Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna Lecture 043 on 14-September-2021

Full Transcript(Not Corrected)

OM JANANIM SHARADAM DEVIM RAMAKRISHNAM JAGAD KURUM PADAPADMETAYO SRIDHVA PRANAMAMI MUHUR MUHUR So in our last class, we have been discussing about Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. Many people widely believe that Sri Ramakrishna is a reincarnation of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. Though he himself mentioned that he who was born as Rama, he who was born as Krishna is reborn. But Sri Krishna, Sri Rama were reborn as Chaitanya. And why do we specially consider? Because Chaitanya Mahaprabhu's main philosophy is by chanting the divine name, one can attain both prayas as well as shreyas. That is the very teaching of Sri Ramakrishna also. Like a small child, whatever you want, you just go to run to your mother, sit in her lap, and request and everything will be granted unto you but with one caveat. The mother knows best what is good for the child and so she will give at the appropriate time, appropriate quantity, appropriate quality. How come? Sri Ramakrishna gives the example that when a mother cooks fish for a small baby, it is only the jhol, watery soup. For a little bit more grown, it is a little bit thicker soup. But fully grown, all the spices, etc., she will give. This is the absolute truth. That means we have to be ready for the right grace of God. Anyway, in our last class, we have been talking about that many people want to take God's name. There is absolutely no doubt about it. But there are certain rules to be followed if the name has to become much more effective. Just like when a person is sick, he goes to the doctor and the doctor gives him, not only he diagnoses and then gives him the right medicine, but along with that, plenty of rules and regulations, what to accept, what to reject, diet, exercise, etc., etc. Then only the medicine becomes most effective. Otherwise, it may take a long time or it may not cure at all. So in my last class, I have mentioned about it. Even to take God's name, certain rules are laid down by no less than Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. His only well-known work is eight stanzas of instruction on how to have faith and take God's name. That stotram is called Siksha Astakam. Astakam means composed of eight verses. Siksha means instruction manual. For every devotee, devotion is the machine he gives and the instruction manual, how that devotional machine has to be used even in the way of taking God's name. So let us, I have selected only a few out of them to explore their meaning. The very, very first verse. So glory, the greatest glory to the Shri Krishna Nama Sankirtana. Why should it be glorified? What is its glory? What is its power? Cheto Darpana Marjanam. It is the greatest cleanser, serve powder or whatever you call it, Chetaha, a mind. Mind is very often, in every form of philosophical thought, is described as a mirror. And our face also is, many times they say it mirrors the entire personality. This pure consciousness, when it falls upon the mirror of the mind, then that mind reflects, according to its capacity, a tiny bit of that. In a wriggling worm, that consciousness is just a small spark. In a human being, it is much greater. In an advanced spiritual sadhaka, far greater. In a realized soul, a saint, it is 100%. So even though there is no change in the consciousness, but the reflection of the consciousness, the medium through which it comes, that makes all the difference between one human being and another human being. So Chetaha, this mind is considered as Darpanam, a mirror. And what does the name of God do? Marjanam. It cleanses. All the impurities will be totally cleansed if we use the name of God. And then the name of God itself will shine itself as if it stands in front of the mirror of our mind. What stands? The name of God. And it goes on cleaning it. Until it is satisfied, I am reflected 100%. Is that all? No. What happens when this happens? When the mind becomes pure, Bhava means Samsara. Maha Dava Agni Nirvapanam. It completely quenches. What does it quench? The greatest fire is the Pralaya Agni, Maha Pralaya Agni. This Samsara is like a terribly burning fire. It is like a great forest is burning. You can see sometimes in the nature documentaries, all the animals are trying desperately. One of the greatest things that we can observe and wonder at is that there is no enmity between any animals there. Because the first law of life is life. I want to live. So whether it is an elephant or a small mice or every even naturally born enemies, they all rush, how can I save myself? So Bhava Maha Dava Agni Nirvapanam. That means it grants Mukti or it transforms the entire Samsara into a great Leela, a great Nataka. Then Shreyaha Kairava Chandrika Vitaranam. If we are living in the southern hemisphere and the sun is burning and it is intolerably hot, sometimes it can reach 100 degrees. But as soon as the night comes, the sunlight is obscured and beautiful moonlight comes and it cools. And upon whomsoever that moonlight falls and then a beautiful southern breeze, cooling, fragrant blows. All these effects are brought by the power of the moon. The power of the moon is praised in our Ayurveda as one of the greatest. All the what is called curative powers of all plants is heightened only during the night, only because of the moonlit night. So Shreyaha. Now what is it this moonlight does? It completely destroys the Bhava Maha Dava Agni and it bestows upon the chanter of this Bhagawan's name, any name of the Bhagawan, Shreyaha. In Vedantic literature, Shreyaha stands complete opposite of Preya. Preya means this worldly life. Shreyaha means spiritual life. So when Naciketa was given the choice, then Yamadharma Raja says, you are a very intelligent student, you chose the Shreyo Marga. Yamadharma Raja tested Naciketa. Whatever you want, what were the things he offered? What can anybody offer? What can God offer to a human being? All the objects, whichever five sense organs can enjoy, not one less, not one more, five sense organs. We want to see beautiful things, want to hear beautiful things, want to smell, want to taste, want to touch, only Shabda, Smarsha, Rupa, Rasa, Gandha, and they are all extremely pleasure-giving. And Naciketa, he had gone through all these things in his previous births. So at this time, the mind of the sadhaka had become only mad after inquiry about God. So Artha Bhakti is over, Artha Arthi Bhakti is over. Now Jignesu Bhakta has come. So he said, keep all these things. Naciketa's typical reply was, keep all these things to yourself because these are all very temporary. Not only that, they will not give the same happiness. So after eating full meal, even first class sweets, if anybody offers you more, you feel like beating that fellow because too much satiety brings the opposite effect. So Shreyaha, it bestows upon the person highest spiritual knowledge, that is called Shreyaha. Kairava Chindrika Aavitharanam, like the beautiful cooling rays of the moon, the chanting of God's name will bring, it completely quenches the samsara, worldliness, brings in divine devotion, divine knowledge, divine discrimination, divine dispassion, divine control of the mind, everything. How? Vidya Vadhu Jeevanam. This name of God is the very life, life of just like a chaste wife. She only wants to do the highest good for her beloved, her husband, her lover, beloved one. So Vadhu is coming. Every spiritual aspirant is considered as a Vadhu. That is why instead of saying Vadhu, in the Bhagavatam, we get the name Gopi. Who is a Gopi? Not any girl born in the family of some cow grazing householder. Gopi means they are the highest Rishis, highly developed souls. When they beheld the greatness of Rama, immediately they begged for Him. We want only this. We don't want anything else. So I am reminded of a beautiful story. I will share it with you, even though I have shared it with you quite a number of times. So this power of the glory of the name of God is Vidya. So Vidya means knowledge. So knowledge is compared to a very chaste woman, just as for a chaste woman, her beloved is the greatest. So like that for the knowledge, the beloved of knowledge is love, love for God. So knowledge must always bring only love of God. And that knowledge which will not bring Vidya Dadhati Vinayam. Vinayam means humility. Humility is a spiritual quality of seeing God's greatness in every being. And even if I have some greatness, I understand by God's grace it belongs to God. It doesn't belong to me at all. The highest humility is that whatever I possess, whether it is physically or intellectually or emotionally or aesthetically or morally, everything belongs only to God. That knowledge is called humility. And the same humility, whenever we see the same qualities in others also, instantaneously we see, Oh! God is manifest in this person or in this object much more than other objects. So it reminds them of God. This is called true knowledge. And for that kind of knowledge, the name of God is the very life without that God's name, it is impossible for us to get right knowledge. In other words, the glory of name is it bestows the highest right knowledge upon the oratory. Ananda Ambudhi Vardhanam, it increases the bliss of the chanter. How? Ananda Ambudhi Vardhanam. Ananda, bliss. Ambudhi means ocean. How much happiness does the name give? Not little, just like an ocean. Ocean is immeasurable. Ocean is almost infinite and it never comes to an end. Even if there are ebbs, it doesn't matter. That means whatever happens in life, the chanter of the name of God, beloved name of the God, he will only experience tremendous amount of happiness, whatever be the external situation, bodily situation, mental situation in life. So Ananda is compared to an ocean, an ocean of bliss, Vardhanam. Vardhanam means once a person gets, he gets this ocean of bliss. Thereafter what happens? It goes on increasing. An ordinary ocean, it remains the same, neither becomes less nor becomes more. But this ocean of God's bliss, it goes on increasing when Pratikshanam Vardhamanam. Every moment, that is what Narada Bhakti Sutra we get, Pratikshanam Vardhamanam. Every second, the intoxication of the bliss goes on increasing and Pratipadam Poorna Amruta Aswadhanam. Pratipadam, that every changing second, every step, Poorna Amruta Aswadhanam. The drinking, the waning of the Amruta, the nectar of Poornathwam, that infinity, is experienced by the devotee and Sarvaatma Snapanam. Snapanam means bathing. So when you are tired, when sweat is pouring over, when it is terribly hot outside, for whatever reason you are tired, enter into the bathroom and start taking a cold bath. You will see your whole body, your mind. And I make fun, you know, even the varastu type of singers singing, it sounds very beautiful when he is taking bath because the man is so happy, he is so much quenched with that satisfaction. He goes on, the song comes from the very heart. Sarvaatma Snapanam Param, this is the supreme glory of the divine name. Vijayate, it, glory be unto it, it always is the conqueror, winner. What? Sri Krishna Sankirtanam. And that is why the modern Krishna sect, Hari Rama sect, its most emphasis is in Harinama Sankirtanam. And that is what Sri Ramakrishna had also preached in this Kali Yuga, when people's mind is completely fixed upon what is called eating, drinking, is completely body conscious, the only rescuer is the divine name. And that is the easiest path for everybody. So now I will, I promised you to give you that beautiful, the glory of taking God's name or enjoying the Leela of God. There was a disciple of Sri Ramakrishna, his name was Swami Akhandananda. Once he was suffering from terrible amount of sickness, fever, and he was suffering really from it. And he was a great Vedantin. He started discriminating according to the Gnanamarga. So like Mano buddhi ahankara, I am not neither the mind, nor the chitta, nor the ahankara, nor the buddhi, nor the sense organs, nor the body. So he's telling, I am not the external world. I am not the five sense organs. I am not the body. And as he was saying this, his consciousness was getting detached from those particular identifications. And he was entering slowly into what we call that state of Samadhi. And he was experiencing bliss. Suddenly his eyes fell on a figure of Sri Ramakrishna standing with a blue bordered dhoti, that is wearing cloth, upon his right shoulder. Sri Ramakrishna was smiling. Seeing Sri Ramakrishna, this event happened many years after Sri Ramakrishna passed away. Seeing this vision of Sri Ramakrishna, Akhandanandaji just jumped up from his bed. He wanted to fall at the feet of Sri Ramakrishna. I don't know whether he was able to jump up. He wanted to jump up. But Sri Ramakrishna by a sign indicated, look at that. And then the gaze of Swami Akhandananda, it turned towards that. And he beheld another most marvellous vision. What was he seeing? That he was seeing this Bala Gopala, child Krishna, just six months old and mother Yashoda. She was in the mood of Sarva Jagan Matritvam, all the motherliness of the entire world, as it were condensed into the form of this Yashoda. And she took a fresh ball of butter and she wants this for beloved Gopala. Gopala always means child Krishna. So he was, so she was advancing. She was a pretty big figure and she was also a little bit elderly and she was a little bit out of breath, as it were. But her entire concentration was on the Gopala and she was advancing. That mischievous fellow, he wanted to play to increase the joy of his mother. What was he doing? That he looked at her face, understood what she wants to do and then quickly started crawling away from her. And she was trying to catch up with him and now and then while crawling away from her, he was looking back, turning his neck at her. And then when Gopala was distancing himself from her, all the sorrow of the world became condensed, as it were, and she was suffering tremendously. Then Gopala saw mother was suffering. Then immediately he turned back, started crawling towards her and immediately all the highest joy of the world became condensed, as it were, into her, particularly her grishti, her seeing her Gopala coming towards her and her face was lit up with Brahmananda, this mischievous fellow's sight. And immediately he turned back and started crawling away. And immediately all the condensed sorrow occupied her face. And he saw and immediately he turned. So he was coming near, making her happy and crawling away from her, making her most unhappy. This play was going on and completely absorbed. Swami Akhandananda was able to see it. And then after a few minutes of this enjoyment, Ramakrishna turned to Akhandananda and said, Kire, Itakamon, my boy, how is this? How is this means what? Previously you were trying to say, I am not the world, I am not the body, I am not the sense organs, I am not the mind. You are withdrawing and you are getting some joy compared to this joy. Is there any comparison to that joy which you are getting? Which do you want? Immediately Akhandananda Maharaj jumped at the feet of Ramakrishna and said, Prabhu, I never want that, that manomarga. I want only this. This was the incident that this is what every devotee, this is the joy when a devotee is fully focused upon chanting the name of the divine, his mind is filled with that tremendous amount of joy. But when he happens to forget or when his mind strays away from the thought of God, immediately all the sorrow, as it were, he is made to undergo, to suffer. So that is called this viraha and milana in Vaishnava literature. These two words, that is separation and union, they are the highest mystical words and we can never understand, no worldly person can ever understand what is the meaning of this viraha, what is the meaning of this union. But viraha is necessary to make the drama full, to make the joy full, just as when a person is 150% hungry, his enjoyment of what his mother has given will be doubled or tripled, rather than when he was just hungry. So this is how the name of God brings, so many benefits are there. It cleanses the mind, it completely quenches the fire of the samsara, it brings the highest moksha and it cools down the entire body, it produces the right knowledge and it increases the ocean of joy and every single second, every step, this man is, as it were, drinking the immortal nectar and sarvatma snapanam, his whole body, mind, everything becomes cooled down by the Sankirtana of Shri Krishna, such a Nama Sankirtana, being glorified by the grace of God. Nama Sankirtana, the glory of God. Now there are fanatics, Krishna alone can save the world, Narayana alone can save the world or Shiva alone can save the world, Allah alone can save the world or God in heaven, Father, He alone can save the world. Everybody has been quarrelling instead of enjoying. Here is something, beautiful psychology, a quarrelling person cannot enjoy, an enjoying person can never quarrel. Observe yourself, suppose you are very angry with somebody, then some news comes, I'm just joking with you, you have received the news that you have won one crore rupees in the lottery or some distant uncle died and bestowed it upon you, some good news like that comes and this fellow is in front of you who made you very angry. Would you be as angry with that fellow? Would you say, don't worry, all your debts are completely cancelled and you just be happy in your life, you are blessed. This is the psychology of happiness, a happy person has very less of enemies whereas an unhappy person, everything is an enemy, climate is an enemy, when you are unhappy, even the moonlight also seems to be tremendously making you extremely unhappy, even the coolest breeze, sweetest talk, the best food, the best dress, best company, anything best because the mood of the mind has to be ready to receive what God bestows upon us. So how many names are there? So name is Nama, the Sanskrit Nama has become the name, many Sanskrit names have crept into the English language. Now what are we talking about? This is what Chaitanya Mahaprabhu in his Sikshashtaka is dwelling in the second verse. O Lord, look at my wretchedness. Naam Naam Akaari Bahudha You have made how many? Not Nama, Naam Naam, infinite names, infinite are your forms, infinite are your names, infinite are your qualities, qualities, infinite are your glories. Naam Naam Akaari You have created because you know your children are infinite and every child has his own peculiar liking so to suit everybody, every child of yours, you have created infinite Naams, infinite names and then what did you do? Were you partial? Did you bestow some amount of power in one name, more amount of power in another name, very less amount of power in another name? No. Nija Sarva Shakti Tatra Arpita You have bestowed your entire power You have bestowed your entire power in each one of those names. So whichever name we get, it is like, imagine a huge hall is there and a wonderful event is taking place and there are more than 100 doors and it is a round hall. Through any of those doorways, you can enter into it and you will be entering the hall and from any place you can enjoy what is going on inside completely 100%. So Nija Sarva Shakti Tatra Arpita You have endowed every name with 100% of its saving power. It is a saviour, greatest saviour and then Niyamitaha Smarane Na Kalaha Smarane and you just, you are lovingly requesting that you just remember me just as in Chandi when Divine Mother helped all the Devas, they praised her and Indra and others and then Mother was all the more pleased and said, what boon you want? Then the Devas said, Mother, you have done everything. For this moment, we don't have any more desires. We are quite happy by the amount of grace you bestowed upon each one of us but we don't know what is going to happen in future. Same kind of demons may arise in future. We don't know but if at all such a time comes and we are your children, helpless children, we just, whenever we remember you like a small baby remembers the mother. How does he remember? Does he know the child of a queen? Does the baby know my mother is a queen? She has all the powers. She has all the things. Whatever I want at any time, she will give. The baby has absolutely no knowledge. It only knows that if I cry, immediately wherever my mother is, she comes running and then does whatever is necessary. She knows best. So whenever we remember, you come because where are you? You are everywhere. Just as it is said, when Draupadi was in trouble, she was praying to Shri Krishna, Hey Krishna, Dwaraka was in. Oh Krishna, you who dwell in Dwaraka, from Raksha Raksha Dhuna, come immediately and save me. Apply, apply, no reply because later on it will come. Then immediately she changed her prayer. Hey Krishna, Sarva Antaryamin. Oh Krishna, you who is dwelling everywhere, in everything, not only in me, in Duryodhana, Dushyasana, in everybody, from Raksha Raksha Dhuna. Immediately Shri Krishna came and saved her. Now later on Draupadi asked, Krishna, when I prayed first, there was no reply at all. Why? Krishna said, what was your prayer? Hey Dwaraka was in. Oh Krishna, who dwells in such and such a distant place called Dwaraka, how even if I hear your, first of all your prayer will take long time to reach me and even if I hear, by the time I start it takes time and from the starting point to reach Hastinapura and to negotiate on all the busy streets of Bangalore and reach you, by that time the whole show will be over. But as soon as you said, Sarvantari Amin, I was in you. So easiest thing for me is to come out and help. So like that, Bhagawan's grace, Bhagawan is in every name and Bhagawan's grace is in everybody, He is everywhere. As soon as His mother is remembered, She is everywhere, She comes and rescues immediately and here I have to add something very interesting, not interesting but it is the highest truth. If some people are suffering, that is also Bhagawan's grace. That is what Holy Mother used to say, misery is the greatest gift of God. If some terrorists are killing, terrorizing, that is also the greatest gift of God. How can you say that Swami? A person is suffering so much, they are torturing, they are killing. How can it be grace of God? Well, in the olden times, people used to hold the patient and sometimes the surgeon had to, without even the benefit of anesthesia, the surgeon had to cut some parts of the body in order to save the life of the patient, whether it is on the battlefield or it is in a remote village, it is only now, even now, do you think all these things are there? Even if you ring up the emergency, by the time the emergency vehicle comes, ambulance comes, so many things can happen. Anyway, in aeroplanes, in trains, and in remote places, people are doing what they have to do. What is the point? The point is, we only judge any event looking at it from the present viewpoint and that is a very narrow viewpoint. We don't know what happened in the past, we don't know what happens in the future. Just by way of illustration, which I have given so many times, and I will give again to remind us. Supposing one of you, you have gone out, you are coming back to your home because you have come almost near your home. You see there was a crowd of people and they caught hold of a man and beating that person black and blue. And then you feel how horrible, what an injustice, so many people, they caught hold of one man and beating. And then you go and enquire angrily, why are you beating this fellow? And that fellow is your neighbour. He looks up and says, you are very fortunate, this fellow is about to kill one of your children. We caught him. After hearing the incident, before knowing the incident, what was your reaction? After hearing this incident, perhaps you would also like to go and squash his throat immediately so that he will die and he will never do any such mischief to any other child. So we don't know the past. And do we know at least the future? That also we don't know. But Bhagawan, He knows the long past, everything. He knows the long future. So whatever happens to a person, because every day we sing in the name of God. Srishti sthiti vinashanam Shakti bhute sanatani Srishti sthiti vinashanam Sthiti means what? Maintenance. Maintenance means what? Protecting the righteous, punishing the wicked. That is part of the maintenance. So all these, whether terrorists come and occupy a country, a so-called wicked government, elected government, behaves erratically and brings so much of misery upon the people. It's all nothing but part of this power of the agenda of maintaining Srishti. That is why Bhagawan Vishnu is endowed with so many irresistible weapons. So, without understanding all this, we go on saying, you are the great maintainer. But when He is trying to maintain correctly, rightly, at the right time, to the right person or persons, we immediately cry, foul, injustice, you don't know, are you sleeping? I could have created a better world, etc., etc. These are all cries in the wilderness. It is not going to stop Bhagawan's maintenance. The Great Mother knows. Every shaking step destroys a world forever. So, this is the faith of every devotee. If this faith is lacking, that devotee is no devotee at all. We can be very, very sure about it. So, niyamitaha smarane na niyamitaha kalaha You never put some restrictions. Yes, my name is powerful. It is all powerful. I created even name. You choose a name. But you have to get up at this time. You have to stop everything. You have to remember me in this particular asana, turning in this direction, etc., etc. No, sir. There is no such rule at all. smarane niyamitaha na kalaha There is no time. When it is convenient for you, you do it. This is the grace of God. etadrishi tava kripa tava kripa Hey Bhagawan, tava kripa Your grace, etadrishi, is such. What is it? You created so many names. You put all the power in every name and you never imposed any restrictions whether before food, after food, in the toilet, outside the toilet, anytime. That suits you and that moves your mind. Other times you can conveniently forget. But just to say one time is very interesting. In the gospel of Ramakrishna itself, there is a statement of Ramakrishna. If anybody remembered me, even once in his lifetime, sincerely, he is bound to come to me. etadrishi tava kripa Bhagawan, Hey Lord, mamapi durdayam Look at my misfortune. ee drisham Even though your great is so great, anuragaha na eha ajani That love for your name has not yet taken root in my mind at all. It is not born. Just as something is not born, it is as good as non-existent. Even though I know all these things, even though my every sage, every saint is glorifying the name of God and preaching that whether you want to do it with devotion, without devotion, mechanically or with concentration, whatever way you want to do it and still, even a little bit of that love for you has not risen in me. Oh Lord, what could be a greater misfortune than this in this world? Oh my Lord, your holy name alone can render all benediction to living beings and thus you have hundreds and millions of names like Krishna and Govinda, Narayana and Shiva and Shakti, etc. In these transcendental names, you have invested all your transcendental energies. There are not even any hard and fast rules for chanting your names. Oh my Lord, out of kindness, you enable us to easily approach you by your holy names. But I am so unfortunate that I have no attraction for them. Your name is not giving attraction. Alright, but what is important is take the name of God and just do it whatever way you want to do it. In the course of time, the name itself will produce a tremendous effect. And then, but Chaitanya Mahaprabhu adds it. Earlier, we said there are no rules and regulations. Really, there are no rules and regulations. But, it will be much more effective if we can develop certain qualities, spiritual qualities of which we have been discussing elaborately in the 16th chapter of the Bhagavad Gita. Here, three such auxiliary qualities which when they are present will enhance the power, enhance our joy. What is it? One should chant a holy name of the Lord in a humble state of mind, thinking oneself lower than the straw in the street. One should be more tolerant, more forbearing than a tree, devoid of all sense of false prestige and should be ready to offer all respect to others. In such a state of mind, one can chant the holy name of the Lord constantly. Trina means a blade of grass. So, sunichena, humbler than a blade of grass. In the creation, the grass is considered the lowest of the creations because everyone, including animals, tramps on this grass. But at the same time, the grass is the greatest nourisher. We all eat nothing but grass. Or sometimes we also eat, don't mind my saying so, the grass eaters, that is, non-vegetarians. Either we eat grass or we eat grass eaters. Anyway, grass is the greatest sustaining food for everything, whether it is rice, whether it is wheat, whether it is any type of cereal, it doesn't matter. But did you ever see a grass blade standing up and say, you, don't trample upon me. The more you trample, the more it seems to thrive. So, one's mind should be humbler than a blade of grass. But in life also, especially in spiritual life, because somehow the wicked people, worldly people come to know, I can trouble this fellow, but he is not going to take revenge. So, tarorapi sahishnuna forbearing, sahishnuta means forbearing. So many troubles come in the childhood, babyhood, and adolescent period, youth period, middle-aged period, old age, when only it is said when a person's body is dead and is burnt, then only real Shanti will come. Of course, this Shanti is called the peace that comes from the crematorium. That's not what we want here. So, tarorapi sahishnuna without minding, and this sahishnuta is what is Vivekachudamani so beautifully praised. That only when a person, even if others are giving so much of trouble, first of all, he will not react. Secondly, he will not go on thinking about it, that when I get an opportunity, I will take it out. Or thirdly, the person's mind says he wants only to do good to the other persons. A small story comes to my mind from a Brahmanandji Maharaj used to tell it. A sadhu was sitting on the banks of a river and there was a small tree and near that tree, on that tree, there was a scorpion and it slipped and fell in the river and it was struggling, it was being carried away. The sadhu saw, immediately put out his palm and rescued it and in its usual nature, it stung him but the sadhu left it on the bank. Immediately, it climbed, again slipped and again the sadhu did the same thing. Three times he did and then a man, an onlooker, he asked him, Sir, it is stinging again and again and again instead of showing gratefulness, why are you doing it, rescuing it again? Sadhu said so beautifully, Look, stinging is the nature of the scorpion and when this scorpion is not giving up its nature and I am a sadhu and to help people is my nature, why should I give up my nature? If it doesn't give up nature, I will not give up my nature. What a beautiful way of putting it. So, without thinking, we have to be there. Then what happens? Psychologically, it is highly helpful. Whatever, so many incidents happened in the past, forget about all the incidents or look upon them even if they come out in the memory without being affected much. That is a wonderful thing that we have to develop. It is a beautiful quality. Tarorapi sahishnona and Holy Mother is praised as a person even more than the earth. Of all the things in the earth, the earth, the element earth is one upon which the greatest problems are solved. Digging and dirtying, so many things are done but for her children, she puts up everything. So it is said somewhere, I don't know where, I don't remember that the earth seems to have said I can bear any amount of uncleanliness, impurity, I don't care. But when a person becomes immoral or becomes cruel, that weight for me to bear is almost impossible. So like if a child is misbehaving, that is the greatest trouble giving to the mother not whether he is physically impure, clean or not taking bath, etc. No, not at all. This is the second quality. First is humbler than a blade of grass. Second is forbearing everything without reaction but with peaceful mind taking the name of God. Amanina manadena. Never expect anybody to praise you, to flatter you. We are all looking forward. Even the slightest thing, oh today I cooked a doll. Oh what a wonderful doll you cooked. We are all looking for like chataka birds from which corner and who if somebody even if he is a hypocrite and he praises me and immediately he will be my lifelong companion rather than the people who choose to tell me the truth. Amanina. Amanina means I myself will not expect anything but I will give the highest respect. Manadena. I will give the highest respect. I revere everybody because I see a greater manifestation of God, glory of God in everybody else. Harihi sadha kirtaniya sadha. Sadha. Always. Whenever we take God's name, we have to develop these qualities. The more we develop these three qualities, the effectiveness of the name will be that much greater and then the longing of every devotee will be nayanam galat asru dharaya vadanam gadgadar uddhaya gira pulakaihi nichitam vapuhu kadha tava namagrahane bhavishyat. O Lord, will such a day ever dawn upon me? Kobe hobe se din? When is that day is going to come? What day am I with? By taking tava namagrahane whenever I hear your name or read your name or remember your name or take your name. Nayanam galat asru dharaya. So a stream of water, eyes are watering out of joy and drenching the whole chest cloths, everything and whenever I want to speak about you vadanam gadgadar uddhaya gira. I can't speak properly as if I'm unable to express what my whole mouth is like a person who cannot speak properly pulakaihi nichitam vapuhu just hearing the name of God, the whole all the hair as it were standing up on a end. O Lord when these qualities will be manifest in me when tava namagrahane when I'm taking your name or when I'm hearing your name when I'm reading your name whenever I remember your name kadha bhavishyati when is it going to happen? What Chaitanya Mahaprabhu is describing is the highest what is called parabhakti, ragha bhakti that is what happens and we see this in the gospel of Sri Ramakrishna again and again that whenever there is a song, whenever people start singing God's name or there is a talk about and on some particular days especially on Tuesdays and Saturdays again and again mohor mohoho Ramakrishna was going into samadhi exhibiting, manifesting all these qualities. Then is that enough? yugayitam nimeshena chakshusha pravrushayitam sunyayitam jagatsarvam govinda virahena me and when if at all it happens what happens? govinda viraha that is I forget to remember the name of Govinda forget to think of Govinda forget to hear, to read or some way to be reminded of Govinda that is the greatest misery in my whole world and that is called in the Vaishnava literature viraha so govinda virahena if such a state comes to me jagatsarvam sunyayitam as if the whole world has drowned itself in the sea, that means it doesn't exist anymore, yugayitam nimeshena one fluttering of the eyelid as if how much time it takes, you just close your eyelid or open your eyelid that is called nimesha and it looks as if one whole aeon yuga has passed chakshusha pravrushayitam our and my eyes here in a torrent of water is flowing, chakshusha pravrushayitam, prisha means this rainy season how it is when there is continuous rain, everything will be flooded, so lest we may think that these are all hyperboles you can see it in the life of Sri Ramakrishna, read his life, especially in the beginning of his sadhana at Dakshineshwar, he used to fall unconscious and I don't know where from so much of water used to come, how he was able to produce, so much of the body was able to produce a constant flow of water and he used to struggle like a person unable to breathe because the Divine Mother's vision has disappeared suddenly from him, same thing happened to Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, I may narrate some of these incidents in future, so this should be the condition of every devotee whereas for us meditation creates the greatest viraha from worldliness, when am I going to complete my allotted unfortunately, why did I take such a vow that I will complete 10,000, 5,000 or 15,000 and it is going on and on, when am I going to attend the what you call the cricket match or when am I going to talk with my beloved friend just as a worldly person wriggles when he is taken to into a spiritual atmosphere so also a spiritual person wriggles when he is taken into the company of the world, so these are the four shlokas that I have taken from the Chaitanya Mahaprabhu's composition called Sikshastaka and there are teachers who spend weeks and months dwelling upon each one of them I can also do that, may not be for months, but for days together I can take one one quality, what is for example, humility what is for example, sahishnuta, what is for example, that viraha and these are all more or less we have experienced it and that is the greatest thing, so this is what the gospel of Sri Ramakrishna is telling, oh man God exists and he is an ocean of bliss ocean of love ocean of life, ocean of existence, ocean of knowledge and everything that is sat, chit ananda, swaroopa so take God's name the name of God and God are not separate and if you take, even if you take mechanically there will come a time, but if you can consciously with awareness struggle then you will get these beautiful effects also so we will continue the power of God's name quoting from Sri Ramakrishna etc next week Om Jananim Sharadam Devim Ramakrishnam Jagadgurum Pada Padme Tayo Sritva Pranamami Mohur Mohur May Sri Ramakrishna Holy Mother and Swami Vivekananda bless us all with bhakti Jai Ramakrishna