Khandana Bhava Bandhana Lecture 04 on 12 May 2019

We are discussing the Āratikram of Sri Rāmakrishna, as composed by Swāmi Vivekānanda. So today onwards we are going to discuss some more Shlokas.

Jñānāñjana-vimala-nayana - Jñāna is the añjana

Very interesting. I will first narrate a small incident. When I was here, Swāmi Hritātmānandaji was also here. He, was an ardent gardener, he used to develop these roses. One day we were sitting in the Verandah and in front there was the Rose Garden. Very near. Just verandah and then rose garden. Then suddenly he looked at it and said, ‘I think that Rose, has got lot of black insects’. He used to say that I had cataract. I didn't have any cataract. I was looking at it, but I couldn't find anything. But he could see it. So, immediately I went near it, and then I found out is that it was completely covered with black insects.

Now what is the point? Because, he was ardently interested in it, even his sense organs had become very sensitive, more powerful than before.

I will give you another example. Vincent van Gogh was a Dutch painter. So from early morning onwards he used to go into the fields and he used to paint haystacks. So, somebody asked him whole day from sunrise to sunset - haystack. What do you see in a haystack? Usually you don't see anything. Some pale yellowish colour and a lump. But he used to say, ‘No! I see that every time the sun rises a little, its colour changes’.

Third example, there was a French landscape famous painter called Monet. After 58 he had a cataract operation. Before  that he used to paint everything in particular colours. After one eye was operated, nothing happened. Second eye was operated. Suddenly, his whole painting colour, colouring has changed. Then they asked him, ‘There seems to be a sea change’. Then he replied, ‘After the second eye was operated I could see things in ultraviolet rays’, which only birds and insects could see.

So even in our day to day activities, the way we perceive through these sense organs, is completely, totally different from whatever other Specialists people will see.

Final example. I am not talking about yogā. This is just ordinary knowledge. You know, there are tea tasters, coffee tasters, wine tasters? If you give a particular wine and ask them to taste, they will tell you the particular grapes from which this wine has been made, was grown in France, in 1490. This is the variety they will tell. Now how could they do that? They had specialized interest, knowledge. So their sense organs also exactly behave according to their direction.

I hope you're getting my point? What about spiritual field? What changes? Nothing  changes. It is the knowledge which changes. Again I will give you a small example. So, supposing there is a person, he and his neighbour are deadliest enemies. For 50 years this enemity has continued unabated. After 50 years of this, suddenly both of them come to know they were actually twin brothers, separated at birth, either purposefully or accidentally. Now what would be their behaviour towards each other from that day onwards?

( 05:29 mins )

You see the point? So if we can get that knowledge, it is - Sense organs, first of all, do not function by themselves. They are always directed by the Mind. Mind is directed by the Buddhi. Buddhi means knowledge. So in this particular context, jñānāñjana - Sri Rāmakrishna had attained through that highest vision. And he has put on Añjana, means collyrium.

Instead of Añjana, we can use the word Specs. So He has got that Brahman specs. दिव्यं ददामि ते चक्षु: ( divyaṁ dadāmi te chakṣhuḥ ) the whole Vision has changed. Not only in the case of Sri Rāmakrishna, Even in our case also the same thing will happen. What Happens? The eyes become Vimala by applying the collyrium of knowledge. Our eyes - that means the way we look at things completely changes.

So the eyes get what is called unbiased knowledge. Now it is all biased. Can you understand that? See if you don't like somebody you are biased? But there will be some people who love him. The way they look at him and the way you look at that person will be totally different. So important point is none of our eyes will ever function independent of our knowledge.

For most part most of us, we have got the eyes of Samsāra. We call it worldliness, Māyā. What is it? Rāga and Dveṣa.  Likes and dislikes. This is what happens. Unless you reach the highest goal, We are all influenced by this Rāga and Dveṣa.

What is spiritual practice? Somehow we have to remove this Rāga Dveṣa. Once we remove the Rāga Dveṣa, then a thing, as it is we will be able to perceive it; and a thing as it is, doesn't appear to be a thing as it is, as we understand it.

Here is a table. It is coloured. You remove the colouring then its original… It is a piece of wood. But that's not the case. According to Vedānta, Everything is Brahman. So, two things will happen. We see everything as it is and everything is only made up of one material. What is that Material? Only Brahman, only God!

That is what to Sri Rāmakrishna, or any saint, They see only - nothing but Brahman, whatever they see. This is the meaning of ज्ञानाञ्जन-विमल-नयन वीक्षणे मोह जाय ( Jñānāñjana-vimala-nayana vīkṣaṇe moha jāy ).

Vīkṣaṇe moha jāy - means It can be again interpreted in two ways. When such a person has that collyrium, His Moha will be totally destroyed. What is Moha? To see a thing as something else is called Moha.

In Sanskrit, we use other word Adhyāsa. Adhyāsa  means what? Superimposed - it is a very beautiful word. Superimposition means there will be an original object, but we impose upon it something else. Rope is the original object, then snake is the superimposition.

Superimposition  is always - it is - first of all, it doesn't exist. Whether you are an advaitin or a dvaitin whatever is superimposed is only in our brain.

What is not superimposed is the object. Superimposition always belongs to whom? To the subject not to the object.

( 10:04 mins )

So Vīkṣaṇe moha jāy - This is one meaning. Another meaning is when Sri Rāmakrishna, or any Avatāra, because He looks at us in that light. Then not only He has already removed His, but by His grace our Moha also will be removed. This is the first meaning. Second meaning is even more interesting.

When will I be able to really understand Sri Rāmakrishna? When I remove the impurities from my eyes, Samsāric Vision, then I will be able to see Sri Rāmakrishna exactly as He is. This is going to come in the fourth chapter of the Bhagavad-Gitā. This is first of all, I am an incarnation of God.

अजोऽपि सन्नव्ययात्मा भूतानामीश्वरोऽपि सन् |

प्रकृतिं स्वामधिष्ठाय सम्भवाम्यात्ममायया || 4:6 ||

ajo ’pi sannavyayātmā bhūtānām īśhvaro ’pi san

prakṛitiṁ svām adhiṣhṭhāya sambhavāmyātma-māyayā |

Then He says -

जन्म कर्म च मे दिव्यमेवं यो वेत्ति तत्त्वत: |l 4:9 ||

janma karma cha me divyam evaṁ yo vetti tattvataḥ ll

Janma - My birth is Divine, not ordinary birth. My activities in life are also divine. Because Divine beings Janma will be divine. Divine beings activities will also be Divine. A Tāmasic person's activities will be Tāmasic. A Sātvic person's activities will be Sātvic. Divine persons activities will be divine. And he who understands it…

janma karma cha me divyam evaṁ yo vetti tattvataḥ - to know, when another person comes to know, as they are, not as we think they are.

त्यक्त्वा देहं पुनर्जन्म ( tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma ) after this body falls off, नैति ( naiti ) He will not come back again, मामेति ( mām eti ) He will attain only Me! That means he becomes free.

When does he become free? Not after death. That moment that Divine Light comes, that moment he will be completely free. He is called Jīvan-Mukta.

But, because the body will be there, we think he is there. So he behaves like a Jīvan-Mukta Puruṣa, not like ordinary person. But once this body falls off, there is no question of his returning.

So  three meanings we got. What are the 3 meanings?

1. First of all only a person who has got that Divine knowledge, jñāna ajñāna, he would be free.
2. When He bestows His grace upon anybody that person also can become free.
3. From our point of view, If we also can put then only we understand who is an Avatāra and who is not an Avatāra.

ज्ञानाञ्जन-विमल-नयन वीक्षणे मोह जाय॥ ( Jñānāñjana-vimala-nayana vīkṣaṇe moha jāy )

भास्वर भाव-सागर चिर-उन्मद प्रेम-पाथार || ( Bhāsvara bhāva-sāgara cira-unmada prema-pāthār )

Bhāsvara bhāva-sāgara - sāgara means ocean. He uses the word sāgara, ocean twice. So prema-pāthār - in bengali pāthār means ocean, samudra.

So Bhāsvara means - Very full of light. What does that mean? Living!

Bhāva means usual meaning given is emotions. A spiritual person also will have emotions, because any knowledge produces an emotion.

See, if you like some sweet, the moment you see the sweet, some emotion is aroused. Happy, it is fortunately it is a Happy emotion. If you see somebody or something which you don't like what emotion will come? Unhappy emotion will come.

So every piece of knowledge brings some kind of emotion with it, otherwise it will be a mere thought. What is that? It is a sweet. What is that? He is another person.

Some people Fear. The fear of visions and the fear that we experience are totally different fears, because any new experience will create fear within us. So that is one reason. Another reason is when we behold a vision, which is of a higher nature…

( 15:16 mins )

And here we have to be cautious visions and delusions. Deluded people also have kind of Visions. ‘I see a Spirit’. ‘I see somebody coming to persecute me’, ‘to kill me’, like that so many people have got that mental problems. I am not talking about that.

These people, what happens is that the egotism which is accustomed to roam in a particular Groove, now suddenly it becomes larger, that sudden change brings fear. ‘Am I going to be non-existent?’

That is why when Sri Rāmakrishna touched Swāmi Vivekānanda, He said that my ego is breaking up. As though the four walls are going round and round. Then He cried out because He was not ready. Why was He not ready? A person who used to meditate ,and get absorbed daily, why was He not ready? He was not ready for the highest Vision not because He was unfit, but because His role in life was to be a teacher of the world, a world teacher.

What does World teacher mean? A person, who has the capacity to teach different mentalities. Suppose, you see, here also we have to understand something very very important. Sincerity and faith in God are two separate issues. There is an Āstika but he is not sincere. That means a person claims I believe in God, but he may be insincere. Most people are like that.

Swāmiji always used to say that if a hundred people claim that I'm a Believer in God, four or five people out of that would be mad. About 82 to 83 people will be Hypocrites, insincere people. Only one or two people - मनुष्याणां सहस्रेषु ( manuṣhyāṇāṁ sahasreṣhu ) - They are really sincere people.

What I'm trying to tell you mad-caps are the most sincere people in this world. Their mind, their speech, and their action has become one. You know, do you understand what I am talking about? Mad-cap.

Mad-man and God-man there is only a very slight difference. You know, what is the difference? One is possessed by God. Another is possessed by some worldly object.

So fear comes whenever we are pulled out of our smallness and want us to… That fear comes in so many ways also. So supposing you went to attend a huge meeting. 50,000 people are attending. And you're only helping the Swāmis to open the curtain and close it. Suddenly the Swāmi asks, ‘Come sit down here, and in the next five minutes you have to speak’. What would be your condition? If you don't get heart attack… something will happen is it not?

Is that fear or not? Tell me why is that a fear? After all in your mind you wish you were also like that fiery lecture person. To give a talk in that environment requires a special kind of mind, which will be most necessary, to be able to take all of them in your mind. And you are not ready for that. With training you will be ready. But suddenly you're not ready.

That is the reason why Swāmiji was not ready at that time. So Sri Rāmakrishna , you know, He created one story at that time. One man died and became a ghost. He wanted a companion. So this He created.

Any way what is the point, fear comes out of two reasons -

1. one reason is what I am - I'm losing.
2. Second is what I am, I am losing, not because I am losing, but because I am gaining something.

( 20:13 mins )

Yes, this is a tremendous fear, people don't understand, 99.9999% of the people in this world. Let us say Indians, every Indian citizen is eligible to become the prime minister. How many people aspire to become the prime minister? You know why? They may be fit but they don't have self confidence. And many of them they think, they are sure, and they are right also, that they won't even get the deposit back. That is why they do all those things. Anyway.

So, jñānāñjana-vimala-nayana vīkṣaṇe moha jāy ||

Bhāsvara - living. So let me give illustrations. Sri Rāmakrishna, after His Perfection, not only after His Perfection - while doing sādhana, whatever the path of sādhana, He became perfect. Sādhakās belonging to that particular path of sādhana, for some unknown reason, they were attracted to come to Dakshineswar.

Somehow they don't know, but they are all absolutely sincere people. Not Tom Dick and Harry people. And they were irresistibly drawn to Panchvaṭi. They don't know why, and we can include Bhairavi Brahmaṇi and Totāpuri also into that category. Slight difference is there. They came before He became perfect. And after that they got the help, they had special roles, they had to assist Him. But how much they got, how much they gave, and how much they got from Sri Rāmakrishna. That is why He is Jagadguru. Rāmakrishnam Jagadgurum.

So when He completed Tāntric sādhana, Tāntrics used to come in hundreds, thousands. When He completed any particular Bhāva, sādhana, Vaishnav sādhana - hundreds of Vaishnav Sādhakās, very sincere, used to come. When He completed Vedānta sādhana, hundreds of, Swāmi Sāradānandaji’s description, Paramahamsas used to flock. Day and night His small room was flooded with these Paramahamsas.

And just before that Sri Rāmakrishna had received, you know, Totāpuri gave Him the Mahā-mantra after Sannyāsa. Then  for 11 months Totāpuri had to stay. For whose benefit? For his own benefit. Sri Rāmakrishna had attained it in three days. After 11 months Totāpuri had gone back. He became enlightened. He went back.

Then immediately a Bhāva possessed Sri Rāmakrishna. ‘I must be in Nirvikalpa samadhi’. For  six months continuously He was in a Nirvikalpa samadhi, 11 months after He had attained Nirvikalpa samādhi, He was in Nirvikalpa samādhi for six months continuously. We know that one Sādhu from somewhere used to come, exactly at that time, and he used to observe Sri Rāmakrishna, take food, beat Him if necessary, & when consciousness comes, he will very push a little bit of food into His mouth. This is how six months have passed.

Then, at the end of six month Sri Rāmakrishna received a commandment. What was the Commandment? ‘Bhāva mukhe thāko’. You remain in Bhāva mukha.

Bhāva mukha means, Don't always remain in Nirvikalpa samādhi. Don't become - don't remain in the world in between, but at that stage, the world is not called world by then. It is called Līlā.

Līlā because what we think real, is not real, it is Līlā. Just as we think dream is a dream, so long as… Is it a true statement? Dream is not a dream, dream is a reality, while are we are dreaming.

After coming back, then this dream experience, we look back and say, ‘Oh that was a dream’ - unreal. Similarly when we wake up from this waking state into another state call the Turiyā, according to Māndukya Kārikā, then only from that point of view, That was a dream.

( 25:25 mins )

Until we attain that one, simply you can tell hundred times, ‘There is no thorn, there is no pricking’. The thorn also will prick, you also feel the pain, in spite of your crying. And the only thing is because you read some Vedāntic books you go on shedding tears and saying there is no thorn, there is no pain.

So, Bhāsvara bhāva-sāgara - When these people used to come what was their feeling? Sri Rāmakrishna  is a Shākta, Sri Rāmakrishna is a Vaishnava, Sri Rāmakrishna is a Vedāntic – Adavaitin. Sri Rāmakrishna  is a Bhakta. When Christians used to come, Sri Rāmakrishna is the greatest Christian, and when Mussalmāns used to come Sri Rāmakrishna is the greatest Mussalmān, muslim. And when sikhs used to come, ‘You are none other than Guru Nānak. So this is called Bhāsvara bhāva-sāgara.

That is whenever devotees come… This is a very peculiar thing. He was a master of all these ideals. But like a mirror Sri Rāmakrishna was like a mirror. When a Shākta comes, He becomes a Shākta. He's filled with feelings of a Shākta. When Vaishnavas come, He is filled with the feelings of Vaishnavas. And when Vedāntins come… like that with everyone.

So they used to think this is the greatest Bhakta. How could they feel that? Because they could feel in His presence their own feelings become radiant.

So Sri Rāmakrishna  is an embodiment of Bhāsvara bhāva-sāgara. He is an ocean of infinite ideas. for example - Small example is He is a great Christian for Christians. Great Muslim for Muslims. Great Buddist for Buddists. How do we know? Is there any example in Sri Rāmakrishna’s life? Has anybody said He the greatest Buddha?

Swāmi Akhanḍānandji was wandering in Himalayas. At that time, it so happened, he stayed with a Lāmā. And he used to carry one small photograph of Sri Rāmakrishna. Take it out and during meditation sit in front of it. So one day this Lāmā, he peeped in, he saw. (It was a small photograph ) The moment he looked at it, he was stunned. Then he said, ‘Who is this person?’ Then Swāmi Akhanḍānandji explained, ‘This is our Guru, Sri Rāmakrishna Paramahamsa’. He said, ‘This is our Buddha, reincarnated’. By seeing the photograph he could see that one.

Sri Rāmakrishna used to say, ‘By seeing somebody's body I could tell who a Paramahamsa is’. That means He could tell also who is not a Paramahamsa. He could tell. This is called physiognomy.

So what is my point? Sri Rāmakrishna is an Infinite ocean. He will suit anybody. Suit a child, suit a young man, suit a middle aged man, old man, man, woman, and any religion, any path. If an Āstika comes He will be the greatest Āstika. If a Nāstika comes, He will be the greatest Nāstika. 

One Nāstika came to him. See, in English, we use three words -

1. Non-believer- Nāstika.
2. Agnostic. Agnostic means he is doubtful, ‘I don't know whether God exists or not’.
3. Then there is skeptic. Skeptic is everything he will push it out. ‘It is not right, not right’, like that. Outright doubter. 

So the Agnostic is… this is the difference. He will not say anything because he says I don't know whether He exists, He doesn't exist. I don't know. He's an agnostic.

Skeptic for him, everything is… that’s why we use the word skeptical, he is skeptical. He is a very discouraging fellow in every way, (An agnostic is very sincere person) This fellow pooh-poohs  everything.

( 30:17 mins )

So one day one such type of person came, very sincere. So he said, ‘Sir, I don't believe in God, but I want to progress in spiritual life. What can I do?’ Immediately Sri Rāmakrishna said, ‘Why, you pray like this, ‘Oh God, if you exist, then please listen to my prayer. You have no objection to a prayer like that?’ And that man believed in Thākur ( That means he accepted Him as his Guru ), put it into practice. Very soon he started believing in God.

You know why? Because prayer, according to Swāmiji, gathers all the innate subtle powers and unites them. Prayer is the greatest. You don't believe in God, but pray like this, ‘Any being, any higher being, if you are there, please help me’. And help will come because it unites all the powers. Only a very sincere person can pray. An insincere person, can never pray. He can prey, but he can't pray. You understand? P R E Y & P R A Y.

Bhāsvara bhāva-sāgara -. So even in future, we are not only talking about the past and present, we are talking… say after thousand Years some new feeling will come. So will Sri Rāmakrishna be helpful for such a person? Yes. He'll be helpful, because He is not of a negative type. He will encourage everybody. This is your… But only condition is you should be sincere. If a person is sincere, he is sure to reach God.

श्रद्धावान् लभते ज्ञानं तत्पर: संयतेन्द्रिय: |

śhraddhāvānllabhate jñānaṁ tat-paraḥ sanyatendriyaḥ || 4:39 ||

jñānaṁ labdhvā parāṁ śhāntim achireṇādhigachchhati ||

It is only a fellow who out of aśhraddhā.

नायं लोकोऽस्ति न परो न सुख: ||

nāyaṁ loko ’sti na paro na sukhaha || 4:40 ||

For an insincere person, neither in this world, nor in the other world… and he will not have any happiness. An insincere person - his insincerity will prevent him from even enjoying this world also. But if a person is sincere, it doesn't matter whether he believes in God, or doesn't believe in God, he will progress in life.

So, Bhāsvara bhāva-sāgara

चिर-उन्मद ( cira-unmada ) - Cira means eternally, mad

Unmada means what? Mad. Now this word madness is a very peculiar word. Earlier we were discussing about Madness. What is it? A Mad person is the most sincere person in the world. You understand that point? Because a mad person -

1. He, first of all he is not in control of himself. The madness controls him. That's why he said God man is controlled by God. Madman is controlled by Mad. We are neither God nor mad. This is our problem. Hanging ( na ghar kā na ghāt kā )
2. And secondly because he is possessed, he will never have his mind thinking one thing, his mouth uttering something else, and his body doing something else. That division is not there. A madcap, he thinks this is the truth. He thinks, he talks, and he behaves… you can have a hundred percent belief in whatever he does. This is madness.

So somebody had remarked in the presence of Swāmiji  about Sri Rāmakrishna. He said that man is mad. Immediately, you know what Swāmi Vivekānanda’s response was? ‘How I wish I possessed one 100th of that madness’. Sri Rāmakrishna’s Madness is complete madness.

Okay, these are two differences.

1. We said first is - Madness possesses a person. He doesn't control it. It controls him.
2. Second I said, a mad person sincerely believes, he thinks, he talks, and he does in accordance with his belief only.
3. Third, Madness is of two types one that which binds us more and more into this world. Another is that which helps us to get rid of things more and more and more.

( 35:38 mins )

Until we get that madness our Sādhanā will not even begin. Sādhanā begins when we become mad, because that energy will not come. A madman is very energetic, because there is nothing to pull him back. And we don't have the energy. When you sit for Japa (sighing sound) and when you are listening to a talk (hissing sound). The only time when you don't do it is when you are sleeping.

So these two types of Madness. And nobody can be mad in the world. Nobody can be mad in this world. Nobody can be possessed by any worldly idea forever. Why? Tell me why?

Very simple, very plain. The reason is everything in this world is changing. That which possesses him is also changing. That's why you see this man very mad after this woman. ‘You are the only woman for me in this world’. For how long? Until this madness transfers itself to somebody else. That is why they take marriage - modern Christian marriage vows - until death or divorce which ever separates us first!

So, God Madness is eternal. That's why it is called Cira-unmada. Why? Because God doesn't change. That Madness will not go.

You see there was one Krishna Kishore. Always he used to say God has possessed me, ‘I am God-Mad’. So one day Sri Rāmakrishna, He visited him, found him morose. ‘Why are you so morose?’ At this… Krishna Kishore always used to say, ‘I am Khā. Khā means Brahman, another name for Brahman is Khā. So he used to say ‘I am Brahman’, but he used to say ‘I am Khā. So one day, Sri Rāmakrishna  visited him, found him morose. He asked him why he was morose? And he replied, ‘The tax collector came. He told me that he is going to take all my pots and pans’. Now  Sri Rāmakrishna got the opportunity to pull him up. He said, ‘Arre, why are you worried? You say you are Khā. What does it matter? Let this fellow take it away. What does Brahman  lose?’

That Means - is it real madness? He has good qualities, but this is not Madness. From Krishna Kishore Sri Ramakrishna learnt about What is Krishna Kishore’s Ekādaśī. You know that? You should know that.

You see, Ekādaśī, usually Hindus do it. It is either Sajala or Nirjala two types. Many types are there, but these two. Sajala - that means you can drink water or liquid. One day Sri Rāmakrishna went to see Krishna Kishore. That happened to be Ekādaśī.

Then He said, ‘What about you? Are you observing?’ ‘Yes, yes, today I am observing Ekādaśī.’  ‘Did you not take anything?’ ‘Yes, yes, I took some bread soaked in milk’. Not only that, lest he should get hungry, in another Bāti he put three, four pieces of bread and covered it with milk. What kind of Ekādaśī? So this is called Krishna Kishore’s Ekādaśī . Sri Rāmakrishna saw it, laughed, & said ‘I wanted to observe Krishna Kishore’s Ekādaśī.’

So on one Ekādaśī, He did all those things. And He said, ‘My stomach became so upset, next today I had to fast’. Involuntary fasting.

( 40:19 mins )

So what is the point we are discussing? So many types of Ekādaśīs are there. So one devotee, poor devotee went to Belur Math. That happened to be an Ekādaśī day. Then the devotee, very innocent, asked the Swāmi in the office, ‘Swāmi, are you observing Ekādaśī?’ He said, ‘Yes, I am observing completely Nirjala Ekādaśī. Nirjala means not even taking water. Then she asked, ‘Mahārāj, what is Nirjala Ekādaśī?’ He said, ‘You eat, without drinking anything’. That is called Nirjala. Not one drop of water, everything else. Various interpretations are there. So all these things.

What are we discussing now? Cira-unmada. God Alone is unchanging. If anybody is possessed by God, there after… This is called Śaraṇāgati. Śaraṇāgati means you hand over all your responsibilities. ‘You conduct, You guide my life. Do what You want with me’. That is called Śaraṇāgati .

There after if it is sincere, God will take responsibility, but He will make him… Don't have any wrong idea about this. But what is the Idea? I will do whatever I like but God will make me very spiritual. That is what we think about Śaraṇāgati . No! God will guide everything. ‘Today you will not eat food.’ That's it. You should not eat food.

Today, I was posting this, you know, early morning you get all those things? One father, he was telling… Very very interesting, you know? One novice came to one elderly monk, Abbā, and said ‘Abbā, now I have conquered lust & avarice’. Avarice means the desire for money Etc. Kāma-kānchana.

So the Abbā asked, ‘Supposing one day you go into your cave, ( he went outside, suddenly he came ), a woman is lying on your bed. What will you do?’ And then the novice said, ‘I will not touch her’. ‘But are there thoughts of lust in your mind?’ ‘Yes. But I will not touch her. I'll ask her to get up and go away’. Then the elder was saying, ‘That means you have not conquered lust by discrimination. You are controlling yourself. But when a person really sees this is not a woman. This is Jesus Christ lying down on this bed then only he is a real conqueror. Otherwise you are you are controlling your mind.’

Okay, supposing you are one day going, there are some pots and pans, rubbish, and you happen to look at it from one angle. Something is shining. Then you go and you move it a bit, you find some pieces of gold. What will you do? ‘Then I will not touch it’. Do you not touch it because you don't have avarice or because you control yourself? He said yes, the desire is there but I will not allow my desire to take actions. That means you have not conquered the distinction.

So like this, Purandaradāsa, he renounced the world. He distributed, excepting some small things. He was hiding it. And husband and wife were walking. Then this man was looking fearfully here and there. The wife observed this and said, ‘Why are you so fearful?’ He did not want to disclose to his wife that he was carrying some gold, precious gems. She pressed, ultimately he confessed that I'm carrying this. Then she said if you are carrying these things, what is the need for you to take Sannyāsa? Why not be at home itself and behave like a normal man. Is it not hypocrisy? Everybody thinks you are a Sannyāsi, but you are not a Sannyāsi actually’.

So if you if you find any difference between a lump of clay and gold you are not a true Sannyāsi. You see what a higher vision it is?

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Then the Abbā was asking, ‘Supposing one day two brothers ( brother means other monks ) visit you. One person adores you, always speaks well of you. The other brother he hates you, he speaks ill of you. What would be your reaction, your behavior towards them?’ He said, ‘I'm struggling inside my mind to behave properly with both of them. That is how I control my mind’. Abbā said you have not Conquered. Why? Because it is forcible control. Not really.

Now you see Nāg-Mahāshay’s father. He did like that. You know that incident? Nāg-Mahāshay’s father one day, He was to accompany boats of goods, to deliver safely, and come back.

So one day while coming back… it is a several days journey by the boat. They have to answer calls of nature, so early in the morning, the boat will be tied to some general area, solitary place, and the people will go into the wooded area and answer calls of nature.

So first this man went, and as he was sitting, in front of him suddenly something was shining. So he dug  it a little bit, one whole pot full of gold coins, mohars they call it, appeared suddenly. Then he thought, ‘This is not my money, some poor Brahmaṇa must have hidden it, if I take it I will be committing a sin’. He dug a little bit deep and pressed some Earth over it, and came back in a hurry. And then he didn't allow others to go, because they will go normally to the same place, as they might find it and then take it away.

What a renunciation? So ask yourself, what will I do under the same situation?

What will I do under the situation? Jo Bhagvān diya… yahan to koi nahi hai, Chori to nahin kar raha. Apne aap se milgaya. So I will take it and if still I have some guilty feeling, I will say I will do use it for the service of the poor. Now who is right? Who is right? I think I am right.

There was a fellow in the office (officer). So under him two fellows were working. Both of them hated each other. So one day one fellow came and said phus, phus, phus, ‘That fellow is a rogue, scoundrel, rascal’. The Officer went on saying - ‘Yes, you are right’, ‘You are right’, ‘You are right’. The fellow was very happy, told him everything, and he went away.

After a few minutes the other fellow came and said, ‘You know, sir that other fellow, he is a rogue, scoundrel, rascal, badmāsh’. The Officer said ‘You are right’, ‘You are right’, ‘You are right’, ‘You are right’.

There was a clerk near by. He was hearing everything. He got furious with his boss and said what type of person you are. You said about that person ‘You are right’. ‘You are right’. ‘You are right’. You said to this fellow also ‘You are right’, ‘You are right’, The boss without losing his temper, he said, ‘You are right’.

So you see my logic would be it is lying uselessly, I'm not stealing it. Make it useful. And if still I have got guilty feeling, I will say, ‘O Lord whatever punya comes out of it, let it go to the original fellow.’ That all. I don't care to whom it goes. But here it is completely…

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He must have been dead actually. Suppose he comes back. He says that was not the place for you to keep, you should have been keeping it with you. You see, he will get it, not in that form but in the form of punya. That is the idea.

Karma-phala will not go in vain. That's why they call it Karma-phala. Do you know what I call Karma-phala? Credit card and debit card. If you did Pāpa it is debit card. If it is punya, it is called credit card.

Why do I call it credit card? Because it can be converted into anything. If you want clothes you will get clothes, you want books, you will get books, if you want radios you will get radios, if you want a computer, computer will come to you. If want to buy a ticket for a foreign country, you will get a ticket for the foreign country. You can change your punya, your credit card, into any currency, any object .

Actually, we don't lose anything, the question of losing doesn't arise. If you believe in the law of karma that question doesn't arise. You're losing itself is your destiny. To lose is because you did not do something right. There is no accident.

Okay. Cira-Unmada -  Sri Rāmakrishna’s  Madness is… another meaning of Madness is intoxication. So much joy He will get. We are all intoxicated. We all run towards objects which give us joy, isn't it? Knowingly we never go towards something which give us suffering.

We can run even towards things which give us suffering, but either we expect immediate happiness from them, or future happiness from them. A student, studying, burning midnight oil they say - Future happiness. Suppose He says, I will not get any happiness from this. Do you think he will go and study? He will not to it.

Sri Rāmakrishna is completely intoxicated. Why is He intoxicated? Because He has realised God. Realizing God means He becomes one with God. Becoming one with God means He becomes Sat Chit and Ānanda.

Therefore that Ānanda will never go away. This is a beautiful thought. Ānanda can come from two sources - objective and Subjective.

• If it is objective, it will disappear sometimes.
• If it is subjective, it will never disappear.

So Cira-Unmada - We also have to become Cira-Unmadas but with God. So Sri Rāmakrishna is the great ideal for that.

प्रेम-पाथार ( Prema-Pāthār ) - He is an ocean of Love first of all.

Remember what is love? You have to understand what is love? What is love? To feel complete Oneness with any other being is called love.

If I say I love my dog, I must make myself identified with the dog. It’s Sukha Dukha will be my Sukha and Dukha. That is called love. And morality springs from there. Because there is one law - Nobody wants to suffer. So I don't want to suffer. I always want to be happy. And if I become one with a dog, the dog’s, Sukha becomes my Sukha. The Dog’s  Dukha becomes my Dukha. So if you get Dukha, what will you do? You  try your level best to get rid of it?

So if you are identified with your dog.. I’m giving that example because a mother identifies with the child, and  parents identify with their children. 

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I'm not talking about attachment. I'm talking about the real nature of Love. Love means complete identity. That’s why for a mother, she does not love any other child. She doesn't even love neighbouring child. She will love only her children because of identity. She doesn't identify with anybody else not even with her husband. There is a difference between… husband's blood is different and wife's blood is different. But children's blood and mother's blood is completely one. Me - extension of me. That is called  children. Children's children, etc. Etc. It will go.

So Prema-Pāthār - Samudra means what? Samudra means unending body of Water. that means if the whole world every day goes on taking as much they want,  Will  the samudra  become - ocean become any less.

Like that, Sri Rāmakrishna loves the whole world. And yet there will be no lack of such love because it is infinite love. Infinite love, you can give infinite love to every single object, and yet it will not come to an end.

But how does that come? We defined just now love means what? Complete identity! Sri Rāmakrishna  knows I'm not different from the world because Sri Rāmakrishna  is identified with Brahman. The world is identified with Brahman. Therefore Sri Rāmakrishna, Brahman and the world are exactly three different names for the same reality.

What a beautiful concept! Prema-Pāthār - in Bengali Pāthār means Samudra.

Do any of you know its Etymological meaning of it? Anyway, I don't know. Samudra, Sāgara we can understand..

Then भक्तार्जन-युगल चरण तारण-भव-पार ( bhaktārjana-yugala caraṇa tāraṇa-bhava-pār )

Such a person such an ideal when we get… So we have a belief that if we want to reach God - we can only reach God through a door. And the doorway to God is called a God man. It could be an Avatāra, it could be a saint, God realised soul. So all these are doorways. So Sri Rāmakrishna stands here as a doorway.

So here feet means what? Indians give great importance to the feet. Other religions may not give that much importance. That means the feet and the body are totally identified. So one has to earn them.

Through what do you earn? Only Bhakti. Through bhakti, through Śaraṇāgati, we earn the feet of God. Feet of God means the grace of God. The grace of God means knowledge.

Bhaktārjana-yugala caraṇa - that is why they come as incarnations, so that you have an object to adore, to worship, to praise, to meditate upon and to think always.

Pada also has a special significance. When a man walks - he walks by his hands, or by his head, or by his feet? So if somebody is going this way, and that is a shortcut, and that is the safest way to reach my destination, then what do we do?

You see, if you study the world's history, this is what is happening. Some difficult path is there. But one person takes an adventure, he discovers some new paths, which is easier, shorter, safer, and less troublesome. Thereafter what does everybody do? Padānasarana

That is why Yena pathaha Mahapurusha gataha - by which path great people have trodden their feet, that would be our guide lines. 

Bhaktārjana-yugala caraṇa  - your two Lotus feet are there to be earned by whom? Only by Bhaktās.

( 1:00:31 mins )

That means that if we earn His Lotus feet - that means He will be graceful to us, He will be very compassionate towards us, and He will give us what we really need. Bhaktārjana-yugala caraṇa 

So what will you gain? Naturally the question comes what do I gain? Tāraṇa-bhava-pār -

• So bhava - means samsāra.
• Pāra - means to the other Shore.
• Tāraṇa - These Lotus feet will take you to the other Shore of Samsāra.

What is the other floor of the Samsāra? Only God. So the other Shore also is only a word used, but really speaking, on another side of the coin called this world is God. Every coin will have how many sides? Have you seen a coin which has only one side? You will never see. So one side of this coin is world. What is the other side of the coin? God.

Therefore by following devotion means - by  adoring Him, by obtaining His Grace, suddenly divyaṁ dadāmi te chakṣhuḥ - then we see. Oh, I thought this was a chair, now I know it is God. I thought this was a man. I know now it is it is none other than God. Whatever He looks at, he will see only God - this is called the other shore.

Always you have to remember huge ocean - the ocean is not meant to be, what is called, a distance which we cannot cross. It is to show how difficult it is, how long it will take, how many dangers are there etc, etc? So this is called ocean.

But the moment we come to know, where is this other side? Right here! The world you turn the other way around and it is none other than Brahman. Brahman with the name and form is the world. And world, without name and form is called Brahman.

Bhaktārjana-yugala caraṇa tāraṇa-bhava-pār - So whoever follows Sri Rāmakrishna is His devotee. So don't again misunderstand the word devotee, that Devotee means only those who are Bhaktās. Jñānis also follows Sri Ramakrishna, Yogis also follow Sri Rāmakrishna, Karmis also follow Sri Rāmakrishna, Bhaktās also follow Sri Rāmakrishna. Christians can follow Sri Rāmakrishna.

When a Christian follows Sri Rāmakrishna, what should he be called? Rāma-Christian, Rāma-Christian, that’s all. Foolish  people go on quarreling about it. This is the idea.

Beautiful  ideas, I am only explaining in a very Saṅkṣipta manner. Otherwise, I can bring lot of scriptural evidence here, and afterwards I can make you enter into Samādhi. I did not want to take that risk. Because entering into samādhi, making you enter into samādhi is a very easy task, But bringing you back from samādhi  is not going to be that easy. So that is what is happening here. So we'll close it here.

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