Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna Lecture 094 on 29-August-2023

Full Transcript (Not Corrected)

Today we have not one question but at least five questions. One question containing five parts of it, all related to suicide. So this is the question. We will deal with it. I have to tell this is a question which troubles all of us. So we have better to know. Of course, this is according to Hinduism. We have to understand because such things are rarely discussed. We Hindus believe in past birth, future birth. So this question is related to this belief that it is not really a belief. It is a fact proven also but we cannot prove it in the laboratory. What is the question? Is there first question? It has nothing to do with suicide really. It is a general question. Is there such a thing as body consciousness apart from soul consciousness? No. There is no such thing as body consciousness is one when it identifies itself with the body. That is called body consciousness. So consciousness is one only. If a consciousness applies to the mind, it is called mind consciousness. Remember something most marvelous. It is a bit philosophical. We have the idea knowledge and an object are two separate things. There is, for example, a tree and there is a knowledge of the tree. So whether I am aware of that tree knowledge or not, the tree will be there. That means even if I have never experienced something, the tree will be there. According to Hinduism, that's not a right view. It is a false view because all that we know about any object that we experience is the knowledge we get. It is like taking a photograph because body doesn't have the capacity to have knowledge. It is only the mind. It is just like a cameraman takes a camera. A camera is only the instrument. It is only the cameraman who sees the reproductions up through the lens and then he knows what is what. The body is exactly like that. The mind is like the cameraman and the body is like the camera. Only instead of one particular, it is not even a video camera. You know, we have got five senses. Now nobody had invented a video which has all the five functions. Only two functions, sight and sound. But the body itself doesn't know that I am the body. It is the mind which is experiencing the body which knows that this is a body. Then instead of saying this is a body, we say my body, this is me. First there is a body, then there is my body, then there is I am the body. All this takes place only in the mind. What about the mind? Mind also as good as the body. That is why it is called subtle body. Gross body is different. Subtle body is different. Both are body only. One is gross, another is subtle. Same condition. It doesn't have consciousness. But mind has the capacity to reflect consciousness. So it is a combination of the mind and the reflected consciousness that knows that this is a body, this is a mind. What was the question? Is there a body consciousness? And then consciousness. Are they one or are they separate? Consciousness is only one. You cannot take a knife and separate. This is mind consciousness, this is pure consciousness and this is body consciousness. I think it is clear. Now comes the question about suicide. If one takes one's own life or the soul and body in tune with this pre-emptive life decision? No. Again the answer is no. What do you mean? Consciousness, it knows I am not the body. We may think it is the mind which knows, which identifies I am the body and mind with the help of what we call consciousness. We should not use purely the word consciousness. We should use awareness. What is the difference between consciousness and awareness? Consciousness is pure. Consciousness is completely separate. Awareness is a peculiar combination or a reflected consciousness. Reflection always means there is a reflecting media. Mind is the reflecting media. So reflecting media plus the reflection, that is called what we call awareness of the body, awareness of the mind, etc. So when a person decides to commit suicide, the consciousness doesn't know what is happening. It is only the mind with the help of awareness decides whether I want to live, I want to die. Every action of the mind, I want to be happy and or I want to be unhappy. Very marvellous discussion this one. Happiness and unhappiness, it has nothing to do with any events, any experiences. By certain past habits, I decide this is called happiness or pleasure and this is called unhappiness. Simple example. These are called habits. What is habits? Certain ways of thinking is called a habit. So for example, somebody can take very hot things. So when somebody supplied hot things, such a person is supplied with hot things, this is called happiness. And if you give the same thing to a person who is not accustomed to even a slight bit of hot, anything, chillies, etc., he feels miserable. And how does this person enjoy these chillies, etc.? Through sheer habit. If the other person, slowly slowly, practices this yoga abhyasa called chilly abhyasa, in course of time, he will start enjoying. Only I have to warn you, this is a one-way traffic. Once you enter into this lane, there is no going back. Even if the doctor prescribes to you, you should not touch. But in mind, you will be doing this. What was the question? Somebody takes. Whose decision is it? It is not the consciousness' decision, but it is the mind's decision. How does the mind decide? Because it developed certain ways of thinking. This is worth, this is not worth. Consciousness is a witness, purely a witness. We can use it either way. I will give you an illustration, in case this point is not clear. There is a sharp knife. Consciousness is that sharp knife. I will give you another example also, after this. So in the hands of a surgeon, this sharp knife, it can save life. The same sharp knife, in the hands of an evil person, can take away life. But the important point is, it should be a sharp knife, not a blunt knife. That's very important. Otherwise, the surgeon also will fail, the evil person also will fail. So what is the answer? It is only the mind. But as I said, mind independently has no, it is just like a piece of stone or a lump of clay. It cannot make a decision. But with the help of the reflected consciousness called Chidabhasa, that is called Jeevatma, mind can take a decision. And that decision is not a sudden, impulsive act. But it has been developed. Any person who commits suicide, must have been thinking about it for a long time. There is nothing called, everything was joyful, this second I want to commit suicide. Such a thing never happens. Most things never happen. So the answer is, it is only the mind. But mind can function only with the help of awareness. Third, are we robbing the body of its pre-planned life cycle? Yes, certainly. Now we have to understand that the body is supposed to do some things. When we go on a journey, and life is a journey, life is a journey from past birth to the present birth, from the present birth to the next birth, until we reach where the destination, there is no further road, end of the road, that is called Moksha. Until that time, it is a continuous travel. And in this one day, for example, we can travel a certain distance. So in this life, we are supposed to do, we plan to do, we planned in our last birth with the help of our actions. It is a very interesting discussion. I think we discussed earlier, but it is worth remembering. Did we plan this life? Here is a person born to a tramp, or a beggar, or a very poor person. Did the soul, in the past birth, plan it? Yes, it planned it. Desired it? Yet, yes, it desired it. But if you ask the person, did you want to suffer? Did you plan for suffering? And so you took this birth, the emphatic answer would be no. But what I mean is, it is not what we desire, but what we do. That alone gives karma phala. That is why there is a beautiful saying, hell is paved with good intentions. So many people have got good intentions. We also have intentions. We also want to realize God. But we say, I will do it next year, or after my retirement, or tomorrow, or evening, not right now. How are you, sir, so sure that you are going to live until evening? Until now, I am okay. Many times I have taught this one. Okay. So, what are we talking about? We are robbing. The body is the vehicle. The mind also is the chariot for our journey. Whether the journey will be slow or fast, pleasant or unpleasant, depends both upon our past life and also the present life. So surely, we are robbing the body of its pre-planned life cycle. Because we have been given some freedom, we can use it well, we can misuse it also. Fourth, what is called continuation of the third question. If so, what are the repercussions of such an act, which is called suicide? What happens after the suicide? The emphatic answer is one has to suffer with double punishment. That means suffering, terrible suffering. That is why it is said, Atma Hathya Mahapapam. Hathya means death. Atma means here, not Paramatma. Nobody can kill Paramatma. We can break the mirror, but we cannot do anything to the sunlight. So Atma Hathya Mahapapam. And even if somebody is suffering, one should never think of committing suicide. Why? Because the purpose of our life has twofold purpose. Our life has twofold purpose. What is it? First, to exhaust our Prarabdham. In this life we are born. That is why we call it Prarabdha Karma. Pra, Praak, Karma, Arabdham. The result of our past actions have started. Like, an arrow has been discharged and that arrow, once it leaves the bow, we have absolutely no control over it. It has its own course. Our life also, Prarabdham, to which parents we are born, what type of body, male, female, rich, middle class, lower class, well-developed brain, environment, society, everything. This is such a, I told you, this is such a marvelous question. Suppose somebody is born, let us say, in a country like Sweden. Why am I mentioning Sweden? Because of two reasons. One reason is, I came to know that many people say Swedish people are the happiest people on earth. But somebody has also pointed out Sweden has the highest suicide rate. Even if the statistics are wrong, that is not the point. It is only an illustration I am giving. Why should a very rich person commit suicide? So, that is one. Second is, many people in so many of these countries, whether it is Sweden, Switzerland, or some particular countries, they, most of them, they say we are materialists. They don't say that, but they are materialists. That means they believe only in this life. They only believe, they are concerned with the bodily happiness. The body is everything. Body is Brahma. Body is Vishnu. Body is Maheshwara. So cater to this body. Even if you have to borrow money, that is called by the way, debit cards. So, I have written on Gritva, Gritam Pibet. And what about payment? We will see. Once the body goes to ashes, where is the question of coming back again? But if it is a fact, it will be a fact, not your opinion. So, we have to pay for everything, or we have to suffer, we have to enjoy also. So there are some countries, somebody is born there. Why is that person born there? Because of that person's Prarabdha Karma. And somebody has done very good deeds, and he will be born, whether it is in foreign countries or India. It doesn't matter. But to such a family, which is pure, which is religious, which is spiritual, or even better, he will be born in such a spiritual family. Even if it is not a wealthy family, a whole family is a great help in our forward momentum. Because everybody, a great company, father is a Satsanga, mother is a Satsanga, brothers and sisters are Satsanga, servants are Satsanga, everything, the whole society is full of pious people. But Bhagavan Krishna cautions us, This kind of birth is extremely rare, because that kind of yogis or society is very very rare. So what are we talking? By committing suicide, what is the consequence? Suppose the first thing is to exhaust our Prarabdha Karma. This is a very very important point. I can't emphasize it enough. Why am I born? To exhaust our Karma. Why am I born in this particular family? I am born to exhaust every other person's Karma with whom I come into contact. And everybody with whom I come into contact, including a dog, a cat, etc. is to exhaust our Prarabdha Karma. Remember, animals do not have Prarabdha Karma. But if I come into contact with animals, they don't have Prarabdha Karma. But my Prarabdha Karma is there. A simple funny example in New York, there is this municipality has made a law. If you own a dog, and you must take it for a walk every day, and you have to take a plastic bucket and a scooper. So whenever that gentleman gives you the opportunity, by believing himself, even you are reluctant to clean your own lavatory, but this you have to do it. And what great Punyam the dog must have done to be served like that. I gave that example many times also. So we are born to exhaust. This is one purpose. What is the second purpose? Every life is a tremendous new opportunity for us to forge our way to higher, upper worlds. It is called progress. Maybe going to heaven, maybe going to Brahma Loka, or even turning towards God. Of course, God is the main route. So twofold purpose. To exhaust the results of our past Karma I, and every single second is a new opportunity for us to train ourselves to move forward. That is very, very important. That is why it is said, Uthishthata, Jagrata, Prapyavarana, Nibodhata. Only when we have this human birth, we can wake up from this long past dream, and we can become alert. What is alertness? Jagrata. What am I doing? Am I moving towards my goal? Or am I stuck? Or am I going, in fact, backwards? So that opportunity to quesitate, to think deeply, and to come to a right understanding, like a diagnosis by a doctor. Then only the real curation will really help us. So this is the purpose. And then what should we do? Prapyavarana, Nibodhata. We are going to talk about it very soon in our Gospel class. Approach those who know, and find out what you want to know, and move forward. And there is also not only bodily suicide, there is another type of suicide, which is mentioned in the third mantra of the Isavasya Upanishad, असुर्या नामते लोका अन्धेन तमसा उरुताः तान्ते प्रेत्य अभिगच्छन्ते एकेच आत्महनोजनाः आत्महनाः That is committing spiritual suicide. And it is also called by another name, प्रग्ञा अपराधः Not awakening to the reality, and not moving forward and upward. प्रग्ञा means our intelligence. अपराधः means crime. If we do not develop our latent potential powers, mental powers, intellectual powers, aesthetic powers, moral powers, and spiritual powers, if we do not do that, we waste our time. That is a horrible thing. We are wasting our time. And this opportunity is set. We don't know whether we are going to get a human birth next time. Even birth as a Devata is not going to help us. And if we go into the Adho Lokas, lower worlds, it is not possible at all. So those births, those who neglect spiritual progress, partake of the nature of the Asuras, and are enveloped in blinding darkness, after leaving the body, who kill their Atma, really Atman cannot be killed, what it means is misused life, they have to suffer a lot. That is the answer to the fourth question. What are the consequences? One, by committing suicide, we are cutting our life, we have not completed our journey, so we have to be reborn. The repercussion is usually such a person will be born as a Bhuta, as a ghost, as a ghoul, etc. What is a Bhuta? Bhuta is a physical body that is not there. Mind is there. Mind is full of desires. It wants to fulfil. But just imagine, somebody binds your hands, and then there is a terrible itching sensation. If you had freedom, you could have scratched yourself and got some relief. But terrible itching, unbearable itching, but you can't do. And that itching means what? Terrible amount of desires troubling the mind. There is no instrument, the physical instrument, to fulfil our desire. That is the consequence. And there is a beautiful story. It is worth remembering many times. Why is it worth remembering? Because it happened to the sister of Sri Ramakrishna, first of all. Secondly, we cannot see any Devata. We can't see ghosts also. But it is a fact of life. We can only have, until we have directly, our own experience. And if any one of us have seen a ghost, we are the most spiritually advanced persons in the world. Why? Because once you see a ghost, in the name of God, Mantra Chaitanya, automatically you will be taking the name of God with the greatest earnestness and sincerity. Oh God, if you don't save me, I think this ghost is going to make me another ghost. So, this is why one should never commit suicide. So, the journey has to be completed. The Prarabdha Karma has to be exhausted. But unfortunately, we have the freedom to wreck the very vehicle in which we are travelling. And we are stuck there. And we have to complete the journey. So, many times we may have to be born as a punishment or this kind of thing. That is why this is the consequence. Now, what is the last question? This is a very important question. And most people do not understand it. Can one find fault with a mind that is depressed and commits suicide? Very interesting question. Can we find fault? Why has this person committed suicide? He committed suicide. Why? Because he was depressed. Depression means so much of suffering. It is impossible for that person. Even if he doesn't have any hope, a ray of hope, he thinks there is no hope. So, what is the cause of suicide? Depression. Is it really depression? I would say no. Hinduism says no. Why? Because depression is a state of mind. Depression is a state of the mind. Happiness is a state of the mind. Unhappiness is a state of the mind. Enthusiasm is a state of the mind. So, why did this person become depressed? Because deliberately, the person started developing, cherishing, loving, nourishing negative thoughts. That is the reason. So, slowly, the more, Oh, I am so unfortunate. Oh, I don't have any opportunity. And all these things. Just how do we know this is a fact? How do we know? Because what is it that we think makes us negative events in life? I am born in a poor family. What is the argument now? How many great people were born in rich families? Many of them are born in very poor families, very common type of families, and yet they rose to the very heights of humanity. How did they do it? By cherishing great ideals in their minds. They trained their minds never to think about depression, etc. I will give you a funny incident, which I have narrated many times, but it doesn't matter. And then I will come to that story of Sri Ramakrishna. One Swami, Shardanandaji, direct disciple of Sri Ramakrishna, was travelling with another devotee on a boat crossing the Ganga. At mid-Ganga, there was a huge storm arose, and the boat was being tossed so violently, almost certainly everybody feared this is going to be the end. After all, even if a person knows a bit of swimming, that is not going to help. And we are at the shore, perhaps it can help. But in the middle of the Ganga, especially near Calcutta, a huge, nearly half a mile width was there. And it was terrible. The current was a very, very fast current. So, Swami Shardanandaji was sitting there, and he had a hubble-bubble with him. You know, the Nawabs used to smoke. It makes a gada-gada sound. That is why it is called guda-guda. And he took it and stuffed some tobacco and started smoking. The devotee got wild. We are about to die, and you are starting this guda-guda. He took out the guda-guda and threw it into the Ganga. Fortunately, the boatmen were able to control it, and they reached safety. And then the devotee became very repentant, and he apologised and said, Swami, I am so sorry. I became very mad. That's why I threw it out. I could not see. But then tell me, I came to know you are going to die. So, why were you smoking? Calmly, Swami Shardanandaji replied, So I thought like this, anyway I am going to die, why not have a nice smoke and then die, if at all I have to die. What is the point of making this story? The point is that depression or elation, all these feelings in the mind, and we have the tremendous opportunity to develop what we call very positive, happy thought. That is why even Time magazine, one time had published a beautiful article about 30 years back, I was in the UK. I collected that. Unfortunately, I have misplaced it or lost it somewhere, on happiness. And they said happiness is a matter of habit of thinking. Same circumstances, some people take it very positively, some people take it very negatively. And happiness is a state of the mind. So, what is the point? The point is that same events can make a person either depressed or elated. It has nothing to do with the event. It is how we react to it, how we develop our thoughts. Should I be depressed? Then we decide. At any given opportunity, I am going to be depressed. And the other person, at any given opportunity, I am going to be a master over it. So, what am I trying to convey to you? Suicide is not because of depression. Depression, of course, yes, indirectly. Depression is deliberately cultivated. Whether it is our physical body or it is what is called mind, what type of body, what type of birth, what type of mind, what type of intelligence, everything depends upon our Prarabdha Karma. What does that mean simply? It means we are the architects of our own life. So, if anybody has developed, indirectly it is said it is the depression, but directly it is said our stupid habit, negative habit of cherishing, meditating negative thoughts. That is why once a devotee came and asked one of our Swamis, please teach me meditation. Swami said, you are an expert in meditation. I don't need to teach you meditation. The devotee was shocked. I don't know anything about meditation. Swami said, what are you talking about? Your very face shows how expert you are in meditation. What do you mean? He said, you look so depressed. Then what does it mean? That stupid, idiotic devotee did not understand it. So, he said, you are meditating so deeply upon worry. Your face developed wrinkles and it looks so worried. Anybody with the iota of intelligence can immediately recognize here is a fellow, very depressed fellow, worried fellow. So, what is meditation? Deep thinking and becoming one with that thought. In this case, it happens to be a very destructive, negative thought. Now, what is the remedy? Simple. Once you understand this is not right, then slowly turn back. I can teach you how to turn your meditative expertise from negativity to positivity. That I can do. I don't need to teach the art of meditation because your whole personality, your whole body, this is not a fun, this is a fact. Each one of our bodies is because of we meditated deeply, this is what I want to become. So, what one thinks continuously, that is what he becomes. If somebody is thinking, I am a monkey, what do you think he will become? A monkey only. Now, earlier I mentioned what we become, a ghost. This was an incident. Very briefly, I will mention it to you. These are all facts of life. We have to understand it. Once, Shudram came to know his daughter, first Ramkumar, then Katyayani. She was married and she was behaving oddly. So, he suspected something. He went and then he found she was possessed. Immediately, he addressed, why are you troubling my daughter? Leave her immediately. And then the reply came, of course, you know, through the mouth of his own daughter. Because possession means as if like artificial intelligence. I will come to that later on. So, it is just like that. Through the voices of his daughter, but the thoughts belong to that possessed person. What did this person do? This person, he said, I am a Brahma Rakshasa, that means a Brahmana leading, who led a very very evil life. After death, he becomes a Brahma Rakshasa and I am suffering terribly and I know there is a way out. That way is, if a great person like you offer your prayers to me at Gaya, Pindadana, then I will be free. And Shudram was moved and he promised, I will definitely go to Gaya and I will offer Pindadana on your behalf. But how do I know you are going to be released? For that, the Brahma Rakshasa said that the moment you offer prayers, I will be released, I know it. But there is a huge mango tree in front of your house at Kamarpako, all of a sudden, a huge living branch, as if somebody had cut it into two, it falls to the ground and by that you come to know. Now actually it has happened, Shudram went to Gaya and that is when he performed all these Pindadanas, etc. And then when he was there, suddenly this big huge branch fell down in front of the house at Kamarpako. Later on when he returned, Shudram came to know about it. Now Shudram, he went to Gaya, he performed not only for that Brahma Rakshasa, and whatever Shudram does, he was a truthful person. He sincerely offered and a sincere person praying for this Brahma Rakshasa, it is bound to give the results that through that Pindadana, this person's sins have been completely atoned and he became free. And then as he predicted, that branch had fallen. And then Shudram also had offered Pindadana to his own ancestors and he had a vision of his ancestors and they were all highly pleased and they showered their innumerable blessings upon him. Suddenly he had the vision of Gaya Vishnu and then Gaya Vishnu bestowed his grace upon him and then he said, I am going to be born as your son. Why did I bring this subject? Because a little bit of fun. What is the fun? The birth of Shri Ram Krishna because of this Brahma Rakshasa. That is the point. A little bit fun as I told you. So, very very important. Now, I mentioned about AI, Artificial Intelligence. I will come to that point. I hope I have answered this question. Suicide is Mahapapa. This body is meant for two purposes, to exhaust our Prarabdha Karma. If we have done something wrong and we are bound to suffer but this suffering should wake us up and then we have to understand I was responsible. I don't want to suffer. I will change my life from now onwards. Every fall has a great lesson for us to teach. That is why, failure is a ladder to success. There is a kind of saying in English language. Absolutely true. Second purpose I mentioned is a fresh opportunity. What I did in the past I cannot undo. But what I am going to do in future, it lies. Future means not tomorrow. Future means next second because we don't know next second what is going to happen. With this, what is the thing? However, what is called bad or not helpful circumstances or events outside even if somebody is born blind or whatever it is, we can counter it. These are the physical events. We should learn the art of countering them. In today's psychology, this is called Cognitive Behavioral Therapy. CBT. It is highly useful. That is what spiritual life really is. CBT. We bring about a change not in the external events but how we can respond in a most helpful manner so that by that very act we can reduce our mental suffering. Event we have no control but how much we have to suffer depends upon all these things. There is a beautiful Gita. There are so many Gitas are there. Not only Bhagavad Gita, there is Ahamsa Gita, Kapila Gita, Bhikshu Gita, etc. In Bhagavatam, there is a Bhikshu Gita. A person who was extraordinarily miserly. Later on, he was thrown out and he suffers terribly. Indescribable type of suffering. Insults by other people. People used to spit into his bowl where he collected some food. People used to urinate into that food. Oh, now Amruta has been added to it. Now you will enjoy your food, etc. But by that time, he cured himself through CBT. This is all the resultant of the type of evil life I have led. I neither gave happiness to myself much less to other people. And I am happy. God is helping me. Finally, his whole mind turned towards God. Needless to say, he attained God. This is called Bhikshu Gita. I recommend wholeheartedly. It is available in the Bhagavatam. Very, very important point here. This is the I have dealt with. Now let us go back to our at least a little bit, few minutes. Sunday, April 9, 1882. We are continuing from the last class. Sri Ramakrishna was seated with his devotees in the drying room of Pranakrishna Mukherjee's house in Calcutta. It was between 1 and 2 o'clock in the afternoon. So, having heard what was the difference between what is the way, that means, what is the duty and what should we do. That was the question of the devotee subject. And then Sri Ramakrishna says, Prayer and holy company and earnest longing. Prayer and holy company and earnest longing to realize God. In that context, I have discussed difference between prayer and japa. Prayer is both mantra japa and an earnest request to contact directly. Japa is the interpretation of Bhagawan's name. And you please go back. I explained adequately there and elaborately also. Now Sri Ramakrishna continues. And in this gospel Sri Ramakrishna is not called merely Sri Ramakrishna Master. Prayer and the company of holy men. You cannot get rid of an ailment without the help of a physician. But it is not enough to be in the company of religious people only for a day. You should constantly seek it for a disease has become chronic. If the disease is one day old, it can be gotten rid of very quickly. But if it is years and years together, we should never expect the cure also will be years and years together. So Sri Ramakrishna advises that you should seek to be in the company of religious people. Be very careful. There are billions of religious people all over the world. Most out of the 7.5 billion people, I would say more than 7 billion people are religious people. That is not what Sri Ramakrishna meant. Spiritual people, that means they possess Shraddha, they believe in God and then they want to attain to God or if you don't like the word God, a higher state of the mind. So, it is not enough for a day because the disease has become chronic. So the remedy also should be, permanent remedy should be there. And this is very, very important. I will come to that. Again, you can't understand the pulse rightly unless you live with a physician. Very, very deep meaning, at least for me and it is a meditation for me. Moving with him here in this illustration with a physician constantly, you learn to distinguish between the pulse of phlegm and the pulse of bile. You hold your own pulse, somebody else's pulse and you will see that there is no difference. But an expert physician can find out whether it is Kapha, Pitta or Vata or whatever it is and prescribe the right remedy. Now what is very important is how long should we seek company until we realize God. It is very necessary. Once we realize God, God will be our constant holy company. We don't need anything else. What does Ramakrishna mean by this? You can't progress in spiritual life unless you live with a higher spiritual person or Guru here. Moving with him constantly because a Guru is called Bhavaroga Vaidya. So I salute Bhavesham, the Lord of the Universe who is a Bhavaroga because he is free and only a free person can free the bound persons. So a physician is a Guru. Moving with a Guru, continuously taking his advice because not only the Guru is a person who just gives some Upadesham by observing that person's life. That is the real holy company. People will become holy. What does holy company do? Company can make us either holy or unholy but continuously until we have constant company of Bhagawan Himself. One learns to distinguish between the pulse of limb and the pulse of body. What does it mean? What is an evil thought? What is a good thought? Even one small littlest, what is called acorn plant will grow into a huge plant and can topple a huge building. Similarly one pulse, here impulse, can bring the whole life of even thousands of years of Tapasya like Vishwamitra had done to the end. Last class after reading this I promised three examples Shri Ramakrishna and Lemon. What is it? A physician prescribed for Shri Ramakrishna's physical ailment because even an Avatar Purusha can have ailments. Buddha suffered from terrible stomach pain, etc. So near the next to Dakshineshwar there was a garden and in that garden plenty of lemons were there and Shri Ramakrishna obtained permission and then one lemon used to be brought. One day a devotee went and brought the same lemon but that day Shri Ramakrishna could not touch it. Then he wanted to know why I could not touch it. Everyday I was happily taking one. On enquiry it was found that previous day the garden had changed hands. It was sold to somebody else. But the same watchman was there and he knew Shri Ramakrishna and the devotee so he did not mind anybody taking. So many lemons fall down. Even monkeys do not touch lemons. But Shri Ramakrishna knew the permission was taken from the previous owner not the owner. This is called practice of truthfulness. This is the illustration of it and this is the quality we have to develop if we are living in the company of a really spiritual person. Second, once Swami, future Swami Premananda called Baburao Maharaj slept in the room of Shri Ramakrishna at about midnight. Suddenly they came out awake. Why? Shri Ramakrishna was naked and he was moving very fast from one side to the other side shouting, Ma, Ma, I don't want this. I spit upon it. I don't want name and fame. Don't offer them to me. And then Baburao Maharaj understood. There was another devotee. We don't know what he understood but Baburao Maharaj understood that people give up their life for the sake of being recognized, name and fame and all those things. Oh my God! If I expound upon it, it will be disgusting. The most what you call modern cine actresses especially how much they sell their bodies and minds just to be flashing their flesh on the cinema screen for a little bit of money, etc. How much damage they are doing to themselves, only God knows. I don't want to go into that. But for the sake of name and fame, to become a celebrity, people they will give up God. What was Sri Ramakrishna doing? I spit upon it, I spit upon it. And for the whole life, Baburao Maharaj used to say that day Sri Ramakrishna taught me how to look down upon this name and fame and craving for recognition, etc. That is the story. And once Sri Ramakrishna, who served Sri Ramakrishna, suggested to him that uncle, you pray for siddhis, means special powers. And Sri Ramakrishna sometimes was like a small baby and he thought maybe there is something in it. So he went and said, Ma, Kride asked me to beg you for siddhis. And immediately Sri Ramakrishna had a vision. Remember, all visions are not of divine visions. Suddenly he had a vision. What was the vision? A huge fat prostitute was relieving herself, answering calls of nature and Sri Ramakrishna saw in a vision a backside huge lump of filth was flowing from her body. Thereby the Divine Mother taught him the lesson, if anybody acquires any siddhis, all siddhis are like this only, filth. Because the whole samsara is nothing but filth, really speaking. And Sri Ramakrishna said, Kride, why did you teach me? I will never again listen to your words. I had to go through the agony of experiencing this horrible vision, all because of this. So visions can be of bhutas, pretas, pisachas, rakshasas. Vision will be every evil dictator will be having a vision. So don't think every vision is a divine vision. That is thoughts concretized is called a vision. Thoughts concretized can also be called day, what we call dreams, concrete thoughts. If it is not concrete, it is called day dream. If it is concrete, it is called night dream. This is the difference. So the devotee asking, because Sri Ramakrishna advised to cultivate holy company, what is the good of holy company? Master, it begets yearning for God. It begets love of God. Nothing whatsoever is achieved in spiritual life without yearning. By constant living in the company of holy men, the soul becomes restless for God. This yearning, they like the state of mind of a man who has someone ill in the family. His mind is in a state of perpetual restlessness, thinking how the sick person may be cured. I want to illustrate with this. That's why earlier I told. Why do people become fanatics? Because their parents were fanatics. Why were the people fanatics? Because they cultivated the company of fanatics. So they became fanatics and they were convinced. They don't say we are fanatics. Those who do not believe in what we believe, they are fanatics. But this is the state of the mad cap believes. Everybody else is mad, excepting himself. So fanatics, a Muslim fanatic, or a Vaishnava fanatic, etc. They believe that there is no other path, that the other people are what is called atheists, nastikas. Because they don't call God by the name by which I call him, or do not follow the practices I practice. How did they become fanatics? Company. That is the point. Why today's people have become dolls, what you call fashion. Many times I said, what is fashion? Nobody knows what is fashion. Why am I dressing? Because I see my neighbours dressing. Ask them, why are you dressing like this? Oh, because I saw my neighbours. I see the other person, the other person sees me. We don't know the reason. We think this is the right thing. That is the effect of company. This is called fashion. But if it is mere dressing, it would have been a blessed thing. But to what extent we go, we criticise people really and think that we are right. The way people dress, the way people listen to types of music, the way people talk certain subjects continuously, all because of that. Say, take a simple example. Take out one baby from the family of such people whom I have been describing now and bring it to a very pure and pious and religious family. You will see the effect of the company. You will see that he becomes like the company. So, you tell me who your friends are, I will tell you who you are. Tell me what books you are reading, I will tell you what type of thoughts you are cherishing. This is the reason today's people, they do not care to cultivate company. This is a marvellous age. Even if we don't get them on the internet, marvellous things are there. Good as well as evil things. Take the good things, but we must never discriminate. So, satsanga is very important. I want to mention it. What about artificial intelligence? Very beautiful word. Artificial intelligence is artificial intelligence, not real intelligence. It is negative intelligence and that is manifesting through the TV, through the PC, etc. And in the future, people will not have the buddhi, even to most people. Some people will have, because of the past samskaras. That is, we cannot independently exercise our buddhi, intelligence, to come to the right conclusion. And how our brains are being washed through newspapers, through TVs, etc. And people are behaving in a most evil way because of that. But if the same company can be changed, they will be changed company. So, what is spiritual life? Discriminating. What is helping me to become a good person, a wise person, a happy person. Sat, chit, ananda. That is called good company. Marvellous thoughts. We will talk about it in our future class. May Ramakrishna, Holy Mother and Swami Vivekananda bless us all with bhakti. Ramakrishna.