his father was a realized soul. So too his grandfather. So the father advised him that let there be no non-knower of Brahman in our family. Here non-knowing Brahman means not academically knowing Brahman, not intellectual knowledge of Brahman but realization of Brahman. So this boy Shweta Ketu returned after 12 years and by the time he was 24 he mastered everything and he had an extraordinary gift of conveying whatever he had learned easily to other people. But he became puffed up with pride. Perhaps there is nobody who is as clever, intelligent, capable, expert like me. Mani means full of pride, thinking I am one of the greatest. Stabdaha as if it has gone to his head. Stabdha literally means became like a stone. That means he would not care for anybody and his father noticed it, addressed him saying and he pointed out also good things as well as bad things. Shweta Ketu, my dear son, Sowmya, Mahamanaha, I know you are greatly intelligent. You have mastered everything. Anuchana Mani, I also know you are quite capable of teaching to others very easily but it should have brought some other result. Your learning should have made you humble but Stabdaha as if it has gone to your head. You have become like a pillar, like a stone. Why do you address me like this, oh father? Perhaps the son asked and the father is replying, you think you are a very learned man but truly you are not learned at all. This is not learning. But he did not say that. He is telling indirectly. Have you acquired that knowledge by which that which never has been heard becomes completely heard means understood. That which you did not even imagine to exist exists and that becomes a great thought in your mind. Avijnatham and that which you never made your own, you never became that knowledge. Have you asked your teacher how this is possible? We can recollect the incident in the life of Sri Ramakrishna. Sri Ramakrishna was playing, what you call, escaping from the school etc. But his favourite subjects were memorising all the religious dramas and remembering them perfectly and playing them out even more perfectly. He was a born actor as it were. After all, Brahman is called Leela Purusha. An avatar Purusha is a Leela Purusha. So that means he is the greatest manager of what is called all acting. Swami Pranganatha is what is called the owner of the stage, stage manager. Not only he can act, he can write, he can act, he can sing, he can make everybody completely mesmerised and this whole universe, this whole creation is as it were his divine play, Leela. So here we get this one. Sri Ramakrishna understood it. So he did not care for secular education. But his eldest brother Ramakumar was worried. One day lovingly he asked, my brother, I do not see why is it you are neglecting studies? And then Sri Ramakrishna gives the same answer we get in the Mundaka Upanishad. We get here also. What is it? I do not care for this worldly knowledge whereby worldly objects can be attained. Sri Ramakrishna is not saying this to anybody. Sri Ramakrishna is not saying us that this is, worldly knowledge is completely useless. No, worldly knowledge will give, fulfil worldly desires. Through worldly knowledge we can get what belongs to the world. It could be beauty, it could be talent or it could be name and fame, money, possessions, power, enjoyments, everything. But that is all very temporary. I want that knowledge. Of course he did not elaborate this to his eldest brother. What am I going to do? But indirectly implying I want God realization. Of course his brother could not understand Sri Ramakrishna's attitude. But later on perhaps he understood. I am not sure about it. Practically nobody understood Sri Ramakrishna at that time. Now this is what the father of Shweta Ketu, Aruni, another name for Aruni, Shweta Ketu's father was Uddalaka, is addressing and telling that all this knowledge that you obtained is worldly knowledge. I accept that your worldly knowledge is incomparable. You are the greatest and you are also capable of teaching it to others. That means you are able to get, if you establish a school then you will get a lot of students because every student wants to go to a teacher who is capable of teaching easily, coming to the level of the student. But then the father of Shweta Ketu is talking completely about something. My son, this is a temporary knowledge. He is not discounting this knowledge. He is not dishonoring this knowledge. But he says in our family that nobody is born who is a Brahmabandhu, a non-realized soul. The real meaning of Brahmabandhu is not that merely I am expecting from you some Brahminic learning. I am expecting from you like my father, maybe grandfather, maybe great grandfather. Surely I myself have followed their footsteps. I know what I am talking about because this is authentic teaching by Uddalaka, Shweta Ketu's father. That is there is something by knowing which a person will know everything. That is he expressed. You will never hear it because this is not something that can be heard. You cannot think about it because it is something beyond the mind. The unlimited, the supreme reality is infinite whereas the instrument which is our mind, our intellect is highly limited. Through the limited, nobody can grasp the unlimited. On the contrary, through this limited intellect, we bring down that infinite to our level of finity. This is what Swami Vivekananda wanted either in the third or fourth talk. In the Jnana Yoga, our mind consists of time, space and causation. There is a beautiful diagrammatic presentation there. So whatever we are looking through the glass of this time, space, causation, that means everything Brahman becomes limited. Brahman becomes caught, limited by time, space and causation. That is called finiteness. So but there is something which the Upanishads want to teach and that is what I expected you to learn from your teacher. You should have asked him. So did you ask about that supreme teaching that is called Adesha. This word Adesha as I mentioned earlier really means commandment but it has other meanings. Adesha means the highest teaching. This is the Veda Upanishad. So Upanishad is called Adesha. Have you heard about that Upanishadic teaching? Asked your teacher. Did you ask by which the infinite becomes well-known? How is the infinite to be known? Unlimited to be known? Because whatever instrument we use that limits everything. We must become one with that unlimited. Then Shweta Ketu was very intelligent. I did not understand your question itself. Dear father, please tell me. So how is that? What is that Adesha? What is that teaching of the Upanishad? So he was still arrogant and if anybody is truly learned then one of our wise sayings called Subhashitam. It says what should be the result of a real learning. Vidya Dadhati Vinayam. True learning always makes a person very humble because a little bit of true learning reveals the vast amount of knowledge that still remains to be learned and any person learns humility. Then Vinayat Yatipatrata. He becomes a fit person. For what? He becomes a fit person to receive even better knowledge. Shri Ramakrishna used a very favorite teaching of his that in high ridges water will not collect. Only where there is a receptive quality, where there is a small depression, ditch, there only the rain water collects. What is the rain water here? The purest water that falls from the sky. So Vinayat Yatipatrata. A person becomes, a humble person becomes a very fit person and a fit person obtains wealth. Why? Dhanam is said here. So only when a person has something to give then he can give it and thereby earn dharma or virtue. From the performance of dharma a person gets punyam. Punyam as I mentioned earlier is the ability to squeeze happiness from any situation. Even the direst situation if a person had performed lot of dharma and acquired punyam, he will be only enjoying that situation. So have you asked for the following teachings etc. What was the father hinting at? Brahma Vidya. Real Vidya is Brahma Vidya. Every other Vidya is called Aparavidya, worldly knowledge. Para, supreme Vidya is Brahma Vidya. So he is going to talk about this Brahma Vidya. Have you gained that? Have you asked for that knowledge? Of course the Shweta Ketu did never ask. Even the question such a thing exists that did not enter into his mind. Of course he says that he should say that no I did not ask. But he gives a very arrogant reply also which we will come to. But then Shweta Ketu when his father addressed him, did you ask for this? Then he says I don't understand what you are talking father. Please explain your question itself. What type of knowledge? I never knew that there are different types of knowledge. Whatever knowledge I knew that I should acquire, I have acquired it very well. But what is this special type of knowledge, wisdom that you are hinting at? And then before the Shweta Ketu answers, he has to understand the very question itself. And then the father says, Shweta Ketu, now you have become a little bit better than before. Because at least you are asking now that what is the teaching. I want to know what is the very meaning of what type of teaching you have just now asked me, suggested to me, I should have asked. Naturally, Shweta Ketu never heard about it what his father really meant. So what is that question? I should have asked my teacher. Then Shweta Ketu's father, Aruni Arhudalka, what does he say? So did you ask? This is what I meant. That which one can never hear, becomes heard. That which one can never think, one has never heard before, becomes as it were. But you know it thoroughly. And what is not realized? Is to become one with knowledge. There are two types of knowledge. Worldly knowledge and supreme knowledge or Brahman knowledge. What is the difference? Whatever knowledge we acquire about the world, it ever remains separate from us. Simple example, I see a tree. Then I get the knowledge of the tree. My knowledge of the tree is only telling me about the tree. And the tree forever remains completely separate. So what about the body? I come to know about my body and the body remains forever separate. What about the mind or psychological knowledge? I maybe enroll myself in a psychological university and I obtain the knowledge and then I get the knowledge of the mind. But the mind remains as something that is witnessed, that is experienced. So whatever worldly knowledge and every piece of worldly knowledge indicates a worldly object and I completely remain separate from that object. That means I am not one with anything in this world including my own body and mind. And this is very difficult for all of us to grasp. So the father says, I am referring to the sublimest teaching. And what is that sublimest teaching? That you will know everything. This is the essence that by knowing the Moolakarana, the one cause in this world, what do we see? That every object has got its own cause. In fact, even the same species. So if you come across two children, then one child's cause is parents. Another child's parents are the cause. But these two children remain completely separate. Not only that, the children are supposed to be the effect. And the effects called children remain totally separate. There may not be any resemblance between the cause and effect. Only thing is parents are human and the children are also human. But that is not what is wanted. But there is something supreme secret we get in the Mundaka Upanishad. What is that? There was a person called Shravanaka. He was called a great householder. Who is a great householder? He who has performed all the prescribed duties of a householder. That means he performed many Yajnas, Yagas, worships. And then he was well known to have fed Mahashala, literally means a great hall, a big house. What does it mean? That means this person used to invite a lot of people and feed them until they are completely happy and give them also presents so that they are more than satisfied. They bless this person. This householder understood that anything that I get is the grace of God and it must go back to God in the form of serving the Ritwiks, the priests who are performing the worship and the people who help in various ways. They must get their own presents and the people who out of devotion attend this, they must also be fed. So for that a large number of, a big house means a large number of people can be accommodated. That's why it's called Mahashala. Shala means a hall. So he understood as a result of this Punyam that all these Yajnas, Yagas, sacrifices, they are all true but they are limited in their result. But I want something that is permanent, eternal, infinite. So Vedivar, like a humble seeker and with some what is called firewood, a certain type of firewood which is used in the sacrifices he approached Brahma himself and then the disciples of Brahma and then he puts straight away the question. This is a model question. That means go on talking like Chinese, two hours, one hour, 55 minutes and then they come to what they really want to discuss. Now straight away. By knowing which I can know everything. Everything means the world. That means I have a thorough knowledge of the world and the world came from where? Ultimately from one cause and that one cause is appearing with names, forms, etc. and therefore by knowing Brahman we know everything that was, that is and that is going to be. What is the usefulness of this knowledge? What is the problem with us? That I am different, money is different. I am different, parents are different. I am different, my family members, husband, wife, children, grandchildren, everybody is different. I may lose money. I may lose my house. I may lose my parents. I may lose my children. This is happening in every day of our life. So I may lose my own body and mind. That is also happening. We know that one day we have to die but if everything is one then there is no question of second. Then there is no question of grief. There is no cause because I don't desire because I am everything and I don't lose because I am infinite. Ekam eva advitiyam. I am one without a second and even this statement is full of significance. I will come to that in course of time. So by that one knowledge everything will become known and then what is the point? This is what is called liberation. I become a mukta purusha. Not only that. Will I remain like a stone forever? No. You become full of consciousness, only consciousness, not even body-mind. That is called chit and pure existence, pure knowledge and more important I will be one of the happiest persons in this world. So the father tried to explain this one through three examples. And what are the examples? Is such a knowledge possible that by knowing one thing everything can be known? So Shweta Ketu's father Aruni Uddalaka or Uddalaka Aruni, he gives three examples. The first example is a well-known example. So I do not need to elaborate as I have elaborated too many times. If by knowing a bit, a knowledge of the gold, then anything that was, that is, that is going to be made of gold because every object, every ornament here is nothing but gold. Similarly, if anything that is made up of clay, that was the first example actually, all the pots, a billion pots, or if somebody is artistic, he can prepare something very nice like Chinese vase, etc. So even that is nothing but clay. And by knowing everything about the clay, then we know every object that is made up of clay irrespective of time. Similarly, he gives another example, nail cutter. And this nail cutter is made up of iron, metal. So we can extend these examples. Anything that is made up of any metal is nothing but metal. Then what are the objects? They are not substances, but they are merely names. And why names? Because there are so many forms. For example, there is a ring, there is a bangle, there is a necklace, there is a earring, there is a nose ring, etc. Now why do we need different names if it is all gold? Because they have to be hung at two different suitable parts of the body. Ring can be put only on the finger, bangle can be put only around the wrist, necklace only about the neck. So anything that is made has a particular purpose, but it is not a special second object substance. Substance is one, and the same substance without Nama Rupa is called either clay or gold or metal, but with different names and forms, different parts because of different purposes, etc. This was the example he gave. And then Shweta Ketu. So now he is in a position, this is what you wanted me to ask my teacher. And the Shweta Ketu's father said, yes, that is what I wanted you to ask. Why? Because whether such a thing is ever possible, that is Brahma Vidya, is it ever possible by knowing one, by knowing Brahman? Because the world is nothing but a manifestation of Brahman. So therefore, Shweta Ketu's father tells that if you have any such a doubt, I am going to quash it right now. Because hundreds, thousands, countless have experienced, have obtained Brahma Vidya, became Brahman. Brahma with Bhavati. I was mentioning earlier, but Brahma Vidya, that is Brahman will not remain separate like worldly object. When I obtain the knowledge of a tree, tree remains completely separate. But when I obtain the knowledge of Brahman, Brahman is not an object. Brahman is one without a second. Therefore, two separate beings, I and Brahman never exist together. Either you call it I or you call it Brahman. What about Aham Brahmasmi? It is only for the purpose of teaching for a person who is living in the world of duality and nothing more. So you say, I have thousands, millions in the countless past have experienced it. In our own family, my father experienced it and I experienced it, in case there is any doubt. So I am talking about what I myself have experienced. There is a point here. That point is, if my father has experienced it, he becomes fearless. He obtains infinite bliss. But I may be the son of that father, but until I experience it, it is completely useless for me. Only advantage is, my father, out of compassion, can pass it on to me when and if I am ready. Similarly, I give a funny example. Sri Ram Krishna had written a lot of Rasagullas, a Bengali sweet made out of what is called broken milk. What good will it do to me? He had eaten so many things. If I want, I have to obtain, I have to eat. By one person's becoming free, others will not become free. So if I have realized it, then you will not realize it. You will have to realize it yourself. That is what I wished you because I am the happiest person in this world. As you know, you are a Brahman. I am swimming in the ocean of Brahman, Brahmananda. And I love you because you are my son. Therefore, I want to give you the highest. It is a very beautiful point. When Maitreyi was offered so much of wealth, she asked a very intelligent question. You are yourself giving up all this. That means you obtained something. What is that something? And the Agnivalika replies, I obtained immortality. But you are giving me the wealth. So can I obtain immortality through wealth? Categorically, Agnivalika says, no, na asha asti. Amrutatvasya asha na asti is absolutely no, not even a remote possibility of your getting Brahma Vidya, immortality, Amrutatvam by through any other means, money or any other means. Then immediately Maitreyi says, then give me that knowledge which you yourself have obtained. And that beautiful dialogue like this Aruni and Shweta Ketu dialogue. Many of the Upanishads we have dialogue. Kata Upanishad, we have Yamadharma Raja and Nachaketa. And I want you also to experience and become blessed. Swami Niranjanananda. And then, by the way, tomorrow is his Janma Tethi. We are going to celebrate, of course, in a simple way. And then this Niranjanananda Swami, Niranjan, he was very fond of some kind of spiritualism where they hold hands with some people and invoke spirits, etc. And then in that condition, somehow he heard about Sri Ramakrishna. He came to meet. And then after every devotee had gone, Sri Ramakrishna asked him. And what do you do? Of course, Niranjanananda Swami came to meet Sri Ramakrishna with his spiritualistic friends, spirituality means here not the love for God, not spiritual path, but invoking some what is called disembodied spirits, etc. That is called spiritualism, not spirituality. Spirituality and spiritualism are diametrically opposite to each other. And then they also wanted Sri Ramakrishna to participate. And at first he agreed. He sat down holding hands with everybody. But after a few seconds, he understood. He simply said, no, I am not going to join you. And then, of course, it was broken. After everybody had gone, Sri Ramakrishna turned to Niranjanananda and said, my boy, if you think of spooks, you will become spooks. If you think of ghosts, you will become a ghost. If you think of God, you will think of a God. What do you want to do? Immediately, Niranjanananda said, I want only to become God. And then he went away. Sri Ramakrishna wanted him to stay that night. But what was the purpose? Ramakrishna wanted to perhaps to bestow so much of his grace that very night. And Swami Niranjanananda was considered as one of the six Antaranga Seshas, Ishwara Koti, or special devotees, assistants who come along with Avatara every time. But then he said, no, I did not inform my uncle. I will come very soon. Three days later, he came. And then as soon as he reached Sri Ramakrishna's room, Ramakrishna, as if waiting for him, ran and embraced him and then said, my boy, days are passing. When are you going to realize God? And later on, Niranjanananda was recounting, I am not having headache. Why I should realize God? But this person is more eager than me that I should realize God. Why? Because Sri Ramakrishna knows the value of God realization. That's why in spite of Divine Mother's intervention, he wanted to pass on his what is called Brahma Jnanam to his beloved Naren on his third or fourth visit by touching him. And in fact, he touched him also. And then Narendra's head started going round and round. He felt the whole world was going, the whole room was moving like a wheel round and all around him. He cried out, what are you doing to me? My parents are in Calcutta. Sri Ramakrishna later on understood there was a purpose that Narendra could, that the highest fit person could not receive that day because he had to obtain some more experiences, has to go through some stages like atheism, agnosticism, skepticism, etc. Because there are people, atheists, there are skeptics and then there are so many other types of people. They claim they don't believe in God. But you will not come across more sincere people than them. They are searching but they do not know what they are searching for. Even for them, Swami Vivekananda had to become an efficient teacher. So he himself had to go through all those stages of the mind so that authentically he can guide them. Yes, at one point of time, I was also like you and this is how I crossed over and I also obtained highest knowledge. So what does it show? We need not say Brahma Vidya. If a person is sincere and has a deep desire, even if he doesn't know that God exists, God understands his sincerity and he comes to him in the exact form of a teacher and attracts that child of his to himself. So we have to get rid of the idea that person is an atheist, person is a skeptic, person is a what is called, he doesn't have worldly desires but he doesn't seem to have any spiritual desires also, agnosticism, etc. So his father was naturally, he loves his son, he wanted it. Now because the teaching is coming from a great soul, a realized soul, Shweta Ketu understood it and then a father perhaps wanted to send him back to his Gurukula but for some reason we don't know what is that teacher's nature. So every teacher is not an enlightened teacher so he himself started. In fact Shweta Ketu asked him, father you teach me but then he addressed him Bhagavan. Bhagavan is an address either to God or to the Guru and the Upanishad doesn't tell us that how many years have passed between the first conversation of the father and Shweta Ketu must have understood and then he became eager, he has become humble and then he approached his father, not as a father but as a teacher and then he asks, please teach me that knowledge. What is that knowledge? By knowing the one cause of every effect, the person will come to have the complete knowledge of every single effect that was, that is and that is going to be there. So then what happens to the world? That is the question that comes. Everything is Brahman. Brahman is the cause, that original cause is titled as Brahman. You want to call it Allah, fine, creator. You want to call it God in heaven, that is fine. You want to call it Nirvana, that is also fine. We should not quarrel about Brahman. It is a Vedantic word that alone should be used, the original cause because the whole universe is nothing but the original cause. Now the modern scientists, they have also wanted to know what is the ultimate cause. They went on dividing every object and then what is the beauty of it? The more they are dividing things, so you go from the gross to the subtle, from subtle to the subtler, from subtler to the subtlest and go to the, try to go to the end. Of course there is a limit but you try to go, then they have come to what is called atom and let us take atom as a unit from which everything is made. Don't go on saying atom is divided into particles. Particles are divided into energies. Energies are divided into pockets etc. But my point is there is the ultimate beyond which one cannot go. But even that they have not come to the idea where from the atoms have come, the building matter where from that has come. That also they could not understand and as scientists they will never come because the tendency of every scientist is to work with two instruments. One is the external instrument, call it microscope or whatever scope you want and the second is the mind. So long as we are using a limited instrument, the result will always be limited only. If I want unlimited then we have to become unlimited. This is one of the fundamental truths, psychological truths about correct knowledge, right knowledge. The more we identify ourselves with an object, the more knowledge we get. If a person wants to know about a tree, if he identifies himself with the tree, 10% his knowledge of the tree will be 10%. 50% his knowledge of the tree will be 50%. 99% the knowledge of tree, knowledge of this person will be only 99%. Still that 1% can make tremendous difference. What is the difference? That is the difference between finiteness and infinity. Only when a person completely destroys or merges his ego with the object, then only he can get. And I already said some skeptic may ask, but what is the benefit we get this? Benefit is vitiya dvai bhayam na bhavati. It is a negative type of statement where there is second, there is fear. But the positive is he becomes sat means absolute existence. That means existence without any name, form or quality, pure existence. And he becomes chit, consciousness without any reflection, without any limitation. Ananda without any limitation. What is limited Ananda? If the Ananda is coming from an external object, that would be a limited Ananda. Why? Because the object is limited and limited object can only give us limited limitation in time, space and causation. So as soon as the object changes, the object dies and invariably, inevitably the object changes. As soon as it changes, our experience of happiness also is bound to change. But if we become Brahman, Brahman is ekam, only one. And then nirvekara, that it doesn't ever change. And therefore, pure existence, pure knowledge and pure anandam, brahmanandam is ever going to be a result. And after all, what do we want? Asatoma sadgamaya, tamasoma jyotirgamaya, mrutyorma amrutangamaya. So if Brahman is the cause and if I can become Brahman, I will become everything. Then when I become everything, I will not have any desire for anything. When I don't have any desire, I need not do any action and I get the very nature of the earth, Brahman, which is called anandam. Then from that one cause called Brahman, the whole universe is only a manifestation. It is not a creation. Some person sitting there takes up something and creates. No. He himself manifests. He himself appears. He himself is the subject. He is the object. He is the waking state. He is the dream state. He is also the sushupti, dreamless deep sleep state. He is the turiyam. He is also three states. When we look through the mind, we say there are three changing states. When we go beyond the mind, it is pure turiyam. That which we have studied in the Mandukya Upanishad and also other Upanishads. So what about this creation? This creation is nothing but product of Brahman. What is product of Brahman? Brahman with name and form. So what are products? Every product is nothing but name and form. The substance is the same but the difference is only in names and forms and just as an ornament never exists separate from the gold. A furniture never exists apart from wood and a pot never exists separate from the clay. So every product never at any time exists apart from Brahman because Brahman is the only substance. Then if we say what is this house? A house is Brahman with name and form but it is non-substantial because names will change, forms will change, any product will change. So what is this tree? It is Brahman. What are the gods? Indra, Varuna. That is also what is Indra? Brahman plus Nama Rupa and what are the five elements? They are nothing but Nama Rupa, Brahman only with a veneer of name and form. What is the world? Brahman with name and form. Therefore by obtaining the knowledge of Brahman, Jeeva, every living person, Jagat, the whole world living as well as non-living, Eswaraha, so Brahma Bhavati, he realizes it is nothing but Brahman and to make his son understand here three examples are given of which we have already discussed those three examples. What is the first one? Clay. What is the second one? That is nothing but gold. What is the third one? It is metal, iron. So after giving these examples what does he say at the end? He says what does he say that whenever you see a pot it is nothing but clay with a name, with a form, with a particular quality. Quality means what? Small, big, round, square, tall, short, fat, thin, etc., etc. So every product is Nama Rupa, Nama, Rupa and Guna. Name, form and Guna. To put it in the right order, Rupa first comes the form. Then to distinguish it from other forms, we give it a name and every form is consisting of Prayojana or certain qualities and for that particular purpose only we can use them. So here also something very interesting, Naka Nikrinta, that is nail cutter. Nails used to grow and they are nuisance, they are dangerous and so many unhealthy things also can gather. If you watch your nails, you will see how many things are hiding under your nail. You clean a vessel, so many things go and then hide there. Not even hide, sometimes very open also. So just as my dear, by one pair of nail scissors, that is knowledge, all that is made up of iron is known. The modification being only a name arising from speech, while the truth is that everything is iron. Even so, my dear child, is that instruction. So here, clay. Ritpinda means what? By the knowledge of the clay. And gold means what? By the knowledge of the gold. And metal means what? By the knowledge of the metal. Every product is nothing but the original and only substance with name, form, etc. Then what is the creation? The creation is nothing but name, form, qualities. Remove these three, what is there? Only one substance. What is our problem? We give different names to different objects. How many names are there? As many objects in this world, so many names, so many different qualities. No two objects are alike. And then we give each one a particular name. Supposing a mother has got five children, so they are all having different ages, different sizes of the body, different names, of course, to distinguish the eldest from the youngest. But then, according to this teaching, it is nothing but flesh. In Shri Ramakrishna's words, flesh, bones, proteins, carbohydrates, vitamins. It is nothing but that only. So every object is only a name that is given. There is no new substance. And therefore, as a Swami had expressed it so beautifully, making pun, what is the world? Remove the letter L and leave L. And what remains? W O R L D. Remove W O R D. Word. Word means what? My speech only, my thinking only, my mental vritti only. There is nothing else. So there is a beautiful example given. In the olden times, whenever the householders get a new child, as soon as the child comes out of the mother's womb, it was the custom for the father to take a little bit of honey at his fingertips and then he puts it in the mouth of the child. What is the meaning? That may your whole life turn out to be as sweet, as pleasant as this honey. But then before that, he will whisper, I am giving you a secret name, Vedahasi. That means indirectly he is telling you are none other than Brahman. But you will come to know that you are Brahman through the Upanishads. And the Upanishads are contained in the Vedas. So the word Veda also has another meaning. Veda means to know. So knowledge is your name. What is the knowledge? Aham Brahmasmi is that name. So every object in this world, even countless objects in this world, countless galaxies, countless stars, everything is nothing but Brahman. Now with this understanding, go back a little bit and say, when we see that the earth, it is Bhoodevata, that is the earth in the form of Brahman in the form of the earth, Brahman in the form of the water, Brahman in the form of the fire, Brahman in the form of the air, Brahman in the form of the space. And without these five elements, including of course the subtle ones called Tanmatras, which make up the subtle body called the mind. So what is everything? They are what is called outcome or combinations of these five elements, both subtle as well as gross. To give us this knowledge, if anybody worshipped God sincerely, later on he has to do Vesper service, show five items representing, O Lord, you are manifesting in the form of these five elements. And every object in this world is an outcome of a combination, culmination and combination of these five elements. And I am also one of the objects. So I do not really exist. Only you exist. And that should be the knowledge. If I can worship God, only I can worship after knowing that I am God, because only God knows exactly what God is. And so by this knowledge, the worshipper comes to know I am none other than you. There is no separate to me, etc. And this is expressed by Shweta Ketu's father. Every time he is giving an example. Vacharambanam vikaraha namadheyam. Vacharambanam means only speech and it is a vikara. Vikara means an expression of the alphabet. What is that? Namadheyam in the form of a name. That is all. And Shankaracharya also writes a beautiful Bhashyam on this. And especially in Brahma Sutras, Arambana Sutram is there. He gives a beautiful one. So in this chapter, what we have seen through these examples, that every object is only a way of recognising Brahman, nothing else. And if we have understood that, look at a tree, it is Brahman with Nama Rupa. Look at your enemy, he is nothing but Brahman with Nama Rupa. Why has he become an enemy? To exhaust my bad karma phala that I have done in the past. So everything is Sarvam Kalvidam Brahma. What is the important lesson? By knowing the only one cause and the whole world as only one cause, we come to know everything in this world. And then we also come to know this world is none other than the original cause. Cause and effect are exactly the same. And what is the benefit? I become free, I become eternal, I become infinite and I enjoy unending bliss called Brahmanandam.