Full Transcript (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.

Nārada Bhakti Sūtra Lecture: On Satsaṅga and Dussaṅga

Introduction

We are studying Nārada Bhakti Sūtras. We have completed Sūtra 42, which states that devotion to God alone has to be achieved and realized. However, there are certain qualities, qualifications, and caveats involved.

The Importance of Holy Company (Satsaṅga)

Always, like poison, avoid the company of the unholy. Cultivate the company of good people. Śrī Rāmakṛṣṇa said: always cultivate satsaṅga - holy company.

The Example of Alcoholics Anonymous

Why is this important? You must have heard about something called Alcoholics Anonymous. There are people who are addicted to drink and are unable to get out of this addiction. So the doctor advises them: "You join this Alcoholics Anonymous."

Who are they? All people who were addicted before, and some of them are still addicted, but they help each other. They share: "How did I get out?" This becomes an inspiration. So is it dussaṅga (bad company) or satsaṅga? In this case, it is satsaṅga, because it helps them to get out.

The Root Cause of Mental Restlessness

Whatever type of bad habits we have, all of them have only one cause. This is the most wonderful thing. Why is the mind restless? The mind is always restless.

Is it possible to control the mind without going to God? Not possible. Why is the mind restless? Why does the mind desire? What is the cause of restlessness? Restlessness is caused by desire. And desire is caused - do you know why desire is caused? Desire is caused because we feel a total lack; there is something lacking.

The Vedantic Answer

What is it? Only Vedanta can give the answer. Anybody, however intelligent that person is, if he wants to give an answer by citing psychology or science or the body, he won't be able to give the answer, because these things cannot provide the answer. What is the answer?

Pūrṇam adaḥ - That is perfect, infinite. Pūrṇam adaḥ - adaḥ means "that." This whole universe is absolutely perfect.

Why? If the parent is a human being, what would be the children? Human beings. If the parent of this universe is God, Bhagavān, what could this universe then be? Can it be other than Bhagavān? It is Bhagavān only, but we are looking at this universe differently. This is one of the biggest philosophical puzzles.

The Rope and Snake Metaphor

When we are looking at this universe, we are thinking the universe exists. Actually, the universe doesn't exist. What exists? Only God.

Like when we are looking in semi-darkness at a rope, what do we see? A snake. So where is the snake? Is it out there or is it in here? So no use beating that external thing. We have to beat here (pointing to oneself).

Not too strongly, because the purpose will not be served - a little bit, like that.

Training Methods in Monasteries

Zen Buddhism Training

In Zen Buddhism, they make all their disciples sit in rows. The back should be completely erect like that. And one meditation master will be moving with a big whip. They are sitting in rows. If anybody's head droops, he is watching with a thousand eyes. Immediately that whip will come on his back.

Totāpurī Mahārāj's Monastery

Totāpurī Mahārāj was the guru of Śrī Rāmakṛṣṇa. How was he trained? In his monastery, there were 700 sādhus working - in those days, now there are not so many.

So they would first sit inside the house with nice cushions for meditation. After some time, slowly the height of the cushion would come down. A day would come when there would be no cushion at all - all inside. After some time, they would sit in the veranda. After some time, they would go out under the sky. Why? Because they have to wander.

So where are you going to get cushions and all those things for meditation? They have to meditate under any circumstance, on any type of ground.

Śrī Rāmakṛṣṇa's Night Meditations

We have to meditate upon Śrī Rāmakṛṣṇa's life. Every night, he used to go to Pañcavaṭī and sit for meditation. Now tell me, were there mosquitoes? Were there ants? Were there flies? Were there other poisonous insects? And were there snakes? Because he said, so many times I have seen snakes. All were there. But he used to be completely absorbed.

So were they leaving him alone? Or were they troubling him? They were troubling him, but his absorption was so great he was not minding at all. So how many insects must have drunk his blood?

Understanding Devotee Behavior

Sometimes we come across many devotees who are like scorpions, like mosquitoes. That means they are carping, criticizing, and they can't see anything good. Yet they are devoted, they are initiated, they do some japa meditation.

Somebody asked me, why is it so? Because in their past life they were mosquitoes and scorpions. And fortunately, they drank the blood of Śrī Rāmakṛṣṇa. As a result, they became devotees. But that old saṃskāra of biting has not disappeared - it is still continuing. I am not joking.

Which devotee has got only pure spiritual saṃskāras? We are a mixture of good and bad. What is the proportion? 50-50. But what is 50-50? One horse versus one rabbit.

So we have to slowly overcome. That is called sādhana.

The Nature of Sādhana: Yama and Niyama

What is sādhana? First, get rid of the negative qualities - which is called yama. Then acquire positive qualities - that is called niyama.

Ahiṃsā (Non-violence)

What are the negative qualities? Ahiṃsā. Why is it said that you have to acquire ahiṃsā? To whom should this advice be given? If there is a healthy person, you don't tell them to visit the doctor and get medicine - that advice will not be given. It is only to a rogī, a sick person, that you say "visit the doctor."

And to a weak person, you say "go to the gymnasium."

What is ahiṃsā? Swami Vivekānanda's definition is the best definition I have ever come across. What is ahiṃsā? Absence of jealousy. Jealousy is the greatest hiṃsā. And it works with whom? Does it work with enemies? No, it works only with friends. Enemies we hate, but we are not jealous of them. But friends we are terribly jealous of.

If somebody dresses better than me, I am jealous of that person. So ahiṃsā.

Satya (Truthfulness)

Then satya. What is satya? We are not accustomed to it, so the advice is to lead a truthful life. This word "truthfulness" has many meanings.

Usually truthfulness means speaking truth. Speaking truth means whatever we have witnessed and experienced, without distortion, we have to convey it to others. That is not the only meaning of satya.

Authentic Life

Satya means you lead an authentic life. In the Western world today, this is the buzzword: lead an authentic life.

And when you are asked, "What is authentic life?" they will explain: If you cannot digest, let us say, dal, don't eat dal. Don't force yourself because somebody gives it to you. And especially when they make this dal, it is very tasty. Some people when they make dal, it is so tasty you don't want to eat anything except dal.

But here is a person who cannot digest it. If he eats what suits him, that is authentic life.

Educational and Career Choices

In the educational field, this person doesn't like chemistry - he likes art. Another person likes medicine. Another person likes poetry.

So whatever a person really enjoys and has a talent for, that is called authentic life. That is gone now. So what are people doing now? "No, no. The first goal is whatever brings the greatest amount of money." That is why how many people regret afterwards and say, "I lead an unfulfilling life."

But in the West, several people are waking up now. There was one executive officer of a very big company. His monthly salary itself runs in six figures, they call it - six figures, one lakh pounds per month. Still, he was unhappy.

The psychologist advised him, "Do you really enjoy your job?" After a lot of prodding, he said, "No, I don't enjoy it." "You have enough money." He resigned and happily took to carpentry because he really enjoys working with wood. Somebody took to farming. Another fellow took to outreach.

So like that, people - the psychologist analyzed this - it's called aptitude. What is it you really enjoy? And that type of life you lead, you get fulfillment. This is called authentic life.

Spiritual Authentic Life

Applied to spirituality, what is the authentic life? This is what Ṭhākur condensed into one single word: Yato mat, tato path - "As many faiths, so many paths."

What does it mean? One person loves Kṛṣṇa. Another person loves Rāma. Another person loves Kālī. So if they are forced to adapt to the other one, then it's not going to work out.

Rāmakṛṣṇa was funnily telling: One Muslim caught one Hindu, a Śākta. Always, you know, "Tārā, Tārā" - that name was coming out. This Muslim shaved his head in a particular way and initiated him into Allah mantra. "Now from now onwards, you are a Muslim. Now utter 'Muslim.' Otherwise, I will cut off your head."

So he tried. The first word that came was "Tārā." The second name that came was "Tārā." The third name that came was "Tārā."

The Muslim said, "I am going to cut off your head. Why are you uttering?" That man said, "You may cut off my head. My Tārā is sitting up to here (pointing to throat). She is pushing away your Allah. Impossible for me to remember your Allah."

Can't they understand this simple truth? That it is not at all necessary.

The Story of Vijayakṛṣṇa Goswāmī

When Rāmakṛṣṇa came into contact with Keśava Candra Sena, there was one person called Vijayakṛṣṇa Goswāmī. The moment Rāmakṛṣṇa saw him, he called him and said, "Vijaya, what are you doing here?" (In brackets, he did not say, "I am hiding in this wretched place.")

"Because in your blood, in your veins, is flowing the blood of Goswāmī. Who was the Goswāmī? Advaita Goswāmī, who was the greatest devotee of God. Goswāmī means high class Brāhmaṇas who are authorized to give initiation to people."

Very interesting word, you know. In Christianity, Jesus Christ is called shepherd. What is the business of a shepherd? Tending to the sheep. And in Hinduism they are called Goswāmī. That means... the English word "cow" has come from this word "gau." Gau has become cow. Goswāmī means master of the cows.

What does that mean? It means most people are followers; they are not leaders. Here is a person who can guide people in the right way.

"So what are you doing here? Because you are a bhakta. And here they are worshipping the formless aspect of God. And that is not going to help you."

Immediately Vijayakṛṣṇa Goswāmī, by the grace of Ṭhākur, understood that truth. And then he separated himself from Brahma Samāj.

So some of the Brahmins were very angry and annoyed with Śrī Rāmakṛṣṇa. They thought he had separated Keśava Candra Sena and Vijayakṛṣṇa Goswāmī, who were like thick brothers.

But Śrī Rāmakṛṣṇa said, "Keśava Candra Sena's path is different. Your path is different." Vijayakṛṣṇa Goswāmī understood.

Another interesting fact: Śrī Rāmakṛṣṇa loved Vijayakṛṣṇa Goswāmī but did not initiate him. He said, "Your guru is different." And Vijayakṛṣṇa Goswāmī took initiation elsewhere, though he had high regard for Śrī Rāmakṛṣṇa because he was the person who guided him from being led astray by the Brahma Samāj's formless aspect of God.

How was he going to worship the formless aspect when his very blood cells were crying out, "I want my Kṛṣṇa"?

The Story of Vijayakṛṣṇa's Youth

Actually, when Vijayakṛṣṇa Goswāmī was young, he was not believing in God. His aunt used to believe in Kṛṣṇa. She was a worshipper of Kṛṣṇa. She was a miserly type of woman. She used to earn money and then secret it away.

So one day, Vijayakṛṣṇa Goswāmī was telling later on, he had a dream. Kṛṣṇa appeared and said, "I want a bangle - a golden bangle."

Vijayakṛṣṇa Goswāmī said, "How am I going to get you a golden bangle?"

He said, "You go and tell your aunt I want it. Because she was worshipping me, I want her to make it. But she will say she doesn't have money."

So Kṛṣṇa said, "She is hiding money. You tell her I know. Kṛṣṇa told me you are hiding it in that niche."

So next day Vijayakṛṣṇa went to his aunt: "Yesterday Kṛṣṇa appeared to me in my dream. He wants a golden bangle. Where can I get money? He told me also you are hiding money."

What could she do? Because she thought nobody knew about it, she had to make that bangle. He had that kind of experience.

But somehow he went astray. This is called going astray. Then Rāmakṛṣṇa brought him back. This is called authentic life.

Individual Spiritual Paths

So every one of us may all be devotees, but each one of us will have a particular path. One person, one girl came the other day and she said, "I don't believe in God."

I said, "Fine. It doesn't make any difference to you whether you believe or not. So whatever you believe, you lead that kind of life. It will take you there." Because this is called truthful life - authentic life.

This is the example of truthful life, what is called authentic life. Especially Indian parents - they force their children, at least used to force: "You become a doctor. You become an engineer."

Now they are becoming a little bit wise too. Children are becoming a little bit clever. They say, "No, I don't like that subject. I will not enjoy it. So don't force me." The parents are also helpless because they know that they have no authority.

In the olden days, how many people regret? Are you married to this particular person? Nowadays they are choosing their own husbands and wives. It doesn't mean it is authentic life.

What is meant is whatever your capacity to express the way you want to express, the path that will help you to manifest your inner potentialities - that is called authentic life.

Brahmacārya

Then brahmacārya. What is brahmacārya? It is a very important word. Usually what we understand by brahmacārya is self-controlled life. But in the past, that was not the meaning.

Brahmacārya means brahma means Veda. Cārya means study the Vedas - study the scriptures. First find out what is life and what you need to do. Learn all this from the ācārya. That is why he was called brahmacārī.

What is brahmacārya? When a child is 5-6 years old, he doesn't even know what is the opposite sex. But when the same person grows up and is already 20 years old or so, then there are chemicals arising inside that person. Then he has two choices: either you become a householder or you take to the life of renunciation if you can control yourself.

Most people, of course, will marry. Some people stick to brahmacārya. So we will lead an authentic self-controlled life. But otherwise, a small child has brahmacārya. What does he understand about all these things? There, brahma means Veda - studying of the Vedas.

The Two Aspects of Vedic Education

So there are two things the guru teaches you:

What is life and how to lead it - this is one part
What is the way if you are going to be a householder - you have to learn something so that you can become a teacher and earn your money

Because in those days, one section of people was allotted as teachers, usually Brāhmaṇas. Or they can do pūjā. But they also had to learn the Brāhmaṇa portions.

That is why the word "Brāhmaṇa" - again, one meaning of Brāhmaṇa is those persons who are born in that caste called Brāhmaṇa. But the second part of the Veda is called Brāhmaṇa.

So what does Brāhmaṇa deal with? All the rituals. You learn the mantras, memorize the mantras. How to use those mantras in regular day-to-day rituals - an elaborate explanation of this is called Brāhmaṇa.

Example of Ritualistic Knowledge

The other day I went to somebody's celebration - 80th year. So they brought some priests for yajña. How beautifully he performed for nearly three hours! The way he drew... This is Sūrya Maṇḍala, beautifully arranged and colored. And this is Gaṇeśa Yantra. And this is Śiva Yantra. Three he made.

I don't know anything about rituals. These priests... oh, many mantras. Three hours continuously, mantras are going on - just from memory, no book. They are going on reciting from memory. He learned it.

And he was also a man initiated by Swami Ātmasthananda. Oh my God, the niṣṭhā, the bhakti with which he did it was admirable. Of course, he has to live - he will be given some fees. But it was not only for fees. The meticulous way he had performed it!

So the Brāhmaṇa portion is where the vṛtti, the livelihood, will be taught. If he is a blacksmith, blacksmith skills. If he is a goldsmith, goldsmith skills. If he wants to be a kṣatriya, archery - from Droṇācārya he learned like that.

So Droṇācārya himself was a teacher. But for Arjuna and others, it was for the sake of their vṛtti, their profession. That is the way he wanted to withdraw from his profession and take the profession of a sannyāsī in Bhagavad Gītā. "Why all this killing and all that?" Then Kṛṣṇa had to give nearly 700 verses. He had to give blow after blow. And then Arjuna said, "Yes, now I have come to my senses."

First, Arjuna lectured Śrī Kṛṣṇa.

The Necessity of Avoiding Bad Company (Dussaṅga)

So what are we talking about? Satsaṅga has to be cultivated. Dussaṅga has to be completely renounced. So why is it so? He is going to explain to us.

What is dussaṅga? Dussaṅga means evil company has to be completely renounced.

The Story of Ajāmila

What is the effect of this dussaṅga? Bhāgavatam gives the story of Ajāmila. One day he was a Brāhmaṇa. Ajāmila - you have heard about him? He was a Brāhmaṇa youth. One day he went to the forest, and there he saw a low-caste man and his wife enjoying each other.

That sight changed him - one minute it changed him. He was after that woman. Some past saṃskāras should be there. Then somehow he got married to that woman. He had four or five children through her. He left his Brāhmaṇa way of life. He started leading the śūdra type of life.

One minute - just like they say, one minute of satsaṅga will take you across. That is Vālmīki's story. One minute of dussaṅga has also ruined his life for years.

So the story goes: he had the youngest son named Nārāyaṇa. By the time he was about to die, he loved his youngest son very much.

Why do people love youngest sons usually? Because they are like a cuddly bear - small children. "Papa, papa" - totally dependent.

Then what do parents want? They can't get rid of the idea, "Our children are grown up now. They don't need to depend upon us. We have to depend upon them." They sit there and say, "You do this, you do that." This has become a habit.

Of course, they also develop immunity. These words don't enter into their ears nowadays.

The Criterion for Good and Bad Company

So this is the test: Whatever takes us to God is satsaṅga. Whatever takes us away from God is evil company.

So how do we judge? What is good company? What is evil company? You mix with somebody, and when you return home, your mind is going nearer to God - that means it is good company.

And you go and visit a sādhu, and by that time you are thinking, "How can I get more money for the āśrama?" and like that you think about it. Is it good company or bad company? So by the effect we have to judge - this is what Rāmakṛṣṇa has told.

Rāmakṛṣṇa's Definition of a Holy Man

His gospel is like a PhD - we have to study it. He is telling, who is a holy man? Description of a holy man: Suppose there is a holy person in a forest, and a woman approaches him and says, "I want you. You can have me."

If he is a holy man, what does he do? He will first salute her: "You are my mother." And then he will run away from that place as soon as possible. That person is a holy man.

The Story of the Desert Father

So I told you - I don't know whether I told you - there is a beautiful story of the Desert Fathers. There was a Christian, very venerable father. His name and fame had spread as a holy man.

So one day, there were some local youth. They said, "These fellows, what do they do? Useless fellows. They just sit and mutter something. They are getting all the honor, and we people, wherever we go, people try to send us away."

"So we want to bring down that person's holiness, so that we can prove he is not really holy."

So they sent one very beautiful woman to that person's cave. He was living in a cave. The cave had two rooms - front room and back room. Most of the time it would be in the front room. At night time, when he wanted to sleep, he would go into the back room.

So this lady, one night when it was raining, entered into that place: "Baba, I am lost on the way" - deliberately dressed herself in an attractive way - "Will you give me shelter?"

Of course he understood it was raining too heavily, too cold, so he couldn't drive her away. So he said, "You go inside, don't come out until morning, then you can leave." Then he sat there, lit a fire, and he was burning his finger.

The lady heard this man - she came out, she was horrified - was putting one by one his fingers and burning them in the fire.

So she asked, "Why are you doing that?"

He said, "I am reminding myself: if I show any weakness, then I will be burning in hell. This is like an air-conditioned room compared to what I am going to experience there if I fall down."

Until she left, he was doing like that. Immediately the woman fled away from the place. Who is going to corrupt this kind of saint?

The Story of Haridāsa

I don't know, did I tell you about that one Muslim disciple of Caitanya Mahāprabhu, Haridāsa? The most wonderful story!

Caitanya Mahāprabhu - you heard - he was the greatest saint India has produced. We consider Śrī Rāmakṛṣṇa actually as a reincarnation of Caitanya Mahāprabhu. Caitanya Mahāprabhu and his companion Nityānanda preached only the name of God.

So there was one Muslim who became a Kṛṣṇa bhakta, and he took a vow: "I will do every day 100,000 japas."

So the local people, seeing his life, started revering him. The local zamindār, whom nobody respected (they feared him, but they did not respect him), became jealous.

So he sent a very beautiful woman to tempt him, to show people that he is not holy.

You understand? The second word - "holy." Yes.

So she came, sat down, and she dressed herself like a Vaiṣṇavī - white cloth, tulasī mālā, like that. Then at noon he came out, and she fell at his feet and said, "Please come."

So, "Ammā, how are you? You sit on the side." She said, "I am a humble devotee of Kṛṣṇa. I want you to initiate me."

God guides these saints. He said, "I have taken a vow - I have to complete one lakh of japa mahāmantra: Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare. So I was not able to complete - I won't be able to talk with you. So when I complete, I will come and talk with you."

So he went, took bath, sat down, and began his japa. She was waiting. Next noon again he emerged - same story. Third day also, same story.

By the fourth day - must have been God's grace - the zamindār had sent her, but God must have sent her. He bestowed His grace upon her in the form of the zamindār.

So she became totally converted. Fourth day she said, "Baba, I committed great sin. Actually I was employed by the zamindār to tempt you, but I have seen what you are doing. I will never again go back to my old life. Please initiate me."

Immediately, Kṛṣṇa bestowed His grace upon her, and she got initiation. What happened to his japa, I don't know - whether he was able to complete or not - but it was meant.

Then of course, eventually he thought, "This is not a good place." But her life was totally changed.

Rāmakṛṣṇa also changed the lives of Naṭī Binodini, Giriśa Candra Goswami, and public women, and Tārā - another lady, I forget her name - completely changed. She came to Puri, constructed a small house, and her whole life she spent only thinking about Bhagavān Kṛṣṇa.

So that is called satsaṅga. It becomes a boat to take one across this ocean of saṃsāra.

The Instantaneous Nature of Transformation

Even one minute - but one minute of dussaṅga also brings one down. How much time did it take for Viśvāmitra to fall down? Only one minute.

But then you have to understand something very important. Really, is it one minute? You know, you study from nursery school, kindergarten, like that - after 25 years you get a job, and you get your first salary, and then you go and buy one nice rasagullā, and then you eat it.

How much time does it take to eat that rasagullā? Only one minute. But to get that rasagullā, how many years you have been working? You follow what I am trying to tell you?

That one minute, that ripening time, is not done in one minute. The whole background is there - the person is ready, and he will be converted.

Like Yāma. Yāma also came and saw Śrī Rāmakṛṣṇa. In one minute he was converted. Śiddhu also came and saw Śrī Rāmakṛṣṇa. In one minute, he became completely unconverted, and he never came back. He never acknowledged Śrī Rāmakṛṣṇa, and he went back. That's all.

The Importance of Constant Readiness

But what is meant is we don't know when that last minute will come. That is why somebody asked Brahmānanda, "Why should we meditate every day?"

He said - it's a beautiful saying - "Every day you have to meditate because when that blessed moment will come, when God decides to appear before you, if you are not ready, he will come, he sees that you are not ready, and he will go away."

The Story of the Unprepared Room

There is a funny incident, you know. There was a disciple of Swami Brahmānanda at Belur Math. One day, he did not make up his bed. He just got up, and everything was rumpled, crumpled, and then he went out for work.

At about 9:30, 10 o'clock, he was moving near the Gaṅgā. Mahārāj came out for a walk. So seeing his guru, he went to make praṇāms.

Immediately, Rāja Mahārāj said, "Come, let's go to your room." Many times he was seeing him; he never asked. Only today, when he did not make up his bed, he asked, "Let me come and see your room."

And then he had to confess, "Mahārāj, it is not ready; the room is not ready to receive you."

Then Mahārāj said, "You have to be ever ready to receive me. Who knows when that blessed moment will come."

The Definition and Effects of Bad Company

So, dussaṅgaḥ sarvathā eva tyājyaḥ - bad company should always be completely renounced.

So what is dussaṅga? It could be a book, it could be a picture, it could be a word, it could be the company of a person, or it could be a place - it could be anything. But the only thing that you have to keep in mind is what I said just now.

Just when a person strolls and sees a bad picture, and immediately he goes down - that's not going to happen. He must have been accumulating these things. That last one, as they say, is the last straw on the back of the camel - that's what breaks.

Dussaṅgaḥ sarvathā eva tyājyaḥ.

The Eight Steps to Destruction

Then we'll proceed to kāma, krodha, moha, smṛti-bhraṁśa, buddhi-nāśa, kāraṇāt. He's explaining now why we should avoid it.

Because dussaṅga - what does it result in? First it results in kāma.

Understanding Kāma vs. Prema

Kāma means what? You have to understand what is the real meaning of kāma. Because kāma is a negative word. Prema is a positive word.

Anything that takes us towards God is called prema. Anything that takes us away and reinforces our worldly attachments is called kāma. This is how you judge.

So kāma is only one emotion. And this one emotion changes its form.

The Second Story of Caṇḍī

That is the inner meaning of Caṇḍī - the second story of Caṇḍī. What is the second story? Caṇḍī, Devī Māhātmya, Durgā Saptaśatī has three stories:

Madhukaiṭabha is the first story
Mahiṣāsura is the second story
Śumbha-Niśumbha is the third story

What is the second story? Mahiṣāsura. What is this? Mahiṣa means buffalo. And this ahaṅkāra is called Mahiṣāsura.

So what happens? The Divine Mother wants to liberate - only Mother can liberate. So that fellow tries to escape. He took the form of mahiṣa, and Mother cut off his head. Immediately he became an elephant. Mother cut off the head of the elephant. Then it became a lion (siṃha). Then she cut off that head. Then he took the form of a mahiṣa again. Then finally Mother finishes him.

That means this kāma becomes krodha. Krodha becomes lobha.

Tri-vidhaṃ narakasyedaṃ dvāram nāśanam ātmanaḥ

Kāma krodha tathā lobhas tasmād etat trayaṃ tyajet

"Threefold is this gateway to hell, destructive of the self: lust, anger, and also greed; therefore one should abandon these three." - Bhagavad Gītā

Tri-vidhaṃ narakasyedaṃ dvāram - three doorways are there. The Lord is very clever. With one doorway they may escape. With two doorways also they might escape. That's why He puts three - very nice.

So what happens? Whether a person is endowed with kāma or krodha or lobha, the person forgets what to do and what not to do. That is the end result of all three. He will do anything because he is not in his senses.

This point we discussed earlier - the eight steps how a person comes down:

Dhyāyato viṣayān puṃsaḥ...

Remember the eight steps. What is it? Go on thinking about a worldly object. That is called advertisement.

The Power of Repetition and Advertisement

The power of advertisement is too much. Whenever something is repeated, people try to believe it. In the newspaper, if you tell "Śrī Rāmakṛṣṇa is a hypocrite" and you read it every day:

First day: "These fellows are rogues."
Second day: "Maybe I am mistaken."
Third day: "I think we can recall certain incidents which prove that these people are right."

Like that you can misinterpret. And when you hear about this - "this person is bad, this person is bad, this person is bad" - after some time you are convinced that is the truth.

Śrī Rāmakṛṣṇa gives a beautiful example. There were two friends. One day, one friend came and said, "While I was coming to your house, I saw a house burnt down."

The friend immediately said, "Let me see today's newspaper." Nothing was mentioned. "You are not telling the truth, because if there is any truth, it should be mentioned in the newspaper."

So for this, newspaper is what Swami Ranganāthānanda Mahārāj called "Kali-kāla Bhāgavatam" - the Bhāgavatam of the Kali age. If they don't see the newspaper, their head starts aching. Yes, like that - everywhere: "What is the news? What is the news?"

The Philosophy of News

Mahābhārata tells: "What is the news?" There is no news except for cooking. What is the news? There is a huge cauldron, and so many vegetables are put there, and there was a cook with the help of ladles cooking. As soon as some vegetables are cooked, they are taken out.

So this is the news. What is the news? The whole world is a big cooking pot. All the living creatures are the vegetables which are boiling, and Kāla (Time) called Yamadharmarāja is the cook. The sun and the moon are the firewood, and day and night are the ladles. Day and night, time is cooking everybody. As soon as they are properly cooked - cooked means death - they are thrown out.

This is the news. What a philosophy Yudhiṣṭhira is telling to all of us! What else news do you want?

So people have become accustomed - that is why nowadays there is "big news," "fake news." You don't know what is real news; you don't know what is fake news. So how to know? The best way to know what is news is not to read any news, because no news is good news. This is the truth.

What is the news? Every day it is there - some good, some evil. This is the nature of the world.

Beautiful, this lecture. One day we will take up Praśna. Some of the questions are so marvelous.

The Eight Steps Explained

Anyway, so what are the eight steps? You must have heard the power of repetition. That is why we have pārāyaṇa - you read every day. Why? Because you may not understand every day, but one day it suddenly sinks into you.

Very briefly I will tell you one story. There was a young Christian whose parents died - a very wealthy man. One Sunday he went to the church as he had been going since his childhood. There was an old priest, and after a few days the same sermon would be there.

So that day the sermon was: Jesus Christ was asked by a rich young man, "What is the way to enter into the kingdom of heaven?" Then Jesus answers, "Have you not heard about the ten commandments? Go and observe the ten commandments."

The young man says, "I have been observing them from my very birth" - all Christians have to do it.

Then Jesus Christ says, "In that case, take up my cross and follow me." That means: go back home, sell all your properties, distribute it to the poor, take up the cross and follow me. That means you become a sannyāsī.

Either remain as a good householder, and if you cannot remain as a good householder, after becoming a good householder only, then one is qualified to become a sannyāsī. Without going through the three rings, nobody can ever become a sannyāsī.

Understand? Three rings. Yes. Understand:

Engagement ring
Wedding ring
Suffering

This is the truth. Though joking, unless a person goes through the householder's life, satisfies some amount of his desire and also understands how much he has to pay for this small happiness, then buddhi will come, and then he will enter into vānaprastha. That means his dependency upon the world becomes less, and his dependency upon God becomes more. That is when he can turn to God.

So most people are like that. So: follow the ten commandments, live like a good householder. And if you have been living like that, what should be the result? You are ready, ripe for sannyāsa. So you take up sannyāsa life.

But the young man, the rich man, went back sadly - with sadness - as he was not ready to renounce the world. That was the subject.

So the old man spoke as he had spoken mechanically. The young man had heard this many times. But that day, those words came and struck him. Immediately he went home. He had a sister. He sold all his property and made his sister enter into a convent, and he himself renounced the world, went to an Egyptian cave in the mountain, and for 40 years he never came out.

There's a big story - I have not repeated it here. At the end he became a great saint: Saint Anthony the Great. That was the name of the person - Saint Anthony, 40 years.

That subject is also related here.

The Eight Steps to God and Destruction

In the Bhagavad Gītā, there are eight steps to destruction and eight steps to reaching God - the same eight steps, but in reverse.

What is it? In Pañcatantra there is a beautiful story. I think I told you - I don't remember because I tell so many people.

The Story of the Brahmin and the Goat

This story is about the power of repetition. There was a brāhmaṇa who was very poor. He wanted to drink milk. He could not afford to buy a cow. He couldn't even buy one goat - a grown-up goat which is ready to give milk.

So he bought one small female goat from a neighboring village - a few days old. Then for a few months he would feed it. Then it would grow up. Then it would start giving milk, and he could drink. With that hope he bought it with little money.

You know the story? So he bought one small goat. It was a black goat.

Three rogues saw him. They wanted to eat goat's meat. So they made a plan between that village where he bought it and his own village. It was about three miles distance. So these three people stationed themselves at one mile apart each.

As the brāhmaṇa was returning, one fellow casually rolling his tobacco came out. He looked at it, jumped back and said, "My God, you are a brāhmaṇa. You are carrying a dog. Brāhmaṇa and dog - they don't go together."

This man laughed and said, "What are you talking about? This is just a kid. All kids are like that. This is a kid. What are you talking about?"

This man said, "If you are deluded that it is a kid, what can I do? It is your wish." He went away. And he was thinking, "What a stupid fellow. He cannot recognize a puppy and a kid."

At the second mile, another fellow also casually jumped out: "My God, you are carrying a dog." This time, doubt came. "Was I cheated? These villagers are famous for this cheating - in the name of a kid, whether he has sold me one," because he was an innocent fellow. But doubt is there still. He did not say anything.

As he was approaching the third mile, another fellow jumped: "My God, you are a brāhmaṇa. The moment you enter with this dog..." By this time, the fellow was totally convinced, because three separate people, three times they are telling the same thing.

So he threw that so-called dog, and the fellow collected it. This is the power of repetition - for good or bad, both it will help us.

The Eight Steps to Downfall

So when a man goes on dwelling upon one particular object, in the beginning it doesn't have effect. But slowly, what happens? He develops attachment. That is the first step:

First step: Thinking
Second step: Attachment
Third step: Kāma - desire comes. "I want it. It will give me pleasure."

From kāma comes krodha, because many times our desire will not be fulfilled - it will be frustrated. When desire is frustrated, that desire now becomes what? Kāma becomes krodha - like Mahiṣāsura changes its form.

Fourth step: Krodha (anger)

As soon as a man is possessed of anger, he becomes deluded.

Fifth step: Moha (delusion)

What is delusion? Viveka-buddhi - what is right, what is wrong - this will be lost.

Sixth step: Smṛti-bhraṁśa (loss of memory)

As soon as this delusion comes, smṛti-bhraṁśa occurs. See, we are all dependent upon memory. Suppose you lose your memory. Your father or mother comes in front of you - do you know who they are? You will not know. Strange thing. The moment you lose your memory, you will not know.

Sometimes it happens. You went to sleep and suddenly you had a deep dream, and then you woke up. For a few seconds, you don't know where you are. Everything looks hazy - smṛti-bhraṁśa.

Smṛti is what makes us know how to behave. This is my father; I have to behave one way. This is my brother; I have to behave one way. This is my boss; I have to behave one way. And this is my child; I have to behave one way. This is my friend; I have to behave another way. Every behavior is dictated by what? By our smṛti - memory.

So that is why when memory is lost, everything is lost. Even I will not know who I am, because if I don't know who my parents are, who am I? Our memory is: I am the daughter, I am the son of these people. When the memory is lost, who are you?

Many people, you know - what is that? Old age dementia. Then they can't recognize their own children, their own anybody. First, some vague recognition: "I know this person, I know this person. I don't know who that person is. I know this person." After some time, even that is lost. Then it progresses. Afterwards you have to treat that person - you know who that person is, but he doesn't know who you are and who he or she is.

Seventh step: Buddhi-nāśa (destruction of intelligence)

Here buddhi stands for the determining faculty. That means what to do and what not to do depends upon our memory.

Eighth step: Praṇaśyati (complete destruction)

Eight steps if you count. But the same eight steps will take us to God.

The Eight Steps to God (Reversed)

How does it work in reverse? "I cannot be happy unless I repeat that mantra one thousand times. I become unhappy. Today I have not repeated God's name."

So this attachment leads to what we call love of God. Here kāma means prema. Prema comes.

What is krodha here? Anything that is obstructing my going towards God - "I want to do some things." "No, no, no. This is the time for me to think about God. Let these things go. I don't care."

Anything that obstructs my devotion to God - I get angry with that. We don't say we get angry. What we say is: "You better not come to me. I don't want your company because you are disturbing me." And that is how this krodha becomes.

Krodhād bhavati sammohaḥ - then delusion will come. Sammohaha means deluded. What is the delusion? God alone is real, and everything is unreal. Until now I have been thinking that this world is real and God is not real. We are behaving as though God is not real.

We are behaving like that now. Only fear of society, fear of policemen...

This is a very interesting subject. Suppose a devotee finds a big wallet - somebody's wallet full of money, gold. What will the devotee do?

The reasoning goes like this: "I am not stealing. It doesn't belong to anybody. Especially if it is buried. I can donate something to Rāmakṛṣṇa Mission also. Swamiji has been giving me some chocolates. I can bring some chocolates to him with this money."

So like that our thinking, reasoning goes perverted. That is called wrong behavior.

So here sammohaha means our vision will only see God, and with regard to everything else, we don't want this. That is sammohaha.

"I lose all memory. What is this? Somebody comes and says, 'I am your mother.' 'Oh, my mother. What is there? Your karma-phala, my karma-phala brought us together, and I am giving money and looking after you. This is that. That's it. I look after you so long as you are there, or whichever is earlier.'"

Western marriage - how? In the church, previously: "until death do us part." Now: "until death or divorce, whichever comes first - until that time we will be faithful to each other." Like that. Changing times - you have to change along with the changing times.

So smṛti-bhraṁśa means any smṛti, memory opposed to God, remembrance of God - that smṛti we will forget. Only one smṛti will be there: "I only want God, nothing else."

Smṛti-bhraṁśād buddhi-nāśaḥ - previously, "I have to do this, I have to do that." Now there is only one thing I have to do: "Let the whole world go to hell; I have only one duty - to go towards God."

Buddhi-nāśāt praṇaśyati - the whole worldliness is completely cremated, burnt. That is all.

Praṇaśyati - we have to die. Another word for this death is called śaraṇāgati. What happens when a drop of water falls into the ocean? What happens to that drop? It becomes the ocean - it dies. The "I" dies.

That's why a guru was asked by his disciple, "When do I realize God?"

Then the guru answered, "When you die, then you will realize God."

The man said, "What is this madcap trying to tell me? If I die, then who is going to realize God?"

So after one year he came, and again the same answer was given. Again after one year he came - same answer was given. Thirty years later, same answer was given.

Then he understood: "Oh, what remains as an obstruction for my realization of God is this ahaṅkāra - 'me.' Unless this 'I' dies, there is no realization of God." Then he came and fell at the feet of his guru.

Summary of the Transformative Process

So kāma, krodha, moha - one by one, they are not separate things. Kāma changes its Mahiṣāsura form into krodha. Krodha changes into moha. And through moha - moha means what? Smṛti-bhraṁśa - memory is gone. What is right, what is wrong, I will not know about it. Then that smṛti-bhraṁśa - losing the memory - buddhi-nāśa, and buddhi-nāśa ends in destruction.

What is destruction here? Destruction is not death. Unending suffering is called destruction.

So engagement ring is pleasant and expensive. Wedding ring is even more expensive. Suffering is indescribable - three rings. And only when this unending suffering comes, then one day the man wakes up.

That is why Holy Mother used to say, "Misery is the gift of God." When God's grace comes, then this misery takes us to God.

The Example of Kṣudiram

Kṣudiram lost everything. From our viewpoint, he was destroyed by the zamindar. But from God's point of view, a new life began - totally dependent upon God. And he did not react. We discussed this point.

See, if Kṣudiram had reacted like us - "This zamindar is a wicked fellow, and he should not have done that. I am a truthful person" - two things would have happened:

First: Terrible anger - "This person is responsible." If we are devotees, who is responsible? Only God should be responsible, because we rely upon Him. He knows everything. And if He is doing something which is not pleasant, there must be a meaning for it.
Second: He gets doubt about God. If such a thing happens in our life, you may hear the stories here nicely, but if some such thing happens to us in our life, then we lose faith. "What wrong did I do? Why did this happen? It should not have happened." This type of doubt will come.

Most people lose faith. You know why? Because of this type of event that happens in one's life. But this is a very natural thing. And there will come a point - if we still persist, then a time will come...

The Story of Swami Vivekānanda's Trial

I will tell you something very interesting. Swami Vivekānanda was most loved by Śrī Rāmakṛṣṇa. And there came a time when he lost his father. His father was earning so much money - per month, in those days, he was spending 1000 rupees for his family expenses. Monthly expenses: 1000 rupees. Śrī Rāmakṛṣṇa's salary was 7 rupees, including 2 rupees pension also. So how much money this man must be earning? 1000 rupees.

Such a family - suddenly, as though from heaven it had fallen, his father suddenly died. There were debts. And somehow he had some money, but how was such a big family to be run? And Narendranāth was running here and there. He could not get any job - by God's will.

What would be the condition? At that time, he stopped coming to Śrī Rāmakṛṣṇa. Previously he was coming, and so nicely he was singing and eating nice rasagullās and sandeśas from Śrī Rāmakṛṣṇa's hand, and he stopped coming.

He started visiting some friends who were very wealthy. He had friends - well-to-do people. They used to... Narendranāth had tremendous, wonderful, magnetic personality, and his voice was superb - gandharva Hindi kantha. So he used to sing. They used to invite him and enjoy eating, drinking, and all those things. He stopped coming here and started going there.

Somebody - you know Śrī Rāmakṛṣṇa loved Swamiji so much, and that created jealousy in many people, many devotees' minds. The same phenomenon will happen here also. When I only talk with one of you for two hours and another person I dismiss in five minutes, and this is not on one occasion but on several occasions, then if you had the power, first you will burn that devotee through your looks, and afterwards you will think, "What should I do with this Swami also now?" This is common.

So what happened? Somebody came running and said, "Sir, sir, you know what..." - as though they were very, very unhappy, but inside very happy. "Now Śrī Rāmakṛṣṇa will say, 'I mistook... all my understanding was wrong. I thought he was a great soul. Now I know his real colors are coming out. I will never again think...' all his love." He went and nicely complained.

Hypocrites, you know.

Śrī Rāmakṛṣṇa looked at him: "One word more from you, I won't be able to look at your face." Then he said, "Mother told me, and it will never be wrong. And she told me that Narendra will never deviate from truthfulness, and he will never lose control over his sense organs. Whoever observes truthfulness and has complete control over his mind - such a person, let him visit drinking persons or public houses - he has already reached God. These are the two things that will make a person reach God. I will not listen to you."

Of course, how much we devotees understand, we don't know.

Now what is the point we are discussing? Whether Narendranāth takes the name of God or not, whether he visits Śrī Rāmakṛṣṇa or not, he will never give up two things: he has complete control over his mind and sense organs, and he will never deviate from truthfulness.

How many times Śrī Rāmakṛṣṇa prodded him: "This ṛṣi is telling, 'I am an incarnation of God.' Rāmachandra is telling, that devotee is telling - what is your opinion?"

He said, "Let a thousand people tell what they want. Until I know, I will not accept you as an incarnation." This is called truthfulness.

The Importance of Truthfulness

So this is what we are talking about. Certain qualities have to be developed. The first quality is satya - truthfulness.

The Story of Satyakāma Jābāla

There is a beautiful story of Satyakāma Jābāla. You know the story? There was a boy whose father nobody knew who was. His mother was a maidservant. When he came of some age: "Mother, I want to join a gurukula."

In those days the condition was the guru will ask, "What is your caste?" Caste is determined by the father. So he asked, "Which caste do I belong to?"

And his mother was a truthful person: "I don't know myself. I served so many men, and you were born, so I don't know who your father is. So my name is Jābāla. Your name is Satyakāma. All that I know is you are Satyakāma Jābāla."

The boy went to the guru, and the guru asked, "What is your caste?"

He said, "I asked my mother. She said she doesn't know who my father is, but she said I am Satyakāma and my mother's name is Jābāla. So I am called Satyakāma Jābāla."

When the guru heard this, he said, "To express such a horrible truth - 'I am a bastard' - horrible truth! To express such horrible truth, only a brāhmaṇa can do it."

So what is he telling? He who speaks truth is a brāhmaṇa. A brāhmaṇa by birth is expected to speak truth but may not speak truth, but anybody who observes truthfulness is a brāhmaṇa.

"So I will accept you."

The story goes on - a big story - and it's a wonderful story. Some other day we will discuss it.

Conclusion: The Divine Plan

So satya-pāripālana-vidhi - that's why Kṣudiram was a truthful person. Therefore God Himself was born in his family in spite of his losing everything.

There is a lot of symbolism also there. If Kṣudiram had not lost everything - he was having 33 acres of land, and if Śrī Rāmakṛṣṇa had inherited that land, he says, "Renounce the world." "I will not renounce my 33 acres, but you fellows renounce whatever you have." Do you think he would have authenticity? Who will listen?

So that is why he had to become completely, totally empty - that is the correct word - and dependent totally upon God.

So much we have to understand when we are studying the life of Śrī Rāmakṛṣṇa.

Final Summary

What did we discuss today? Evil company. How do we know what is evil company? Whatever makes us forget God, whatever makes us more worldly, is dussaṅga.

Then he is giving the reason why dussaṅga inevitably ends in kāma, krodha, moha, smṛti-bhraṁśa, buddhi-nāśa. It destroys us. Here, destruction means not death - destruction means endless suffering.

Therefore, if we wish really to progress towards God, we have to give up the attachment to saṃsāra. We will discuss these points further.

Closing Prayer