Patanjali Yoga Sutras Lecture 012

Full Transcript(Not Corrected)

Oṁ sa nāvavatu, sa ha nāubhūnaktu, sa ha vīryam karavāvaye tejasvi nāvadhītamastu mā vidviṣāvaye Oṁ śāntiḥ śāntiḥ śāntiḥ Oṁ yogena cittasya padena vācāṁ malam śarīrasya ca vaidhyakena upākarottam pravaram munīnāṁ patanjaliṁ prāñjali rāna toṣme I bow to the eminent sage Patanjali, who removed the impurities of the mind through yoga, of speech through grammar and of the body through medicine. Aum, peace, peace, peace be unto all. Last week we discussed, at any given time our mind is identified, filled with thoughts and we are identified with those thoughts. Those thoughts could be very good thoughts, beneficial thoughts or injurious, harmful thoughts. By definition, beneficial means that which makes us pure and realize our true nature and the opposite is injurious. However pleasant they may be as at present. Why is it even a happy thought, a happy experience? We must always remember, happy experience means happy thoughts. Unhappy experience means unhappy thoughts. There is no such thing as unhappy experience or happy experience. It all depends upon how we interpret things. The same event can be interpreted both as happy or unhappy depending upon what the circumstances. Two people apply for one job, one person gets it, another loses it. Is it a happy experience or unhappy experience? Event being the same depends upon how we interpret it. But from the Vedantic point of view, yoga point of view, that which leads us to permanent existence, permanent happiness, eternal existence and infinite eternal happiness, that is really the only thing worth counting. So our mind is full of thoughts including when we are in deep sleep. It is a mistake to think that in deep sleep there is no thought. There is one thought and we are identified with that thought. What is that thought? I slept well and I am refreshed and I am very happy for that. Now even that thought is also harmful. Any thought is harmful. Then what about when a person knows I am Brahman? Is that a thought? That's not a thought. That is one's own identity. So even the thought that I was happy, even that is because we are only looking, identifying ourselves with from the viewpoint of the body and mind. Who slept well? Did the Atman sleep well? Why does the Atman say I was not very happy? I was tired but after sleep I am very happy. Does the Atman say that? It is only the thought, the mind, the body that feels the effect. So we also discussed that every thought is an effect and every effect must have a cause and there are five causes of any thought that fills our mind. We discussed that right knowledge, wrong knowledge, verbal delusion, sleep and the last one memory. Now how do we control these thoughts? What is after all yoga? Yoga is control of thoughts. Again and again we have to remember control means only one meaning in our terms. What is that meaning? That we are not our thoughts. We have thoughts, there are thoughts but I am not the thought. I am a witness of my thoughts just as we are all witnessing everything in this world and we don't identify ourselves with them but even though we are witnessing both our body and mind unfortunately we identify ourselves and say this is me, this is mine and that is the cause of bondage. So control in yogic terminology means not that we shouldn't have thoughts you can have billion billion thoughts it doesn't really matter just as when we are watching a beautiful movie we are moved so we can watch but we never identify ourselves. You will enjoy them. You see there is a good scene you enjoy it. If it is a tragic scene you seem to suffer but that's not the same thing as if the same thing happens in reality. So you enjoy it, you witness it, you enjoy it that special experience of enjoying both comedy and tragedy without getting affected in real life is called aesthetic enjoyment like a beautiful picture. What do I mean by beautiful picture? Suppose a very good artist had depicted the sufferings of a very poor, suffering, ugly human being you know that they can make such a picture but the painter has painted so realistically we say how beautiful the painting is not beautiful the subject in the painting is not beautiful but the way the painting is done is very beautiful we enjoy it we do not identify ourselves and say oh I suffer how long do you suffer? You see the picture and even though you are suffering that suffering itself is a wonderful form of enjoyment a beautiful movie very tragic all tragic circumstances in the movie and your eyes are streaming tears unnecessarily also sometimes and you are really feeling but even though you are enjoying how beautifully it is played how beautifully they acted how realistically they acted etc you enjoy and the moment you come out how beautifully done I would like to see it a second time this is the only instance where you buy second time a ticket third time and watch it and go on shedding tears and patting yourself how compassionate I am in true life it may not happen but in cinema yes it happens this is called aesthetic enjoyment rasa swadhana a yogi is one who exactly can enjoy in the same for him everything is a beautiful experience of enjoyment there is a special word in vedanta for it it is called leela just imagine leela doesn't mean only good things happen we know it inside but we should never mistake it leela means Shri Krishna is playing only with beautiful young women that is not the only leela you know all these demons came and they were trying to kill him and they did a lot of damage to other people that is also part of the leela if there are not troublemakers the drama will not be so highly enjoyable there must be contrast what does he mean? in this connection let us also remember Ramakrishna asked M what is the attitude of Ishwara Chandra Vidyasagar and M said he had become a skeptic Ramakrishna asked why? he was born in a brahmin family he was so truthful so compassionate but why? then as you know M narrated Ishwara Chandra Vidyasagar happened to read in the books of history that Genghis Khan had killed 100,000 prisoners mercilessly killed according to him and ever since what was God doing at that time? why didn't he come to his rescue? this was the reply M had given to Shri Ramakrishna and Shri Ramakrishna remarks that remark that answer of Shri Ramakrishna we should read hundred million billion times but as he says what can man understand the actions of God not exact words something like that then he says he adds that creation preservation and destruction are his leelas his playthings not only creation not only maintenance even destroying them every day we sing srishti sthiti vinashanam shakti bhutesh anathane but when it comes when a pin pricks oh Thakur what are you doing? I might sleep but you should not sleep suppose when you are sleeping a pin pricks your own pin you forgot that Shri Ramakrishna didn't put it there it's your own pin and somehow it pricked you and immediately he says oh Thakur what are you doing? that means what? I sleep I have a right to sleep but you have no right to sleep you should have cleaned all those things and even if it is not done when I am sleeping about you are Sarvajna you should you know everything you should come and have must have removed it otherwise you don't deserve the title and you are an ocean of compassion etc. etc. Leela includes both creation preservation and destruction a yogi looks the whole play of this universe as a divine sport but do not make the mistake from our viewpoint it is not Leela it is hard reality it is hard reality every single day we hear you know someone was telling today's news in Pakistan Taliban had bombed and killed some people died just imagine if that person were our father or mother or brother or husband or wife what would be our state of mind or we had been injured severely lost an eye or a leg or something like that what would be our condition and especially if we are devotees see how God has to work very hard to keep his devotees that's why he has so few devotees okay so this is how a yogi for a yogi he sees everything as a divine sport how could he see that? he could see that because he knows this is not the ultimate reality this is the key now you go to the seashore or a lake and constantly waves are coming playing for some time and then what happens? they disappear do you feel regret? why don't you feel regret? that a wave has come oh it alas it is dead that's because you know that nothing happened to the wave really in fact good thing happened when it disappeared because it went back into its original nature only this vision comes only when a yogi truly realizes God realizes the true nature of one's own self that is the goal until that time these thoughts trouble us sometimes they give they trouble us pleasantly sometimes they trouble us unpleasantly pleasant trouble and unpleasant trouble this is what we discussed five causes of the production of every single thought now how to control them what is the meaning of control? just now we defined let there be thoughts let there not be thoughts there are two states rather I would say there are three states when a yogi is in Samadhi there are absolutely no thoughts when he is in deep sleep there is a very subtle single thought that I am in this state and other than that there are two states what are those? dream and waking state during these two states there are innumerable thoughts troubling us whatever be the states a yogi is in if he is in Samadhi there is no problem if he is in deep sleep even then there is no problem but a yogi is never in deep sleep we must be very clear about it a yogi is neither in the waking state nor in the dream state nor in the deep sleep state what does he feel? he says that when I am in Samadhi he doesn't say we are saying it when I experience body, mind I am in one of these three states waking, dream and dreamless but when I am bereft of identity with these two body and mind then I am myself he doesn't say that he knows that instinctively he knows that now that is called control that is called yoga how to achieve it? how long will it take? how should it be practiced? the answer is very simple let us recollect two important teachings first is Bhagavad Gita Arjuna asks if you have read Gita this control of the mind is as hard as catching hold of wind controlling the wind it is not possible then is there any way Krishna he gives a categorical answer exactly what is this? yes it is true controlling the mind is very difficult but there is a way what is this? Abhyasa and Vairagya repeated practice and complete dispassion now see Ramakrishna somebody asks oh sir I am unable to control my mind see Ramakrishna says why? there is something called Abhyasa and he gives an example he once went to a circus and there he saw an English woman she was standing on a horseback the horse was running at full speed around the track and in between the tracks there were rings hung from above and whenever the horse passes underneath the rings the English woman jumps through that rings and lands exactly on the horseback Ramakrishna unfortunately witnessed this incident and for the next 12 years he goes on giving this example again and again and again so somebody told once you visit a circus that is enough for 10 years to give to brainwash all the devotees and that is true what he said is very true there is something called repeated practice there is nothing which cannot be achieved with repeated practice in this connection there is a curious fact how far it is true I don't know but I think it is true I believe it is true that if you want to sing a song perfectly you should practice it 10,000 times 10,000 times if you practice a song then afterwards you can close your eyes meaning you can close your mind also the song will automatically come out you see 10,000 times if you do practically it will take you half of your life I believe this is Abhyasa repeated practice there should be both there should be practice there should be also dispassion without dispassion practice is like a lame person and without dispassion a person is like a blind person you know the analogy there were two people a blind man and a lame man lame man can walk but can't see blind man can see but can't walk both of them want to go somewhere what is the best way for both of them to fulfill their purpose? the blind man he carries the lame man on his shoulders and the lame man goes on showing the way Abhyasa and Vairagya repeated practice coupled with dispassion if we separate these two and practice only one then there will not be the result so Abhyasa, Vairagya, Abhyam, Tinnairodha their control means the control of the thoughts is by practice and non-attachment now there is I am reading quoting from a most marvellous commentary by Vyasa on these yoga sutras it is written at any given time our thoughts which are compared to a river flows both ways what is the both ways? Kalyana for towards auspiciousness and also its opposite which is inauspiciousness that is to say Kleshta and Akleshta that which is it is the river is flowing in a beneficial way and the river is also flowing in an injurious way we can see this every day of our life you know when the crop the harvest is about to come the fields are needing water when the river flows nicely the water is very very beneficial but when there are floods you know what happens harvests are wiped out totally power is wiped out it is so we can hear the news Sandy storm or whatever it is so the flow of our thoughts is compared to a river and it is a beautiful analogy because a river continuously flows when are we without thoughts? from birth to death when are we without thoughts? in the waking state mind is full of thoughts in the dream state mind is full of thoughts in the deep sleep state mind is having one thought very subtle thought that is the only time when we get rest the mind gets rest so the river of mind flows in both directions towards good and towards evil that which flows down the plane of discriminative knowledge viveka tending in the high ground of Kaivalya or liberation leads unto good while that which flows up to the plateau of cycles of rebirth down the plane of non-discrimination leads unto evil is the commentary we are saying that is to say if our stream of thoughts are flowing say towards God then it is ultimately leads us towards liberation Kaivalya means liberation in the yogic language otherwise if it is either flowing towards God or it is flowing towards non-self towards the worldly objects which takes us further into bondage strengthens our bondage among these the flow towards sense objects is reduced by renunciation and development of a habit of discrimination opens the floodgate of discriminative knowledge the stopping of mental modifications is thus dependent upon both repeated practice and dispassion what is dispassion and what is repeated practice so it is said that usually our thoughts flow towards sense objects but if they are not flowing towards gross sense objects they flow towards subtle sense objects do you know what subtle sense objects are? you know pride jealousy or intolerance and thinking injury to others in an indirect way this is called jealousy if we are devotees we are also having jealousy devotees are also having jealousy now if we are having jealousy and we are devotees a worldly person says he doesn't think twice okay I don't like that person that person has more than what I have but a religious spiritual person has a problem with that he says no I don't how can I be a spiritual person having jealousy but if by nature some accident happens and something happens to the devotee we feel very happy I didn't do it but what I desired that happened automatically how subtly this mind works this is only one side negative side what is the positive side we feel compassion we feel like helping other people we feel like renouncing our things so that we can help other people become better in fact we all of us do that automatically a person who hesitates or who outright denies helping other people when it comes towards their own children or brothers or sisters that person does it automatically they do not notice that is compassion that is good that is kindness but that all that compassion kindness etc is due to attachment maya it doesn't flow that's why Shri Ramakrishna again says there is something called maya there is something called daya maya daya what is the difference daya is spiritual it doesn't discriminate between one person and the other even if I don't like a person but that person deserves something I give it I see that it is given to him Abraham Lincoln as an example is a good illustration you know what happened civil war was going on and the opposite party I think it was Lee Robert Lee if I remember correctly and he was almost about to be captured and everybody knows it he was cornered he can't fly if only his governmental troops went and fought a little bit they would have annihilated the civil war would have come to an end but the generals were lazy they fought for many days they were tired and they let this opportunity slip away what should be or what would be your reaction if you were in the place of president he was not talking about the generals he was not even talking about Robert Lee he was talking about the whole American nation would have been free from this evil of civil war that very day it would have stopped but these people out of negligence or wrong thinking they let the opportunity go so he took up a paper severely condemning them he wrote the letter and then what did he do someone asked did you write such a letter he said yes what did you do I quietly put it in the waste paper basket someone asked him why did you do that he said if I had been in their position perhaps I would also have done I don't know because they might not have done willfully but they might have been tired okay we can deal with this fellow two three days later but that fellow was in desperation he slipped away and the civil war continued for a quite number of years just imagine we can learn a lot of lessons from history anyway we need both good things also and evil things also what do I mean by we need evil things evil teaches us great lesson we can learn it from our own experience we can also learn from other people's experience sometimes you look at how people are suffering because of their attachment simple example how the other fellow is suffering from diabetes why did he get so much suffering so much from diabetes because he is a slave to eating sweets we can see that all the time what is the lesson I have to learn from here that if I do not control myself I will also be in the same position so you see we have to learn a lot of lessons not only from good people but also from worldly people Sri Ramakrishna in fact gives this beautiful example when does a man realize God when does he realize God do you remember the answer is when three attractions are combined and directed towards God what are those the love of a chaste wife towards her husband the love of a miser towards worldly objects the love of a mother towards her only child these are all worldly examples how we are devoted we already have the tremendous amount of attachment only then these attachments need to be redirected our struggle is not to destroy them our struggle is to redirect them towards what is called Kalyanavahini towards auspicious goal the mind to have non-attachment must be clear good and rational why should we practice because each action is like the pulsations quivering over the surface of the lake the vibration dies out and what is left the samskaras the impressions when a large number of these impressions are left on the mind they coalesce and become a habit this is the commentary by Swami Vivekananda it is said habit is second nature no it is first nature also and the whole nature of man everything that we are is the result of habit that gives us consolation because it gives us consolation because if it is only habit we can make and unmake it at any time the habit means it is something which we make you know if it is in somebody else is making me do then it is not in my control but if I am making it then I can also change it but unmaking means what changing it you know what is spiritual life spiritual life is doing exactly the same worldly things but with a spiritual outlook you know you serve your mother and father all worldly people do it but if you want to be spiritual you can do the same thing you serve what is changed now this time you don't look upon them as your father and mother you look upon them as divine mother and God himself Shiva Jnane Jiva Shiva serving man not man but Shiva through man that is the idea so in spiritual life nothing changes what changes? outlook changes our attitude changes and that really requires tremendous amount of effort so Swamiji is putting so beautifully if it is a habit we can make and unmake it the impressions are left by these vibrations passing out of our mind each one of them leaving its result every action that we do creates an impression a sum total of these impressions is called a habit and we are a bundle of habits we are nothing but bundle of habits just look I'll give you a small example you know some one of us are sitting like this why is it? it's because of habit somebody is sitting like this why is it? because of everything is a habit and you can see some people like this even if I am weeping also they will only put on like this it's the result of habit and we are nothing but an embodiment of we call it in Sanskrit and Samskaras but in English language a bundle of habits how even our physical body is a bundle of habits how we sleep have you noticed? some people sleep on the back some people sleep on the side some people sleep on the stomach yeah they don't get some people sleep unless there is a teddy bear or a pillow they can't sleep because that even adults I found you know like children they put their thumb there Chushi we call it that same habit continues in different formations throughout our life some people can't sleep with light some people cannot sleep without light some people go to bed with some music playing some people they need to drink a little bit so from morning till evening from birth to death it is a habit, habit and habit so Swamiji says our character is the sum total of these marks and according as some particular wave prevails one takes that tone if good prevails one becomes good if wildness one becomes wicked if joyfulness one becomes happy the only remedy for bad habits is counter habits this is again Swamiji's own experience and also Swamiji is taking the cue from Patanjali in Patanjali's language which we will come in future is how do we change a habit I mean a bad habit into a good habit Pratipaksha Bhavana what is our problem? Habit in up here in the intellect we know what is right we know what is good we know what should be done what should not be done but our mind doesn't listen you know there is a song ke jana re kalikam baman hoye dhurbesh vashi that is a dwarf wants to catch hold of the moon it's a very symbolic type of song what it means is we know that we are dwarfs and yet we want to catch the moon is it possible? yes it is possible how? not by yourself but by the grace blessings of God Guru Sri Ramakrishna Holy Mother etc it is quite possible so how can unhelpful injurious habits can be changed into beneficial Kalyanavahini how is it? Pratipaksha Bhavana means just make opposite habits if you are thinking and that thing your thought is not good then what is the way? the way is I don't want to think this thought I don't want to think this thought that is not the way what is the way? think of the opposite think exactly of the opposite Pratipaksha means opposite exact diametrically opposite thought this is the only way when you are depressed and it is very common for us to be depressed what should be the Pratipaksha Bhavana? what should be the opposite thought? of great enthusiasm of great energy anti-depression so how can we do that? go on doing things which will give you more happiness this is wonderful sometimes devotees come and tell me previously I used to do my japa meditation great enthusiasm now it is dead and I say I ask them what do you enjoy? and he says sometimes I watch movies and enjoy he said before going to meditation watch a movie which makes you very happy after that go do meditation it makes a difference because if you go with the idea oh my god now I have to meditate what a thought be happy if you first fill your mind with happiness and then go and do something anything that's why they say a good exercise eat something very nice you enjoy and wait a little time then go on the depression thought before it takes place your meditation will be over this is what I mean you have a depressive thought and suppose you are eating something very nice you like enjoy and that keeps the depression away for some time before it returns you finish your meditation you will be a better person these are the practical hints Swamiji is telling that all the bad habits that have left their impressions are to be controlled by good habits go on doing good thinking holy thoughts continuously that is the only way to suppress base impressions never say any man is hopeless because he only represents a character a bundle of habits which can be checked by new and better ones character is repeated habits and repeated habits alone can reform character you know Swamiji when he went to the parliament of religions how did he address people how did he start his speech brothers and sisters of America was he is it just a conventional word or was he really saying that you are all really my brothers and sisters how can a realized soul see anybody as a non-self that is not possible he sees everything everyone everything everyone as God now I remember suddenly this remembrance came how a bad habit is to be encountered with a good habit you know Swamiji himself gives an example from his life he said one day once I was in Varanasi and one day I was going to the temple Durga temple and there were huge broods of monkeys and he was frightened then he they started chasing he started running and the more he was running the more they were after him then an old monk who was passing that way and whom the monkeys did not bother because they knew he was not frightened he said face the brood later on many times he repeats that word face the brood and what did he do this time he faced the monkeys and then the moment he faced them they ran away it's a wonderful example previously what was his habit whenever this danger this kind of danger threatened him he was apt to run away but now this time he took the advice of the old monk and he faced the moment he faced they ran away and do you think in future what would be his reaction whenever he encounters such things he would always face the brood and this is the only way face the brood is a very symbolic significant word brood it doesn't mean only monkeys or something it is to any difficulty in life including spiritual difficulty I am here God is there how can we meet I meet God yes you are here but what does it mean face the brood that means say oh mind okay will it will take a long time doesn't matter but I will do it face the brood face the depression face the negative thoughts face everything this is the only way in fact if Guru is gracious what do you think you are going to do you face the brood he doesn't destroy the brood he makes you face the brood Ravindranath Tagore's beautiful song where there are difficulties do not shield me protect me but give me the courage to lift up my head beautiful song that's what Swami Vivekananda is trying to tell us so how can we control our thoughts to become yogi we have to control our thoughts and these thoughts are controllable only through repeated practice and dispassion intense dispassion and what is repeated practice abhyasa he is giving a special specific definition tatra sthitau yathna abhyasaha and before that I must give you this those who know Sanskrit how to control the thoughts abhyasa vairagyabhyam tan nirodhaha tat means thoughts nirodhaha means absolute mastery mastery over the thoughts how is it to be achieved abhyasa vairagyabhyam dvandrasamasa abhyasa vairagyabhyam abhyasa means repeated practice vairagya means intense dispassion without these two it is not possible to control the thoughts now the 13th aphorism says what is practice tatra sthitau yathna abhyasaha tatra means keeping a particular aim in mind as I want to control my mind and you do not move from that position tatra sthitau that means I want to be the master I want to control my thoughts it's not so easy every single thought tries to dislodge us you try to say I am a happy person a yogi is a happy person I am a happy what is a happy fellow you are the most unhappy fellow in this whole world you can't even lift a small pin and you are claiming yourself this is the thought that comes what do you have to say your own mind is putting all these obstructions that thought should be now I have taken a vow in the name of God I promised my guru I will do my japa meditation every day initiation means what do you know what is initiation one way of speaking not its correct definition you know mantra deeksha we call it you can get the mantra from the books from the internet you search in the internet you get all the mantras but why take it from a guru it's a kind of promise and say my teacher I promise you I will follow what you instructed me to do to take this vow is one of the meanings of mantra deeksha another meaning also I gave what is that it's a new birth when a brahmin boy at the age of 8 or 12 he gets second birth you know when he gets the sacred thread that's why he is called twice born every devotee who is initiated is also twice born he promises his guru and incidentally every brahmin boy who has been invested with sacred thread later on he goes on putting this thread you know sacred thread it is called sacred thread why is it called a sacred thread because that thread is a bondage he bound himself with that thread but what is it with which he bound himself it is a sacred vow what is that sacred vow I will become sacred I will become spiritual and there are if you observe three strands the thread which the person wears has got three strands then multiples of three it could be nine it could be 27 etc so what does these three strands mean you know what it means it means body, speech and mind I will control myself and strive to lead a spiritual life through the control of body, speech and mind Bhagavad Gita explains what is called austerity bodily austerity austerity of speech and austerity of the mind so I take a vow in front of God my Guru that I will practice how long my whole life I will do that it is I bind myself that is why always he is supposed to wear that as a reminder I have taken a vow you know curiously only those who observe swamis or pujaris priests doing puja special puja especially when we do Homa etc if you had noticed it see we take one special grass called Darbha and make a ring and then I wear it what is that ring meant for it is to remind me I have undertaken a sacred vow to perform this particular type of worship you will notice every time anybody does it he will do it in fact in the olden times they used to wear either a brass ring or a silver ring and that ring is not meant for ornamental purpose it is meant to remind oneself and in this connection I will also remind what does a man do when he gets married what does he do he gives a ring to his wife future wife that is what is the significance have you ever wondered it may be diamond ring it may be any type of ring but have you ever wondered why ring and why not a car wheel because it's a constant reminder you know in the olden days when another man looks at this woman oh she is married so I should not run after her and similarly Hindu women they wear something called Mangalya Sutra what is the idea the moment a man looks at a woman Mangalya Sutra we call it a sign of auspiciousness that is why they will do everything to protect that it is a simple thread you know when we'll marry what do they do a thread with turmeric they tie around the neck of the woman not ornament or anything later on they will substitute it for an ornament etc what is the point point is it is a reminder for her that I am taking a vow I am devoted to this lady and the husband also takes a vow you know that seven steps going around the fire it is also a vow we are bound according to Hindus not for one life for the day until we reach perfection then only freedom will be there this is the sacred meaning but you know we have forgotten because nobody tells us the ring is meant to ring something in our minds what is it that we are wedded to each other we are bound to this that same ring during Homa during worship one wears with a sacred mantra anyway that's incidentally repeated practice go on practicing and when that practice becomes steadfast when the person cannot live without that practice then he is established in the practice only then he can say a simple example suppose a man is decided I will get up one hour earlier early morning he is habituated say to get up at seven o'clock now he wants to get up at six o'clock and what does he do he buys a alarm clock and puts the alarm at six o'clock every day he is putting 50 years he was waking up at six o'clock as soon as the alarm goes and then the alarm also dies one day it dies so the day it died he got up as usual at seven o'clock what does that show his practice has not become a habit because habit is something wonderful it's a H-A-B-I-T remove H what remains? a bit remove A what remains? bit remove B what remains? it remains so hard when a practice becomes that kind of habit then that part of worry on our part is over then we don't need to worry every day we will go we will do meditation whether you enjoy it or not you cannot do without it in fact you know like just imagine a day you get up and deliberately you forget to brush your teeth do you feel happy? it has become a habit for us to take bath in the morning and to brush our teeth and all those things have become habits good habits I would say so this is how we have to go to establish ourselves firmly in that particular habit that is called repeated practice continuous struggle to keep the vrittis or mental modifications perfectly restrained is practice what is practice? the attempt to restrain the mind in chitta form or to prevent its going out into waves so this there is a beautiful Sanskrit word for that the continuity of the mind devoid of all fluctuations is called prashanta vahita now let me make it clear before we go further we are talking about practice what is practice? to keep the mind not running in various directions but to run in one direction and that too to run into the direction of God these two points first let the mind not break into various types of thoughts let there be one thought and that thought also not any thought but it is a thought of God and the struggle to make the mind so that it is without fluctuations that is called abhyasa there is a beautiful example given of meditation dhyana you know what is how dhyana is meditated? like a flow of oil from one vessel into another vessel taila dharavat that is the idea or Bhagavad Gita gives another example you know in a room where there is no wind a lamp a candle is burning so what happens when wind blows? the candle goes flickers here and there but when there is no wind what happens? it is absolutely rock steady to keep the mind the thought flowing like that on one idea without any fluctuation that is called meditation and how difficult it is continuously struggling to restrain so that the mind doesn't have any fluctuation but there will be thought thought will be there this is only practice but it will not go into one thought doesn't lead into another thought it will be only one thought continuously that thought goes on flowing in Sanskrit it is called prashantavahita like a beautifully calm river flowing river very calmly flowing because there is no breeze there is no wind there are no storms and there is nothing to make it break out into ripples it is flowing very beautifully towards the ocean this is another example that's why river is game where does the river flow? it always flows into the ocean and what is ocean? scientifically what is ocean? ocean is the mother of every river what happens? the sun raises through its rays the water of the ocean and through the form of clouds the sun makes them go some high places and then he again lets the water down and that water again flows pure water we are making so many attempts to make to bring out good water from oceans you know so many countries do not have rivers etc middle east etc God is doing that work for us all the time free of cost and what do we do? we put poison so that even we cannot touch that water all the river whether it is in India here here unbearably we discharge all the poisons there and then what do we do? we pay money so that they what is called? distill this water and then clean it and put it and they charge heavily British gas British water for both getting the water and then taking out the water also both ways the charges whereas God has been giving these things freely to us we make so much of these things so this is called Prashanta Vahita it's a beautiful Sanskrit word Prashanta means absolutely calm and unrippled flow but where is it flowing? towards this effort to make our mind flow calmly towards God or our goal is called Abhyasa that is by definition so a quotation is given from another Upanishad called Mundaka this self is realized not by one who has no energy not by one who is subject to delusion nor by knowledge devoid of real renunciation but when the wise man exerts himself with energy, knowledge and renunciation his soul reaches the abode of Brahman this is a beautiful thought it must be done with energy it must be done with knowledge and it must be done with renunciation this is the definition then we move on to the next so when does this habit practice? when can we say it has reached its culmination? yes, I did develop this habit when can we say? so the 14th aphorism sa tu dheergha kaala nairantarya satkara aasevito dhridha bhoomihi but that means practice becomes dhridha bhoomi is absolutely unshakable habit what is a habit? even unconsciously we behave according to that habit even unconsciously when you are dreaming are you doing it consciously or unconsciously? so you know you dream somebody is coming and then beating you up black and blue you know what happens? who created that? and how did you create that? you go on thinking these thoughts when in waking state and you suppress them but in dreams they become very very lively as though that is reality but nobody else you know another example I give you is children they have nightmares when does one have nightmare? daytime or night time? night time and why do the children have nightmares? because just before going to sleep what do they do? they read nightmarish books and all the goblins how goblins and all those things coming and trying to and what do you think? a child's mind is filled with imagination he thinks imagination is real and when such a thing happens what do you think? he vividly imagines that's all that's called nightmare what did Swami Vivekananda what type of sleep he used to have? tell me you are all devotees of Shri Ramakrishna you read the life of Swami Vivekananda you remember two things he used to go to sleep fall asleep seeing a growing light he used to merge himself in that that is one he used to have another type of nightmare what was that? first he used to think I am a king I can get whatever I want in this world even in that nightmare he was the king but that nightmare becomes a daymare how? he used to say I am a monk wandering monk wandering on the face of the earth totally dependent upon God and that with that thought he used to go to sleep what type of dreams we have? just imagine so if you have a bad dream you just don't blame anybody else but how to have good dreams? can we have good dreams? every single night? yes how can we have good dreams? our whole day must be spent with good dreams good imaginations read good books think good thoughts meditate upon what we have heard what we have read Shri Ramakrishna's words Swamiji's words Holy Mother's words contemplate their lives divine sports I told you many times one beautiful story it is worth repeating one devotee asked a Swami how can I develop devotion to God? he said very easy morning you read stories of women being kidnapped at noon read the stories of gambling and night read the stories of stealing the devotee was puzzled I asked you a question how to develop devotion and you are advising me to read women being kidnapped and gambling and stealing whole day every single day morning noon and then night you read these kind of stories what did he mean? morning you read Ramayana story of Rama noon you read Mahabharata and night you read Bhagavatam if a man goes on reading those things or you can substitute them Bhagavad Gita or Shri Ramakrishna's life morning you read Great Master afternoon you read Swami Vivekananda night you read Holy Mother's Gospel or Shri Ramakrishna's Gospel you will see that later on you will never have bad dreams at all every single day takes time don't come tomorrow to tomorrow day after tomorrow and say yesterday I read only these three things I had very bad dreams so this is what it is called this practice becomes perfect it becomes really wonderful practice when means long time long time means many many lives Nairantarya means it's a morning I do five minutes meditation cartoon is there you know one disciple goes to his guru and said for the last three days according to your advice I meditated two minutes in the morning two minutes in the evening and I have not yet realized God life after life we have to go on you remember the parable of Shri Ramakrishna two yogis sitting that much of faith we must have even if I have to be reborn as many times as there are leaves and on this tree under which I am sitting I am happily going to do it because that is what I really want to achieve that determination will soon bring the results so what is Nairantarya means without break there should be no break so long that there is a beautiful saying in Sanskrit आसुप्तेह आम्रृतेह ब्रह्मचिन्तनया कालं नयेत आसुप्तेह means from the time we get up until the time we go to bed we should think of Brahma then आम्रृतेह रृति means death until from birth until we die that means from the time we become aware what we should do until we give up this body until that time कालं नयेत time should be spent how? ब्रह्मचिन्तनया with the thoughts of God it's a beautiful talk we will discuss it in our future class सत्कार सत्कार means with great love great reverence great faith love, reverence and faith that what Sri Ramakrishna said what scriptures say and what our elders say it's absolutely true I may not be experiencing that truth now but it is true if I continue I am also going to experience the same truth for myself I become liberated this is most wonderful sutra which we will discuss in our next class the subject is going to get a little more tough in the next few classes until it becomes easier later on this is only because of the ground once we are grounded in these fundamentals understanding then we can proceed very fast but it's a very enjoyable experience Aum Shanti Shanti Shanti