Narada Bhakti Sutras Lecture 47 Su.70-74 on 23-May-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.
Introduction to Sutra 70: Tanmaya (Complete Absorption in God)
We are studying the Narada Bhakti Sutras on Mukhya Bhakta Mahima—the glory of the greatest devotees. We have come to Sutra 70: Tanmaya.
These devotees are completely absorbed in God. However, one thing we must understand: it is not like Advaita Vedantic Oneness. Though there is Advaita here, they are only completely absorbed in God while keeping a sub-identity.
Devotees never like to feel that "I am one with God." They always want to have a kind of difference between the two. That's why they are called Dvaitins. In the devotees' hearts, there would be no other thought except the thought of God. That's why it is called Tanmaya.
If there are two thoughts in the mind, then sometimes the mind goes into one thought, sometimes into another thought. There is a division there, and that cannot be Tanmayata. Tanmayata means like water mixing with water, like oil poured into oil—complete oneness. But the small sense of separation remains: "I am the devotee, you are God." Except for that feeling, there is no other feeling.
When such complete oneness comes, then they are realized souls according to Dvaita.
The Joy of the Lineage and Deities
Modante Pitaraḥ—their whole lineage rejoices because 14 generations will be completely free. They are liberated. They only want to enjoy for some time, but they want to be separated for a long time. Yes, liberated—because of the greatness of that one soul.
That is why when anybody becomes a monk or a nun, the parents should rejoice. Yes, 14 generations of the monks and nuns are completely free.
Dhṛtyā and the Devatās—all the Devatās dance in joy. Why? Because such a great saint will be an ideal even for the Devatās.
Understanding the Devatās
What are the Devatās? They are like your Mukesh Ambani. What does that mean? Until liberation is attained, they will have their own problems. Devatās also have their own problems. Human beings have problems, animals have problems. Anybody who has a body, who has a mind, will have problems.
What is the first problem? Jealousy. That is why they say Rambhā and other Apsaras are always jealous of each other. If Indra favors one lady, then the other—what they call—stomach ache will start. In Bengali, they call it Peta Hiṃse (jealousy).
Then, you know, everyone is always looking for a rich source. Suppose suddenly you find some gold mines. The best nowadays is oil, first class. Even more than oil, do you know what is the richest source nowadays? It is called rare earth. They are used in electronics increasingly. And there are certain things called platinum. There are some places where this is more available. When such things are available, then there is terrible jealousy. Who is going to help?
Now interstellar wars are about to start. They have discovered rich sources of minerals like gold and other things. You know why they are going? It is not purely for scientific purposes. Maybe there is a golden meteor. What they are going to do with a golden meteor, God alone knows. Nothing but violent death will result. And even if they don't die, it is suffering.
The Cycle of Devatas and Rakshasas
Whenever these Devatās are enjoying, some Rākṣasas will come. You know, Deva-Dānava Yuddha is there. So always this fight, these wars are there.
Then, like that, Devatās are always weak. Arnold Toynbee—he studied civilizations for more than 50 years, then wrote a 12-volume "Study of History." Toynbee was a British historian, such a great scholar. He analyzed what happens whenever any particular people become kings and occupy a place.
The Pattern of Civilizations
They enslave other people. All of us are also slaves to this mafia. What do they do? They don't say it openly. All companies treat you as slaves. What do they say? "We will give you salary, but your life belongs to me."
This is their natural mentality. For the sake of money, they can do anything. People? They don't care. Fourteen hours they work. How many hours are left out? Out of that, how many hours are they going to sleep? Nowadays, increasingly, entertainment channels are becoming bigger and bigger. Where is the time?
But for the sake of money, literally, if you ask: "Your life is precious or your money is precious?" If you ask them, they say life is precious. But they are giving up their life minute by minute, like drop after drop of blood.
Whenever a weak nation is conquered by a strong nation—tribes, Gauls, etc.—they subdue the people, enslave them, make them work for them. They sit, they become indolent, they are accustomed to luxury, they inherit all the faults of the previous civilization. That is called civilization.
What is civilization nowadays? Giving in to luxuries. They don't want to move their body. There is no exercise, there is no strength. They will be served by slaves, until the slaves one day arrive, kick them out, and sit in their position—and become exactly the same thing. Then the other fellows will go.
This is like night and day and night. These weak fellows become strong by being enslaved. The enslaved become free people again, they conquer, become weak. This infinite circle is going round and round.
The Devatās' Predicament
What is the case about Devatās then? To become a Devatā means enjoying 24 hours like a 7-star hotel. But this kind of enjoyment—there are also casinos. They put casinos there, draw people in, put nightclubs, bars. Finished! Who will survive? The hotels will survive, casinos will survive, barkeepers will survive, but these fellows become victims.
This is the story of civilization, and that is what exactly happens. We see it in our Purāṇas. Mahiṣāsura, Śumbha, Niśumbha—they all go conquer Indra, Candra, etc., occupy their places, and get accustomed. Now they are not Mahiṣāsura anymore; now he becomes Indra. All these Anucāras become like that.
After some time, these fellows go on becoming heads of Tapasya, become very strong, get God's grace, and go and conquer. Again they become Indra, Candra, and again they become weak. This cycle is going on.
But they also understand: "Ours is a wretched life in comparison with a saint who has realized God."
The Saint as Earth's Savior
Then they say, "Arre, one of our grandchildren has become a realized soul!" Nṛtyante Devatāḥ—great joy! They dance.
Then, Sānanda Chāyam Bhūḥ Bhavate—this earth, as it were, got some savior. The earth got a savior.
That's why in our Purāṇas it is said: evil increases, evil people increase. Then Bhū-bhāra they call it—this earth becomes a burden. Then she goes to her husband who is living in Vaikuṇṭha.
Bhū Devī is here, and Śrī Devī is upstairs. In Tirumala, Śrī Devī is there. In Tirupati, Āḻvār Maṅgamma is there—Bhū Devī—and Śrī Devī. They can't stay with each other. So sometimes God has to divide his time.
When he comes back, Lakṣmī Devī comes running. This Tirupati Veṅkaṭeśvara story, you know that. It's just like that.
Even God, if he has two wives, he becomes a stone. This story is told: until Śrī Devī and Bhū Devī meet him separately, they were also happy. Śrī Devī was happy, Bhū Devī was happy, and Nārāyaṇa was also happy. When both these wives totally forgot Bhagavān and started quarreling with each other—"Who is great? Who is going to keep Nārāyaṇa?"—unable to bear it, he turned into a rock (vigraha). That is the story of Tirupati Veṅkaṭeśvara.
So it is as if a great saint is one who brings that balance.
The Importance of Balance in Life
Everything is a matter of balance. Whether you are leading a student's life, there is a balance. What is student's life balance? Students naturally divide their time into three areas: study, entertainment, play.
Some people are more interested in sports, so they devote themselves to that. Some fellows are watching cinemas, watching girls, doing all those things. Only a few students have become very serious—but their faces become so serious, no girl is ready to marry them! There is no joy in them.
So they must have a balance: this much time for studies, this much for entertainment, and this much for play.
In householder's life also, there is a time for working in the office, there is a time for spending with family, there is a time for spending individually—whether it is study, meditation, whatever it is. We must have that balance.
That balance is called Dharma-pratiṣṭhā. That is why God incarnates: to re-establish that Dharma. So all these things automatically happen if anybody becomes a saint. That is the most wonderful thing.
When One Devotee Meets Another Devotee (Sutra 71-72)
When I was participating in interfaith meetings, I used to pose one question. All religions, except Hinduism... Hinduism also has a lot of quarrels. Even now, today, lots of quarrels are there.
Ekam Sat Viprāḥ Bahudhā Vadanti—God is one, truth is one.
Even if a person worships a stone, he will also get liberation. But nobody worships a stone!
The Raja of Jaipur's Challenge
That's why the Raja of Jaipur in Rajasthan challenged so much: "Why do people worship idols?"
You know that story? He said, "You bring your grandfather's portrait and spit upon it. After all, it is only a piece of paper and some ink, some painting." They did not dare to do it.
Then he said, "Look, nobody is worshipping this stone saying, 'Oh stone, you bestow your grace upon me.' The stone reminds them of God, that's all."
When we worship Ramakrishna, what is that Ramakrishna? Tell me. What is it? A piece of paper. You make so many Śāṣṭāṅga praṇāms every day. It's a piece of paper, some painting, is it not? If you analyze chemically, what is there?
But a devotee does not look upon that. It's a living God. It reminds them of God.
The Danger of Fanaticism
This is the most important thing in this world. This kind of pronouncement is very, very harmful for one reason: this is called fanaticism. Secondly, they are deviating from Hindu teachings.
Ramakrishna had come with the teaching: Jato Mat Tato Path—as many faiths, so many paths. Reality is only one, but paths are many.
What does that mean? Really, the real paths are only four: Karma Yoga, Bhakti Yoga, Rāja Yoga, Jñāna Yoga. But the way a person can think of God—in as many ways! Gaṇeśa, Sūrya, Kārtikeya.
What is your Gaṇeśa? Elephant head! When foreigners look at this elephant head: "Oh, Hindus are animal worshippers! Animals are worshipped!"
Kāñcī Śaṅkarācārya, if you go, what is he going to do early morning? Go-pūjā. Go-pūjā means not worship of the cow. Go-mātā—she is a Devatā.
The urine is taken. That is what is called Madhuparka: the milk, the curds, then the butter, ghee, and then cow urine and cow dung. These five mixed is called Madhuparka.
Later on, people didn't like all those things, you know. That is why they made it with honey (madhu) and five items—ghee and all those five items they mix. It is so tasty.
But these orthodox people are ready—not for drinking, you know, like prasāda. They do Go-mātā Pūjā, etc. She is Lakṣmī, representative of Lakṣmī.
People don't understand that it is the bhāva behind which is important, not externally what they do.
Who Is Not an Idolater?
Who is not an idolater? Once some devotee came to Ramana Maharshi and wanted to say, "Bhagavān, why don't you teach people idols should not be worshipped?"
Then Bhagavān laughed and said, "Show me one fellow who is not an idolater."
Then he explained from morning, early morning, at five o'clock: What is he worshipping? Bed coffee! Bed coffee means he is worshipping his stomach.
After that, breakfast—idli, dosa, vada, and all those things. Whom is he worshipping? Himself!
Then ceremoniously he wakes up to music. Ceremoniously he takes bath. You have to enter the bathroom and see how many items are there for this body worship: dhūpa, dīpa, pañcāmṛta, and all those things.
Then after that, real breakfast. After that, lunch. After that, some coffee now and then. Afternoon snacks again. After that, night. In between, so many snacks, etc.—coffee, tea, whole day.
Ceremoniously you put this body to bed, to music. Then hearing that soft music, chants, etc., you might get sleep. Otherwise you give to this god a special medicine called sleeping medicine. Then you go to sleep.
Who is not worshipping idols? We are all idolaters! What are we worshipping? Our own bodies!
This fellow comes to advise, "Let people not worship idols." Who is not worshipping idols? Everybody is! In fact, Hindus are much better.
So then God created human beings and said, "I have created this whole earth for your enjoyment. Anything that you see—whether it is a fruit, whether it is a bird, whether it is an insect, anything that moves—is good enough for you, for your enjoyment. Moving or non-moving, anything is good for your enjoyment."
Ever since that time, man started destroying forests, polluting the rivers, deforestation. So many things he is doing. If you ask, "For what purpose?" For this mūrti-pūjā! And these are the fellows, those stupid fellows, who go on telling others, "Don't do all those things."
How Great Souls Behave Toward Each Other
Anyway, how do these great souls behave? I used to tell this whenever I used to go to interfaith meetings:
Why do religions fight? They are supposed to inspire people, turn their attention to God, and make them less attached to worldly things. But no, it goes on increasing. So what is the way out?
The Vision of Religious Harmony
I used to give an illustration. When Ṭhākur Śrī Ramakrishna was alive, he got, through his devotee Suresh Mitra, a painting done. Jesus Christ, Buddha, Ramakrishna, Jesus—all these great religious leaders—they are all dancing. Ramakrishna was also there.
Keśava Candra Siṃha was deeply impressed when he saw that painting. "Blessed is the person who conceived this idea!" The idea was given by Śrī Ramakrishna.
I used to tell these interfaith meetings: "Suppose Jesus Christ, Buddha, Rāma, Kṛṣṇa, Moses, Yahweh—all these people meet. What do you think will be the meeting? What do you think they will do together?"
The moment they see each other, they remind each other: "Oh, let us dance together, remembering God!" That Parasparam Lapante—they go on talking. "I will talk, you listen. You talk, I will listen." All about God!
They don't say, "You are worshipping a different God."
The Food Analogy
In fact, I give another, non-elegant analogy. I say: You sit for dinner. There are at least 10 items. This is sweet, this is sour, this is kaṭu, this is tīkṣṇa, this is saltish, this is kāra, etc., etc.
Once that thing goes here [pointing to mouth], what does your stomach know? You know what it knows? You should know better than me—he is a homeopathic practitioner.
You know what they know? Proteins, minerals, carbohydrates. Except this, the stomach doesn't know what is sweet. Only the tongue knows. Different—this is like this, this is tasty—everything is tasty. Only thing is, different items have to be prepared in different ways, that's all.
So what is the analogy for? All these different Iṣṭa-devatās are only superficial, like different foods. What is the purpose of all this? Like taking a rod and pushing the food down. Taste means what? Pushing it down!
Same thing—you boil vegetables, you eat. What do you get less? Same things you get. But they won't easily go down, you know. Then add a little bit of achār (pickle). Immediately huge quantities will start disappearing into the stomach.
These are all push-ups, you know, into the stomach. Very tasty you eat it because they are other. But the stomach knows only one thing: only the essence of this food material, that's all.
Beyond Name and Form
All these great souls, as soon as they go a little bit beyond this idea of form, rūpa, all that—nāma-rūpa—all that they know is only God and God: Sat, Cit, and Ānanda.
What is the difference between one Sat and another Sat? One Cit and another Cit? One Ānanda and another Ānanda? There is no difference!
They don't see any difference, and they don't see any difference between themselves.
Ramakrishna's Mountain Analogy
All these differences—we are far below. Ramakrishna used to give an example, you know:
If you climb to a mountaintop, everything looks the same. Make a distinction between a thousand human beings moving there—different colored dresses, different colored skins. "He is a doctor, he is a rickshaw puller." You go to the mountaintop and then judge them. How do they look? Same! Exactly the same!
Between them, they don't see any difference. That's what he wants to tell.
Sutra 72: Nāsti Teṣu Jāti-Vidyā-Rūpa-Kula-Dhana-Kriyā-Bhedaḥ
Nāsti Teṣu—among these great saints, nāsti, this idea or differentiation is not there.
What differentiation?
- Jāti: "You are a Brāhmaṇa, you are a rich man, you are a poor man, you are a Śūdra." This difference cannot be there.
- Male and female
- Vidyā: "You are a paṇḍit and I am an illiterate fellow." That will not be there.
- Rūpa: "You are a very beautiful person, I am a very ugly person." No difference will be there.
- Kula: "You belong to a very respectable family. My family, nobody knows." Even how many people know about a paṇḍit? Nobody knows anything.
- Dhana: "You have a lot of wealth. We don't have." Wealth means here knowledge also.
In India, you know, the bridegroom's price will be determined by qualification. Doctor means 25 lakhs or 50 lakhs, something like that. The girl is purchasing the fellow at the top—50 lakhs or 40 lakhs. The poor fellow doesn't know. "Oh, I am getting money," he thinks. But she is literally purchasing!
Some brides, you know what they do? They purchase even before the fellow becomes a doctor. "Let your son marry my daughter. I will send him to London to become a good doctor." Yes, I know cases like this. So many are there.
Because this fellow is poor, after marriage the father-in-law sends this fellow. All for whose sake? For the daughter's sake. And the daughter also—for whose sake? "My son-in-law is a great doctor, and I get free treatment when I become old."
- Kriyā: "You are a great administrator. You are a king. You are a chief minister. You are a prime minister. And I am just a coolie, I am a rickshaw puller," etc., etc.
Nāsti Teṣu Bheda—there is no such distinction. They don't say, "You are inferior or superior."
There is only one difference: Which person has more devotion to God? Which person has less devotion to God?
The Story of Nāmdeva
You heard about Nāmdeva's story? Wonderful story of Nāmdeva.
This Nāmdeva used to live in Paṇḍharpur. He used to go to the temple. He used to talk directly to Paṇḍurīnātha Kṛṣṇa, like Ṭhākur used to talk. Then pride entered into him: "I could talk to God directly. Therefore I must be a great saint."
That pride entering means he is not a great saint.
In Paṇḍharpur in his time, lots of real saints were there. One day, by God's inspiration only—God's will—they gave a feast to all the saints. One saint gave a feast to all saints.
There was one saint called the potter—Kumbhār, Bhakta Kumbhār. He heard about it. What does this Kumbhār do? His profession is to make pots. He bakes them. After baking, he has a small stick. He will give a tap. If this is baked properly, it can be sold. If it is not baked properly, he will break it and throw it.
The discussion came: whether all people are certified devotees or not, saints or not. This potter saint, Bhakta Kumbhār, was given the task: "You test when everybody is eating."
Food was served, everybody was eating. Here is that pot-testing stick. He will go, he will give a tap. "Yes, this is baked properly." Yes. Ultimately he came to Nāmdeva. He said, "This is the only one which is not baked."
Nāmdeva got so annoyed, he went straight to Lord Kṛṣṇa. "Lord, Lord, see! They certified me as unbaked. See the injustice of it!"
The Lord said, "Nāmdeva, if anybody else had told you something, I would have supported you. But if my devotees tell you something, I cannot but support them. If they say you are unbaked, really you are unbaked."
Then by God's grace, Nāmdeva got a little bit of awakening. He understood. "Lord, what shall I do to be certified as baked?"
He said, "You go to such-and-such a village and you find an old man. Take shelter under his feet, catch hold of his feet. He will make you baked."
By this time Nāmdeva had become reformed. He went to that village. They asked him, "Where is such-and-such a man?" They pointed out, "He lives in the Śiva temple. That is where he sleeps. So you go and meet him."
Nāmdeva ran there. There was a Śiva Liṅga. What did he see? That so-called person was putting his legs on the Śiva Liṅga—big Śiva Liṅga, you know.
Nāmdeva was so angry. He said, "What kind of person are you? What kind of devotee? You are putting your legs on Lord Śiva himself!"
That man said, "What you said is true. You know, I suffer from rheumatic pains. I get a little relief by putting my legs on a proper place. If you don't like it, you remove them."
Oh, Nāmdeva got so angry! He took both the legs and threw them down. When he threw them down, another Śiva Liṅga sprang up supporting his legs! Then he threw them this side—another Śiva Liṅga sprang up! Wherever he was trying to put his legs, another Śiva Liṅga sprang up!
Then the saint was telling, "Put my legs where there is no Śiva."
What a great lesson! "You put your legs where there is no Śiva!"
Then Nāmdeva understood. He caught hold of the legs of the saint. He became enlightened.
The Dung Beetle Example
That is why, what we call cow dung—there will be dung beetles. For a dung beetle, what is dung?
Suppose there is a dung beetle bhakta. Before eating, what do you think it will do? Brahmārpaṇam! It will do Brahmārpaṇam, isn't it? We are all doing Brahmārpaṇam. It is a bhakta—it will also do Brahmārpaṇam.
Because for us, it is something that should not be touched. It is true—it may not be suitable for us.
The Tantric Teaching
That is the greatest teaching of Tantra: that nothing is what is called secular. Everything is sacred.
That's why Bhairavī Brāhmaṇī one day brought a skull and said, "Let us cook fish in it," and made Śrī Ramakrishna eat. He could somehow eat it.
Then one day she brought rotten human flesh. In śmaśānas you get it. "And then you eat it." After offering to the Mother, he said, "I could not bring myself to eat it."
She said, "What is there, my child? This is nothing but Brahman, Divine Mother only in another form." Because there are so many creatures who eat all this rotten flesh, everything. It is because of them we are surviving. Otherwise it becomes the most infectious material.
Śrī Ramakrishna offered it to the Divine Mother, and Caṇḍī possessed him. He said, "Then I felt no revulsion. I ate it."
The Relativity of Food
So what does this teach? It doesn't teach that there is no difference. From our viewpoint, it may not be suitable for us.
Even from our own normal food point of view, does every food suit everybody? That's why there is a saying: "One man's food is another man's poison." For the same man also, it may be poison depending on their stomach.
What we consider as very tasty, some fellows may not be able even to look at it. Some people like dry fish, or rotten worms should come out from cheese—then it is very delectable. Yes, some people are like that.
This is the truth we have to understand.
How Saints View Each Other
Now what are we talking about? There is no difference at all.
Now, how do they look upon each other? How do real saints look upon each other?
One saint looks upon the other saint as what? God! They don't see anything else except God. That saint looks upon this as God; this saint looks upon that as God.
In fact, they are not thinking who is big, who is small. Their whole mind is only absorbed in God. Everybody is dhyāna-maya—who is going to do anything there? If everybody goes into samādhi, who is thinking about God?
There will be—here is a hint. What is the hint? If we wish to become devotees, if we maintain any differences, we are not going to become devotees. This is the truth.
Sutra 73: Yataḥ Tadīyāḥ
Then in the next sutra, 73, Nārada is clarifying: Why do they behave like that?
Yataḥ Tadīyāḥ—because of the reason that all these saints are tadīya. Tadīya means belonging to whom? Belonging to God.
Every devotee belongs to whom? God.
Every non-devotee belongs to whom? God! They also belong to God, but they are not interested in God.
From saints' viewpoint, there is no difference. But from our viewpoint, we make lots of differences. We keep God away because of this attachment to our own things.
Yataḥ Tadīyāḥ—they see only God.
The Story of Bhagavān Dās Bābājī
There is a beautiful story here. You know, in Ramakrishna's time, there was a Vaiṣṇava community leader, Bhagavān Dās Bābājī.
Now what happened? Ramakrishna—there was a time in his life when he would enjoy going to different places of Saṅkīrtana. In Calcutta at that time, even today, there are Hari Sabhās, they call it Hari Sabha, where they gather at a particular time and do Saṅkīrtana for hours together.
There, whom they worship is Caitanya Mahāprabhu. They keep a special seat for Caitanya Mahāprabhu, and nobody is allowed to sit on that seat—much less sitting down, even standing near that seat—because it is sacred.
They believe: when they are doing this Saṅkīrtana, Caitanya Mahāprabhu will come in an invisible form. He will be participating in it, and he will be blessing all the devotees. This is the faith.
Once Śrī Ramakrishna went there, and because of his presence, all the people that day felt intoxicated. They started dancing. During the period of dancing, Śrī Ramakrishna happened to go there, went and sat on that seat, and went into bhāva.
At that time everybody's mind was elevated, so they did not even think about it. But when all this euphoria had come down—every intoxication comes down; it depends on the doses—when it came down, by that time Śrī Ramakrishna had left.
Then discussion came: "Who is this man who defied, that means made unsacred, non-sacred, this special seat we have kept for Caitanya?"
Like that they discussed. Somebody must have conveyed that to this leader of the Vaiṣṇava community called Bhagavān Dās Bābājī. Then, without further enquiry, without knowing anything about Śrī Ramakrishna, he passed judgment: "You should have caught hold of his hands, pulled him out, given him some blows, and thrown him out."
But Śrī Ramakrishna always acts according to Divine Mother's direction. He understood Bhagavān Dās Bābājī was a very advanced sādhaka, but a little obstruction was there.
One day he expressed his wish to Mathur Bābu: "I want to go to Kālnā"—that is where Bhagavān Dās Bābājī lives in an āśrama. "Mathur, you take me there." Mathur Bābu also had a desire, so they reached the āśrama.
Śrī Ramakrishna was very shy in his normal mood. In abnormal mood he throws his clothes away; he doesn't care for anything. But in normal mood he was very shy, like a child.
When they approached the āśrama, there were lots of Vaiṣṇavas. Bhagavān Dās was also there. There was one monk who had misbehaved in that community—a Vaiṣṇava monk; they are called Bābājīs. He committed something wrong. This was reported to the leader Bhagavān Dās, and he got very angry. He was chiding: "I will take away your rosary! I will excommunicate you from this Vaiṣṇava community! You have done this crime! You are not fit to stay in this community!" Like that he scolded.
But then suddenly he had an intuition: "Some great Mahāpuruṣa is nearby. He is about to come into my presence."
I told you Ramakrishna was shy. He sent Hṛiday just to go inside and then see the situation. Hṛiday came. At that time Bhagavān Dās Bābājī was feeling the presence of a Mahāpuruṣa whom he did not know. He looked at Hṛiday: "Certainly this is not the man," like that he understood.
Then slowly Ramakrishna entered with a piece of cloth.
The Confrontation and Transformation
Now, Vaiṣṇava Bābājī was dealing with an errant monk. He was scolding: "I will throw you out of the community! I will snatch away your rosary!" He was doing this.
Śrī Ramakrishna was sitting there like any ordinary person. When he heard these words, he got inspired. He started shouting: "Who the hell are you? You are like a small worm! You to excommunicate that monk? You to snatch away the rosary?" Like that he got excited and shouted.
Ramakrishna, when he talked normally, was soft. But when he opened his mouth in this state—my God! Especially that tone! I have seen some people—oh my god! The Lord also has to listen when Ramakrishna is delivering a lecture!
Śrī Ramakrishna stood up. The cloth dropped. He scolded. Everybody was stunned, because in his whole life nobody dared to utter one single word against that respectable Kālnā Bābājī, Bhagavān Dās. And here is an unknown person who comes—Śrī Ramakrishna was small in stature compared to others—and he openly, in front of his own disciples, could scold him!
They were very angry, but they were all stupid fellows. By this time, Bhagavān Dās Bābājī really started thinking: "Yes, who am I? It is God who can do what He wants to do."
This ahaṅkāra, hidden ahaṅkāra was there: "I am the leader of the community. I have the power to correct them. I will make them spiritual." All this ahaṅkāra was there.
He understood, by the grace of his own sādhanā and by the presence of Śrī Ramakrishna. He humbly acknowledged: "I was wrong."
Then he came to know: this was the person who went and occupied Caitanya's seat, and without knowing anything, he had passed these remarks.
Bhagavān Dās Bābājī offered profuse apologies: "I am sorry, I did not know."
Then two devotees started talking to each other on equal terms, corresponding with each other.
The Lesson of Saints Meeting
I just remembered that: when two saints meet, they do only two things. If there is an imperfection in one saint, the other saint corrects them, so that both can equally love each other, talk about God, and enjoy more and more.
Why? Tadīyāḥ, Tadīyāḥ—both saints belong to whom? Only to God.
The Incident with Gopāla Mā
Another peculiar incident happened. Gopāla Mā, after 33 years of japa, had the vision of Kṛṣṇa. The next morning, like a mad woman, she ran. She was carrying this Kṛṣṇa—very heavy fellow, because after so much butter, it will have its effect! But she was in an ecstatic state. Her cloth was running after her.
Like that she went and reached Dakṣiṇeśvara. She had also visited Śrī Ramakrishna before.
There was one woman whom she did not like, because she did not behave according to her standard. Gopāla Mā did not like that woman.
But as soon as she reached, she found that Śrī Ramakrishna was riding on her back! "Unless she is such a great devotee, Śrī Ramakrishna would not have been able even to touch her. But he is riding on her back! She must be a great woman!"
She apologized profusely and started looking after her, looking upon her as a great saint.
[Question: "Who was that woman?"]
No, no, we don't know. The name is not there. Śāradā Devī simply mentions there was some woman. We don't know who she was.
Anyway, by God's grace, all these feelings, if they had been there before, now they will totally disappear.
All Belong to God
That is why, when they disappear, who is who? Sarve Sarve Tadīyāḥ—only God's. Every saint belongs to whom? Only to God.
If anything comes from God, what will you do? Just a hypothetical question: Suppose you happen to hate somebody. One day you have a vision—your God is lovingly embracing that person whom you hate. Thereafter, how will you look upon that person?
Your hatred will go! Because if you love God, then even if there is a dog—if you love me, you love my dog!
If you love somebody, whatever belongs to that somebody also becomes lovable.
For example: Umā belongs to you. You love Umā. Now Umā has got a child, Naren. Therefore Naren is also lovable.
Suppose some neighbor comes, and then Umā takes him in her lap. Is he lovable?
[Response from audience: "No, no Mahārāj!"]
This is all verbal love! This is what I call verbal love: "I love you, I love you"—there is no substance behind it!
Somebody called me by mistake: "You are like my son."
I also immediately replied: "In that case, don't forget me in your will!"
That's the end of me!
This is our nature. We don't love anybody else unless they are ours, belonging to ours. Then we love that also. That is called Tadīya, Prapannadīya.
Sutra 74: Vādo Nāvalambyaḥ (Avoid Argumentation)
Then Nārada is telling people who are not saints but who are aspiring to be saints:
Vādo Nāvalambyaḥ—what does it mean? Vāda means what? Argument, unnecessary argument.
If somebody says something which you don't like, simply run away from them. Because pride is such a thing, ahaṅkāra is such a thing—the other fellow never wants to accept your view. Even if he knows it is wrong, because you are telling him it is wrong, he will stick to it and say, "I am right!" This is the nature of ordinary human beings.
So never argue.
Ramakrishna's Teaching to M
That was the first lesson Ramakrishna had taught to M: "Promise me to never argue."
And M promised. After that, nobody had ever seen him argue. Only a few times he argued with Śrī Ramakrishna himself, and he mentions that was the end of it.
Conclusion
So we will stop here.
Beautiful! Then he gives some hints: what sādhanā, what qualities we have to develop in order to progress in spiritual life.
Closing Prayer
ॐ जननीं सारदां देवीं रामकृष्णं जगदगुरुम पादपद्मे तयो: श्रित्वा प्रणमामि मुहुर्मुहु :
Om Jananim Saradam devim Ramakrishnam jagadgurum Padapadme tayoh shritva pranamami muhurmuhuh.