Paramahamsa Upanishad Lecture 08 on 24 March 2024

Full Transcript (Not Corrected)

We are studying the Paramahamsa Upanishad. Today, we hope to complete it. In our last class, we have been studying the third mantra. What is the summary of the third mantra? A true Paramahamsa is one who is free from all attachments. And he is also the master of his mind. This is the essence of the third mantra. So beautifully described in the third mantra, the characteristics of a true Paramahamsa. It is not a big mantra. Sarvān kāmān parityajya advaite parama-sthiti jñāna-daṇḍo dhruto yena eka-daṇḍi sa uchyate kāṣṭa-daṇḍo dhruto yena sarvāśe jñāna-varjataḥ narakān ghorān mahāraurava-saṅgekān idam antaraṁ jñātvāḥ sa paramahamsaḥ He who, relinquishing all desires, has his supreme rest in the one without a second and who holds a staff of knowledge is the true eka-daṇḍi. He who carries a mere wooden staff, who takes to all sorts of sense objects and is devoid of true knowledge, he goes to horrible hells known as the mahārauravas. Knowing the distinction between these two, a person becomes a paramahamsa, a sannyāsīn. Last class we have been talking about a fake sannyāsīn, a hypocritical sannyāsīn. A sannyāsīn, at least who doesn't attempt, try his level best to lead a sannyāsa life, what happens to him? He goes to these hells. Mahāraurava, even an ordinary criminal will not attain to those states of suffering. Why is it so? A true paramahamsa knows the distinction between a real sannyāsī and a fake sannyāsī. But why a fake or hypocritical sannyāsī goes to the worst of the hells called mahāraurava? Now, naraka is not a geographical area. Neither heaven is a geographical area. Both these point only to states of mind. Supposing a person is dreaming that he has gone to heaven and all the gods and goddesses are very gracious to him. Where is he now? His body will be here only. But his mind is living in that state of consciousness where the person is extraordinarily happy, very, very happy and no jara, old age, no fear, fear of losing anything, no death. As we have seen in the Kathopanishad, Natatra Tvam, Nachiketa is telling, Svargaloka is a place, O Mrityu Devata, you are not there simply. And there is no old age, there is no suffering. So long as a person is in the heavenly world, then there would be no suffering at all. On earth, we have both suffering as well as happiness. Good and evil. But not in the Svargaloka, heavenly world. Neither is it so in the, what is called narakaloka, hellish world. That is a state of mind. No happiness at all. Terrible darkness. That means full of suffering. So this person, a fake sannyasin goes there. Why? So a sannyasi who doesn't strive to live a true sannyasin's life is committing four aparadhas. Aparadha means terrible crime. First of all, he is cheating himself. If a person is evil, whom is he going to really cheat? Himself. This is what the third mantra of the Isavasya Upanishad says. That a person, he becomes a killer of one's own self. असोरिया नाम ते लोका अन्धेन तमसावृताः तान्स्ते प्रेत्य अभिगच्छन्ति एकेच आत्महनो जनाः So this person, he is only cheating himself. That is the first aparadha. Crime. Then, every sannyasin, no sannyasin, no person, falls from Akasha, heaven. He has parents, he has family. His parents have taken a lot of trouble and they brought him up with so much of expectation and they must have been quite happy, at least later on, that our son had taken to a worthy life. But if he is not leading a life, he is cheating his parents. And what could be worse to sin than cheating one's own parents who took so much trouble to bring the child up. That is the second crime. Third crime. When there is a bad, a fake, a cheat sannyasi, when an ordinary householder or ordinary worldly person looks at such a person, he gives the impression the whole sannyasi community is perhaps cheats like that. And if this householder, unfortunately, doesn't come across a good sannyasi, then it is worse because he concludes all the sannyasins are thieves, cheats, hypocrites and they are there only to sponge on the society. So, there may be many good sannyasins and there are. So, he will be bringing bad name to the whole community, organization. And that is the third crime. Fourth crime is, if he happens to belong to a particular sampradaya, organization, then people don't see that a particular individual is at fault, but the whole. So, Ramakrishna order is full of bad sannyasins only, we should not trust. So, he is bringing bad name to the entire organization. So, if some person is not able to live, let him leave the organization and at least let him strive. Even if he doesn't become a spiritual sadhaka, let him not do anything to harm the society, to cheat the society. And this is what he said, if a person does this, then he deserves to go to the terrible, punishing, painful worlds and be there for a long time. A true paramahamsa, idam antaram jnatva, knowing the difference, vast difference between the pravrutti and nivrutti paths, he shuns the one fraught with pain and follows the other full of bliss and thus reaches the highest turiya stage beyond both of them. This is the essence of the third mantra. Now we enter into the fourth mantra. आशां वरो ननमस्कारो नस्वधाकारो ननिन्दा नस्तुतिः यद्रुच्चिको भवेद भिक्षुः न आवाहनम् नविसद्जणम् नमंत्रम् नध्यानम् नऊपासणंच नलक्ष्यम् नालक्ष्यम् नप्रिधग् नअप्रिधग् अहम्न नत्वं नसर्वंच अनिकेतस्तितिरेवचा भिक्षुः सवर्णादि नाम् नयवपरिग्रहेथ नलोकं न अवलोकंच अबाधः कह कह बाधः कह कह इतिचेथ बाधः को अस्तियेव अस्माद्भिक्षुः हिरण्यम् प्रसेणदृष्टम् च सब्रम्मः भवेत अस्माद्भिक्षुः हिरण्यम् प्रसेणदृष्टम् च सपल्कसो भवेत अस्माद्भिक्षुः हिरण्यम् प्रसेणदृष्टम् च सब्रम्मः भवेत अस्माद्भिक्षुः हिरण दुखे न विद्विक्नः, सुखे न स्प्रधा, त्यागो रागे, सर्वत्र शुबः अशुबयोः, अनभिस्नेहः, तद्वेष्टि न मोधंच, सर्वेशाम् इन्द्रियानाम् गतेहि उपरमते, य आत्मन्येव अवस्तियते भवति, कृतक्रत्यो भवति, य पूर्ण आनंद एक बोधः, तद्व्रम्ह अहं अस्मेति, कृतक्रत्यो भवति। This is the quite a big mantra, again graphically, in great detail, describing the state of a Paramahamsa and through this description, what should a sadhaka try to become? Of course, we don't expect every beginner to have all these qualities. On the contrary, the beginning will have all the, what we call, आसुरी क संपत्, आसुरी संपत्, unspiritual qualities. But due to some great पुण्य, a person's mind understands, by God's grace, he will be endowed with शद्ध and he takes to a spiritual life. Naturally, just as a person who wants to climb a mountain, he will have to do lot of exercises. I have read some of the biographies of these mountain climbers and even an expert mountain climber, who had been climbing the mountains for many years, they will have a project. We will go and climb the peak of this particular mountain and there are so many, which are quite strenuous. But few months before that, the person starts running at least a few miles every morning, acclimatizing. And then he goes, if he is fortunate enough to be an heir, a high mountain, he slowly goes up, stays there, acclimatizes himself to the cold, then goes up higher and higher and higher. How many people have lost their lives, either through accident or through disease or through this inclement weather, they could not stand. How many pilgrims to Kailash, Manasarovar, etc. They die because they will have heart attack, etc. because they can't stand at high altitude, where the oxygen level will be quite small. But these people have tremendous willpower, grit, so they climb. But before that, they acclimatize themselves for several months, then only they venture. Even a spiritual climber and some saints have compared climbing to the highest peak of spiritual realization and they also have to prepare themselves. And truly speaking, when a sadhaka goes through this Brahmacharya Ashrama, Grihasta Ashrama, it is a beautiful training for the purpose of training him so that he has already had to develop tremendous willpower. It is not easy to be a good householder, a successful householder. Most people are not even fit to be householders. Mahapurush Maharaj used to say, so many people they take to Sanyasa, let alone not fit for Sanyasa, they are not even fit to be householders. How much of patience, how much of willpower, how many ups and downs every householder has to go, even if a person is very rich and powerful, you can get the news. So many what we call celebrities. Celebrity usually means very rich people beyond any ordinary person's imaginations and yet they are known to commit suicides and they are known to take to drinks and drugs and they are known to have the highest paid psychiatrists. Why? Because they have never trained themselves. So if anybody without thinking thinks householder's life is very easy, then he has to be, his brain has to be completely washed and he has to be what is called drilled into the hypnotized. So we are getting even to become a Paramahamsa, that is the highest and the greatest difficult task in the whole world and that is why Bhagavan Krishna, that is the greatest truth He utters. Only one in a billion will become a true Paramahamsa, but there are thousands of people who are striving their level best at all places, but especially in India, everywhere there will be spiritual persons. No nation, no community is without true spiritual persons. Why? Because each soul is potentially divine. So we are coming to the description in this last fourth mantra we will take. So what is the very first quality? Asha Ambaraha or Akasha Ambaraha. What type of dress he will be having? The quarters are his clothing. That means he is naked. That means birthday dress. We come with birthday dress and we go with birthday dress only. So what is birthday dress? The body will be completely naked. But why do you call it naked? There is a beautiful incident I remember. There was a novice Brahmachari who was at our Kankala Ashrama. He had an exaggerated idea of his own intelligence and he thought he can recognize a true Paramahamsa from a fake Sanyasi and his Guru most probably Raja Maharaj wanted to disillusion this Brahmachari. One day he took him out for a walk. Just at that time there was a huge procession. One of the Mandaleshwars they call it. There are five Mandaleshwars in Haridwar. That means they are highly honored abodes. Father superiors what Christians call. There are some Akhadas are there. Akhada means a Gymnasium. At one time when the Muslim kings were torturing the Hindu monks to protect these monks, several Gymnasiums have been established by Madhusodhana Saraswati and so many Sanyasins. That's why they are called Naga Sanyasins. Naga means Nagna. Nagna means they are completely naked. They are trained. Even if it is bitterly cold, they can stand all those things gradually. A beautiful description, brief but very beautiful description has been given in the great master by Swami Sharad Anandaji how Totapari Maharaj was trained like that. And so Sanam Krishna used to call his Vedanta Guru Nanga. Nanga means Nagna. Naga. They have become Naga. And these Akhadas, Gymnasiums later they became the hubs of many many Sanyasins. And the head of that is called Mandaleshwara. And there are five big Akhadas. They are called Mahamandaleshwara. So one such Mahamandaleshwara was going in a procession and a beautiful white horse. And he was dressed like more than an emperor with golden ornaments with silk. Music is there. Thousands of his devout followers were throwing flowers etc. And like a real king, better than a real king, he was riding the horse and Raja Maharaj asked this Brahmachari, what is your opinion about this Sanyasi? And he said, Huh? He is a Sanyasi? I have never seen anybody who is such a fake fellow. This fellow is a bhogi, not a Sanyasi. And Raja Maharaj laughed and laughed and laughed. You stupid fellow. He is a real monk. He dresses deliberately to keep himself away from stupid fools like you. Because when worldly people judge a Sanyasin, so whatever lifestyle they are adopting, a Sanyasin must be just exactly the opposite. And when they find another person much worse than their own dress etc., they say this is definitely, this must be a fake Sanyasin. This is one way and I have several quotations to give incidence. There was a great desert father and his name and fame had spread. He used to eat only once in a few days. And there was a great magistrate and a magistrate in those days was a man of tremendous power. So he heard about this desert father and he developed a wish, cherished a wish, I must go and pay my respects. And he was coming with his attendants and bodyguards, everything and from a distance. The disciples of this great monk, they met these people and they came to know and they were so joyous. Such a powerful person is coming to pay respects. And then they came and running, what a joyous news father, Abba, so this magistrate is coming to pay you respects. That means how great you are. That means how great we are because we have chosen a person like you. We must be extraordinarily intelligent people. And the moment the Abba heard, immediately there was some bread stored. So he brought it out in a huge basket, sat outside his hut and started munching it. And the disciples were of course shocked. But the magistrate when he came near, he beheld this sadhu and he said, what? We heard about the austerities of this sadhu, the asceticism of this sadhu and this is the fellow. He must be a hypocrite. And immediately he turned his back and went away. As soon as the magistrate left, immediately the Abba took the bread inside and kept it. Just to get rid of this magistrate. Why? Oh such a Prime Minister of India had come to visit me. How great I must be. He is paying respects to me. Like that the egotism can grow. But here is a person who is completely devoid of what is called body consciousness. A child, babies, they don't have body consciousness. That is why nobody minds them whether they are dressed or not dressed. If we are dressing them, because we are reminded of our own gender, our own bodies. So here is a Paramahamsa and Sairam Krishna, Ramana Maharshi. He used to wear only loin cloth, kaupina. And then that too only because there used to be so many women who were devoted to him. It is for the preservation of their modesty that he used to wear. Otherwise he was never bothered about it. He was a natural Paramahamsa. And since he attained realization, he never felt that I am the body. So this is Swami Vekananda. Something strange you must know. When he returned after his second visit to America, he became like a Paramahamsa. He handed over all the power to Swami Brahmanandaji and he gave whatever money devotees gave completely. And then one day he had to go to Calcutta. He went to Raja Maharaj Swami Brahmanandaji. He said, Raja, can you give me for a boat fare? So that was his condition. With pure loin cloth, Swami Vekananda used to joyfully roam the whole Belur mart. And he had got a duck and a goat and a goose as his companions. Joyfully he used to take. And there was also fun. One of his favorite goose caught hold of cold. And he said, Aiyo! Kali Kaala! Goose getting cold which used to move all the time in the waters. This must be really pure Kali Kaala! He exclaimed like that. This doesn't become a practice. This comes off when a person becomes totally devoid of the body. The question of whether the body has dress or not, it doesn't matter. And in our last class we have seen, his own body he looks upon as a Kunapa. That is a Shiva, a lifeless body, a corpse. And then Na Namaskaraha. He doesn't salute anybody. Why? The sense of duality has disappeared. He doesn't say to somebody, I am smaller, this person is bigger. So Na Om Namo Narayanaya. I salute you. Nothing is there. Na Swadhakaraha. He doesn't utter. What is called? Offer Pindadana to his ancestors, Pitru. Why? Because there is no second. There is no father. There is no mother. There is nobody else excepting pure Brahman. There are no Pitrus. There are no Devatas. So whom is he going to salute? Whom is he going to offer things? He doesn't worship at all. That also will come. We will see later on. So he prostrates himself before none. Not because he is proud, he is egotistic, but because there is no second. Na Swadhakaraha. He doesn't see anybody in bondage. Everything is Brahman if at all he sees. Na Ninda Nastati. That he doesn't blame anybody. He doesn't mind if anybody is blaming him or praising him. He doesn't praise anybody. There is a beautiful story we have to understand. Sri Ramakrishna used to tell that Akbar was the emperor and there was a Muslim Fakir who was renowned for his renunciation. And one day Akbar heard of him and he went to him and then really found he was a real Fakir, Sanyasi. Then he asked, Sir, can I serve you? He said, No, I have got everything. But upon repeated requests, the Fakir told him, Okay, if you feel that you can help me or do some service, I require some money so that it is my desire. Whoever comes and visits me, he should be fed very nicely. Akbar said, Please come to me. I will give you plenty of money. And so one day that Fakir visited Akbar. Then Akbar was at prayer. And then Akbar started praying, O Allah, grant me more money, more riches, more wealth, more kingdoms, everything. Hearing this, the Fakir turned his back and started going away. Akbar, by a sign, told him to wait. He finished his prayers and then he asked him, I know why you have come. Why are you going away? Then Fakir told, I thought that I am a beggar, but I found out you are also a beggar. You are begging God even though you have so much. Who is a beggar? This is one of the questions that was given. Who is a real beggar? A beggar is one who feels, I don't have sufficient. I require more. A person who thinks like that, he is a beggar. And I am not going to beg of beggars. And if at all I have to beg, I will turn to Allah himself directly just as you have turned. A great lesson. This is the state of the Paramahamsa. He doesn't blame anybody. And if somebody blames him, because to blame somebody or other, that is in his power. But whether somebody else blames him, criticizes him, finds fault with him or harms him, that is in other people's hands, not in his hands. Such as Hanyasin thinks it is only God who brings. So he doesn't blame. Somebody blames. He doesn't think negatively upon that person. God is teaching me some lesson and I have to learn some lesson. He doesn't praise anybody because if you praise somebody, you are expecting generally something from that person. At least he expects some favorable outlook upon you, opinion about you. No. There is only God. If at all he does any stuti, he can do the praise of God. But even that also he will not do. Yasadeva is supposed to have written a beautiful hymn called Parapuja. Therein he says, O Lord, please pardon me for three crimes I have committed. What are the three crimes? Knowing that you are everywhere, I went on pilgrimage. What is the meaning of pilgrimage? Pilgrimage means that you are only in some places, not other places. Knowing that no words can ever be adequate to praise you. So we get in Shiva Mahamstotram also, reciting which Ramakrishna had gone into Samadhi. So he says, even mother Saraswati, she starts writing forever the greatness of Lord Shiva. Then she will never come to an end because infinite means infinite. And to describe infinity, infinite time is required. And Sri Ramakrishna, thinking of that, he went into deep Samadhi. So this person, he knows there is nobody other than Brahman. And I am that Brahman. And does anybody go on saying, I am great, I am Brahman, I am superior to everybody? Absolutely no. Blames none, praises none. So through these descriptions, we also should not find fault and we also should never praise anybody. If you have something, some requirement, go and tell the Divine Mother, I want this one. And if your prayer is real, she will supply also. And then, Tyadruchiko Bhaved Bhikshu. Bhikshu here means Paramahamsa. So the Sannyasin is ever of independent will. Actually, he doesn't have any will. He is like a child. Sri Ramakrishna compares Paramahamsa to a child. He gives a beautiful example. Once a baby was dressed in very nice dresses and then somebody comes and says, your dress is very nice. I will give you lot of chocolates, lozenges, sweets and toys. Give me your dress. He says, no, my daddy has given me this one. I am not going to give. And he plays like that happily. After some time, somebody is walking. He runs after it and says, take this dress. I don't want it. So Paramahamsa will be like that. To say that he has a will is not a correct thing for us. He doesn't have any will. His will has been merged in the Divine Will. When Sri Ramakrishna was terribly ill, then we saw some of his disciples, devotees, earnestly requested him, Sir, you please pray to the Divine Mother. And Sri Ramakrishna chided them. Have I a separate will? Long before, I have offered my entire will, merged it in the will of the Divine Mother. I don't have any independent will. Now are you asking me to take back what I had already offered to the Divine Mother and then pray to her? Five upon you. And he never prayed. So a Paramahamsa, his will is the Divine Will. He doesn't invoke, invocation to God. This is especially when we are worshipping God or Goddess. For example, Ganesha Puja or Durga Puja, we make a Prathima, a clay image. And then we have to invoke. This is called Prana Pratishtha. So Mother, come out alive. This is what is called Jivanyasa. My Jiva, by uttering some mantras, I imagine my Prana is entering. And then when the Puja is over, after one day or three days or nine days or whatever, Visarjana will be there. That is immersion. And this person, he has gone far beyond the state of worshipping God or immersing the God. Because they were all necessary when he was progressing in spiritual life. Now he had reached that ultimate state of realization. So all Gods and Goddesses, he becomes Sarva Deva Devi Swaroopa. So we have to understand, every Brahma Jnani, not only Shri Ram Krishna, every Brahma Jnani is Sarva Deva Devi Swaroopa only. So if anybody worships any Brahma Jnani as Rama, Krishna, Vishnu, Shiva, Devi, Christ, Buddha, etc., they will get exactly the same result. And that is what Bhagavan Krishna also says. So whichever Devata people want to worship, unbeknown to them, they are all worshipping me only, not anybody else. All people are treading only my own path. So Na Avahanam, Na Visarjanam means there is no worship or immersion of any Prathima or images for him. Na Mantram, Na Dhyanam. So he doesn't require mantra. What is the definition of mantra? Mananatha Trayateti Mantra, by repeating which one crosses this ocean of Samsara and becomes liberated. This person is already gone. A boat which has been used to cross, it is not taken into the land or into the house. So that purpose is over. He leaves that boat outside so that other people can use it. Na Dhyanam. So higher than repetition of the mantra, japa, dhyanam, meditation. Upon whom if at all he meditates, he is only meditating upon him. That is why once M found Sairam Krishna deeply absorbed. That is why he gave him a special name, Atmaramaha, completely absorbed in himself. So therefore no contemplation. The same meaning, because once a person reaches the goal, there is no more sadhana to be done. Then Na Lakshyam, Na Alakshyam. So there is no Samsara, this phenomenal world, transactional world existing for him. Lakshyam means a goal. Alakshyam means there is no goal. In this world what happens? So I want to get that position, that power, I want to earn more money, etc. But there is no world at all in the vision of this person. Only Brahman is there. So there is a question of neither phenomenal world nor that which is avyakta or the invisible world. Neither the visible world nor the invisible world. Nothing is there for him. That means Ekameva Advaitiyam. Na Prithak, Na Prithak. Prithak means differentiation, duality. Is there somebody besides me, besides Brahman? Nobody is there. Does he see? No, no. There is no differentiation. Even the thought that everybody is only one, it is only for us. Just as in deep sleep, we don't say I am different from my neighbour and I am not different from my neighbour. Nothing of that sort. So Paramahamsa says neither duality nor perceive unity. The very thought of unity or duality is the playground of the thoughts. Aham Na, Na Tvam, Na Sarvam Cha. Same idea is expressed in a different way. I, this is me. Tvam, this is you. Sarvam, this is the entire world. Such a Paramahamsa says neither I nor Thou nor all this. He has become infinite. In infinity, as we discussed, there are three types of differentiations. Sajatiya, Vijatiya and Vigata. Vedas are completely gone. Or time limitation, space limitation, object limitation. Desha, Kaala, Vastu, Parichcheda. He has gone beyond. Aniketa Stithi. Niketa means a dwelling place. Aniketa means no dwelling place. A sannyasin has no dwelling place which he calls his own. It is a state. Stithi means the state of the mind. What does it mean? It means if we are feeling I am this body-mind complex, I require protection. I require protection from inclement weather, from enemies where I can feel safe, I can feel warm and I can sleep without any fear. But what can give a dwelling place for infinity? That's why it is indicated by Ashambaraha or Akashambaraha. Earlier, the very first one. Aniketa Stithi. He is having such a state where I am everything. This is again our description. A real Brahma with Brahma Jnani doesn't go on thinking I am a Brahma Jnani, I am Brahma Jnani. Specifically, it has been mentioned in one of the Upanishads. A Brahma Jnani is not a Brahma Jnani who thinks I am a Brahma Jnani. So he is such kind of person. And then certain things a Brahma Jnani or a true Sanyasi should avoid. A Paramahamsa is beyond all this. Remember. But the description is given for a Bhikshu, for a striving Sadhaka, a Sanyasi who is a Vividhesha Sanyasi and he wants to become Vidvat Sanyasi for such a person. What Sri Ramakrishna calls Kama Kanchana and here specifically Kanchana. Kanchana means gold. Gold means money. Money means property. So anything that possessions, that is what it indicates. So what should be the condition of a person who wishes to become a Paramahamsa? Bhikshu means a person who depends upon God. Remember, when a Sanyasin goes out for collecting, for begging alms, he doesn't say you are a householder, you give me alms. Bhavati means Bhagavati. Oh Divine Mother, grant me Bhiksha. Because everybody is supplied only by the Divine Mother Anna Purna. Anna is granted. Lakshmi, we were talking about Sri Suktam. She is the one who gives food, who gives cloths, who gives strength, who gives prana, who gives wealth, who gives name and fame, who gives all knowledge, anything that we want. The Divine Mother. Besides the Divine Mother, nothing is there. So a striving person who would like to become a Paramahamsa. Adi means etc. etc. That is gold. Gold, silver or copper or any metal or anything that smacks of possession. He should not accept it. Malokam. He should not accumulate anything. Here lokam means special meaning is given. He should not say I am a great Sanyasi. I require a lot of disciples. I want to become a Guru. So no, I don't want any disciples. If they come, by God's will and if God gives me that inspiration to guide them, what little I know, I will be teaching them. But such a person never desires a body of disciples. And he should not even look at the property or wealth, possessions including body and mind also are possessions. That is why we say my body, my mind. This is a very common expression. Usually we say this house is mine, this car is mine, this property, this bank balance, this position is mine. But we have to extend and say with regard to the body also, this is my hand, this is my leg, my head and it is giving me trouble etc. So they say my mind is worried, my mind is happy, my mind is unhappy. No, that mind should not be there. And once the mind disappears, I also, to which it is invariably associated, that is the body, mind complex, that is I am the body, I am the mind, automatically will go away. But the way, the steps required to that state is that if any property comes, then he should not even look at it. For this, there is somebody, that is the teacher himself raises an objection. So why should not a person accept it, look at it and make it his own? I am not going to ask anybody, but by itself if it comes, what is the harm? Should I not take it as God has given him? If this kind of doubt ever enters into the mind of the sadhaka, then what is the answer? This is the reply. Definitely, it is objectionable. In three sentences, three types of forbidding things. Bhikshu. Bhikshu is one who wants to become a Paramahamsa, who is striving to become a Paramahamsa. Hiranyam. That means anything valuable. It could be money, it could be property, it could be gold, it could be anything, any property. Hiranyam. And especially, this is what Sri Ramakrishna means. Kanchana. Then Rasayana. With longing. Rasa means what? Just as when a, what is called a foodie, looks at beautiful food, what is the thing that happens? His mouth started watering. That is why he is called a foodie. Here rasa means mouth watering. But here, what it means with longing? Longing means what? That is why, earlier I mentioned, if one of us are going and we see a beautiful house and then we say, ah, beautiful house. That's all. What does it mean? I would be very happy if I can get that house. Beautiful car. If I possess that car, I will be a very happy person. The moment you say it is beautiful, it indicates a deep longing. Is it not possible to appreciate beauty without longing? Yes, a Paramahamsa can do that. Swami Vivekananda could do that. But ordinary people like us, we can never do that. So, you see, one day, Swami Vivekananda, he was returning by boat with some of his American disciples. And, you know, the ship takes several days. And one night, it was a full moonlit night. The ocean was extraordinarily calm, as if there was not even a ripple. And the ship was progressing. It was a cloudless sky. And, you know, there is no pollution or light pollution, sound pollution, etc. Such a beauty, the moon is illuminating and reflecting itself in a thousand, millions of times in the ocean. And everybody was specially stuck with that beauty. They were drinking. Several minutes had passed. Then Swami Vivekananda broke that hypnotic condition and said, If Maya is so beautiful, imagine the master of the Maya, that is God or Brahman, how much more beautiful he should be. So, whenever we look at something, we should not even say it is beautiful. If Sri Ramakrishna says, and he said about a prostitute who was brought by Mother Babu to test him, She is a very beautiful lady. Her name was Lakshmibai. If Swami Vivekananda says, beautiful moonlit night or beautiful woman, that is absolutely fine. If I and you say, that means there is an unfulfilled desire, that is what we will have to completely avoid. Beautiful world with longing. Rasa means what? Happiness. I will get great joy. Even if a person looks, that is what Sri Ramakrishna, especially Holy Mother says, for a sanyasi, male sanyasi, even if what is called a toy of a woman is lying there and it is upside down, he should not flick it over to see what is there. That is completely forbidden. So, even if a sanyasi looks at anything in this world, any object with longing, longing means what? I am getting happiness. I wish I possess it. Then I will be a very happy person. What does he become? He becomes Brahmaha, means destroyer of Brahman, killer of Brahman, Atmaha. That means he becomes Atmahanaha. Like the third mantra of the Isavasya Upanishad says, that Atmahana is here called Brahmaha. And then the next, Next, Let alone seeing, some people even touch it, touch anything. Then, He becomes a Chandala. Chandala means the most sinful, the most sinful person of all the sinful. It is called Paulkasaha. If a sanyasin touches gold with longing, he becomes degraded into a Chandala. But if he takes any property into his hands, he is gone forever. That means he becomes a worldly person, he becomes a bound person, he destroys himself, he can no longer be called a sanyasin. And what is the conclusion? Therefore, a sanyasin must neither look at, nor touch, nor take. Gold means here, remember, any property with longing. It also includes an object. So a man touching a woman, even a baby, we have to be extremely careful. If a person has got secret desires, then even that person touches a baby, and that can arouse his wrong feelings. But here is a Paramahamsa, if he follows all these things that have been described earlier, all desires of the mind cease to exist. Because his Tattva Jnanam is established, his Vasanakshaya had taken place, and his Manonasha had taken place. There is no, even one thought that Aham Brahmasmi is a thought, that is called Brahmakara Vritti, and there is no Brahmakara Vritti. That also is totally destroyed. There is no Vritti, there is no thought, there is no longing, he becomes Brahman. And such a person naturally, So he is not changed, when there is what is called adverse situation, or painful situation, for the body and mind, he is not agitated with Vijnana. And if somebody raises him, no, he is also not influenced by it, he doesn't become agitated. He is Raga, his attachment, completely given up. Even the thought that was very nice, even that thought also is gone. Such a Sanyasi is not agitated by grief, has no longing for happiness, and renunciation of attachment to sense pleasures, comes automatically without any effort. Sarvatra, Shubha, Ashubhaya, Anabhismeha, Radhveshti, Namo Dhancha. And he is everywhere unattached to good and evil. Consequently, he neither hates anything nor becomes elated. To whom all these things come? Such a person, completely identified with Atman, and thereafter abides with the knowledge, as we discussed in our last class, I am the Atman, I am the Brahman, and that is called his Asana. This is his Avastha, his state, his dwelling place. And then naturally, for such a person, Sarvesham Indriyanam Kati Uparamate, he is not aware of the body, so all the Indriyas, sense organs, he is not aware of it, and their function is finished. They have accomplished their purpose. They helped him to reach the highest goal. So what happens? Realizing, I am that Brahman, who is the one infinite knowledge bliss, he reaches the end of his desires. That means he becomes one with Brahman. No more desires are left out. He becomes Purnakamaha. Really, he reaches the end of his desires. He has only one knowledge. I am Purna. I am Purna. I am that Brahman. Repetition twice is to indicate the end of this particular Upanishad. We have come to the end of this Upanishad. So we will chant the Shanti Mantra. Chanting Shanti Mantra So, May Brihaspati ensure all our welfare. Om, Peace, Peace, Peace be unto all. Iti, Sri Paramahamsa Upanishad, Samapta. Here ends the Paramahamsa Upanishad. Om Jananem Sharadam Devem Ramakrishnam Jagat Gurum Pada Padme Tayo Sritva Pranamami Mohar Moho May Ramakrishna, Holy Mother and Swami Vivekananda bless us all with Bhakti. Jai Ramakrishna. From next class onwards, Saturday onwards, we will take up Brahma Upanishad. Jai Ramakrishna.