Drg Drsya Viveka Lecture 01

Om Shanti Shanti Shanti Shanti Harih Om!

So, from today onwards we will cover this beautiful Prakarana Grantha of Advaita called Dhritya Viveka. Why is it so important, especially why I have chosen this one? There is a very special reason. You know, when we study the great master, there is the record of Totapuri's behaviour.

Swami Sharada Ranji very clearly mentions that Totapuri had attained Nirvikalpa Samadhi. And yet you know what happened? After nearly 11 months, what happened to him? He could not accept this world as a reality. He accepted it, he used to say it is all Mithya.

For a knower of Brahman, he should be able to see everything, both inside as well as outside as Brahman. Otherwise there is a defect. Now this incident raised a lot of controversy in our Pramakrishna order.

Either very obviously or invisibly. How can a man who had attained to Nirvikalpa Samadhi has to go again through this painful experience? Did he actually experience Nirvikalpa Samadhi or was it less? Why he had to learn a new lesson? You know for us Nirvikalpa Samadhi means it is the highest, it is the very end. And yet such a person, why should he go through this experience? Most of us either we keep quiet, we say we don't understand about these things or in any case it is useless discussion.

It is a divine mystery. But this book provides the answer. There are six types of Samadhis one has to practise, go through.

Six types of Samadhis. Savikalpa Samadhi and Nirvikalpa Samadhi. Savikalpa Samadhi is again of three types.

And Nirvikalpa Samadhi is again of three types. So three types of inner Samadhi, three types of external Samadhi. And this has been recommended by this teacher.

Until I read this book, I could not understand Totapuri's behaviour frankly. But when I read this book, I knew why he insisted that Nirvikalpa Samadhi is of two types, both inner as well as outer. And he did not practise the outer Nirvikalpa Samadhi.

His inner Nirvikalpa Samadhi was fine. When he closed his eyes, he could see everything as Brahma. But when he opened his eyes, it appeared to be Nithya.

And of course, he had advanced so far. So the Divine Mother also had made him go through that experience. And then his realisation was complete.

So this is a book which is very, very terse, short, brief, and yet contains the most wonderful exposition. So viveka, what is viveka? Usually we translate it as discrimination. What is the discrimination? Intellectual gymnastics.

I know this is better and this is inferior, this is superior. So that is not a very good translation. Viveka, I would prefer to say an attitude of mind.

Everything depends upon our attitude. Attitude determines how we interpret things. And how we interpret things is our reality.

So viveka is not merely a discrimination, but to develop that faculty of mind which develops that particular attitude and interpretation. What do you mean by attitude? Let us take an example. Ramakrishna's attitude towards women.

What was his attitude? Divine Mother. So he interpreted everything only in that light. Everything is Divine Mother.

So suppose a woman comes and criticises him. What would be his attitude towards that event? Divine Mother is teaching me some lesson. She is playing with me.

She wants me to learn. Whether it is a good event, bad event, everything. That is why in the Chandi you get both the positive and negative expressions of the Divine Mother.

Adhini sarva-bhuteshth brahante roopena samsthita, nidra roopena samsthita, kshudha roopena samsthita, as well as matra roopena samsthita, daya roopena samsthita, kanti roopena samsthita, kshanti roopena samsthita, shanti roopena samsthita. Both. Why? Because both qualities stem from whom? From the Divine Mother.

That is why the Lord in the Gita also tells, whatever attitudes are there, bhavas are there, they have all originated from Me only. Good and bad. That's why, I think, I don't know whether we did it in the 11th chapter, in that it is said, He not only destroyed the Kauravas, He also destroyed the Pandavas.

Practically the whole army was destroyed. Only a few people, Panch Pandavas and perhaps one or two people remained. All the rest were completely dead.

So in Leela, you cannot discriminate in Leela, this is good and this is evil. Because if it is Leela, good also is Leela, evil also is Leela. If it is real, then good is desirable, evil is undesirable.

But if it is Leela, then Leela Pushayana. Jagai Mathai. Leela Pushayana, the Divine Drama, will not be very enjoyable if supposing there is no villain.

Who will watch such a movie? Imagine a movie without villain. So for a drama, it is alright. This Divine Drama also, that is necessary.

If we look at our stage of life, we don't want the villain. Villain means villain stands for anything unpleasant. But how do we improve? What is it that contributes for our progress? Is it good? If it is good, if it is happy, we are stuck like doormats.

This is the simple fact. But if it is contrast, in fact, Vasha Swadhana or drama, what is the most important element in the drama? Contrast. If everything is comedy, then people will not enjoy it.

Comedy is enjoyable only when there is a tragedy. This is the simple truth. So, this book, the name is like Viveka Chudamani.

Viveka means discrimination. Now, any book must be practically useful for us. So, this is a very terse, very tough, very short, but full of meaning, and yet it should be very, very practical, helpful, profitable.

And really it is profitable because from one point of view, we are all emotional creatures. This is a very good antidote for emotion. After trying to study this book, you cannot afford to be that emotional.

And it needs a lot of intellect to discriminate. So, let me first give a small introduction. Vedantic scriptures fall into three categories, as you know.

They are called Prasthana Traya, the foundational scriptures. Traya means triad, three. What are they? Upanishads, Brahma Sutras, and Bhagavad Gita.

And all the scriptures are divided into these three categories. Shruti, Smriti, and Purana. So, the Upanishads fall under the category of Shruti Prasthana.

That is to say, pure Shruti. What is Shruti? The literal meaning of the word Shruti means that which is heard. It is interpreted in two ways.

Because the Rishis have heard directly. What do you mean by heard? Do not mistake it that some words came into their ears. Intuitive discovery is called Shruti.

Because if you hear, that is purely a physical thing. This is the point. It could be a vision.

It could be something which people feel they heard. Or it could be some other type of experience. But then why is it said to be heard? When we have some feeling intuitively, somewhere it has got to be expressed.

And that expression can only be possible through saying it. You see, if you have some experience, and you just go on looking at the person, the other person will never understand it. We all have a tendency, whatever emotion, thought, knowledge, feeling we have, to vocalise in the mind.

You can never, never keep a thought as a thought. Either you hear it, or you see it, or you smell it, or you touch it, or you taste it. So, of all these things, the most important organ is the organ of hearing.

So here, the meaning of the Shruti is intuitive understanding, not hearing something. The second meaning is, it is also called a Shruti, because it has been transmitted from a competent teacher to a competent disciple. Otherwise, it won't be Shruti.

Because if you say something, and if the other person doesn't understand, then it cannot be called Shruti. Shruti means both sides, the person who is saying, and the person who is listening. That conveying of the knowledge, that is what is called Shruti.

That is why it is called Shruti. So the Guru had transmitted this knowledge through the mouth, from the mouth to the ears, and from the mouth of the disciple to the ear of his disciple, that is why it is called Shruti. Now, why is it called Shruti, when we have the development of language? It could be written.

When you read a book, do you hear it, or do you just read it? It is possible only to hear it. Either physically we vocalise, or mentally we vocalise. There is no other way, because this is the best way of conveying Shruti.

Now, some things, in fact, any type of knowledge, it applies to any type of knowledge. Even the most ordinary type of truth, if you want to convey to somebody, it can be only conveyed to a person who has the capacity to understand it. Anything, even the most ordinary thing, because knowledge cannot be passed to an unfit recipient.

So the word Shruti has these two meanings. The person who had intuitively discovered the truth, uncovered the truth. He did not invent it.

Nobody can invent anything. It is not possible, because it is already there. So that is why in the Advaita Vedanta, one of the important questions that comes is about creation.

What do you mean by creation? Did God create? What is your understanding of the word creation? Creation means destroying the obstacles. Creation means destroying the obstacles. In the Patanjali Yoga Sutra, you have got Kshetrika Vata.

There is a river and there is a field. The field needs water. So what does the cultivator do? He removes the obstruction between the river and the field.

He doesn't create water. Water is already there. The field also is already there.

But he digs it. Digging means what? Removing the obstruction. So as soon as the obstruction is removed, automatically, naturally, water flows.

That is the meaning of creation. So this whole universe is a creation of God. So what did God do? He removed the obstructions.

Therefore, he himself has become. An example, a sculptor. You give a piece of stone to a sculptor.

He makes a beautiful image of Krishna. What did he do? Did he invent Krishna? He merely chiselled away non-Krishna. And what remains is Krishna.

This is our definition of creation. Maharaj, creation is using his maya to create this illusion. So it's almost like superimposing.

So how is he removing the obstacles? You can put it in this way. He put obstacles. Exactly.

That's what exactly a sculptor does. He covers what is not Krishna. And what you see is Krishna.

Do you see? If it is a block of stone, then you cannot see Krishna there. So what he does, he puts obstacles on your eyes so that you could see only Krishna. So you don't see all the non-Krishna you don't see.

Only you see the Krishna. The point is that the substance is there. Nothing new is brought out.

It is a matter of what do you want to see. So creation is what do you want to see. You have to understand this clearly.

If you see God through your eyes, you say, I want to see God through my eyes. What will you see? What do you see? Forms. You want to experience God through the ears.

What do you experience? Sounds. Do you see? Suppose there is a blind man and he cannot see colours. The function of eyes is only to see the colours, nothing else.

All forms can be experienced through other means, including through the ears. Forms can be seen or experienced through the ears. That's what a whale does it.

Or dolphin does it. What does it do? It sends... What is that near the airport? Radar. What does it do? So what do you see on the screen? An aeroplane.

See, it is not sending a camera. It is sending the sound. And what you receive, what you see is? Nobody ever told you this.

So if you want to see me, close your eyes, open them. Send your radar signal. So the point is how we want to experience God.

That is the Vedantic concept of our God. Because we have a desire. Actually that is what we do in day-to-day life.

If I deviate like this, the class will go on forever. But the point is very important. A person, one person meets another object.

Already he has decided, this is how I want to see this object. So that is how some people like some things, and that is how some people do not like some things. It is predetermined.

Yes, it is predetermined, depending upon maybe past experiences. You see, nothing called completely new judgemental experience. Say, somebody brings you some sweet.

How do different people experience that sweet? It all depends upon what previous concepts. Though we are not vocalising these things. I would like to see this as wonderful.

I would like to see this. Suppose you like Mysore Pak. Then when Mysore Pak comes, you look at it not as it is, but as you would like to look at it.

You see the point? Another person who does not like Mysore Pak at all, then how does he look? You know, I am elaborating because you can make your own examples. Suppose a Bengali who does not like idli and chutney. If idli is brought, chutney, first-class idli, first-class chutney, imagine, very nice, is brought.

Suppose there is a South Indian who loves idli and chutney. Why both of them react in two different ways? Is it because of the object? No. For the first time, they have already come with their pre-concepts.

I like this, I like that. Similarly, I extend this example. A man meets a woman.

So how does he look at the woman? Already he has certain concepts. My dream girl should be like this. So if she resembles, then he likes.

Yes, he slots. Even if she is beautiful, even if she is not beautiful, she can look as beautiful because she fits into his concept. Even if she is beautiful, if she doesn't fit into her concept, he will never like it.

What is my point? We are never judging an object. As it is, we are always judging an object from our pre-concepts. And even we are judging the same object after experience also, exactly in the same way.

We have already formed opinions about each one of us. You may not express it. Politically it is incorrect to express it.

But our likes, our dislikes, all these things depend completely on how slavish we are. So the same thing, it is useful because already there is a mould, there is a pattern. If we can make that pattern, what is called Vedantic pattern.

Did I tell you? I invented a new word for that. If you want to see very small things, how do you see? If you want to see things at a long scope, so if you want to see God, Vedanta scope. You must have Vedanta.

If you don't have Vedanta scope, you will never see things in a Vedantic way. Vedanta scope? So put on this, what is Drigya Dushya Viveka, put on the Vedanta scope and you will see everything is likeable. Why? Because Vedanta scope shows you everything as Brahman.

Unless we put that one, any other scope, it will be microscope or telescope or whatever scope distorts things. This is the simple truth. So Vedanta scope, that is called Viveka.

What is Viveka? Putting on Vedanta scope. So, as I was mentioning, there are three types of foundational scriptures, Shruti. Then the next is, a person didn't have any direct experience, but he heard the direct experience from the person directly or indirectly and he has complete faith in it.

Depending upon that faith, he expresses his experiences. Mind you, it is all indirect experience. You write a poem, you make a sculpture, or you write a drama, you write a bhajan.

He has not realised it, but he had 100% faith in it. So whatever scriptures have come, having 100% faith in the Shrutis, not deviating one millimetre from the Shrutis, but to express it for two reasons, for one's own enjoyment and also in course of time to help other people. See, I am talking false under Smriti, because I am telling what I have understood in my own way, so that you can also understand it in a way of speaking.

As I said, you can only understand if you are ready for that. So these are called Smriti. Smriti Prasthana, Bhagavad Gita is called Smriti Prasthana.

And there are people who want to understand things in a completely non-controversial way, through logic, through reason. This is called Nyaya Prasthana. Brahma Sutras is a work where Vyasa himself, mind you, he was not the discoverer of Vedas.

He was only a compiler of the Vedas. Whatever Vedas were existing already, he had collected them, divided them, classified them, edited them. Editing means not deleting.

No, editing means deleting. You take many of my photographs and then edit them. Remove.

Whatever Swami you don't like, whichever Swami, Rayatmananda you don't like, you delete them. He never deleted anything, but he classified them and conveyed that to others for convenience. Classification is an easier way of understanding complicated things.

That is the simple way of putting it. But different Rishis have intuited, expressed their experience through different words and those words have created controversies. So is it a really controversial thing or the words used have different meanings? They all mean the same thing but use different words.

So Vyasa himself brought out a number of such apparently seemingly contradictory statements and in the end proves that they are all having one meaning only. So Ekibhava or the entire Shrutis have got only one purport and that purport is the word that. Everything else must support that statement in whichever way the words are expressed or used.

Such a work is called Brahma Sutras. Now this Brahma Sutras, it emphasises logic or rationality, reasoning, how to understand logically because intuitively if you are understanding, there is no need for logic. But when you are incapable of understanding intuitively, you need logic to understand it correctly.

This is called Nyaya Prasthana. Now on all these three books, hundreds of commentaries have been written leading to contradictory schools of philosophy, views and that created further confusion. So the great teachers out of their compassion, all of them invariably have composed certain shorter works called Prakarana Granthas.

For example Vivekachudamani, Atmabodha, Vakya Vritti, Drigdhrishya Viveka and so many other things are there. Upadesa Sahasra etc. I am quoting because these are all Shankaracharya's works but of course Drigdhrishya Viveka is not Shankaracharya's work.

Some people consider it but most of them, they consider it is not his work. Now among these Prakarana Granthas, there are two types. One type is generally it treats the entire Vedanta subject in a very brief manner.

Example is Vivekachudamani, Upadesa Sahasra etc. But there are certain types of Prakarana Granthas which treat a particular subject elaborately. For example, some treat Tvam Padartha elaborately, some treat Tat Padartha elaborately, some treat Asi Padartha elaborately.

Now Vivekachudamani falls under that category which treats the entire Vedanta in a brief manner. But this Drigdhrishya Viveka for example treats Tvam Padartha more importantly than Tat Padartha or Asi Padartha. Tvam, importance is, emphasis is on Tvam.

See Tat, Tvam, Asi. Some treat all the three equally but this particular one treats Tvam Padartha. Its emphasis, so it is very useful.

Now every Prakarana Grantha, it avoids controversies completely. That is to say, it is meant for general public, it is meant easy of comprehension, though some of them make it so tough that you need hundreds of commentaries for it. They go on saying, for the easy understanding of people, by the grace of God I am starting this book.

And by that time they finish. We need the help of God. If Shankara didn't write it, who wrote this? Who? I will come to that.

I am coming to that. So this particular Prakarana Grantha is very short in a way. It contains only I think 45 or 46 shlokas.

And as I said, it treats Tvam Padartha and it also is very practical. Every Prakarana Grantha must be very practical. Not only it states this is the goal, but it also elaborates how one can reach that goal.

Every such book must treat three things. Tattva, Kurushartha and Hita. Tattva means what is the reality, what is the truth, what is the meaning of human life.

Kurushartha means why human beings should take to that goal. Be very conscious, very clear and make effort to reach it. Hita means how to reach.

So this is the goal and this is the reason why you should reach this goal and how to reach that goal. Tattva, Kurushartha and Hita. So every book treats it in that way.

So to make this point, what is called the teachers of these books, they have made very clear two points. One is called Anubandha Chatursthaya. Another is called Sadhana Chatursthaya.

What is the difference between Anubandha Chatursthaya and Sadhana Chatursthaya? So Anubandha Chatursthaya is meant for people, what is the subject matter and what is the connection with this book and what is the purpose, what is it that you want to achieve and who is fit, Adhikari, who is an Adhikari. And if he is an Adhikari, then what qualifications he should develop falls under Sadhana Chatursthaya Sampati. So in brief, these four plus four are common for all spiritual aspirants.

It is common for all scriptures, whether it is Christianity, Buddhism or anything, specifically what is it. So what is Anubandha Chatursthaya? First of all, what is the prayojana? Prayojana means why do you want to read this book? Not only reading, why do you want to sit at the feet of a teacher and why do you want to listen to him? So prayojana, that is the first thing that we have to sit before doing anything else. What is the prayojana, what do you want? Be very clear about what do you want.

Here in this case, there is only one goal. Trapatraya avidhata muktihi, liberation from threefold misery. Now miseries are of two types.

Misery is of two types. That is present experienced misery and future coming misery. So sometimes we may not be experiencing misery now.

If we are experiencing misery now, then we want to be free from it. Most of us fall under this category. But there are some more intelligent people and they want to be free not only from the present misery but also a misery which has not even made its appearance but which is sure to make its appearance later on.

Because that is the nature of the world. World means jagat. Jagat means that which is changing.

So today if I am not undergoing misery, soon it will change. This is the truth. If we don't understand it, through painful experience we will be made to understand it.

So what is the purpose? To get rid of misery. What is the way to get rid of misery? It will come later on. But if we are free from misery, then what is it that we are going to attain? A state which is free from misery.

But there could be a misunderstanding. There is a stone. So somebody is beating the stone.

So the stone, assuming it can tell that please do not beat me, somebody goes and stops. Thereafter what does it remain? How does it remain? A stone only. That is not the state we want.

What we want is complete happiness. Satyam, Gnanam, Anantam, Brahma. Now it is very interesting.

So Sachidananda is usually the word we use. Sat, Chit and Ananda. Asti, Bhati and Priyam is another expression.

Here Chandogya Upanishad says Satyam, Gnanam, Anantam. So Satyam and Gnanam, Sat and Chit, Asti and Bhati, exactly the same. But Anandam, instead of Anandam we use the word Anantam.

That is the more appropriate word. Why? Because what is Anandam? Usually we mistranslate it as happiness. But here bliss means Anantam.

Anantam means it is eternal. Eternal state is happiness. So that is the state we want to attain.

This is the Prayojana. Then what is the Sambandha, Vishaya? What is the Vishaya? My purpose is to attain to God. This book is teaching about chemistry.

What is the connection between chemistry and my goal? There is no relationship. So this book must have that subject matter which deals exclusively with spirituality. That is the Vishaya.

Vishaya means subject matter. So Sambandha, this is the Sambandha. This book teaches spirituality.

My purpose is spirituality, how to become spiritual. So this book takes me, helps me in being spiritual. That is the Sambandha, relationship.

Otherwise people can mistake and they want to meditate and they go on watching movies. What is the relationship between these two? There is no relationship. There should be a definite relationship between our Prayojana and Vishaya and Sambandha.

Even if all these three are wonderful, then who is the Adhikari? Adhikari is one who sincerely wishes to have that Prayojana. So what is the relationship? Prayojana is God, attaining God. And billions of human beings, they are not Adhikaris in that respect.

Means they are not interested in God. So they must be interested in God. These are called Anubandha Chatustaya, very preliminary relationships.

Is it clear? Whenever you have any problem, stop me and make it clear. Even if you take time, it doesn't matter. Now, Adhikari is the most important person.

So I have a desire, just like a medical student has a desire to study medicine and become a doctor. But he may have desire, but whether he is qualified. Desire is different, qualification is different.

So supposing there is a person who is blind, person who is lame, person who is unintelligent. He may have desire, in fact we all have desires. Only thing is we don't have qualifications.

This is the truth. If somebody says you just become the President of United States, no objection. Whether you have the qualification, we don't have even the negative qualification.

Not only the positive qualification, we don't have even the negative qualification. What is the negative qualification? The positive qualification is you must have the knowledge, you must have the policy, you must have firm determination and all that. What is the negative quality? There are arrows directed towards President Obama.

Why 100,000 police, CID, FBI try to protect him? Because if he just walks, how many minutes is he going to survive? But still he knows it, that my life is kaput. He knows it, but he has that courage. Inside he may be, everybody is afraid, nobody wants, but some people have that courage.

This is a risk I have to take. And they take. You may have the positive qualities, do you have the negative quality also? All qualities must be there.

So desire is wonderful, but once you have desire, that is the first step. What is the second step? You must acquire four qualifications. This is called Sadhana, Chitustaya Sampat.

What are these Sadhana, Chitustaya Sampat? Viveka. Then next is Vairagya. Third is Samadhamadi, Shat Sampat.

The last is intense desire, and that is a very important point we have to briefly discuss. We all have desire. What is the intensity of that desire? Do we have 100% desire, 50% desire, 10% desire, or 1% desire? See, that is very necessary.

So you know Sadhana, Chitustaya Sampat. That is most important. These two are common for the study of any scripture.

Any scripture. Not only spiritual scripture, but any scripture. Whether you want to be a chemist, want to be IT, want to be even a cook.

Even a cook must have these four qualities. Otherwise he will be cooking. He also cooks.

But whether people will be happy with his cooking or not, that is a different issue. So this is one of those beautiful books. So first briefly about the authorship.

A few people believe it has been written by Shankaracharya, and that is not supported by the issues. Some people, a few more people claim it has been written by Swami Vidyaranya. But most people believe it was Bharati Tirtha, one of the Shankaracharyas of the Sringeri Peetha, who was also supposed to be the guru of Vidyaranya Swami himself.

So most people believe. For our study, it is not really necessary who has written it. Whether it is a wonderful book, there is no controversy about it.

It is a most marvellous book. And it is very specialised. Even Vivekachudaman doesn't give certain points which he gives here.

Of that, the second part of it is the six types of Samadhi and meditation, which we will come to later on. And as I said, it is very short. Now about the title.

Drik Drishya Viveka. As I said, any scripture must be very practical, very useful in our day-to-day life. So this Drik Drishya Viveka need not be interpreted only in the highest spiritual sense of the real and unreal.

It can also be used in our day-to-day life. So what is Drik? Experiencer. What is Drishya? Whatever is experienced.

What is Viveka? The correct, right way of establishing relationship between these two. Now let me give you a small example. Suppose one day morning you want to go to office and you want to have breakfast and go to the office.

And for some reason, imagine, the breakfast has not turned out to be good. But you need to have breakfast. What type of attitude do you have towards that? So if you have the right attitude, then you will have no problem.

Okay, all that I need is some breakfast. It may not be tasty, but it is substantial. It is very good for my health.

And let me have it and go. If you have that type of attitude, then your day will start in a nice manner. It is just as an example.

Or you may be having some talk with somebody and it may not be very pleasant to talk. Should it ruin your whole life, whole day's life? So it depends, you know, we are ruining. Oh, whose face did I see early in the morning? Most often we see our own faces.

That's why Birbal and Akbar's story, you remember? Wonderful story. Did I not tell you? I think I told, but maybe. You know, one day Akbar, his sleep was broken in the morning.

It was summer, fresh. So it was still dark. So he said, I can't sleep now, let me have a walk in the garden.

So he went out and an old servant who was working in the garden for 40 years, more than 40 years, he was sweeping and clearing the garden. So that was the first face Akbar looked at. And then as he was walking, he stumbled, fell down and injured.

So immediately he remembered. The first face I saw was this gardener's. Chop off his head, he gave this advice.

Fortunately, the old man heard it, ran to Birbal and saved me. And Birbal, he said, don't worry, I will save you. Meanwhile, they were all searching.

So about 9.30, 10 o'clock, Akbar still fuming and he opened his Darbar. So Birbal enters with this old man. And Akbar became furious.

You are protecting this fellow? I wanted to chop off his head. Why did you do it? He said, before you decide to do anything, let us have a conversation. So why do you want to chop off his head? He said, first thing I saw is this fellow's face.

And then immediately I fell down, I got injured. Then what did you do? I ordered his head to be chopped off. What have you got to say? Akbar asked.

I said, this much only. He claimed, yours is the first face he saw. Now whose face is bad? Laughter Of course Akbar had no option but to help.

So, most often we see our own faces. But this attitude, how to take everything, every experience in our strength. That is where the Drishya is not in our control.

But Drik, we have a lot of control. We don't have control over the event, but we have a control. We can determine how we can view a thing in a better way.

This is called Vedanta scope. This is called Vedanta. How to see if it is a devotee? He says, whatever good or bad happens is God's will.

If it is a devotee. If he is a Karma Yogi, he says, whatever happens is the result of my own actions. If it is a Dhani, he says, it is my own doing.

He says, after all you know I am Brahman. So if something happens, whom else can you blame? Only one can blame oneself. So this is very important for us.

Why we can't be happier? Now this is a very important subject again. As we are now, we can be a million times happier than we are. With the present circumstances.

Imagine people in Africa, children. If in your childhood you were like that. Imagine children in South America.

I heard every day many, many children are killed, stabbed, raped and thrown in the gutters in South America. If we had been under those circumstances, and then if magically somebody transports us into this present situation, we would consider we are in heaven. We are already in heaven.

So many things which we are taking for granted every minute of our life. This is just like a super dream for so many millions of people in the world. And yet how unfortunate we are.

Our happiness or unhappiness is no better than their happiness or unhappiness. Most marvellous thing is this Maya. You know, one important factor is that our happiness doesn't depend upon what things we are getting, but how we take those things, interpret those things.

One simple example, Swami Bhajananandji gives. You know, a peasant sitting for his rough breakfast, maybe on a ragi roti, chapati made out of millet. And another person sitting in a seven-star hotel with caviar and other things.

Just imagine these two situations. A peasant, he is ravenously hungry. This fellow has to take a lot of appetisers before he can even swallow this.

Most of the time he is only swallowing. Even if both of them are hungry, is there any difference in the quantum of happiness this person gets and that person gets? So long as it is an experience of the mouth, it is exactly the same. So any experience we have of our five sense organs, it makes no difference whether it is a villager who is seeing an ordinary sight, whether a city person is exotically seeing, or whether President Obama is having.

I heard that some of these fellows, they have only this muslin breakfast. What difference is there if you are sitting in the White House and having muslin breakfast? Muslin or what do you call it? Cereal. And you are also sitting here and having first-class roti.

Whose happiness is better? Mine. So the point is, whatever experience we are having through the five sense organs, objectively it makes no difference. But if a saint is eating something, his happiness is inexpressible because he is eating prasadam.

If a happy person, a positive person is experiencing, his happiness is marvellous. But if a person is grumbling, grumpy and temperamental, short-tempered, worried and depressed person, he may be having, this is the point. It makes no difference, and worse.

So it doesn't make what we are experiencing. Everything depends upon who is experiencing it. It's very practical.

So we can be much happier people, but some of you are grumbling, oh I didn't get promotion, I could have done with some raise. And all those things. But imagine, millions of people who do not have any employment, who are not only suffering because of lack of money, but more importantly, they don't know how to spend their time properly.

They have experience, they have knowledge, but they don't have the opportunity to express themselves. How fortunate we are in so many ways. So that is where even Dhritarashtra Viveka can be of absolute importance.

But as I said, let us first analyse. Viveka means, what was the definition I gave? The highest type of attitude we can bring to any one of our experiences. And what is Drik? A seer, who is seeing or experiencing.

And what is Drishya? Whatever is experienced. Now what is important here? If there is Drik and Drishya. Let me give you a small example.

I am here, this sofa is here. I am the Drik. Now here Drik means, the literal translation is, a person who is seeing.

Now seeing doesn't mean related only to the eyes. Seeing means experiencing through any one of our sense organs, including the mind. Because mind interprets or interrupts, intermediate to its stance, and it imposes its own way of experiencing things.

The same thing. If I have a cataract, I have one way of looking at it. If I have short of hearing, it creates another type of... You know that, Mary? Hi, Mary, I love you.

You know, an old couple were sitting. Old man was reading and the old lady was sewing. Suddenly the man took into his head to express something.

So he shouted, Mary, I love you. She was very deaf. So she said, what? So went near, shouted louder, Mary, I love you.

He said, what? He went very near and shouted in her ear, Mary, I love you. She said, that is alright, I also don't love you. So what is the point here? When I am seeing, as an example, this book or this sofa.

This sofa is called Drishya. That is an experience. I am called the experiencer.

Now in these two, who is most important? Because the Drishya has no consciousness. And therefore it doesn't even know, let alone it doesn't know it is a Drik, it doesn't even know it is the Drishya. The Drik alone has complete control.

Without Drishya, Drik can remain. Without Drik, Drishya can never remain. So Drik is in charge of everything, the most important thing.

This is the first point. The second point is, there could be billions and billions of Drishyas. But how many Driks? Only one.

What it means is, when I say that this is the world, the whole world falls into the category of Drishya. And I, the conscious, intelligent experiencer alone is only one. We can understand this with regard to the whole universe.

But we cannot, and non-living things. But when it comes to living things, we have a confusion. What is the confusion? Say, I am seeing all of you sitting here.

But I am seeing this sofa, this carpet, this book, these windows. So I know, I am this ear, they are this ear. But when it comes to you, I am seeing you and you are also seeing me.

That confusion comes. So we have to be very clear that all of you also fall under that Drishya category only. Why? So only one criteria.

What is that criteria? Because, so you may be there, you may not be there. Even if you are not there, I am there. But if I am not there, you are not there at all.

Everything depends upon me. That means how I interpret you. So that is why Viveka, Drik Drishya is fine.

But Viveka, a special type of scope makes all the difference in my experience. So the next point we have to understand is, here is Drik, and if there is nothing else, no scope is necessary. Here is Drishya, there is no Drik.

No scope is not even thought, not necessary. It is not at all to be thought of. But when there is a Drik and a Drishya, then there must be some kind of scope.

So if it is microscope vision, then you will see even the smallest of the faults. If it is telescope, you will magnify even the smallest scope, blow it up into the biggest. So that will make a lot of difference, not to you, not to the Drishya.

You see, this is an important point. When I am looking in a particular way, it will never affect you, or I don't know how it will affect you. But it is going to affect me.

For my own good, I must have a right type of scope, understanding. That is where viveka is necessary. Viveka means the right type of developing a view, an attitude, an understanding.

Now what is the right type of understanding? When we say understanding, we have two views. When we say understanding, we have got two views. What is the view? One view is called misunderstanding.

Another is called right understanding. What is misunderstanding? Even though there is some nature of the Drishya, but I do not understand. It is my subjective understanding of the Drishya.

Poison, I consider poison as nectar. I can consider nectar as poison. It has nothing to do with the object.

It has everything to do with the subject only. It is my understanding. That is called misunderstanding.

What is right understanding? To know an object as it is, and not as I understand it, interpret it, experience it. Now the whole subject matter of Vedanta is that what you consider as an object, first of all, is not an object. It is nothing but subject.

Second, what you consider the object. Your object means you are making an unnecessary division. I am the subject and you are the object.

The undivided Akhanda is being made into Khanda. Subject, object, that is why it is called Maya. Thirdly, even if I divide it, if I can understand its true value, its true nature, then it would help me a lot.

But to understand it, it is completely different. This is the classical example. What is the classical example? There is a rope and here is me.

And if I see it as a snake, it is a wrong understanding on my part. But if I understand it as a rope, then at least I will be free from misery. But if I understand that rope as nothing but my own self or as God, then my... You see, three types of experiences.

Experiencing a rope as a snake produces only misery. Experiencing the rope as a rope may not produce happiness, but at least doesn't produce misery. But experiencing the rope as none other than Brahman, it produces Ananta Sukha, because seeing God.

So this is the Prayojana of this Viveka Buddhi. So, Drik and Drishya. How many Drishyas? It could be any number.

And how many Driks? Only one Drik. Now there is further point to be understood. Is there really a Drishya or is it because the Drik is himself looking into his own mirror and creating a lot of Drishyas? Is there a Drishya at all? Example given is, when you are dreaming, how many Drishyas are there? Is there any such Drishya? Who is creating it? We are creating it.

But at that time, if we are having this Drishya Viveka class, and if I happen to say that all this Drishya is completely your own stupid creation, would you believe it? Believe me. You will never believe it. You see, if we say that Ketankar and Nandini Banerjee, they are all what is called phantoms in the brain.

Phantoms in the brain. Would they believe it? They will say, ulta, you are having phantoms in your brain. But when you wake up, you will see all the Drishyas that he has seen.

Only your own imagination. That is the important point these scriptures are making. Vivekachudamani or Upanishads or everything.

Because if Brahman is one, where from the Drishya has come? Drik and Drishya has come. So, the first thing is not to misinterpret any Drishya. The second is to recognise a Drishya as it is.

And the last impediment is to understand a Drishya is none other than Drik only. So, this Drishya is divided into three categories. Jagrad Avastha, Swapna Avastha and Sushukti Avastha.

That is why Pituri Avastha or Drik, this year, he is imparting reality. That is a very important point at this stage we have to understand. Now, this is the waking state.

We call it waking state. So, is the waking state a reality or am I imparting reality to it? See, you are looking at me and you are experiencing me, is it not? Suppose you happen to doze off, what would be my fate as far as you are concerned? Kaput. Is it not? As far as you are concerned, the whole Drishyatra panchayat is gone.

Swami also, he is the first person to go. You know why? Because he was the person to cause it. One priest was giving a sermon.

So, an old woman came and sat with her grandson. And very soon, the old woman started snoring. So, the priest got annoyed for two reasons.

One reason is, she is sitting in the front row. Second reason is, he wants to be heard. But the old woman snored.

It was bigger than the fellow's sermon. Third is, you know, it is an insult. Even if you don't listen, you pretend to listen, he can tolerate it.

But frankly, she is going to sleep like that. So, he called her grandson, you, wake up your grandma. He said, no way.

You put her to sleep. You wake her up. It is your responsibility.

So, jagra davastha is our creation. How do we know? Because the moment we withdraw, giving reality to the jagra davastha. That means, by going to the swapna avastha, you have withdrawn that authority to make it real.

You are the real. A simple illustration to make this point clear. Imagine three rooms.

Completely in pitch darkness. There are many things. But if you look at any of the rooms, what do you see? Nothing.

But you take a torch and you put it in. You will see many things in that room. The moment you go to the next room, the first room remains pitch dark.

There may be things. That is not the point. Nobody can see them.

And if you come to the third room, the other two rooms become completely dark. What is the point? I am trying to make... The person who is carrying the torchlight, he alone makes those rooms come out alive, real, useful. Without that torchlight, the rooms themselves are completely dark, useless.

This is an example. So, when we go to the swapna avastha, both sushupti and jagrat avastha become unreal. Unreal means they do not even exist.

When we are in the jagrat avastha, the other two do not exist. When we are in the deep sleep, those other two do not exist. That means, what is the conclusion? We are giving reality to each one of those states.

And that means, those three states are the drishya, and we are the drig. Now, which of these three states are real? All of them are completely unreal, until I decide to give reality to them. Anything that I experience, I am giving reality to that object.

This is the simplest truth. Do you see? So, what is the practical result of this? Our happiness or unhappiness depends totally on ourselves. Is it a fiction? Is it brainwashing? Or is it a reality? What I am saying is true.

That's why, if a worldly person looks at the world, he gets one type of experience. If a scientist looks at the same world, he gets a totally different experience. If a saint looks at the same world, he experiences a completely totally different experience.

And depending upon what way we look, how much reality we give to these states, my happiness totally depends upon that viewpoint. So, how wonderful it is! If I want to be happy, what are we doing now? We are saying that you be real and let me experience it. What is this book saying? That you are unreal, let me experience it.

So, how is it? The example given again in Dakshinamurthy's Totra. Vishwam, Darpana, Drishyamana, Nagari, Tuliya. After bathing, whenever you go and sit in front of the mirror, who gives reality to that image? You know, you put Bhuttu, you will see Bhuttu.

You put something here like this, you see something there. The mirror, just it reflects. But if I don't smile, it will not smile.

You see? If I smile, then it smiles. Whatever I do, I give reality to that image. But I go on looking, this is looking very bad.

So, what should you do? Give a slap. Where? Not to the mirror, to oneself. Because the poor mirror, it is only reflecting what I am.

This example is a very good example. The whole world is nothing but a mirror. And how I decorate myself, how I appear myself, that's very important.

So, this is the practical usefulness of Drik Drishya Vijayaka. Do not think it is an Advaithic work. All these kinds of Advaithic works have got only one purpose.

How to make our life very useful and practical. Not only in spiritual field, but in every field. In every field.

Does it say so? Specifically, yes. It says, you know, Sadhana Chaitra Shastra Sampatthi. What does it say? If your health is bad, then your mood will be bad.

If your mood is bad, then your understanding will be incomplete. If your understanding is incomplete, your attitude will be wrong. If your attitude is wrong, then your interaction will be wrong.

If your interaction is wrong, your Sukha Dukha depends upon your interaction. All these follow step by step. So then, mind is another instrument.

So, body is like a mirror. Mind also is like a mirror. Instruments.

So, the more fit you make the instruments, even making the instrument fit, itself gives tremendous happiness. Let me give you an illustration. Supposing, you have a bicycle or a car.

It meets on their varieties, you know, from the less expensive bikes to very, very expensive bikes. On iPod, do you know how much it has gone on the internet? eBay? Seven million dollars. What? iPod.

Why? Who owned it? Somebody. I don't know who owned it. But that is the news.

So, what is seven million? The iPod inside is exactly the same. But the outside is covered with 24 karat gold and very precious diamonds and all those things. The buttons and all those things is, you know, like mirror.

Ambani's house mirror, have you ever seen? Don't go and see it. Because even if Ambani's mirror also, you will appear in that mirror. Outside is covered with lot of gold, diamonds, buttons, the handles and all those things will be there.

So, you see, what is the point? It's a mirror. It's a very good example. So, our body, every instrument is a mirror.

Imagine, you have an ordinary bike or ordinary car. And if it is made, what is called, MOT fit, everything, the pressure, tyre pressure, everything is fine. To that extent, your travel will be comfortable.

So, this is an example. But suppose you buy a very high, costly car with more luxury. It can run speedily.

It has more controls, more gadgets, etc. Then it might increase your comfort a little more. But so far as that can give it, I am not talking about the mind.

So far that instrument is defective, then it will make you immediately uncomfortable. That is, every external object is like that instrument. But the person who is inside, he has another instrument.

What is it? The mind. So, if the mind is also made normally healthy, then it will at least avoid misery, even if it doesn't give. One example given is, to understand properly, suppose you work very hard and you get very hungry.

Then you can enjoy even ordinary food also very nicely. In that way, if your mind is not very highly developed, but it doesn't have these negative things, like worrying and misinterpreting, finding faults, etc. You may not get higher happiness, but you won't get at least misery.

And you know how much happiness we can get. You can imagine through your experience. One day, your normal day, suppose you are working in an office, and suppose you have what is called a bad boss and bad colleagues.

Every day they are trying to make your life very hard. Imagine. Imagine, one day, all of them worked very normally.

They have not praised you, but they have also not unnecessarily created any problem. That day, how much enjoy happiness you experience. See, that much happiness we can experience, if our mind is made to work normally.

But if you want extra happiness, then you must make it go higher and higher way of looking at things. So both body and mind, how to make them fit? And that is in a way the very first step. Yama and Niyama, Asana, Pranayama.

Until this. And even Pratyahara. You can say even Pratyahara.

You can say even Dharana. Until that. So that is why Sadhana Chaitustraya is very, very important, not only for spiritual progress, but even to enjoy life, normal life, properly.

It is very important. So with this very brief introduction... Let us... So the first few shlokas, five shlokas, the first thing what it does is, that there are three Seers. There are three Seers, three Bricks.

And there are how many Brishyams? Brishyams? One absolute Brick, one absolute Brishyam, and two combination of both Brick and Brishyam. Three Seers. It will be clear when we... I will briefly tell about it.

Three types of Seers. Yes. Out of these, one Seer is an absolute Seer, one seen Brishyam is absolute Brishyam, but two in between are both Seers and also seen.

Now, before you make further notes, let me briefly explain this. So the author Bharati Devta brings these three Seers. The first Seer is the sense organs, the second Seer is the mind, the third Seer is the Sakshi.

So the world is the Drishya, and the Drishya or experience is experienced by whom? First Seer is the sense organs. The eye, not this eye, this is a Golaka. We are talking about Indriya and Sukshma.

Never forget that. Whenever you use the word eye, never identify with this eye. This is called... it's like a camera lens.

That's not important. But inside this, there is an intelligent agent who is called Indriya. That's why they are also called Devas.

So this eye is the Master Seer and the word is the seen. Without this Indriya, even the Sakshi cannot see the world because there is no world if there is no Indriya. You must remember that.

Even though it is God, God cannot see anything if He doesn't have the sense organs. So when you see through the eye, what do you see? Colours. So if somebody is blind, he has got the same Sakshi.

Can he see colours? He can never see colours. It is not possible for him to see the colours. Not because the colours are not there, but because the instrument is not there.

So this is the first, the world is the Drishya and the sense organ is the Rik. The second is, the sense organ becomes Drishya for the mind. So the mind is the Drik and the sense organs are the Drishyas.

So the sense organs are both Drik and also Drishya. The world is only Drishya. It doesn't see anything else.

So the sense organ is both Drik and Drishya. Now the mind is the Drik of the sense organs and the sense organs are the Drishya for the mind. Now the mind in its turn becomes Drishya for the Sakshi.

Not intellect, Sakshi. Sakshi. And Sakshi becomes the Drik.

Now Drik is the Drik for seeing the mind and Drik is the Drishya. For whom? Sakshi is Drishya for whom? Sakshi. So there is no one else, nothing else besides Sakshi.

That's why Sakshi is the absolute seer. World is the absolute seen. It is not Drik for anything else.

But in between the sense organs and the mind are both a combination. They are also Driks, they are also Drishyas. So at any one point, the sense organs can either be Drik or be Drishya but they cannot be both.

Yes, at the same time. They are both Drik and Drishya. Because when they are looking, you are looking at the sofa and I am looking at you at the same moment as you are looking at it.

So you become the Drik, so far as it is concerned. You become a Drishya, so far as I am looking at you. Because these are two separate things, the time-space conflict doesn't arise.

You see? We make this problem because you cannot at the same time, so you can be here and you can't be there at the same time. But so far as you are looking at there, you are the Drik, but so far as I am looking at you, you are the Drishya. In that way, it is possible.

But even for that same sense organ, it is not possible to be both Drik and Drishya for itself. Somebody else can make it Drishya, but it cannot be at the same time Drik and Drishya at the same time. That's not possible.

So this is a wonderful book in that sense, there are three Driks. Why is it necessary for us to have three? It's division. Because if something is absolute seer, it has absolute control.

If something is both Drik and Drishya, its control is on a shaky ground. The unshakeable theory of such a person is on a very shaky ground. You see the point? So how is it very practical? This is a very important thing for us to study.

When you are looking at something and you are interpreting in a particular way, then if you remember this, you are both the Drik and the Drishya, then it means you as a Drik has a control over the Drishya. But if you identify yourself with the Drishya, then you become a slave to the Drishya, and Drishya will take over you. But if you remember, I am the master, I can see something as I like to see it.

This is the prerogative of saints. The saint says that you may be a Rakshasa, but I look upon you as God himself. Then I won't suffer.

Immediately the stupid question comes, what if the Rakshasa tries to kill you? You are talking from the Rakshasa's point of view, not from the saint's point of view. The saint thinks the Rakshasa is lovingly expressing itself to him. And so long as he is happy, what is your headache? This is the point.

Any incident that happens to a saint, he interprets it in the best possible way. This is Divine Mother's way. It must be very good for me.

So I think it is quite a good introduction. If any questions are there, I will deal with them. Once the introduction is over, we can proceed very quickly.

Once the foreground is prepared, you know what to expect. Then we can progress quite fast. Don't think that if I go on talking like this, then how many shlokas are we going to end up with? You are always thinking, will he complete or not? What does it matter? What does it matter? Right understanding even one shloka is much more important than trying to go through fast and then say, I have completed this, this, this.

Somebody says, no, you didn't complete it, and you get very angry. What did you learn? Very practical. But once you understand the background, see the idea you get, then the rest is only an elaboration, expression.

If you get the idea right, then you understand what he is going to tell very, very clearly, you can understand. In this whole book, this is not a difficult point. But the six types of samadhis are slightly, but not really not very difficult.

I will give you some examples so that you can understand it very clearly. And then you can read it yourself, the shlokas, and then you will be able to understand it. You don't even need to go through the Sanskrit, because Sanskrit can create, what is the meaning of this word, what is the meaning of that word? Six kinds of samadhi, what are they? Very crystal clear division, Savikalpa, Nirvikalpa, Antarika, Vahika, Shabdan Vidha, Drishyan Vidha, Nirvikalpa.

That is it, both apply to internal and external. Two into three, six. When Raja Maharaj said that spirituality starts from Nirvikalpa, after Nirvikalpa samadhi, was he actually referring to this inner and outer Nirvikalpa samadhi? No, what he is telling is, what is first of all, spiritual life.

If you understand that word properly, then it is very easy to understand his statement. What is spiritual life? Seeing God everywhere. Who can see God everywhere? Only a person.

Yes, you are right. Only God can see God. So, what is Nirvikalpa samadhi? To know that I am God.

Once you attain that state, then you see everything as God. Until that time you are having faith, you are believing, scriptures tell everything is God, so I must look upon everything as God. So, you are not trying, so that is helpful.

Until you have an actual experience, actually no knowledge ever comes until you experience, even in the ordinary world also. When will you know this is milk? Only after you taste it. Even if you taste one drop, after that nobody can take away that knowledge of milk from you for eternity.

Even if you never get any type of milk. That's why Upamanyu, you know, the story of Upamanyu. Upamanyu Muni kare tapasya dodha samudra vada vayu So, he was the son of a very poor Brahmin.

And he was so poor, that even the poorest poor in those days, had at least one cow. He didn't have any cow at all. Everybody was talking, his friends or colleagues were talking, he had an iPod, he had some other pod, and only I don't have anything.

You know, all children, they shut their parents' mouth, they want anything, you know, this friend has that, that friend has that, everybody has some pod, only I don't have any pod. The parents have nothing to say about it. So, until 13 years, I thought my parents' name was shut up.

Because until 13 years, he goes on telling, my friends have these friends, if they say no, no, no, no, shut up. Leave me, that's all. So, Upamanyu, his mother used to mix rice with water, and it used to become pale, white.

She used to say, this is milk you drink. He was very happy, because he thought that was milk. Then one day he was invited for a feast, and that day he got real milk.

Then he came home and said, you have never been given real milk? Then the mother fell into tears. She said, my son, it's not that we don't want to give you, we don't have. There's no way we can get any cow.

And I want milk, because after tasting milk, he never wants to go back to the old rice water. So, mother says, go and pray to Lord Shiva. He alone can fulfil your desire.

So, he went and prayed to Lord Shiva, and he gave him not only one glass of milk, he gave him a whole ocean of milk. You can be swimming in it. This is the story of Upamanyu.

So, the point is, until we experience something ourselves, intellectual knowledge will be only information. But once we experience, that is real knowledge. So, the same thing applies to spiritual life also.

Until we have some experience, you only go on thinking, this is God, that is God. It is on a very, very shaky ground. But if you have one experience, then you know for certain.

At least you know the possibilities of that. That is why Hinduism places so much importance on direct experience. Because once you have that experience, then nobody can shake you.

But until you can be shaken, any number of times. So, that is why Brahmanandaji said, until you experience Nirvikalpa Samadhi, why Nirvikalpa Samadhi? What about Savikalpa Samadhi? Because Savikalpa Samadhi is also your own imagination. You see, any object is whose imagination.

That is why image and imagination fall into the same world. An image is nothing but imagination. So, anything, a tree is my imagination.

Is it my imagination? Or is it reality? This fundamental law of psychology, we always forget. You don't know what is there. But its image is falling in our mind.

When that image falls into the mirror of my mind, it becomes imagination. I imagine it is called a tree. It looks like this.

Why do I say it is a tree? Because I see this object, say this is a human being. I have to distinguish, isn't it? So, I make different names. Let me give the name human being to this image.

Let me give another name to this image called tree. Let me say this is between two trees. This is a tall tree.

This is a small tree. This is a green tree. This is a red tree.

All these names, in our imagination only, we are giving. You see the point? So, this is nothing to do again with scriptures or anything. This is science, pure science.

We don't know what is the outside. We only know what falls on our mind. There are billions of microbes roaming here.

Do you see them? Because they are not in the range of our sense organs. Whatever falls within the range, that only we imagine. Imagination, imaging the mind.

Does it image exactly as it falls? Even from the most physiological point of view, it is very interesting. What is physiological point of view? Here is a tree that falls into these two eyes. Where does this right eye's image go? Into the left side.

What is the left image goes? Into the right eye. The tree is standing upright. And here the tree is standing? Upside down.

Inverted. Not only inverted. The image is upside down.

Now it is the brain which is resolving. This makes it upright. Makes it one instead of two.

Makes it the left and the right coordinates. It does so much of this video editing before it presents itself to your mind. I am not talking about spirituality.

I am talking about pure physiology. Is it not a fact? This itself is so complicated. Just imagine.

If you are a scientist, you will learn all those things. Even your camera, how does it see? It is exactly everything. That is why the negative will be... So what you have to do? To make it positive.

Spirituality is to make everything positive. See, how interesting, wonderful. So, we don't know what is outside.

We only know what falls. That is why everything is an imagination. That is why even if you think of God, it is only an image, an imagination.

But this imagination is based upon scriptural direction. What is the purpose? The purpose is that you take this image as a help. Not as reality.

As a pointer. That is why it is called a symbol. You must never forget that.

Any idol, any thought is nothing but a pointer. The reality is... Never mistake it. But it doesn't mean these things are wrong.

It means they are not reality, but they are pointers to the reality. And that is what we need. We need correction.

Go this way. Think of God this way. Develop these qualities.

God has no qualities. God is Nirguna, Nirvisesha, Nishtriya. Don't you see? Khandana, Bhavavandana, Jagavandana, Vanditum, Tiranjana, Naralukodara, Nirguna, Gunamaya.

So, He is both. He is not both. Even if you cannot talk, He is Saguna or He is Nirguna.

He is Akara, He is Nira. These are all imaginations in the brain. You have to go beyond to the reality.

Let it not be an imagination in the brain. So, this is brain, you know. Brain means better brain.

This is brain. One fellow, one old woman, went to a shop for shopping. Now, the owner of that shop gave strict instructions.

Never, never say to anybody, we don't have this thing. You say, if it is not there, we ordered it. We are expecting it within 2-3 days.

So, one day he went, you know that, one day he went there and he saw this assistant telling madam, no, we don't have that and we don't think we expect it anytime soon. The owner got wild. He pushed aside the assistant and said, no madam, we just ordered it.

We are expecting it within 2-3 days. And then the old woman looked blank at him and went away. After that, he asked her, what was the woman wanting? She said, she was asking about rain.

She was asking about rain. Our whole life is how we imagine. If it is Guru image, then everything appears in the image.

If it is God image, it appears in the Godly way. How we make a mould. Everything falls within that mould.

That is called experiencing God in every way. Gopalarma, what was she seeing? Why her brain was moulded into the image of Gopal? So whatever was falling into that mould, it was only appearing as Gopal. This is the simple truth.

Holy Mother's brain is moulded into motherliness. So whatever is falling into her brain, she thinks, I am her mother. This is very wonderful.

Experiment is going on. Even to see those experiments is to progress in spiritual life. So one man was experimenting.

Because most of the chicks, the first time what they see, they consider as their mother. So what this fellow, he was making, I think what is that, wild turkey. Turkey, you saw that? Many people are making this experiment.

Turkeys, you know. He was hatching the eggs. He collected the eggs.

And then like a mom, twice daily he was moving it from upside to downside like that and maintaining correct temperature. One of the things he wanted to prove is, the first time the chick looks at him, she will mistake. She will think, this is my mom.

Babies also, that's what they do. Whomsoever they look, whatever they hear, this is my mom. So he was practically showing it to us on the film, how slowly it hatched, it came out.

And he was also sitting there staring at it. And then immediately she flew into his hands. Because it is instinct for them, if it is its own mother, they will fly into it.

So here it is a human being. And actually he was also behaving like a mother only. And he was very charismatic.

He was not there to kill them. He was there to experiment and see. He was looking after them a thousand times better than his own mom.

He was a veterinary doctor. He was an entertainer. And he was a caretaker.

He was a walker, means they would sit on his shoulders and he would be walking there. All these roles rolled into one. So how this nature itself, we trust, that is how, whoever our eyes fall, love at first sight.

Only hindsight. Why was I married by a judge? I should have been a Jew. One last question.

So if we are all seeking happiness, we all want to be happy, so why is it that we see the negative in whatever we are going through or what situation we are placed in? See, there are two explanations to it. One explanation is that Maya, the origin, how and when it started, because in the beginning only God was there. Then the creation itself is because of Maya.

Within Maya itself these variations are there. So that is the original cause. The secondary, that has to be accepted on faith.

Because we can never probe and come to this is the beginning. But the next best is that everything depends upon our mind. One man has written a beautiful book.

It is called Gold Fish and Shark. You have heard of that? It's a beautiful story. Who stole my cheese? Who moved my cheese? So it is a book like that.

So what happened? There was a boy. Oh, you have? These people, they don't have, you know. It's a storybook.

A man who had lost his job and then how he sat down and said, OK, the job is not there, how do I make my life now? Essentially, that is the essence of it. So he became an advisor. Like, you know, a failed marriage man, he becomes a marriage counsellor.

So this man became an advisor for many companies. So he made up one story and it became very popular. It came out in the form of a book.

Essentially, what happened, there was a boy. He had a beautiful gold fish in a bowl. It was very happy.

He was feeding it regularly. One day he takes it to the shore, seashore, so that he can both play in the sea and also have his favourite pet. So what happens, suddenly a huge wave comes and then takes away the whole bowl.

The gold fish was thrown suddenly into the salty sea. Now the gold fish started becoming hungry because every day this boy used to feed it dainty dishes and all that, lovingly protecting. Now he did not know how to hunt.

Suddenly a shark comes. A shark. And it looks at this gold fish.

And then it is a good kind of shark. Just to make it, you know, it has an idea. People have a very bad idea about me.

Let me now show a good side that I have also got a good side. The story is beautiful, simply beautiful. So it says, buddy, come here.

I will teach you. So what have you got? Oh, I am going to die. Yes, anyway, before dying, you can learn something.

There is a miserable way of dying. There is a happy way of dying. At least I can teach you.

Happy way of dying. So he takes it. What is it? Oh, see, the thing is, you must become a philosopher.

That means you must find out. Life is all about philosophy. So first of all, you do your best to find your food, to protect yourself, whatever you can.

And after that, whatever comes, you sit and stay. Okay, this is the situation. So what does it teach me? What best can I do? What opportunities presents? What new meaning can I derive? All these things you can learn.

So it gives some good sermon and says, look here, I have an urgent work. I am going. By that time, the goldfish had learned.

What did it learn? Only to question itself and say, do I want to be a goldfish, remain a goldfish, or do I want to become a shark? What does the shark do? It finds its own food. It hunts and it has to look after itself. This is the essence of the whole book.

Ultimately, the question this man wants to convey is, each one of us has to ask, do I want to remain a goldfish? Or then goldfish, you know, after that old fish. Or do I want to become a shark? This, in a way, is a good lesson for us to learn. So this Drikdrishe Viveka also is exactly the same thing.

It tells that we want to remain miserable. Or how to get happiness? Usual understanding of the goldfish. You know, somebody feeds me.

Everything should be very nice. And then only I will sit and hear this Drikdrishe Viveka lessons. No, the other way is, whatever be the situation, what shall I do? What has this got to teach? Do I depend upon, or do I depend upon my own self? This is the lesson, ultimately, Vinanta wants to teach.

So, Mataji, you are saying the first one is the positive mind. Second is our own circumstances. That is the law of cause and effect.

So, how we, ourselves, can change our fate within our limit. So that much we can do. But the rest, Mahamaya, for that a different lesson.

For that only, Sharanagata Dhyanath Paritranaparayude Sarvasyaarthi Hari Devi Narayani Namaskar For that, there is no remedy. But for whatever is within our means, Mahamaya is not going to come. She has already provided the means for us.

That is the important lesson. Essentially, the whole life is rediscovery of one's own self. It is almost like we want to be miserable.

So, even if it's not there, sometimes it's... No, that is not correct. No one wants to be miserable. But then why do we create that? That is because of two reasons.

The same. Originally, it is because of Mahamaya. Secondly, it is because of the habits we developed ourselves.

Correct. That's it. So, habits can be changed by ourselves with some effort.

But the original Mahamaya will never go until mother herself removes herself. But if we do our part, she will do her part.