Patanjali Yoga Sutras Lecture 106

Full Transcript(Not Corrected)

Om Sahanaavavatu Sahanaubhunakthu Saaveeryam Karavavahai Tejasvinavaditamastumavidvishavahai Om Shanti Shanti Shanti Hari Om Om Yogena Chittasyapadena Vacham Malam Sharirasya Javaidhyakena Yopakarottam Pravaram Muhilam Patanjalim Praanjali Rana Tosmi 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. In our last class, we had dealt with one of the most wonderful aphorisms we could ever come across in the spiritual literature. What is the root cause of bondage? Our desires. And what is the root cause of the desire? Vasana. Past experience produces a deep impression in our mind and it is there. So this impression from the many many many past lives is called Vasana. That produces desire again and again and this desire produces actions. Desires impel, translate into actions. Actions are of two types, righteous and unrighteous, Dharma and Adharma. And Dharma and Adharma produce Sukha and Dukha, happiness and unhappiness. And happiness and unhappiness produce attachment and aversion. Whichever object gives us happiness, we are running towards it. And whichever object doesn't give us happiness, gives us pain, we are running away from it. So this is how this wheel of samsara, transmigration is going on and on and on. Why is Patanjali telling us this thing? Because find out the root cause of our problem. If there is a problem, that means we are seeking a solution. It is a psychological principle that if there is a problem, it doesn't allow us to sit quiet. It makes us seek a solution for it. So if we are in bondage, we are seeking a solution. In our earlier classes, I pointed out what Vedanta tells us. Why is the mind so restless? The whole problem of transmigration is because of desire. And Buddha himself had confirmed it. He said the whole life is nothing but suffering. And what is the root cause of suffering? Desire. What is the way out? Get rid of the desire. And how to get rid of the desire? So life is suffering. Suffering is because of desire. The way out is to get rid of this desire. Trishna. Tanaha. And how to get rid of it? He gave us a graduated practical program called the eight-stepped way. Like right resolution etc. After all, he was a hidden Vedantin. He was a true Vedantin. Now, the Patanjali Rishi's eight steps and Buddha's eight steps are absolutely, if we analyze, there is a lot of similarity. In fact, there cannot be any difference between the teachings of any great sage. You go to any religion, any saint, any sage, everyone teaches the same thing. Because there are only two things in this world. There is either truth or untruth. If it is truth, no problem. If it is untruth, how many untruths are there? There is only one untruth. How many truths are there? Only one truth. How many untruths are there or could be there? Only one. But that one untruth manifests itself in innumerable ways. We are all running after truth only. But we are mistaking untruth for truth. Who says? Vedanta says. Who says? Patanjali says. What does Patanjali say? What is the root cause of this transmigration? Avidya, ignorance. What is avidya? To take the unreal for the real, the impure for the pure, unhappiness for happiness and the temporary as permanent. That is the characteristic of ignorance. And from that point of view, we are all ignorant people only. But what Patanjali and Vedanta want to point out is our real quest is not untruth. Supposing you are in search of a person who can love you and at last you think you have found out and you ask that person, Do you love me? If that person were to reply, I will be very truthful with you. I don't love you. I hate you. But I pretend to love you. So would you be attracted to that person? We are all in that condition. We are searching, searching everywhere like a musk deer. Vedanta gives this example. The musk deer is fascinated, is hypnotized, mesmerized by a fragrant smell coming out of its own navel. But it doesn't know it is coming out of its own navel. So it's running like mad, thinking that the fragrance is emanating from somewhere else. So we are all searching. For whom? For ourselves. We are searching for reality. We are searching for truth. And where is that reality and truth? I am the reality. I am the ultimate truth. But meanwhile, we are caught. So how do we get to our own self? Stop running. How can I stop running? Because I am getting at least some pleasure, some joy, even though it is temporary. When we say here false, we have to be very careful about it. Not that it doesn't exist. In Vedantic terminology, when we say that we are running after this transmigratory world or objects of the world, it never means we are running after something false. What Vedanta means to say is you are running after that which gives you only a little bit of happiness for a short time and the price is extremely heavy. Why? Because according to Vedanta, there is no devil. There is no Saturn. Everything is only God. God is infinite. God is eternal. Besides God, there cannot be anything else, logically. And that's why there is no Saturn, there is no untruth, there is no falsehood. But for some reason, we think we are after truth, we are after partial truth, limited truth and we think that is the entire truth. This most beautiful teaching idea has been given by Sri Ramakrishna in the form of the four blind men touching an elephant. Everyone is, mind you, very beautiful parable. All were blind. All of them were touching what? They were not touching anything other than an elephant. Where is their blindness? That they were mistaking whatever they were touching for the whole of the elephant. If we can understand that analogy, we can understand whenever we meet somebody, some object, which we think is giving us either happiness or unhappiness. In fact, it is a limited understanding of that object. When we understand that object completely, 100%, that object disappears. Then what remains? I remain. Subject remains. When there is no object, the subject also disappears in fact. The point is, we are all evolving slowly but surely towards that highest reality called my own self, true self. And we are forced to love everything else. Our love towards anything else is not a false love. It is a limited love. Limited means what? In time, in space, it is limited. And therefore, we cannot sustain that love. But if we can change our glasses, if we can change our vision, our outlook, then what we see that there is actually nothing else excepting me. A small analogy, you know. Supposing there is a mirror and you are standing in front of it. Imagine that the mirror is broken into a hundred pieces and every piece of that mirror is reflecting none other than oneself only. But we are focusing on a particular reflection and then saying this is me. The other one is not me. That's our problem. If we can see that every piece of mirror is reflecting none other than me, that is the true vision. That is our true goal. Point is, in our last class, what we discussed is how do we put an end to this limited vision and obtain a universal vision. How to do that? First find out this chain of causes. What is the chain of causes? Here is an object and the object is producing a desire in us and that desire is influenced heavily by our past experience and this past experience is stored in the form of memory in our mind. This is the chain. Here is the memory, here is the desire, here is the mind and here is the object. Where is the weakest link? Do you want to remove the impression? Almost impossible. Do you want to remove the desire? Almost impossible. Do you want to forget about it? Almost impossible. I say almost impossible because it is not impossible. In the ultimate end, it is possible. But what we have to remember is it is very difficult. What is the weakest link? The objects with which we come into contact, that is the grossest, weakest link. So stop it. When Shri Ramakrishna says cultivate satsanga, he means this that whichever object makes you go towards bondage, you avoid that. And whichever object makes you evolve, go towards God, gives more not fragmentary view but unitive view, you move towards that. It is called satsanga. What is holy company? It teaches us do not be affected by anything in this world. First of all, avoid these objects because the moment an object comes across, that object has an influence upon us even unconsciously. In my past classes, I have given the example of how even one cursory glance of some object retains its image in our mind in the form of memory and at the time of experiencing that it may not at all affect us or we may be in a very high mind but the same image comes in vivid colours tempting us when we are temptable, in the mood of temptable. I just briefly mention this most wonderful principle which I have mentioned many times and it requires mentioning many more times. No object in this world is capable of influencing or changing our mind unless we develop that mind-set which makes us capable of being influenced. When we are ready, then the object is ready to tempt us. When we are not ready, the object gives an entirely different meaning. But what we discussed is slowly move away from the object until you have that divine vision. Then you live in the midst of it. Swami Vivekananda at one point used to say something wonderful. When I was young, I used to move away even 10 miles to avoid places of temptation. Today I can live in the house of an ill-reputed house and how can you do that? Because his mind is now not vulnerable because it has acquired an entirely divine vision. Again I will give those examples. Therefore, he is not a temptable. It's very important to remember this principle. Whenever your mind is influenced for either good or for bad, the object has absolutely no influence upon us. It is our mind-set. When it is ready, it's influenced. When it is not ready, it won't be influenced. I gave the last class I think. Example, I repeat it. If you present a Rolls Royce car to a baby, what do you think? The baby will be tempted. It will be tempted to give you a slap. Because what is it going to do with a Rolls Royce car? But if you give a toy car, then it will embrace you. Mama, I love you. The whole world is like that. When does it love us? When its purpose is served. Not when our purpose is not served. We move on to the 12th aphorism. अतीत अनागतम् स्वरूपतः अस्ति अध्वभेतात् धर्माणम् There is the form and expression we call past, and the form and expression we call future, and the form and expression we call the present. All these exist within the object at all times. Form and expression vary according to time, past, present or future. This again is one of the most wonderful aphorisms. What it means is, earlier I gave the summary of what we spoke, also an introduction to this particular thing. Okay sir, it is so difficult, even according to you, it is extremely difficult to get out of this transmigratory existence because these memories are so strong. Then how am I to get out of that circle? And here he is giving, will there come a time when all these vasanas, all these impressions, all these objects are, in a simple words, will there be a time when this whole world will be destroyed? According to Vedanta, no. This creation is eternal. I will give you an example to make this point very clear. Here is a man and in semi-darkness he sees something and he mistakes it for a snake. But when light comes, light is brought to him and daylight comes, the person knows, I have been wrong, there is no snake, there was no snake, there will not be any snake, but there is only a rope. This is a very commonly employed analogy in Vedanta, but with deep meaning. Point is, will the snake ever be destroyed? So long as the rope is there, will the snake ever get destroyed? There is always a possibility, you may not mistake, somebody else will mistake, or even you can mistake, provided the conditions are right. What is the condition? It should not be too light, it should not be too dark. So when you are in that condition, when you are seeing something, so long as there is that something, the possibility of a snake will not vanish. That is what Vedanta is telling. Creation is eternal. Why is it eternal? What is creation? God is eternal. What is creation? Mistaking God for creation is like mistaking a rope for a snake. So long as there is a rope, there would be possibility of a snake. So long as there is God, there is a possibility of... So we are all seeing God in semi-darkness. Such a marvellous analogy, the whole world is mistaking, excepting a few enlightened souls. Enlightened souls. Enlightened means what? They brought very powerful torch light and they see the rope as rope only. All of us see that rope in various forms, in various ways. So long as there is God, there will be world. Why? Because the world is not coming out of God. According to Advaita view, the world is nothing but God. So this is beautifully stated. You know the definition in Sanskrit for God. Sat, Chit and Ananda. Sat plus Chit plus Ananda plus Nama plus Rupa. Name and form. What is world? God with name and form is another name for the world. World minus name and form is what? God. If you remove name and form, then what happens to the world? Is. World is. God is. What is the difference? Just now I mentioned God plus name and form. Remove name and form. God is and world is. What is the difference between is and is? Here is a chair. Here is a table. What is the difference between the chair and a table? It is only name and form. So you break the chair into pieces. You break the table also into pieces. What remains is nothing but wood. Then you don't say there are two separate pieces of woods. Simply you say wood, wood. That's it. So the difference is adding this name and form. And who adds it? Our mind adds it. Who adds it? Our mind adds it. Our mind is like a colored specks. So when we put on this colored specks, what is this color? There are specks you know. How many eyes we have? Two. How many glasses will be there? Two. What are those glasses? One is called Nama. Another is called Rupa. By four colors. Name and form. So whatever we look at, through these specks, they are bound to appear. They name and form. What is the world? God looked at as name and form. The existence of the world, the existence of the God is absolutely one and the same. There are no two existences. Because they are not two separate objects. The rope and snake are not two separate objects. When you see the rope, you don't see the snake. And when you see the snake, you don't see the rope. Just imagine what a mind-boggling example they have given. When you see the snake, you don't see the rope at all. And so all fear etc. will come. Suppose there is no rope. Can you see the snake? No. Along with the disappearance of the rope, the disappearance of snake also will take place. When God disappears, the world also will disappear. Until that time, the world will be there. So according to Advaita Vedanta, the idea is God and world are not two separate substances. But wood plus name and form is chair. God plus name and form is world. Therefore creation is eternal. What is creation? Not producing something. Adding to the substance one particular name and form. What a beautiful idea it is. Suppose there is a piece of marble. A marble rock. And you look at it. A child looks at it. And a dog looks at it. Suppose this piece of marble stone is lying in a corner. You see it. A snake also sees it. A dog also sees it. What do you think the dog is going to do? The point is, can you imagine a most beautiful form in that unsculpted stone? What does the sculptor do really? Is he creating a new substance, new object from that piece of marble? He just chips away. That means he gives a particular shape and gives a particular name. Whether it is man or woman or an animal or whatever it is. And now everybody stares at it. Suppose it is made into a beautiful dog. Exactly. Do you know what it is? It also looks, glares at it and where from this new dog has come? What is the point? So long as there is world, that is God. So long as there is God, that is the world. Point is, our temptations will not cease. Objects will not cease. So long there is an object, we are prone to subject in one state of mind. So earlier you said, you get out of these objects. How long are you going to run away from these objects? Forever you cannot run away. What does it mean to run away? When you get that sufficient right frame of mind, spiritual frame of mind, you go to that very object and that very object which had dragged you into this cycle of illusion, now that very object will open your eyes to the right vision and you will be able to see God in it. I will give an illustration, maybe a bit crude. Imagine, here is a beautiful image of a most beautiful woman carved in marble. You know how realistic they can do it? And here is a young man bubbling with worldly desires. He looks at that picture, at that image and what do you think the reaction that is created in that person's mind? Only thoughts of desire, temptations will be there. But imagine, this man has developed such a frame of mind that he sees every woman as a manifestation of the Divine Mother. Such a man, as soon as he sees, Oh Mother, how beautiful you are looking at. We will come to those illustrations. So what has changed? The object has not changed. What has changed? The frame of reference, the mental attitude of that person has changed. What is spirituality? It is to change our mind into the right vision, right what is called lens, light specks. When do we get right specks? When we become a spectator. Who is a spectator? One who wears the right type of spectacles is a spectator. And when we become a spectator witnessing this whole world as a play of the Divine Mother, we become free. You are enjoying it because you know it is a play of the Divine. That is called Leela. What is in this particular twelfth aphorism is telling, my child, the disciple is telling, how can I get out of these impressions? How can I do that? First, in the beginning, you run away from the objects. Because when you run away from the objects, the memory which is there inside already, it becomes weakened. It is there, don't forget. It is not gone, but it becomes weakened. That's why we say in English language, out of sight, out of mind. Meanwhile, I will just turn away my face and my mind will become great. No, you have to do something else. So the whole of the second chapter, Sadhanapada, spiritual practice is dealing what we should do. What Patanjali is telling us is, do not think you will be a saint when the world disappears. Is it possible? Yes, it is possible. When is it possible? Ramakrishna gives an analogy. There was a man who wanted to take bath in the sea. So he sat down there. When all the waves of the ocean subside, then I will go and take nice bath there. He is still sitting there. Yes, it is possible. When one day, after means, the ocean itself disappears, then no need to take bath also. Do you think anytime the waves will subside? So what to do? Close your eyes, plunge into there and take your bath and run away. This is the only way. What is the point I am making? This world is not going to disappear. World means what? Objects in the world are not going to disappear. We have to change our vision. And how to change that vision? The whole of the second chapter practically, Sadhanapada, has been elaborately explained therein. In this, we are connecting this twelfth aphorism and say, these objects of temptations as well as your desires within your mind. So the world is in two forms always. One is the external objects which we experience and the internal mind with which we experience the external world. And it is not the same. It differs from one person to the other person. That is what Patanjali Rishi says, that there is a past and a present and a future of all these objects as well as our vasanas, impressions. They will be there. But if there is past, we cannot experience them. If they are in the future, we cannot experience them right now. Right now, what we experience is what we experience in the present, that which is in front of our eyes. But do not get deluded that they will disappear because you don't see them. That's why Sri Ramakrishna used to always warn, Sadho, Savdhan, you may think you are in a high mood. Again, I will give you, even at the cost of repetition. Two young people came to Holy Mother. The devotees know and if you have heard my talks also, you know this. Many number of times I use. Both of them were disciples of Holy Mother and both of them declared their intention. One man said, I want to become a monk. The other man said, I want to get married. At that time, the mindset of both of them was in that state. The man who wanted to become genuinely wanted to be a monk. The man who wanted to get married, he understood. At that time, that my mind is full of desires, there is no use pretending that I don't have desires. Let me get married and enjoy and suffer like anybody else and slowly overcome. Holy Mother, she gave appropriate example. She said to the man who wanted to become a monk, that you better get married. And she told the other man who wanted to get married, don't get married, do not worry, everything will be alright. Sri Ramakrishna is going to protect you. I am going to protect you. And a few years passed. Sometime means what? Few years passed. Then the man who married, at first he regretted, why my Guru is giving this wrong advice. But later on he realized, had I become a monk, I would have been extremely bad monk. Because at that time, these samskaras were in future, manifest as future. As present, they were not manifest. The man who wanted to get married, at that time those samskaras are manifest. But the monkish, monastic tendencies within him were hidden. They are going to be manifest. Holy Mother, she gave advice. Based upon what? She could see in the future, both these samskaras will change. And she gave the appropriate advice. And it turned out, both of them were extremely grateful for Holy Mother, for guiding their lives aright. What a beautiful thing. But those great souls, they had that capacity to see it. What Patanjali wants to tell us through this aphorism is, nothing is destroyed. Neither the objects in the world is destroyed, nor the impressions in our minds are destroyed. Well sir, if they are not destroyed, how am I going to progress in spiritual life? The advice is, not to destroy, but redirect them towards a higher goal. This example also is there. One future monastic member of Sri Ramakrishna, his disciple who was to become a monk, he approached him and said, I suffer from lust. What can I do? And Sri Ramakrishna's advice was, don't conquer it, increase it a thousandfold. I am suffering as it were right now, and you ask me to increase it a thousandfold. No. Sri Ramakrishna did not stop there. He says, increase it and direct it towards God. What is lust after all? I want to be happy. So who can give happiness? Only God can give happiness. That is being said here. Even though at this moment only the samskaras are manifest in the present form, they had a past, they are going to have a future. That means what? They cannot be destroyed. Desire cannot be destroyed. The essence of the whole aphorism is, desire cannot be destroyed. Then how can I realize God? Because it is the desire which is bringing me to bondage, change the nature of the desire. What is it? You are desiring ephemeral things. Now you desire eternal things, which is God. For that there are certain techniques are there, already we have discussed about it. So the essence of this twelfth aphorism is, nothing in this world is going to be destroyed. Objects of temptation will themselves become objects of self-improvement, objects of spiritual aid in course of time, and they will take us to God. So what needs to be changed? Our attitude towards them and the direction they are taking us, that can be changed through self-effort. Now the basis of this discussion, this theory which we have been discussing, is expressed in the thirteenth aphorism, They are either manifest or subtle, according to the nature of the gunas. Here is the beautiful answer. Everything in this universe is a manifestation of Prakruti. What is Prakruti? Prakruti consists of three gunas. By this time you must be familiar. Three gunas. What are those? Sattva, Rajas and Tamas. This table. Is it a manifestation of the gunas? Yes. Here is a human being. Is he a manifestation of the gunas? Yes, he is a manifestation of gunas. A personal God, Ishwara. Is he a manifestation of the gunas? Yes. That's why, funnily we tell you, Brahman is of two categories. The personal and the impersonal. God with form and qualities. God without form and without qualities. Saguna and Nirguna. Nirguna, that can never be described. Because when there is no form, there is no name, there is no qualities, how are you going to describe? Because description, by definition, is to talk about these three. Names, forms and attributes. If you want to describe something which is beyond these three, it is an impossible thing. What is the funny thing? Funny thing is, who is Saguna Brahma? Saguna Brahma is a married Brahma. Whom did he marry? Maya. Who is Saguna Brahma? Mrs. Maya's husband. Who is Maya? Mrs. Brahman. When Brahman is with Maya, we don't use those words, but he is married. Ever since he is married, his condition is deplorable. The whole problem has come. That was the first, marriage is the first mistake, and after first child is the second mistake, and then the subsequent children are there, more mistakes, still more mistakes, and we are all mistakes of this Saguna Brahma. Married Brahma. The point is, nothing in this world can be destroyed. Because whatever is existing, and existence can never come to non-existence. That which is existing can never become non-existent. Let me read the commentary a little bit. Let me also come back to the 14th aphorism. Parinama ekatvat vastu tattvam. Since the gunas work together, within every change of form and expression, there is a unity in all things. Here is the commentary. The Gita teaches, especially the 16th verse of the 2nd chapter. Na sato vidyate bhavo na bhavo vidyate satah ubhaya rapi dhrushyantah anayo tattva-darshabhihi The translation is, that which is non-existent can never come into being, and that which is can never ceases to be. The forms and expressions of any object may change, but all these changes of form and expression have existed, and will continue to exist potentially within the object. The past and the future exist within the object in an unmanifested subtle form. Nevertheless, they are there. Nothing in the universe is lost, can be lost. Gross manifestation, that is to say, a visible and tangible object, or they may project a subtle manifestation, not apparent to the senses. Further, they may alter their interrelationship, so that for example, rajas becomes dominant in place of sattva, in which case, the form of the object may change entirely. But since the three gunas never cease to be present in one or another combination, the object preserves an essential unity, even in the diversity of its forms and expressions. Hence we see, that the same mind exists essentially throughout the many rebirths of the individual. It is only the play of the gunas that makes the mind alter its form and expression in different incarnations. Now, seeing predominantly evil, now seeing predominantly good. In the mind of a good man, the past evil impressions still exist in subtle form and the future impressions, whatever they are to be, also exist in the same mind. If this is the truth, how then is liberation possible? Patanjali has already answered several times. He has stated his answer in aphorism 2 of this chapter. Our subconscious tendencies, he says, have their basis in the mind. Therefore a man must cease to identify himself with the mind in order to win liberation. When he knows beyond doubt that he is the Atman and not the mind, he is made free from his karma. The mind of a liberated soul, with all its present, past and future impressions, has no longer any existence as a phenomenal object, but it is not lost. It is resolved back into undifferentiated matter, Prakruti. There is a Hindu saying that the knowledge of the illumined soul turns both present and future into the past. The language is a little bit confusing. Let me simplify the whole matter. There is only one object in this world. Call it object, call it subject, there is only one reality, which is called God. In our ignorant state, we see God and the world as separate. We are part of the God. What is it that sees? According to Hindu theology, Vedantic theology, personality of human being is divided into three categories. The soul, the body and the mind. Tripartite. According to the Western, it is only two, body and mind. The mind is considered as the seat of soul, as the seat of consciousness, everything. Vedanta doesn't accept. Body and mind are nothing but two different manifestations. Gross and subtle. Gross mind is called body and subtle body is called mind. There is no difference. That's why they are so close. That is why psychosomatic theory, you know, if there is a body, it can influence the mind and the mind also in its turn can influence the body. We are all victims of this 24 hours a day, excepting when we are in deep sleep. Because at that time, we go out of the identity with the mind. We don't say we are the mind. Almost, not completely. Only in Samadhi, a person totally separates himself from every manifestation of Prakruti. No Prakruti. Therefore, if there is no Prakruti, his only experience is I am. He doesn't even say I am God. This is God. We say it. He doesn't say it. He need not say it. What is all this confusing language? It is like this. Nothing in this world can be destroyed. Whatever is, will be there for eternity. You can look upon whatever is, either in two ways. Either look upon it as God or look upon it as a world. Either you look upon it as one or you look upon it as many. Now, what is our state of mind? We are looking upon this world as many. And I am part of that many. And besides me, innumerable objects are there. And every object has an influence upon my mind. That is called bondage. Sometimes I am happy. Sometimes I am unhappy. Now, important point. I have already mentioned it several times. It is not the object which is influencing me. This is the greatest mistake we are making. So that object has tempted me. No, that object has not tempted me. I invited it. I am very temptable. Please, please, please tempt me. A simple funny example I am giving you. Here is a person. He or she wants to dress very nicely. So he enters into Harold's shop, dress shop. And then every dress there tempts me. And you know they put some dummies there and dress. And the dummies look extremely beautiful. And I want to look like the dummy. And when I buy that dress and put on that dress, what do I become? A dummy. The point is that why did I go to that shop? Did the shop invite you? It never invited. It has no power of inviting me. I decided that I don't look nice now. How did I decide I don't look nice now? Have you ever seen a child who ever told you, No, I don't look nice, mummy. I want some dress. It is the mummy, have you noticed, who forces the child. My child must have this dress, this dress and this. Until the child grows up, it never knows what is called nice looking, dirty looking, clean looking. All these are ideas in our brains. Not in the idea of a child. So what is the point I am making? The world is never an object of temptation. Then who is the tempter? Me. My mind. I make myself ready to be tempted. And how do I do it? Through repeated past actions. Anyway, even though it is taking time, I am giving you a beautiful example. Sri Ramakrishna's beautiful example. There was a young man. He was a monk and he never saw any woman. He was brought up by monastic members, monks exclusively. He was about 15 years old and he came one day for begging into a village. He entered near a house and he asked for food and a young lady came out. He was surprised to see this young lady. She has grown on her chest something which he had never seen before. He called the mother of that girl and said, Why is this mother suffering from the cysts? Then the mother explained, My child, these are not cysts. These are the instruments. She is female. She is going to give birth to a baby and this food is stored in this and these are for the feeding of that baby. Hearing it, he said, Oh! God has made arrangements for the food of an unborn baby. Is he not going to look after me? He must have made definitely arrangements for me. With that idea, he returned back and never came for begging again. What is the point of this illustration? When an ordinary ignorant person looks at that girl at that time, what would be the idea about that girl in that man's mind? Here is the person and he came and looked at it. What was his idea? First, he thought there is some deformity in her. Secondly, when the mother explained, instantaneously there is such tremendous transformation that God has already made arrangements for him. There is a big philosophy behind this story. I will not go, but in brief what it means is God has already arranged, created beings and he also arranged for their past, present and future and there is nothing else is going to happen excepting his will. What I am talking is from our ignorant point of view, I am responsible for my present state of bondage and so I will be responsible for my present state of release also from the bondage. I am talking from that point. But what is the highest spiritual point of view? The Divine Lord is sitting in the heart of every being and he is like a puppeteer. He is moving the whole world according to his will. Do we have any free will? From the real answer is no, we don't have a free will. Do we have a free will? Yes, by his will we have a free will. By his will we have a free will. Now is it called free will? If it is given by somebody's will, this is the truth, highest truth. But we are not in that state. Now I think I myself have earned this state. So what is the way to get out of it? It was an illusion to think that I am in this state because of my will. Equally illusion is that I will get out of this state again through my own self-effort. By the way, as a reference for you, Totapuri was the person who thought that I am responsible for everything. I was in bondage. I did spiritual practice and I got out of this bondage. I became liberated. And then some problem came. Only when problem comes, reality dawns. He wanted to give up his body as though it was his body, my body. I can do whatever I like. You know the story. He entered into the Ganges. There was no water. Then he realized it was the Divine Mother who graciously given him that beautiful sattvic mind because of which he had a desire for spiritual progress. And he practiced by her grace. He had also the highest vision. She wanted to give the full knowledge it is not your effort. It is not your will. It is my will. Ultimately he learned that lesson. And this is the lesson all of us have to learn. But at this moment, we do not go to that level. We say I am responsible for this mess and so I am responsible for getting out of this mess also. From that viewpoint of view, all these are being said. So what is the essence of this particular aphorism we are talking about? Nothing is destroyed. Mind is not destroyed. World is not destroyed. Object is not destroyed. Impressions are not destroyed. But within that circle, if we try sincerely our level best, then what happens? Slowly we change our mind by the grace of God. And when we change our mind, our idea about the world will change. That's why Swami Vivekananda made a very profound statement. As man grows, God also grows. As man grows, God also grows. Does God really grow like us? What is the meaning? Our idea about God grows, undergoes a change. We understand God, the idea of God better and better and better until the last idea that comes is that there is no God other than me. I am God. This is the highest realization. And so many religions even don't accept that even as an ideal, let alone in practical life. Even if you talk like that, they will cut off your throat. How many saints have been killed by some of the religions for saying, Anal Haq, I am that. I am God. I am Allah. But thanks to Hinduism. Hinduism is wonderful religion. I tell you, their complete spiritual democracy is given. What did we discuss in these three aphorisms is this, that nothing is going to change. Who is going to change? I am going to change. And when I change, slowly, gradually, my vision becomes clearer and clearer. And when my vision becomes absolutely, 20-20 as we call, 100% clear, then you know, this is only a vision. This is not a reality. The reality is me. That is called liberation. That is called Kaivalya. The essence of this, that is what Patanjali wants to convey through these three aphorisms. Nothing can be changed. But what is spiritual practice? Change your attitude. As you change the attitude, your idea about the object, that means about the world, also changes. It goes on changing. It becomes more clear. And still more clear. Until you behold the whole world, not as a world, but as Brahman. That is why he said, what is the essence of Vedanta? Brahmasatyam. Brahman alone is the truth. Jagat Mithya. Jagat Mithya means, you know, it is a profound statement, aphorism. What is mistaking? When we say the world is false, we should not understand it, in the sense that we are understanding. In this moment, my understanding of the world is false. You see the difference? The world is not false. My vision of the world, my understanding of the world is false. But when that falsity of my own idea is removed, then what happens? Jivo brahmaiva na paraha. You are none other than God. You are Brahman. When you realize you are Brahman, there is no world. The world itself will disappear. Not only that, Brahman also disappears. When you realize you are Brahman, Brahman also disappears, world also disappears. How to understand this profound statement? Dream is the only example. In the dream, you are walking in semi-darkness, and you see a rope, and then, what do you see? You don't see the rope. What do you see? You see the snake, and you are shouting, and then you wake up, woken up by your own shouting. And when you wake up, there is no rope, there is also no snake. What a beautiful vision this is there. But we are not woken up yet. How to wake up? For that waking up, this is the process we have to go. What is the process? You have to regularly attend my classes. Until you wake up and say, Swami is false, class is false, myself also is false, there is nothing, only I am there. You will enjoy. Om Shanti Shanti Shanti