Chandogya Upanishad Lecture 57 on 07 December 2024

Full Transcript(Not Corrected)

OM JANANIM SHARADAM DEVIM RAMAKRISHNAM JAGADGURUM PADAPADMETAYOH SRIDHVA PRANAMAMI MUHURMUHU OM APYAYANTUM AMANGANIVAKPRANASYAKSHUH SHROTRAM ATHO BALAMINDRIYANICHA SARVANI SARVAM BRAHMAHU PANISHADAM MAHAM BRAHMANIRAKURIYAM MAMA BRAHMANIRAKARO ANIRAKARANAM ASTVANIRAKARANAM ME ASTU TADATMANI NIRATE YAUPANISHAD SU DHARMA TE MAI SANTU TE MAI SANTU OM SHANTI SHANTI SHANTI HA RE HE OM OM May my limbs, speech, vital force, eyes, ears, as also strength, and all the organs become well developed. Everything is the Brahman revealed in the Upanishads. May I not deny Brahman. May not Brahman deny me. Let there be no spurning of me by Brahman. Let there be no rejection of Brahman by me. May all the virtues that are spoken of in the Upanishads repose in me. I am engaged in the pursuit of the Self. May they repose in me. OM PEACE PEACE PEACE BE UNTO ALL So we are studying the 7th chapter of the Chandogya Upanishad which belongs to Samaveda. This 7th chapter is called Bhoomananda. That is Sanat Kumara is trying to teach Bhoomananda, Brahmananda, Poornananda, Atmananda. All are synonymous terms. So we have completed 5 sections so far. The 4th section is called Sankalpa Brahma Upasana. And what is Sankalpa? A strong determination. And we think that is where the buck stops. No. Behind this Sankalpa, strong determination, there is something without which it cannot even make a will. For example, if somebody says I want to become much more wealthy than what I am now. And how did he come to this Sankalpa determination? Because the past experiences. I was poor. I suffered a lot. And I see other people traveling in cars, in jets. Some of them are super rich. So their life seems to be, seems to be, that is we have to keep in mind, seems to be very very more happy, more comfortable means more happy. So that memory should be there. I suffered and I had only this much happiness but I want more happiness. And then he also has to remember. Memory is a very wonderful thing. All our life is nothing but based, founded upon memory only. Otherwise, why do some people become monks and nuns and some do not at all care. They go on doing. But even a worldly person, totally dependent upon memory, he seeks better life. There is nobody who does not feel a seeking for a better or what a person thinks better, higher, richer, more fulfilling life. But behind every desire, there is only seeking of Ananda. And it will not stop until we get infinite happiness, Ananda Swaroopa. We must become one. We cannot tolerate that there will be Ananda separate from me. So what are we talking? Better determination is determined, is made possible only by memory. And what does memory do? Discriminate. That led me to unhappiness and this led me to happiness. And by seeing others we learn probably this will lead me to more happiness. So that memory. And it is how does a person turn towards God? Same principle. I suffered a lot. I searched a lot in the outside world, in the external world. I did not get what I sought. And in fact, when Hindus speak of Karma Siddhanta, it means you get what you pay for. What you deserve depends upon what you pay for. Without paying, there is nothing we can get, either happiness or unhappiness. But nobody wants unhappiness. But even happiness, there are millions of degrees of happiness. But every happiness that we achieve points to something higher. And the highest happiness is called wisdom. What is that wisdom? Why am I seeking happiness? Why am I seeking immortality? Why am I seeking right knowledge? It is not somewhere. I am here. Right immortality is somewhere. I have to reach there. I am here. Right knowledge is somewhere else. I have to go there to obtain. And infinite happiness is somewhere. I have to go there. But the highest wisdom, highest knowledge tells us that no, it is not anywhere. It is not outside you. It is not inside you. It is you. You are the Sat, Chit, Ananda, Swaroopa. And that is called Bhumananda. As I mentioned earlier, sixth expounds the Sat existence without any Nama Roopa aspect of Brahman. The eighth explores the Chit aspect of Brahman. And the seventh is exploring the Ananda aspect of Brahman. So a person has knowledge and that is caused by speech, through the medium of speech. And speech is the outcome or the effect of what is called mind. That is Sankalpa. And this Sankalpa comes because of memory. Chittam. So this is what we were discussing. Chitta Brahma Upasana. So Chittam Bhava Sankalpa Bhuyo. We have discussed it but I just want to what is called a synopsis, a summary. Intelligence or memory surely is greater than will. When one has a memory and this memory comes because of understanding. So this what is called Chittam has two aspects. The first aspect is understanding discriminating. The second aspect is through observation, through experience. One develops what is called the discrimination. This is happy thing, desirable thing. This is undesirable thing. And how do we get that knowledge? Because of experience. When we had desirable something then we were very happy. And when we obtain or when we deliberately chosen undesirable something and the result is also undesirable and after some repetitions the memory suddenly understands. I should avoid that desire and encourage this particular desire. And that is possible only through memory. So memory means first stage of memory is intelligence. Intelligence is the capacity to discriminate what is good, what's not good. And memory is to keep in mind. Several times sometimes road repairs will be done. So we take our normal road and suddenly traffic diverted. And then we take that diversion. But then next day we might not remember it. Again same but then we make a determination. Tomorrow I should not commit the same mistake. Straight I should go to that diversion. So to understand there is road repair going on. I must take, I must avoid this route. I must take the other diverted route or whichever is the nearest route. That we call discrimination. But we have to keep it in memory. So this chittam includes both intelligence or understanding through discrimination and also keeping it in memory. So this is very important for us. And then the Rishi Sanat Kumara goes on telling. So I will just read the English translation. All these indeed merge in intelligence and are made up of intelligence and abide in intelligence. What does he mean by all these? All these means Nama, Vaak, Manas and Sankalpa. All these included. They are all dependent upon this chitta or memory and intelligence. Intelligence and memory are made up of intelligence and memory. And they are all the outcomes of this chittam. Therefore, so it is a quotation from this section only. When there is a person and he knows so much. He is a master but he has got that knowledge. What Sri Ramakrishna calls dry knowledge. But he doesn't have that intelligence that until I convert this into practical Vedanta, practical life and use it like scientists discover knowledge but until technicians come along and convert that into usable gadgets. It is completely useless. So without intelligence suppose a person is there he knows many things but he doesn't know. He doesn't have intelligence. What does it mean? First of all he doesn't know what to speak with whom. So if there is an audience who are of children he should not go on explaining Einstein's theory of relativity. And if there are intelligent people he should not go on explaining it like small children. So looking at the audience and there is an instance I am remembering. Once Swamiji was to speak on Sri Ramakrishna. He was in the highest mood. He came in that mood completely possessed by that mood and climbed the podium and one look Swamiji always looks at the audience for a few minutes and we think what was this man doing because he is assessing, finding out what type of audience I have majority and how to formulate what I am going to speak. Then on this occasion when it was announced he was going to speak on Sri Ramakrishna lot of people turned out thinking of hearing about the master but he suddenly changed his topic because later on somebody chided him. Why did you change? We don't do it in the west. Here also we don't do it. And if a college professor who is supposed to speak on what is called zoology or biology talks about cricket how irrelevant it will be. It's like that. Swamiji explained. When I looked at the audience I saw that they are not ready and that's what Sri Ramakrishna used to do. That's what everybody does whoever is intelligent. So I had to change. Not that I did not want to speak but the audience is not ready for that. So one must have that intelligence and that intelligence comes out of memory. Maybe there is a great speaker. He spoke lot of things in the past meetings and then people were looking blank because whatever he spoke went over there what they say hats or caps. Now he should remember that I spoke nothing resisted but today I'll speak probably it will resist. So that intelligence that discrimination what to speak how much time to speak in what way to speak is what Chatterjee does it. If I don't understand some high concept then you can put a prompt. Oh explain to me as if you are explaining to a 10 years old student about this high concept and Chatterjee does it and that is what is going to bring about a total revolution and these computer scientists are expecting that AI would suit for every student SSS that person's ability to understand and modifies the lessons accordingly. It is not universal but that intelligence is going to come out in future that is extraordinary. Even today it is extraordinary. So many things it can do because of the enormous power of what memory because of it remembers how such and such a book explained so beautifully. Same book on history but for nursery school students or elementary or high school students college students but for PhD students also. So it modifies it adopts to the capability and that we are supposed to do in our journey whether secular or spiritual. So that is why even if a person has is a walking encyclopedia of knowledge but doesn't know how to exercise discrimination and speak intelligently what do people say that he say he doesn't have the intelligence. It means he doesn't have the intelligence he has knowledge but no intelligence. A sharp line is drawn up between intelligence and knowledge. On the other hand there is a man suppose he knows very little is endowed with intelligence people desire to listen to him also. Why? Because whatever he knows he adopts to the audience and he explains beautifully and then the instance that comes to me is that of was Chadjipati of course but what comes to my mind how Sairam Krishna adopts his teachings to highly intelligent people like Narendra. Intelligent people intelligent not so intelligent but very sincere to householders even to children. He is he was his supreme teacher Jagat Guru. Jagat Guru means what capable of guiding everybody coming down to that level. A teacher is great to the extent that he can come down to the level of his student. So even if a person knows very little but if he has intelligence not only knowledge little knowledge but more intelligence then people will listen to him because they get benefit. Whom do people listen where they get benefit temporary or permanent to that person only they listen. So intelligence is their soul intelligence is their support and therefore you contemplate intelligence that is Dhe as Brahman and if he does it if he succeeds in it he becomes a perfect instrument in the hands of Brahman or God and then as far as his knowledge goes his memory goes he will be free and he attains higher lokas. Remember higher lokas means higher joy and then what happens so he remains in that memory worlds of memory and then what happens having been established avyatha manan he will not be distressed and not being distressed he attains tremendous amount of happiness and furthermore intelligence and that is what is expressed he who worships intelligence as Brahman he indeed attains the worlds of intelligence and himself being permanent attains the permanent worlds that means that we are not talking about there is a world which is permanent there is no permanent world world by its very name is impermanent loka but what it means is that so long as the memory is there intelligence is there he will be honored he will be praised he will be having power and he will be respected he will actually enjoy a person who memorizes something and vomits in the examination is not an intelligent person but a person who understands what knowledge he has so such a person thoroughly enjoys so he becomes well established and he remains undistressed means he will attain positive happiness and so far as his power of memory or intelligence in the worlds of intelligence he becomes free to live his life as he wishes to live and this is the result of person who worships intelligence or chitam as brahman now very important point we have to understand that there are people we are also praying whenever we pray to Gayatri Devi we are only trying to obtain mother wisdom upon me that pure intelligence right understanding and she will give us how by leading us from the lower step to the higher step not that immediately grants because a mother feeds her children according to the digestive capacity of the stomachs of the children that is what Sri Ramakrishna meant so like that divine mother also this is my child and he's praying for right understanding so at this moment this is the highest he can digest that much intelligence i will give but through that intelligence he will do more sadhana he will be given still higher intelligence so that is what sanath kumara is trying to do to narada so remember story of pandit gauri and he obtained several boons from the divine mother by sincerely worshiping her one of the boons is tremendous power of memory whenever he sits to have a debate with an equally or even greater pundit what happens you know subject is the same both are intelligent both have knowledge but pundit gauri is endowed by the divine mother with that power of memory at the exact moment he will quote what is appropriate and this was a that's swami vikranta had but we all know the ram krishna's memory he was called so it doesn't mean he will remember the 100 varieties of dogs names and all the different constellations of the stars nothing can be further from truth that's not what is meant whatever is unnecessary he will forget even to forget that is a boon of god that is a manifestation of god where do we get it so in the 15th chapter i get what is it when a person has knowledge when a person has the power of remembrance and the person also has got the power of forgetting so all these three are the resultant of the grace of god so matta eva from me alone nana will come so apohara will come what is apohana matta smruthiri gnanam apohana nchar so gnanam right knowledge smruthi remembering that knowledge and apohana forgetfulness what need what should be forgotten that is a tremendous boon somebody scolded you and you are hurt very much and you are having a sleepless night what is the reason you can't eat you can't sleep what is the reason you are unable to forget that incident let's somebody insults siram krishna to the ninth degree what happens next second the moment he remembers and immediately he forgets the whole lot what needs to be remembered he will remember what needs to be forgotten he will forget and that power of forgetting is a gift of divine mother mother only comes in the form of both memory as well as forgetting what should be forgotten and remembering what should be remembered swami vikananda's memory once he was giving a talk at in london and an englishman he criticized india and swamiji's indian manners and swamiji stopped his lecture and then he quoted from history you people are pluming the wild colors obtainable in the forests and roaming practically naked are wearing the skins of animals that is your civilization and that is only 400 years and he quoted from the books on from books of history and for 20 minutes or 30 minutes non-stop he was a master scolder so he scolded the person and everybody was stunned because he was quoting only from historical books written by the british historians and then he that man was thoroughly shrunk into himself he wished perhaps i should disappear into the earth and then swamiji took pity turned back you know he started exactly where he stopped next sentence without losing even a little bit of it that is called true memory that is swamiji's memory is called this truth he has to hear everything read everything twice and for life it is fixed in his memory so and then many christian preachers came to argue with him in america but they did not know he studied bibles he studied even commentaries thoroughly and he remembered them and whenever they used to quote to uphold the superiority of christianity he used to quote from the same books which they have read and they tried chemistry physics philosophy and bible where whatever book they read they are quoting from thinking that this man from india cannot do anything oh and then from that very book he will quote and show how irrelevant their arguments were they could not but accept defeat and then there were some host hostesses with whom he was spelling and they had children and the children were listening to this conversation and more and more he was getting gaining upper hand they were becoming more and more delighted our swamiji is is incapable of being defeated by any tom dick and harry so what is this memory we have to be extremely careful memory doesn't mean only what is called our day to day normal secular experiences no memory what the scriptures are teaching what the saints are teaching but also all the facts remember how many people died how many people are born how many people lost their businesses how many people suddenly shot into what they call millionaires list or even billionaires list of all the painful experiences of life after life if we can remember then it will be wonderful that is what buddha did to that widow who lost her only son if you read that story don't think that that lady herself obtained that wisdom buddha simply did not say i'll bring bring back your child to life he said go and bring some seeds from a house a condition where no death has taken place then she went round the whole village but every house there were people who died their fathers mothers children friends families and ancestors grand grandfathers great grandfathers every family had to confront this fact of death and then by buddha's grace because he was avatar she understood death snatches away everything and then the wisdom came the memory came even if my child is alive there is nothing we can do about him because what is the law of life even if we are with all our family members under the same given circumstances everybody will get only what he or she deserves and buddha believed in that theory of karma the effects of our karma follow the footsteps of each one of us just like a the wheels of a cart follow the footsteps of the oxen which are pulling the carts so then she became what is called that memory came back death is inevitable and is there something that we do along with that perhaps the memory how buddha himself had escaped how so many saints have escaped because at no time there is the world is not bereft of saints so she came and said lord i don't want my son to come back to life but i want how to get rid of this the cup life is full of suffering yes my daughter i will initiate you you are my disciple beloved disciple and when he initiates immediately the person awakens he becomes a buddha or tatha agataha he who reached brahman or god or nirvana so buddha also remembered all his past 500 janmas known as jataka stories and it is said in our scriptures when a person is unable to get rid of any attachment but is almost is knocking at the door of brahman then jatis maratva will come he will remember all the lives he led in this endless samsara millions of lives and then he says why am i attached to my father to my mother to my wife to my husband to my children i had countless number of husbands wives children parents friends enemies happinesses unhappinesses and paramo iragya will come the highest type of dispassion will dawn and through that the person the jiva is capable of sundering aside all the bonds then he becomes enlightened that is why even we see in the fourth chapter of the bhagavad gita arjuna asks krishna a question and then krishna you know what he tells this same question was asked by manu 10 000 years ago and then arjuna was surprised you are born now he says no both of us have many lives you do not remember i do remember so narada must have gone and honed his memory to the highest extent and then he came back because he understood memory is not the final cause it is only an effect until that time the what is called the chitam or sankalpa is the final cause but now he understands even the sankalpa is the resultant of memory and intelligence that is called chitam and then he says so as is there something is there something greater than chitta or intelligence or memory and he says is there something superior the cause of memory and intelligence yes chitadvava bhuyaha asti definite sure if it is so if you think i am fit please explain to me i want to contemplate it as with this fifth sector section is over so we are entering into the sixth one what is that is there something superior to even chitam and then sanat kumara says yes there is and what is that and dhyanam meditation concentration is far superior far interior far subtler and far greater pervasive than intelligence etc how it is so in the sixth section is called dhyana brahma upasana so what is this dhyana dhyana means one-pointed thinking without deviating from the subject that we have chosen to focus upon to concentrate upon so this dhyana is beyond even ordinary memory it is a superior faculty what does it mean it means dhyana is the cause of even memory the more we are able to concentrate our attention or meditate in the proper sense to that extent we become great this is the greatness of dhyana or concentration concentrate what is concentration is a fixed idea of mind iran krishna is the greatest exemplar the moment he remembers god then his mind becomes completely one how does he remember because whatever experiences is he plays 100 attention this is called walking the talk now swami vikaranda was the greatest exponent of this power of concentration what does swamiji say here is what swami vikaranda says swamiji says there is only one method by which to attain knowledge what knowledge he means any knowledge secular or spiritual that is called concentration there is only one method what is that method concentration and swamiji believed that concentration is a vital skill especially for learning for studying he said that concentration was the key to understanding and learning more and that it was the essence of education what is education it is the power of concentration and then he also said that concentration could be trained similar to how athletes train their bodies some something we have to take note we all admire great athletes men of muscle but then we don't we hardly look how much they are dedicated to this exercise how much practically in 24 hours how many hours they are spending in the gym exercising especially the people who are determined to follow the olympic games you can understand it so how do they develop those muscles by sitting in easy chair and eating and watching youtube they they control their diet or they control their activities even as i mentioned earlier at muhammad i think ali uh the greatest i am the greatest wrestler even before two months before a worldly match his tutor his guru will pose impose upon him what diet he should eat how much exercise what type of exercise and he's not allowed to enjoy his wife because says that will make the difference between victory and defeat because the other person gives a punch so fast that unless a person is on his toes as they say completely alert not after getting the blow but even when it starts even before the person is thinking some unseen signs are there unseen means we don't observe them but these people are trained so this person is getting ready there are some people they intuit such a such persons that power of intuiting not a spiritual power but the resultant of intense focus that is called concentration they will not leave that person's face and expressions etc then only they are able to count i hope you remember the story of hanuman singh who defeated that hefty wrestler who was eating every day food in excess of his digestive power funny thing was sir ram krishna was he went and examined the feces and he said he's eating but he's not digesting that means what that means that fellow's reactions will be very tardy very lethargic and that's what exactly happened he gained so much of fat and hanuman singh he was only eating once a day and when the day of the match had come he was practically dancing around and delivering punches that the other fellow before he could realize a punch is going to come and hit me the hanuman singh used to hit him that is the power of concentration but concentration will come only not as merely concentration i will eat i will do whatever i want i will sleep and i will also have concentration that's never ever going to happen so there are so many conditions to be fulfilled for this concentration that is why patanjali rishi has said the inner parts of true samadhi is consisting of and samadhi anyway so swami vekananda he paid so much of attention to this concentration so he says what is the essence of education that concentration at the very core of education anybody who developed it education will be automatically acquired by such a person and what is the power of concentration swamiji said that concentration was like a superpower for the mind and that it could help people learn and understand more not only that so it is deep meaning it means he can also unlearn what is completely useless that is part of the power of concentration and then swamiji believed that people could train their minds to be focused just like athletes train their bodies and then he also mentioned he believed that the difference between minds was this power of concentration one mind and another mind one student and other students in the same class with the same teacher studying the same textbooks and the student who has more concentrated mind he gains easily he grasps not only it is knowledge but knowledge coupled with intelligence as well as memory and then he says swamiji says a great man had a tremendous power of concentration and that this power was within every one of us thus according to swamiji concentration is the only method of acquiring knowledge greatness memory power everything in this world and then he also says he explains it with some examples the chemist who works in the laboratory concentrates all the powers of his mind then he brings all the powers of his mind into one focus and knows them and throws them on the elements what happens as a result the elements stand analyzed and reveal their structure and that is how his knowledge comes similarly the astronomer is also concentrated on the all his powers of his mind and brought them to bear into one focus then he throws them on the telescope then the stars and systems roll forward and willingly give up their secrets to him thus concentration brings knowledge concentration brings wisdom concentration brings power prestige position everything and what is the difference between man and man so according to swamiji from the lowest man to the highest yogi all have the power of concentration but the difference is the yogis use it and as much as we use that makes us what we are and the more the power of concentration the more will be the knowledge that we get but remember here swamiji is the knowledge is not coming from some external source all knowledge is within and concentration only unlocks that hidden knowledge unlocks the box as it were and reveals to us that is why it is called uncovered or discovered not invented invention means how to use knowledge to and put it to practical use there they are called inventions but knowledge itself is the resultant of our focus concentration and whether in whatever field how did a kalavya become such a great archer it is only because of his power of concentration and his guru dronacharya whom he had chosen was the conduit was the medium through which this power of concentration of a kalavya was merely expressed and swamiji used to say if i had done my education over again if i had to be educated over again and had any voice in that matter i would not study facts at all i would develop the power of concentration and detachment and then with a perfect instrument i could collect facts at will two points here we have to take note i will develop power of concentration and also detachment our problem is sometimes we have power of concentration but not the power of detachment that is if we are believing in something false or they're clinging to something not right then if we do not have the power to completely cut it off mercilessly which is called vairagyam mere viveka will not do vairagyam must work then i become the perfect instrument and i could collect any facts at will and what took people to say to complete a book of 500 pages several days swamiji in several minutes he could squeeze like charjipati he was a perfect example charjipati so this is the difference between man and animal because man has the power animals they are too much distracted they but they have the power only to a very limited extent in fact a sufi master used to say and he was an expert in concentration someone asked him master where did you learn this power of concentration he said i learnt it from observing a cat which is sitting absolutely noiselessly focusing on the opening where the rat is hiding and not moving so that when the rat out of restlessness or out of curiosity pops out immediately it could do because the rats are also intelligent and then the master added and that cat was much better than me see children how much they are absorbed and that's why they can learn everything very quickly that's why it is said children are like sponges oh whatever the language is absorbed for us as we age to acquire the knowledge of another language is extraordinarily difficult but children whatever language the parents are speaking within a few years he practically becomes a master of it how because when he listens he listens and he remembers so new connections in the brain neurological connections are made and that is called memory so here the upanishad goes on to say that the earth contemplates as it were on account of its stability and fixity of character so instead of using the word ekagratha we use the word dhyanam and the upanishad gives example the earth the sky the upper world and everything that we see the mountains the rivers everything as it were is absolutely focused is meditating as it were and then the upanishad self tells us whoever has attained any kind of greatness in life has achieved it only through the power of meditation or concentration a great musician a great writer a great dramatist great actor oh my god i heard it i don't know how much it is true swarachandra chakravarti's uh not chakravarti chattopadhyaya's novel devadas was made a film in telugu language and this devadas was a character parvati was a village girl both were childhood friends his devadas had to be separated from parvati and then he became a drunkard and that should be enacted so this actor he went to this where they sell the liquors and then he went on observing people and then after keen observation then he became perfect so when he acted as if he knew what is to drink what is to become a drunkard it was so and what is called enlivening event so concentration is the secret for anybody's greatness and for that nature itself is given as an example we will come to that i'm only giving the essence so what is concentration the tenacity of the mind in a given direction and a persistent effort in that direction alone without deviating the mind from the given thought is called concentration a whole soul absorption of thought on a particular object to the exclusion of any other thought is called concentration and then follows of course dhyana so one becomes free liberated from bondage and succeeds in life to the extent of success one has in the practice of concentration of the mind this is what sanath kumara had you taught to narada in this sixth section and if we have understood this is the essence of what we are going to study then we can fly easily through the whole this one i will just in this class only mention a few of these mantras so this is the sixth section dhyana brahma upasana and then in response to narada's question is there anything greater than this chittam or intelligence or concentration coupled with memory and then sanath kumara said dhyanam vava chittad bhuyaha very first thing yes there is what is it contemplation meditation concentration is far superior is the cause of memory and intelligence and then he gives this example dhyayateva prithvi dhyayateva antariksham dhyayateva devu dhyayateva apaha dhyayateva parvataha and then we have to use those words dhyayateva they are not mentioned deva manushyaha and then concludes the upanishad is concluding so i will first read out and then use the english translation and then it continues so sanath kumara tells this is the english translation contemplation surely is greater than intelligence and then examples follow the earth contemplates as it were the sky contemplates as it were the heaven contemplates as it were the waters contemplate as it were the mountains contemplate as it were the gods as well as men contemplate as it were and then therefore verily those who attain greatness among men here if we see men here who are great we are honored by everybody is great they seem to have obtained a share of the result of contemplation which means they became great because of the power practice of contemplation on the contrary and those who are small people that means those who do not have the habit of concentration those who are restless those who are minds are wandering all the time and what type of people they are quarrelsome they are abusive and they are slanderous but those who are great men they appear to have obtained a share of the result of contemplation therefore onarada worship contemplation so just before we go what does shankara has to say he says contemplation in the process of firmly fixing one's mind without deviation on thoughts continuously on some object what object not any object such as a deity prescribed by the scriptures so contemplation on any subject will give its result so if a for example when angry person concentrates on anger or injustice done to him or whether it is real or imagined his anger only grows he becomes great in anger the lustful person the more he concentrates on the object imagining it to be great he becomes even more lustful but we have to note down that concentration it intensifies it grows whatever subject we are able to concentrate though we have to be intelligent and we have to follow the teachings of the guru or the teachings of the scriptures and meditate upon the deity so without being intercepted by any other alien thought so there are two characteristics of perfect meditation first of all when a person is concentrated or meditating tranquility and that is the first result what is the second the contentment born of success in the attempt so any great person mind will be quiet quietness if it is not if it is absent they cannot be great if there is greatness there is quietness if there is greatness then there is also tremendous satisfaction contentment so for that examples are given the earth mountains sky and the like appear to be tranquil in meditation and then if anybody yo dhyanam brahma itupasthi whoever contemplates then he becomes free great subtler powerful enjoys life to the highest degree and that is the power of contemplation therefore dhyana brahma upasana has to be performed by you oh narada and that is what narada must have done came back repeats the question is there anything greater than contemplation surely there is something greater than contemplation and so sir bhagavan please communicate it to me revered sir i will do so surely but we will discuss a few more details in our next class om jananim sharadam devim ramakrishnam jagadgurum padapadmetayosaritva pranamami mohurmohu me ramakrishna holy mother and swami vikaranda bless us all with bhakti hey ramakrishna