Patanjali Yoga Sutras Lecture 108

Full Transcript(Not Corrected)

Om Sahanaavavatu Sahanaubhunatu Sahaveeryam Karavavahai Tejasvinavadhi Tamastumavidvishavahai Om Shanti Shanti Shanti Hari Om Tat Sat Om Yogena Chittasyapadena Vacham Malam Sharirasya Chavaidya Kena Yopakarottam Pravaram Muninam 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 We had concluded our last class with the 17th aphorism Tat uparaga apekshatvat chittasyavastu gnatam agnatam bhavati An object is either known or unknown depending upon the moods of the mind This is one of the most important aphorisms that we can think about Shri Ram Krishna again and again warns us Sadhu shabdhan Every object, it colours our mind in some way or the other If it is a worldly object, it colours us If it is a spiritual object, that also colours us How hard it is for us to understand I would like to dwell upon this slightly in detail Supposing we think there are some people who are devotees of God and we would like to keep their company because this is what the scriptures tell, this is what Shri Ram Krishna tells Keep company of the holy But are we able to see what is there inside? Even they sometimes, when they come into contact with us just as when we come into contact with them they can have a low type of thinking which can affect us That is why it is very important for every one of us to be on the alert Now why I quoted Shri Ram Krishna's this particular teaching? The devotee to whom he is telling this he is a devotee closely known and is loved by Shri Ram Krishna and he has an object in mind in warning this person He was warning about whom? About another devotee, you know those who are students of gospel Here is his young man disciple and he was warning about another woman disciple Both are devotees of God Why was he warning? After all it is a holy company because by nature a man and a woman are as fire and clarified butter or petrol in both ways, both sides That is first point we have to know The next point we have to know is at some points of time our mind may be in a high mood At other times it becomes very vulnerable This is a well known psychology That is why psychologists advise us Never go to any food shopping before lunch Go always after lunch It makes an enormous difference You eat your fill and then go shopping and you are likely to save money, time, energy and ill health Absolutely What is the psychology involved here? Every object has the capacity to influence us either in a good way or not in a good way Upon whom does that influence depend? It depends upon both That is until we reach certain stage of spiritual development simply avoid things to the extent that is possible But once a man reaches a particular stage then he can be free But even then Sri Ramakrishna says he is not free from the other's point of view What do I mean? There are some highly advanced spiritual aspirants They have attained to a higher state They are not affected But let us not forget when others look at his behavior there is a tendency in them to imitate Sri Ramakrishna is talking many women devotees I can also imitate Sri Ramakrishna and mix with women devotees as much as I can There is no restraint This is our wrong interpretation We are liable to interpret things in that way That is why Sri Ramakrishna's teachings are so marvellous Until you realize God do not just be strict about these rules But what happens when a man realizes God? After that it is not the person's responsibility It is God's responsibility and he will take over that body-mind and he will direct that mind what to do, how to do, with whom to mix how much to mix and when God does something he will never do anything wrong So there is another saying of Sri Ramakrishna which is to be connected in this connection An expert dancer never takes a false step So why can't he take? Because that expertise it will never allow him He habituated himself to such a great extent He will never take a wrong step It is a very interesting thought Beautiful discussions have been presented in a book called Brahma Sutras with regard to these principles we are discussing Here is a person and the scriptures tell when a person realizes God he goes beyond all rules and regulations He can do whatever he likes and he will never fall down Why he can't fall down? From a devotee's point of view this is the explanation because when a drop of water falls in the ocean now it is the ocean which determines what to do, what not to do The second point of view says a person of realization he has practiced these moral principles for such a long time in such an intense way that even his unconscious mind will not do something wrong There is no possibility of his falling at all both from the God's point of view of course he knows what is right but even from our own mind's point of view our problem with the mind is the mind is divided into two categories of which we are not really very much aware One is the conscious mind another is the unconscious mind We are all slaves from a long time to this unconscious mind All our behavior is dictated by our unconscious behavior Here is a person who has made his conscious and unconscious both he has eliminated and made them into one consciousness What is that consciousness called? Super-consciousness, God-consciousness So in God-consciousness there are no divisions that this is conscious and this is unconscious There is also another more elegant explanation A man of realization looks at everything not as an object but as a subject manifestation of God Therefore the question of falling a prey to temptations never arises I can rephrase it in this way Any one of us can be tempted when there is another object besides us When there is only one which is God who is the tempter and who is the tempted That is the idea The 17th aphorism what Patanjali is warning almost to tell us that each one of our minds it will be colored by every object every single object however insignificant the object is it has a capacity to color our mind That is the important point Whether the object is colorful or not is not the point It can color the perceiver's mind the experiencer's mind and that is where sometimes it is in a positive way sometimes it is in a neutral way and until we become free from being influenced by any object we have to be very careful about mixing with the objects The second point he wants to tell here is our mind is very limited Only when it comes into an object that object colors our mind and we have the knowledge of that object in our own colorful way because it is colored but we have some knowledge of it But there is a law here The law is at any given time the mind can comprehend only one object That means what? When our minds are thinking of one object it has totally forgotten every other object What does that mean? It means if a person's mind is preoccupied totally with one object totally that means that object alone is known to that mind and every other object remains unknown to that mind Simple I am trying to convey this profound truth Now you are looking at me hopefully and you are able to see me but are you able to see what is behind you? Even if a terrorist is pointing a gun at you and about to discharge the bullet you will not know about it What is the reason? Because your mind is not coming into contact with that object The point is we are very vulnerable The mind is very limited It is vulnerable and we are trying to progress in spiritual life and therefore we have to be extremely careful until we realise God Once we realise God the responsibility is taken over by God Until that time we have to be very very very careful about it That is the sum and substance of the 17th aphorism The 18th Patanjali has again stating a most marvellous truth What is the truth? First truth is anything known is changeable Anything known that means every object is changing but if every object is changing how does one know it is changing? There must be a subject which should not have the same quality It should have the opposite quality That means what? There must be somebody who never changes and that unchanging consciousness is able to change the witness This is a most marvellous point Keep in mind If you are saying that I see so many changes in you then you are the one who doesn't undergo the changes To know, to have knowledge of what is changing there must be a being which ever remains unchanged In this whole world the whole world is an object What is an object? Whatever is experienceable by the subject is an object and the subject and the object are diametrically opposed Why is it opposed? Every object is experienceable and every experienceable object is a changing object Every changing object is an unreliable object Every unreliable object is to be regarded as tuccha as absolutely worthless This discrimination is one of the most important things not only spiritual aspirant but I will say to everybody Take for example science Scientists are trying to find ever new truths So there is a well established theory and a brighter scientist comes and he topples the whole lot and he says this is the ultimate scientific truth How long? Until another scientist comes and he topples it Why is it? Because how is this scientist coming to this conclusion? He is subjecting particular objects for his scrutiny That means what? They are experienceable objects He is experiencing it He is interpreting it and he is looking at them He is listening to them He is touching them He is tasting them So that is what is called vastu Vastu means object and anything that is an object is changeable including the mind Even to experience something there is an instrument to experience it and what is the instrument? The mind and it is well known Just now also we discussed the mind is very limited Just now we discussed that point 17th What is it? When the mind comes into contact with any object that object becomes known to that mind The moment the mind shifts its attention and thinks of another object that first object as if it has become non-existent Mind is very limited If you use an unlimited instrument the knowledge you get through that limited instrument is also bound to be limited only Simplest example is if my eyes are very clear but I put on a black colored glass and I look at any object how does that object appear to me? Only black? That means my mind is always colored Who is there in this world? Whose mind is never colored? Only a realized soul his mind is never colored Let us recollect what Patanjali Rishi was telling at the very beginning When a person's mind becomes so pure it becomes crystal Crystal means absolutely even though it is there as if it is not there then the Purusha when he understands Oh! I am looking at my own reflection and I know what I am like But for every other person to all of us do you know what it is? Whatever thought comes into our mind we become identified You know you say I am sitting You are identified with sitting I am listening You are identified with listening Swami's speech is not so good You are identifying with Swami's speech or your version of Swami's speech I like this I am happy I am unhappy This is good This is evil These are all colorings of the mind What do I mean? They are limitations of the mind When we are using such a mind whatever knowledge we get through such a mind is bound to be following that particular limitation Just as if I put green colored glass on my eyes then everything appears to be only green But is there somebody who can see a thing exactly as it is? Yes A person who realizes God that means a real yogi a perfected yogi he has no mind and therefore he sees everything Then what does he see? This is the most mysterious thing Then he doesn't see anything What does God see? Does God see you? He doesn't Really he doesn't see you What does he see? If at all you have to tell he sees something he sees himself He doesn't see you Sri Ramakrishna sees whom? Does he see you or does he see himself? Here is an interesting thought You are a devotee of Sri Ramakrishna and you are praying to Sri Ramakrishna O Lord, please bestow your grace and make me your true devotee This is our prayer after all Then he looks at you compassionately I am talking devotee's language not Sri Ramakrishna's language What does Sri Ramakrishna do? He looks at you and then what does he look? He looks as if at himself through your mirror You become a mirror and he looks at himself in your mirror in my mirror He says, you see my face is a little spotty here Let me correct myself Are you following me? What I am trying to tell? So he bestows his grace means he is correcting himself but as if through our instrumentality Then he says, what is his grace? He will give you a thought You know, I am a very short tempered person That is not good for my spiritual progress and so I should try to get rid of it Who gave that knowledge? It is the God Why did he give that knowledge? Because he has no interest in anybody excepting in himself He is the most selfish being in the whole world What is the point I am making? Each one of us is nothing but a mirror either pure or impure in the eyes of God God cannot see anything called non-God That is the ultimate truth about it But we cannot understand God and therefore we think that God is separate from me and he is great he is glorious he is compassionate and when I pray he bestows his grace and he gives this knowledge to me when God gives this knowledge to us what is right, what is wrong this discriminating knowledge what is it called? Buddhi Buddhi Yogam Dadaamyaham Lord Krishna says in the Bhagavad Gita Whoever is sincere upon them I bestow my grace and uplift them How does he bestow his grace? Buddhi Yogam Dadaamyaham The whole Gayatri Mantra is a prayer to God to the Divine What is it? Dhiyo Yonaha Prachodayat Let him guide my understanding When God bestows his grace what does he do? He enlightens our mind That means he gives that knowledge which he has about us not the knowledge which we have about ourselves and as soon as he gives that knowledge then we know what is the problem with us slowly we go on correcting ourselves and one day we reach the goal and then we look back and you know what will be our experience when we look back? Say you reached perfection you had God realization and you look back and when you look back do you know what you do? What a stupid fellow I was I thought I was bound I thought I was a man I thought I was suffering I thought I had to pray to God grow well before God and I thought I was born billions and billions of times but I was never born at all If I was not born who did all the sadhana? It is very high thought I am not going to disturb your mind with these things How? We give the example of a dream You had nice food and you had a dream and suddenly in the dream you know somebody is dragging you on gravel road and your whole body is bleeding and that person drags you ferocious looking, evil looking evil smelling, evil talking person takes you into a horrible dungeon and dumps you there and mosquitoes and other ferocious insects are invading every pore of your body and then suddenly you could not bear it any longer you give a big shout because your devotees shout Oh God save me and your own shout has woken you up and then what do you see? How do you see? What stupid fellow I am to have this kind of stupid dream Is it not? Exactly it is about the sadhana spiritual practice It is exactly the same thing Anyway, these are very high thoughts we don't need to go into that but what is important here the whole world is experienced because it is experienced it is changeable the mind is the instrument through which we experience the world therefore the mind is also a changeable or it is an object it is an object because an object means you have to say there is a subject here is language we use unconsciously without understanding what we really mean we say there is a chair I say there is a chair you say there is a chair do you know what you are saying? Chair is an object I am able to see it therefore two factors that is an object I am a subject second, that is separate I am separate the object is separate the subject is separate otherwise you would not use the word object third point whatever object it is changing it is all the time sometimes appearing sometimes disappearing but what is not changing? Me, I am not changing you are in this room you see these objects you go to the next room you see those objects you see outside the center you see those objects what is changing? whatever you are experiencing but there is one unchanging thing that is what Patanjali wants to tell in this age because the Atman the lord of the mind is unchangeable not unchanging unchangeable because unchanging means what? with great effort you can make it unchanging for some time but if it is nature is changing nature you may hold even for one year or hundred years thousand years it will change Ramakrishna gives a beautiful example a magician he was showing some tricks and suddenly his tongue had turned back and he appeared as though he went into Samadhi because you see there is a in the yoga literature there is something if one can turn one's tongue back some mudra is there Khechari mudra I forgot about it then he enters into a particular state of mind called Samadhi one type of Samadhi so people thought this man had gone into that Samadhi for thousand years he was buried but because of that the influence of that particular mudra that person did not die he was in the same condition oh after thousand years somebody dug him out and the moment shook him somehow the tongue became normal as soon as it became normal there comes illusion he has gone back to his old thing for thousand years it appeared as though he was an unchanging something that's not what is meant here it is unchangeable consciousness is unchangeable if it is unchangeable nobody can ever change it even for a second this is the first point second point he wants to say if there is changing if there is an object and every object is changing because every object is changing who knows that it is changing does the object know that I am changing or is somebody else who knows that that is an object and that is changing what does Patanjali want to convey to us that the pure consciousness the Purusha here the technical word is Purusha the Purusha is totally different from the body from the mind from the world that's what the essence of it Sadhagnathah Chittavruttayah Chittavruttis means all the changes that are taking place in each one of our minds Sadhagnathah constantly there is somebody who is knowing it from the Advaitic point of view put it in this way you know every creature goes through three states no other state no fourth state every creature goes through waking dream dreamless what is changing waking state changes into dream state dream state changes into dreamless state dreamless state changes into wakeful state this constant cycle is going on who is telling that all these are changing there must be somebody that is called pure consciousness that is called Purusha so the Purusha is constantly witnessing and even we are saying even though we are ignorant people what do we say now I am in the waking state when you are dreaming what do you say what do you say I am in the no you don't say that you say I am in the waking state it is only after getting up you say that I was in the dream state similarly when you are in deep sleep you don't say I am in deep sleep but the experience is there how do you know because upon waking up you are definite you will not say I was in the waking state you will not say I was in dreaming state what do you say I was in deep sleep state where I did not know anything therefore who is telling I am in the waking state I who is telling that I was in the dream state I who is telling I was in deep sleep state I I I I I god here I I who is telling I was in deep sleep state I I I I your life is not was in dream state you know I am in not Self-illuminating. Why? San-drishyatva. Because drishyatva means what? Experienceable, seeable, hearable, touchable, tasteable, smellable. How many objects are there in this whole world? It's a beautiful concept, you know. We say this world has infinite objects. No, there are no infinite objects. All those objects which we call the whole world can be divided, subdivided into five. What is it? Seeable, hearable, listenable, smellable, tasteable and touchable. That's all. Can you give me an example of one object which is beyond this? It is not there. Because that is what the world consists of. That is our worldly experience. All these are drishyatva, means experienceable. And everything that is experienceable is called an object. And every object by definition is experienceable. And everything is experienceable is changeable. Everything changeable is not me, pure consciousness. I am trying to convey this and repeating myself again. Here is a person. He puts on green dress. You are asked to describe. What do you say? He has come with a green dress. After some time, he came in the dress of a tiger. After some time, he comes in the dress of a bear. So, every time the object is changing. What is not changing? The person who says this is a person, this is appearing like a tiger, he is appearing like a bear, etc. That person who is an experiencer, experiencer is one who experiences. He is not changing. And not only that, this purusha, he is pure consciousness. How do you know? Because you are aware there is a person. You are aware there is a tiger dress. You are aware that there is a bear dress. Everything that we experience depends upon what? Consciousness. Suppose you are not conscious. Will you experience anything? Therefore, who is the experiencer? Pure consciousness. And that pure consciousness never changes. Because I am aware I am in the waking state. I am aware I was in the dream state. I am aware I was in the deep sleep state. That aware, I am aware, that being aware is called consciousness. And that consciousness never changes. That is why the mind is not self-luminous since it is an object of perception. And here is a most marvelous truth again. If this vast world is there, this vast world is experienced directly or indirectly. It's all indirect. You are sitting as it were in front of a huge TV screen. And whatever is happening outside your room, it is being transmitted onto that screen. Are you seeing directly the cricket match or the football match or the satellite taking off? But you are reacting as if you are there. The whole world, we do not know what the world is really speaking. The whole world is experienced only the five sense organs like five types of cameras. It takes the information and it is presenting it to the mind and the mind is sitting. The mind is presenting it and in front of the mind someone is sitting. What is the point I am trying to convey to you? The whole world, any object, the whole world is one object. And that one object is experienceable only through the mind. And the mind itself is experienced. Oh, it looks like that. I like it. I don't like it. Who is saying I like it? I am saying. Is the mind saying I like it? No. Who is saying? I am saying it. Who is aware that I like it? It is not the mind who is saying I like it. I don't like it. I am happy. I am unhappy. This is wonderful. This is not at all good. All these thoughts are arising in the mind. But who is becoming aware? Oh, so many different feelings are going through the mind. Who is aware of that? Who is experiencing it? Therefore, always keep this principle. Whatever is experienced is called an object. And the experiencer is totally different from the experienced. To be in other words, who is the experiencer? Awareness. Consciousness. Therefore, if consciousness is the experiencer. And just now we mentioned whatever is experienced is an object. If the experiencer is consciousness and the experienced is totally different from the experiencer. And if the experiencer is consciousness, what should be the nature of the experience? It should be anything but conscious. Therefore, it is jada, non-conscious. Therefore, they can never be one at any time. There can be no union between these two. They could come near and influence each other. But they could never become one. That is the fact. Patanjali wants to convey. Na tat sva-abhasam. The mind is never self-luminous. Means what? The mind never knows I am the mind. It is somebody else who is knowing. Oh, you are a mind. Then the mind says, oh, you say that I am a mind. Yes, yes, I accept your words. Yes, I am a mind. Whenever, I am repeating it. Whenever your mind says, I know, that I know, how does the mind know that I know? Because the consciousness, pure consciousness says to the mind, you know that because of me. I am telling you, you know. Oh, you are telling me that I know. Yes, I accept your words. I know it. So that means what? The mind is borrowing the faculty called awareness. And then it assumes, I am the knower. Forgetting that if there is a Lena bank, there must be a Bena bank. If somebody has to borrow money, then there must be somebody to lend it. So it is borrowing. How do we know it is borrowing? Because when it is in deep sleep, then the mind doesn't know anything. Mind absolutely doesn't know. Because if it is its nature to be pure consciousness, if it is its nature, it should always be in waking state, in dream state, in dreamless state, the mind will be absolutely aware. Now, if the mind has got that nature of consciousness all the time, what do you mean deep sleep? What do you mean by dream state? How many states will be there? Because in the waking state, you know I am in the waking state. In the dream state, you will know, because it is the mind, I am in the dream state. But the mind never is capable of saying, I am in the dream state. It can only say, I was in the dream state. How did it know? Because the pure consciousness tells it, you stupid fellow, you are in the dream state. Yes, yes, I am in the dream state. You know, funny examples come to my mind. Small children come to me, and I call them, what is your name? And the fellow is looking here and there. The mom comes and then tells, tell Swamiji, my name is so and so. Says, my name is so and so. Oh, your name is so and so. Our mind is like that. Somebody, mommy comes and tells, I am, your name is, you are consciousness. Ah, yes, I am conscious. But by its very nature, the mind has no consciousness. Why? Because of these reasons we give. Whatever is experienced, doesn't have consciousness. What is the experiencer? Alone has consciousness. The experiencer means consciousness. Experienced means non-consciousness. What is the logic? Logic is, if the experienced is conscious, then it never becomes experienced. What does it become? Experiencer. It will take time. Please take your own time. Listen to these talks again and again. Anyway, what is its practical application? Because we have to be practical. That's why we say, oh Lord, a true devotee, always praise. Oh Lord, I do not know anything. Then who knows? You know everything. Indirectly, what is a devotee saying? I am an experienced, experienceable object. You are the true experiencer. And you are full of consciousness. That means what? I am not at all of the nature of consciousness. Kindly lift me up. Make me an experiencer. Here is the beauty of it. And God will bestow his grace and say, I like your devotion. Now I will make you a conscious being. That means what? He has become God-like God. And without being God, you can never have that kind of experience. There is a lot of philosophical implication, argument. I'm not going into it. Otherwise, the schools of realism and qualified non-realism, they all advocate this one. You are different from God. You go to Vaikuntha, Kailasa, you stand there, and then he gives. Go on. No, that is not going to work out rationally, logically. Yes, through faith, yes. Not through reason and logic. Coming back to our subject. Eka samayecha ubhaya anavadharanam. And since the mind cannot perceive both subject and object simultaneously. You see, something that is self-luminous, it not only makes itself revealed, and it also reveals other things. A simple example we give is a lamp. Here is a lit lamp. Here is an electric lamp. Now do you have to ask, where is the electric lamp? I don't see it. Unless you are blind, you will not say that statement. What do you say? I see it clearly. And when you see it, how do you know it is light? Do you require another light to know that here is a light? So what is the nature of this light? It is self-revealing. It says, I am the light. Why it is very light? I am light. Everybody comes to know. Not only that, in its light, it also illumines every other object. You can see in its light everything. How do we know? Because suppose you are in total darkness. Can you see anything? But the moment light comes, two things happen. The light itself makes itself known, and the light also helps everyone else there to have knowledge of things. That is the nature of pure consciousness. Not only it knows I am consciousness, it also helps others also to illuminate, okay, here is a table, here is a man, here is a bird, here is everything. Does the mind have that capacity? Can it say that, oh, will you know that there is a mind? You will not know. And if it doesn't have light, can it illuminate anything else? Absolutely no. These are some of the thoughts which require tremendous amount of deep thinking to even get a glimpse of that understanding. So what is the essence of this one? If the mind and then Purusha, if the Prakruti and Purusha both have self-illuminating power and other illuminating power, what is the distinction between these two? There would be no distinction. That means what? There would be no bondage. If there is no bondage, there is no spiritual practice. If there is no spiritual practice, there is no question of getting illumined. Because you know, or to put it in simple way, as soon as you are born, you see God. The moment you see God, you are realized soul. The moment you are realized soul, then do you need anything to do? But what is our life? We have got the body, we have got the mind, and we are plodding on and on and on, life after life. What does that show? That shows that there is something which doesn't have that capacity of light, and therefore it fails in both senses. It doesn't illuminate itself, it doesn't know what it is, and much less it can illumine something else. That is what Patanjali wants to convey, that the mind is not self-luminous. Why? Because it is experienced. It is not self-luminous. Why? Because it cannot illuminate anything else. That is why we are all ignorant people, since it is an object of perception. Ek samayecha ubhaya anavadharanam. As we saw at the beginning of this book, the mind is not the seer, but the instrument of the seer called Atman, which is eternally conscious. The Atman is eternally conscious, but the mind, which is not consciousness, can be an instrument. The mind is only intermittently conscious of objects. Sometimes it is conscious, sometimes it is not conscious. And when it is conscious, it knows. When it is not conscious, it doesn't even know that it doesn't know. The point here is, when the mind comes to know, how is it able to come to know? Because the capacity to know belongs to whom? To the purusha, to the consciousness. That means the light of the consciousness falls on the mirror called the mind, and the mind acquires the capacity to self-illuminate and see. Then it knows, ah, I know, I am the mind. By its nature it doesn't have the capacity, but by the borrowed light of the consciousness, it knows I am the mind. And then automatically it says, I know the other things also. What is the first law? First you should know yourself, and then only you can know anything else. This is the most wonderful thought you have to keep in mind. Before you know everything, what comes first? First you are there. If you are not there, you can't see anything else. I see the chair. That's why we say, I see the chair. What comes first? Chair or I? I. But what is that I? I see means I have the capacity to know. Seeing, hearing is called knowledge. In other words, if you are seeing, that is knowledge. Oh, this object looks like that. If you are hearing, oh, this object sounds like that. If you are smelling, oh, this object smells like that. If you are tasting, this object tastes like that. And if you are touching, this object is soft or hard, et cetera. But that is called knowledge. And knowledge is not the property of the mind. But when the mind says, I know, that means it is borrowing that knowability, capability of knowing, by the grace of the Atman. What Patanjali wants to convince us is, at the same time, the mind doesn't know I am the mind. And at the same time, it cannot know the other objects also. At the same time, it cannot illuminate itself. It cannot also illuminate the others. Because it doesn't have self-luminosity. Actually, some of these aphorisms are in reputation of a Buddhistic philosophy. I am not going into those details. It is very confusing. But there are some schools of Buddhism which say, you don't need a self, a consciousness. The mind itself is conscious. This is in reputation of it. If the mind is conscious, it must always know. And if the mind always knows, do you know what happens? The first profession that goes to dogs is psychology. Because who goes to psychologist? A fellow who doesn't know what he is doing. That means a fellow who is mad. Only he will be taken to a psychologist, psychiatrist. If that fellow knows, if the mind knows, first the first point, then he need never go to any psychologist. Because he knows everything. He knows everybody else also. Therefore, he will not be affected. If you know it is a dog, do you expect a dog to behave like a gentleman? Whenever it feels like answering calls of nature, it will seek what is called enclosed bathroom. And then it will go there. Do you expect from a dog? So, knowing mind, if the knowability belongs to the mind, first of all, it knows I am a mind. Secondly, it also knows about every object. And when we know everything, you know the result? The result is you will never be disturbed. Because you see a mad guy. Oh, he is a mad guy. That is his nature. What can I do? What can anybody do? Therefore, you will not react. Oh, it is winter. Oh, it is so cold. Well, my friend, winter means what? It is cold. You are not affected. It is summer season. Oh, it is very hot. What can you do about heat? You cannot do anything. Because that is the nature of summer. And therefore, you will not mind it. Somebody abuses you. What can you do? That poor fellow does not know what he is doing. Who is saying? Jesus Christ is telling. Father, forgive them for they know not what they do. Even though they crucified him. It is a wonderful thing. And just touch upon him. Because these are most illuminating things. He is not forgiving them. If you are thinking that he was a great saint, Jesus Christ, and he is forgiving the people who he was causing his death, we would be wrong. He is not forgiving. Why was he not forgiving? Do you know why he was not forgiving? Because who really crucified Jesus Christ? Not just people. Who did it? God. Because he knew what was coming. So he went and, you know, as the story goes, he went and prayed, Father, if possible, let this cup pass away from me. And then God clearly made him understand that this is my will. Then Jesus Christ, let thy will be done. When these people, the so-called people, crucified him, we are saying those who are responsible for his crucifixion. But Jesus Christ knew it was not they who crucified. It was the will of God. And can you thwart the will of God? And not only that, if you are a spiritual aspirant, whatever God does, even if it is unpleasant, do you accept it as an auspicious thing or inauspicious thing? In this connection, you know, I am recollecting a small incident, beautiful incident. Sri Ramakrishna was at Dakshineshwar. It was in the early days. Soon after that, Dakshineshwar Kali temple was built. Some visitors came and they looked at it. They were so much impressed and they said, Rani Rasmani built such a wonderful temple. We all say that. Sri Ramakrishna overheard it. He has to be very careful. He is very capable of overhearing. Overhearing means what? Not only in this room. You may be a billion miles away. Still he has got, his ears are there. Everywhere he has got ears. Everywhere he has got spies. You know who is a spy? He gave a spy and kept it inside our minds. Whatever this person does, report it back to me. Yes. So, you cannot escape. Even if you go to Mars or anywhere, still God knows because this fellow is transmitting everything to God. Sri Ramakrishna overheard and then, you know, what was his remark? Nobody says it is the Divine Mother who built the house, not Rani Rasmani. What a vision! And that is what every spiritual aspirant has to acquire and say. Whatever is happening in this world, whose will? It is only God's will. You know, if you are an ignorant person, you say there are so many stupid citizens are there and they elected. No. Who elected really? It is the Divine Mother. Sakale Pramadhi, Kare Dauma Presidentship, Kare Koroma, lose the battery. Do you see the point? I am not being funny. I am saying seriously, whatever happens, it all happens by the grace of Divine Mother, Ishwara. This is the truth. Who is telling? I am not saying. ISHWARA SARVA BHUTANAM HRIDESHE ARJUNATHISTHATI BRAHMAYAN SARVA BHUTANI YANTRA RUDHANI MAYA BHAVAD GITA Crystal clearly he says. That is why Bhagavan Krishna tells to Arjuna, don't think you created this world. Who created it? Me. Don't think you are going to kill the people. I have already killed them. My Sankalpa alone will come true. My will alone will come true. What a marvellous vision he had. Here is one argument posited against this by Buddhists. I am not going too deep into it. What it says is, this particular mind doesn't have that capacity to know, but suppose another mind comes to know about this mind, naturally the argument comes, the other mind, it is also like this mind only, then you have to posit who knows that second mind, a third mind. And who knows the third mind? A fourth mind. This is called infinite regress. That means anavastha prasanga. That means there is no end. Like seed and tree are chicken, egg and chicken. There is no end for those things. So what in a sense Patanjali wants to say, the mind is totally non-conscious. It is jada. There is somebody else who is the knower and who experiences the mind. What is the advantage of this, understanding this? If you are the mind, you will never get liberation. But if you are the purusha, but by mistake you are thinking, I am not the atman, that is what Swami Vivekananda loudly proclaimed at the Parliament of Religions. Sumvantu vishwe amrutasya putra. Listen ye, children of immortality. What was he telling? He is not giving you hope. He is telling if you are divine by nature, you will be divine today, tomorrow or after a billion years. And if you are not divine, you are never ever going to be divine. But I know that you are divine and you also unconsciously know you are divine because that is what 24 hours you are struggling to be, be, be. But when will you know about it? When you disassociate your identity with the body-mind because body-mind by nature are not purusha. And therefore, identifying with body and mind, even if you go to heaven, there also problems will be there, limitations will be there, death will be there because you went in time and then you will also get out in time. Whatever happens in time also happens outside the time, coming out of the time. There is a beginning in time, there is an end also in time. This is what he was telling. Not only that, there is another problem is there. If you posit many minds, each mind has its own memory. Already with one mind itself we are getting so much trouble with memories. If you have got a hundred minds and you will be just experiencing pure hell, not only that, one mind says I like it, another mind says I don't like it, another mind says, this is the constant battle that is going on. The husband wants to watch one channel, the wife wants to watch another channel and the children want to watch different channels. You know, if it is 17 years old child, he wants to see something else. If it is 3 years old, he wants to see something else. What a wonderful thing. This is what Patanjali Rishi is telling, that argument of advancing another mind, another mind, another mind is irrational and unacceptable. The 22nd aphorism, the pure consciousness of the Atman is unchangeable. We already discussed it. As the reflection of its consciousness falls upon the mind, the mind takes the form of the Atman and appears to be conscious. This is one of the most crucial aphorisms here. The mind appears to be knowing. That means it says, I know. Whenever we say, I know, we know, it is not your power of knowing, you are borrowing from somebody else that power of knowing. Borrowing from whom? There is only one being from whom you are borrowing. What is it? You are borrowing consciousness from consciousness. Because consciousness cannot give anything other than consciousness. You can't borrow consciousness from something which is unconscious. You can't borrow money from a beggar. You can only borrow from who has an excess of it. Who is the embodiment of consciousness? Purusha. Because he is nothing else but pure consciousness. Therefore, the mind, what it says, it borrows this power of consciousness and then it reflects that consciousness as if it is its own, it owns it. The famous example, analogy we give is moonlight. Do you see moonlight? Many or many a night, you can see moonlight, isn't it? Have you ever seen moonlight? Strictly speaking, you have never seen moonlight. What do you see? The sunlight as reflected by the moon, but you know, we all say, oh, the moon is so beautiful, the moonlight is morning moonlight, and all those things. Do you see the point? This is the best example to say that you do not realize the moon is absolutely inert. It doesn't have any light, but it has one capacity. What is the capacity? It has the reflectability capacity. Why? Because if it doesn't have reflectability, suppose you know a black cloth you put over the moon, what happens to the sunlight? But it has the capacity of taking some, borrowing it, and then reflecting it. What a wonderful thing it is, because it gives so much of relief. All the romance takes place only in moonlight time. That means what? The fellow under the delusion, this is moonlight, is the fellow who goes through all these romantic problems, ultimately ends in romantic problems. Then he realizes, what a stupid fellow I have been. I should never have fallen into this trap. What is the point Patanjali wants to tell is, how is that the mind appears to be conscious? It is not conscious by its nature, but it is borrowing the consciousness. That is absolutely fine. What is the problem? It must be conscious that I am a borrower. I do not have this light by myself. In devotees' language, do you know what it is? Oh mother, whatever is happening is your will. To think that everything is happening by my will, is the greatest delusion, greatest bondage. We have to understand the mind itself becomes capable of understanding the capacity of me to know is a borrowed capacity. It really belongs to, in devotees' language, God. Therefore, it belongs to God. The credit goes to God. Everything goes to God. I am nothing. The moment the mind realizes it, what does it realize? I do not have this capacity. Only God has this capacity. Therefore, I am nothing. God is everything. That is called Sharanagati. The moment this happens, if you are a devotee, you have realization of Bhagwan. If you are a yogi, you have the realization that I am the Purusha. If you are a Jnani, you have the realization I am the Paramatma. If you are a Karma Yogi, I am not serving anybody. I am ultimately serving my own self. This is called realization.