Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna Lecture 112 on 21-May-2024

Full Transcript (Not Corrected)

Before we start today's class, there is a very interesting question. Actually it is a very beautiful question, very deep question also. And at the same time, I have dealt with this question in my past many times. And even last class also, what we have been discussing is exactly the same thing. So what was the question of this devotee? The Master says that Bhakti goes further and deeper than Jnana. Then on the next page itself, Sri Ramakrishna says that Bhakti is the state where the form of God can reveal itself. But it is only with Jnana that Brahman can be experienced. So do we see a contradiction in these two statements? First of all, are there two things called Bhakti and Jnana? Paths, two margas. Bhakti Marga, Jnana Marga, Bhakti Yoga, Jnana Yoga. No, as I said, I have dealt with it very elaborately. But let us recollect. The first confusion comes because Jnana and Jnana Marga are two different issues totally. Jnana is another name for God. Jnana Marga is the path by which some people tread or do sadhana in a particular way. For example, they study Vedanta Shastras and by that we don't mean only Advaita Vedanta. Because even Ramanujacharya and others also, we are only distinguishing between them. But our path is God only. Our goal is God. Our path is also going towards God. Small differences are there. So Shravana, Manana, Nidhidhyasana. What is the Jnana Marga speciality? So they do not usually accept personal God. They believe that the impersonal, Nirguna Brahma is the ultimate goal. And when that Nirguna Brahma appears in the form of this world, the people, remember, who are following the path of Jnana Yoga, they choose to call this world Mithya, unreal. That is what Shri Ramakrishna wants to correct. Whereas the goal of Bhaktas or Yogins, that is Raja Yogins or Karma Yogins, any Yogins, it doesn't really matter. The goal is the same. We want to know the truth. We want to know who I am. We want to be free from the limitations of this body-mind. We want to become one with God. That is everywhere it is accepted that Mukti, liberation, is the goal of life. Concept about God may differ. But concept about Mukti doesn't differ at all, even though sometimes conflicting types of words are used. But Swami Vekananda, in his lectures on Bhakti Yoga, says that these differences, that is, the paths that one pursues, they seem to be different and they are slightly different, but it is only at the beginning stage. So Bhakti is divided into two categories. Gona Bhakti or Beginning Bhakti or Immature Bhakti. And then in the end he says, Bhakti is knowledge, Bhakti is Gnanam and Gnanam is Bhakti. And as I said, I am only summarizing what I have been teaching all this time. So what is this Gnanam? Means what goal do we want to be free? So can a devotee, without knowledge, can he progress in Bhakti Yoga? Or can a Gnani or traversing the path of, treading the path of Gnana Marga, can he be devoid of Bhakti? As I said, a Bhakta emphasizes on the certain forms of God, Saguna Brahma. But the goal, remember, is only Mukti. A Gnani emphasizes Nirguna Brahma. What is the concept of Nirguna Brahma? Can we really, can the mind really think of the impersonal aspect of God? Can we think of anything abstract? Impossible. So the Gnani, what does he do? In fact, he is also a Bhakta only. He has a tremendous Bhakti, but he condenses the whole of the forms of God into the form of his Guru, Guru Bhakti. So for him, Guru Brahma, Guru Vishnu, Guru Devo Maheshwara. And that Bhakti for the Guru is the most essential factor to progress for a Gnani in his path of Gnana Marga. So there is no contradiction. That is the first point. What is the point? Gnanam is equated with God. Gnana Marga, how to reach God, how to reach that supreme knowledge, real knowledge. And the real knowledge, according to Sri Ramakrishna or according to anybody for that matter, another name for that Gnanam is called Mukti. Mukti, Gnanam, Shanti, Samadhi, Moksha, same words. The meaning is the same. The concept is the same. Descriptions only create confusion. We want to be free. We want to be infinite. We want to be all the time happy. And we don't want any death. So Asato Maa Sadgamaya, Tamaso Maa Jyotirgamaya, Mrutyor Maa Mrutangamaya. Whether he is a Bhakta, whether he is a Gnani, whether it is a mosquito or whether it is a man, whether it is a Pandit or an illiterate person, it is exactly the same thing. There is no difference at all. This prayer is spontaneous, natural, unceasing. Even for one millisecond or millisecond, no man thinks, Oh, I can die. It is only natural. I can be unhappy and I can be ignorant. I can be foolish. No. So eternal life, infinite life, ever happy life, unbroken happiness, that is called Mukti. And people go on quarrelling without understanding it. So what is the point? Point is, as Swami Vivekananda says, the paths are slightly different, but the goal is exactly the same. So he concludes this Bhakti Yoga talks, what we call Parabhakti and Parajnanam are exactly one and the same. They are not even what we call two sides of a coin. They are just exactly one. A coin can have two sides, must have two sides, but these two are not. They are two different names for something that is indescribable. So there is no contradiction. Then what is our problem? We, from the Bhakti's point of view, emphasize the forms of God. So we think that Bhakti is related only with Saguna Brahma and Jnanam is related only to the Nirguna Brahma. And just now I have explained this one that these two do not stand. A Jnani, he wants to think about Nirguna Brahma. But he starts his journey with tremendous Bhakti to the Guru, tremendous Shraddha in the scriptures. Guru, Shastra, Vakyeshu, Satya Buddhi, Avadharana. So we have to understand there is no contradiction. But slightly paths are different. But Shri Ramakrishna says something very important. Can any person travel the path of knowledge or Bhakti according to his choosing? No. So first of all, again I am recollecting to all of us, there are four faculties in every living creature, including Amoeba. There is emotion, there is activity, there is willpower, and there is knowledge. Though all the four faculties must be there, otherwise journey or consciousness cannot travel. But according to our observation, different people manifest different faculties more dominantly. For example, somebody wants to be always active because Rajoguna is more. Maybe desires are also more. And some people, they are having more emotion. So for those who cannot keep quiet, Karma Yoga is best. For those in whom emotion is more, so collect all the emotions, withdraw all the emotions. Now it is very much divided a little bit towards father and mother, wife and husband, children, friends, country, religion, job, etc., etc. So collect all that and make it as big as possible and direct it towards God. That is called Bhakti. So Bhava, Bhava means emotion, must become Bhakti. Similarly, there are people who do not think too much about forms, etc., and they don't have too much of these emotions also. Then they don't want to also be restless, but they have the faculty to focus their mind and delve deep. These are called Rajayogins, those who have sufficient control over their mind. So for such persons, Rajayoga is the way. But there are some people where intellect is very dominant, they can think very deeply and they have tremendous faith in the formless, quality-less aspect of God, Nirpuna Brahma, and they have tremendous Bhakti towards the Guru. So slightly different path. So Gnana and Bhakti, there is not much difference there. Both are paths and as paths, we are apt to quarrel with each other. That is not right. And then next point, we have to understand which is that faculty which is most prominent in most of us. Definitely emotion. That is why we react towards everything, whether it is food, whether it is a drink, whether it is a dress, whether it is what type of color our dress should have, our window curtain should have. Everything completely, we become emotional. And so Bhakti Marga is easier for those who are easily overcome by emotions. But the condition is, there must be Tyaga. Tyaga means what? Give up. That is, don't go on breaking the faculty called emotion into a billion pieces. A little bit towards this, that, the other thing. That means give up Tyaga and it becomes enormous. Then direct it towards God. Sadhana is nothing but, if intellect is divided, then withdraw it, make it firm, make it one-pointed. If it is mind control, make it one-pointed. If it is activity, then make it one-pointed. If it is emotion, make it one-pointed. Sadhana is nothing but that. So Sairam Krishna says, for most of us, whether it is Satya Yoga or Kali Yoga, emotion is more dominant and is the most natural thing. What we call now songs on love, go on in the cinema, in the newspaper, everywhere. So Bhakti is a state where the Bhakti itself forces God, that is to say, our state of mind, it wants to imagine God in a particular form. And that is what Sairam Krishna puts it in a very pleasing way. God assumes the form. What does it mean? So if your specks are yellow color and whatever you perceive is forced to be of yellow color only. So is God absolute? That depends upon the focus of your mind. Is God with form? And that also depends upon how you look upon it, God. Because God is a concept in the mind. Remember that. When we are thinking of God, we don't know what God really is. We are only focusing upon our understanding of God, our concept of God. Some thoughts, some people think He is absolute without form and I cannot understand how any mind can think because mind means form. And that which is viewed with the or through the lens of the mind cannot but be a form only. So just as Sairam Krishna himself gives, if a man has got jaundice, he sees everything as yellow. He can't help it. But is the thing yellow? Maybe a few things are yellow, but everything else is not yellow. But it is the person who sees. It's a very interesting question now. How does an yellow object appear to a jaundiced person? If you ever have any experience, please come back to me because I never had that experience. So there is no this thing. Does Jnana go deeper than Bhakti? Absolutely no. Bhakti also can go deeper. Jnana also can go deeper. Bhakti can be shallow. Jnana can be shallow. But if our desire for Mukti, for liberation is strong, that is why Sairam Krishna has come to resolve every kind of conflict and bring established harmony. There is disharmony, conflict between different types of Yogas. Bhaktas quarrel with Jnanis. Jnanis of course look contemptuously at Bhaktas. Hinduism is nothing but multifarious sects trying to belittle every opposing party and what is called make greater whatever a person is holding. These are all concepts in the mind. Now I will also ask you a simple question that put this question whether Bhakti is greater or Jnana is greater in your deep sleep. Then you will understand what I am talking about. So this is a very beautiful question. There is no contradiction. But Bhakti is like a small child. Become like a small child. I should not say he is making fun of Jnanis. Sri Ram Krishna described a Jnani to the young one of a monkey. I don't know whether a mature monkey will be less restless but certainly a young monkey will be absolutely. A baby of a baby monkey is compared to a Jnani by Sri Ram Krishna. Don't blame me. And the young one of a kitten, it is compared to a Bhakta. So you see in your family also when a child is grown up and then sufficiently grown up he says mom you arrange my room. He says you fellow you are grown up and you have time for everything even for internet games etc. Now you go and arrange your own room. Does she ask the same question of a baby? You arrange your own bed. So this is called the attitude of a kitten. It solely depends upon the mother. And Sri Ram Krishna's final word upon realization or Mukti is without God's grace it is impossible to attain Mukti. And a devotee deliberately chooses I want to surrender myself. And remember surrendering to God is not a mere word of mouth. It requires tremendous amount of self-effort. That's why I will remind you. A Bhakta is one or a Sadhaka is one Bhakta or Jnani who is traversing as if a man is walking on the razor edge. It is like they putting every footstep on the edge of a razor. There is Bhakta or anybody. So a person who has faith in God surrenders to God and always demanding for worldly fulfillment is not considered really a Bhakta. He is a Bhakta of the world not Bhakta of God. He is misusing God for his own purposes. So this is very important first to understand. A Jnani also can be a dry Jnani but a true Bhakta, a true Jnani these are two separate paths and the paths are indicated because of the dominance of particular type of faculty and the another point we have to it is not that we can separate one faculty from the other. All the four will always be there with each person at all times. They are like four lanes of one motorway. You cannot separate them but if we can earnestly pray to God Oh God, I am a helpless person. I don't have that much strength. Please hold my hand. Grant me the strength and you take me up in your hands. As Ramakrishna illustrates a child who is walking holding father's hand in the field may slip down but if a baby is held by the father carrying the baby can clap his hands can move his hands and legs can try to dance and laugh but there is no danger because his complete confidence I am in the hands of my father. This is called Sharanagati. So even to please God is not a small thing. Is my action going to displease God? If it is going to displease God even if it gives me the greatest amount of joy I should give it up like virulent poison and then only a little bit of that faith in God comes. Then only God can save me. Then I take, I surrender to God. Then I transfer to God all my responsibilities. Really not thinking intellectually but if I am suffering it is God's will. Inshallah as Muslims say if I am happy also I don't become proud. I can be happy but I will not become proud. It is God's grace and everything is possible for God and it is God's grace that made me what I am and these are the six conditions of Sharanagati according to Ramanujacharya. Gop-trutva-varanam then transferring all one's responsibilities and then Karunya that is with that humility. These are the six qualities and our sadhana is how to attain to all these six qualities. So if anybody thinks I just prostrate and say I surrender myself to you and we will be doing it morning and evening or could you do it in the evening if you did it in the morning? So what is the conclusion to this question? They are not contradictory. Bhakti can also give us realization and mukti. Jnanam also can give realization and mukti. It depends upon the faculty which is dominant within us but after having said all these things according to Shri Ramakrishna most of us are only fit to tread the path of bhakti and that is what he says and then this is what a little quotation from the same pages etc. Shri Ramakrishna Bhakti may be likened to a woman who has access to the inner court of a house. Jnana can go only as far as the outer rooms. So Shri Ramakrishna is trying to simplify these concepts. So Jnana is compared to a grown-up person. So if there is a baby, you know in the olden days Jnana we call it. So the women folk will be inside the house. If a stranger comes he can't enter but a baby can run inside and outside. A woman can also go inside and outside. In fact we have to remember a funny incident in the life of Shri Ramakrishna. Shri Ramakrishna was at Kamarpakur. He was growing up. Perhaps he was 14 or 15 or like that. There was one neighbor. He was called Durganath bhai and he had grown up daughters. In those days the marriages of the daughters used to be performed very early. You must remember Holy Mother was married only when she was five years old. So quite young age. So the Durganath bhai, his brother was Sitanath bhai. Sitanath bhai was a great devotee of Shri Ramakrishna. That is Gadai. Even though the name Shri Ramakrishna had not become famous at that time. Everybody used to call it Gadai. Gadadhar, short and firm is Gadai. So this Gadai was an extraordinarily good entertainer. He could sing. He could imitate people and make people rush into peals of laughter. Helplessly people will be rolling and he could read books so beautifully with such a Gandharva Nindita Kantha that they really feel the depth of the emotions that the book is trying to convey. And in the villages, they used to employ pundits for reading books because most people were illiterate and this was our great what is called orthodox Hindus. How they tortured ordinary people, what we call servants or Shudras and then tortured the women also even forcing them to die along with their husbands. It is a gory history. I will not go into it. So some pundits with half-baked knowledge, they were employed to read and he becomes proud that he was the world's greatest scholar. Whereas when Gadai reads, sings, plays, people used to be next and the slightest consciousness that he is a male and we are female never used to rise in the minds of the people because Shri Ramakrishna was so pure. So he was freely mixing with the daughters of Sita Nath Pai and Durga Das Pai. Sita Nath Pai used to think he is the incarnation of God but this Durga Nath Pai, he was very strict, orthodox and now the boy has grown up. He should not mix with girls inside. Shri Ramakrishna wanted to teach him a good lesson and by that time he was a very major actor and he could act like a man, like a woman, like an old man, like an old woman, young baby. He was multi-talented. Probably, I don't know whether he could be also a ventriculist. So one day he dressed himself as a woman when it was dusk and then covering himself with a sari. I don't know, don't ask me where he got the sari and then he entered, said, you see, my village is far away. My companions have left. I have come to sell something and now I cannot go alone. Will you give me permission? He asked in a womanly voice and Durga Das Pai, he could not at all recognize Gadai, his beloved Gadai. Then he said, go inside and talk with the woman if they allow. So this fellow entered and talked to them as if and he was observing everything. First time perhaps he entered into that house and the women were taken. Men cannot recognize a woman. That was a wonder of wonders whom they are seeing every day but even the woman with whom he was mixing, they could not find out. He spoke nicely and he was having gala of a time. They gave him some good sweetmeats and he was enjoying free and his brother seeing that it was getting late at night, he came, started shouting, Gadai, where are you? Because Gadai can be anywhere. He could be in this Meshana. He could be in anybody's house. God alone knows where he could be like Krishna. Actually, this was the enactment of Balakrishna's Leelas in Gokula and then Gadai heard it. He understood. His mother was anxious and because his father passed away, he didn't want to give any trouble to his mother especially. So he shouted in his normal voice, brother, don't worry, I am coming out and then everybody opened their mouth. This is our Gadai. Just imagine what a wonderful actor he was. Then Gadai taught, you see, the only protection for women is only their own devotion, modesty and good samskara but with strictness like Muslims want to control their women with burqa and all those things is not going to work out. So that is why Sri Ramakrishna is comparing Bhakti may be likened to a woman who has access to the inner court of a house. Jnana, that means the person has got a lot of self-consciousness can go only as far as the outer rooms. Then Sri Ramakrishna says a man may not know the right path but if he has Bhakti and the desire to know God then he attains Him through the force of sheer Bhakti. So we have to understand carefully what does Sri Ramakrishna mean by Bhakti. That is to say if a tremendous devotion to God, I want to have Mukti and a tremendous faith in Sharanagati, here Bhakti is not merely a sentiment. It is that highest knowledge that God can bestow His grace and He can save me. That is called Bhakti. That is why if a disciple has such a Bhakti towards the Guru, Guru Bhakti like Ekalavya, he became even a grander, greater archer than even Arjuna whom Dronacharya himself has. So one can attain God. That is what Sri Ramakrishna means. That Bhakti, once a person has true Bhakti, it goes beyond all bhavas. It takes one straight, only in the eyes of a true Bhakta, true Jnani, the only object that shines ever in the heart, lighting up his whole personality is the Divine Lord. And do we have any clue what is that kind of person's idea, concept about God? No, you cannot have. Just like you cannot understand the special relativity of Einstein unless you have mastered abstract maths. Therefore, we cannot understand. But these are pointers. And then Sri Ramakrishna illustrates it. Once a sincere devotee set out on a pilgrimage to the temple of Jagannath. But you know, he started travelling in the opposite direction. But God came in the form of somebody. Where are you going? Oh, I am going to Puri. No, no, this is not the right way. So you have to go in the opposite direction. And this is based perhaps on the Chandogya Upanishad. It is a beautiful story. Marvelous stories. That's why we have to move from Sri Ramakrishna to the Upanishads, etc. Even modern science. The story goes like that. A man was travelling in a forest and he was robbed and he was tied. He was blindfolded and the robbers went away. And then this man was there. Slowly, somehow, he heard. He was crying. Oh, I am blindfolded. I want to go back to my home. From where I started. And some other travellers who were travelling, treading the same path. They heard Christ came, opened this one and then he started. Where is Gandhara? My country. And then they pointed out. Go this way. Go this way. He started asking. Where is Gandhara? He moves further and then asks somebody and he directs further. He reaches that place. Asks further. Asking further. So what is this asking further? That asking further is the quest to visit this Jagannath Puri or to realise God. If a person has that sincerity, then he will reach. This is what he says. Sincerity is God shining within. And that sincerity guides any devotee. Even if he is a sinner also, he will become a saint. Nobody starts. The path to God starts only with the lowest quality. So even a sinner is only seeking God. Only he is seeking God in the wrong way. That's all. After all, a person who does so many sins, what does he want? I want to be happy. I want to live long time. And I have to possess these things. I don't have. So he might rob, steal, murder, etc. But the quest is only to be. That is important. And then, as I mentioned earlier, the Gnanis will be more emphasizing on formless aspect of God and the devotees on the form aspect. And we have formed. There are two aspects. One is called with form. Another is called without form. Sri Ramakrishna illustrates this beautifully. The Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna is a mine of the Vedas. In a simple verse, he wants to explain all the Upanishads better than the Upanishads. Why do I say better than the Upanishads? Svaral Kothai Sheekhalai. See, anybody who even with a Sanskrit knowledge wants to approach the Upanishads, they are very cryptic and then concise statements, sutras. And very difficult to make head or tail of that. But Sri Ramakrishna's words are so simple. Simple but with full of meaning. So Sri Ramakrishna is illustrating this one. Once upon a time, a sannyasi entered the temple of Jagannath. He wanted to find out whether God is with form or without form. So he took out a stick. He approached the image and he passed the stick from the right side of the image to the left side. And then he found the stick passed through the image as if there was nothing there. It was only space. Then he concluded God is without form. Form means obstruction. Then he wanted to double check. So he passed the staff from the right to the left. This time, as soon as the stick came to the image, it got stopped. Then he concluded God is with form. God is without form. What is Sri Ramakrishna's teaching? God can be with form or God is also without form. And when I say that God is with form, God is without form, I clarified it earlier. Please keep it in mind. It depends upon our thought. If our thought is God is with form, He is with form. If our thought is God is formless, He is formless. And Sri Ramakrishna clarifies that. But God is beyond both form and formlessness. Even these concepts of God with form and without form are one of the highest concepts about God. Only a sincere devotee can have. We are not talking about ordinary scholars. We are talking about some people trying to find out. There is a beautiful illustration given by Sri Ramakrishna based upon a real incident. There was a great pundit. I think pundit Gowri or some other. I forgot the name. He was the court pundit of Bhardwan. Once there was a controversy, arguments that Shiva is great or Vishnu is great. And he was a great pundit. And then he was asked, what is your opinion? And then he simply got up and said, my 14 generations have neither seen Shiva nor seen Vishnu. So without seeing either of them, I have not seen, my 14 generations have not seen. Because if anybody had seen, then they would have told me. But I never heard anything about it. So I don't know. I can't give any opinion about it. Sri Ramakrishna is telling that this scholar has understood everything rightly. But again, I want to emphasize. So even that concept, God is with form, is only a concept of human being. And I don't know how a person is going to think about God is formless. It is impossible for us. So long as we think any object in this world has a form, God also has a form. That is why I said that abstract ideas, abstract maths are very, very difficult to master. But there are some people who could master. But it can be expressed only through mathematical formula. So then Sri Ramakrishna concludes that naturally, a doubt arises in the mind. If God is formless, how then can He have form? Further, if He has form, why does He have form? So he says it is extremely to understand God. It is possible for God to be everything. So let us hold on to this idea. God can be anything. Sri Ramakrishna, these things do not become clear until one has realized a lot. This is what I have been trying to, struggling to convey. That even when I am trying to tell and you are trying to listen, unless both of us have attained to that real state, true understanding doesn't come. These are only again concepts. God assumes different forms and reveals Himself in different ways for the sake of His devotees. Because every devotee has a peculiar individual quality. But then how to know about God? Sri Ramakrishna says only he who constantly thinks of God can know His real nature. He alone knows that God reveals Himself in different forms and different ways. That He has attributes and again He has none. What is the important point here? It is only when God reveals Himself. And can you make God reveal Himself to you or to me? No, it is His sweet will. That is why Sri Ramakrishna continues. Yes, God has formed and again He has none. Do you know what it is? How it is? Like a Brahman, existence, knowledge, bliss, absolute is like a shoreless ocean. In the ocean, visible blocks of ice are formed here and there by intense cold. So therefore people compare bhakti, love of God to the cooling light of the moon and jnana or knowledge to the burning rays of the sun. But ultimately Sri Ramakrishna says in the samadhi that comes at the end of reasoning and discrimination, no such thing as I exists. But it is extremely difficult to attain it. The I-consciousness lingers so persistently. That is why a man is born again and again in this world. So with this, I hope to convey some other ideas also. But I am summarizing again. Bhakti and jnana are two different ways of thinking. And some people think one way, it is called bhakti. Some people think in another way, that is called jnana. The whole purpose is both the same. Keep the distinction, jnanam and jnanamargam. Jnanam is God. Margam is a path. Bhakti marga, jnana marga, slightly different concepts. But sadhana is the same. What is the sadhana? To get rid of the I. Whether jnani says, I merge my I in Brahman. Or whether a devotee says, I surrender myself. That means I merge my I in my concept of God. When the I comes to an end, then that is called mukti. And that is possible. So as Swami Vivekananda said, bhakti and jnana, there is absolutely no difference in the end. Para bhakti, para jnana are both one and the same. Two ways of thinking about God. Now we will do what little we can do. Visit to Vidyasagar. And in our last class, a devotee asked a question. Did not Shukadeva attain ultimate knowledge, the Ramakrishna? Some say that Shukadeva only saw Brahman and touched the ocean of Brahman. But did not dive deep into it. That's why he couldn't return and impart spiritual instruction. But according to some others, he returned after attaining the knowledge of Brahman in order to teach mankind. I have to remind here that once a river enters into the ocean, becomes one with it, we should not say the river returned. We should always say, what should we say? That is the ocean decided to come back in the form of the river. That is God only comes back and there is no individual. But because we see God in that old body and mind, we choose to call Him a realized soul, a Jeevan Mukta, etc. And therefore, according to others, he returned after having the knowledge of Brahman. He did not return. Brahman returned and assumes the form of that old body and mind for our sake. Because he had to narrate the Bhagavata to Parikshit. Parikshit means what? Each one of us, through bhakti, wants to reach God. That is called Bhagavatam. What is Bhagavatam? The story of Bhagawan is called Bhagavatam. Is there only bhakti there? There is bhakti, there is jnana, there is yoga, there is karma. Everything is there. And also teach people in various ways. So God did not merge His eyes altogether. Or to put it in another way, God gave him the knowledge but again kept back a little bit of the eye. So that he can retain the eye of knowledge but he wants to do something else. Every Jeevan Mukta has a function to fulfill. We may or may not understand what is the function. But it is there. In that connection, I narrated the story of Shweta Ketu. There was a great Brahma Jnani and he had a son called Shweta Ketu. So his father's name was Uddalaka. So when this boy was 12 years old, he called him and said, You have not shown any inclination to studies but in our family, those who did not obtain Brahma Jnana are very rare. So they do not exist. And I don't want somebody who is illiterate. So go to Guru and then learn from him. Funny thing is that this Uddalaka, he was a great Brahma Jnani. He himself could have become. But they have a special psychology. You go to some other Guru, then there will be some respect for him. Because once father and mother, there would not be so much of respect. So he was sent. He was a very intelligent boy. He stayed there for 12 years and he returned back after 12 years. So he was 12 years old when he went. So he came back 24 years old. A completely grown-up young man in the very bloom of his youth. And then he came back extraordinarily arrogant, proud. Because he must have shown as the best pupil of his Guru. And then the father instantaneously perceived. What do we do now? Nowadays, if any child obtains first class, first the father becomes even more prouder, arrogant than the son. But here is a Brahma Jnani and he perceived and he understood. This is not good. This Vidya is okay. But without Vinaya, Vidya Dadhati Vinayam, this boy is going to go, as they say, to dogs. Not God. Dog. Reverse. So he asked him, Swetha Ketu, you are so proud of your learning and say censorious. Means he must have spoken something because the story is very short. So he was probably criticizing including his Guru. I know better than my Guru, etc. But have you asked for that knowledge? By which we hear the unhearable. By which we perceive what cannot be perceived. And by which we know what cannot be known. And this fellow, of course, never heard about it. What is that knowledge, Sir? That's why he asked Swetha Ketu. My Guru never told me. So this fellow ventured his own opinion, judgment upon his Guru from whom he learnt for 12 years. This is what is called a guest enters into the house and then after eating, he is lying on his back and starts counting the beams on the house. And then say, why is your house so defective? It has got only so few beams. Finding fault instead of being grateful. So he started saying, I think my Guru did not know about it. Meaning, don't blame me. Blame the Guru. Because had he known, he would have conveyed it to me. This is the... This is how we have to understand from these hints given through this short story. What is that knowledge? That without hearing, you hear everything. You come to know everything. Without seeing, you come to know everything. Without thinking, you come to know everything. Without doing anything, you have complete, true, real knowledge. Is there such a knowledge at all? I never heard about it. So what cannot be hearable becomes hearable. What cannot be perceived becomes perceived. As if you have obtained that knowledge, what cannot be known becomes knowable. What is that knowledge, Sir? Had my Guru known, he would have said. That means he gave a categorical judgment about the Guru that the Guru was an ignoramus. He only taught something, but what you are asking did not reach. And then the story if we take from the Chandogya Upanishad, sixth chapter, this comes there, we will not make head or tail. Do you think any Brahma Gnani, let alone a Brahma Gnani, even an ordinary person, if somebody comes to you and says, and he belittles you and says, what do you know? Tell me about it. Will you open your mouth and teach a fellow? So if somebody comes and asks you, Sir, you teach me how to kill you. Will you be telling him how you can be killed by that fellow? So this son asked, please teach me. Father was a Brahma Gnani. Do you think it is some secret knowledge? So many people, they become selfish and they don't give their knowledge to anybody or secrets of their medicines or things like that. Only even an expert pickpocket will teach only to his son. He will not tell it to somebody else. So this person has asked him. Then the father started teaching him. Why did he teach him? Did he teach him immediately? This is where we have to insert commentary in between. No, the father said, you are not fit. You will have to become fit because even if I teach you something, you will never be able to understand it. So he must have been put like Prajapati put Indra to 101 years of hard tapasya. So Shweta Getu's father Uddalaka, Aruni, he must have trained him until Shweta Getu became bereft of any pride, egotism, became humble, what we call endowed with Sadhana, Chatursthaya, Sampatthi. And then when the right time came, Shweta Getu must have approached and said, Father, how wrong I have been to criticize my Gurus. Now some intelligence has crept into me. So I take refuge in you. Remember, this is not son and father relationship. This is teacher and taught relationship. This is called carrying Samitpani. Samitpani means the firewood to perform Yagnasi Agas, to kindle fire. Not to kindle, kindle fire. So what is the fire? What is the function of the fire? To destroy all the obstruction. So the father perceived at once, Now my son is ready to receive. We have to understand in between. Then only the teaching will start. And Shweta Getu, my child, So I am going to teach you. What is it? The very first thing he said was, As by knowing one lump of clay, all that is made of clay is known. So my child, is that supreme knowledge, knowing which we know all. It means what? Karanam is only one. Just as if we know, if we have the knowledge of clay, any product that comes out of clay, becomes clarified. So also gold. So also wood. That is by knowing God, the entire knowledge about Srishti also will come. What is that knowledge? Srishti is nothing but God. We will talk about these beautiful concepts in our next class.