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.

Narada Bhakti Sutras: Summary and Commentary

Understanding Maya and Consciousness

We are summarizing Narada Bhakti Sutras. The word "Kastarati, Kastarati maya" asks: who is capable of crossing this ocean of samsara? Samsara means maya. Maya means only body, and maya means mind.

Is mind maya? Is that a right statement? Not really. Mind also is Brahman. World also is Brahman. Everything is Brahman. But we are not seeing the world as it is; we are seeing the world according to our ignorance, if you really look into it.

So, who can cross this ocean of samsara? What is samsara? We should not think maya and God are two different issues. Maya and God are two names for the same reality, but maya means we don't see neither God nor maya in their totality.

The Nature of Reality: From Atoms to Consciousness

One example: the whole universe is made up of what? Atoms. Atoms can be broken. When atoms are broken, some electrons, neutrons—when they are broken, go on breaking. Some names they will have. Ultimately it comes to what is called string theory: strings of little bits of consciousness and energy. If you further analyze, energy is nothing but consciousness.

Energy alone cannot work by itself. A machine cannot work. A car is there, full of petrol, everything is okay, but a driver has to sit to direct the energy. It has energy, but it doesn't have consciousness. So ultimately everything came out of consciousness. This is our theory—it is a fact.

Maya and Consciousness: An Inseparable Relationship

So what is maya? Shakti without consciousness. But if you analyze, how is maya able to sustain? It is only possible by consciousness.

I will put it in a simple way: Suppose you put your foot on a slippery road and you slip. Then you think, "Oh!" It has stopped now. Somebody says, "Okay, that was enough." You understand you committed a mistake. How did you understand you committed a mistake? If you are unconscious, you would not have been able to know whether you have committed a mistake or you are right, isn't it?

Even to know that this is maya, you have to be conscious. So who is aware? The conscious being. Because if you don't take notice—simple words, profound truth—you are sitting. Unless I know that you are sitting, for all that I know, you may not exist at all, isn't it?

When we are in deep sleep, we are not conscious of the body and mind. Therefore the body-mind, though it is there, we are not conscious of it. Therefore they can't be used. To use anything, we have to be first conscious, isn't it?

Consciousness: The Ultimate Reality

Suppose you don't like somebody and you want to beat him up. First you have to be conscious he is here. Then only you can decide whether to beat him up or to be beaten up by him. Of course, if he is stronger and beats you up, then also you become unconscious. But did you know that he has beaten you?

For anything in this world, either you have right knowledge or wrong knowledge. Consciousness is the—when we really understand that consciousness is the only reality, then you are free. You become completely free.

Who Crosses Maya?

"Kastarati, Kastarati maya"—he who understands he is pure consciousness, he alone crosses this world. In fact, the question of crossing this world doesn't arise, because this world is not something to be crossed. It is nothing.

"I am seeking God. Where do I need to seek God? I have to go to Vaikuntha." But when I know where is not Vaikuntha? Where is not God? God is right here. So if you recognize God here, are you in Vaikuntha or not? Where you see God, that is Vaikuntha, isn't it?

When you see God in a particular form, that is called Vaikuntha. When you see the same God in another form, that is called Kailasa. When you see the same God, you call it Kingdom of Heaven, as Jesus Christ taught. But ultimately, it is pure consciousness.

Forms and Qualities

Dull fellows—what do they do? They imagine God will be like that. When they attribute humanness to God—human form, human qualities to God—there is a deep connection between form and qualities. All our things are associated with form.

What do you mean by form? Can you understand what is the meaning of form? This word "form" is physical. This person looks like this. When you go for identification, a mole is like this. That is one type of physical form.

What form is water? It can have three forms. What are the forms? Liquid, solid, and gas. That is another aspect. What form does gas have? What form does water have?

So gunas also are forms. Rakshasa—you draw a Rakshasa, you have an idea of the form of a Rakshasa. But when you draw it, you want to distinguish that form from an evil form from a good form. So you have to give certain big teeth—Varahans they call them. You know that? These Americans are really crazy. You can go and find these teeth. They fit exactly like that, like wolves. This is the kind of thing.

Subject and Object: The Nature of Experience

Think over it: in this world there are only two things—subject and object. Object is changing; subject never changes. Subject means "I." If you are not conscious, then the whole world becomes non-existent to you.

Objects as Thoughts

In fact, whenever one particular thought comes—let me put it a little bit further—every object is represented to us by one thought. It is a very important point to understand.

Here, for example, I am sitting here. I am an object to you. You are experiencing me. But how do you experience me? In the form of a thought: "This is Swami Dayatmananda." Then you experience Pushpa. "This is Pushpa." The moment "this is Pushpa" thought arises, "Swami Dayatmananda" thought is totally gone—not gone down, disappeared, totally disappeared—until you come back to me.

Such a wonderful truth you are not able to understand. In devotees' language, God means consciousness—Chaitanya Svarupa. That's why the second name of Vishnu is Vishnu. "Vishnu Sahasranama"—first name is Vishnu. The whole world is nothing but pure consciousness. The whole world is pure consciousness, all-pervading.

God as Infinite Consciousness

God is infinite. If God is infinite, what must the world be? Infinite. Then only comes the word Vishnu the second time, the second word only comes Vishnu.

What we are experiencing in front of us is nothing else but only God. God means what? Consciousness. Your consciousness. Your whole dream world, you are creating out of yourself. That's why your dream world is a completely private world. Somebody doesn't come and create a world for you—not even one single object. All the infinite objects you experience in your dream state—none other than you have become, as it were, the whole world. And you are also witnessing yourself become. This is called being and becoming.

That is the brightest example we give to make people understand: What is subject? Pure consciousness. What is object? Pure consciousness, but experienced in the form of thoughts, reflected by the mind.

Padartha: Word and Object

When you go outside, it is an object. An object and a thought are synonymous. That's why in Sanskrit, the translation of the word "object" is padartha. Padartha means what? Padasya arthah—the meaning of a word is called object. Have you heard that word padartha?

Object means padartha, because you are in a very peculiar condition. Mostly you are using English only. If you had been using Tamil or Malayalam, then you would use this word padartha. In Kannada also, it is a Sanskrit word, borrowed by most languages. Tamil I don't know, but it is Sanskrit: padartha.

Padartha means word. We are not talking about sofa. We are not making an object "sofa." S-O-F-A is a word. What is the meaning of sofa? An object that looks like this. This is an idea in the mind.

So we are never referring to the physical object. We are always referring to the idea we have in our mind. And that idea must be illumined by consciousness, because if your consciousness doesn't take cognizance of that object, then that object will not be seen as a thought. It doesn't manifest as a thought. That means that object is completely non-existent.

A Practical Example: The Unconscious State

Here's news, latest news: Sukhatmananda is unconscious since the last two or three days. He has gone to Ramanathapuram, and he is supposed to come. He had a small accident, and since how many days—some say three days, some say two days—it is normal information. This happened only two days back. He is being brought to Manipal Hospital here.

What happens to a man? At any time, you have to be ready. That's why my definition of discrimination is: anything can happen to anybody, at any time, at any place, in any way. We have to be prepared to accept. If you don't accept it, a terrible reaction will come.

We just don't know. A small car was doing something, suddenly some accident happened. The door flew open, he fell down. Then they went and showed to the doctor. Doctor said nothing, "You carry on." Then suddenly this happened. Whether something happened or it is because of something else, we just don't know. But anyway, he is in an unconscious state.

The Teachings: How to Cross Maya

Let us summarize: Who can cross this maya? He is summarizing the whole teaching.

1. Giving Up Attachment (Sangam Tyajati)

"Sangam tyajati"—who gives up attachment. Giving up attachment doesn't mean not showing love, etc. You show as much love as you want. You take care of the object or person as much as you want. Then what is attachment? You depend upon that person. "Without that person, I am nobody." That attachment you give up. Then do anything you want.

Krishna's Example

Krishna is given the greatest example. Why? How many wives did he have? 16,000 plus eight main wives. So all these 16,008 wives—this fellow Narakasura was keeping so many women, he married the whole lot. And Jarasandha was keeping so many fellows.

He went on and on—Sagara-pati, Allopati, Nagarapati, Navapati works? No, Shripati alone will work. Shripati started working. But he is called Ashkalita Brahmachari (unbroken celibate).

So Narada one day thought, "Even marrying one woman is a terrible problem. He has got 16,008. How is he managing?" So he entered into Dvaraka. He saw one house. First house—he constructed a separate house for each wife. In one house, Krishna was deep in meditation. Another house he went to—Krishna was milking the cows. Third house he went—Krishna was playing flute. Fourth house he went—with his wife he was sitting on a palanquin, and then he was playing with his wife. Like that, another house he went—he was deeply blessing all the Brahmanas he had gathered. He went to another house—he was expounding scriptures to devotees.

Like that, in every house he was doing something. That means he who identifies himself with everything cannot have partiality. Attachment means you are stuck only with this object. Non-attachment means you are available for everything. That is the difference.

2. Serving a Great Soul (Yo Mahabhavam Sevate)

"Sangam tyajati, yo mahabhavam sevate"—this is the most, again and again emphasized point. Always we must have either a guru or another great soul, whether he is a sannyasi or householder like Mahatma M (Mahendranath Gupta). One great soul, Mahabhava, he who wholeheartedly serves.

Serving means what? Serving means "tat sukhe sukhi"—nothing, no motivation. "I must get something. I am serving." That is also motivation—serving not for his benefit, but for my benefit, so that I will get his grace, knowledge, bhakti, whatever it is.

3. Becoming Free from Ego (Yo Nirmamo Bhavati)

"Yo nirmamo bhavati"—so what is the difference between sangam and nirmamah? Sangam means ahamkara. Here mamakara. Ahamkara and mamakara.

Mamakara means anything that is added to "I." "I" becomes "my"—my house, my husband, my children, my enemies, my wealth, my anything. What is there?

Like King Janaka of Mithila—"Dagdha Pradakshaya Mithila, dagdha Pradakshaya nahya, na vahya kiñcit Pradakshaya." The burning city of Mithila—nothing belongs to me. It was his palace. That's why he was called Videha Janaka. Videha means he will not even say, "This is my deha (body)." He will not say that one.

Such a person who doesn't have ahamkara, mamakara—at the same time, how did he arrive at that stage? By serving a great soul.

4. Loving Solitude (Yo Vivikta Sthanam Sevate)

Then he gives some other teaching. This is also Shri Ramakrishna's teaching. He tells you: "Yo vivikta sthanam sevate"—he who loves solitude.

What is solitude? Not a place where nobody disturbs you. You take one mobile phone—many lokas are there. Sangeeta loka is there, Gandharva loka is there, Kamini loka is there, Kanchana loka is there, Kala loka is there—every loka is there.

The Siddhis in a Mobile Phone

That is the greatest, most powerful thing. In the 1940s, a computer occupied one whole hall to add 2 plus 2. Now with this, you can talk to anybody, see anybody. Two siddhis are there in the mobile phone:

Dura-darshana (distant seeing)—you can see what is happening somewhere else
Dura-shravana (distant hearing)—you can hear. Somebody is in America, Australia, you can see

This is called dura-darshana and dura-shravana. Both siddhis are there.

The Story of Levitation

Another siddhi—for that you have to do something. It is called Akasha-gamana (traveling through space). I have already given this script.

A TM (Transcendental Meditation) fellow came to one of our towns. "Do we have any siddhis?" He said no. The TM fellows tried to levitate. You know levitation? TM means Transcendental Meditation. That was started by Maharishi Mahesh Yogi (not Rajneesh—Rajneesh is something different). He introduced this meditation, and the whole Western world—we have to acknowledge, God worked through him to introduce for everyone 20 minutes of Vipassana-kind of meditation.

So these fellows came and asked, "Swami, do you levitate?" He said, "What? Since my childhood I have been levitating."

"How many feet? How many feet?"

"30,000 feet!"

"Yes, what do you mean?"

"Yes, whenever I travel in the aeroplane—30, 45, 40,000 feet—I am levitating only, and for 10 hours!"

So Akasha-gamana, dura-shravana, dura-darshana—all these siddhis exist. The only thing, the most important thing everybody is searching for is the siddhi called Laghima. How to become lean? Laghima means how to become as thin as possible.

There is only one solution: there is one convex lens. You stand in front of it, you will be 10 feet high and lean. Even a fat woman—one fat woman went to a doctor. He said, "You have to reduce your obesity. I am prescribing special diet food. Take it. Come and see me after one month."

After one month she went. Now she had doubled in size. "What? Are you not taking the diet food I prescribed?"

"After what difficulty you gave me! Along with my normal food, diet food also I am taking!"

The True Meaning of Solitude

So the third commandment: now and then go into solitude and call upon God more sincerely. What is solitude here? He used the word nirjana. Nirjana means where there are no people, where you don't depend upon anybody. Only in that condition, only God can save me. No person, no object can give me happiness. In fact, that is the truth.

So such a situation is called nirjana. It is not a place. Even if you are at home, if you think that nobody is really going to help you—he was traveling, there were people in the car, driver was there, others were there, he fell down. Now who can save? What is his condition? Who knows? Nobody knows. This is the condition.

5. Uprooting Worldly Bondage (Loka-bandham Unmulayati)

He who uproots the bondage of this world—bondage comes when you have a wrong understanding of the world. That is called loka. If you have right understanding, it is called Ishvara.

Ishvara and maya—either you see maya or you see Ishvara. Either you see the rope or you see the snake. You don't see both at the same time. But when one is seen, the other becomes absent, non-existent.

We give the example: when a person is perceiving a snake, he doesn't really see any rope at all. But when he sees the rope, he doesn't see—complete absence. "Oh, yesterday it was a snake, today it changed its form?" No. What does he think? "Yesterday I mistook it." He doesn't say it had become something else. "I mistook it."

But people also will say the same thing: "I thought this fellow was a bad fellow." Then you observe, "No, really this person is a good person," after seeing some of his actions. "This must be a good person." So that person is not good or bad. We are corrected through our experience.

So "loka-bandham unmulayati"—he uproots the bondage of the world.

6. Going Beyond the Three Gunas (Nistraigunya Bhavati)

"Yogam nishtraya guna bhavati"—so it is he who goes beyond the three gunas. Nistraigunya—why? Every guna is a bondage.

The meaning of guna—one meaning of guna is rope. One meaning is quality. Red quality, sweet quality. The moment it is sweet quality, what does it do? It creates raga (attachment). "I like this because it is sweet."

We are always doing that. Two mangoes—this fellow unripe, this fellow ripe, same variety. That means what? Raga. You are assiduously avoiding buying that unripe fruit.

Then there are two different varieties. Here is Bombay mango, here is Neelam variety mango, and here is an ordinary variety which is not so sweet. Immediately discrimination comes. But that discrimination is landing you in trouble, because you are developing hatred towards—dislike towards—one and like towards the other.

The Nature of the Three Gunas

Sweetness is joy. Joy belongs to sattva guna. Tamo guna—tamo guna fellow doesn't care. Most people go into restaurants where the spice—what is the function of the spice? It covers what is forgotten, what is two days old. It makes it very tasty. Otherwise most of the things you would not even look at a second time, because of masala (spice). Same thing.

Nistraigunya—Shri Ramakrishna's story about the three gunas: Tamo guna binds, rajo guna binds, sattva guna helps to release. It cannot release completely, but it helps us to move in that direction, like a signboard. But it also binds—"jñanena sukhena, sukha-sangena badhnati"—through happiness, by happiness it binds.

Anything that has got sattvika guna is the one which attracts us in any object. The sweetness of a sweet is sattva guna. It can have rajo guna—colorful, green, yellow, all those things—it distracts the mind. What is tamo guna? Full of oil, three days old, it is smelling and it doesn't attract us.

But you think that you are very wise. You stay in a village where sweets are rarely made. Even a three-days-old sweet is also wonderful, because when you don't get anything, yet something is better than nothing.

I saw that with my own eyes. Once I went to a village. One villager gave me a little bit. He called me to his house and he washed my feet. Then he started drying my feet. First he cleaned my feet, then he started cleaning my face with the same towel. He did not know. He washed my feet and also some other parts. First he dried them. He didn't like me trying to make him into something else.

7. Giving Up Yoga and Kshema

"He who gives up yoga and kshema"—very technical words. Yoga means whatever is necessary. Kshema means protection of what has been obtained.

That's why the Bhagavad Gita says, "I carry what a devotee needs if he is unable to take care of himself, because he is busy in taking my name."

What does every mother do? She is doing yoga-kshema for the child, isn't it? If you have to go on a travel, you are thinking, "For 10 days I am going. What things do I need for my child?" First you pack your child's things. Your things will come later, if there is still space.

8. Giving Up the Fruits of Action

"He who gives up the fruits of action"—doing duty is my right, and the fruits, it is God's duty. Whatever He wants to give me is God's duty.

Any activity which is not spiritual, which is not needed for that person to do, immediately he will give up. Ask one question: "Is it necessary to do this? Is it necessary?"

Somebody is having a headache. Is it necessary to think about that fellow? You can help, finish it, come back, forget about it. "Oh, I wish I could..." The fellows who wish they could commit suicide—no one commits suicide if they think twice. There is a rule, a funny rule you have to enjoy.

Two Practical Rules

Bring on two aspects:

First rule: "Shall I go to the toilet or not?" Go! Don't think too much. Go. You won't lose anything, even if nothing comes out.

Second rule: If the time comes for eating—"Shall I eat or not eat?"—if you have that doubt, don't eat. Because a person who is hungry will not think, "Shall I eat or not?"

These are two very good rules. They saved my skin a number of times. See, I get a little nervous going and traveling two, three miles and such. So I am careful. I reach a destination, and it will take one and a half hours for me to go to the house or ashram. Just half an hour back, I went to the toilet. Now, as soon as I get down, the doubt comes: "Shall I go to the toilet or not?"

So I went to the restroom. I went to the toilet, finished in five minutes, came back. On the way, terrible traffic jam. Two hours we could not move. Now you understand the psychology? When there is no traffic jam, three hours you travel nicely. The moment you hear "traffic jam," every five minutes: "Where is it?" Have you noticed it?

So better you finish it. Very practical thing. This is very practical.

So before doing anything, ask: "Is this necessary?" If it is necessary, do it and finish it. Don't think a hundred times: "Shall I do, shall I not do?" This is what I call constipated devotion. "Shall I sit for meditation, shall I not?" Either you sit or you go and do something. Horrible, you know.

9. Freedom from Likes and Dislikes (Tato Nirdvandvo Bhavati)

"Tato nirdvandvo bhavati"—only when we observe these rules, when you give up the fruits of actions (any action you do, but what actions? Only that which you need to do, not otherwise), "tato nirdvandvo bhavati"—he becomes free from duality.

Nirdvandva means becomes free. What is this? From raga-dvesha, likes and dislikes. That is called samsara. Otherwise there is no samsara.

Does it mean I have neither likes nor dislikes? Somebody gives you first-class food—do you enjoy or don't enjoy? If you don't enjoy, you are not realized. You enjoy more than anybody else. Enjoy it more than anybody else. If it is not available, don't even give a thought to it. When it is available, enjoy. But don't expect it again.

The Story of Swami Saradananda

Swami Saradananda was traveling with devotees. They got onto a boat and suddenly a storm arose in the middle. The boat was about to capsize. Just at that time, Sharadananda took up his hookah and started smoking.

The devotee could not tolerate it. "How can you enjoy this smoking when our life is in danger?" He snatched it and threw it in the Ganga.

But nothing happened. The storm had vanished. Then both of them came to the ashram, and this person was asking, "Maharaj, how could you smoke?"

He said, "I thought, 'Anyway, life is going to end. Why not enjoy this?'" What a wonderful thought it is! Why not enjoy?

So who can do that? Only a mahapurusha (great soul). Otherwise, if you're given the best of things and told, "After two minutes you are going to be shot," do you think a person will be able to enjoy it really? Ordinary people will not be able to enjoy it.

The Death of Socrates

When Socrates was dying, he was condemned to be killed by drinking hemlock. He was asking the jailer—the jailer was the administrator who administers it, not the supervisor—he was asking, "How does it work?"

"You drink it, wait for half an hour. Slowly your feet will become numb. Slowly the numbness creeps up the legs, the thighs, and when it reaches the heart, you are dead. Life will go away."

So he applied—he was drinking, lying down. Everybody was weeping. Then slowly he said, "Now my feet have become numb. My legs have become numb. I don't feel anything here. It is coming. Just another minute or two and I will die."

So he called and said, "Look, I just now remembered. I borrowed one chicken from the other fellow, promising to return it. Will you please pay for that? I am not in a position to pay."

"Definitely I will do that, if that is possible."

Then everybody was waiting. He was absolutely as though he was looking forward to something better. They asked him, "How could you remain so calm?"

He replied, "I know that I am going to a better place. This is the most rotten place—rotten society, rotten leaders. I'm going to Devaloka. I know that."

When you know that you are going to Vaikuntha, and somebody says, "Wait for another five minutes," you would say, "No! Otherwise it will be too late!"

The Diabetic Man in Heaven

There was a diabetic man. For three years he suffered. His wife not only would not give him sweets to eat, she would not allow him even to look at sweets in the street. He survived for three years.

Both of them died at the same time and found themselves in heaven. St. Peter himself came to receive them and accommodated them. Everybody gets proper accommodation in some way. Everything is free—every facility, everything is completely free. Utopia!

As soon as the man entered, he was shocked. The whole rack was stocked with thousands of varieties of heavenly sweets.

He said, "What is this? This is Naraka (hell)! I am a diabetic fellow!"

St. Peter said, "No, no, this is heavenly sweets. It will not only not create any sugar problem, your health will improve like anything."

Hearing this, he turned towards his wife and gave one big slap.

She didn't understand. "What for?"

"If not for you, I would have been here 40 years back! You made me suffer for 40 years!"

The Nature of Life's Fluctuations

This is the condition. Sometimes there is happiness, sometimes not. Sometimes there is convenience, sometimes not. Sometimes it is hot, sometimes it is cold. Always this air-conditioned temperature will not be there. Everybody has to suffer. Americans also have to suffer, Canadians also have to suffer. Everyone has to suffer.

But as saints tell us, "Summer will be hot, winter will be cold." Zen Masters, always be happy. All real sadhus will be happy. That's why St. Teresa of Avila used to tell, "A sad nun is a bad nun." Most wonderful saint. "A sad monk is a bad monk."

If he is a good monk, he will be thinking joyfully—who is a good monk? He will be joyfully thinking about God. (I should not add that qualifier "joyful God." That means there's an unjoyful God!) God means Satchidananda—He is always an ocean of bliss. And he who thinks about God, what is he thinking of? Happiness!

This fellow, a very happy fellow, quite a happy fellow, goes to the shrine to meditate, comes back very unhappy. What is he meditating about? Unhappiness! Because whatever you meditate about, that's what you become. That is the truth.

Whatever thought dominates, the effect will come instantaneously. If you are thinking of boring thoughts, you will be the most boring person in this whole world.

What is that other fellow, Obelix, saying? "I am bored of your constant talk about being bored!" He wants something. He opens his mouth: "Bored! Let us go to some place. Will there be big boars there?"

The State of the Liberated Soul

This is called cessation of duality. Doesn't mean he will be like a piece of stone. He will be full of joy.

Shankaracharya, in Vivekachudamani, describing the jivanmukta (liberated soul), says: When the jivanmukta enters into the company of children, he will be like a bala (child), not merely a bala—he will be like a child among the children. When he goes among mad people, he will be the biggest mad person. When he goes among scholars, he will be the biggest scholar. When he goes into the vidvat-goshti (assembly of learned persons), he will be the most learned person.

Whatever be the society, he will be completely merged, because he is identified with everybody. This is Leela. That is called Vidvat-pada (the state of the wise).

Beyond the Vedas

"Your Vedas are not necessary." The person doesn't care for Vedas. Why? Vedas have finished their purpose. Like you take a boat until what time? Until you reach your destination. Afterwards it will be a burden to you. You throw it out.

You go by a car, and you don't take the car into the bedroom. What do you do? Leave it outside for snow, for heat, for everything.

The Jain Master's Wisdom

One Zen master was asked—a very happy man—"What is the cause of your happiness?"

He said, "When it is winter, I say it is winter. When it is summer, I say it is summer."

You understand? What would be winter? What would be summer? Simply he said, "Winter is winter, summer is summer. Why would I think and waste my time thinking, 'Oh, it is damn cold, damn cold'?" Always complaining!

Somebody brings something: "Oh, why did you bring this?" Somebody did not bring: "Why didn't you bring?" Somebody brings: "Why did you bring this?" That's the thing.

The Encyclopedia Britannica Story

One man advertised on eBay: "Encyclopedia Britannica, almost new, very cheap. Reason for sale: recently got married. Wife knows everything!"

The Role of Scriptures After Realization

Your Vedas—Hinduism is the only religion on earth which says: once the Vedic teachings are taken advantage of and you reach the goal, you simply kick them out. They are no more relevant to you. When you have reached the destination, you don't need this thing.

Shri Ramakrishna's Parable of the Letter

Shri Ramakrishna used to illustrate with a beautiful parable:

A man went into a town for some work. He was staying there. He received a letter and he said, "I will come back from work and I will see what the letter is about and I will do what is needed."

He misplaced it. When he came back, he was anxious. For hours and hours he was searching for that letter. Then ultimately he got the letter. Then he opened it.

What was written? "When you come home by weekend, bring a piece of cloth, some sweets, some chocolates, some fruits, some unobtainable vegetables—a few things you bring when you come."

As soon as he got the information, what did he do? Tore up the letter and threw it in the dustbin. For that same letter he was searching for hours.

So how long is that letter needed? So long as you don't know what it contains. How long are maps needed? So long as you don't reach the destination. Once you reach the destination, you simply discard it.

That's why it is said, "Chetraveda aveda bhavanti"—Vedas become avedas, means useless. When you reach the destination that is indicated in the Vedas, after reaching, they become completely useless.

The Parable of the Well

But then there is something else. Ramakrishna also said: The man is very thirsty. He wanted water. So there was no water available, and he dug a well. He went deep. He dug, and he got water. He quenched his thirst.

Then what does he do? All the implements—should he throw them? Most people, because the purpose is fulfilled—you wanted water, you got water—throw them. "What is the use of these implements?"

Some people carefully leave it there. Why? Because some other people may need it.

What was Ramakrishna letting us know? All these Vedas, etc., they are completely useless for you. You already reached the destination. But they will be necessary for other people to attain the same result. When they reach the destination, they will leave it for other people. What a beautiful thing!

Going Beyond Duality (Nirdvandva)

This is called nirdvandva—go beyond duality. Go beyond means what? You should not misunderstand. Go beyond doesn't mean you become like a piece of rock. No.

Go beyond means you experience them, but you don't get affected in the adverse way. But you can get affected in the positive way. I hope you are able to follow my logic.

Somebody brings rasgulla to Shri Ramakrishna. He will enjoy the rasgulla. But he will not fall into the trap: "I want the same thing again." It is available—"I am very happy." Not available—"Happy, very happy."

So he will enjoy everything as what? Prasada. Enjoying God's prasada, not ordinary prasada. It is something to be enjoyed and enjoyed. For him, everything is prasada.

Nagamahasaya and the Sacred Prasada

I will give you a wonderful extension of imagination. Nagamahasaya used to be given prasada on any leaf. Not only would he enjoy the prasada with the greatest reverence, shraddha (faith) and ananda (joy)—he even used to eat the leaf!

Okay. Supposing one day he is given prasada and the food is not good. It tastes bad, it is spoiled, it is rotten. What will he do? He will eat it, because this is offered to God.

What will we do? Not only do we want prasada, we also want the most tasty prasada!

The Story of the Last Laddu

If you are in the Line, I see it often. In Belur Math, you know, on special days they used to give special laddus, jalebi, like that—first come, first served. And then later on, some banana. Here also it happens. Later on, other prasada.

So you are standing in the line, and the last laddu was given just to the fellow in front of you. What would be your reaction towards that fellow? "This fellow! What for did that fellow get it? I would have got it!" Nothing but anger comes.

But Nagamahasaya—whether it is good, bad, fresh or old—prasada is prasada. It belongs to God. There is no freshness or rottenness. Even if poison is given, it is prasada.

Mirabai and the Poison

Who drank this poison? Who drank poison? Mirabai. Her husband's brother-in-law, who did not like her, sent her pure poison.

She knew, "This is poison. This is fine. Whatever I do, I offer it to Krishna." And then what does it become? Amrita (nectar). She drank it happily, thinking, "If Krishna wants me to die, who can save me? And if Krishna wants to save me, who can kill me?"

What happened? It turned into amrita, because it was offered as prasada.

The Garland of Snakes

Then the other incident was that he sent one garland. "This is for you today." Actually, he sent a garland of the most poisonous snakes.

The moment Mirabai took it—she will do nothing unless she offers it first to Krishna—"It is okay." And the moment she opened the box to offer it to Krishna, Krishna resolved it all. What was she seeing? A garland. A first-class garland of flowers. And she put it on after offering to God.

Andal and Her Devotion

You are an Andal. What was she doing? For whose sake was she doing everything? Not for her sake—for the sake of Lord Ranganatha. What a great soul!

This Andal wrote Tiruppavai. Have you heard? Have you heard the explanation of Tiruppavai? Even Pushpa should hear it. It is there on YouTube.

She has written in Margashirsha masa (month) 30 verses. And every year in December-January, Margashirsha masa comes. Great musicians will be singing one verse every day, and then they will be expounding the meaning. I cannot explain what a marvelous meaning is hidden there.

Pushpa's Devotion During Illness

Whatever devotees do—"my whole life, tanu, mana, dhana (body, mind, wealth)—everything is offered to God." Our devotees' tanu and dhana are offered, but not mana. Mana belongs to me. That doesn't belong to God. Patram, pushpam, phalam (leaf, flower, fruit)—these we offer, but not the mind.

There are some fellows who feel deeply about this. For 16 days of Margashirsha, she (Pushpa) used to get up early. Then the last day she got up at 5 o'clock, went to the temple, prayed—Margashirsha offering. And then that evening only she went to the hospital.

The last day I had to somehow—something pushed me, saying that I have to go and complete this Tiruppavai, because what she wanted was she didn't want to miss even one day in the 30 days. She did 16 or 17 days. So I took tulasi and I sang on her behalf. She wanted to do Margashirsha vrata.

I mean, so committed! Every morning she got up at 5 during those 16 or 17 days she was able to do it. So the last day also I did on her behalf, because something pushed me, saying, "I have to go and do this."

Wonderful! It is believed also that unmarried girls will get married if they observe this vrata—Margashirsha Akshaya Vrata.

You know, faith—this is a wonderful thing. At least now, with God's blessing, you can hear it any day, at any time, from YouTube. Download it. Wonderful people are expounding it—great scholars. You do it. During that time, you know, they sing in various ragas, and that is one type of singing. Then there are scholars who expound the meaning.

The Final Attainment: Unbroken Love of God

Anyway, that is nirdvandva-bhava (the state beyond duality). Who crosses?

Then this is the one: everything takes a backstage. Only one thing—"I want unbroken love of my Lord." Love means remembering. Unbroken remembrance of God. Love is wanted, nothing else.

And he will obtain it if he observes all these suggestions.

Liberation and Helping Others

Then at the end: "He alone crosses over. He alone becomes liberated." All these characteristics he fulfills. All these spiritual qualities he fulfills, he develops.

Not only does he cross over, he also helps other people cross over the ocean of maya. How does he do that? Very simple. He does it in the form of inspiration.

I have seen this all the time. You be a good singer, and when people hear you singing, immediately they become fans. What is a fan? Fan means what? Those who desire, "I wish I also could sing like that, act like that, play like that." Everything. That is why they are called fans.

The Joke About Fans

I told you the joke. I was in Mysore, taking Bhakti Sutras. It is my favorite text—any number of times you can hear it, like Tiruppavai.

The room was full of devotees—some 20-25 people. Small room. It was all completely filled. It was hot.

So Arun Maharaj came and said, "Oh, fan is not there."

"Oh, what about fan?" he asked. "What? Only one fan?"

"No! Twelve, 25 fans are there!"

Oh, he laughed! You have to tell it at the appropriate time, in the appropriate occassion. That is the trick.

Closing Prayer