Full Transcript (Not Corrected)

Opening Invocation

ॐ जननीम् शरदाम् देविम् रामक्रिष्णम् जगत् गुर्म्

पादपद्मे तयोः स्रित्वाः प्रणमामि मुहुरुमु

Oṁ jananīṁ śaraḍhāṁ deveṁ rāmakriṣṇam jagad-gurum

pādapadmetayosritvā pranamāmi-muhurumuhu

Discussion on the Narada Bhakti Sutras

Introduction: Narada's Authority and Experience

We are discussing the Narada Bhakti Sutras. Now, Narada was not merely a scholar - he was both a scholar, but he himself has experienced all these things.

He included Naradastu. When a person is himself an authority by his experience, when words come out from his mouth, it electrifies the people. How do we know? I'll give two examples. Mayiji, sit comfortably.

The Power of Spiritual Authority: Swami Vivekananda's Example

What are we talking about? When Swami Vivekananda addressed the Parliament of Religions, "Sisters and Brothers of America," the whole audience had caught up. Now, what is the specialty about it? Some people addressed the audience exactly like that before, but there was no effect. Some gave a big hand, some mild applause, but when Swamiji uttered the same words, the whole audience caught up as it were.

For unstoppable five minutes, six minutes they were applauding. Why did they do it? So they themselves were telling, "They don't know why they were doing it, but there was something, they felt something," and that is called authority.

Now, great souls like avataras - whether it is Jesus, Buddha, Rama, Krishna, and Chaitanya, Ramakrishna - even today, as soon as somebody reads one word, immediately that person is transformed. So that is the first-hand experience. That is the power of it.

Three Levels of Spiritual Practice

So he is talking here. He has described in four qualities what is that. Some people say how to develop bhakti through pujas, etc. - external activities. Some people say, that is, this is verbal. You talk, you listen.

This is a little bit higher level. Your highest level is mind. Then is our... Now what is Narada telling? There is no need to mention this is external, this is verbal, and this is mental.

Everything, whatever body and mind does, include it as a worship of God. That means there should be no division between what one is doing. These three are the divisions.

The Problem of Split Personalities

What's our problem? Our problem is we are split personalities. We think something, we tell something, and we do totally different things. How do we know? We are here.

Otherwise, we would have been somewhere else. If we were all satya purushas, we should have been somewhere else. But here we are here - that means there is a terrible conflict.

Psychological Analysis: Case Study of Internal Conflict

Something very interesting. This is also related to psychological problems. What is psychological problem? A person is doing one type of activity, but his mind is pulling him the other way.

I'll give concrete examples of how it is working. There was one lady, she was... both sisters. Parents died, eldest sister had to be served, she was very sick, probably paralyzed or something.

Younger sister did not marry, and she was serving, dedicated her life, and then she became mentally sick, and she was taken to the psychiatrist. Then psychiatrist examined her. They have peculiar ways of examining.

The Method of Free Association

One is called free talking. What is free talking? They make the person relax. "Tell me something," this psychiatrist talks very little.

It is the patient. You have seen what is called Freud's methodology - beautiful couch, the man will be sitting at the head, and then this man is asked to relax, otherwise they will be put into semi-hypnotism, and then go on talking. So while talking, the psychiatrist is trained, and he is listening to everyone.

And incidentally, some people go to the psychiatrist, in the West especially, because they feel terribly lonely, nobody to talk to. They pay money, 100 pounds an hour, and then they are not mad - just to be able to tell something to another person. So if you give me 100 pounds, I am more than happy to listen to whatever you want to speak.

Uncovering Hidden Conflicts

So, very costly. So the girl goes on saying, "You know, I love my elder sister." Every time she says, "I love my sister," her heart skips a beat.

The psychiatrist is observing that, because if you love somebody, you should leap in joy, not skip a beat. That means there is something wrong with the love of her sister. Then slowly, the psychiatrist says, something this, something that.

Suddenly he says, "Your sister" - the moment she was not expecting that word, she jumps. And then slowly, the psychiatrist is confirmed, there is something to do with the sister, and it is not a good thing. She claims, "I love her," but she was fuming inside: "I could not get married, I could not lead a normal person's life, all because of..." But her duties, the way she was brought up, he says, "It is your bounden duty to take care of..."

Western Family Dynamics and Loneliness

You know, in the West, people don't care for anybody, only that family.

Strange thing is, including their children, children are brought up in such a way - as soon as they are 13, 14, 15 years old, they separate, they have their own apartment, they lead their own life, they are brought up like that, they are trained to be, "You should not depend upon me." And the very peculiar thing, it goes beyond my understanding.

Personal Examples of Western Culture

So, one day, one of my devotees, she casually mentioned, she sold her car to her son, only son.

I said, "This is a very strange idea, a mother sells her own car to her son." I could not resist. "What did you say? You sold your car?" Because for Indians, whatever belongs to the mother, belongs to the children.

Selling? But that is the type of idea. Another, in, where is it, in Switzerland, there is one lady devotee, and her mother is, her parents are very rich, and she is living, she is living in a rented house. Who is the owner of that house? Her parents.

She is paying rent. I couldn't understand. Very rich, only daughter.

This is how they are brought up. So, they become terribly lonely. So, at the same time, as a Christian background, Christianity is the background, they are supposed to, "You have to dedicate, if you are a sister or brother or father or mother," but psychologically, they feel very much damaged.

Resolution of the Psychological Conflict

Now, this psychiatrist finds out that, "You see, there is a terrible conflict in your unconscious mind. You are taught, you are brainwashed to look after your sister, but your heart says, 'What the hell? She is standing in between me and my personal happiness,' but she can't express it. It goes against all upbringing and culture and that unconscious is what brought the madness and of course, she was made to understand."

Then, I don't know what happened after that. Beautiful books are coming, how people suffer.

Harmony Between Mind, Speech, and Action

Now, why did I bring up this subject in Narada Bhakti Sutras? Because we have three components:

Our mind, our speech and our actions. If we do not have harmony, the question of our progressing towards God doesn't arise. Because what is it that holds us back? It is this conflict.

Now, you go back and listen, "Do I have any such conflict?" Sometimes, you may not be able to solve any problem, but at least you bring it to your consciousness and that will make you realize that at least you can deal with it with a special attitude, but if you don't, inside...

The Importance of Psychological Knowledge

So, there are a lot of things to be told, but Swami Yudhishthira Maharaj used to tell all his devotees, "Every devotee must have some basic psychological knowledge." What is psychological? What is psychology? What is ology? Ology means knowledge. Psychic knowledge of mind is called psychology.

So, in every science it is like that. If we have that idea that what is going on inside, we can find some way. We may not be able to remedy the situation, many times not possible, but at least we can have a special positive outlook upon the situation, which will disturb ourselves much less.

The Spiritual Devotee's Internal Conflict

And all our devotees suffer from it, because it is scripture on bhakti, I am telling you. Here is a person, very rich. On one side, the person wants to become spiritual.

On the other side, the person is terribly attached to the riches, so he doesn't want to share. No scripture is telling that you have to just distribute the whole thing. That is for monks.

But if you have got more than what you need, if you do not share with it, then what is that person called? Thief. यो भुंक्ते स्थेन एवसः The person who doesn't offer to gods what has been vouchsafed by gods to that person and eats for himself, means remains selfish. भुंक्ते स्थेनः Sthena means thief.

He is a thief. He is literally a thief. And a karma fellow also will come.

Next work, that person will not enjoy things. So these are the important things.

प्रत्यक् प्रवणता - The First Sign of Spiritual Progress

प्रत्यक् प्रवणता There is a Sanskrit word, Ramanuja uses that, and also Patanjali uses that word.

प्रत्यक् प्रवणता The moment we start spiritual life, what is the first sign of spiritual progress? प्रत्यक् प्रवणता Like you know, there is a basement. For many years you have not visited the basement. One day you take a powerful torch and then throw light into the basement.

Every nook and corner is lighted up. Then you will see where dirt is there, unused things are there, so many things are there. So what am I talking about? The first business of a sadhaka is to know what is going on in his, not only conscious mind, unconscious mind.

The Story of False Compassion

How it goes on even in conscious mind, hypocrisy, I am tempted to tell you a story. There was a posh hotel, seven-star hotel, and one day a very rich lady, millionaireess with a mink coat entered into that and then after enjoying herself thoroughly, she was coming out. She had what is called chauffeur-driven Rolls Royce or some very costly car.

The moment she came out of that hotel, posh hotel, a tramp went to her and said, "Madam, I haven't eaten for two days. I am starving. Please give me a little money so that I can eat."

And he was looking bedraggled. What was her reaction? "Oh, such a pitiable condition. I cannot bear to see it."

She covered her face, ran to her car, got into it and drove away. What is the point? Did you understand what was the point? She was telling that, "I am very compassionate. I am moved by the miseries of this person."

But what was her reaction? If she was moved, then she could have taken out two dollars, three dollars. "Okay, go and have your food." That would have been appropriate to the expression of her emotion.

But there is no relationship between what she says and what she does. Most of our devotees must be aware that such a dichotomy, clash should not happen. If it happens, it is called multiple personality syndrome.

We want one side, the mind says, "Go towards God." Another mind says, "I want to remain as a terribly worldly person." There is no reconciliation between these two.

Examples of True Bhakti: The Vraja Gopikas

So, Narada was the greatest devotee of God. Then the question, after hearing all this, one devotee, we presume, asked him, "You have defined the characteristics of bhakti, you also have said how bhakti can be improved, but we want to see somebody who is actually living that kind of life." Then, he said, "Astu evam evam."

There are plenty of such examples. Not only in Narada's time, even today, plenty of such examples are there. What is the problem? They won't come out into the public.

The more spiritual a person is, the more he wants to be very silent, hidden. And those who come out and go on saying, self-certifying, "Self-realized soul, CV, and expert in Nirvikalpa Samadhi, American dollars, Master Card, Visa Card, all are accepted, including Rupee Card also." You get CVs, you see.

And his devotees also, business fellows, they will be promoting all those things. Anyway.

So, yatha vraja gopika naam.

What are the examples? There are plenty. See, the humility of the man - he should have told, "Who is telling you? I myself am telling you." But if the disciple had no eyes to recognize his, so he is pointing out.

That is the first. But there is another reason. Was Narada equivalent to vraja gopikas in bhakti? Here also, an important point you have to understand.

Bhakti vs Mukti: Two Separate Paths

Bhakti and mukti are two separate issues. God says, "If you want, I will give you mukti." But bhakti, very rare.

Only you have to go to... Where do we get real bhakti? Only in Vrindavan. So what is Vrindavan? It's not a geographical location. Where devotees live, that is Vrindavan.

Trinam Krishna, when he visited Vrindavan, he brought the dust and sprinkled all over Panchavati. And he said, "Now this place has become equivalent to Vrindavan."

So, Narada, so humble, is telling, "Yatha vraja gopika naam."

You will not get another better example than vraja gopikas. Why? Their tanu, dhana, mana, prana, everything, is offered at the lotus feet of Bhagavan Krishna.

The Story of Uddhava and the Dust of Devotees' Feet

And then one thing you will have to... I think we discussed the story of how Uddhava was sent by Krishna.

Do you remember, Sandhya? To get the dust of the feet of Krishna. How many of you remember? Really? No, no, no. Okay, similar story.

Bhagavan Krishna wanted to teach Uddhava what real devotion is. So he sent Uddhava with certain instructions. "You go to Vrindavan."

The moment Uddhava reached, all the gopis surrounded him because they knew that Uddhava is the closest companion of Bhagavan Krishna. "How is our Krishna?" Then Uddhava was telling, "No, he is not alright. He is suffering."

So the gopikas started suffering. Hearing the word that Krishna was suffering, they said, "Uddhava, has nobody diagnosed?" They said, "Yes, a diagnosis was done. Medicine is also prescribed."

"But Krishna cannot get the medicine." "What is the medicine?" He said, "Very simple. The dust of the feet of devotees."

"But then what is the problem?" "Problem is, first of all, people want to take the dust of God or holy people. But nobody is willing to give the dust of their feet." So what was the remedy? "You collect the dust of the devotees and rub it all over the body of Bhagavan Krishna."

"And he might eat also a little bit. And that is the remedy. Immediately be cured."

Hearing this, then all the gopis started fighting. "Take the dust of my feet. Take first, immediately."

"Don't tarry here. Run, give it. We don't want to see our beloved Lord suffering."

But what is the problem? Problem is, if any devotee gives the dust of his or her feet to Bhagavan, he will eternally suffer from what is called unimaginable, hellish suffering. They said, "We are prepared to do that. We don't care."

"But we want." So what is that? Tat Sukhe Sukhitvam. "My beloved should be happy."

That is the true love.

The True Identity of the Gopikas

And also we discussed one important point. Who are the Gopikas? All the 64,000 greatest Rishis and Munis and Shrutis.

It's very interesting. Shruti means book, Vedas. Our Vedas, they said, "We have been teaching the highest truth."

"But we never enjoyed it. So let us, we want to enjoy it." They took the form of trees, cows, etc.

So that they can enjoy that divine Leela. And really we cannot understand. We are reading books.

When Swami Turiyanandji was telling: So one visit to Sri Ramakrishna, for one week, they will be intoxicated. Literal word is intoxication.

Not simply happy. Intoxicated. And then after one week, when the intoxication comes down, they need another dose.

Then they visit Dakshineshwar. Sri Ramakrishna kept people in the greatest joy. What do you think Holy Mother did? What do you think Swami Vivekananda did? Because they were men of God.

The Nature of Satsanga

And what is the definition of God? Sat, Chit, Ananda. So how do you know, one way how do you know that you are doing Satsanga? The moment you come to the Satsanga, your minds will not think worldly things. On the contrary, they think only spiritual things.

And when you go back, these thoughts will echo in your mind. But if you make somebody, who is in the name of Satsanga might even talk about scriptures. The moment you go out, your mind goes down and becomes more worldly.

That means there is something wrong with that person. You will have to understand that.

Narada's Purity and Freedom from Desires

So Narada himself, the purest devotee of God, and he was described as, you know in the Bhagavatam.

I don't want to read this one. One and half pages of the praise of Narada by Bhagavan Vishnu. Can you imagine? Usually it is the devotee who praises God.

Here God is praising one and half pages of these special qualities of this Narada Rishi. He was Kama Gandha Hina. There is not one speck of Kama in him.

Who can be free from Kama? Only one person. He who doesn't identify himself with the body. Kama comes from where? From the body.

So the person who says, "I am not the body," then he will not suffer from Kama, Krodha, Loba, Moha, Mada, Matsarya, Jara and then Vyadhi, and then Ruddhapya and then death. He will not suffer from it at all. That is why in deep sleep you are completely free from the idea of the body.

That is why you are so happy. Why are you happy? Because there is no Kama, Krodha, Loba, Moha, Mada, Matsarya. There is nothing.

You don't even think, "This body doesn't belong to me." You don't even think. There is no thinking.

That is why you are so happy. And others are also very happy.

The Purity of the Gopikas' Love

So, Yathavraja Gopikana, they do not have the slightest Kama Gandha.

Many stupid people misunderstand it. We discussed it in the context of Rasha Leela. And Gopika Gita.

Who can utter such words? Nakhalu Gopika Nanda Navabhavan, Akhila Dehenam, Antarat Madhrik "You are the indweller, you are the Sakshi." Sakshi means who is free from body, mind, association. He is Sakshi, just detached.

He is witnessing everything. But we are not Sakshis. We involve ourselves.

Every little thing we identify ourselves. Even cinema also we identify ourselves. Most of the fellows go to see the cinema.

You know why? This is a very interesting thing. Because all the unfulfilled desires in real life vicariously can be fulfilled because the men identify themselves with the hero. And the women identify themselves with the heroine.

So in real life they can't do it. But in the cinema, as long as for two hours, they can do it. They live in a cinema world.

And when they come out, they search cinema reality in the real reality. And they get, the result is psychosis, neurosis, psychiatrist. We are all like that.

No Blemish in the Gopikas' Love

Now, an important sutra our Narada is telling. Prajakopita is our woman. And Shri Krishna is associated.

What is their relationship? Is it like a lover and beloved? Like a paramour? How do we know? So, Narada is telling. There is no such blemish. Apavadhaha means what? Blemish.

That they do not know the greatness, the glory of Bhagwan Krishna. They are fully aware. In two ways I can tell you.

First of all, if you believe Shri Ramakrishna, who are they? Poorna Gnanis. Who are completely aware of what they are, what Brahman is. And that very Brahman is dancing in the form of Bhagwan Krishna.

Second, from the very birth of Bhagwan Krishna, how many miracles they were watching in front of their eyes. All the Rakshasas were trying to exterminate Bhagwan Krishna.

Here also, because the context had come, you have to understand. That Kamsa, the greatest devotee of Bhagwan Krishna, all the Rakshasas assumed that form because this is the quickest way of getting Mukti. So, if you want God to give you Mukti, try to become Putana or Dhenukasura, Shakatasura and all these Asuras.

Then he is ready to come very quickly and give you Moksha. But we don't have energy even for that. This is our tragedy.

So, Tattrapi, it cannot be said that even there. There means where? The relationship between Krishna. In that love of Gopis for Krishna, it would have been a blemish had they not known who Krishna was.

Suppose they don't know Krishna's glory. Then what would be Krishna? A handsome young man, very desirable. So, that indicates lust.

The Difference Between Kama and Prema

Now, what is lust? Lust, desire of the body for a body is called lust. Desire of pure mind for God is called Prema. In Bengali, there is a beautiful couplet.

It says, आत्मेंद्रिय प्रीति इच्छा तारी नाम काम क्रिष्णेंद्रिय प्रीति इच्छा धोरे प्रेम नाम

आत्मेंद्रिय प्रीति इच्छा The satisfaction, happiness of one's own body and mind, Indriyas, it is called Kama. क्रिष्णेंद्रिय प्रीति इच्छा All the Indriyas of a devotee are fighting with each other. "I want to serve Krishna."

"I want to give everything to Krishna." The eyes say, "I want to see Krishna." The nose says, "I want to agrana."

One Gopi was telling, "If only Krishna had been a Sampige flower, and I will put him so that he will be moving in front of my face, so that I can smell him." Another Gopi, "I wish he was a small ornament, a nose ring, because always I will be like that." Each Gopi is telling, "Let Krishna be like that."

That means they are dedicated only to Krishna. क्रिष्णेंद्रिय प्रीति इच्छा धोरे प्रेम, that is called Prema. In other words, non-body happiness is Krishna, spiritual.

Body happiness is called Karma. What is the difference? Karma binds and Prema releases. That is the difference.

Recognition of the Divine

So, in the love of Gopikas, always they know that he is God. And if they know he is God, what do you think they are? So, who can know God? This is a saying, not a very good saying. "If you want to catch, set a thief to catch another thief."

Only one thief can recognize another thief. Only one Mahatma can recognize another Mahatma. One devotee alone can recognize another devotee.

So, if they were not pure-minded, if they were not spiritual people, they would never have been able to recognize.

The Example of Sri Ramakrishna's Recognition

So many people were living with Sri Ramakrishna. You know what is the secret? Sri Ramakrishna came to the temple.

There were already a lot of priests, and they lived even after he passed away. They were all watching Sri Ramakrishna in front of their eyes. What was their opinion about Sri Ramakrishna? Not only was he not a devotee, he was not even an ordinary person.

He was mad. He was really mad. "What is this abnormal behavior?" And he got married.

He rejected his wife. He had Madhur Babu under his thumb. If he said, "Madhur, you do something for me."

The Story of Madhur Babu's Devotion

Sri Ramakrishna, who said that? Sri Ramakrishna himself said, "If I knew the world to be real, I would have paved your Kamarpur with gold." And Madhur Babu one day came with the offer of a huge estate. Exclusively, he was a great devotee.

He said, "My Guru..." He never used to call him Guru, he used to call him Baba. "My Baba should not suffer." And also, very interesting, he was a loose moral fellow.

Morally very loose. He used to visit public women and all that. And he was suffering from a disease.

Ultimately, he died only of that disease. So he knew he may not live long. And in those days, the longevity of a person was very little.

Nobody was living 90 years, 100 years, very rarely. Most of the people before 60, 65, they used to die. And did Sri Ramakrishna pass away? At the age of 50 plus, 6 months.

So that was the normal age, common lifespan. So Madhur Babu knew, "My days are..." So I don't want my Baba to suffer. So he came with the idea.

Sri Ramakrishna became mad. And he took up a big stick. "You rogue, you want to make me a worldly man."

"Who is a worldly man? He who doesn't depend upon God is a worldly man. My mother is there. You think that if you are not there, I will go to dogs? My mother will always look after me."

Madhur Babu's Clever Strategy

Then you know Madhur Babu what he did? Very clever fellow. He started going to Sri Ramakrishna's mother and said, "Grandma, Grandma, Grandma." Oh my God.

Very few minutes he captured her in his net. And then he used to come. "Grandma, where are you, Grandma?" Few days he made that drama.

And one day he kept, "Grandma, Grandma, I am very sad, I am very angry with you." She said, "Baba, why? What have I done?" He said, "You have done the greatest crime." I am adding a little bit more.

"You did the greatest crime. You are giving me the greatest pain." "Baba, what pain have I given you?" "You didn't ask anything from me."

"I have been calling you Grandma, and I am a Jamindar, and you have not asked me anything from me. If you love me, you have to ask something from me." This lady was now in confusion, because previously there was no need to think.

Now she has to think, "What is it that I really need?" She racked her brains, "What is it I am lacking?" Ultimately she found out, "Baba, I am in need of a little bit of tobacco powder. One anna's worth of tobacco powder, you bring." And then Mother started weeping, "Who else can give birth to this kind of son, unless his mother is like that."

Holy Mother's Similar Example

You know, a similar incident was there, when Holy Mother came on pilgrimage to South India, she visited Rameshwaram, and there was a huge royal treasury, and Raja of Ramnadal, she said, "Open it, and if they want to take anything, let them take." Of course, Mother was completely non-attached. But Radhu, Mother was going, "Thakur, suppose Radhu says she wants something, they will give, immediately, they were ordered."

But once they take, you know, Raja's respect also will go down. Out of love for Swami Vivekananda, but they don't expect. But Radhu, Mother asked, "Do you want any of these things?" "No, no, no, I want one anna's worth of some pencils or something like that."

"Thakur, Mother said, Thakur, thank you very much, you listened to my prayer."

Total Dependence on God

So, Madhur Babu failed. Total dependence upon God.

So, why? Because Thakur knows who is Mother, Thakur knows who is He. Once we know what God is, and who can know He is God? Only a Godly person can know who is God. Recognition.

Gopi is recognized. That yes, our Lord, He is not a Gopa. Gopika, Nandana Bhavan.

"You are God Himself. You are not even a big man in this world. You are not the leader of this."

"You are Jagadeeshwara, but you have taken birth in this Yuga, Yuga Avatar, Jumbida, Yuga Ishwara, Jagadeeshwara, Yuga Sahay." That was the Mahatmya Gnanam.

Applying This Knowledge to Our Lives

Now, how does it apply to our own lives? Mahatmya Gnanam.

If you go to Sri Ram Krishna temple, you will have to look up on Him. He is the Lord. He can give you anything.

You ask, He will give you, with devotion. What are you going to ask?

The Story of the Foolish Poor Man

So, Sri Ram Krishna used to say that a poor man is loved by a king. One day, he told the poor man, "I love you, you ask, whatever you want, I will give you."

And this fellow went and asked, "No, I am very much in love with pumpkins, so please give me some pumpkins." How foolish it is, he could get his whole poverty removed with one stroke. But what was he asking? Pumpkins.

Why? Because he was a foolish fellow. Who is a foolish fellow? He who doesn't know that this is a king and he has so much, even if he gives, it doesn't become less. This is the difference between king and God.

If a king gives something, to that extent it becomes less. But if you ask God, nothing becomes less. And Sri Ram Krishna during his sadhana used to tell something very interesting.

He used to say, "Oh Ma, why don't you give me bhakti? If you give me a little bhakti, what will you do? After all, you are in the ocean of bhakti. And if you give one drop, will the ocean say, 'Oh, now minus one drop.' For you it is nothing."

"For me it is like an ocean. Why don't you give? Why are you so conjucious?" It's a beautiful prayer.

Our Petty Prayers

So if we come to the temple, and if we are asking, "Give my headache, make my husband a very peaceful man, so that I can live with him."

"I live and love with him. I am living with him, but I don't love him." Etc, etc.

What are these? Like that poor man asking for pumpkins.

No Blemish in True Divine Love

So, There is no apavada. They are fully aware of the glory of Bhagwan Krishna.

Suppose somebody says, "That I love Thakur, but I am not aware of his greatness." And if I love without being aware of a person's greatness, that is what public women do. What do they do? "That I give you something, and you give me something."

That's all. Our relationship is a business relationship. Give one take.

That doesn't show the true understanding. So all the gopis can be called public women, had they not been aware of the glory of God. These are all practical things.

So if we are worshipping God, "I give you something, you also give me something." What are we? Not even shopkeepers. We are public women.

They confess so much of love. Public women, you know, "I love you, without you I can't live." That is what they say.

How long? So long as they give money. The moment their money is exhausted, like all the frogs or fishes desert a pond which is completely dry, so also the moment that is gone, there is a beautiful incident.

The Story of Ravindra's Fall

It is there in the appendix of the Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna.

One devotee, whom we will not get earlier the name, Ravindra, his name was Ravindra, it is there not in the main Gospel, towards the end in the appendix. So one day he came, this was after Sri Ramakrishna passed away, and half the cloth was torn, and he was shouting, "I will never again visit her." Sri Ramakrishna loved him, and he was a very pure young man, but he fell into the clutches of, it is wrong to say, he fell into the clutches of a woman, because it is not that she invited him, he went and allowed himself, he had weaknesses obviously, so she was naturally confessing, "I love you so much," and he used to give money and this and that, so one day he went, found out she was entertaining another man, and then he got very angry, then she understood, "If I lose this customer, my business will be less," so he wants to go angrily, she is pulling, "I love you, I love you" that way, so half his cloth was torn, in that condition he came to Varanagar mart.

What does this story prove to you? Why am I mentioning it? There is a purpose. Sri Ramakrishna loved this man so much, and he was also loving Sri Ramakrishna, no doubt about it, but this old samskara has not gone. So many people, I can tell you a number of examples, all this happened after Sri Ramakrishna had passed away.

One devotee, he went to a public house, the door was closed, so he had to climb a few steps in order to enter into the house. Public woman, as soon as he started climbing, suddenly he saw Sri Ramakrishna standing there, with the greatest compassion, looking at him. The moment he beheld Sri Ramakrishna, he simply ran away from the place.

It is probably a temporary phenomenon, because the samskara is very strong. We are all people of what? Real bhakti is there within us. Our problem is that our old samskara is pulling this way, our bhakti is pulling.

Really we have got bhakti. We want to progress, but we are weak people, unable to cope with our past samskaras.

The Three Types of Love

Anyway, tad vihinam jaranamiva Then Narada is telling, what is real love? So in Vaishnava literature, love is divided into three categories.

So the lowest, middle and the highest. What is the lowest? That I don't care what happens to me, I want to be happy. I want to get happiness only from you.

This is the lowest. What is the middle? I want you to be happy, but at the same time, I also want to be happy. The highest is, I don't care whether I am happy or unhappy.

I don't even think about it. I want you only to be happy.

Radha's Supreme Love for Krishna

This is beautifully indicated in the gospel of Sri Ramakrishna.

Sri Ramakrishna is quoting, because these are the most important things to understand what is love. Krishna is loved by the greatest of the gopis. Who was it? Radha.

And one day Radha was seen to be piqued. So the companions asked, "Radha, why are you so piqued?" She says, "My Krishna had gone to Chandravali." Another gopi.

Chandravali. Then the gopis are asking, "You love Krishna, isn't it?" "Yes." "So you want that he should be happy."

"So he has gone to Chandravali, which means he thinks that he would be very happy with Chandravali. So you should be very happy if you love Krishna." Then Radha was answering, "Don't I know that? I only want my Krishna's happiness."

"But what does Chandravali know? How to take care of my Krishna?" See how much teaching is compressed in this short statement, Tat Sukhe Sukhitvam That is the sutra we are going. Nastyeva Tasmin Tat Sukha Sukhitvam So nastyeva, it is not there. What is not there? In this jarana, means public woman.

What is their characteristic? In their love, professed love. Tasmin Tat Sukha Tat means the happiness of the beloved, lover, is completely absent. That means what? They are only concerned only with their own happiness, not at all with the happiness.

Whereas the Uraja Gopikas, "We are prepared to go to hell, but let our Krishna be happy."

The Magnitude of True Devotion

So I can do a little bit of spicing. So Krishna, if you take happiness as 100%, 100% So if Gopikas give the dust of their feet and rub it all over the body of Bhagwan Krishna, Krishna will not get 100% happiness.

He will not get even 1% happiness. But he will get 100th of 1% of happiness. 100th of 1% of happiness.

But for that little bit of happiness of Krishna, all the Gopikas are prepared to go to eternal hell. Will they give or not? They will not think twice. "If I can make my Krishna this bit happy, we are prepared to give that."

Otherwise the calculation comes, "Oh, we will go to eternal hell, but he will be only this much happy, and therefore it is not worth giving. If we know for sure at least 51%, not 49%, but 51%, then we will consider." No.

"If he makes even for one second, if he can be happy, we are prepared to give that." That is called true blissfulness.

So, in that sort of love of the public woman, there is no idea at all of one's feeling happy in the happiness of the other.

But complete effacement of the self and at-one-ment with God is the crucial test of genuine bhakti.

The Psychology of True Love

Now, psychology is entering into it. What do I get? "Okay, the other person is very happy, and I am sacrificing everything for that other person."

"What do I get out of it?" What do I get? What will you not get? Because the people have become one with Krishna. So, there is the psychology. Psychology is nobody loves anybody.

Everybody loves themselves. No wife loves the husband. No husband loves the wife.

No parent loves the children. No children love the parents. The long list of Yajnavalkya's teachings to Maitreyi in the Brihadaranyaka Upanishad, we have to insert here.

So, if the husband is loving the wife, for what purpose? Only for the sake of the self. Your self means two meanings. If it is body-mind, this is a husband.

So long as the wife gives happiness, for the bodily happiness, bodily happiness means not only union, but also cooking, cleaning. You have come after nine hours of hard work. What was this fellow doing? He will go there, sit in the air-conditioned room, and then the servant will bring tea, and whole day he will make a few signatures, and he will come back, "Oh my God, you have worked so hard."

"So, I will take off your shoes. I will give you your favourite cooking." Whole day, what is she doing? Such a wife is a loving wife.

This is the bodily comfort. Your self, small s, for the sake of the body and mind. But really happiness comes from where?

The Nature of Happiness

So, no object gives happiness, but it removes the unhappiness, and that is what we think, that happiness comes from the object.

That is our greatest mistake. Do you follow what I am talking about? I will give you an example. Here is a person.

He loves sweet, and whenever he eats this sweet, he is very happy. Now, does the sweet give happiness, or does the sweet remove the obstruction between him and happiness? So, I will tell you how it is. The Atman is of the nature of what? Sat.

That means we are the Atmans. Even though we may say that I am the body-mind, but we cannot remove our own true nature. We can never become body and mind, actually.

How do we know? Even language indicates that. What is the language? Whatever we talk of "my," is not me. This is the greatest philosophical truth, psychological truth.

"I" and "my" are as opposed as light and darkness, as heaven and hell. "I" and "my."

The Distinction Between "I" and "My"

So, now, my house, my property, my car, my job, my village, my religion, my country, anything you add, we can understand.

It is totally separate. My house is not me. My car is not me.

Any fellow says, "I am my car," suppose this fellow is a donkey, what should he say? "How many donkeys are you seeing?" Like that. So, with regard to the body, we are confused thoroughly. Sometimes we say, "I," and next breath we say, "my."

Is it not what we are doing? "How are you?" "No, I am not well." "What is the matter?" "My head is aching." Next breath, "my head."

Always remember, "my" is totally different. My house, my car, anything "my," is totally different. But we are confused.

With regard to outside body and mind, everything we are crystal clear, "This is not me. It belongs to me. I am related to it, but I am not there."

Nobody says, "I am my house." But the behaviour is as though I am the house. Let somebody scratch.

Let somebody scratch your car. Whom is he scratching? Who suffers? When you make an accident, the police will not come and arrest the car, because the car did not make the accident. It is you who made the accident.

The Humorous Story of the Cow Thief

One fellow stole a cow and he was caught. And he was taken to the magistrate. The magistrate, "Did you steal the cow?" He asked.

"No, no, sir, I did not steal the cow. I only stole a piece of rope. But the cow happened to be tied."

Magistrate said, "Oh, for that purpose, you should not be punished. Take this fellow's hand and put it in the jail." Like that.

You see, with regard to the body and mind, one moment we are saying "me," another moment we are saying "my." Same thing with the mind. "How are you?" "I am not happy."

"Oh, what is the matter?" "My mind is worried." "I am worried." "My mind is worried."

"I" and "my" always remember. They are as opposed as light and darkness. Where "I" is, "my" cannot be.

Where "my" is, "I" cannot be. They are totally separate. But Mahamaya, Adhyasa, we are totally one with.

The Nature of Attachment

With regard to body-mind, with regard to everything else, we know we are not the same, but yet in bhava, in mind, attachment, something happens to anything of my property, then I feel the pain. Property doesn't feel the pain. I feel the pain.

So we have to get rid of it. Now what are we talking about? If a person is professing love, that person, nobody loves, he is loving himself. That's all.

That is the analysis that we have made here. So how does an object give us, "I love this, I love this object." How does the object give? My nature is ananda.

The moment this desire comes, my ananda becomes covered up. What is the problem? In the form of desire. How does the ignorance come? In the form of desire.

How Objects Seem to Give Happiness

So "I want to eat a sweet." Okay, we have got hierarchical values to sweets, not every sweet. Everybody has got their own hierarchical way of doing it.

So the moment this sweet comes, and I eat that sweet, what does that sweet do? It will remove that desire. The moment desire is removed, that covering up in the form of the desire is removed, my natural ananda will come out. That's all.

So, like you know, if there is light, but it is covered, then you remove the light. Sometimes, you know, you want to read something, and somebody comes and stands, an object is showing a shadow like that. What will you do? Remove the shadow.

Did you bring the light? No, the light was already there, but we are removing the manifestation of, the obstruction to the manifestation of light we are removing. This is exactly what happens. No object gives any happiness.

The Relativity of Objects and Happiness

Now we can deal with this from the other side also. Of course, if the nature of an object is happiness, then it should give happiness always to everybody. But you know, the same object makes you very unhappy under other circumstances.

So, one of our Swamis, you know, and he beautifully analyses it there. So, supposing, this is one, a little bit funny type of example. There is a couple, husband and wife, and the husband thinks, "My wife loves me very much," and she prepares a very beautiful sweet, and he is very happy, he is very happy to get this sweet, prepared by his beloved wife, and he is eating very happily.

Suddenly somebody comes, "Do you know, your wife is having an affair with somebody." The moment that information comes, what happens to the sweet? It turns into the virulent halahala vishak. Poison will come.

One second before, it was wonderful. Now, that one single idea. So, same thing, you know, somebody brought some sweet, and then you are eager, you love the sweet, you are hungry, you want to eat, and as you are eating, then the news comes.

"You know who sent this sweet? That fellow who always criticises you." That information is enough, that will turn into the bitterest anti-diabetic medication. Natural vairagya, you want to spit it out, and throw that thing as far as possible.

Yes, day-to-day examples to take. What is the lesson we are talking about? No object has intrinsically any happiness, that includes our body and mind.

The Nature of Relationships

So, the relationship between husband and wife, and parents and children, what is the relationship? Very interesting, you know, you have to know these things.

When a parent says, "I love my children," what is the relationship? Bodily relationship. How does the parent recognize, "This is my child?"

The Story of Exchanged Babies

So, Swami Premachanandji has written a beautiful book. It is called, "Go Forward."

In that one section, he says, here is a mother who has a child, and the child died. Four or five years old, child died. And the mother's grief is indescribable.

She is weeping her heart out. But slowly, in the course of time, she overcomes that, accepts the fact. Then she takes bath, she decorates herself again, meets the husband, and again she has another child.

Now this baby, second baby is growing up. And she wants to pour all her love now. And one day she prepared nice sweets, and she was about to feed her own child.

Then, the neighbouring child, who is two years older, he gets the smell, and he runs. Children don't know the difference between neighbouring houses and their own house. He is attracted by the food.

And what is the mother trying to do? He wants to hide, and somehow sends that child, he is intensely hating. Premachanandji is describing. "Had she but known, it was her eldest son, who was born in the neighbourhood, and he is coming in this form, and she can't recognize, this was my son, who has taken birth in this particular form."

You understand now? What are we talking about? What is the relationship? Between parents and children? It is a bodily relationship. The moment the body changes, the parent cannot recognize the child. The child also cannot recognize the parents.

It is only bodily. The mother gives birth. "This is my son."

Ramana Maharshi's Example

Another way also you can tell, you know. Suppose, in the hospital, the babies are exchanged. This is Ramana Maharshi's example.

Did I tell you? So, it is our attachment to the body. In this context, he was telling, there were two women in a village. Both of them became pregnant at the same time.

Both of them were admitted to the hospital. Both of them, because neighbours were given the same bed, both of them delivered practically at the same time, and these babies were kept. And then what happened? The nurse one day made the mistake.

The neighbour's child she put in this crib, and this child she put in the neighbour's crib, because all children more or less look alike. So then, they came back happily, and then they were friends in the beginning. For some reason, they became bitter enemies.

For 20 years, they were the bitterest enemies. Not only they can't see each other, the children who are innocent, they don't allow them to play together, etc., etc., etc. 20 years passed.

Then the mistake was found out. Now what happens? "How much regret they say, whom was I hating? My own child, because of the association with the..." Now, the child also becomes beloved, and because the child is loved by the parents, and the parents are also loved by the child, they become again thick as... very close. So he is telling, all this is nothing but what? Bodily relationship.

Body, body, body. Annamaya, Annamaya Sharira. All our relationships are bodily.

Annamaya relationship. What is the relationship between a mosquito and me? Only Annamaya. What is the relationship between a tiger and me? What is the relationship between me and a cow? It gives me milk.

I am not after the cow. I am after the milk, food. That's all.

Bodily relationship. What else is the relationship? But I am only telling it. That's not absolute truth.

We also had prana relationship. We also had mind relationship. We also had Vijnana relationship.

We also had Anandamaya Kosha relationship. But most of our mind is only in this one.

The Superiority of Bhakti Over Other Paths

So, in that sort of public woman's love, there is no idea at all of one's feeling happy in the happiness of the other.

But the real lover, what is it? He or she identifies completely with the other. That is true love. If I don't identify myself with the other, that is not love.

That is Jara's love. If I identify myself, I love because... Not because you are my neighbour. Because I love myself.

But I see myself in you. That is the idea. And then, Sa means this Parabhakti.

Real Bhakti. This Bhakti is greater than Karma, Jnana, and Yoga means Rajyoga. It is better than Karma Yoga, better than Rajyoga, better than Jnana Yoga.

Adhikatara. It is far superior to all these Yogas. Bhakti Yoga is the most superior to all other Yogas.

Why? There must be a reason for that. So, he is giving it. Because of the result that we get.

The Results of Different Yogas

What is the result of... If you become a Karma Yogi and become perfect, you become Naishkarmi. You go beyond all Karmas. You understand that one? So, you are going to the office.

What purpose? To get some money. But supposing they give the same money to you, without your going to the office, or you win a lottery ticket, a billion rupees. Then do you think you care for that? Next day you will show your thumb, and then your boss, which you are telling you are the greatest being on earth, show the thumb and come back.

Isn't it? Because you are totally independent. The result of Karma is to go beyond Karma. Because Karma is propelled by desire.

When you get happiness, immediately, normal day-to-day life also it is like that. You have a desire to eat food. How long that desire lasts? So, that propels you to action.

Get the food and eat the food. Once the food is eaten, you will not repeat that action again. Isn't it? It is finished.

Raja Yoga and Jnana Yoga Results

It is greater than Yoga. Because what is Yoga? According to Patanjali, Yoga, Yogaha, Vyogaha. According to Patanjali, who follows Sankhya Yoga, Darshana, Prakruti and Purusha are already united.

So, what are you trying to do? To separate them. And kick out the Prakruti. "I have nothing to do with you."

That's why Vyogaha, Yogaha. Vyoga is Yoga. My separation from the body and mind, that is called Yoga, according to Patanjali.

But according to Jnana Yoga, My Jiva becomes one with Jivatma, becomes one with Parmatma. It is the same. That is why this Chinmadra.

One day I explained it. I hope you remember it. Now, this Jiva is married.

Three. And he will suffer and suffer and suffer. Three rings he will go through.

And then, Karana Shavira, Thalak. Sokshana Shavira, Thalak. And Stola Shavira, Thalak.

When? When Jivatma and Parmatma become united, they become separate. This is why Chinmadra means, "I have nothing to do with these three. Let them be there."

"But I have nothing to do with them. I am one with Parmatma." This is called Chinmadra, Jnanamudra, Anandamudra.

These are some names for it. You can also say Satmudra. Satmudra.

Satchidananda. Chitmudra, Chinmudra. Anandamudra.

They go together. And these three, now there is no, what is called slavery to this. "Okay, you also be happy, I am also happy."

That's why Jivanmukta doesn't say, "I am the body." He says, "There is a body." He uses it.

Shri Ramakrishna used to say. But he will never say, "I." "You come there. You come."

"And this happened. To this." Like that.

Why Bhakti is Superior

So, Satuk Karma Yoga is it. Because Karma Yoga comes to an end. When Karma comes to an end.

Then Raja Yoga, Vyoga. The very second one you know. Nirodha means what? Talak.

All vrittis, talak. Then what remains? Purusha alone remains. That is the result of Raja Yoga.

And what does the Jnana Yoga say? Jnana Yoga says, "I am not Jiva. I give up my Jivahood. And I claim I am Paramatma."

Whereas a Bhakta says, "I don't want to give up my Bhakti. I want more Bhakti. The more Bhakti, still more Bhakti, still more Bhakti."

"And do you want to become one?" "No, no, no, I don't want. I want to remain. I want to see my beloved."

"I want to think of him. I want to smell him. I want to touch him."

"I want to hear him. I want to taste him. That is all that I want."

The Devotee's Choice: Bhakti over Everything

That is why, A devotee never wants Mukti and all those things. What does he want? So three things are there. Bhakti, Bhukti and Mukti.

A Bhakta says, "I don't want Bhukti." Bhukti means what? Worldly happiness. "I don't want Mukti."

"I don't like Mukti." Because Mukti means what? "I can't think of my God. I don't want these two."

"What do I want? I want only Bhakti."

Bhakti as Its Own Fruit

So, Falaroopat means, For it is of the nature of the fruit of all this. If you become a Karma Yogi, You become a devotee.

If you become a Raja Yogi, Then you understand Bhakti will come. If you become a Jnana Yogi, Then Bhakti will come. So, that is called Falaroopatva.

Bhakti is its own result. What is the result? You start with this Bhakti, And get this Bhakti, This much investment, You get this much profit, Then that you invest, Then this much profit, Then you invest. It is lossless Bhakti, And that is called Parabhakti.

Beautifully expressed in Bengali, "I don't want to become sugar. I want to enjoy sugar." That is why Madhusudana Saraswati, He expressed it, "Before Bhakti comes, Advaita is for bondage."

"Once we get devotion, It is much better than Advaita. Advaita is like boiled vegetables. Advaita is masala with vegetables."

Conclusion

So, beautifully, We will discuss it. We have covered nearly 26 sutras. One third, almost one third, we have covered.

Almost. I think 84 or something like that.

Closing Prayer