Narada Bhakti Sutras Lecture 57 Summary 06 on 27-June-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.

Summary: The Third Chapter

We are recapitulating what we have studied earlier. We are on the third chapter:

Tasya Sādhanāni Gāyanti Ācāryāḥ

The teachers of Bhakti sing about how to attain love of God.

Why Do They Sing?

Why do they sing? Because if they have to teach, they remember God, think of Nārāyaṇa, and Nārāyaṇa's idea will come. Then instead of teaching, it will become ecstatic, and then they go on singing.

Teaching is different from singing because teaching means drive. Singing means joy. So one example is coming now.

The Example of Swami Vivekananda

Swami Vivekananda was taking classes on Rāja Yoga. He wanted to teach how to meditate. So he would say, "Now let us sit like that. And now focus your mind here." He says this and goes into samādhi. Five, six hours later, he will come out. Who is going to sit five, six hours? That is also not possible.

Why? Because this is not worldly teaching. He himself was a master in that. "Let us sit," and immediately he would go into samādhi. That was what he wanted.

Swamiji's Desire for Samādhi

Śrī Rāmakṛṣṇa asked him once, "What do you want?" And Swamiji knew that whatever he wanted, Śrī Rāmakṛṣṇa would give. He said, "I want to remain always in samādhi. Only once in three or four days, come to this body consciousness so that I can eat something and again go back."

This is like Kumbhakarṇa. Once in six months I will get up, eat food, and again go back into deep samādhi—six months of samādhi.

Śrī Rāmakṛṣṇa scolded him. He said, "You are such a small-minded person. I did not know. You are only selfish; you want only your own happiness. I expect you to be like a huge banyan tree under which thousands of people will take shelter."

And that's what is happening now.

Śrī Rāmakṛṣṇa's Three Sādhanās

Until Narendra became such a huge banyan tree, Śrī Rāmakṛṣṇa's sādhanā had not come to an end. Śrī Rāmakṛṣṇa did sādhanā three times:

1. First with the help of his Guru
2. Second with the help of another Guru
3. Third sādhanā was how to make Swami Vivekananda's mind calm down so that he would love humanity as human beings, not as Brahman, but as human beings

It took four and a half years for him to accomplish that mission. And once that was done, immediately—the moment it was done—Śrī Rāmakṛṣṇa said, "I enter into yourself." After two or three days, Śrī Rāmakṛṣṇa passed away.

The Transfer of Power

Then you know that incident? Two or three days before, one day Śrī Rāmakṛṣṇa touched Narendra and both of them went into deep samādhi. After five or six hours, Śrī Rāmakṛṣṇa slowly came back and he was stroking the body of Narendra. Because of that touch, Narendra came out.

Then he found Śrī Rāmakṛṣṇa shedding tears. "Oh Narendra, today I have given everything that I possess to you. I have become a fakir."

Why was Śrī Rāmakṛṣṇa weeping? Because the time had come for him to take leave. His mission was accomplished. His mission was twofold:

1. First, to re-establish dharma as any avatāra does
2. Second, to train a person who would pass on his realizations to the whole world

For that purpose only he brought him down. And once that mission was accomplished...

Swami Vivekananda's Transformation

Swami Vivekananda stubbornly refused to do anything to do with service. Because Brahma Satyaṃ Jagat Mithyā—the world is mithyā (illusion). Whom are you seeing? A shadow of a person. And what good are you going to do to a shadow?

But you have to see that it is not shadow. It is life. It is not keeping well. It has to be helped. It is not mere bhrānti, not a mirage (marumārīcikā). No.

So he brought his mind down without his losing the reality.

The Problem of Duality

What is our problem? I see you, you see me. Both are like two blind people—one blind person leading another blind person. Many people, you know, one fellow leading many blind fellows. If he falls into the ditch, that's one thing. But if he leads only one or two people, maybe he could be excused. But whole nations, all these fanatics—what are they doing? They are not only leading their own followers; they are leading everybody else astray.

The Day of Complete Union

The day Śrī Rāmakṛṣṇa emptied Narendra's mind and made himself empty, and then Śrī Rāmakṛṣṇa emptied himself into Narendra, he became one with Narendra. From that moment onwards, whatever Narendra does, whose work is that? Śrī Rāmakṛṣṇa's.

That's why Swamiji realized, "I am not that."

Śaraṇāgati: Complete Surrender

In a way, that is also śaraṇāgati. What is śaraṇāgati? We empty ourselves so that God can enter into us. But what do we do? We empty God so that we can fill ourselves with worldly things. So emptiness enters into us instead of fullness.

How to Obtain Bhakti

Giving Up Binding Attachments

It is said, how to obtain bhakti? Give up things which are likely to mislead you, which are likely to bind us. Because there are some things that don't mislead us.

In this world, two types of attitudes are there: rāga (attachment) and dveṣa (aversion).

For the people or objects whom we don't like, there is no need to develop vairāgya. We don't even want to think about them. But for the objects which we love, we think that we cannot do without them. They may think, "We don't want this fellow."

The Triangle of Desire

The world is like a triangle: A is running after B, B is running after C, C is running after A.

Not everyone whom we like also likes us back. If that were the case, there would have been many happy people. What is the tragedy? Sooner or later, whom we love, they hate us. Understand? Not love—hate. In Sanskrit: love (śuci), hate (aśuci).

It's a peculiar world. Everybody is running after somebody, and that somebody is running after somebody else.

The Story of Bhartṛhari

This is the story of Bhartṛhari. Do you know that Bhartṛhari story? Bhartṛhari was a great king. He wrote three wonderful books:

1. Nīti Śataka
2. Śṛṅgāra Śataka (romantic love)
3. Vairāgya Śataka

That book, Vairāgya Śataka, is so wonderful. Swami Madhavananda translated it into English, and that is published. It is full of vairāgya. Swamiji quotes from it many times.

"Yoge bhoge roga-bhayam, phale cyuti-bhayam"

If you enjoy something, there is always the fear of disease (roga-bhaya). If you belong to high status, you may fall down. Like that—"Sarvam bhaya-nipītam, vairāgyam eva abhayam"—only dispassion brings fearlessness.

Natural Detachment

I don't want this thing, so you have no fear of losing it. I don't want name and fame, so you have no fear of losing them.

Somebody brings very bitter chutney. Already we don't want anything bitter, you know. So as soon as we hear "this is a bitter chutney," natural vairāgya, sahaja vairāgya, will come. If somebody threatens, "We will take this away from you," I say, "Okay, taxi fare will be on me."

But the things which we think we cannot live without—that is where tremendous willpower is needed.

The Method of Detachment

What is the way? You can't be there and not think about it. Therefore, what is the way? Run away from them for the time being.

Even if you run away to the Himalayas, if these objects are available after fifty years, the same old attachment will come. Tears will come. "After fifty years, I am eating my beloved idli!" Security question in banks: "What is your favorite food?" "Idli." That's all.

Once upon a time, I used to say, "If I get idli, I don't want anything else." We are all attached to something like that.

Memory and Taste

When you are not in contact with an object of temptation—and every object is not a matter of temptation. Every man is not after every woman. Every woman also is not after every man. Only particular persons, we get hooked.

Even if five hundred years pass without that object, slowly the memory of that object fades away. But the taste lingers (rasa-varjaṃ). The moment it comes, it's like frogs coming to life as soon as spring comes.

The Arctic Frog Analogy

In Arctic regions, it is so cold. Only for three weeks there will be spring. Within those three weeks, the plants will grow, give flowers, multiply, produce seeds, and die. Those seeds will remain. The next spring comes, they grow. You can measure them hour by hour because within twenty-one days, they have to finish everything.

There are some frogs in that area—saṃsāra frogs. If you look at them, they are like rocks, white rocks, completely frozen. As soon as spring comes, within a few hours, all thaw out, and the frog comes to life, shouting, "I am alive here!"—male for female, female for male. They come, mate, lay eggs. Within three weeks, again slowly winter will come, and then they are frozen again.

Like that, this saṃsāra is hidden like that frog; it becomes frozen. The moment there is sight of the object, immediately it springs to life. That is why rasa-varjaṃ—only that taste lingers.

God Realization and Freedom from Desire

When God is realized, sexual attachment will fall down. Why? God is ānanda-svarūpa (embodiment of bliss). What is God realization? Not seeing God. Seeing God is not God realization. Becoming one with God is God realization.

Otherwise, you know, how is it? I give odd comparisons. Suppose you love idli, and first-class idli is there in a glass case, firmly locked, secure locks are given. The owner goes there and says, "First-class idli!" I am there to see it. But what is the point? I can't access it.

This rasa-varjaṃ is like that. It will be there. But the moment you open it and access it, then you become ānanda-svarūpa. You become existence, you become awareness, and you become ānanda.

So you don't get ānanda; you become ānanda. Because that is your svarūpa. And no object can lose its svarūpa.

Dealing with Attachments: Two Levels

That is why in the beginning, analyze and find out which objects are there that are distracting me from my goal. That is called viṣaya-tyāga (renunciation of sense objects).

Thereafter, saṅga-tyāga (renunciation of the company of tempting objects). That enjoyment of that pleasure, that desire—rasa-varjaṃ—that has to be removed. How? Otherwise, it will be reinforced in the company of objects.

So you understand now, I am talking about two things:

1. Here is an object
2. Here is the happiness which is obtained through that object

Both have to be removed. The viṣaya (object) is very gross, but the happiness is very, very subtle. You can't deal with it directly. First deal with the object. Be away from it. Try to forget it. And then, later on, as you progress, that joy which comes from the object becomes less and less, because we are getting more joy in something else.

The Path of Constant Remembrance

That is the way to obtain bhakti: avyāvṛtta bhajana—constant remembrance of God, singing of God, remembering God, meditating upon God, associating every object with God. This is called Karma Yoga. This is called Brahma-karma-samādhi.

What is Brahma-Karma-Samādhi?

What is Karma Samādhi? Every action that we do, whatever we do, it is associated with God. That is called Karma Samādhi. Here God is called Brahma. When we succeed in it, it is called samādhi.

What samādhi? Not nirvikalpa samādhi. Why? In nirvikalpa samādhi, body consciousness is not there. In Brahma-karma-samādhi, we are completely aware, but yet we are seeing God in everything. That is called samādhi—not unconsciousness. Remembering God is called samādhi. Otherwise, sleep also could be called samādhi. We don't remember anything in sleep—not only God, not the world also.

The Verse from Bhagavad Gītā

Where does this come? Every day we are doing it, supposed to do it, and yet we forget it because we do not start properly. This is at the end. What is that śloka?

"Brahmārpaṇaṃ brahma haviḥ

Brahmāgnau brahmaṇā hutam

Brahmaiva tena gantavyaṃ

Brahma-karma-samādhinā"

What is it? The person who eats is Brahma. The eatable is also Brahma. And the instrument with which the eatable is offered, that is also Brahma. Here it refers to homa (fire sacrifice). The fire is Brahma. And what is offered into it is also Brahma. The instrument through which we offer it is also Brahma—arpaṇam (offering). Brahma haviḥ (the oblation is Brahma). Brahmāgnau (in the fire which is Brahma). Brahmaṇā (by Brahma). Who gives it, who offers it, is also Brahma. Everything is Brahma.

If we go on practicing it, then it will result in the end. What is the result? Brahma-karma-samādhi.

Difference Between Samādhis

What is nirvikalpa samādhi? A person is totally unconscious of the outside world.

What is Brahma-karma-samādhi? Completely aware. But don't mistake nirvikalpa samādhi. In nirvikalpa samādhi also, for other people it appears as unconsciousness. But for that person, he is completely, one hundred percent, merged with That.

The Three Meanings of Bhajana

Avyāvṛtta bhajana—this word bhaja we have already discussed, has three meanings:

1. Bhakti (devotion)
2. Bhāga (jñāna/knowledge)
3. Bhajana (sevā/service)

All the meanings are there.

"Bhaktir bhāgaś ca bhajanaṃ bhāva-bhedakārī gacchanty alaṃ su-vipulaṃ gamanāya tattvam"

Avyāvṛtta—it should not be even a single second when we should forget about it. That means what? Remember God. Depend upon God. Surrender yourself to God. Think of nothing else except God. If we can do that, then we will be only in God.

The Rasgulla Analogy

Like a rasgullā floating in rasa (syrup). Inside? Rasa. Outside? Rasa.

That is what Śrī Rāmakṛṣṇa has given as an example. Rasa means floating. An iceberg is floating in the ocean, and the ocean is water. That iceberg is made up of water. It is water. It is floating in water. But he gave this example: a sweet floating in sugary syrup. That is God.

Constant Remembrance in All Activities

Avyāvṛtta—whatever we are doing, we must be able to remember only God. How much time are you able to think about God? How much time are you able to speak? Twenty-four hours you can't speak. There is a lot of combustion, a lot of activities going on. Even for eating, even for survival, there needs to be eating, a little bit of drinking, a little bit of exercise, and a little bit of other things. For the maintenance of the body, it is very necessary.

We cannot avoid activity. So long as prāṇa is there, we have to go through it. But that doesn't mean you forget God.

The Beautiful Kannada Song

You see, there's a beautiful song in Kannada from Kurukṣetra:

"Kṛṣṇana nena dhare, kaṣṭa ōṃyēśe lā

Bhāraya oruvaga Kṛṣṇa yena bharathe

Kṛṣṇa yena bharathe"

It's a beautiful song. Whatever you are doing, there is one stotra: "Govinda Dāmodara Mādhaveti."

The Gopīs' Morning Ritual

The gopīs are going early in the morning. They get up, and what is the first job they do early morning? They churn the butter. So, he says, how do the gopīkās churn? Because whatever they see, it's associated with the three words: Govinda, Dāmodara, Mādhaveti. They go on doing it like that.

Draupadī's Prayer

Then Draupadī. When Duḥśāsana was trying to undress her, what was she doing? "Govinda, Dāmodara, Mādhaveti." Beautiful song.

"Govinda Dāmodara

Agrē Kurūṇām adha Pāṇḍavānām"

Like that. So many examples of this. And it ends: "Govinda, Dāmodara, Mādhaveti."

These are wonderful bhajans. Associate everything with God.

The Fast Track to Spiritual Progress

We give up the company of tempting objects. In fact, Swamiji goes the other way around. It is even more beautiful.

If you want to progress in spiritual life very fast, go and cultivate the company of people who hate you, who criticize you, who will give you the greatest troubles. Live with them. That is the shortcut, what you call the fast track of progress in spiritual life.

Thousand Island Park Teachings

At Thousand Island Park, he did wonderful things. He gave the highest teachings. That's why they are called Inspired Talks, first of all. Secondly, he gave sannyāsa to one lady there. That is an exceptional case—a Hindu monk giving sannyāsa to an American woman in those days. That was the second great thing.

Then spontaneously, the greatest stotra—he sang the Saṃnyāsa Gītā. And then, of course, Inspired Talks.

Therein he says, if you want to progress in spiritual life, don't live in a place where everybody adores you, loves you. This is the greatest bondage. It is called a golden shackle. Live in a place where there are huge spikes. You have to walk on the spikes. So you have to protect yourself. How do you protect yourself? The more people give you trouble, the more you progress in spirituality.

Kuntī's Prayer

To illustrate that, we always quote Kuntī's stotra in the Bhāgavata:

"Kṛṣṇa bhagavan āpadaḥ sananās tāḥ śaśvat

Tatra tatra"

Only then we remember God. Otherwise, sukha (happiness) makes us forget God. Duḥkha (sorrow) makes us remember God.

Mīrābāī's Letter to Tulsīdāsa

When Mīrābāī was being troubled by her husband Bhojrāja, she wrote a letter to Tulsīdāsa: "What shall I do? I am married and I can't leave my husband. It is against all dharma. At the same time, he and others are giving me terrible troubles. I don't have peace of mind. I can't think of my Lord Kṛṣṇa uninterruptedly. What shall I do?"

He immediately writes back in the form of a beautiful bhajan.

The Meaning of Vaidehī

Sītā is called Vaidehī. Why was she called Vaidehī? She is the daughter of Videha Janaka. That's why Videha's daughter is called Vaidehī.

Videha means what? Not that he was dead. Actually, we are all videhas only. I will tell you how.

We are videhas under two circumstances:

1. During sleep we don't have body consciousness. That's why whatever happens, it doesn't trouble us.
2. While we are awake, we are all videhas so far as others are concerned. I am not identified with you. Therefore, you have a headache, I don't have a headache. You are worrying, I don't worry. You have jaundice, I don't have jaundice. Why? Because we are not identified.

But with our own body, we are one thousand percent identified. This is the trouble.

In Janaka, he was alive but he used to say, "I am not the body." That's why he was called Videha Janaka, and his daughter was Sītā. That's why she was called Vaidehī.

Tulsīdāsa's Advice

Those people for whom Rāma and Sītā are not dear, that means they are baddha-śatru (sworn enemies) of God. So one should give them up—chaḍiye (abandon them). How? Koṭi-vairi-sama—like a million greatest enemies, arch enemies.

Even if they love you to death, what does that mean? Suppose some bhakta wants to love God. His parents love him. His brothers love him. His sisters love him. His wife or husband love each other. They love, but they are not devotees. They don't love God.

They may be loving you. You are the greatest object of love for them. Even then, give them up—koṭi-vairi-sama—because they lack one thing. What is it? Love of God.

Bali and Śukrācārya

And then he mentions Bali, who gave up his spiritual teacher, Śukrācārya. Because Śukrācārya advised him, "This is Viṣṇu who has come to cheat you. Don't give anything."

Rabindranath Tagore's Poem

Rabindranath Tagore is one of the greatest poets. Almost divine songs, even though he was not a very good person by himself. But his poetry has come from God only.

In Gītāñjali, there is one poem, a long poem. I'll give the gist:

There was a beggar, and every day he used to go and beg, get something, and lead his life. So one day, early morning he started with his bag. He had already gone to some houses and gotten some grain from people.

Suddenly what did he find? A golden chariot belonging to the king of that country was coming slowly towards him in that same street.

So the beggar thought, "Today, how fortunate I am! In my whole life, this is the most fortunate day. The king himself is coming. Definitely he will notice my condition and he will give me charity."

With a heart filled with tremendous joy, an elated heart, he started walking quickly towards the king. The chariot was slowly coming. Suddenly it stopped a little distance from him. The king got down, looking at him steadfastly with greatest love. He was advancing towards him.

The beggar said, "Oh my soul, today God bless you. Today he will make you very rich."

And what did the king do? He came before him, stood, and said, "What are you going to give me?"

His heart sank. "What can I do? The king himself is begging from me! Instead of giving me, he wants to take away."

So he put his hand into his bag, and the smallest grain he could find, he picked it up and gingerly placed it in his hand. Looking at him, the king accepted it, went back into his chariot, and drove off.

His heart sank in despair. Then he returned home and emptied his bag. What did he see? The smallest grain had become a golden grain!

He started weeping, embracing it: "Oh you idiot! Why did you not empty your whole bag into his hand?"

The Application to Spiritual Life

If Śukrācārya was wise, if he was supposed to be a guru, he should have advised Bali: "What good fortune! In this whole world we don't hear another story where God himself comes and begs, 'I want a boon from you. Give it.'"

Whatever He asks for, you give. What do you think God will ask? He will not ask, "Give me a little bit of hair, a little bit of nail." He will not ask that. He asked, "I want you, the whole of you. I don't want anything less than you."

"And you are like a drop, and I am like an ocean. I will put you inside."

That is what Śukrācārya did not understand. But Bali understood. After all, he was the grandson of Prahlāda. Prahlāda was the greatest devotee. He will understand better.

So he simply disregarded his guru and said, "What can I do for you? Give me this opportunity. I am not going to refuse you. This is my greatest sevā for you."

"Only give three feet." What is three feet? Sthūla-śarīra (gross body), sūkṣma-śarīra (subtle body), and kāraṇa-śarīra (causal body). "And you will become mine forever."

That's why we say, anybody—even if God has to beg, has to look up—He will give you everything. Do you understand? This is the greatest of scriptures. You will not get this kind of thing.

Comparing Mythologies

All this Greek mythology—father killing son, son killing father, this fellow running after that woman, that woman running after that fellow, father cursing the son, son trying to kill the father—these are the Greek mythologies.

Whereas every story in our Purāṇas gives us the greatest moral lessons.

The Gopīs' Example

Vraja-vanitā gurut kaṇṭa vraja vanitā vrajas vanitā

Who are vraja-vanitā? Gopīkās. Vraja-bhūmi, it is called. Vṛndāvana is called Vraja-bhūmi.

And there are these vanitās (in Avadhī language, Ayodhyā language). Vraja-vanitā, when Śrī Kṛṣṇa's flute sounded, all the gopīs wanted to rush. Some of them were held back. They simply pushed their husbands, their parents, their brothers and sisters, their children—everything—and ran.

These are the examples Gosvāmī is giving.

Vibhīṣaṇa's Example

Vibhīṣaṇa gave up his eldest brother who was like a father—Rāvaṇa, his own brother. When the war broke out between Rāma and Rāvaṇa, Vibhīṣaṇa should have been with Rāvaṇa because he was his younger brother supporting him.

But no. "You gave up God, and therefore I will give you up even though I revere you." Simply he came over to Rāma's camp and joined him.

Like that, Gosvāmī gives these beautiful examples. These are such wonderful teachings. You meditate upon these stories, you will go into ecstasy and connect to all those things.

The Central Teaching: Always Remember God

What is being taught? You should always remember God under every circumstance.

A Funny Incident with Holy Mother

One funny incident: Holy Mother was at some place earlier, not Udbodhan. Every night one beggar used to come: "Oh, I am a blind fellow, I am a useless fellow, I am an unfortunate fellow, please take pity upon me, give me a little bhikṣā." Like that he would shout.

So one day Golap Mā went there and said, "Hey, you fellow, anyway you are a beggar. Instead of saying that, you take God's name so that you repeat God's name. You also make other people listen to God's name, and many people will give you bhikṣā."

That fellow took the advice. From next night onwards, he started singing God's name in a melodious voice. As soon as he comes, many people hearing God's name started bringing and giving. Previously perhaps they didn't give anything. Now they started. Golap Mā was the first person. From that day his life changed.

What is the point of saying, "I am a blind fellow, useless fellow"? Sing God's name: "Govinda Dāmodara Mādhaveti."

Practical Application

You are walking. You go to fetch water. What are you talking? All sorts of gossip. That is why I say it's like a barbershop. Every day if you go to a barbershop: "If only President Trump had asked my advice, I would have solved all the problems of the world." So today this fellow is solving the world's problems. Tomorrow: "Narendra Modi, only if he had asked my advice..."

Like that they go on advising in the barbershop. We are all great people in giving advice.

We are wasting our thought energy in so many things. Think! Associate with God! That is called Brahma-yajña. Brahmārpaṇam is the greatest yajña of all the yajñas.

The Twelve Yajñas

In the fourth chapter of the Bhagavad Gītā, there are about twelve types of yajñas enumerated. This Brahmārpaṇam is the greatest.

That is why before eating food—because that is the time when we are likely to forget God. Nice pakora, bhajī... "Hey God, you wait until I finish this pakora!"

Good food makes us forget everything.

The Secret of Pleasure

What is the secret of pleasure? That object which makes us forget our body—that is the measure of the greatest pleasure. The more we forget the body, the greater the pleasure. The longer we forget the body, the longer is the pleasure.

That's why nidrā (sleep) is compared to samādhi: nidrā-samādhi-sthiti. Because for five or six hours, let the whole world go to dogs—we are blissfully unaware of it.

Every day, God puts every creature into that samādhi state for five or six hours minimum. Every healthy person, unhealthy person—five or six hours. Next morning, the fellow may be hanged, but tonight if he can sleep five or six hours, he forgets the whole world. This is the greatest gift.

The Measure of Pleasure

What is the measure of pleasure? The object which makes us forget—to the extent it makes us forget time, space, and causation—that is the greatest object of pleasure.

There are some things which make us forget more. Of these, two are most prominent:

1. Food
2. Sex

That is why we speak of controlling the tongue. Of these, which is the greatest? The tongue.

Because sexual pleasure is only for a short time. But eating pleasure—from morning to evening, from birth to death—the moment the fellow is born, he is opening his mouth: "Food, food, food!" And when he is about to die: "What is your last wish?" "I want to eat this."

The Last Meal of Condemned Criminals

There are also choices. You have two choices. Next morning you are going to be hanged. Anyway you are going to die.

The wonder of it is some hardened criminals are there. They are not frightened of death. They are not frightened. How do we know? Because they order. They know they are going to die. So they order the best thing that they like—pizza, Kentucky Fried Chicken, KFC, and all those things. They eat happily, drink happily, go to bed without thinking anything.

Somehow I have got great admiration for them. Because if I come to hear that after ten years I am going to die, I will not have another sleep for ten years more. This fellow is told, "Next morning you are going to be hanged," and he happily ate and slept. Somehow they become immune to this fear.

Some people don't have any fear. They are born like that, even girls. That's why they call it testosterone—more testosterone. The most daring sports: bungee jumping.

Thrill-Seeking Activities

You know bungee jump? They go to the mountain top. The mountain is not huge, maybe two thousand, three thousand feet. From there they tie one rope, and you have to jump from there. The rope is measured so that just five or six feet before you reach and dash yourself, it will stop you. It won't kill you. That thrill they get.

And in America, some rides are there. They call them thrill rides. The train goes upside down like that. Have you not seen pictures like that?

A Personal Experience at Disneyland

Once I had that ride. I didn't want to go. It's written clearly: "Those who are suffering from heart problems should not go there." I didn't have any heart problem, but my heart was beating.

One small girl was there. The other day she came—a woman with her child. She was five or six years old. She caught hold of my hand: "I want to go. I will not go without you."

So I had no option. They were paying my plane fare and all those things to Disneyland. So my hand... you have to pay twenty-one dollars or something per person. Whatever is inside, that is your choice.

This thing starts slowly, goes almost vertically, then it turns like that, turns like that, turns like that. You have to hang upside down like a bat. Very good protection is there. You have to hang upside down.

Really it is thrilling. And then it goes to the highest point, about five hundred feet or like that. Suddenly it comes down. It's a boat-like thing. It falls into the water.

This girl was sitting by my side. So I was telling her, "Don't close your eyes."

"No, no, no. I am very brave," she told me.

So it just takes a few seconds. It doesn't take long. It plunges. Very safe. They ensure all those things. And then it stops, and you sit there enjoying that thrill. Then you get out.

American Commercialization

Americans want to squeeze every penny from you. The moment you come there, everybody who is sitting there—their photograph is taken automatically, and on huge monitors they are displaying the photographs: "Buy these photos! Five dollars each." Everywhere they want to squeeze money in a hundred different ways.

So then we saw myself and the girl. Completely... she said, "Look, you said you are brave. Here is proof—you closed your eyes!"

"No, Mama, only for a second I have closed them!"

The Most Important Sutra

So what am I talking about? But here he says something very important, most important. How can I become devoted? Every day we are doing it. What comes after that?

"Dehi pade anurāgaṃ Śrī Hari"

I beg you. I beseech you. I pray to you. Please grant me love to your lotus feet. Pāda means the feet. Pāda becomes pade. That means bhakti.

"Anurāga Śrī Hari"—love for Śrī Hari.

Dehi pade anurāgam—grant me the divine love to your feet. Divine love, only divine love. Not human love, not chicken love! Love towards chicken will give you what kind of love? Chicken love!

God can only give divine love. What is divine love? It will never come to an end.

Who Can Grant It?

But who can grant it? I can't get it by myself. He has to give it to me. He is Amṛta-svarūpa (embodiment of immortality). He is Prema-svarūpa (embodiment of love). So if He gives one drop, then our life becomes completely sārthaka (meaningful), kṛtārtha (fulfilled). That's what it is.

The most important verse in this whole Nārada Bhakti Sūtra: What is the way to obtain bhakti?

Mahat-kṛpā—the grace of saints.

The Oneness of God and Saints

Because "Tasmin tajjane bheda-abhāvāt"—in God and His devotees, there is no difference at all.

If the devotee says something, it is as if God is speaking. Because they have nothing called "me." That is totally submerged in God. So what works through them is nothing else but God only.

If they say, "You will obtain devotion," then it will be fulfilled.

Mahāpuruṣa Mahārāja's Blessing

Mahāpuruṣa Mahārāja, when seekers would come: "Mahārāja, please bless me."

"What else have I got? You have nothing else excepting blessings only. My child, I am blessing you. May Śrī Rāmakṛṣṇa bestow His grace upon you." That's it.

Holy Mother's Promise

Holy Mother used to say, "To whomsoever I have taken responsibility by giving initiation, this is their last birth."

Left to themselves, to their own fate, they are not going to get liberation in another five hundred crore lives also. But they are so fortunate to come into contact with Holy Mother, called her "Mā," and that's it. She immediately initiates them and gives liberation.

She is also a wise woman. She gives liberation. She thinks, "This fellow, if I don't give liberation, I will be in trouble. Let me give liberation—one problem permanently solved."

But most of us are like that. We don't care. By hook or by crook, let us get liberation.

Dying in Vārāṇasī

Or what is the other way? Go to Vārāṇasī and die there. Ṭhākur confirmed it. Mother confirmed it. Ṭhākur confirmed it by his vision: Śiva grants liberation to all the jīvas that die there.

Holy Mother on Ants in Vārāṇasī

Once some devotee was talking with Holy Mother. Mother was in Vārāṇasī. Some ants were crawling.

"What about, Mother, these ants?"

"Yes, they will also get liberation by dying there. Because what puṇya (merit) they must have done to be born as ants in Vārāṇasī! They could have been born in Bangalore. But they must have done some great tapasyā to be born in Vārāṇasī."

Fact Versus Belief

Fact has nothing to do with belief. Belief is not related to fact. It may be related; it may not be related.

Some people say God exists. Some people say God doesn't exist. What has that got to do with the existence of God or not? If God is existent, it is a fact. Whether you accept it or not, isn't it?

So if it is a fact that going to die there gives you liberation, if it is a fact, it is a fact.

God doesn't say, "This Muslim is not my child. This ant is not my child." He will say, "All are my children." My children means what? Myself. He is only manifesting.

The Clay and Pot Analogy

Clay says, "I don't like this pot. I want to get away from this pot." Let it try to get away. A pot is made out of clay. Can the clay ever get out of the pot? It is nothing else but clay.

So the whole universe is nothing but Brahman. That is called sṛṣṭi (creation).

Creation is not one or two things mixed together. In the world, everything is the outcome of two. Always. A child is born out of two parents. The child is different. Parents are different.

But not with God. Like fire and its burning power. Like sun and its lighting power. Like milk and its whiteness. Some things you can't separate them. Like that, everybody is nothing but God.

The Two Conditions for Liberation in Vārāṇasī

This is a sure cure. But two conditions must be fulfilled:

1. One must have complete faith in Him
2. One must try to go there and live

The Story of the Old Devotee

A beautiful incident was there. M was quoting it in Śrīmad Darśana. There was an old man he knew who was in Calcutta. In those days most people had this faith.

This old man was a devotee of Ṭhākur, and he was very loving to his grandchildren. He had a small girl, his granddaughter. He loved her very much. But he decided, "I will go to Vārāṇasī and I will die there." So he bought one house. He was living there.

Here this girl grew up. Her marriage was fixed. And she was adamant: "Unless my grandpa comes, I will not marry."

So she went on writing letters. He said, "I love you very much. I pray for you. But I will not move from here. Because who knows? I might die on the way. So I bless you. Have your marriage, then come here. I will be too happy to see all of you."

He did not budge. "How can there be a marriage without me?" Previously they were all okay. Now it is not okay. If they want me to come, they absolutely must come here.

So it happens. You have to have determination, and you have to live there.

The Swami Who Went to Lucknow

And also it so happened. One of our Swamis was living there in his old age. Once he had to come for some treatment to Lucknow. Everything became alright. Next morning he had to go back. The previous night he died.

But don't think it is Śiva's fault. That means unconsciously he had some desire. He had a desire. So it is all related. If Śiva really knew, "This person doesn't want to leave. He has devotion, but he also has got some desires to be fulfilled," then that is taken care of.

Like that.

The Supremacy of Grace

A great devotee, if he blesses that one will attain God, immediately one will attain God. Or this much: the grace of God. Either grace of great people or grace of God—both will work.

That is the main thing I say: Forget about your sādhanā. Your sādhanā is nothing.

The Story of St. Peter and the Rotten Cucumber

You know what sādhanā is? One day, one Christian fellow died. His soul rose to heaven. The gates were all closed. A password should be there. He didn't have a password. So he knocked at the window.

St. Gabriel, the main man there, the manager, peeped outside.

"What the hell do you want?" Instead of asking, "Which hell do you want?" he asked, "What the hell do you want?"

He said, "I want to enter into heaven."

"Have you done any good deed to deserve entry?"

He said, "Yes. Once a beggar woman was starving. I gave her one rotten cucumber."

St. Gabriel turned: "Hey Michael, bring two rotten cucumbers." Compound interest! "Give it. Get the hell out of here." Kicked him out.

The Point of Deserving

What is the point? We have to deserve. We have to have that desire: "If I want really to attain bhakti, do you think I will behave like a worldly person? And then I will also cherish the desire for mukti?"

The word mumukṣu means what? The desire to be free. If I want to be free, will I be clinging to my money, to my possessions, to everything?

People don't understand. "Oh, I have got great desire." But the moment vyavahāra (worldly dealings) comes, then they are the worst misers in the whole world.

Śrī Rāmakṛṣṇa's Ridicule of False Detachment

Of such people, Śrī Rāmakṛṣṇa used to ridicule: "Oh, every day I say, 'I am such a good man. I don't have any ahaṅkāra (ego). I don't have any mamakāra (mine-ness). All my income I give it to my wife.'"

So one day a beggar comes: "Sir, I am on the verge of death. Please give me one rupee."

He says, "My good man, I am completely detached from the world. I gave all the authority to my wife only. I will see whether she will give or not."

So he will go and say, "Shall we give to this poor man who has come? He wants one rupee. Should we give at least four ānās (quarter rupee)?" He asked one rupee, but this fellow is recommending to his wife only four ānās.

That lady's eyes had become big, big, big. Keys, bunch of keys hanging and making noise. "Oh, a great man has come. And the money is raining down from heaven." She takes out two paisā: "Either he takes it or he gets out." Like that she throws it.

And the husband comes: "Poor man, I tried. My wife is not willing to give. This is the only amount she granted me."

And that fellow is very proud: "I am such a spiritual person. I am totally detached."

Understanding the Symbolism

What detachment? Do you understand the purport of the story? If he is really detached, he should not be under the control of his wife, isn't it?

If you give like that, "I will leave you. Right now you leave. I don't care for you." He should have told her that. When he is ready to leave the whole world, his body, what is this wife? But he will not do it. He is terribly frightened. He says, "I am completely detached, unattached."

Unattached what? Your wife will not allow you to be attached—is that called detachment?

Read the Gospel of Śrī Rāmakṛṣṇa in the proper light. Then you will understand the inner symbolism of it.

Swami Bhūteśānanda's Commentary

Our Swami Bhūteśānanda Mahārāj has given wonderful lectures on this Gospel of Śrī Rāmakṛṣṇa. And it has come in book form. I forget the English title. Śrī Śrī Rāmakṛṣṇa Kathā Prasaṅge—five or six volumes have come. Not big ones. So it is like three volumes now.

They are commentary upon the Gospel of Śrī Rāmakṛṣṇa. Beautiful commentary.

Attending Swami Bhūteśānanda's Classes

We were the first batch to attend his talks. Mahārāja was in Rājkoṭ. He was elected as a trustee. Then he was brought to Belur Math as assistant secretary. He was a vastly learned person.

We were in the training center in my first year. There was a small room, a hall right there. There, for the first time, I think—so far as I know—for the first time, regular classes were arranged by Swami Bhūteśānanda.

All the training center brahmacārīs, about thirty to forty people, and then a few devotees—by word of mouth it spread: "Here is the greatest class going on." And the people who came, they brought their friends. And those friends brought their friends. Very soon that hall was not sufficient.

This was in 1966. Then this cassette recorder—one man had that. He brought it and started recording. Every class he would come, sit near Mahārāja, sit there and record.

Like that for several years. Two years I was there. After that I was posted to Cherrapunji. All the classes for five years. In total, six years.

The Content of the Classes

Mahārāja's exposition of the Gospel: "Here is what Śrī Rāmakṛṣṇa says. Here is what the Vedas tell, what the Upaniṣads tell. And here is how we have to apply it in our day-to-day life."

This reconciliation between the Vedas, Śrī Rāmakṛṣṇa's teachings, and our day-to-day practical life—seamlessly they harmonize themselves. This is how Mahārāja used to just lift up our hearts.

We had special classes, Upaniṣad classes with him. And he used to recollect a lot of reminiscences. I wish I could have noted them. Unfortunately, I didn't. Only a few things I remember like that.

The Nature of Great Association

A great association which lifts up your mind. Their mind is totally unbothered. You can see that. They will not talk rubbish.

But he was also at the same time very, very humorous. Extraordinarily humorous. He would make everybody laugh.

His attendant collected and published a book: Rasāla Rasa-bhara—The Humor of Swami Bhūteśānanda.

A Humorous Incident

So I will tell you one such story and then stop here.

His name is Swami Bhūteśānanda. Bhūta (one who has been, past participle). And then he became president. He initiated a lot of people.

One day an old lady came. She was embarrassed. Mahārāja smiled. He asked her, "What brings you here?"

The old lady said, "I have my daughter. I brought my daughter. I want her to be initiated."

Mahārāja asked her, "First, you yourself—are you initiated or not?"

She said, "Yes, yes. Many years back, fifteen to twenty years back, I was initiated."

"Do you remember your Guru's name?"

She said... (in Bengali, you know). So Mahārāja immediately understood.

"Do you remember his face?"

She looked at him for a few minutes and said, "Yes, you are my Guru!"

Everybody was laughing. Because he only had initiated her! He initiated one lakh or two lakhs of people. How will he remember? Even I don't remember so many people.

Like that, so many incidents.

More Reminiscences

Relief Work in Villages

One incident I remember: In the class he mentioned he was sent as a brahmacārī for relief work. His job was to go from village to village, find out who are the poor people. Indians tell a lot of lies to get something. Even rich people also tell lies.

"How many family members?" Accordingly, they will issue rations. "This family should get five measures of rice, etc. This is a small family, only three people. Okay, they will get only three measures." Like that.

He wanted to go inside one house. The ladies said, "No, no, no, don't go inside. We keep all our clothes, everything inside." Like that.

So he simply pushed them aside and went. He saw huge mud pots filled with rice and other things. He was very angry.

They said, "You entered into our inner house. What kind of sādhu are you? There is nothing there."

Like that he understood: These people have plenty. They don't need to be given. But there are people who don't have anything. They should be given.

Like that, so many reminiscences, old-time reminiscences.

Life at Belur Math: Food and Meals

Breakfast Time

Six-thirty, breakfast time. What is the breakfast? There is muṛi (puffed rice). One bottle of muṛi, and that's it. And tea, which would be exactly like the Gaṅgā, the color—that yellowish color. The taste also would be like that only.

You know, many more people come, so they pour hot water in the same concoction. First it would be very nice. Then it will get diluted as more people come. You can have any number of cups of tea. Doesn't matter. The Gaṅgā is nearby. Tea-water, like that.

If a person is late by one minute, his share is gone to somebody else. "Hey, that fellow has not come. It will go to waste." So everybody is eager. As soon as the bell rings... Otherwise, they have to wait until twelve-thirty or twelve o'clock for food.

The Quality of Food

Food was very, very poor. Even in our days, food was not plenty. But occasionally, devotees used to give.

That day we were issued these huge enamel plates. We had to wash them. We had to carry them. Every time at food time, we had to carry them. Now, thick stainless steel plates—I can't lift one plate. Huge plates. And we had to wash them ourselves.

Special Bhaṇḍāras

What happened? Occasionally some devotees would give special bhaṇḍāra (feast). Bhaṇḍāra means sweets, everything like that. They used to give a huge amount of pāyasa (sweet pudding).

Belur Math pāyasa is incomparable. You won't get it anywhere. It's something very special.

We used to eat fully. That day, other things we would eat less of—more space for pāyasa. Because occasionally only it would come.

Then at the end, bucketfuls of pāyasa would remain. So that enamel mug, we would get it filled, bring it to our place. At about four o'clock in the afternoon, you feel, "Ah, you must be hungry." And then you drink it. Hot, hot pāyasa. Not cold pāyasa. Hot pāyasa in the plate.

The only thing is, they give it at the end, not at the beginning. So you have to be careful. The moment you come to know...

Other Treats

And then miṣṭi dahi (sweet curd). Very good. And rasgullā. My favorite is chānā. Kismiś chānā (curd cheese with raisins).

And then at night, Ṭhākur is offered sūji pāyasa (semolina pudding). That also has to be distributed.

I used to tell them, "Give me more!" Sometimes this much was given for each person in those days. Now they will give only this much. My days, this much. I wanted to eat this much. I used to get this much.

Now I can eat only this much. This is called the irony of life! Now so many things are coming, when I am unable to eat. When I was able to eat, at that time there was so little.

The Problem of Excess Food

We used to take it. And so much... these fellows used to contribute ten thousand rupees, which means every sādhu would have three times more than he could eat. The rest they used to throw.

The neighboring poor children, they know: "Then bhaṇḍāra is given." Lots of mud pots, everything would be there. So much waste—seeds, this, that. Crows, everything would be there.

Swami Bhūteśānanda's Reform

Scrambling, they used to fight with them. Somebody reported this to Bhūteśānanda Maharaj. Immediately he passed a law:

"Tell the householder, if you want to give money, this is the condition: You give whatever you want to give. We will spend only five hundred rupees or one thousand rupees at best. The rest of it will go for poor people's service. Tell them if they accept, let them give it. If they don't accept, throw them out. We don't want such people. That is a bad name for Belur Math. Sādhus are eating so much, and here poor children cannot get anything."

After that, it came down. And then slowly reformations have come—so many reformations.

The Beauty of Those Days

Wonderful times we had. Now you won't get all those things. And old sādhus used to be there. What stories they used to tell! They were all disciples of the direct disciples—senior swamis.

So many stories. From one of them I heard this beautiful singing of Śabarī Pratīkṣā—the waiting of Śabarī for the arrival of Śrī Rāma. Such a wonderful story.

He used to tell it in his singing style. It was written as a poem, Rāmāyaṇa, you know, in the local language. Like we have Rāmāyaṇa here, local Rāmāyaṇa. Even Kuvempu have been written in a ecstatic state.

Like that, he had memorized it and used to sing it. These were so many wonderful reminiscences, strong in my mind.

Anyway, if I remember slowly, slowly, we'll talk about it.

Closing Prayer

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

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