Narada Bhakti Sutras Lecture 33 Su.46-48 on 13-April-2019

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.

Spiritual Discourse on Etymology and Spiritual Practice

The Meaning of Sacred Names

Do you know the meaning of Nārāyaṇa? Some of these words have profound etymological meanings. Śāradā, as it appears in South India, becomes Śārada in North Indian pronunciation, where "Sara" becomes "Śar."

Śāradā actually means Sarasvatī. "Sara" + "da" - "da" means one who gives. Consider Jñānadharan - we have one devotee named Jñānadharan. Who gives jñāna (knowledge)? Then there is somebody called Dhanadharan, Annadhar. There are sādhus with such names.

Annadhar - and then there is a song, you know: "Rumi Ma Annadhar." Like that: "Jaya Jaya Jaya Jaya Jaya Annadhar" - one who gives anna (food).

The Scientific Basis of Hindu Worship

This is so scientific. People will realize now that every Hindu is supposed to face the rising sun and pray: "You are my mother." Who was Svāhā, but Savitṛ, Savitā.

That is important. What is the meaning of Savitā? Sṛṣṭijanakartā - one who gives birth to the whole world is called Savitā. That's why we say "Bhūr Bhuvaḥ Svaḥ." Bhūḥ means Bhū-loka. Svaḥ means Svarga-loka. And whatever is in between is called Bhuvaḥ. That means we call upon all three worlds.

"Triloka-pālaka, triloka-nāśaka, para-para, prabhu-namānata-vidhāya, kuru-nāma-nayāl-mena, naya-nipa-bhakta-jane" - like that. It's a mantra.

It's a Chaturthī mantra. Yes, like that. So this is very similar to that: "Jaya Śrī Varṣan, karadharātrī purādhī, pādī paśupati, vīṇāgrādhārī" - like that.

So this Savitā is the real Anna. He gives birth. If there is no prāṇa, anna is useless. For prāṇa, first there should be prāṇa. Then only anna is there. For a dead person, anna becomes meaningless. Only a person who has got prāṇa becomes both the eater of food and the food-eater.

"I am the Anna. I am also the Annadā. I am Anna" means "I am food."

The Universal Principle of Food and Consciousness

Too many times I illustrate it: When a tiger confronts you, how he is just judging you - good food, bad food, tasty food, masālā food. So how does it know it is masālā food? If you have eaten a lot of masālā dosa, then it understands: "This is masālā, first-class masālā food."

So Sūryadeva, Bhagavān said He, Mahāvīra, because He is Viśvakṣa Brahmā. So all over the world, what is the first thing we search for if we want to find out a new world, land, where life can be sustained? You know what is the first thing? Water. And water is the production of? Sun.

Fire. Fire. Without sun, there's cold. There is no water at all. This is so scientifically proven. So that is what all the Bhagavad Gītā, Upaniṣads, everything is trying to tell us - that God has become the whole world in the form of anna.

And at this very given moment, we are eating food. We are also being eaten. When a mosquito approaches, you see, it is praising, singing songs of you: "I love you. I can't live without you." And you are not returning the love. What can we do about food?

So this is how we are also approaching - we are food and we are also givers of food.

The Essence of Śāradā

Śāradā - what is Śāradā? Śāradā means essence. What is the essence? Any object has got an essence. So without that essence, that object cannot exist. Without heat, fire cannot exist. Without sweetness, sugar cannot exist. If you take away sweetness from sugar, what remains?

So that with which an object manifests, without which the object doesn't exist - that is its Śāradā. So what is the Śāradā of every human being? Only pure consciousness.

That knowledge, by whom is it given? Nārada. So how does she do it? First, she does it by nourishing the body. Indeed, for a child, it is the nourishing of the body. As the child grows up, then nourishing of the mind. With the help of these two, ultimately, the knowledge comes.

Modern Science and Vedantic Convergence

Now science is slowly converging on Vedantic ideas that the whole universe has come from one single element, one unit. And that was what Swami Vivekananda had foretold 100 years ago.

The 46th Sutra: Crossing Māyā

So we have already covered something with this one - the 46th Sutra. Nārada is questioning: "Kas tarathi kas tarathi māyām?" - "Kaha māyā tarati?" - Who can cross māyā? Who can cross māyā?

"Yas saṅgaṃ tyajati saṅgaṃ tyajati" - He who gives up all attachment.

What is our problem? Who can? What is māyā? Māyā means saṅga. Saṅga means attachment. A very subtle word they call it.

An object can be there - that is not our enemy. Object is not our enemy. But our attachment to the object is an enemy.

Here also, a curious thing is there. Supposing you have a house. The poor house doesn't know: "I am a house. I belong to this person." It doesn't know it. Who develops saṅga? Does the house develop any saṅga for the person? Whether you live or a Muslim man lives there or a goat lives there, it makes no difference to the house.

But we poor fellows say "my house, my house" - that māyāness, that is called saṅga.

The Path to Freedom from Attachment

He who gives up saṅga. But how to give up saṅga? That's what he is telling slowly. You can't simply say "give up saṅga." So you go on developing deep attachment, but shift the attachment from temporary things to permanent ones.

First, you develop deep attachment to your guru. And then, slowly transfer that attachment from the guru to God. That's why guru is the most important. Why is guru so very important? For a simple reason.

Suppose you have got a beautiful mūrti of your iṣṭa devatā. And one day, you prepare some pāyasam and offer it to God. And you will be smiling only. So you think, "My God is very pleased." And then afterwards, you want to eat prasādam, pāyasam, for example. And instead of sugar, you put salt. The face of God did not change. So it remains like Rāma's face only.

Then abhiṣeka: "Prasannatāṃ yā nāgatā abhiṣekātaḥ, Tathānam amle paṇavasādukkathāḥ. Mukhaṃ pūjāśrī raghunandanasyāmme, Sadāstu sā maṅgala mañjulā prabhā."

The Story of Rāma's Equanimity

When Rāma got the news that tomorrow morning, "You are going to be coronated," his face did not break into special smile because he was sadānandamaya. But by next morning, you know that story that had happened.

So Rāma was prepared to be coronated because his father ordered - smile, not because of this news. Then Nārada came running. He said, "Rāma, Rāma, what did they say? Rāma, Rāma, what is the news I'm hearing? What is the matter? You are going to be coronated?"

"No, no, Nārada, go and sleep well. Before the sun rises, the whole story will change."

Then Rāma commanded Sarasvatī: "Now you go and occupy Mantharā's tongue." Ah, Mantharā's tongue! So Mantharā got up early in the morning and saw all the people decorating happily. She did not know this news at all. She was like our sādhus - Bhagavān has transferred them, and devotees all over the world knew it, but the sādhu himself did not know.

So they come: "Mahārāj, is it true that you are going to be transferred?" He said, "Is it so? I don't know."

So Mantharā asked: "What is the occasion? There is nothing special. Today is Rāma Navamī."

"Don't you know, tomorrow Rāma is going to be coronated?"

Then Mantharā was occupied by, possessed by Sarasvatī. She goes running. And she was the favorite maidservant of Kaikeyī. And then she says, "Have you heard this news?"

"What news?"

"Rāma is going to be coronated."

Kaikeyī's face broke like a thousand lotuses blooming. Immediately she took out her hāra and said, "For giving me such good news, I am rewarding you."

This lady said, "Have you gone out of your mind? Do you know what you are saying?" She started crying.

You think Mantharā could have brainwashed Kaikeyī without the power of Mother Sarasvatī? Yes.

The Power of Divine Will

So like many times, the rākṣasas do tapasyā. And Brahmā has to come. And they want a boon: "What boon?" "I will never die."

So like that, Kumbhakarṇa also did tapasyā. He went - one Rāvaṇa, another Sītā. Kumbhakarṇa also had to be there. If both of these join, even for Rāma, it is not possible.

So Mother Sarasvatī went and occupied his tongue: "What do you want?"

So he said, "Let me have the capacity to eat for six months and sleep for six months." Tapasyā.

So what is the secret here? The person who is a sādhu, the person who is a demon, both of them are controlled by the same power. It is like Mahāmāyā's play.

This is what we will come to know only later. This is what Ṭhākur calls "Brahma and Līlā." Either you are in a state of Brahma, or you are in the state of Līlā. But we are neither in Brahma nor in Līlā. That is our problem.

The Root Cause of Problems

So what is called saṅga here? This is saṅga. You can't blame any person also. "This person is the root cause of my problem." Person is not the root cause of your problem. You are the root cause of your problem.

And yesterday, we also discussed a very important point: No object either tempts or repulses us. It is our bhāva towards that object - either it tempts us, or it repulses us. This is Mahāmāyā. This is the most important point.

So this is how slowly we have to progress in life. And it's "yas mahān bhajana sevate" - just now we were discussing. Only a person who keeps the company of the great soul will come to you. Problem is in me. Problem is not anything else.

But this secret - otherwise we are all blaming: "That person tempted me. That person..." Our dharma śāstras are full of this: "A woman's nature is to tempt us."

Then why is it your mother is not tempting you? Why is it your sisters are not tempting you? Why is it that those who consider you are their own, they are not tempting you? It is the same object. They are tempting other women. They are not tempting you.

So where is the problem? Our mind. That's why: "Mana eva manuṣyāṇāṃ kāraṇaṃ bandha mokṣayoḥ" - Mind is the root cause of both bondage as well as liberation.

Company of the Great Souls

So "yas mahān bhajana sevate," then what happens? "Nirmama bhavati" - The first thing remains for a sādhu is that he becomes without any attachment because sādhu's life is without attachment.

It's a beautiful story: Swami Brahmānandajī was doing tapasyā in North India. It was winter season and it was cold. He was not having warm clothes. One devotee was passing by. He saw, so he got down, made a namaskār and presented him with a warm blanket and left.

After a few minutes, another man came. He first made praṇām to him. He took the prasād and went away. Rāja Mahārāj was watching. Rāma had given. Rāma had taken him.

But what happens is our problem. See how it's supposed to come in. Brahmānandajī gave a beautiful example: A devotee comes, and then he somehow got a pen, very nice pen. Then he was very happy. He comes to the āśrama and he feels, "I must give it to this Swami." So he gives it to this Swami.

Until that time, this Swami did not know the existence of the pen. The moment he presents it and says "now it is mine," after that, if it is lost, he will suffer terribly. Saṅga has come. In between, saṅga has come.

Like that, you know, before your children came out, you did not know who they were. Now you know who they are, and yet, the saṅga will not go away: "My son, my daughter, mine."

By living with, serving a great soul, mamakāra becomes less and less. Immediately, it won't go, but slowly.

Stories of Detachment

So here, Swami Tyāgīśānanda was in charge of our Daśanāmī Āśrama for many years. Before Swami Tyāgīśānanda, Mahārāj came, and there was one M. Rāmachandra. He had a big shop - machines, etc., pumping machines and other things. He was a bachelor. He used to serve Tyāgīśānanda Mahārāj. His car, he would bring whenever Mahārāj wanted.

So one day, this Rāmachandra was sitting in the office. Swami Tyāgīśānanda was sitting in the office. And this man asked, "Swami, what is the difference between you and me? You are also sitting in the chair. I am also sitting in the same chair."

Then the Swami said, "There is a big difference." Then he got up and said, "Today, if I receive news from the headquarters that 'you are transferred out,'" - it's very dramatic - he got up like that and then walked out. "But if such news comes that you have to go, your bottom is tightened with screws. You cannot get up. The chair also will get up. This is the big difference."

Anyway, the earlier things are there. I think I discussed with you - I don't remember. Śarat Mahārāj was there. Swami Brahmānanda was the president. One of the disciples, he was troubled. Śarat Mahārāj came to him and told him, "This boy is a troubled boy. Rāja, let us throw him out."

Rāja Mahārāj said, "You are the general secretary. Whatever you want, you better do it." So Śarat Mahārāj happily went to Udbodhan in Calcutta. Next morning, suddenly before breakfast, he found Swami Brahmānanda there with a towel, bare body with a towel.

The president of the Rāmakṛṣṇa Order appeared before breakfast in this particular peculiar dress. He said, "Rāja, what is the matter? Yesterday, people decided - this boy, he trusted me and came to me. Now, I cannot live... I cannot abandon him like that. So I decided, we will go to the banks of Gaṅgā. We'll construct a small hut, and both of us will live in it."

That was the end of the discussion.

But anyway, this is one story. Another story - Swami Virajananda, in our order, Swami Vijñānāndajī. So many times he went out. He would do tapasyā, his mind only for tapasyā. Even Śyāmalā Tāl he created. Śyāmalā Tāl - Śyāmalā Tāl, evergreen Viṣṇu.

So Māyāvatī itself is a very isolated place. And that also was too much for him. So Mr. Sanyal had constructed a small hut there. Now it is an independent āśrama. He went there and did tapasyā for so many years.

So Mādhavānandajī became the general secretary. Vijñānandajī became the president. So many sādhus were staying outside without any contact with Rāmakṛṣṇa Mission - good sādhus, doing tapasyā.

Then Mādhavānandajī said, "They don't have any contact. Why should we keep their names?" So he prepared more than a dozen or so names and submitted to President Mahārāj - his signature was necessary so that their names would be removed.

Swami Virajanandajī said, "After five names, I will send it to you, put your signature and then send it to Swami Virajananda." So he wanted to check. He checked - Swami Virajananda. Yes. Then he looked at the first name - Swami Virajananda.

What to do? He simply tore the paper and put it in the waste paper basket because those days, nowadays people do not do so. The idea is, if they are leading a bad life, their name should be removed. Otherwise, bad name will come to the mission. But they are only doing tapasyā. This is what is needed. But he was of that nature.

The Result of Serving Great Souls

That is important. So when we really, really serve the Mahāpuruṣa, then this result must come. What is the first result? Detachment must come because sādhu means another name for detachment. If a sādhu is attached, then he is not a sādhu.

That is why it is said about Śukadeva: "I stay in any place only that much time that it takes for milking a cow." So "go-dohana-kāla-mātra," especially Indian cow. How much time will it take for milking an Indian cow? If it is Jersey, hybrid cow, it will take a long time. So about maybe 20 minutes, 25 minutes - attachment will come to the place.

Place is also attachment, you know. That's why so many people can't leave. No, they will contrive to come back to the same place. Don't cite me as an example!

Who Crosses Māyā?

So who crosses māyā? A person who totally gives up saṅga. Saṅga forms in the form of "I" and "mine." So by serving sādhus, keeping company of sādhus, he should develop. That is called sādhu-saṅga.

If the sādhu-saṅga I am keeping, but saṅga is not going, then it is not good. You make the sthānam - Śrī Rāmakṛṣṇa used to emphasize very much: He who loves astronomy - Śrī Rāmakṛṣṇa had put it so beautifully. Nobody else could have.

"Nirjana sthānam. Majhe majhe nirjana sthānam. Āvāga āvāga nirjana sthānam dali hogu dekho. Nirjana sthānam andhāra eno?"

Normal meaning is that where there are no people. That is not the problem. Saṅga is the problem. So if you go there and also start thinking "my family, what they are doing," then it is not nirjana sthānam at all.

So a place where we have that realization: "Nobody can help me. Only God can help."

Transcending All Bonds

"Yas tu lokabandhaṃ unmūlayati" - He who completely uproots loka-bandha.

What is loka-bandha? I said loka. So this has been given several meanings. One meaning is this world. We are living in this world. This world means my country, my religion, and then my state and my city.

Mahiṣāsura - they don't understand. Mahiṣāsura has become my sūr. Mahiṣāsura-mardinī. Chamuṇḍā, Chamuṇḍā. Oh, Chamuṇḍā.

Mahāpuruṣa Mahārāj went there, used to go to the temple, and did Chaṇḍī pāṭha there for three days. He had a vision of the Divine Mother.

So Mahiṣāsura has become "my sūr." So "my sūr." So I am attached. Bangalore also. You understand the pun? "My sūr" - M-Y sūr. So like that, people are attached.

Then guru - attachment to the guru also should not be there. Attachment to guru should be there. Attachment to guru should not be there. What does it mean?

Looking upon guru as an ordinary human being - "my father, my mother." That is called attachment. "My guru is..." - God is only manifesting in him as being.

Because if you go on looking at him as a human being, then you can find a lot of faults. That is how the devotee behaves: "My guru likes mysore pak. My guru likes poṣṭa." Like that, go on thinking.

One sādhu was telling me now - Prabhu Manasā or somebody, I don't remember. Somebody has given information that some English person, you see, liked some particular curry. The news spread like wildfire. Every day, so many people were specially preparing that curry.

And he said, "Who is this founder who spread this kind of thing? If I see once more this curry, I am going to die." So this is called getting attached to the gurus. Once in a while, it is OK. Anything, if it is served, however nice, morning and evening, it becomes overwhelming. That is the secret of attachment. Now and then, offer it to God and die. Otherwise, attachment will develop.

Different Meanings of Loka

Loka-bandha - so what is the other meaning of loka? There are many lokas. Those who believe in Vedas - there is Rāma-loka, there is Indra-loka, Prajāpati-loka, Bṛhaspati-loka, ultimately, Brahmā-loka.

That's what in the Īśāvāsya Upaniṣad we get. There are many in the pattern: "Satyasya api dharmakāṃśa, prāptam tuṣyam apāvaraṇa, satya dharmāya dṛṣṭaye."

So at the end, he says, "Agne naya supathā rāye asmān, viśvāni deva vayunāni vidvān."

So "Lord, you know what all I have done. You conduct me to the higher world." So the commentary is given.

Śaṅkarāchārya is out and out narrow-minded in this respect. So he goes to Hiraṇyagarbha - what we call Saguṇa Brahma.

What do we call it? If I say Saguṇa Brahma, you won't have objection. If I say Rāmakṛṣṇa-loka, then we immediately have objection: "What? Going to Rāmakṛṣṇa-loka is not mukti?"

That is his opinion. My opinion: if I go to Rāmakṛṣṇa-loka, same talk every day - is it mukti or not? In fact, it's a deep question.

Suppose you go to Vaikuṇṭha, what do you see? So Viṣṇu there. What do you mean by Viṣṇu there? The very meaning of Viṣṇu - "Vyāpakatvād Viṣṇuḥ" - He who is everywhere. And he who is everywhere cannot have any form. Form means limitation - big or small. Big or small.

You break all the walls, then it becomes formless. Put some walls, it becomes form.

So in Vaikuṇṭha, what do you see? In Chidambaram, what do you see? Chidambaram temple - what do you see? Has anybody seen space? Then there is big space. No. Nobody can see space.

That's true. Space means emptiness. You have to have walls to know that there is space. That is why I make fun of it: "I bought the biggest house." Meaning what? The more the emptiness, the more it is big. Small house, small emptiness. Bigger house, bigger emptiness.

So here is the biggest space. Every day go on hearing, and then we don't see it. Even if you take an electronic microscope, where is the space in it? So when you are speaking about loka-bandha, you don't want anything else.

The True Nature of Divine Realms

When you are talking about Rāmakṛṣṇa-yoga or Vaikuṇṭha - perceiving Śrī Rāmakṛṣṇa 24 hours or perceiving Viṣṇu 24 hours - it is not possible. There is no form there. That is the true understanding.

But ordinary people don't understand. They think like - I have a lot of problems with this idea. Suppose you go to any South Indian temple, this fellow, Viṣṇu - blackish, dark blackish. Will he be like that in Vaikuṇṭha also?

Yeah, Kṛṣṇa is black, blue they call it. Rāma is black, Kālī is black. "Amarmā kālo re. Kālo rūpe digambare. Pṛthvī poddāpare ālo re." Like that, beautiful song is there.

So the point is, these are for ordinary people. You go where there is continuous joy. Rāmakṛṣṇa means continuous ānanda. That is the real ānanda. Not that you see a person.

So Śaṅkarāchārya, he doesn't accept this actually. But Śrī Rāmakṛṣṇa said, "Is it impossible for Viṣṇu to give you this liberation? How many millions of bhaktas, they got His grace. And He says, 'We will give you. You and Me are one and the same. Already this person knows Himself.' So how much? He realized it. So lead me to that place."

Even if I don't deserve, you destroy all my impurities and you take me to your real place. "Take me to your real place" means what? "Reveal your true nature."

Once I know - you are very interesting. Once you know Rāmakṛṣṇa is Parabrahma, what will you be?

So I don't think that is wrong. This is the law. So to know that this person is Parabrahma, first to know this person is a saint, first you have to become a saint. To know this person is God, you have to become God.

Let's say in Sanskrit, there is a beautiful saying: "Devo bhūtvā devaṃ yajet" - When are you fit? Really, when are you in a condition to worship God? First become God, then worship. Because only God knows the greatness of God. Only God can worship God and nobody else.

Transcending All Limitations

So this is what he's doing - "loka-bandhaṃ unmūlayati." Loka means, another meaning is limitation. Limitation - he who transcends all limitations. That means the limitations are created only by two things: body and mind.

So how do you know "I am this"? You are talking about body because you identify with that body, separately. Mind also - "I am like this, you are like that." So what is the loka here? There is no loka, completely destroyed. No limitation.

Well, I destroy limitation of body and mind. What remains cannot be destroyed at all.

Complete Surrender to God

"Yo ga kṣema-tyāgī ca" - He who completely gives up two things: yoga and kṣema. That was the beautiful idea taken in the Bhagavad Gītā. The Lord himself - you depend upon mother. Child depends totally upon the mother. Is the child thinking, "Where do I get next food? Where do I sleep?" The child is not thinking. It's simply there, that's all.

He sleeps, plays, and the mother looks after. If we have that kind of complete dependency upon God, he himself will take care.

So what is Nārada telling? "Yo ga kṣema-tyāgī ca" means the person who gives up all dependencies and depends, rests himself totally upon God. God will provide.

Going Beyond the Three Guṇas

"Yo nistraiguṇyo bhavati" - He goes beyond the three guṇas.

In the Bhagavad Gītā, today we are going to speak about you. Everybody, there is a jñāna. If you are Satchidānanda, that is jñāna. "I am Satchidānanda." Then we don't understand we are Satchidānanda. So what is the reason? It is hidden.

So in the Bhagavad Gītā, it gives three examples: Like fire completely covered with smoke. Then a mirror covered with dust. Then an embryo completely covered with the womb. They are all hidden.

So one commentator has given beautiful understanding. Why three examples? The first example is sattva guṇa. Sattva guṇa is so pure that actually the smoke cannot cover the fire very much if you blow. And then the fire will be visible - sattva guṇa. Very little obstruction is there.

Then the second one represents even more dust, a lot of impurities, mud, dust. This represents which guṇa? Rajo-guṇa. Then completely covered - the fetus. Which guṇa? Tamo-guṇa.

So through these examples, one has to go beyond the tamo-guṇa, beyond the rajo-guṇa, and beyond the sattva guṇa. That is what is meant by "nistraiguṇyo bhavati."

What does that mean? In samādhi, there are no three guṇas. In deep sleep, there are no three guṇas. Then what is the problem? Why go to samādhi?

Samādhi means you have the capacity to remain there as long as you want, whereas in deep sleep, you can't sleep when you want. It has to come. All that you need to do is don't put any obstruction by thinking disturbing thoughts. Just relax and it will come and take over. And it will leave you when it wants to leave.

That is why even if you put an alarm, you put on the alarm and then sleep again. But if you sleep sufficiently, the sleep itself says - my mother was telling to the children who used to get up at 12 o'clock - "Children, you are tired sleeping. Get up and eat food and get tired and go back to sleep."

So "nistraiguṇyo bhavati."

Renouncing the Fruits of Action

Then [sutra] 43: He who gives up karmaphala, he who renounces all actions, and then he who becomes nirdvandva-bhāvaḥ. That means he goes beyond the dualities.

A little bit difficult sutra. But karmaphala-tyāgī - our attachment proceeds in three ways: gross, subtle, subtlest. Gross is karmaphala. Subtle is attachment to the work. And subtlest is ahaṅkāra.

Rāmānujāchārya was the person who had pointed this out so beautifully. He says first, you know, suppose you are going in a garden, and you have grown beautiful flowers, beautiful fruits. Then if somebody - it happens in our order also - a swami, he gets so much attached to his karma.

Even the head of the center fears touching anything during his presence. "I have grown it so, and you just mercilessly cut it. Arre bābā, I did it only for Ṭhākur. Let Ṭhākur come and do, you know, he comes and enjoys." Although he has realized it. Although the person has realized it.

Now that story - there was one philosopher Swami who thought he was a good singer. So once a senior Swami happened to visit that āśrama. And the singer Swami wanted to show how beautifully he sings - wanted to impress. So he was eagerly waiting. But the senior Swami came a little bit late.

So instead of disturbing the devotees, because everybody looks, you know - if I enter from the front door, everybody is looking. Forget Ṭhākur, they were looking for an excuse. So he entered from the back door. And suddenly, as soon as he opened the door, immediately he saw Ṭhākur running.

He said, "Ṭhākur, what is this you are doing? This singing is going on and it's quite hard. I can't tolerate anymore this fellow's voice." And then he landed. And then this singer Swami met the senior Swami. And senior Swami said, "Bābā, because of your singing..." He did not explain further.

The Three Levels of Attachment to Work

So karmaphala - they become somehow possessive now: "This belongs to me. Only I enjoy it." From a distance, karmaphala. But if he is a good sādhu: "This is all Ṭhākur's. Land is Ṭhākur's. I belong to Ṭhākur. Maybe I have done my duty. Anybody would have done their duty. Everything belongs to Ṭhākur." So if somebody takes it away - "Okay, Ṭhākur is taking it."

Then next comes attachment to the work. This is the most subtle point. Because, you know, some sādhus, they don't like some type of work. Some people don't like pūjā at all - "Same boring work early morning."

What they don't - they fail to realize: "You don't like to see Ṭhākur's face so much of the time. Here you can see other people's faces - much more preferable than seeing Ṭhākur's face." Because when you are offering, when you are meditating, when you are doing pūjā, whose face you are likely to see?

So some people like accounts work. Some people hate accounts work. Some people like lecturing work. Yeah, I did not mention the name, but there are... So very, very interesting. Even swamis get carried away by all these things: "No, I don't want this. No, I don't want this."

Swami Vivekānanda, he said, "A sannyāsī is one - whatever work he is asked to do, happily he will do. Because it is not to please you. To please Ṭhākur."

Some people are very, very attached to particular type of work. So lecturing work. I know one swami - he is very sick, can't get up from the bed. But the moment he is told, "Mahārāj, this Sunday you have to give a lecture," and he would be carried with the chair. If he is there in the side room, the moment 5:30 or whatever time, like a young man, he will jump, come back, deliver the lecture and go back, becomes old man. No, that's true. Tremendous attachment.

So if this person is honest - so you stop lecturing. What a pain it is for him. So like this, we all suffer from it. We have to be very careful and say, if such a thing happens, I should be able to accept it.

So this is called karma. Second is karma and attachment to the act.

The Subtlest Level: Ahaṅkāra

What is the third one? Rāga-dveṣa. This is called rāga-dveṣa. All belongs to ahaṅkāra. If there is no ahaṅkāra, no rāga-dveṣa. If there is no rāga-dveṣa, there is no abhiniveśa.

Abhiniveśa means intense clinging to the body. So body - because body is the root cause of whatever you want to enjoy. That's why in sleep there is no body consciousness. That's why there is no mind consciousness. Therefore, rāga-dveṣa are not there.

Rāga-dveṣa belong to the mind. But for them to express, they need a concrete object. If there is nobody, upon whom are you going to show rāga-dveṣa? You can't do that.

But there are also deluded people who are cartoonists. One fellow was traveling in a jeep in the desert. Suddenly his jeep had broken down. He had no option. There was no mechanic. He was crawling. Delirium and fatigue. Delirium.

So he was heavily thirsty. So delirium has set in. What did he see in America? Beautiful, cool drink shop. Beautiful, cool drink shop. Immediately he started crawling. He was in delirium. And then he reached the door. And then there are two billboards: "25¢" like that. One bottle. And the other billboard: "25¢ cut. 15¢."

He looked at it - crawling towards the 15¢. He is getting discount. In delirium also discount is attracting because that is our deep unconscious. That is what we are really thinking, isn't it?

So this is how... Anyway, funny story also. It's a real story. In Bihar, devotees will bring some fruits for offering. And you know very hot place - banana. There were no refrigerators in those times. So they took it.

So Bābū Rāo Mahārāj was the manager. So he will come in the morning. He has to decide which fruits to be offered today. So some fruits are brought in. He will give those fruits for Ṭhākur's offering. The idea is: "Good fruits, they will be offered tomorrow. But we should not waste. So let Ṭhākur take the not-so-good fruits. But by tomorrow, the good fruits also..." That is not our logic.

Nothing should be wasted. That is the idea. But it takes a ridiculous turn like that.

Beyond Action and Duality

So first of all, "karmaṇi asaṅgo bhavati" means don't give up - you can't do without activity. You cannot give up activity. But give up attachment to whatever work Ṭhākur puts you in. Just suppose some people say you are not wanted - you retire. Happily you retire. That's it. Why not?

Earlier it is said that he has to become "nirdvandva bhāvaḥ." What is nirdvandva bhāvaḥ? Life is full of duality. See: cold-heat, happiness-unhappiness, birth-death. So everything comes in dualities. There is no way to escape: man-woman, black-white. Everything is duality.

To understand something, you need the opposite. And I also mentioned earlier to you a very important law. It is this: to know "I am this," I have to deny "I am anything else."

Do you understand? See, this is me - this is Swami Dayatmananda. So the moment you say "this is Swami Dayatmananda," if you ask me "who are you?" I say "I am Swami Dayatmananda."

Then immediately, what do you understand? I am not the sofa. I am not a chair. I am not this. The whole universe you have to say "I am not." It implies automatically, because if there is one object which is me, then everything else is not me.

Do you understand? I am not anything else except this. But in language you have to go on saying - then you would never finish it in any way. That is why we say "I am this." Automatically: "I am a man" means what? "I am not a woman."

"This is black" means what? "This is not any other color but black." This is how our knowledge works. "Bring that black cloth." So you don't bring the yellow cloth. Don't bring the white cloth etc. You don't bring them. This is called dvandva.

The Problem of Preference

So what is the problem? Dvandva is not going to disappear. Sometimes what happens is dvandva becomes too much for us. The dvandva becomes - dvandva means we only prefer one.

Between happiness and unhappiness, we prefer only happiness. Between sweet and non-sweet, we only prefer sweet. Between a swami who always praises you and a swami who never praises you, criticizes you, whom do you prefer? Automatically.

So next time after this experience when you enter into the āśrama and look at this swami walking from a distance, you will walk two miles around to meet the other swami who says "you are sweet." This is normal - without thinking, our life is conditioned.

What should be done? Anything comes into our life because of our karmaphala. So happiness comes - karmaphala. Unhappiness comes - karmaphala. That should be the attitude. That is why you bear all these things. If you don't prefer - bearing means what? You treat them equally.

Then what happens? Both of them teach us a lesson. Both of them help - they push us towards God. Unhappiness pushes us more than happiness. Which is more powerful - unhappiness or happiness? Unhappiness.

So one devotee used to come from Mysore. Previously he was in the UK center. Previously he used to come only occasionally. Now he started practically every day. Sometimes twice a day he was coming.

I asked him, "Why this transformation?"

He said, "Swami, my wife - horrible lady. I can't bear any longer."

I said, "First thing in the morning you should touch her feet and say all you are coming to the āśrama now is only because of her. Happiness never takes us anywhere near to God. It is unhappiness that takes us nearer to God."

That is why Sāṅkhya Yoga, Sāṅkhya sūtras begin with: "We are enquiring how to escape this tāpa-traya." That is what takes us slowly to God.

Closing Prayer

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

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