Mandukya Karika Lecture 012 on 18 August 2021

Full Transcript(Not Corrected)

Om Jananim Sharadam Devim Ramakrishnam Jagadgurum Pahadapatmetayo Shritva Pranamami Mohur Mohur Om Bhadram Kanne Vishnu Yamadevaha Bhadram Pashye Maakshabhirya Jatraha Sthirai Rangai Stushtu Agum Sastanubhe Vyase Madhevahitanyadayoh Swasthina Indro Vruddha Shravaha Swasthina Pusha Vishwa Vedaha Swasthina Starksho Arishta Nimi Swasthino Brihaspati Hridadhatu Om Shanti Shanti Shanti Hare Om Om, O Gods, may we hear auspicious words with our ears, may we see auspicious things with our eyes, worshipping the Gods with steady limbs, may we enjoy a life that is beneficial to all, may Indra of ancient fame bestow auspiciousness on us, may the all-nourishing potion be propitious to us, may Garuda, the destroyer of evil, be well disposed towards us, may Brihaspati ensure our welfare. Om, Peace, Peace, Peace be unto all. We have really entered into this beautiful Mandukya Upanishad with Karikas and Shankaracharya's Bhashya. In our last class, we had explored two Mangala Shlokas that was written by Shankaracharya and we also had discussed a Shanti Patha. For the Adharva Vediya, Adharvana Veda, a Shanti Patha is Bhadram Karnevi Shunayamadevaha. What is the purpose of Shanti Mantra? First of all, to make us completely fit to receive the teaching, to remove all obstructions and to obtain the God's grace, both to receive as well as to retain and above all, to earnestly put into practice what we believe to be the most important thing in life. Now, Shankaracharya has a wonderful habit. Gaudapadacharya's Karika will be coming a little later, I think after the sixth mantra of the Upanishad, summarizing all the six mantras of Mandukya Upanishad. Whenever Shankaracharya writes a commentary, not only he did Mangala Shlokas, which we did already, but he also gives what is called an introduction. This is one of the most wonderful ways of easing what we are going to study. If we do not know what we are going to study, then it will be much more difficult. But if someone gives a succinct, very clear, but short, precise summary of what we are going to learn, then that subject matter becomes easier, much more related to what we are going to study. So, with every Upanishad, Shankaracharya gives a connection, why we are going to read, what we are going to read, and what are the important points, and how, above all, most importantly, we can put them into practice. That's what we are going to do. Very briefly, I will read the Sanskrit, and then come to the English, and then explain. Where necessary, I will be quoting the Sanskrit Bhashya again and again. But I will give you a brief, simple meaning of this Shankaracharya's Bhashya, in plain language, but I will discuss it in detail after the summary is given. So, here goes the Sambandha Bhashya. Sambandha Bhashya means Sambandha means relationship, connection between the first mantra of the Upanishad, and then what it is going to tell us, and what is Upanishad, and can we straightaway plunge into the Upanishad, or do certain conditions very necessary? These are the things which Shankaracharya, practically in every introduction, he introduces this thing, sometimes very brief, sometimes very elaborate, sometimes very clipped, but it will take... Very clipped, but full of depth in meaning. One example I can give is to his Brahma Sutra Bhashya, the introduction he gives. This is also called as Adhyasa Bhashya, elaboration of what is Adhyasa superimposition. Probably the whole Adhyasa Bhashya will be within two small pages, but somebody has written nearly 400 pages of commentary only on this particular Adhyasa Bhashya. So much of meaning is compressed into that. Fortunately, we know most of the terms, so without further delay, let us plunge into this, and as we have to remember, Mandukya Upanishad is containing only 12 mantras, but Gaudapadacharya's karikas are divided into 4 chapters. The first chapter is called Agama Prakarana. Prakarana means subject matter. So the subject matter is Agama. Agama means scripture. In this, all the 12 mantras of the Upanishads are there, plus Gaudapadacharya's about 29 or so karikas will be there, of course along with Shankaracharya's Bhashya. Why this particular name Agama? Because Agama means scripture. First of all, this Mandukya Upanishad is part of the Veda. Secondly, many quotations are given telling us what is the essence of this Upanishad, because wherever Shankaracharya quotes, he will quote relevant shlokas, and he was a master of many, many things, not only Upanishads, but Mahabharata, Bhagavatam, of course Bhagavad Gita. He quotes from so many things. Every information is at his fingertips, like when you make a word format, any file, you just click on a particular subject, it is called TOC, topic, and then immediately it opens at that topic. His brain was amazing brain, like Swami Vivekananda's brain. So this is called Agama Prakarana, and it contains 12 complete Upanishads, plus Gaudapada karikas, plus Shankaracharya's Bhashya. Now Gaudapada comes later. First comes Shankaracharya, and he is giving an introduction to the very first mantra, giving us the essence of not only the first mantra, of the entire 12 mantras. So let us plunge into it. OM ITYE TAT AKSHARAM IDAM SARVAM This is from the first mantra, so Shankaracharya bodily lifts this part of the first mantra of the Upanishad, and of course the first mantra continues further, but he is giving. What does it mean? OM ITYE TAT AKSHARAM IDAM SARVAM So there is that grand syllable, glorious syllable called OM, and this is called Aksharam. Aksharam means it is the imperishable, because he will give the reason, his Omkara is the greatest symbol. Omkara contains everything, this whole universe, from the beginning to the end, in the past, the present and the future, whatever we call the world, both living and non-living, everything is contained within this particular syllable, or word OM, which contains three syllables, A, U and MA. How it is connected, we are going to explore later on. So IDAM means this entire world. The first mantra tells not only what is at present, what was there in the past, and what is called indescribable past. We cannot plumb the depths of that past, when did it begin, etc. And of course we don't know how far it is stretching into the future. That means whatever be the world, that everything in this world, billions and billions and billions of objects in this world, living, non-living, organic, inorganic, everything is contained within this OM. OM is everything. TASYA UPAVYAAKHYANAM And now we are going to comment very clearly. UPAVYAAKHYANAM means very clear. Not very elaborate, but absolutely crystal clear. TASYA UNKARASYA TASYA UPANISHADAH And what is this Upanishad? VEDAMTA ARTHASARA SANGRAHA BHUTAM IDAM PRAKARANA CHATUSHTAYAM So this Mandukya Upanishad along with Karikas, usually it is studied along with Karikas, beginning only the Upanishad, and then Karikas, and then Shankara Bhashya. In that order, most students study it. And this Upanishad starts with this particular syllable OM, and this OM is both the Atman, the Brahman, as well as everything that we experience, and label it as the world, Jagat. Jiva, Jagat, Brahman, everything is contained in the OM. It may look a little bit peculiar, how everything is compressed, is contained within this OM, but it will become clear as we go forward. And this commentary is there, how this Omkara, so what is Omkara, and what is the Atman, what is the relationship between Omkara and Atman or Brahman, and what is the relationship between this entire world, consisting of living, non-living, and conscious and non-conscious, everything, what is the relationship? So ultimately, what is it? There are no three, there is no Brahma, Jiva, Jagat, whatever exists is one. This is called Vedanta Artha Sara. This is the very essence. Brahma Satyam, that is the essence. Then what is it that comes afterwards? Jagat Mithya, that is for the sake of Sadhana. Then what comes as we go on doing Sadhana? Then we understand that this world is very limited, and it is inert, Jada, but that is only for the beginners. Then the person understands the Jagat consists not only the inert things, but Jiva plus Jagat. So who am I then? I am Brahman. What is this world? That is also Brahman. So Brahma Satyam, Jagat Satyam, Jiva Satyam. In the end, not at the beginning. At the beginning, God alone is real, everything else is temporary, in the words of Sri Ramakrishna. But in the end, there is no Jiva, there is no Jagat, there is no Brahman. Whatever exists is, by whatever name you call it, it is only God and nothing but God. So this is the Vedanta. Sarva Vedanta Artha Sara Sangraha. If somebody asks, what is the essence of this entire Veda Rasi or every scripture in the world? Everything. God alone is, He is everything. That is the very essence of it. Sangraha Bhutam Itam. And this Sangraha Bhutam, that which is summarized very succinctly, even though small way, this has been separated into four Prakaranas, as we discussed in our introduction. Agama Prakarana, Vaitatya Prakarana, Advaita Prakarana, and finally, what Prakarana? Do you remember? Allatha Shanti Prakarana. So, all this is Om. Iti Etat Aksharam Iti Arabhyate. In this word, Etat Aksharam. What Aksharam? Om. Iti Etat Iti Arabhyate. This is started. What has started? The Upanishad. Upanishad starts with this most sacred syllable Om, and even instantaneously, without any delay, it says, Itam Sarvam Omkaram. Whatever was in the past, present, what is ever going to be in the future, everything is Omkara. And what about God? God is also Omkara. Then what is the difference between this Jagat and God? There is no difference. Everything is Omkara. First, the world is identified with Omkara, then Omkara is identified with Atman or Brahman, or Atman, and Atman is identified with Brahman, ultimately what remains? Brahman only. This is going to be a subject matter in all of these four Prakaranas. Atahaeva. Therefore, Atahaeva na prithak sambanda abhidheya prayojanani vaktavyani Shankaracharya takes it for granted. He was teaching to some students, and he had taught many other Upanishads, and at the beginning of any Upanishad, certain preparations have to be done. So that is what he is referring. Instead of telling, we are reading it as it were, supposing you hear a word, Do you remember? And if this is printed, we will be looking at the sky. What does this man mean, do you remember? We have to understand, there was somebody, he is addressing somebody who was in front of him, and before that he told him something, and now he is telling, Do you remember? This is the Prakriya that is being used here, Atahaeva, that is to say, let me first introduce what it is, then it makes meaning. Before studying any scripture, our Vedanta, it insists that four conditions have to be made clear. What is it? First is called Prayojanam. What is the purpose of studying this scripture? Prayojanam. Second is, Who is the Adhikari? Okay, I want to become Prime Minister of India. That's my goal. Prayojanam means goal. But am I a fit person? I am an old person. I have not studied anything. I don't have any reasoning power. I cannot hear properly, and I cannot take any decisions, and if I see anybody lifting a straw, I run away out of fear. Will I be fulfilling the conditions to be elected as the Prime Minister, Minister, MP, MLA of any place? Absolutely not. So, Prayojanam is okay, but are you having those qualifications which are necessary for to become fit, even to receive? Not only receive here, means even to study. So, first is, What is your goal? Second is, Who is the fit person? Third is, What is the appropriate subject? If you want to become a doctor, no use studying Kalidasa's poetry. You have to know biology, zoology, mathematics, chemistry. That is the appropriate subject. Finally, Sambandha. Sambandha means relationship. Relationship means, this subject and the book that you are studying, which is in front of you, does that book contain this particular subject which you want to master and achieve something? So, this is called Sambandha. Prayojanam, Adhikari, Visaya, Sambandham. These four are known as Anubandha Chaturstaya. Chaturstaya means four. You remember, I used many times, Dushta Chaturstaya, the evil gang of four. Sadhana Chaturstaya, the fourfold sadhanas. So, like that here, Anubandha Chaturstaya. Without fulfilling, clearly understanding, do not proceed further. So, I will tell you what they are in slight detail, but I will proceed now. Atayeva, here is a person and the commentary is about to be started and someone, some student, honestly wants to study this Upanishad. So, he should remember, simply like a bull, blind bull in a china shop, don't plunge. Just find out, what is it that I want? That means, what do I gain by studying this book? And am I fit? Have I fulfilled all the conditions to fit into the right student? Then, what is the book that is being given to me? And what does it teach? What is the relationship between the proposed subject and the subject that the book is going to teach, which should be in line with what I want? So, Prithak, Sambandha, Avideya, Prayojanani, Vaktavyani, Na. So, what is Shankara telling in Sanskrit words? I need not separately, really tell. That is why the Upanishad doesn't go into the details. Straight away, it plunges into the subject matter. It is not necessary because most of you have been students of the Upanishads in the past. You must have heard this Anubandha Chaturstaya discussed about it many times. So, separately, Prithak, Sambandha, Avideya. Sambandha means what is the vishaya, what is the sambandha, what is the prayojana, and who is the Adhikari, Prayojanani, Na, Prithak, Vaktavyani. Separately, it should not be discussed, really speaking. But, Whatever Anubandha Chaturstaya, the previous prior requirements were imposed by you while you were studying the other Upanishads, they apply for the study of this Upanishad also. That means what? You remember all those four. But, he was compassionate. Who? Shankaracharya. He says, Even though this Upanishad doesn't insist because it takes for granted you have already studied. So, even though they need not be remembered here, but it is good to remember them very briefly because it is good to remember what we have studied. So, now I will read the translation before I go further. All this, that means this entire universe which was in the past from the beginning, according to Vedanta, Srishti has no beginning. This Samsara has no beginning. Therefore, this whole world has no beginning. This world which was in the past, in the present, in the future, everything is the letter OM. By way of its explanation, this text consisting of four sections, what four sections? Four Prakaranas which form the epitome of the essence of the Vedanta text. You take the millions of Vedanta texts that were available, squeeze them and all that you will get in this twelve mantras, that is what Shankara means. And so, this mantra, first mantra in the Mandukya Upanishad begins with the letter OM, etc. And for this reason itself, that means for the understanding of this Upanishad, there is no need really to speak further about its relation, that means what is Mandukya Upanishad, what is its vishaya, what does it want to teach, what does one gain, and who is the fit student. So, subject matter, purpose, and the fit student, what all is said regarding this subject earlier in the Vedanta texts which you students have studied earlier, is applicable here also. Remember one thing, this is a beautiful writing. Shankaracharya is not writing in an isolated place. He is imagining for some future audience, whenever he was writing something, he keeps his present students in mind, sits in front of them, and then he writes either prior to that or after teaching them, then if there are any questions, answers, he will go back, he will write, and then he will take up, and by that time he finishes, his Bhashya also most probably is finished. He was such a genius. He was a master, encyclopedia of everything, not only spiritual scriptures, secular scriptures too. So, he says, nevertheless, these should be explained briefly by him who wants to interpret this section. That means, whether it is Swami Vivekananda or Swami Dayatmananda, if he wants to explain this Mandukya Upanishad, briefly, he should explain, why briefly, not elaborately, because we take it for granted, we are not teaching for absolutely raw students who join only for the first time. In fact, we never teach this Mandukya Upanishad for the first-timers. The first Upanishad, more or less, that we teach is Mundaka Upanishad, then Katha Upanishad, and then maybe Prashna Upanishad, because in simple language, the essence of the Upanishads is much more elaborately presented there than in these 12 mantras. It is as if the whole universe is compressed into a cup full. So, that is what he is telling. Tatra, means in the present topic that we are discussing, Prayojanavat sadhana avivyanjagatvena avideya sambandham shastram paramparena visishta sambandha avideya prayojanavat bhavati What does it mean? So, whatever here, in as much as this scripture, which is related to the subject, reveals the means that serves the purpose. Purpose means the ultimate goal. It traditionally becomes possessed of distinct relation, subject matter and purpose. What is he talking about? This Anubandha Chatursthayam. So, kim punahatat prayojanam iti uchyate What is the goal? What is the profit? What are we going to do by studying it? Very interesting. By studying the Upanishad, are you going to gain anything? By teaching the Upanishad, am I going to gain something? The answer is straight forward no. By studying, by reading, by listening, by teaching, nothing is going to come. This is what Sri Ramakrishna tells. There are some people who heard about milk. There are some people who have seen the milk. So, the people who have read about the milk, they have some type of knowledge. Very crude knowledge. But the same people, if milk is brought and then put in front of them, they have much better idea but not even 1% of the real knowledge of the milk. But the person who drinks one drop of the milk, he has 100% knowledge of what milk is. He alone is the person. So, reading of this, studying of this, teaching of this, or even remembering of this, will it fulfill the purpose? No, no. It is not going to. Then what is? Put it into SAR practice. That is why Adhikari is one who wants to put it into practice not merely like a university or school student. He wants to listen, write an examination, get some marks and get out of this. No SAR. He wants to practice and that is what Upanishad means. That's what Shankaracharya is writing that if he is an Adhikari, he will put into practice and then what happens? His goal, prayojana will be there. So, what is that prayojana? And he gives first of all a very beautiful analogy. What is that goal? If this question is reason, now this is the answer. But before giving the answer, he gives an analogy to make this teaching much more accessible, understandable. Rogarthaseva Roganivruttau swasthata Swasthata means health. There is a person, he is called a rogi and what is happening? Artha, he is suffering from this disease and then what does he do? If he is an intelligent rogi, then he will immediately run to an appropriate doctor and a person who is suffering from some kind of physical ailment, he should not go to a psychologist. A person suffering from mental disease should not run to a physicist, he should run to a psychiatrist, psychologist. Anyway, an intelligent rogi is one, really a rogi is one who cannot put up with his roga, disease. He has to run towards the remedy. Not only he goes to the doctor, he must have faith in the doctor and he, without hiding anything, he will go on telling whatever he is suffering from. Then the intelligent doctor, if he is intelligent, he goes on testing in various ways and he diagnoses. After diagnosis, he prescribes appropriate dosage, medicine, diet, etc., according to it differs from individual to individual, how much they can tolerate, whether there is somebody who is allergic to it, etc., etc. But if he follows properly, just as a patient, slowly but surely becomes cured, roga nivruttavu, when after being treated nicely, he becomes free. The roga becomes nivrutti, means it leaves the fellow and goes back to catch somebody else. Swastata praptihi, he will attain complete health. That is the example. How does it work? Tatha, in a similar manner, we are all rogis, everybody is a rogi, whether we seek a medicine, a doctor, that is a different issue. Most people don't. What do they do? They run after fake doctors, they run after fake medications, they run after fake advertisements. No. A real sincere student will always... So, Tatha, exactly like a person being afflicted with a terrible disease and suffering from intolerable anguish, dukkhaatmakasya atmanah, this atmanah, this person, what is he doing? Dukkhaatmakaha. So, he has become terribly afflicted. From what? Tritapa. He is suffering from tritapa, bodily, physically, mentally, externally, spiritually, in every way, and then he tries all these fake advertisements, it doesn't work, and after a long time, he comes to his senses, seeks a Sadguru. Then what happens? Dvaita prapancha upashame. When? This dvaita prapancha is the roga. This dvaita prapancha. Prapancha means dvaita. Dvaita means object. Remember, there are only two, subject and object. If there is subject, there would be an object. If there is an object, there would be a subject. One cannot be without the other. A very important thing for us to keep in mind. So, the subject also has to disappear. Not only the world, the subject also has to disappear and the object also must disappear. Along with the object, subject, both will disappear. Disappear means what? Not destroyed. They realize that we don't have roga. We are imagining we are suffering. Really there is no bondage. Here roga means bondage. What bondage is that? Avidya, agnana is that roga. Dvaita prapancha upashame, as soon as he falls into the hands of an efficient doctor or sadguru and receives the teaching with complete 100% faith, puts it into absolute practice without deviating even a little from what the guru tells, what happens? The inevitable result will be swastata. Beautiful word. Swastata ordinary meaning is health. He regains health. What health? Bhava roga. From bhava roga he regains health. But here swastata means swastha. Stha means to be, to abide. In where? Sway in oneself. What does it mean? It means previously I thought I was the body, I was the possessions, I was the mind. I was the possessions, I was the body, I was the mind. I was my son, I was my daughter, I was my house, I was my cow, I was my servant and then slowly this my body, that is me, then every passing thought that is me, but then he understands, I have nothing to do with all those things. Then if all those things I am not all those things, what am I? You are shuddha, buddha, mukta, nitya, brahma, swaroopaha. You are parabrahma. You are ever free. You are ever pure. You are ever free from all bondage. You are ever awakened pure consciousness. You are eternal existence. You are eternal bliss. That is the inevitable conclusion. When does it come? Only when I remove all my identity with this dvaita prapancha, the separate prapancha, then I understand I have nothing to do with prapancha. Therefore, I must be Bhagawan himself, the one reality. So, like that, advaita bhavaha prayojana. To get rid of the disease called duality, the only remedy is called non-duality. Advaita bhavaha prayojana. Here, in as much of the scripture which is related to the subject reveals the means that serves the purpose. It traditionally becomes possessor of distinct relation, subject matter and purpose. What is the purpose? Explanation follows below. To one afflicted by illness, composure lies in its cure. Similarly, to a grief-stricken self, that means anybody, any sadhaka who feels that I am bound. Who is a sadhaka? He who listens to scriptures and says the scripture is telling I am bound but I am not feeling that I am bound. I feel I am absolutely fine. I don't need. But to pass some time, I am going to read this thing. I am curious to know what this mad scripture is telling. He is not a sadhaka. A sadhaka is one and in Vedanta Sara a beautiful description is one. An adhikari. What happens? Who is an adhikari? Supposing there is a person and his head, somebody pours petrol on his head and lights up throws a match and the whole head is burning very much and then he sees in front of him a pool of cool water and what do you think he will do? Do you think oh I am very thankful that you have shown me this pool of water and I will thank you. I will write a cheque for your family in your personal name. Do you think he will do all those things? Even Guru, God, they are all thrown aside. First he wants to go and plunge his burning head into that water. That kind of yearning Ramakrishna had and that is the kind of yearning that now Shankaracharya is quoting to such a one afflicted by this illness. What is the illness? That I am bound and I will not be happy until I have become completely free. So to a, he is grief stricken. Grief stricken so I am suffering from this. Most of us do not suffer. In fact we are extremely happy to be bound. Rasagulla, a first class dress, a beautiful car, a most marvelous scene, a wonderful absorbing cinema or book and we forget God, Devil, Afterworld, Dharma, Sathya, everything is forgotten. No. Here is a soul. He wants to get out. He cannot keep quiet. He is afflicted. So for such a person he is anxious to get rid of duality as soon as possible. For such a person the realization of non-duality is the objective. What is the medicine for this Bhava Roga? Advaita Siddhi. What is Advaita Siddhi? Atma Jnanam. What is Atma Jnanam? Self-knowledge. What is self-knowledge? That I have nothing to do with this world since I am not the body. All the, not only the body disappears but everything related to the body also disappears. I am not the mind. So all the unhappy thoughts, negative thoughts, worry thoughts, that belong to the mind. Oh mind you and your worries you deal with each other. I have nothing to do. My mother is there. She is the Divine Mother. I am Divine. I am potentially Divine. I am Brahman. Aham Brahmasmi. So this is Advaita. How does the teacher say? What does he say? Tattvamasi. After explaining everything the word that. And what does the student say? Aham Brahmasmi. This is the only cure for Bhava Roga. So, Dvaita Prapanchasya Avidya Kriyatatva Vidyaya Tad Upasamahasya Iti Brahma Vidya Prakashnaya Asya Arambha Kriyate Dvaita Prapanchasya This Dvaita Prapancha and its afflictions Dvaita Prapancha is the cause of all the grief because Dvaita Prapancha means Avidya. Avidya means ignorance. Ignorance is the mother the root, the cause of the creation of division between what is the subject and what is the object So, Avidya Kriyatatva For Avidya, for darkness for ignorance, what is the remedy? What is the opposite? Light For darkness, what is the remedy? Light. For ignorance, what is the remedy? Right knowledge Tad Vidyaya Tad Upasamahasyat Tad means that roga, that grief, that suffering. Upasamahasyat It will be completely it will remove that one Root and branch burning will be there And what happens? As soon as just as a person is suffering from fight, fright because he is seeing a snake and as soon as light is brought first thing what happens? The snake disappears. What is the simultaneous thing? The rope becomes revealed Both go at the same time when darkness is removed Destruction of darkness and revelation of the right object Similarly, Brahma Brahma Vidya is like that light. Brahma Vidya Prakashanasya Arambha Kriyate So Brahma Vidya is started What does it do? First of all it negates the duality When duality is negated then only we will be able to see what is the Adhistana upon which this entire Avidya. Avidya cannot stand by itself It has to stand only on Vidya. Agnana the substratum of Agnana is Gnanam. Supposing there is no rope, you cannot see a snake at all So this Avidya I will discuss about it in future classes. Avidya as soon as it is removed How? By light. Light of the understanding I have got Avidya How do you know that it is Avidya? Unless we know what is Vidya we cannot know what is Avidya To understand this is right, this is wrong without understanding what is right, we can never understand what is wrong. In fact if we don't know what is right the what is wrong alone shines as right So as soon as Brahma Vidya comes this Brahma Vidya its only purpose is to remove the darkness as soon as darkness means absence of knowledge of who I am really. I am not the body all bodily problems talak. I am not the mind all mental problems are talak. Then what remains? That pure ever shining Nitya Shuddha Buddha Mukta Brahma alone shines So that is what is the purpose. So this particular first chapter is called Agama Shastra Agama Prakarana Why? Because lots of quotations from other Upanishads etc are given. The Shankaracharya's favourite way of explaining is he goes on quoting from the Shastra Why? Because no secular knowledge can ever illumine or remove our Ajnana First of all, even to know that I am under the delusion who can understand that I am asleep only a person who is awake during the time of sleeping it is not possible at all but some amount of awakening comes then the first thing we understand we are in great danger. This is going to destroy me. Not of course permanently but only temporarily. Then with the anxiety will come. How can I get rid of this snake? But we don't know that really speaking that the snake doesn't exist at all. But until we know that it is not the snake but it is the rope. Until we know it is the rope, the snake is not going to disappear So what is the first thing the Guru does? When we are in that state of anxiety his teachings will not go inside. So he says why are you shivering? I see a snake. Oh ho ho ho yes yes yes you are right there is a snake. And then the disciple will have faith in that Guru. Yes yes the other fellow came and he told he laughed at me and he said there is no snake, that rope he is blind, he can't see. But this person is a right person he says yes there is a snake then he doesn't know that even this person knows there is no snake. But to establish rapport he has to agree with him and say yes yes you are right. Immediately here is a person who understands me and then the Guru says you know there are two things about this snake first of all it is not a poisonous snake I know it. It is a grass poison snake. The moment he says it is not poison oh my god I am completely free from that fear fear goes away. Still some dhadakam will be there. Heart will be dhadak raha hai. So that will be there because the old samskara will not go then he says the second thing is this snake is sleeping now. So you don't worry we will save you the moment he says the snake is not about to strike him poisonous or non-poisonous the man becomes even more relieved yes sir you saved my life now remove. And then he says see I can't see it properly let me light the torch, switch on the torch and you keep one big stick ready as soon as I shine this one, give a big blow on its head and then he lights up the torch as soon as the light comes immediately the disciple understands that he was only mistaking there was no snake, neither poisonous nor non-poisonous and the snake was not sleeping snake, it is nothing but inert lifeless, a small piece of old rope which was looking like a snake which I have seen previously and God became frightened so now the Guru laughs, do you want to kill? He says no sir, there is no need to kill because you cannot kill a non-existing snake. This is the prakriya we are going to show but before we go further I have to talk about something else now there are two things Advaita relies heavily upon what is called rationality, the thinking must be absolutely clear now no question of so you have faith because I am teaching it the scripture is teaching it, a great person is teaching it, ok the teaching is nothing wrong there but don't go on swallowing, first you keep your ears open hear it nicely and then mull over it it is called manana, shamana with faith but must be followed by manana and then slowly put it into practice see whether they are giving the promised results and definitely the promised results will come, this is the prakriya so first we don't know whether God exists whether there is a bondage whether there is afterlife whether I am going to go into some other world, only scripture can give, first but secondly you don't swallow it, how to understand scriptural statements so that the lingering doubts will go away and lingering doubts are created by logic and through logic why the scriptural teaching is absolutely right logically so this relationship, first comes revelation, then comes only reasoning not reasoning, then revelation western philosophy, western science first comes reasoning, then comes conclusion but here first comes conclusion, siddhanta second comes, how can I understand which is something which goes directly against my daily experience so here is a changing object and scripture says it is nothing but brahman, nothing but God, here is something which is evil, that is also nothing but God, here is something which is slipping away that is also nothing but God, I am suffering so much, but that is only your thought it is not true, so everything that the scripture teaches goes against everything we know through our daily experience and through study, so therefore we must have complete faith the sages know what they are teaching and then how to understand it from their view point for that rationality has to be used, this is the process and then just briefly I will read out the quotations given by Shankaracharya himself many quotations are there where that as if there is duality as if this duality is real and this duality is existing yatra va anyadivasya tat anyo anyad pashyati anyo anyad vijaniyat where there is a duality, one sees other, one hears other one touches another, etc and one thinks of the other as if, but eva, eva means as if in reality, this is from your, because of your body-mind instruments minus body-mind there is no duality at all, just as in our deep sleep, we don't see any world at all but we will discuss these things in future, so where there will come a time this entire universe will be revealed as one non-dual Atma, and when a person sees that infinite oneness, tat, kena kampasya, who is going to see other, because there is some person to see, some person to be seen some person to be known another person to know such division doesn't exist when we ponder over these marvelous statements, not they are only samples so even when we ponder we understand, there is no world only Brahman exists in future, we will talk about these things now I will stop here may Ramakrishna, Holy Mother and Swami Kananda bless us all