Narada Bhakti Sutras Lecture 26 Su.38 on 21-March-2019

Full Transcripts (Not Corrected)

Opening Invocation

ॐ जननीं सारदां देवीं रामकृष्णं जगदगुरुम पादपद्मे तयो: श्रित्वा प्रणमामि मुहुर्मुहु :

Om Jananim Saradam devim Ramakrishnam jagadgurum Padapadme tayoh shritva pranamami muhurmuhuh.

Introduction to Nārada Bhakti Sūtras

We are discussing Nārada Bhakti Sūtras. According to Ṭhākur, Nārada's way of bhakti is the only way for the Kali Yuga.

The Nature of People in Kali Yuga

Why is this the only way? Because he had said, what is the nature of the people in Kali Yuga? He used a beautiful word: anna gata prāṇa. That means the people in Kali Yuga are highly conscious of the body. "I am the body."

That is called anna gata. Anna means here, body. Body means anna.

This is a point you have to keep always in mind. We are eating breakfast, lunch, etc. But what does it do? It only makes our body.

This body has come from food. And it also becomes sustained every day by food. What is eating food? Replenishing the food which has become less protein, etc.

So, in the end, what does it become? Food only. Even now it is food only. So, this word food has been used in two senses.

Two Meanings of Anna (Food)

First is, food is always enjoyed. That which is enjoyed is food. Bhogyārtha.

Anna means what? When we hear a beautiful sound, it is anna for the ears. When we are eating, it is anna for the tongue. When we are seeing something very beautiful, that is anna for the eyes.

I hope you catch the point. For every sense organ, whatever is the most pleasant, that is called anna. Unpleasant thing also is anna.

Because when a person gets sick, then you have to eat or drink kaṣāya. Not very pleasant, but very good for health. So, general health rule is, whatever you like is not good for your health.

Whatever you don't like is the best thing. For developing will power, that is the best thing. Anybody says, "I don't have will power."

Every day, you drink this much of neem juice. Your will power will become stronger and stronger and stronger. This is the truth.

Only neem juice. So, you should not mix the other drinks. If it is Ayurveda or something, it prescribes, that is okay.

Three States of Consciousness

So, in this age, man is highly conscious about the body. Conscious means, "I am the body." Only time when we think we are not the body is when we are in deep sleep.

So, there are three states: jāgradavasthā, svapnāvasthā and suṣuptiāvasthā. Waking, dream and dreamless.

When we are awake, complete identity with body and mind. When we are in dream, identity not with the body, but with the mind alone, thoughts, images, imaginations. But when we are in deep sleep state, there is absolutely no relation.

That is why even if somebody cuts, we will not feel it. That's what surgery is about. Anesthesia - we are not at all conscious.

Even sometimes local anesthesia, when they are cutting. So, for such type of people, there must be a way.

Meaning of Anna-gata Prāṇa

So, what does that mean? Anna gata prāṇa means, what does it mean? It means, first of all, identity with the body.

Second, it means we are highly emotional people. Friendships can be cut off with one word. Sometimes no word also will cut friendship.

Story of the Offended Devotee

This happened in Ṭhākur's life. Very strange. I think I must have told you, but it is worth repeating.

There was one devotee - I will not tell his name. He used to come to Ṭhākur. Other devotees also were coming.

One day, Rāmakṛṣṇa happened to praise Sureś Mitra, but not this person. Simply, Sureś Mitra did something nice. Rāmakṛṣṇa appreciated him and went on praising him.

This person was sitting in a corner. He got offended. "Oh, I am a worthless fellow. He is only such a big devotee," and he stopped coming to see Rāmakṛṣṇa. Six months passed.

So, this devotee was in the habit of, every morning, to go to the Ganges and take bath.

So, one day he was taking bath. Suddenly, he saw a boat was approaching. Then, he thought, so many in Ganges, hundreds of boats will be passing that way, this way.

So, he thought, some boat is going, but slowly it was coming. As it came near sufficiently, then he saw Balarām Basu, with a pohidi and all that, looking at this devotee. Then, this man was making fun.

"Oh, oh, oh, oh, today whose face have I seen? I had the darshan of such a great devotee." Still, that was rankling in his mind that somebody else is praised. Śrī Rāmakṛṣṇa didn't say anything about him.

That's all. He got offended. Then, Balarām Basu said, "Why only me? Hazrat Mohammad himself has come."

Means, Ṭhākur had come. And meanwhile, Ṭhākur had come from out. Now, there is a covering in the boat.

He slowly came out and tears were flowing. "I was enquiring every day about you. Why did you stop coming?" And started looking, most loving, compassionate way.

Of course, by that time, it was a grace. He understood his mistake, fell at the feet of Ṭhākur and resumed his visits.

A Contemporary Example

What is this illustration for? Rāmakṛṣṇa did not tell anything negative about this fellow. Simply, he praised somebody.

And here also it happened, just a few days back. There is one old devotee. He used to come now and then.

He was a retired police officer also. You know, on Swami's birthday, January 10th, there was a big meeting. He was invited.

So, he came prepared to deliver a speech. But somehow, he was not given prominence. That offended him.

It was our mistake also, actually. Having invited, we should not have neglected that person. But for some reason, that had happened.

And then, he became furious. "See, I have been invited. Nobody gave me a place."

Finally, somebody mentioned my name and then I had to go and in a few minutes, I have to tell like that. The thing is, we are devotees. We are not worldly people.

If worldly people react this way, that's absolutely fine because they are worldly people, ignorant people. But if we react that way, what is the difference between... If we are worse than worldly people, devotees are worse than worldly people.

Why Devotees May Suffer More

Do you know why? See, if some event happens - event means not good happen like winning a lottery, I am not talking about that. Some tragic event happens. Worldly people don't grieve so much.

Why? Because, you know, we are selfish people. How long we are going to grieve? We want only to enjoy the world. Those who are dead, they are gone.

But the devotees, neither of home nor of ghāṭ, stuck in between. Neither worldly people nor spiritual people. So they grieve very much and their mind becomes very... "Touch me not."

"Touch me not," you know. You know that plant, touch me not. You touch it and it shrinks.

So, this is the problem with many. Should this incident have happened, really speaking, you are supposed to be devotee of God. Nobody invites you to come.

We are not inviting worldly people here. You come and then... If they want, they can come. It is only Muslims, if they don't go, talāq from life.

Not only talāq from marriage, but talāq. And that is only one talāq.

So that's why a very strange phenomenon. Muslims, rarely they say, "We don't believe in Allah." Hindus say, "We don't believe in God." Christians say, "We don't believe in God."

Of course, we believe, we say we believe in God, but we believe as if God doesn't exist. This is the truth. So, for Kālikāla, Nāradīya Bhakti.

How to Develop Bhakti

How to develop Bhakti? So, great people are singing. So, we were discussing that one. Most important way of attaining Bhakti is mahat kṛpā, the grace of Sādhus, Mahāpuruṣas.

Vandhe, Have you heard about this? One minute of association with holy people. That becomes immediately a naukā, and immediately they can cross this ocean of saṁsāra. And that is called conversion.

The Story of Yoginma

One incident was there. Śrī Rāmakṛṣṇa was invited by Yoginma. Yoginma was a widow, but she was greedy.

Then Balarām Basu invited, because his nature was, "I got so much benefit from Śrī Rāmakṛṣṇa, let everybody get it." He will go on inviting everybody. Some people, bhāgyavāntas, they started coming.

Once they came, they were caught in the net. One of them was Yoginma. She was grieving because she had a daughter.

She was from a poor family. And what happened? A rich man, young man, married her. And so rich a man, that whenever her daughter goes from here, there will be a dozen bodyguards and a palanquin.

And then she will be the rājāpaṭṭaraṇī. When she comes, again the same way she comes. And the neighbors said, "Ah, our Yoginma, what a good fortune."

"Now she has been raised." Suddenly, the daughter died. Just imagine, first thing is, only one daughter, she died.

Second, all this prestige, you know, she was very proud. "Because of my daughter, my prestige also has gone up." Everything washed away.

In that age to lose one's own daughter or son, the most tragic thing. In that condition, mental condition, bhāgyavāntas invited her. She came.

Śrī Śrī Rāmakṛṣṇa. Completely she became free from all mental disease because of spirituality.

The Story of M

One, M. First today, you know that M's story. First today, his nephew brought, because M was thinking of committing suicide, a very sensitive mind. And then he went to his nephew. And his nephew accidentally took him, he was showing various gardens.

During that period, suddenly the thought came. And he came to Dakṣiṇeśwar. "Oh, there is a sādhu here."

That's why so many devotees come to me. Sādhus are the free psychiatrists. Even confessing, in UK, Harlow Street, just to confess for one hour, they will charge 150 pounds.

What does the fellow? They will lay him down on a couch. Freudian method. And this fellow with a notebook, he will say, "What happened? My uncle was there."

"So what happened? So he gave me all the trouble." Like that he will be going on noting. So next time this fellow, "What happened to your uncle?" Immediately his blood pressure will go up.

So what is the root cause of this fellow's problem? Uncle. What is the... I am just making fun. What is there? Rich fellow.

No children are there. Not dying. You understand? We expect, okay, for some time we are okay, but how long are you continuing? When I... And even worse than that, my imagination is running wildly, you know.

So suddenly a beautiful young woman started visiting that uncle frequently. Whatever little hope he had, somebody is completely dashing. Naturally, he will end up in, like a arthritic couch.

So, most of the people, the priests, the mullahs, they were the people. People used to come just to confess, talk about it, bring it out. It would be a great consolation for people.

The Conversion of Vālmīki

Then Vālmīki. How did he become Vālmīki? By the way, Vālmīki is not the name. Vālmīki is a title.

Vālmīka means ant hill. So he became converted. Then he entered into tapasyā.

He became completely absorbed to such an extent that for completely... For several years, he was not conscious of the body. Is it possible? Ṭhākur has come to prove it. For 12 years, he said, "I did not know for 12 years how time has passed."

"I forgot even to blink. So I used to see and see that the eyebrow has lost the power even to blink." And he said, "Mother, what new disease you have given to him?" But you know he was ill.

"No, no, it's okay. It's difficult for me to get up from a low chair." "Oh, I see."

"So many are here to assist you." "Yes, yes. In fact, if you don't want to get up also, why so busy? In case you are so absorbed and don't want to get up."

So, you know that he was a highway robber and he came into... You know that? His name was Ratnākara. He was a highway robber. These are all wonderful stories.

So, one day, he must have been acquiring some tremendous good saṁskāras, puṇya. Without puṇya, great people will not come. So, Nārada and other great maharṣis were passing.

So, immediately he bound them and he said, "What can sannyāsins have? Then we will kill you. I will kill all of you." Then they asked, "You know, you are committing so much of sin."

"Are you not ashamed?" He said, "It is for my family's maintenance." "So, you are doing this. You could have done something else."

"Do you think your family is going to share all this, pāpa?" First time, he was made aware that what he was doing is wrong. Second, that he was thinking, "I love my family. My family also loves me."

These people, they put poison. Poison for what? For all worldliness. Worldliness means what? Attachment.

There is nothing. If you are not attached, you can have everything. So, it made him think, "Yes, yes."

"My family would love me. Why can't you? They will definitely share. If they come to know I am harming, pāpa, definitely they will share it."

"Why don't you go and ask? Just to make sure." He said, "I am sure, but just to obey your words." He bound them, lest they would run away.

So, he went and first asked his mother, "Ma, do you know what I am doing? How I am maintaining you? Because of this pāpa. I am killing people, etc., etc." Then she said, "It is your duty to maintain me."

"How you are going to maintain, that is your business. If you are doing pāpa karma, we didn't ask you to do pāpa karma, that is your burden. Puṇya karma is a different issue."

Then everybody will have, like, sugar candy, śarbat, so many devotees. But barley śarbat, no devotees. You know that, Puṣpa? How many of you know that?

See, Holy Mother was suffering in Jayrāmbāṭī, in the summer season. So, the doctor advised, "It is because of the excessive heat, so you prepare one glass of sugar candy śarbat. It is very cooling also." So, his attendants used to come.

All the devotees attendants, "What is the matter? Prasāda." So, by that time she gives, hardly this much is left out. So, after some time, she again fell ill.

This time, doctor prescribed barley water. At three o'clock, all of them would rush. And the first day, when barley was prepared, she was waiting.

"Where are the children today? Nobody is coming." Then somebody, sadly informed, "They came to know it is barley water." "So, I don't want to share your burden."

Wife also didn't want. Children also didn't want. At that time, awakening had come.

Conversion had come. This is called sudden conversion. Sudden.

And then he went back, released them, fell at their feet. "What can I do? I have already accumulated so much pāpa." He was such a pāpi, even the name Rāma could not be given.

So, he had to be given Mara. But, if you repeat Rāma also, it becomes Mara. If you repeat Mara also, it becomes Rāma only.

So, both ends are okay, because it is nothing but amṛta. Rāma, Rāma, rasa vibhare, Rāma rasaṁ rasane vibhare, Rāma rasaṁ. Sadāśiva Brahmendra's beautiful kīrtan is there.

So, this is another instance. M was another instance. If you see, the lives of people, like that I can tell you, Purandara Dāsa's life, I am not going to tell you.

But, the company of his great sādhus, that's why the first commandment of Śrī Rāmakṛṣṇa is, cultivate holy company.

Five Commandments of Śrī Rāmakṛṣṇa

Five commandments of Śrī Rāmakṛṣṇa. Cultivate holy company.

Holy company means what? Not only people. It could be good book, it could be a place, it could be good time, and it could be, of course, good person, and it could be some type of event.

Our thoughts also? No, events. After satsaṅga, our thoughts will slowly become purified. But before that, our thoughts are only what makes us now what we are, is our thoughts.

One fellow went to a doctor, psychiatrist. "What is the problem with you?" He said, "Doctor, I am suffering from inferiority complex." So the doctor treated him for three years. And he called him one day and said, "I am terminating my treatment."

The fellow said, "But doctor, I am not cured." He said, "What I discovered today is, you are not suffering from inferiority complex. You are inferior."

So there is no cure for that. So, these events, certain tragic events, somebody whom we are attached to, suddenly something happens. Especially, nowadays it is happening, but in the West it is more.

One day a fellow came, and I was there, and he came. Very sad. I asked, "Why are you so sad?" They don't want to tell, unless they know it.

But it was the beginning of my stay there. I did not understand the psychology. I went on asking, "Why are you so sad?" Then he reluctantly, he told me, "My wife ran away with a postman, just a few months back."

Anyway, tragic events, which remind us about the ephemerality of this world. Not that everybody awakens, but to some people, it has an effect. "Oh, this is the world."

"I want to find out something better." This is called satsaṅga.

Grace of God and Company of Holy People

So, mukhyatastu mahat kṛpayaiva.

And then he also adds, Bhagavat kṛpā leśa dvā. A little bit, this much of the grace of God, it can give us mukti. But then, the caveat is, we get the company of holy people only by the grace of God.

The great Śaṅkarācārya, in the very beginning of that most wonderful book called Vivekacūḍāmaṇi, that's what he's telling. Durlabhaṁ trayam evaitad daivānugrahahaitukam, manuṣyatvaṁ mumukṣutvaṁ mahāpuruṣasaṁśrayaḥ, three things are there in this world, obtainable only by the grace of God.

What is it? Manuṣyatvam, human birth. Mumukṣutvam, the desire for - I would not say spiritual, I would say self-improvement. Even for normal self-improvement, we need tremendous amount of God's grace, willpower is necessary. Everybody wants to improve without paying the price.

Oscar Wilde used to say, you know, famous saying, you know what he used to say, "I can resist everything except the temptation." What else is there? "I can resist everything except the temptation." So, by God's grace only.

Third thing is, mahāpuruṣasaṁśraya, what is it, favourable company for self-improvement. It's very rare. How many people you get, you know? Even devotees also, everybody is not favourable.

In fact, most of the people are unfavourable. Because, how much time you can talk with them about spiritual life? Just a few minutes. After that starts, it's always your grandson, always grandsons, grandmothers, great-great-grandmother, like that it starts.

This is the quality of people's nature. Bhagavat kṛpā leśa. Leśa means, a small object.

What is it? Bhagavat kṛpā, the grace of God. And what is grace of God? Grace of God is, that which produces that understanding, buddhi, vijñāna, dhī, dhiyo yo naḥ. What is dhī? Do you know what is dhī? This is the right knowledge, this is the wrong knowledge.

What we have is, better wrong knowledge. This saree, is better than this saree, is right knowledge or wrong knowledge? Wrong knowledge, because it is only increased. Ucca saree produces more attachment.

Good saree, bad saree. Ucca husband, produces, because accepting we two, we are in minority. All in majority only.

Ucca husband, is the most helpful husband in spiritual life. I am joking, but I am serious. If your husband, is very very loving, and caring, it is very difficult for you to get out of this saṁsāra.

But if that fellow, he slaps you, he gives you trouble, tragedy, and all those things, you have a great hope, quickly you will... Any tragic event in life, is the grace of God. Who said? Holy Mother said. "Misery, is the gift of God."

And then in Bhāgavatam, there is, "Upon whomsoever, I bestow my grace, I snatch away, all his wealth." That's what happened to, Rāmakṛṣṇa's father. They were having quite a good amount of money, 33 acres of wet land.

One day, simply gone. Now who took it away? Who took it away? Don't say jamindar. Jamindar, nobody criticises, related to karma phala.

If I don't deserve, then it will go. Any day it will go, any second it will go. So it is fixed, which person will die, when, in what manner, where, and which person will live, or which person will be, wealthy, which person not wealthy, which person is happy, which person is not happy, everything depends upon, our pūrva janma karma phala, is nothing else.

This is, you have to relate this. That's why if anything happens to us, we should not blame anybody. Even, this created a lot of controversy, Mahātma Gandhi was being admired by Jews, when Israel was established.

They were fans, of Mahātma Gandhi. One of them wrote, "Why are we Jews suffering so much?" You know what he replied? "Because of your karma phala." He became furious.

"What? This kind of reply you are giving? What karma phala?" Because they don't believe in pūrva janma. "It is all somebody else, is giving us trouble." But how can, Mahātma Gandhi explain to them? If you have not deserved it, you will never get it, good or bad.

So, Śrīdhara lost everything. He did not blame the Jamindars. He only said, "Rāma gave, Rāma will carry."

"I depend upon Rāma." Then he came to Kāmārpukur. He got a small piece of land, lakṣmījānlā, and he also got two huts, to stay there.

And then, Guru Mahārāj was born. See the result, he wants to come. Why does he want to come? "Okay, you come, if you want to come, you come."

But why this event happened? Because, if Śrī Rāmakṛṣṇa was a rich person, 33 acres of land, and he says, "You fellows renounce everything," who will believe in him? He has to be, totally dependent upon, God. That is the reason.

How to Attain Bhakti

So, how can we get Bhakti? Only, either, you do lot of puṇya.

That is the first condition. As a result of puṇya, God's grace will come. God's grace will come, in the form of, association with, good people.

Spiritual people. There are, in this world, two types of people are there. Good people, not spiritual people.

And spiritual people. So, we don't want, to be company of, good people, without spirituality. We want people, both good people, and also, spiritual persons.

Because spiritual persons, by implication, means good people also. But good people, doesn't mean, so it is said, you know, every sādhu, is a good cook. It doesn't mean, every good cook, is a sādhu.

It doesn't mean that way. So, mukhyatastu, mahat kṛpayaiva. That's why, what is the word? Mahat kṛpayaiva.

Eva means, there is no other way, only by the grace. And we are all, in Bhagavad Gītā also, it is said, Why, a great person, even after, complete realisation of God, should continue doing, good example? The reason is, the person not only, he has achieved his goal, but he also wants, to set an example. We are all, imitators.

Imitation of Christ. Very interesting. About 50 years back, there was, in one village, there was one priest.

One day he was preaching, message of Jesus Christ. Suddenly a thought entered into him. He said, that why not, for one year, we will follow the footsteps, of Jesus Christ.

What is it? From tomorrow, whatever be your profession, you are a doctor, you are a business person, you are running a shop, we will just, before doing anything, "If Christ was standing, in my place, what would he do?" And he called people and said, "Those who are willing, for one year, let us experiment." And then a few people, came forward. They volunteered.

This is one thing, good about, peasant people. Once they volunteer, they will strictly follow them. So they followed for one year, and everybody felt, so elevated.

They said, "For life, we are not going back." So then, a book has come, In the Footsteps of Jesus. It has become, what is called, best seller, in those days.

I think it is available, on the internet now. Beautiful book, In the Footsteps of Jesus. So that is what, we have to do this.

Anybody, department, this person is behaving like this, so if I am in the company, of this person, I also should behave, slowly, slowly. And that is how, if he had become, following the steps, went nearer to God, I will also, go to near God.

Key Points from This Sūtra

In this sūtra, we learn, a few important points.

The best way is, to get the company of, real bhaktas. The second is, this company is available, only by the grace of God. And the company of great people, is available only, by doing, puṇya karmas.

This is the condition. Puṇya karma, and this company of great people, and through them, we get the grace of God, and bhakti comes only, by the grace of God. How? Because God, is of the parama, prema, svarūpa.

He is of the nature of, supreme love. So what is love? Swami Vivekananda, gives a beautiful definition of love. Love means, complete identity with the other.

So if a mother, says "I love my children," what does that mean? She doesn't consider the child, as somebody separate. She is me, my extension. So that is why, it is called love.

A wife, may not love the husband, may not love the parents, but she will love, her children. Why? Because they are, part of her, physically speaking, they are part of her. That is why, the relationship between, children and mother, is the strongest bond.

That is why, afterwards father comes. So, this is the krama, you do, śāstras tell us, do this, don't do this. That is how, we get, puṇya, and then, avoid pāpa.

And this puṇya, produces two effects. One effect is, we enjoy life in this world, and we also get the company of, great people. And the moment we get, the company of great people, they are, they are, agents of love.

That's what we are going to discuss, immediately. And then, grace of God, God is of the nature of love. So, he enters into us, in the form of himself.

Like light enters into us, and then, we get knowledge. That is the understanding. So, mukhyatastu, most important, mahaṭ-kṛpayā, eva, only by the grace of, holy people.

And then, this company of holy people, is possible only by, bhagavat kṛpā, by grace of God. How much grace? Leśa. One, one bit, enough for us.

Like Śrī Rāmakṛṣṇa used to say, "One grain, enough to fill the stomach of an ant." That is it.

Three Characteristics of Holy Company

So, mahat kṛpāstu, durlabho, agamyo, amoghaśca, three points here.

Mahat, kṛpā. So, mahat saṅga, the company of great people, holy people. First of all, it is, durlabha.

Labha means, attainment. Durlabha means, extremely difficult to get. Why is it difficult to get? Because, we get what we deserve.

If our saṁskāras are of this nature, invariably, we get people of that nature only. That is why in English, there is a beautiful saying, "You tell me who your friends are, I will tell you what you are." And "You are what you eat" also.

And another is, "You tell me what books you read, I will tell you what type of person you are." If you are reading trash, you are trash. Trash.

And if all your friends are trash people, then you are also trash. One fellow wanted to invent some new food. He invented.

He wanted some exotic names. So he fed the information to a computer. "You suggest some names."

So out came, junk, poison, trash. Trash. These are the names it is suggesting.

So, that is an important word. We are what we eat. If we eat certain types of foods, but eating here doesn't mean, only that which goes through the mouth.

This is what Śaṅkarācārya's interpretation of viveka. According to Rāmānuja, to obtain bhakti, one must practise seven steps. The first one is called viveka.

Second is called vimoka. Third is called abhyāsa, kriyā, kalyāṇa, anavasāda, anuddharṣa. Seven steps.

In his Brahma Sūtra Bhāṣya, called Śrī Bhāṣya, is seven ways, how to become a true devotee of God. Swami Vivekananda mentions it in his lectures on bhakti yoga. And then he says, what is viveka? According to Rāmānuja, viveka means, there is one beautiful mantra in Chāndogya.

The Importance of Sāttvika Food

"When food is pure, sattva guṇa increases. When sattva guṇa increases, our memory of God also will increase." See, it's very, very rational.

You eat tamasic food. What is tamasic food? That food which will make us go to sleep. Unthinking people, that is called tamasic food.

What is rājasic food? That which makes us terribly restless. Where is the question? Restlessness means, you understand, what is restlessness? Here is thought, next second another thought, third second another thought. That means, if you are thinking of God, God's thought is replaced by only one thought, some object.

That's why some people, whatever topic you talk, he will come only for food. I was talking about God. Immediately that fellow, "Swamiji, just now I remember, we went to the temple."

"Aha, that prasāda in which... So marvelous, I never experienced it." What am I talking? What are you talking about? Then he says different āśramas. Then he was... These are all my personal experiences.

"Swamiji, we went to India. We visited Ghoḍbāḍān, Mother's house, and Jayrāmbāṭī, Kāmārpukur, got the prasāda at Ghoḍbāḍān. Unbelievable."

Somehow... Because his mind is fixed upon food. So restlessness means deviating from one particular thought and going to another thought. The moment we get second thought, the memory of the first thought is totally gone.

So when āhāra becomes sāttvika, mind becomes sāttvika, so what is sāttvikāhāra? Āyuḥsattvabalārogya-sukha-prīti-vivardhanāḥ rasyāḥ snigdhāḥ sthirā hṛdyā āhārāḥ sāttvika-priyāḥ. It's there in the Bhagavad Gītā, 18th chapter or 17th chapter it is there. They are full of rasa, and they are not too hot, not too spicy, like that, and offered to God as prasāda, and when we eat, the mind becomes very creative, mind becomes concentrated, and its gati is ūrdhva gati, always thinks about higher things only.

That is the result of eating sāttvika food, and such a person prefers only that kind of foods. Okay. You have to go now? So he is warning you.

It is time for you to go. No problem. Somebody wants to sit, they can sit.

Okay. So, sāttvika food, you can sit in fact, because it's more convenient, otherwise your legs may go to sleep, first legs will go to sleep, then hands will go to sleep, then head also goes to sleep. This is the gradual development.

First Characteristic: Durlabha (Difficult to Obtain)

For many reasons, if puṇya is not there, it is impossible to get. Supposing there is a Mahātmā, how will you recognise? It's not easy to recognise. You know that Dakṣiṇeśwar, one mad saint had it, and such a condition, nobody was able to, even he was not allowed into the temple, even beggars did not allow him to take prasāda along with them.

Beggars. So there was a refused heap. So he went there, dogs, other animals were eating, and he put one hand on one dog, and then he was eating happily, because for him, it is not thrown out food, it is Brahman.

After that you have no right to complain, "Salt is less." You can't complain, because you are complaining against God. "Oh God, you are tasteless, you are spiceless," because prasāda and God is one and the same.

Śrī Rāmakṛṣṇa Saheb immediately recognised. He said, "Hṛday, this is a God-realised soul." And Hṛday did not understand anything, but he believed.

So immediately after eating, a sādhu was going there. Slowly, Hṛday was saying, "Sir, sir, sir, make me your disciple," as though he wants to become disciple. Long time, the sādhu did not say anything, but then he came to a place where there was sewage water flowing.

And then the sādhu showed that, "When you can understand this sewage water and this Gaṅgā water are exactly the same, there is no difference between them. You have attained God-realisation." After this he was going, still Hṛday was following.

Then that man took up a brick, that "If you come one millimetre forward, you are going to smash." And he looked like that. Immediately, Hṛday gave up his discipleship and ran back.

Śrī Rāmakṛṣṇa saw like that many people. And then he prayed, "O Ma, I want to be a devotee, but don't put me in that condition." But he had to go.

Bālakavad, jaḍavad, unmādavad, viṣādavad, all these places. He said, "One time I was mad, I was carrying a bamboo pole at the end of which there was a broken pot with a mango plant in it." You know, if you see me one day, like that, you know, especially if you take off, you know, like that, if you see me, bamboo, and when I say, "Hey," like that, I start laughing.

Will you visit me after that? I know, I don't require your answer, I know your answer. So, durlabha, impossible without God's grace.

Second Characteristic: Agamya (Incomprehensible)

Then agamya, agamya means even if you have got company, are you fit to receive it? Śrī Rāmakṛṣṇa's grace was received on 1st January 1886.

How many people were able to retain it? So, agamya means he is there. How many people, first of all, recognise him? Even after recognising, how many people really have the capacity to receive what he has to give? Just now I told the story of a devotee, he got offended. In whose presence? In whose presence? Śrī Rāmakṛṣṇa's presence.

Who was praising that devotee? Śrī Rāmakṛṣṇa, his guru. If my guru praises somebody else, "I have nothing to do with him. Talāq."

For six months he gave talāq. See, we think we are very clever people. We are all full of jealousy.

If I constantly look only at one person, even if you are here for hours together, then what would be your thoughts about me? I know, you don't need to tell me. "This Swami is very attached to this person." Like that.

It is true answer. Some people are like that. You go, try to go near.

Not every Swami is like that, but some Swamis are like that. That means they are also not mature enough to say, every Swami should be the same. Whether they are regular devotees, irregular devotees, they are giving devotees, don't giving devotees.

Varieties of devotees are there. So praṇāmi doing devotees, praṇāma doing devotees, praṇāmi giving devotees. I classify the devotees.

Praṇāma giving devotees, third class devotees. Praṇāmi giving devotees, first class devotees. See, sādhu should not have that kind of discrimination at all.

Anybody who comes is representative of God only. Why Holy Mother is called Holy Mother? Do you think all are worthy people going there? Mostly unworthy people only. But in her eyes, "My Śaraṇ and my Ānand."

That's why not only she was holy, she will make you also feel you are also holy. Because if you belong to me, and if I am holy, then who are you? Holy Mother's child cannot be unholy. And we all believe in it.

That is why we pray to her, "Mother, at this moment, I am not that holy, but by your grace, I also want to become like you."

Third Characteristic: Amogha (Infallible)

Then, amoghaśca. First is durlabha, difficult to obtain.

Second is agamya. So if we get such people, even if they are ready to bestow their grace, if we are not in a position to receive, then also that is called agamya. But once these two conditions are, we recognise them, and we deserve their grace, and then amoghaśca, it will not go in vain.

That means they will take you to God. Śrī Rāmakṛṣṇa used to express this. Most wonderful man.

Once somebody was depressed. Śrī Rāmakṛṣṇa said, "You think you have been bitten by an ordinary water snake? It is a cobra. At best, you will croak three times."

"After that, you will die." So we are all bitten. The only thing is, instead of three times croaking, we are going on croaking.

Ultimately, we will all die. Because this is a poison. What is the poison? What is Śrī Rāmakṛṣṇa telling? When a snake bites, it will only give that poison.

The biggest snake in this world is God. Because this roga, bhava roga, requires only the highest dosage of poison. With that, all the saṁsāra roga will vanish.

Mukti will come. Amoghāḥ, the moment their grace comes, is infallible. So many examples are there.

So we can tell three examples. Today I will tell them and then close. One example is Raśik.

The Story of Raśik the Jamadar

Raśik the jamadar. You know that Raśik story? Raśik was a sweeper. And then, it's a wonderful story, big story, but I will tell today only that story.

His job is to clean. He had no entry into Ṭhākur's room because he was a low caste man. But he had highest bhakti for Ṭhākur.

And then later on Ṭhākur used to say he was a devatā, cursed. So he was born in this condition because of some ahaṅkāra. All curse comes only because of ahaṅkāra.

But he had that good fortune. Here is an avatāra. He recognised.

He may not know. Every day from outside the room he will make praṇāms to Ṭhākur. He can't even touch.

His devotion went on increasing. And Ṭhākur was very, very compassionate. Whenever he sees Raśik, to meet him naturally.

And then he will give prasāda also. What happened? One day, Rāmakṛṣṇa was going towards the toilet. Toilet means open space outside.

Jhāg, jhāg talā. And this Raśik was sleeping. And he noticed Rāmakṛṣṇa going.

And then Rāmakṛṣṇa finished the business. He was coming back. Now Raśik could not hold him.

So he went and then fell at his feet. Tightly got hold of Ṭhākur's feet. Ṭhākur said, "Raśik, what are you doing? Leave my feet."

But he would not leave. Meanwhile, Ṭhākur went into a bhāva. Because his feeling was genuine.

After that, he slowly came back to normal consciousness. He was in the mood of a deva. Boon giving.

"What do you want?" Raśik said, "Bābā, I don't know anything about sādhanā. But when the time comes for me to breathe the last, you will come, hold my hand, and take me." Rāmakṛṣṇa said yes.

Then Raśik got up. Rāmlāl Dāda was carrying water pot. And he was witness to all this.

Then Ṭhākur said, "You make a Tulasī Mañca, you know, in front of your home. There is a small compound." That house is there now.

If you go to Dakṣiṇeśwar, have you seen? Raśik's house? Raśik Bhaṭṭa. Śāradāmaṭh has taken over. It's very near.

Five minutes walk from our Dakṣiṇeśwar Kālī Temple. Next time you go there, poor man, one small hut like that. Now they made it concrete.

So there is a small, in those days, place has no value, you know. And "You make one Tulasī, grow Tulasī, sit under the Tulasī, near the Tulasī." It's called Tulasī Maṇḍap.

Many South Indian ladies, they have that structure, Bṛndāvan, they call it, and put it there. Every day they go round and eat also. So you there, take Harināma, do Harināma.

It's simple. Just "Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare," whatever. Then he could do it only in the evening when sunset comes, he goes back home.

In those days, no electricity or anything. And after eating food, for a long time, he will do Harināma Saṅkīrtan. Because Ṭhākur told him.

And he had absolute faith, "Ṭhākur will come." Like a Jīvanmukta. No difference between him and Jīvanmukta.

Because he knows "Ṭhākur is going to take me. Wherever you go, you take me there." Then he became old.

He retired from that job. But he used to come occasionally and that also stopped. By that time, Ṭhākur passed away many years.

And Rāmlāl Dāda became the chief priest. And Rāmlāl Dāda, now and then, he used to see and he would give him Prasāda and Tīrtha, Caraṇāmṛtam. So for many days, he did not see Raśik.

So one day he thought, "I haven't seen Raśik for a long time. I want to find what happened." Their houses, Rāmlāl Dāda was also staying nearby.

It was only just a few ads, five minutes walk. So as he was going, Raśik's wife was coming towards him. Then Rāmlāl Dāda, "I was going to ask about Raśik, what happened, I didn't see."

And then she replied, "He is very ill. And he refused to take any medication. He wants only to take Caraṇāmṛta."

"I am coming to the temple to request you to give me Caraṇāmṛta." Immediately Rāmlāl Dāda came to the temple in a bottle, gave Caraṇāmṛta and she took it and went. And for a few days more, no more news.

And one day, as he was going to enquire, his wife, he saw his wife and said, "What happened to Raśik?" She said, "Just a few days before he passed away." Now Rāmlāl Dāda remembered the boon Ṭhākur had given him when he got hold of his feet. And then he asked, "How did he pass away?"

So that day he was passing away, he told it seems to all those people, "Today don't go anywhere."

They are all working people. "Today you be with me and then do sit around me and do Hari Kīrtan." He was lying.

After some time he said, "Now it is time. You take me near the Tulasī Mañca. Make me lie down on a mat and you surround me and do."

And also he said, "Finish your food quickly." He insisted. They finished their food very early.

And then they did not understand. But they knew that he was going to die sooner or later because he was not taking food, he was not taking medication, he was only doing some Caraṇāmṛtam. So they all started doing Hari Kīrtan.

Suddenly he said, "Bābā," he used to call Ṭhākur as Bābā. He was one of the few people who used to call him Bābā. Ṭhākur would not allow anybody to call him Bābā.

So, "Bābā, you are here, don't you see, Bābā has come. He says that he wants to take me, go along with him. I am going."

So like that he told, he extended his hand and passed away. Then Rāmlāl Dāda knew that Ṭhākur's words had come true. Same thing had happened to Pratāp Chandrā Hazra.

Same thing happened to Kālipada Ghosh. So that we will discuss in next class. Because he had the saṅga of Ṭhākur, it was his puṇya, and he understood that this person can give me.

Otherwise why would he fall? He had complete faith. "If Bābā says, I will come and take you, and that is the end. My mukti will come."

And Ṭhākur also was very gracious to him, and that's what had happened. It's a fast, marvelous story. So the end justifies the beginning.

We are all living for one moment. How we are going to die, whether we will remember God or not. That is why the story of Ajāmila, he remembered his own son Nārāyaṇa.

His name was Nārāyaṇa. And then the story tells, because of that he has gone to Nārāyaṇa.

Closing Prayer

ॐ जननीं सारदां देवीं रामकृष्णं जगदगुरुम पादपद्मे तयो: श्रित्वा प्रणमामि मुहुर्मुहु :

Om Jananim Saradam devim Ramakrishnam jagadgurum Padapadme tayoh shritva pranamami muhurmuhuh.