Full Transcript (Not Corrected)

Opening Invocation

OM JANANIM SHARADAM DEVIM RAMAKRISHNAM JAGADGURUM PAHADAPADMETAYOH SRIDHVA PRANAMAMI MUHURMUHU

ओम् जननीम् शर्दाम् देवेम् रामक्रिष्णम् जगत् गुरुम् पादपत्मे तयोस्रित्वा प्रणमामि मुहुरु मुहु

Introduction: The Question of Karma and Mental Challenges

In our last class, we dealt with a very important subject: What happens to people who are mentally challenged or sick? I had discussed a few points about Karma, the theory of Karma. But today has come up a related but even more interesting question.

We will deal with it first and I want to be a bit thorough so far as possible. This is the question: Does a mentally challenged person create Agami Karma in this life?

This question has been divided into two parts:

Can such a person, a mentally challenged person, create new Karma?
Are they conscious of their actions and can take responsibility for it?

Types of Mentally Challenged Persons

First, I will deal with the second part of this question. There are mentally challenged persons who can be of two types:

Type 1: Limited Self-Awareness

One type includes people who are not conscious of themselves, who they are, why they are. Very, very small self-awareness percolates into their life, just enough to breathe, to express "I am hungry," "I am having some pain, suffering," etc.

Type 2: Spiritually Advanced Beings

But there are some people, like Jada Bharata, who for all purposes behaved like mentally challenged persons. But there are also descriptions of Jeevan Muktas. If you recollect:

Balavat - like children
Jadavat - like an inert creature
Pishachavat - like a ghoul
Unmadavat - like a madcap

Sri Ramakrishna had himself undergone all these states, one after the other. And he had come across many people. Those who read the life story of Sri Ramakrishna can definitely recollect this, and if they cannot recollect, there is something very seriously wrong with their reading of Ramakrishna's life.

Understanding Karma and Karmaphala

The Universal Nature of Action and Result

What happens to these people? We know that Karmaphala - if we do some action, then that action must produce Karmaphala. The question now is: Does every Karma produce a result? Yes, of course, every Karma produces a result. But not in the sense we are specifically discussing - Karmaphala which leads to Prarabdha Karma, Agami Karma, etc.

Whatever Karma we do - you move your left hand to the right, right hand to the left - there will be a result. It is inevitable. Karma means there will be some change. That change is called Karmaphala. Even if you move one inch from one side of the chair to the other side of the chair, that is also Karma.

Two Types of Actions

Mechanical Actions

We are moving our hands, moving our heads, and so many things we are doing. Our breathing is going on. Our heart is beating. Our nervous system is working. Blood is flowing. So many things are happening. These are mechanical actions.

Mechanical actions and Karmaphala do not go together in the secondary sense. In the primary sense, yes - if the heart doesn't move, if that Karma doesn't produce, then that person will go out of the circulation. But in the secondary sense, whether we can create a specific type of Karmaphala, for that we have to understand deeply some things.

Conscious Actions

Animals do not have Karmaphala. They do Karma, but they do not have Karmaphala. Children do Karma and they even have ego - "I am playing and I am going to beat up that fellow." All these things they do. But Karmaphala will not come. Why? Because even though they are doing, they do not know what they are doing. Even that consciously doing something is purely because of Prakruti's control over them. Deliberately, consciously, they are not doing it.

Legal and Spiritual Perspectives on Responsibility

Animals do not have Karma. Children do not have Karma. And madcaps do not have Karmaphala. That is why even if a grave murder is committed, and if that person can prove "I am mentally sick, mad," he will not be punished in the regular way, but he will be kept in an institution.

Two Types of Madness

Temporary Madness

Two people are talking. They have some difference of opinion and they start shouting at each other. Very soon, feelings arise and that is what we get. Wherever there is a football match, these are called hooligans. Especially England is very famous for these football hooligans. And they have been banned in several other countries because they create problems everywhere.

They are temporarily mad. When they go out of that arena, they are perfectly sane. But temporarily, they are overcome. Two people get excited, they quarrel, they forget, and one can murder the other fellow. Even law takes into account and says, this is not a premeditated murder. It is only temporarily the person became mad. Mad means what? He is not in charge of his own self.

Permanent Madness

The question of these people creating karma doesn't arise.

Understanding Karma Yoga

Most of us are blissfully ignorant. What is karma? And what is Karma Yoga? There are mechanical actions - the wind is blowing, a fire is burning, the birds are flying. So many things happen. This is mechanical action. Our own physical body is completely doing its own function. It is called mechanical action. But that is just Karma.

The Three Sankalpas of Willpower

If we have to reap Karma Phala, we have to use our willpower. Behind every action where we expect Karma Phala to come, three kinds of yoking of our will should happen:

First Sankalpa: Desire for Result

Karma Phala Sankalpa - I must deliberately choose. This is what I want to achieve. I want to become a doctor, a statesman, a politician, a teacher. I want to take revenge upon somebody. This is the first Sankalpa - I want this fruit, this desire to be fulfilled. And my willpower should be there.

What about children? Children also say, "I want to play" because "I will enjoy." That is also a desire. But there is no Sankalpa there. It is their nature which guides them.

Second Sankalpa: Action

If I want that result, I have to do these actions. My will has to be yoked to those actions. There is a beautiful English saying: "Hell is paved with good intentions." What does it mean? It means intentions are there, will is not there. That is why they go to the other place.

Simply wishing will not do. Then it becomes only a dream. I have to do something about it, and I require sufficient willpower to accomplish what I want to do.

Third Sankalpa: Ego

There must be a strong will - I am the doer. I have done this. I want to do this. I want to achieve this one. And that is called egotism. Terrible amount of egotism is there.

Progress in Karma Yoga

Progress in Karma Yoga consists in giving up these three Sankalpas, one after the other, which means detachment of the will in gradual stages.

The Five Conditions of Karma

Before going into Karma Yoga, we have to understand what is called Karma. Five conditions are necessary, then alone something can be termed as Karma:

1. Done by a Living Being

If the work has to become Karma, it must be done by a living being. Karma is going on all over the world - the wind is blowing, animals are doing, the body is also doing, machines are also doing, cars are working, trains are going, everything is being done. But we don't call it Karma. It is mechanical action.

2. Agency (Kartritva Bhava)

There must be an agency. I determine to have this result, and I know by what way I am going to achieve the result I am desiring. And I will be responsible, I will be working hard, I will be reaping the result. This is called agency. Simply, it means that Ahamkara should be attached to it.

Only if there is an agent who integrates everything and feels that "this is what I am doing," then this is called Kartritva Bhava. Apply it now to madcaps - they don't know what they are doing. Apply it to children - they don't know what they are doing.

3. Expectation of Desirable Result

Every form of Karma, if it is to be called Karma, should be based on expectation of some desirable result. And every desirable result has only one end - I want to enjoy it.

4. Moral Obligation

People who are intelligent, who are discriminative, they know: if I do this thing, then I must obey what we call in Sanskrit, Dharma. Dharmic way of doing things - it should not harm, hurt, or cause some form of loss to other people, giving pain to other people.

I live in a society, and I must live in such a way that there should be absolutely no irresponsibility. This is called responsibility. I feel responsible for my actions. Only when I feel responsible, I will be getting the result of what I want.

5. Cosmic Consequences

Each one of us is living in our society, especially religions. There are two major types of religions:

Semitic Religions

One is Judaism, Christianity and Islam. According to them, morality means dharmic responsibility is based on the belief that there is an agreement, covenant between God and us. If we do this, He will give the rewards. If we do something else, He will punish us.

Indian Religions

In Indian religion, whatever be the religion - Buddhism, Jainism, Sikhism, etc. - it is based on the law of Karma. According to which, every action we do has not only a personal effect, but a cosmic effect. If I do something wrong, it doesn't merely affect me. It affects other people. It affects many, many things. So it will return to the person in the form of Karmaphala.

The Bhagavad Gita's Teaching on Karma

These fivefold causes have been beautifully described in the Bhagavad Gita. In chapter 18, verse 14, Bhagavan Krishna says: Whatever action, right or wrong, that a man does by his body, mind and speech is caused by five factors:

The living body
The agency
The sense organs
The movements of vital air
The supernatural factor which is called Adrishta

Any work which does not involve these five factors can never be called karma. This is an important point for all of us to know. And why is it important? It is only by overcoming all these five that Karma Yoga helps us break the bonds and becomes a spiritual discipline.

The Path of Surrender

What is Karma Yoga? If we can break our bonds, that means get out of all these five factors. How? By surrendering ourselves to God. Then the effect of Karma will not attach to us. We become free from both good and evil.

Remember: "I will keep the good result. I will only offer to God the bad result" - that is not Karma Yoga. Everything, my whole body, mind, everything will be surrendered. That means what? "Not I, not I, but Thou, Thou," in the language of Ramakrishna.

Answer to the Original Question

Now coming back to the question: What is the condition of the mentally challenged person?

As I mentioned, there are two types of people possible:

Type 1: Unconscious Persons

One person is not at all aware. For this life, he has to exhaust his karma phala; he cannot create. But even by exhausting, he will be given a new choice.

Type 2: Talented but Socially Challenged

There are some people extraordinarily intelligent, very talented, but they lack what they call some social abilities - autistic people, etc. People were astonished how some autistic people can calculate, some autistic people can remember everything, even hundreds of yellow books (telephone numbers). Some people can paint so beautifully, as if they had photographic memory. Beautiful talents are there, which even people with all the body and mind intact can never even imagine to do.

The Key Factor: Responsibility

If these people are unable to function their mind - what are we talking about? Mostly we are talking about the function of the mind. If the mind is not alert, mentally kartritva bhava, and deliberate thinking - "I want this result, these actions will bring the result, and I am attached to these actions" - from the beginning to the end, from sankalpa "I want this to be done" until I start enjoying, continuously there is a feeling "I am responsible for this, and therefore I am enjoying it."

That one word - "I am responsible" - if that is absent in any mentally challenged person, that person can only exhaust the karma, but cannot create any new karma in this life.

The Special Case of Spiritually Advanced Beings

Some of them cannot create, but some of them have highly progressed in life. For whatever reason, they are challenged persons, but especially mentally challenged persons from whose point of view? Our viewpoint. Jada Bharata, if we come across, we definitely label him as a mentally challenged person. That's why he is called Jada Bharata. But he was the most enlightened person in the world. Rare, but such persons can be there.

Conclusion on Mental Challenges and Karma

Are they conscious of their actions, and can they take the responsibility for it? If they feel responsible, they can create karma, they can exhaust karma. Most of them, so far as we know, they are not responsible. They don't even know what is called responsibility. So for them, merely they will exhaust their karma phala.

But our Hinduism is great. It says they will be given, afforded another choice, from where again they can restart. Because what happens? Then they become conscious. Their minds start functioning. But they have to think. But it may take time for them to deliberately stop whatever wrong actions they have been doing and turn towards God or whatever it is called.

Spiritual Sadhana and Karma

In spiritual life, you call it Karma Yoga or devotees will call it Sharanagati. What is it? All these five factors - I don't decide, God decides. And I will do whatever is necessary without desiring, expecting anything out of it. But my only goal is I want to please the Divine Lord. He is responsible and He will look after me. The whole agency is transferred from oneself to the other, which is the Divine. For such persons, they will go beyond all karma phala and the whole spiritual sadhana is to go only beyond the karma phala.

Sri Ramakrishna and Keshav Chandra Sen

Divine Revelation and Love

Sri Ramakrishna, remember, had been given revelation about Keshav Chandra Sen. He will be playing, Keshav Chandra Sen will be playing a very important role in the mission of Sri Ramakrishna, in the mission of the Divine Mother. Sri Ramakrishna knew it. He had prior visions about it. And that is the real reason why Sri Ramakrishna loved Keshav Chandra Sen.

The Nature of Divine Love

We have to understand something very important. Whatever Sri Ramakrishna does, he never does like any of us ordinary, ignorant human beings. Let us say that Sri Ramakrishna used to love Narendranath very much. We all know that. When Narendranath used to come, the whole world used to disappear from Sri Ramakrishna's mind.

Narendranath himself knew it. And it is so obvious. The moment Sri Ramakrishna hears Narendra's voice or his appearance, his face will be beaming forth like somebody meets a beloved. Then even the devotees felt apprehensive, jealous, complaining also.

Narendra's Question and the Divine Mother's Answer

Narendranath himself protested: "Sir, why do you love me so much? Because this is excessive and it is so exhibitive. Everybody notices it." One day he complained: "Why do you love me so much? Perhaps if you love me like that, your future fate will be like Jada Bharata."

Sri Ramakrishna believed Narendranath to be absolutely truthful. No untruth would ever escape. So he got frightened in a way, nervous. "What? Will I become like Jada Bharata?" And then he ran to the Divine Mother and asked a very peculiar question: "Why Mother? Why do I love Narendranath?"

When we love something, somebody, we know definitely why we are loving - because joy will come, etc. And there is a person who says, "I don't know why I love."

Then Mother explained: "You love Narendra because you see more manifestation of God in Narendra than in anybody else. And if you do not see this manifestation of God, then you will not love."

The Magnet Analogy

Sri Ramakrishna became assured and came back. He said: "You upset me very much. I asked." And then he uttered something very significant: "The moment I do not perceive God in you, I will refuse even to look at your face."

Imagine there is a powerful magnet. Whom does the magnet attract? Does it attract mud particles or wooden particles? No. There must be iron particles. And the more the iron, the nearer the distance, the more will be the attraction. Is it doing consciously? No. You ask it, "Why do you attract?" "Oh, I love to attract." No. It is a very natural thing that happens.

Sri Ramakrishna's mind is a divine mind. That divine mind will not do anything human. To attribute that whatever Sri Ramakrishna is thinking or doing is human is to be very unintelligent ourselves.

Understanding Sri Ramakrishna's Attraction to Others

If Sri Ramakrishna loved somebody, it is because he sees God. If Sri Ramakrishna was not attracted to somebody, that means the manifestation of God is much less. Not that it is not there - there is nothing which is not God. But the manifestation is much obscured. This is the key to understand Sri Ramakrishna's life.

Keshav Chandra Sen's Spiritual Glory

If we apply the same thing to Keshav Chandra Sen, why did Sri Ramakrishna love? First of all, Divine Mother said, "This is also a part of my glory." Who made Keshav Chandra Sen very glorious? Who gave that power to him so that his talks were so powerful, so charismatic? Thousands of people used to be drawn. Why? Is it because of the ideology? Is it because of the words? Is it because of the voice? Maybe voice. Maybe beautiful arrangement of words. But that is not the main thing.

"Yad yad vibhuti mat sattvam sri madhur jita me vava, tattva deva avagacchatvam mama tejo amsa sambhava" - There is something extraordinary. It is only God.

Even mud particles also is nothing but manifestation of Brahman only. But they do not exhibit so much of chit and much less ananda. Sri Ramakrishna was attracted because he saw Divine Mother in Keshav Chandra Sen.

Mutual Spiritual Love

Sri Ramakrishna loved Keshav Chandra Sen and needless to say, Keshav Chandra Sen also fell in love with Sri Ramakrishna. There was pure spiritual love. How do we know? Many a time, Keshav Chandra Sen had told the devotees of Sri Ramakrishna: "You do not know with whom you are mixing. He is that rare material. His body itself, not to speak of his mind, should be kept in a glass case and be protected. So delicate, the slightest touch can damage that body."

Who gave that understanding to Keshav Chandra Sen? Only the Divine Mother has given that understanding. And if the Divine Mother gave that understanding, then Keshav Chandra Sen must have been really great, and he was great in every way.

In the end, Keshav Chandra Sen one day took him to his house and took him upstairs to his puja room and then worshipped the feet of Sri Ramakrishna. Only one thing he said: "Sir, please don't tell anybody. Let it be a secret."

The Depth of Their Bond

That's why when Keshav Chandra Sen died - and that happened when Sri Ramakrishna was alive - Sri Ramakrishna could not get up from the bed for three days. After reading this one, what is the difference between Sri Ramakrishna and myself? If my husband or wife dies, I will not be able to get up for six months. Not everybody. Some people may be jumping up and down with joy also. That's a different issue altogether.

Sri Ramakrishna's Visit to Keshav's House

Something very funny or great happens here. When Sri Ramakrishna visited Keshav Sen's house, Keshav was told that Sri Ramakrishna had come to his house and he came to the drawing room, prepared to go out. Keshav Chandra Sen was about to visit a sick friend but seeing Sri Ramakrishna, immediately he cancelled it.

The Master's Compassionate Words

The Master said to him: "Very strange. You have so many things to attend to. Besides, you have to edit a newspaper. You have no time to come to Dakshineswar. So I have come to see you. When I heard of your illness, I vowed green coconut and sugar to the Divine Mother for your recovery."

Two things we notice here:

"You don't have time" - Because Sri Ramakrishna knew from the time Keshav Chandra Sen came into contact with Sri Ramakrishna. In fact, Keshav Chandra Sen never knew about Sri Ramakrishna. Sri Ramakrishna only visited after hearing about him. All because of the will of the Divine Mother.
Unless Sri Ramakrishna receives a command from the Divine Mother, he will never be doing anything in life. He will not even lift a blade of grass. So he received the commandment. He went there.

The Significance of the Vow

"When I heard of your illness, I vowed green coconut and sugar to the Divine Mother for your recovery." This is a very ordinary custom. We all do it. In South India, when we want to get some desire fulfilled, somebody is sick, we want that person to recover, we go to Tirupati and offer him some offerings, praying, "O Lord, please bestow your grace," etc.

Sri Ramakrishna himself is doing this. Now, did you notice, Sri Ramakrishna knew, "I am a realized soul." And whatever happens, whatever comes - Sankalpa, they are called Satya Kamaha, Satya Sankalpaha - the very wish and the very determination, Sankalpa. Whatever desires come into the minds of these great souls, they will be immediately fulfilled.

Why Not Direct Divine Intervention?

Then why did not Sri Ramakrishna simply do Sankalpa? "Let Keshav be completely healthy." Because in this Avatar, whereas this is the difference of the manifestation between different Avatars, if it is Sri Krishna, categorically, he never used "You surrender yourself to God." Of course, he said that in the Bhagavad Gita and especially in the Bhagavatam also, but mostly he said:

"Sarva Dharmaan Parityajya Maam Ekam Sharanam Vraja, Aham Tva Sarva Paape Bhyo Moksha Ishyami Maasu Chaha"

Rarely Sri Ramakrishna used the word, "I am going to do this now." Simply he said, "I surrendered myself to Mother and if I pray to Mother, Mother will definitely help."

Teaching Through Example

There is also meaning behind it. All of us, ordinary people, what do we do? We take offerings to the temple. Sri Ramakrishna, instead of doing anything, he is encouraging us: if you encounter this kind of situations, you also take something, a fruit, a flower, something, and you pray. Praying is our part. Whatever happens is God's will or the person's prarabdha.

The Story of Kundalika and Divine Grace

If we do not have time, then God himself will come to us, provided we have no time because we are doing what God wants us to do. What is the example?

There is a very holy place in Maharashtra called Pandharipura. The whole Pandharipura and the Lord Krishna in Pandharipura - He is called Vitthala. Vitthala means God. So how did He come to be there?

There was a devotee called Kundalika. At first he led a good life. Later on he led a very evil type of life, neglecting his parents. But he must be having good samskaras. So he learned some lessons. Then he became totally devoted to God. But he was made to understand: "Serving my parents, Matru Devo Baba, Pitru Devo Baba is my greatest service to God Himself."

So he stopped going to the temple, which he used to do earlier. And then he started only serving God. And then God Himself came to him. Why did God come? Because "You have no time to come." That means what? If a person is engaged in useless activities, "I don't have time to come to you," then definitely God will not bestow His grace upon him. But here definitely God bestowed His grace because he knows that Kundalika was serving his parents and through that he was serving God Himself.

The Dharmavyadha Story

If you remember, Swami Vivekananda's Karma Yoga, in one of the stories, "Each is great in his own place." There was a Dharmavyadha, a righteous butcher, and he was serving his parents. And through that, he became one of the greatest jnanis. It is a marvellous story from the Mahabharata. He was called Dharmavyadha.

Keshav Chandra Sen's Transformation

Sri Ramakrishna says: "I know you are doing what my Divine Mother's will. You are following." So how come? Before you were doing something very religious actually, very nice things only. But now you are only propagating Divine Mother. How? By talking about Sri Ramakrishna, by quoting his teachings, by popularizing him, where Sri Ramakrishna lives, what he does, and advising everybody.

Such a great person in those days. If Keshav Chandra Sen recommends, "Go and meet this great saint. I have never met a person like him," naturally, people will have more inclination to visit.

"Mahapurushaha Enapataha Gataha" - By whatever way the great souls have trod, and that is what most of the common people are likely to follow.

Impact on Brahmo Samaj

Several of the Brahmo members, they, first of all, started thinking of God as Mother all because of Sri Ramakrishna. Then Sri Ramakrishna told that "You are professing that you are meditating upon Nirakara Brahma. It is not possible. It is only for very highly advanced souls. You are not Jnanis, you are Bhaktas. Because you are praying to God."

Sri Ramakrishna made them understand: nobody worships an idol. Everybody is worshipping the divine only. Some of them take the help of what we call an idol, a pratika, or a pratima, or a symbol, or an icon, or a picture, or a photograph, etc. or even a book like Sikhs. They only worship Guru Granth Sahib. But all this is meant to direct our minds towards only God.

Triloknath Sanyal's Divine Compositions

Several of the members were genuinely transformed. The result of it was, you know, they first started thinking of God in terms of a loving mother. And then some of them were highly talented. Like Triloknath Sanyal, he belonged to Brahma Samaj. And under the influence of Sri Ramakrishna, he composed many songs.

Previously, this knowledge - that God can be worshipped as a divine mother, and the name mother is sweeter than anybody else - was not known to Brahmins. But by coming into contact with Sri Ramakrishna, they came to know.

This Triloknath Sanyal was given again by the Divine Mother an extraordinary talent. And that talent is the ability to compose the ideas conveyed by Sri Ramakrishna into beautiful poetry.

The Mystical Song

One of them is:

"Oh Mother, You are beauty. There are two versions here. You are, that beauty, is just illuminating the entire dark cave. Nibidadhara means dense darkness. Oh Mother, like a lightning, powerful lightning, that the beauty of Your form is shining."

But some people, and which I like that version, is:

"Chamake Arupa Rashi. Rupa means form. Arupa means formless. Oh Mother, Thy formless beauty is sparkling, lighting up the whole place in this deep darkness."

"And that is why, Tai, that is why, Yogis, spiritual aspirants, what do they do? Giri Guha Vashi. They seek solitude. They seek solitary caves, etc. in Himalayas, on mountains, etc. And they go deep, out of the sight of ordinary people, Guha Vashi. What do they do? Dhyan Dhori. Because when they enter into deep darkness, there alone they are able to behold that beautiful form."

The Mystical Meaning

It is a mystical song, laden with deep meaning. That means what? When the mind becomes absolutely quiet, that is called darkness. Darkness means what? No other thought ever arises in the mind. That is the comparison here. And in that, when there is no thought, then the Divine shines.

This is what Kena Upanishad tells beautifully: "Prati Bhaava Viditam" - Every thought points out that the pure consciousness, you are able to think, and you are able to be aware of that particular thought. Remember, if I am not conscious of an object, that object doesn't exist for me. If I am not conscious or aware of a thought, then the thought itself cannot stand. And that awareness, which illumines every thought, that is the real form.

What is the form? What is the form of light? If I ask you that question, you will have to think and understand. Light. It is light. What is the form of light? Light. That's all. Knowledge. That's all. What is the form of knowledge? Knowledge. That's all. There is no special form.

"Ananta Adhar Koje" - In the lap of the infinite, "Maha Nirvana Hillole." Maha Nirvana. Remember Buddha's Nirvana. That means everything has been absolutely destroyed, extinguished. But it is moving, it is activated with tremendous force. Hillole means just unimaginable force is moving everything this way and that way. But amidst that, "Chirashanti Parimal" - a beautiful fragrance. What is that fragrance? Chirashanti. That is infinite peace. Peace that passeth all understanding. "Abhirala means unceasingly. Jaya Bhashya." It is floating.

What a marvellous poetical expression. If at all there is something, I can even say that even there like Rabindranath Tagore's poems which indicate in this way that Divine, Ishwara. So this is a profound song composed by Triloknath Sanyal. After coming into contact with Sri Ramakrishna, that is what happens.

Swami Vivekananda's Mystical Experience

Now remember, these great souls and this reminds me of another great soul who was none other than Swami Vivekananda. And he was there in Kashmir. He went to visit Ksher Bhavani and also some other Divine, Vaishnavi Devi etc. And then one day he came out staggering and then a poem just poured out of his ecstatic state.

"Kali the Mother" - A Mystical Song

This is called a mystical song. Deeply mystical song. The apt title for it is "Kali the Mother." Perhaps we can go a little bit deeper into it in our next class. But here it is:

*"The stars are blotted out, The clouds are covering clouds, It is darkness vibrant, sonent, In the roaring, whirling wind Are the souls of a million lunatics Just loose from the prison house, Wrenching trees by the roots, Sweeping all from the path.

The sea has joined the free, And shreds of mountain waves To reach the peachy sky. A flash of lurid light Reveals on every side A thousand thousand shades of death, Begrimed and black, Scattering plagues and sorrows, Dancing mad with joy, Come, Mother, come!

For error is thy name, Death is in thy breath, And every shaking step Destroys the world forever. Thou time, the all destroyer, Come, O Mother, come!

Who dares misery love? And hug the form of death? Dance in destruction's dance? To Him, the Mother comes."*

Universal Destruction as Divine Play

Just remember earlier. "The stars are blotted out." Just see. "Are the souls of a million lunatics just loose from the prison house. Wrenching trees by the roots. Sweeping all from the path. The sea has joined the free." Remember, 20 years back, the great tsunami that killed nearly 200,000 people. Just imagine if you can. "Wrenching trees by the roots. Sweeping all from the path. And the sea has joined the free. And shreds of mountain waves to reach the peachy sky. A flash of lurid light reveals on every side a thousand thousand shades of death, begrimed and black. Scattering plagues and sorrows."

We have to meditate upon this song. What is that scattering? It could be wars that are going on. It could be killings. It could be earthquakes. Just remember a few months back in Turkey, what happened? Nearly more than 50,000 people were blotted out within a few seconds. But this is all the expression of the Divine Mother. "Nataraja Tandavan Rithya" - Divine Mother's Tandavan Rithya. "Dancing mad with joy. Come, Mother, come."

And then Swamiji continues: "For error is thy name. Death is in thy breath. And every shaking step destroys the world forever." Means forever. "Thou time, the all destroyer. Come, O Mother, come."

The Ultimate Message

"Who dares misery love?" This is the clinching message by Swami Vivekananda. "Who dares misery love? And hug the form of death? Dance in destruction's dance? To Him, the Mother comes."

We will discuss some important points in our next class.

Closing Prayer