Kaivalya Upanishad Lecture 04 on 28 October 2023

Full Transcript (Not Corrected)

We have been studying this beautiful Upanishad called Kaivalya Upanishad. As the very name indicates, Kaivalya or Moksha or complete freedom from the Samsara Sagara is what is meant by the word Kaivalya. Only that one Brahman was there. What about now? That one Brahman alone is there. It alone will be there because it is Kalatita, Deshatita. It is beyond all limitations of time, space and causation. So if that is the truth, that's our nature. And if that is true, then how can we attain to that? For that purpose, there was a very wise person. He must have attained fitness. He was the son of Ashvalayana called Ashvalayanaha. And he approached a great teacher. Even though Ashvalayana was himself a great Rishi, a composer of many mantras. As I mentioned earlier, I am not sure whether he composed these after attaining Brahma Jnana or before. Most likely after attaining Brahma Jnana. So before attaining the knowledge of Brahman, he has to approach a great teacher, none other than another realized soul. And who was that? None other than Brahma, the creator, also called Parameshti, also called Srishtikarta. Because everything comes from God. And this Brahma is none other than what we call Brahma, Vishnu, Maheshwara, Saguna Brahma, what Sri Ramakrishna used to call Shakti. What did this Ashvalayana do? Bhagavantam, he approached God himself. It is our tradition that we always address our Gurus as Bhagawan. That is the tradition which has become translated as Guru Brahma, Guru Vishnu, Guru Devo Maheshwara. Guru Saakshat Param Brahma. So he must have approached in the proper spirit. Bhagavantam upasamethya, approached. We discussed this point. Still, I wanted to remind ourselves of some very important points. How should a disciple really approach a proper Guru? And by the very way a person approaches, we can estimate whether that person is really an Adhikari Purusha. Upa means near. Samethya means having approached near, having come near. What does this come near mean? There were many people very near to Sri Ramakrishna, but none of them approached. None of them had received, including even his own nephew, Hridayaram. Not to speak of many people, even though there were some incidents where Sri Ramakrishna touched them or wished them. And they had extraordinary visions, experiences. But as we say that a bitter gourd will remain bitter gourd even if it goes along with its possessor to all the four charidham. So these people remained the same. But from distance, some people came as soon as they came. Sri Ramakrishna recognized these are my people. And among them also, those who are extremely near and those who are a little bit nearer. As I said, Antaranga, those belong to my inner circle and rest of them outer circle. So how did he approach? As the Upanishads, Samyit Parni means I am prepared to sacrifice my life, to burn out my life just as firewood is burned for the sake of God realization. But strictly following the path that has been indicated to me only by you, not by anybody else. So with such a spirit of complete Shraddha and concentration and self-control, naturally the response also will come automatically. There is a beautiful incident in the life of Sri Ramakrishna. One day he was speaking with some devotees. Quite a large number of devotees were there and they also have brought quite varieties of food material. A poor devotee, a woman devotee came. She could afford only to buy four rasagullas and it was her earnest wish that Sri Ramakrishna should partake of them. And seeing so many people and very rich, some of them quite well-to-do people and what they brought, she felt very shy and went to Nahabad. No, I think Holy Mother wasn't there and she started weeping bitterly. Suddenly during the conversations, Sri Ramakrishna got up and went to Nahabad and as if he was searching for somebody. And then after a few seconds he saw this lady and he approached her and said, Quickly give me something to eat, I am extremely hungry. And she was so joyful, her heart's desire has been fulfilled. Immediately she gave and all the four rasagullas he ate immediately. Now we have to understand, when Sri Ramakrishna accepts, when God accepts something, He will not simply only take, He will give a billion times more. He must have blessed, may you have devotion. As Chaitanya Mahaprabhu had blessed a three-year-old girl called Narayani, may you have devotion. Immediately this small baby started chanting Hare Rama Hare Krishna, Krishna's name. Tears were flowing from her eyes. What she understood, only Chaitanya Mahaprabhu knows, God alone knows. But such are the infallible blessings of great souls. So if somebody is honest, sincere, Shraddhavantaha, every desire will be fulfilled. Not to speak of the Pramagnanam. Because what God cannot give, there is no such thing. He can give everything. He wants to give everything. But it depends upon us, what we want, how much we are prepared to receive, how much we are able to transform our life as a result of it. Having approached, how did He approach? We have to take the help of other scriptures. Bhagavad Gita, which is the very essence of all the Upanishads, tells us beautifully, Tad viddhi pranipatena paripraśnena sevayah. Then what happens? Upadekṣyantite jñānam jñāninah tattva-darśinah. If we approach properly, these great souls spontaneously, just as a hungry calf approaches its mother, the milk starts flowing automatically. This happens not only in the animals, but in every living creature, not to speak of human beings. So even it is said, when some women are there, who have given birth to children, and even somebody approaches with the idea, I am your younger child. This is called vatsalya bhava. So their chest will be filled with flowing milk. This is beautifully described with regard to mother Kausalya, mother Yashoda, etc. So having approached and He understood that the Guru is highly pleased with me and pranipatena paripraśnena. So He asked, Adhihi bhagavo, please teach me, help me realize, not simply a maths teacher teaches to a maths student. Adhihi means see that I completely acquire it. Let me, help me, bless me to realize God. That is put in upanishadic words, not God realization. Aristam vidyam, the highest of the knowledge. What is it? Brahma vidyam. And why do we call it the highest? Why did He call it the highest? Sada, at any given time. Sadbhi sevya manam. It is the only thing that is desired, because there is only one thing desirable. And what we desire, what is desirable, is many times at the opposite poles. But sadbhi means people who are pure and a pure, pure heart. As the sermon in the mount Bhagavan Jesus Christ tells, Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God. This is what is referred here, sadbhi. Sevya manam and this knowledge is so much sought after. But then this word sevya manam can also be interpreted that because this vidya comes from the mouth of the guru, that guru is served with the utmost love, like a mother serves her child, a beloved child, especially when it is a small baby. And what is the nature of this brahma vidya? Nigodham, deeply hidden. As I mentioned earlier, it is an open secret. It is there everywhere. But we are unable to see because to see anything, we require a particular type of vision. Gnananjana vimalanayana peekshane moha jaya Nigodham. Gudham means hidden. Nigodham means very deeply hidden. Where? In the hearts of the people. And what does a person get if this knowledge is obtained? By which knowledge? Immediately, instantaneously, the moment knowledge comes, as Sri Ramakrishna says, one match is lit and immediately millions of years of darkness will completely disappear. All the heap of cotton, in Sri Ramakrishna's words, just one spark and in no time it is all. But here it is one spark of light. And all the darkness, darkness here stands for ajnanam. Ajnanam means we do not know who we are, that atma ajnanam, who I am. I don't know. I know what I am not, but I don't know what I am. Paratparam is the most supreme. There are higher worlds of which Brahmaloka is the highest, the reference to which we are going to see very soon in the next few verses. Paratparam is the highest, even higher than the highest. Purusham and that highest state is also called Purusham. Yati person reaches that. Here Yati means realizes. What realization? Aham Brahmasmi. Such a person is called Vidwan. Then Ashvalayana approached the Lord Parameshti, the creator Brahma, and earnestly requested him, Bhagawan, teach me the highest science of reality, cultivated always by the good people, which is ever a hidden secret for man, a knowledge by which a wise man, discarding all sins, can reach the highest Purusha. Here sin means ajnana. And very interestingly, there are three types of sins. The first sin is evil. The second, what is called Punya, Papa. And second sin is Punya. Why Punya means sin? Because it also entails pre-birth. But the root cause of both these is Avidya. So this is what Patanjali Rishi says, Avidya, Asmita, Raga, Vesha, Abhinivesha. So please destroy by giving. Because a person who has this knowledge, who knows, he becomes Brahman. So it is not the Brahmavidya. Who can give Brahmavidya? Only Brahman can give. A person who is not Brahman, he doesn't have the Brahmavidya. He has got Jeevavidya. As Brihadaranyaka Upanishad, 1st chapter, 4th section, 10th mantra, called Mahavakya Bhashya, so beautifully explains. So this is called Purusha. Purusha means what? He who is all-pervading. That's what he says. This mantra also tells us that this Vidya cannot be got other than from a realized soul. Acharyadhi Evavidya Vidhita Sadhistam Prapatidhi Sadhistam means one's own desirable goal. So this person approaches no less than Bhagawan because all knowledge started only from Brahma. That is what we get in the Mundako Upanishad also. So this Kato Upanishad tells how deeply hidden this knowledge is. Tam Durdarsham Very few people can behold it. Godham Anupravistam It is an ancient cave. And that cave itself is one of the biggest caves and deepest caves and darkest caves. And in that Godham Anupravistam Somewhere in a corner. But we should not interpret it that way. It is there in front of our eyes. When? Not when. All the time. In the Jagradha Vastha, waking state. In the dreaming state. Swapna Vastha In the deep sleep state. Because I am in the waking state. I am in the dream state. I am in the sleeping state. Instead of putting it that way I am the waker. I am the dreamer. And I was the sleeper. That's what He said. And in request to this what did the Guru or Parameshwari or Brahma reply So He did not give the knowledge directly. Because He is telling Are you really endowed with the necessary qualifications? For everything qualification is necessary. If somebody wants to study a particular subject certain qualifications are necessary. I remember that I was also a medical student for some time. So one of the questions that they asked Do you faint whenever you see blood? And quite a number of students replied Immediately I cannot see blood. Then they are out. Because whole life they have to see only blood. So that's my... To this fit disciple Yogya Sadhaka who is the Adhikari He is called Adhikari. That Pita Maha means the person from whom through Guru Parampara that highest knowledge is coming. Ha O Achha He replied thus. What did He say? My son I recognize you. But the only way the only path through which one can attain that highest knowledge Atma Jnana Brahma Jnana means Atma Jnana. Atma Jnana means self knowledge is through the four yogas. Beautifully he puts it Shraddha, Bhakti, Dhyana, Yoga, Avahi. Of course our other commentators do not exactly interpret it in the way that I am doing it. Shraddha What is Shraddha? Shraddha means indirect knowledge. Faith at whatever the scripture is teaching that is Jnana Marga. Bhakti Bhakti Marga Dhyana that is Raja Yoga and Yoga Karma Yoga Avahi You realize that truth. You attain Avahi means you attain to that knowledge that is Atma Jnana. If you are endowed nobody can stop you. If you are not endowed you will have to strive for that first. Swami Vivekananda he used to visit a great yogi he was living in a place called Gajipur which is around two hours away from Varanasi and Swamiji was deeply impressed by the knowledge and not only that said I have never heard such a sweetest voice in my whole life. If Shri Ramakrishna's voice was so sweet Swamiji's voice was even so sweet we do not know how Swamiji who was referred as the Gandharva Nindita Kantha how he could give this praise to Avahari Baba Avahari means one who seems to be eating only air living on air. Anyway there are different interpretations so Yoga Yoga without Yoga nobody can attain to any knowledge. I am not speaking we are not speaking only about spiritual knowledge even secular knowledge that was what Swami Brahmanandaji said that even if you want to be an expert pickpocket you must approach with reverence an expert pickpocket fall at his feet offer some Najrana and then only you will be able to do it. So he said Shraddha, Bhakti, Dhyana, Yoga Yoga means that which is the practical Anushthana really translating into action what Shraddha, Bhakti and Dhyana and what are Shraddha, Bhakti and Dhyana few teachers have interpreted Shraddha what is the first thing when the Sadhaka approaches the Guru especially in every path but especially in the path of Gnana Yoga to in order to be able to qualify to hear the Mahavakya that teaching which tells us Jiva, Brahma Aikya the Jiva and Brahman are not two separate beings but one and the same that is called Mahavakya every Vakya if you observe sentence will only give us what is called dualistic knowledge Brahma for example went to Sri Lanka and destroyed Ramana so this is also kind of knowledge only but Shramana what is the knowledge Rama the doer, Ramana the object, killed the verb, then only the sentence will be complete that is dualistic is called Triputi Gnana but whereas Advaita Gnana is these three will not be there so a person has to listen, Shraddha means what Shastra Guru Vakyeshu Satya Buddhi Avadharana a person endowed with Shraddha naturally he believes this is the true knowledge as soon as he realizes this is the true knowledge he will devote himself how that knowledge can be acquired that is called Bhakti and this Bhakti in course of time matures or does it become Dhyana that is unbroken flow that is called Nididhyasana so some teachers equate Shraddha with Shravanam Bhakti with Mananam and Dhyana with Nididhyasana so what is Shravana with complete faith what my teacher is telling me is the only truth even if I am seeing in front of me something contrary to it that is not the truth there is something wrong with my vision if a person is endowed with this Shraddha that is why Bhagwan Krishna says in the 17th this is a beautiful definition of a human being a human being is one in proportion to what his Shraddha is if he is a positive Shraddha is a happy man positive man if he has got negative Shraddha he is a depressed man sad man so this is called Shravanam listen as if that is the highest truth even if it contradicts as I said our practical even 24 hours whole life if it contradicts the scriptural word as came from the mouth of the Guru, Sadguru that alone is the truth how to understand so deep thinking aided by reason etc then all doubts until a lost vestige of doubt is totally removed a person has to go on thinking you have misunderstood this is not correct understanding what Guruji said how can I understand it and wholeheartedly concur with it with the help of reasoning and until that is achieved I am not going to give this Mananam this is called Mananam Mananam is the process of removing a lost vestige of doubt then as soon as anybody is convinced this is the reality we always react only to reality if you show somebody a rope in day time and say that this is a snake he will not believe you or if you show a snake and say this is a rope that also he will not believe because what he thinks this is the reality he will react only towards that so Shraddha Bhakti Dhyana unbroken like a flow of oil from one vessel to another vessel or as Bhagawan says Yatha Deepo Nivatha Stho Nengate Sa Upama Smruta how a yogi's mind will be there during meditation like a lamp lit in a completely windless place it doesn't shake at all it doesn't flicker at all these are some of the similes that are given Avaihi so Pitamaha said I may be God I want to give you the highest knowledge but having listened from me you must have these qualities then you will obtain that realization Avaihi means what that knowledge which you desired you will get that knowledge you will realize Aham Brahmasmi provided you are endowed with Shraddha Bhakti Dhyana and Shraddha Yoga Bhakti Yoga Dhyana Yoga as I said Karma Yoga Bhakti Yoga Raja Yoga Dhyana Yoga is one interpretation and the other interpretation is Shravanam Mananam and Nidhi Dhyasana Karma Yoga Bhakti Yoga and Dhyana Yoga what does Karma Yoga do? remove the impurities what does Bhakti Yoga do? it endows a person with tremendous joy Bhakti means joy actually you respond not only with your intellect but respond with all your heart and what is Dhyana Yoga? that this is the only desirable thing in the world everything else need not be considered at all that tremendous faith that is the resultant of Shraddha in the scriptures in the Guru and reinforced by tremendous Bhakti Bhakti always gives joy that is why Ram Krishna used to advocate Bhakti Yoga a Bhakta's journey from the state of bondage to the state of liberation is always through from joy to greater joy even an ordinary Bhakta you notice I am talking about a person true Bhakti even if it is 1% 1 million percent the moment he sits for prayer for puja his heart will be filled with incomparable, indescribable joy and that is nothing it is not even a drop in the ocean of immortality so this is the brief explanation what does Karma Yoga do? it helps us attain Chitta Shuddhi and then it makes us fit to acquire Sadhana Chatushtaya Sampatthi the fourfold treasury of spiritual qualities what are they? Viveka Right Discrimination Vairagya whatever we think is poisonous we need not think that automatically we react to it by giving up and what does Yoga do? because it is a deep path a so to say a long distance so one has to without losing faith and Nirantara Prayatna unobstructed a person should go on doing so many times I have seen people they attend classes with indifference they listen with indifference and then after some time oh we have been hearing this so many times and then they lose faith and yet astonishing fact is they profess that we want to reach God if you want to reach God what is a scripture? it is a word of God but which word? there are plenty of choices are there you want Bhagavatam you want Puranas you want Panishads you want Tantric scriptures any type of scriptures but at least we must have the tremendous joy in hearing these things and very often we have to sit and discriminate do I get the same joy when I am thinking about stock market when eagerly I am seeking after the news of especially sensational news why is it that whenever there is a war it is a gala time for both the news agencies and also the people most of us fall into that trap there is nothing wrong in just getting some news that is fine but going on spending time there are so many so called devotees there are so many devotees when they cannot pass their time they go to the libraries and several newspapers what they get God alone knows but you see this is the pitiable condition a person who has a Shraddha he will not waste the life of Sri Ramakrishna the moment he came to know that this is the goal of life a life is ephemeral it is passing away instantaneously he became acutely aware of the wastage of time energy and everything he will do with utmost Shraddha properly not hurrying etc when he has to do Pooja he will do it, he will forget time in fact people have to remind him again and again if you do Arathrikam such a long time people will get tired so 10 minutes Arathrikam is ok 20 minutes Arathrikam alright Durga Pooja time I will tolerate not other times going on and on and I also have doubt huge weighty Arathrikam instruments and how much of oil must be there I don't know how he has managed it but he has to be reminded again and again because he was getting so much absorbed and by the way absorbed means the person who doesn't get any joy will never be absorbed tremendous joy so this Ashvalayana is already highly qualified so Vairagya is there then Vairagya alone will not do until we reach the goal we require 6 qualities means perfect body and mind control then slowly Mumukshottam the desire becomes stronger and stronger and stronger don't expect 100% desire Mumukshottam will come to us if we don't acquire these qualities until we acquire is not possible Swami Brahmananda said something very very important once somebody asked Maharaj, if I am endowed with Shraddha then it would be easier for me to meditate to practice Sadhana immediately Swami Brahmananda said my son do you know at the dawn first the sky becomes reddish, pinkish then reddish then only it indicates the sun is about to rise and is visible to us Shraddha, true faith is only like the dawn and that is the just before God realization then what about all the faith we have we have faith there is no doubt about it like a tiny seed like a potential divinity it has to be protected it has to be nourished and obstructions what are the obstructions anything that shows a seed of doubt within us that assiduously we have to make an effort to remove it and only when we do it slowly this plant grows, once this Shraddha grows then there is nothing which can stop a person from reaching the goal so this is what Brahma's first instruction pay attention and as I was mentioning Swami Vekananda he met Pauhari Baba he even wanted to receive initiation from him but Ram Krishna appeared and threatened him with a sad look you are going to abandon me like that, we don't know without talking to him he had continuously for three days and Swamiji could not understand of course I will not understand so but the result was he did not take initiation but then he learnt lot of lessons from Pauhari Baba and which he used to repeat some of them are extraordinarily helpful for our sadhana one about this Shraddha Swamiji used to say and he got it from Pauhari Baba he said Pauhari Baba said that at the door, outside the door of your Guru lie down like a dog a dog is supposed to be the most faithful animal in the animal world even human beings are not at all faithful, dogs are far far superior and they are what is called invisible Gods hidden Gods that is why if you reverse the word dog you will get God only so that is one of the things and Mahapurush Maharaj who heard it from Swamiji liked it so much but the second thing Swamiji very often repeated in his talks that once you fix your goal pay attention to the means let go the goal fix your attention on the means that means forget about the goal let pay attention to the pathway how you can steadily walk through the pathway this is what Brahmaji is talking here what is the pathway Shraddha, Bhakti, Dhyana these are the three things as I said Karma Yoga Bhakti Yoga, Raja Yoga, Gnana Yoga or Shravanam Mananam and Nidhidhyasanam or Sadhana Chatushtaya Sampatthi is exactly this one anybody who is endowed with Shraddha, Bhakti and Dhyana he is a fit Adhikari to receive and because Ashvalayana was able to receive it so yes immediately the teaching has come if you go to some other Upanishads for example Chahandogya Upanishad Indra and then Virochana wanted to obtain Atma Gnanam Atma Vidya because they heard announcement by Prajapati means Brahma only that whoever gets self knowledge, Atma Gnanam all their desires will be fulfilled and then both of them are in need of fulfillment of all desires that means their understanding that if we have Atma Gnanam we can eat, we can drink we can make merry both of them approached Prajapati he knew he knew that what for they have come but he wanted to test them or he understood he was not ready he said that whatever you the purpose for which you have come I will only talk about it after 25 years so observe Brahmacharya live like a worthy disciple for 25 years and after 25 years both of them came it's a beautiful reminder for us because we should not be tired of hearing from other Upanishads especially such beautiful incidents and then what was the first teaching then go and get a pail of water a bucket full of water plenty and they got it and now decorate yourself properly and they decorated and now look at the reflections you see in that water and they looked and then that is the Atman what you see that reflection that is the Atman and both of them they saluted we got Atma Gnanam and they started back home and this Virochana Virochana means demon so he was very happy what did I say my own body beautifully decorated so decorate the body eat drink make merry that is called Atma Gnanam because Shariram is the Atman and he never returned back but then on the way Indra has got this doubt supposing the eye is blind the ear is deaf and then what is the use of if I think that I am the deaf man blind man and my desires that I should be able to see I should be able to hear etc how can they be fulfilled this cannot be Atma Gnanam because the clearly the announcement says all desires are fulfilled so he returned back and of course Prajapati knew Indra he went away very satisfied what brings you and then he replies that your teaching I thought it was complete but on the way I thought about it this is called Mananam doubts have come and that doubt cannot be removed first he heard that was called Shravanam and then he did Mananam this Virochana never did any Mananam so Indra came and said how can it be if a person is blind his Atma Gnanam will be blind I am blind if a person's knowledge I am a deaf person and he will feel I am deaf but not only that I am a baby that is Atma Gnanam I am a young person that is Atma Gnanam I am an old person that is Atma Gnanam I am a diseased person, sick person that is Atma Gnanam and I am going to die I see many deaths that is Atma Gnanam how can my desires will be fulfilled that means I want to be eternal but that is not going to be fulfilled and the Guru that is Prajapati or Brahma or Parameshti said so you have done very well you are right now another 25 years so the story goes like that second time he got something else that being whom you see in your dream state that is Atman and then again Indra gets a doubt I am only shortening the story and then again he comes another 25 years no no another 30 33 years like that he says so 3 times 33 years like that so he went and then he did and then he says when you are in deep sleep nothing troubles you that is what you are that is your Atman and then Indra was happy he was returning but again he got doubts if I am dreaming I can very well a blind man dreams I am a blind man and a lame man dreams I am a lame man a deaf man dreams I am a deaf person an unhappy person dreams I am an unhappy person so this cannot be the Atman he came back in deep sleep what is the experience nothing it is like a dead person that cannot be Atman so 3 times done 33 years 33 years and then finally another 4 years 5 years so 104 years so he comes back and then he says he who experiences he knows that I am experiencing the waking state I was experiencing the dream state I was experiencing the deep sleep state that pure consciousness thou art that and with that Indra became an enlightened person this is the second time first time in Kena Upanishad we see second time in the Chandogya Upanishad we see and so this Indra himself also became a Guru he also teaches a king which we will come in course of time I will mention it to you but it is not so easy to get it so these are the characteristics what is called spiritual qualities one has to obtain Shraddha, Bhakti, Dhyana, Shravana, Manana, Nidhidhyasana as a result what happens he becomes an Adhikari but even after becoming an Adhikari he must go through Shravana, Manana, Nidhidhyasana here very interesting Sureshwaracharya brings up this topic says for qualified persons once Shravana is more than enough and that is completely proved by Sri Ramakrishna and Totapuri his own Guru had to do lot of Shravana, Manana, Nidhidhyasana for more than 40 years on the banks of the Narmada river where Sri Ramakrishna first time Tattvamasi, Tavva to that Aham Brahmasmi and immediately he plunged himself and Guru himself was shocked he could not understand anyway what are we discussing that these are the preliminary qualities my child and only if you have got these qualities you will obtain the Vastu that is Brahma Vastu and then this is what are required but many people are under wrong impressions and that is what he wants to clarify what is it now Brahma that is Parameshwari is answering first he said what is conducive to God Realization telling what is not conducive to God Realization and what alone can give Brahma Sakshatkara Moksha, Mukti, God Realization this is beautifully put in the third mantra what is the meaning not by work not by progeny nor by wealth but by renunciation alone immortality is attained why because the object that is Brahma Jnanam is so difficult higher than the heaven and where is this seated in the cave of the intellect it shines which the seekers attain through Shudra Bhakti and Dhyana Yoga as mentioned earlier but not by work not by Praja nor by wealth that means none of the worldly goods can bring us to God Realization but by renunciation alone these are all gems of teachings in many of the other Upanishads we get after long introduction and all those things so for example just now I quoted from the Chandogya Upanishad Prajapati teaching 33 years and 5 years like that every time he will only give little bit no he wants to give depending upon how much can you force a baby to eat however nice material the mother has prepared it is not possible for the baby so very soft boiled rice has to be given so the Guru is ready the Ram Krishna is ready but it is on our part what is our qualification means what, how much we are capable of receiving that we should never forget every time whenever you feel like complaining to Ma I have been meditating upon you for so many years I have not seen you even a grey hair of yours let alone a black hair pause a little bit and say do I really want to see am I attached to all the eating, drinking and gossip and all these worldly news etc as I mentioned this is the test when you are listening to the news etc or gossiping etc how much pleasure you get do you get that much of pleasure by your meditation etc even time also how it passes hours and hours pass in gossip you don't feel like getting up but when you sit for meditation after 5 minutes your back says what foolish thing you are doing don't you know that I cannot bear it any longer then what do you want me to do you lean against a pillow beautiful meditation you will have ok ok when you are saying so I will lean and then he says close your eyes put off the light so the deeper meditation will come and you understand what you are doing it just open your eyes and see what we are doing let each one of us do what is called objectification as if we are looking at somebody else and we will see that really Vivek, Vairagya etc has not come so this is what he is telling Nakarmana by any amount of activities activities here represent worldly activities worldly but every activity implies a particular desire why do people cook food so that they can prepare tasty food why do they want to drink to get rid of thirst why do they want to take rest to get rid of tiredness why do they want to visit gardens etc so that they can enjoy, relax why do they go to offices etc so that they can obtain more amount of money etc all these things is indicated and there is a rule that man is very selfish but he is not that selfish but he wants to enjoy his enjoyment will be enhanced if there is husband, wife children, parents brothers, sisters and a few close friends etc and that would be the limit of a person's capacity to be unselfish so he is telling first of all all the karma kanda that has been so beautifully enumerated in the first part of the Vedas called karma kanda or what we call dharma kanda that is not going to it helps us but it is not going to give us brahma jnana then what about prajaya prajaya means all sorts of relationships whether it is husband and wife, parents and children brothers and sisters friends and friends or friends and enemies all these relationships only add to the spice of life so not by any relationship worldly relationship and we have to add that word na dhanena suppose all the wealth in this world as we have seen in the Brihadaranyaka Upanishad several times I have mentioned that Maitreyi the wife of Yajnavalkya when he wanted to take sanyasa immediately asked you are such a wealthy person and you are asking us to accept that wealth and then you want to renounce that wealth unless a person hopes to get something much superior nobody is going to do any renunciation and you are renouncing so many worldly goods not only wealth that is disciples also at this age the pleasure, the happiness one gets from wife, from children we don't know how many children he has got we don't see any mention but disciples all these relationships he wanted to go, he wanted to commune only with the highest Brahman so she asks do I get what you are hoping to get by sanyasa through what you are living for me he said na asha asti all this wealth will not confer upon you immortality immediately Maitreyi says I don't want all those things teach me what you know because I have complete faith that what you are desiring is the only desirable thing in this world we will discuss these beautiful thoughts in our next class which will be Om Jananim Sharadam Devim Ramakrishnam Jagadgurum Padapatmetayo Sritva Pranamam Imuhurmuhu May Sri Ramakrishna Holy Mother and Swami Vivekananda bless us all with Bhakti Jai Ramakrishna