Post Aarathi Talk 18 on 5th Nov 2017

Full Transcript(Not Corrected)

That first word is not very clear for me. Anyway, I can tell you the meaning of all the other words. I am not sure about that word. So you read the first word, the first half of it. Achyuta, Ananda, Govinda. Every word has a meaning. This was what we were talking about. Not only we have idea about God, when we say God, name, the name is an idea about God. That's what we will come to. Then when you look at me, you are not looking at me. You are looking at your concept or idea of me. I am looking at your concept of you. Funny example that I always give you, when you are looking at a beautiful mango, are you looking at the mango or are you looking at the idea of the mango? What is the idea? It's the most tastiest fruit as if beautiful food. Essence is it is a desirable food. When a tiger is looking at you, what is it looking? Food. Yes, so this is the idea. None of us look at each other because we can only work in our idea. Whatever concept we have about anything in this world is an idea in our mind. This is the simple truth. Okay. Now, achyuta means that which changes, achyuta means changeless and his Ananda is changeless. Why? Because if he doesn't change, what is his nature, sat, chit, ananda and that never changes. This is one of the biggest questions debated according to Advaita Vedanta and even according to Visishta Advaita Vedanta, God doesn't change but our concept of God changes. According to what? According to the limitation we impose upon certain things. You say this is a small room, you know there are bigger rooms, you call it a hall. What do you mean by bigger room? What do you mean by small room? When you say small room, are you talking about the wall or are you talking about the space? Small room means small space, bigger room means bigger space. So what makes you think this is bigger space and this is smaller space? It is not the walls, the walls from the view point of the walls you are saying this is a bigger house, this is a smaller house, not from the point of the space. Do you get my idea? That is called Upadhi, Upadhi means the limiting factor. So when we say God, then how are we looking at it? From our limited point of view, our body is limited, our mind is limited. When we are looking upon God, whether God is invariable happiness or variable happiness? It should be invariable, but you know when some things constrain me, I say God is not so happy with me, why are you so displeased with me? We are blaming God instead of blaming our own selves. Anything is, when you are, supposing you are in a very unhappy circumstances and you just blamed God, that why are you so displeased with me? And then you go and enter into deep sleep, do you blame God? You neither say he is wonderful nor you say he is worse, why? Because from that point of view, deep sleep point of view, there is no limitation. So Achyuta Ananda and Parashara Bhatta has given a beautiful meaning for Achyuta. I told you, it is most marvellous meaning. You see, once a devotee says to God, I surrender myself to you, thereafter you may change. He will not change, my devotee has surrendered myself to me and I will hold him in that opinion. His concept about you will not change, he has surrendered, that's it. Afterwards you may forget him also, but he will not change. That is the definition of Achyuta, what a wonderful way. And what is the pramana, for everything we need a pramana, authority, authority is Ramayana. Once he says, when Vibhishana came for Sharanagati, so everybody was suspecting, Vibhishana is the brother of enemy king, Rama says, once a person says to me, oh Rama, I surrender myself to you, thereafter let the person do whatever he likes. But I will never desert him, etad mama vratam, this is my, what is called, promise. And that is what Bhagavad Gita also says, you know, even if a person is worst of the sinners, but once he says, oh Lord, I surrender myself to you, thereafter I will never let him go, kambali nahi chodthi, you know Swamiji's very famous story, kambali, you understand, blanket. So in North India, Uttarkashi, you know that, there were some sadhus, very cold place, Ganges is very cold. So what happened, one day two sadhus, senior sadhu and junior sadhu, they went to take bath, it was very cold, they were shivering, then they saw a beautiful thick black blanket was floating down the river. So the senior sadhu, he gave up, because he can't, the younger one said, no, no, you wait here, I will bring for you, the senior said, no, no, don't go, it is too cold and current is very strong there, you should not go. He says, Swamiji, don't worry, I will bring it back. So he jumped, caught hold of the kambali, and he was also floating along with the kambali. Then the senior man was running behind him and he was telling, hey, bring the blanket. The man said, I can't bring the blanket. All right, you leave it and come, he said, kambali nahi chodthi, it is not leaving me it was a black bear, he went to catch hold of it, now it is not leaving me. Now you can apply this, achyutananda, once we somehow catch God, then thereafter God is not going to leave us, that is the meaning of achyutananda, govinda. You know what is govinda? Go means, there are several meanings, kau is one of the meanings, go means pranas, so he who rules our pranas is govinda, who is ultimately paramatma, because from him everything has come. So the idea is, meditate, worship that govinda, govinda means one who saves you, so hold on, and he will give you eternal happiness, this is the meaning, and that happiness he will never withdraw from ourselves, achyutanandam govindam, satchitanandam, who is he? Satchitanandam, parabrahma, shashvatam, is eternal, eternal, all the words mean exactly the same thing, this is called samanaadhikaraniya, in Sanskrit it is a wonderful language, samanaadhikaraniya, adhikarana means a case, when there are different types of words used, but in the same case all the words mean exactly the same thing. I will give you some example, ramaha, dasharatha putraha, sitapatihi, lakshmana bhrataha, all samanaadhikaraniya, what is adhikaraniya, prathama vibhakti, ramaha, his name is rama, and what is he, dasharatha putraha, he is the son of dasharatha, rama, dasharatha, putra, no connection between the words, but samanaadhikaraniya, same vibhakti, sitapatihi, he is the lord of, husband of sita, lakshmana bhrataha, he is the brother of lakshmana, all mean different words, but all mean exactly the same, sacchidananda, sasvataha, yeah, that word something wrong, I can't make it, what is it, ok you carry on, if I get it why am I asking, I would have told you, if it is matsetu, then is it like how the fish is immersed in the water, rametu something you say, ah, ramatam, ah, ramatam is ok, ramatam means you be sportive, enjoy, so as, no no you complete that sentence, matsetu, ramatam, nityam, nityam, always, tava charu charanambuja, tava means you are, charu means beautiful, charana means feet, ambuja means lotus, so it may be matatam, means be completely intoxicated offering yourself thinking about the lotus feet, beautiful lotus feet, because ugly lotus feet also could be possible, so anyway I am not sure about that second line, first word I am not very sure about it, you have to be careful about it, I will see if I can get some of the script, yeah, but more or less the meaning you just be intoxicated with that, thinking of the divine lord who is ajutananda, govinda, sacchidananda, shashvata and his lotus feet are beautiful lotus feet, so you know what is beautiful lotus feet, anything we love will always appear to be beautiful, that's why telugu language is kothi pilla, kothi ki muddu, same, you follow, the young one of a monkey is the sweetest baby to its mother, that's what it means, what was shashvata Maharaj? Eternal, these are all beautiful Sanskrit words, these are all now coming back you know, these are supposed to be the names of god, achuta, govinda, sacchidananda, names of god, but the point is they are all qualities, qualities of god, achuta, he never deviates himself, his love from his devotees and also why he cannot deviate, very easy, you know, god has his own limitations, you think god is unlimited, god has limitations, severe limitations, I can tell you two limitations, supposing he tells you, I don't want to see your face, let him try, he can't do that, okay, the second thing is, I can go on a holiday, he cannot go on a holiday, you know why? He is everywhere, where can he go? I can go on a holiday and enjoy it, but he can't, that's what he thinks, that's what you think, so long as there is one devotee, he has no holiday, yes, that is why in Bengali there is a beautiful song, ami mukti dite kaatar hoyi, bhokti dite kaatar nahi, you understand a bit of, I am terribly concerned giving bhakti, but I don't have any problem granting mukti, you know why? If I give mukti to a devotee, first let me tell the joke, one devotee came to me and he said, Maharaj, I am trying for mukti, will Sri Ram Krishna give me mukti? I said, what are you talking about? Guaranteed, you will get, if at all Sri Ram Krishna decides to give mukti to anybody, you will be on the first in the list, the person was shocked, why do you say that Swamiji? Because his idea is I am such a lowly fellow and all that, he said, you know, just to get rid of the trouble of you, because if he gives you bhakti, who will run? Like bhuta egna, you know, man is supposed to do pancha maha egnas, out of them the last one is called what? Bhuta egna, bhuta means anything non-human, animals, dogs, here you see, here in New York, every day morning people are, you know, the plastic bucket, scoop and behind a dog, what egna? It's not really bhuta egna, though you are making fun, it's not bhuta egna, because egna means what you do voluntarily, freely, this is your bounden duty, it is not something mufat kar raha hai, mufat nahi, your terrible duty it is to do, this is for, you know, according to Hinduism, five types of karmas have to be done, this is nitya karma, every day to take the dog out for a walk with a scoop, you may neglect everything, but this you cannot do, okay, so what is the next question? We were talking earlier about maya and the resultant suffering and the suffering, then finally the reason for our mukti, but is it only through suffering? Yes. Why not for example, you see the most amazing picture of the earth itself, whether it's the beautiful sky, so you are actually feeling very happy, so that it reminds you of God, so that can't be suffering, I mean that's not suffering. It is true, at that time you think you are very happy and you think how great God is, if this is so beautiful, then God must be very beautiful, but are you longing for God? You are enjoying, but when somebody gives you a blow and you are suffering and running after you with a knife, then what do you do? How beautiful this God's earth, do you say that or do you try to run away? When you are in trouble, any type of suffering, what is your instinctive reaction? Try to get rid of the suffering, so that getting rid of suffering is called going towards God, that means what? You deviated from your state of ananda, your nature is what ananda, you never struggle when you are happy. This is why it is most important to understand, nobody has become a saint unless he suffered terribly. Our whole Vedanta philosophy has sprung out of this foundation, tapatraya abhi ghatat jignasa. This is one of the fundamental things you have to understand. Why does a man become a philosopher? Tapatraya abhi ghatat, one man, one young man went to Socrates and asked him, I am thinking of getting married and what is your advice? He said, young man, go and get married, if your wife is good, you will be a happy person, otherwise no loss, you will become a great philosopher like me. Yes, his wife was a real nag. Anyway, I have to tell you, I remembered one joke. So there was this man, he was about 60 years old and one morning he went to a hotel, restaurant and the waitress came. So, what can I bring for you? I want some very special breakfast. She said, we will try, what is it? Burnt toast and terribly spoiled coffee. She looked at him and said, okay, our job is to please the customers. So she went, brought and then kept it there, said, sir, anything else? Yes, if you don't mind, will you sit in front of me until I finish my breakfast? Go on nagging me. Then she asked, what is this, what is this you are requesting? Why? He said, you know, ever since I got married until my wife's death, this was what I was staying. Now I cannot eat breakfast. Okay, what is your question? Once again, I mean, it's like, say, if we are enjoying your talk, we are enjoying your conversation, we are enjoying your joke. So, it's not good? Not really. You can enjoy, but the main thing is without suffering, nobody thinks of getting out of suffering. This is what I want to tell you. Our real nature is there are two factors, two laws especially. Suffering is not natural for us. How do we know? Whatever we struggle to get rid of is not our essential nature. According to law, reason, nobody, first of all, tries, strives to get rid of one's nature. The table would never struggle to get rid of its wood, wooden nature. But anything other than wood, it will try and one day or the other, it will go away. Okay. The second law is that always anything that is other than, anything other than one's, what is called nature. Sat, chit and ananda, the slightest bit which comes to hide it, immediately we struggle to throw it out, to get rid of it, instinctively. So, that is why it is said, when a person is suffering, even from a small amount of suffering, what he is telling in indirect words is, I want to be like God. That's why nobody wants to die. Ill health is part of this asat. Sat means to be alive, to be healthy, is two. The word sat has got many meanings, you know. It is a satsanga. The first meaning of sat means to be very healthy, bodily and mind-wise, personality-wise, very healthy. The second meaning of sat is to be good. The third meaning of sat is satya, we can never abide by untruth. That is why it is said, even when somebody tells you a lie and you believe that lie, not understanding that it is a lie, being convinced that it is not a lie, it is the truth. You follow what I am saying? When you believe a lie, no, no, you don't believe it as a lie. You believe it as though it is true. If you are convinced it is not true, then you will never believe. It is our nature. So a cheater also cannot cheat you, only he has to do something, convince you that I am doing good to you. So even a lie depends completely upon truth to make itself effective. So sat, what is the last meaning of sat? God, God, absolute existence. What is absolute existence? No, no, you only exchanged the words. Absolute, it is like, you know, one man went to Rome, one man went roaming to Rome and there he wanted to see the best museum. He asked somebody, where is this museum, how can I go there? He said, very easy to find, it is next to the Prime Minister's house. And he asked, where is the Prime Minister's house? He said, very easy, it is next to the museum. Okay, what is the point? These are the four meanings. First, lowest meaning is body, mind should be free from all worries, healthy. And that's what scientists, psychologists are trying to help us. The next meaning of sat is goodness. Unless we are good, we can't be healthy. Unless we are healthy, we can't be good. The third meaning of sat is satya. Yeah, even unconsciously we don't want asatya. And part of that asatya is that anything that threatens our life. Because immortality is our nature. Anything that threatens us, that we don't like. But death has to come to the body, then we should not say death comes to us. We should say death comes to that which is liable to die. But I am not liable to die. Third meaning is satya. That's why it is said, sat means satya. Satya means truth speaking. Truth speaking in course of time leads to truth seeking. Nobody who is not truthful is ever going to seek God who is truth. Then what is that fourth meaning? Truth. Truth means God. Absolute truth means which is God. These are the four meanings. Any deviation in this, we struggle. Chit. We never want to be fools. That is why if you call a fool a fool, he will get very angry. Even a fool wants to be known as a wise person. So Sanskrit has a beautiful word, you know, panditam anyaham. Brahmana bandhu, beautiful word, is a brahmana bandhu. It is a derogatory term meaning this unlike any brahmin. You are not a brahmin. But instead of saying you are an abrahmana, you are a brahmana bandhu. Kshatra bandhu. You are a very wise person. This is what we say. So we don't want to be known, we want to have the right knowledge. Nobody wants to have a wrong knowledge. But when we have wrong knowledge, we don't know that it is wrong knowledge. We think for the time being that is the right knowledge. How many people have given up this coconut oil and butter for margarine and after that the scientists revised it. Now they are all out for coconut oil. Now they are buying coconut oil and drinking specially all by itself, which our grandmothers very naturally used to eat it. Okay. Ananda. They are all connected. If you deviate from sat, then you deviate from wisdom. If you deviate from wisdom, you deviate from ananda. So now you understand the answer to your question. Unhappiness paves the way to God. Whereas if you get little happiness, then that gets you stuck. That is why the fourth, the last obstacle for God realization, you know what is it? Rasa swadhana. So laya, vikshepa, kashaya and rasa swadhana. These are the four obstacles to yoga. What is yoga? Spiritual life. Yoga means spiritual life. That which takes us to God is called yoga. If action, work takes us to God, it is called karma yoga. If emotion takes us to God, it is called bhakti yoga. If will takes us to God, that is called raja yoga. And if our knowledge takes us to God, that is called jnana yoga. So what is yoga? Spiritual life. Who is a yogi? A spiritual person. This is the simplest way of understanding it. So when, what are the obstacles for yoga? Union with God, rasa swadhana. Why rasa swadhana? So there are two ways of enjoying. I enjoy happiness and I am happiness. Whatever we enjoy, the rule, invariable rule, it goes away from us. Because before you enjoyed it, was it with you? When you are enjoying it, it is with us, with you. And after some time, will it be with you? No. That is why we want to become happiness, we don't want to enjoy happiness. So first to ignore is laya. What is laya? When your body goes to sleep. That's why I always advise people, if you are unable to sleep at night, there are three things you can try. If two fail, the third one guaranteed. The first one is try meditation. More or less it is guaranteed. If at all it doesn't really help you, then you take to heavy philosophical book. That even more guaranteed. But if both of them for some reason fail, listen to my talk. Guaranteed. So though I am joking, there is a lot of truth in any talk, anybody's talk. You know what is the reason, you should know what is the reason. Because talk means Swami's talk, not comedian's talk. That will not give you sleep. You know if a comedian here, they go on talking, telling jokes and pulling these things out and most of it that you hear that laughter behind is all recorded. So why is it? Because first of all it is a monotonous voice. Monotonous means what? Monotony. Monotony is the greatest sleep inducer in the whole world. The second reason is the subject is very high and that automatically induces these two combinations. Really if you focus upon hearing any talk, very soon you get good sleep. Guaranteed. Philosophical speech. So three things you know. Try meditation and try philosophical book and try my talk. Anybody's talk more or less. This is the truth. What is the symbolism in that story? First complete the subject that we are. What is the subject? Rasa swadhana. First is laya. Second is vikshepa. If you use your will power and then you want to still continue, the mind becomes terribly restless. Starts jumping from one subject to the other subject. I will tell you also why but later on. The third is kashaya. If you still persist, doesn't matter. Let the mind go anywhere. I am going to repeat God's name or try to think of him. Thinking is not possible but repeating God's name is possible. Then the third that comes is kashaya. It appears to be most bitter. Kashaya means ayurvedic bitter medication. So the mind seems to be as though why are you giving me this kashaya. I don't want God's name. Anything outside God is welcome. This is kashaya but if we overcome these three by God's grace, by will power, by persistence, in course of time the ananda starts to come. We start enjoying and that was the state when Sri Ramakrishna was before Totapuri Maharaj came. Then he understood. So what is the difference between Sri Ramakrishna was thinking about the Divine Mother. Now when you think something is that an object or not? Is a thought an object or not? Because you are witnessing that thought. So the thought of Divine Mother is nothing but only we exalt it saying it is called brahmakara vritti. Vritti means a thought but it is the highest thought and yet that's why highest happiness but that is not going to solve our problem because you have to get rid of all thoughts. Even the slightest barrier still duality is there. Now I want to merge in it. In another instance Sri Ramakrishna had described it. One day Sri Ramakrishna was describing the progress of a spiritual person through the analogy of kundalini. The kundalini is rising. So the first three chakras, moladhara, swadhisthana and manipura, they all fall under varalli. Varalli means three things, eating, mating and evacuation. Three correspond to this organ of evacuation, the organ of generation and the stomach. They are connected with aahara, nidra, bhaya, maithunam chakra. That's what it is said. Only when it reaches anahata chakra which is in the heart, real true spiritual path starts. Here also according to tantras there are three pathways. One is called ida, another is called pingala and these two stop only with the manipura chakra, that with the third chakra, stomach chakra. It only stops, stomach chakra. So most of us we function only through these two paths, ida and pingala. But there is another path called sushumna and it is the sushumna which goes until sahasrara chakra. When a yogi overcomes these three desires, the desire for food, not that he won't eat, the desire for food, the desire for what is called health. Food means it is associated, you can't eat unless you also discharge and the desire for sexual satisfaction. Unless a man conquers them at least to some great extent, the sushumna channel will not open. So when the sushumna channel opens, it will bypass these three. That means he is not affected by these three desires. But don't mistake, not that he will not eat, he will have to eat. If he is a grihasta, he can also enjoy. But that type of enjoyment is totally different. He does it for the sake of duty, he doesn't do it for the sake of enjoyment, he is not addicted to it. Our Rishi's life is like that. And how these rakshas are born in our Purana literature, this Kashyapa was there, he married Aditi and he was a Rishi and he used to be absorbed in meditation. One day this Aditi, his wife, he had two wives, Aditi and Aditi. The children of Aditi are called daityas, demons. This Aditi, she developed a sexual desire, intense sexual desire during day time. So she approached her husband, it is what is called perfectly legal. She said, my husband, I have overcome this desire, will you fulfil my desire? He said, yes, I will fulfil your desire. But this is day time and especially sandhya time. And in the scriptures it is said, if husband and wife have union at this period of the time, the children born will be daityas. But she did not listen to him. So he had to fulfil, she forced him, that's why all her children from that time onwards, what are they called? Daityas. So Aditi's children, they are called the Adityas, that is gods, etc. Anyway, the point is, these three desires, not that a person cannot have. If he is a monk, of course he will be free from even the third desire. But if he is a grihastha, he can fulfil, but he won't be addicted. If it is not there, he won't suffer. Because these two go opposite directions. Spirituality means what? Most people, they understand in a way, but don't understand what is spiritual life. What is worldly life? Worldly life means to think I am an object in the world, body and mind. What is spiritual life? To think I am the spirit. Identity determines whether you are a worldly person or spiritual person. So Janaka Maharaja, he was having a body, he was having a mind, but what was his title? Videha Janaka. He was not bothered at all about this body. He had no body identity. Body is there, he will do everything, but body identity was not there. That's why he was called Videha Janaka. Deha was there, not that he was dead, but he was totally non-identified, as though he doesn't have a body. So what is spiritual life? Not to have, you can have body, you can have mind, but you don't identify. All Jivanmukta, Sri Ramakrishna, Holy Mother, Swamiji, Ramana Bhagwan, they all had body, they all had mind. Now the question comes, why after upon realization, why can't they give up the body? Sri Ramakrishna's categorical answer is 99% of them, they will die. Once they experience that bliss, two reasons he gave, that bliss is so overpowering, what bliss? Brahmananda, that they don't feel like coming back to the body. The second reason is, you see, why do we live? To seek the truth. No, no, most of the people that is not the case. They live, there is a saying, you know, some people live to eat, and some people eat to live. Rare people eat only to live. So most of us, we only live to eat. Eat means what? Enjoy, to get happiness, that is the final, what is called, judgmental value. So Sri Ramakrishna said, when a person is enjoying so much, and this having body consciousness is a limitation on that enjoyment, why does he want to come down? As though a person has come down and he has to get happiness again through all, it is very limited. A person who has got a million, billion dollars, will he be running after for a job which gives him one dollar? It is like that. So his body refuses to come down for 21 days, and average time of life without food is 21 days. After that the body just falls. It was Sri Ramakrishna's explanation. But by God's will, so many people are Jeevan Mukthas, means body is there, mind is there, they are conscious of body, they are conscious of mind, but they have come down. Why do they do that? For the sake, God keeps their bodies for our sake, otherwise who is going to transmit that knowledge? This has been beautifully illustrated by Thakur in the form of a small story. Once four friends went out for a walk, remember? Then there was a big Maida. Suddenly they came across an enclosure and sounds of joy were emanating from there. They did not know what was happening inside, but they could hear. Everybody was you know, so joyous. So they, you know the story. So they thought, let us find out. But they promised. So the person who finds out first, he will come down and give the information and then take the others also. So one fellow procured a ladder and he climbed up and he looked inside. It was so joyous. He forgot his promise and ha like that he jumped. And the next fellow went up promising that he will tell the news. He also jumped in. Third fellow went up promising that he will tell the other fellow. He also jumped in. The fourth person went up and he saw it was a place of tremendous bliss. Then he said he felt like jumping in, but he felt no. There are so many people who do not know about this place. If I can tell them, then they will also enjoy. So he is an incarnation of God. So he can come. Every Jeevan Mukta is that type of person and they don't come because there is no I there. Once a drop falls into the ocean, it is not, I am a drop in the ocean. It doesn't say that. It says I am an ocean. But God's will keeps that body and mind alive and the mind is brought down by their will for the sake of the world. The only obvious reason is to pass on that spiritual knowledge. This is how we got Shruti. This is the real meaning of it. Now what is your, you understand? Still not complete. Without suffering. Suffering means what? You deviated from Sat, deviated from Chit and deviated from Ananda. But it starts with Ananda, where your experiential experience is I am suffering. That you find out the cause of your suffering, then you have this knowledge. What is that knowledge? I am threatened. I means what? Who is threatened? Body and mind are threatened. But you don't have that knowledge that body and mind are actually not threatened. Because there is from highest point of view, there is no body mind apart from Brahman. It is only Brahman. The snake is not apart from the rope. Its real nature is, this is what we say, you know, you see a snake, take a stick and go on beating it. Will anything happen? Will you be able to kill that snake? Why? For a simple reason, it is not there. But that highest truth, devotees cannot understand it. So slowly from the Dvaita to the Visishta Dvaita to the Advaita. So now are you convinced that without suffering, nobody will try to go to God? But this is technical language. Simple language is the moment we are suffering, we want to get out of suffering. What is the other word for getting out of suffering? I am happy. What is another word for happiness? God. So what is the reason we don't use God? Because first of all, even a person when he gets out of suffering, he wants to run after this temporary happiness. He is not running after permanent happiness. But one day will come when such a terrible suffering comes. Then all the past experiences crowd him. And then he says that there is no solution. I have tried all the solutions. Guaranteed. You know the joke? One man was suffering from a rare disease. And if that person is treated by any doctor, only one in hundred survive. So this man, he went to different doctors. They said no, it is not possible. Then he came to one doctor and he was a conman. And he told these fellows, guaranteed, cure guaranteed. But the patient also was intelligent. He did some research before coming to the doctor. And then, how are you so sure doctor? Because it is said one in hundred only will survive. Doctor said, I am guaranteeing you because people suffering from your disease, ninety-nine fellows already died. You are the hundred. Guaranteed. One in hundred. Guaranteed. Okay. This is the truth is, if it is small suffering, we will not think about God. That is why that Tapatraya should be, all of them should come overwhelming us and that is God's grace. It comes only by God's grace. Why? Because God wants us to go to him. Then he creates. That is why one of the truths about causes of suffering, three causes of suffering. First cause of suffering is natural. You know, this world has got sukha and dukkha, you know, heat, cold. That is common, natural for everybody. The second reason is our individual karma, bad karma. Definite. But there is a third cause of suffering. You know what is it? God's love. If we are devotees, God will specially create so that we can come to him out of his love. He is like a, what is called, fast track. You know what is fast track? Catches hold of our hair and just pulls on cobbled roots. It appears as, but real devotee in our mindset because if we are not ready, he will not do it. When we are ready, he will do it. How do you know? Because we, the moment that kind of suffering comes, somehow that understanding comes. This is God's grace. He wants me to get parama, thevra, vairagya towards all these things. Intensity increase. So that is why he doesn't give us so much of suffering. In fact, if he wants us to keep him away from him, he goes on giving some little money, some this happiness, some rewards like that. Whenever we say God is gracious, he smiles and says, look, his foolishness is increasing. What is the moral behind that story where Vishnu, he comes to the world like a pig and then he completely forgets his real nature? Oh, that is Sri Ramakrishna's story. No, no, he says, Varaha avatara is separate. Sri Ramakrishna had taken advantage of it. You know, there were two demons called Hiranyakashipu and Hiranyaksha. Hiranyaksha was the eldest. Hiranyakashipu later on. So this Hiranyaksha, he had taken this Vedas deep into the sea. That means he did not allow it to come. Then the Lord, he took the form of a boar and then he went, killed this and then lifted the Vedas and then rescued the earth from Adharma. This was the story, Varaha avatara. Now what happened, Sri Ramakrishna is telling, is somehow this story somebody created or Sri Ramakrishna created, I don't know. So then he took a pig's body and after the mission was over, he found a, what is called, honey pig, lady pig and got involved and got married and completely forgot for what purpose he took avatara and he was having lot of, you know how pigs give birth, you know piglets, how many, each time there will be, I think 9, 10, 12, like that, he was giving like that. Then you see the gods were wondering, what is this, Narayana has come down and he is not coming back. So they went, came to find out, happily, you know, suckling the piglets, young ones. Then they said Narayana grunted, what the hell. Then they could not make him understand. Shiva came, hey Vishnu, your mission is accomplished. Why are you still in Singapore or France, Paris? So, what is this, you come out. But what did the pig do, Narayana do? He gathered the piglets even near and then cuddling them. Then Shiva understood. Then he took his trishula and then he pierced the bodies and then Narayana came out laughing and went. See Ramakrishna wanted to illustrate the power of Mahamaya, how she makes us forget. So this is one side of the picture. But what we talk today is completely the other side. No, but to think that even Vishnu, I mean this is a story, but to think that even Devatas, see before you were created, who were you? No, before you were created, who were you? You were only Narayana, isn't it? That is the truth. Minus body and mind, we are all nothing but the pure Atman. This is the truth. So he is talking about only ourselves. Then what is the way out? Shiva's trishula. Shiva means what? Knowledge. Trishula means what? Three bodies. Sthula sharira, sukshma sharira and karana sharira. Because if he gets rid of the sthula sharira, it will come again next birth. If he gets rid of the mind, I mean mind means included, sukshma sharira as well as karana sharira, then there would be no bondage at all. So he at one stroke, how does he do it? Through jnana. Jnana destroys the agnana. This is the simple truth. So bhakti is nothing but another form of jnana. And these fools, those who follow the path of knowledge, they don't understand this truth. Jnana means for them, what is called advaita jnana. I am Brahman. But Sri Ramakrishna said, you know what a wonderful statement he made. Bhakti sometimes becomes like a terrible tigress. Tigress. What does a tigress do? It goes on eating all the smaller animals. No animal can withstand it. It just destroys other animals. Like that bhakti destroys kama, krodha, lobha, moha, madha, matsarya. Now tell me, here is something very important. If kama, krodha, lobha, moha, madha, matsarya are destroyed, will there be any desires? And if there are no desires, will there be a body? If you have no desire to move out of your home, will you require a car? A car is needed for what? Only to go from point A to point B, isn't it? That is what, when there are no desires, then there will be no body, mind at all. And a glimpse of it we get in deep sleep. Deep sleep is a state where temporarily there are absolutely no desires. No desire means no body, no mind. That is why it is the nearest, what is called Advaitic experience. And some followers of Vedanta claim that is real Samadhi. Because it is almost like Samadhi. No, there is a difference. What is the difference? Swamiji has clarified it. It is not real Samadhi, but there are many similarities. Excepting there is no self-consciousness, there is all other respects, you are wonderful. There are some differences. But he explained it. What is the difference between a person goes into deep sleep and a person goes into Samadhi? He said beautifully, when a fool goes into deep sleep, when he wakes up, not only sleep, maybe even greater fool, but when a fool enters into Samadhi, he will come out a liberated soul, a Jnani, he becomes a Jnani. So this is the difference. But this is what I call poor man's Samadhi. Even Mosquitoes have also. You know Mosquito Gita? Remember my Mosquito Gita? Poor memory. Mosquito Arjuna approached Mosquito Krishna. O Lord, how do I recognize who is a holy man? Holy man, holier man, holiest man, etc. Then he said, O Arjuna, I will describe to you in detail. Even you will not mistake. That person who has got the newest mosquito curtain, he is the worst of the humanity, most unholy person on earth, because you have no way of entering. And that person who uses old mosquito curtain, which has become quite holy, where you can enter and exit freely, he is on the way to holiness, spiritual aspirant. But that person who has absolutely no mosquito curtain, recognize him as the holiest of the human. This is Mosquito Gita. Okay, the point is, even Mosquitoes dream. Mosquitoes dream. Now the point to understand is, we are never able to put ourselves in the place of a mosquito. So we think that our ego is so big and mosquito's ego is very small. No, for mosquito, its ego is as big as our ego. So I make a little bit fun, you know, a young male mosquito, what does it dream? Dream, girl, mosquito. Don't you see? We don't know anything about these creatures. Ants have their language, so I presume mosquitoes have their language. They go through waking state, dream state and dreamless state. Scientists have taken picture of dolphins at night. You know what they are doing? They have two eyes and their one eye, they simply cover it up and slowly sliding down that sleeping state. The moment their fin touches the ground, immediately what it does, it closes the one eye, opens the other eye and shoots up. After few seconds, again, you know, in a tank and again that eye slowly, you know, you can see, it doesn't have eyelid but it also goes. They, what is called electrodes and other things they put and then they record it, that every creature, horses, they say, standing itself, they go to sleep. There is nothing new. Our people sitting, standing, no problem. Am I joking? We go on the train, people are holding and sometimes they are off. Yeah. So every creature, this is what Vedanta says, any prani has to go through these three states. Three states means three bodies. Three bodies means three types of the waker, the dreamer and the sleeper. Our Rishis were all enlightened, isn't it? Rishi means by definition, mantra drashta. Mantra means satya. Satya drashta is called Rishi. But then only one clarification you have to know. So there are some Rishis who discovered certain scientific truths, mathematical truths, etc. They are not spiritual people but they discovered some truth, truth but not spiritual truth. So we also respect them. For example, Einstein Rishi. He was a great man. So in his future births, he will very quickly come to God. You know why? Swami Eteshwaranandaji Maharaj, he used to say scientists are very near to God than ordinary devotees. Why? Because they have three special characteristics. The first is they have a definite fixed goal and the second they have perfect concentration. Third, they have absolute discipline. And only thing is in this life they diverted the subject matter is a secular subject. But with this equipment, the moment they turn towards God, they will just like that they will go. And how do we know? Examples like Bilwa Mangala, Tulasi Dasa. It's a wonderful, many times I spoke about this subject. This man Bilwa Mangala was so much addicted to a public woman and how did he become such a great saint? Because his capacity to love somebody has so much exceeded normal human capacity that there is no worldly object will be able to fulfil and to find. So he has to find a target. Who is the target? Only God. Now you apply this to Ravanasura, Hiranyakashipu. Hiranyakashipu's dvesha has so much exceeded that there is only one object who can be fit object for his dvesha. You know how this is very interesting. If you think you will enjoy these things very much. You know suppose a mosquito bites you, you have dvesha towards the mosquito. What is the size of your dvesha towards the mosquito? Mosquito size. So you don't think much about it. But if another human being has done grievous harm to you, especially mental harm, then you will think of him much more. But if your dvesha has become so much, you have become solidified dvesha, then there is only one object which can stand it. So this applies to kama, krodha, lobha, moha, madha, matsarya. Any passion, if it exceeds normal human level and goes beyond, the only object worthy of receiving that one is only God. So you try to exceed. That is why Swami used to say specifically this Laila, Majnu, Romeo and Juliet, they almost reached God. Next stage of their evolution is their minds are ready. Until now, by mistake, the object has been what is called limited human body. But next time, that very mind will seek an object which is capable of receiving that one. That is the most wonderful psychological law that if our mind is intensified, the object also must be worthy object to receive it. That is why whether it is Tulasidas, Bilvamangala, Saint Augustine, all the great souls, they were seeking in the wrong place. But that object has helped them as a target practice to hone their mental powers of concentration. So in a way of speaking, guru also is a target practice. We have to understand it. Why we need a guru? Because what the guru says, you can get from a book. But we are not going to advance. We need a living person. Why? It is simple. I make a little bit fun and give the illustration. Suppose you have got what is called a picture of Rama or Krishna. No, always smiling. Have you ever got a picture of frowning Krishna? You never see. Always smiling. Suppose one day you prepare payasam and you put salt instead of sugar and you offer it. He will be still smiling only. But offer a little bit of to guru. You will see instantaneous response will be there. What is the point? Guru is a target practice. What is the target practice? Do you know? Concentration. Whatever reaction he shows, I should be able to receive it humbly with gratitude and still obey. If I lose faith in him, the same thing applies to God also. Exactly same thing. Why? Because it is our mind. Whether you turn it towards guru or towards another ordinary human being or to God, our idea of these things will be the same. So if God sometimes seems to be ungracious, then our faith in God is severely shaken. Every day we can see it. So the mantra drishta rishis, they were married. Were they married before the illumination or? You see, according to our Vedanta, marrying or not marrying is no obstruction for a rishi's mind. Rishi means rishi's mind. Either it is in a potential state or in a manifested state. And in the olden days, these rishis often used to marry, often, after they have become rishis. To fulfill this guru parampara system. Now that was the question earlier. Yeah. And supposing even they are, one example you can say, I can give you Yajnavalkya. He married twice and he wanted to take sannyasa because that was the tradition. He was a great Hindu. According to Hindu, every Hindu must end up in sannyasa ashrama. So he wanted to set an example. So even though he had enjoyed life, he was very rich, very deepest scholar. He proved in the Sabha of Janaka by defeating all the people. You know that wonderful story? This comes in the Brihadaranyaka Upanishad. See there was a king called Janaka and he was searching for a proper guru and he wanted to find out a right guru who can teach him Brahmavidya. So he made an announcement that whoever is the greatest scholar in this world, in my kingdom or anywhere, I will give him 1000 cows. Each cow has got 2 horns and each horn is covered with complete gold and precious jewels. This was the announcement made throughout. So many people came and the king himself had eminent scholars as his courtiers. Then this Yajnavalkya was there. So he came along with the disciples after hearing this. He simply entered into the Sabha and he called his disciple and then he said, you drive all these cows ashrama. No argument, nothing, simply drive. Naturally the other fellows, they will not keep quiet, you know, Yajnavalkya, do you think you are the greatest scholar in this kingdom? He said, no, no, no, I am only humble desirer of cows. So I am taking the cows. That was his humility. And then of course, you know, you have to prove. He said, yes, whatever little knowledge I have, I am going to tell you. Like one of our brahmacharis, you know, we have this thing, old swamis, most of them not qualified. One brahmachari came to join. So he went to this old swami and he bowed. Where from are you coming? He said, from, you know, South India. Anything after West Bengal? Madras. Why did you come? He said, Maharaj, I want to join. Have you passed matriculation? Yes, Maharaj, I passed matriculation. Then why did you not go to pre-university? Yes, Maharaj, I went to pre-university. Why did you not join the college? Yes, Maharaj, I joined the college. Why did you not do M.Sc.? Yes, Maharaj, I have done M.Sc. Why did you stop there? Why did you not do Ph.D.? Yes, Maharaj, I have done. After that he had no choice. Very interesting, very innocent, great sages. Anyway, what was the point? Yajnavalkya was such a great scholar. Is this the time when Gargi debated with him? Yes. It is beautiful, it is incomparably great dialogue between Yajnavalkya. Every person was telling, do you know about this? Yes, I know. Then Yajnavalkya, do you know anything more about this? No, I don't know. Finally, one fellow came. He said, I am going to question you about the impersonal. He says, my friend, if you open your mouth and question me about the impersonal, without being qualified, your head will split into thousand parts and then you will fall down. And he did not listen. Instantaneously his head had fallen down. The idea is that he humbly, he never said, I must call, it is all God's grace. But he was the great, he silenced everybody. And of them, this Gargi was one. First time she was defeated. Then Yajnavalkya said, shut up and sit down. But again she thought about it and said, Yajnavalkya, I am going to shoot you two arrows and if you can stand that one, two questions, in this court no one else is ever going to defeat you. Alright, shoot. Then she was qualified. So he answers properly. Very interesting, wonderful conversation. One person, very sincere, he asks something. Then Yajnavalkya says, I know the answer but I don't want to give in public because no one else is fit to receive that answer, only you. Takes him aside and says, this is the answer. That man immediately bows and says, I am blessed. There are certain things which cannot be answered publicly for everybody. So this was the Yajnavalkya. He came and then he one day announced, I decided to take to Sanyasa Ashrama and I have a lot of wealth, I will divide in between you two. So each one will get 50-50. Then there was one Maitreyi and Katyayani. Katyayani was a normal housewife and she meekly accepted whatever he offered but Maitreyi was a Brahmavadini, means she was a fit candidate to receive Brahmajnana. She asks my husband, you are not a fool. Even a fool will not give up something higher for something lower. If you are giving all these which are desired by many, that means you are getting something which is much, much more precious than this. And he says, yes, I want that, not this wealth. First question she asks was, you are offering me all this wealth. Through this wealth, will I become immortal? He said, no, you will not become immortal but you will live like a rich person, all conveniences. But there is no hope of becoming immortal. There is no hope. Then she says, you teach me that which you treasure as the highest value. Then this, you know, no wife loves her husband for the sake of the husband but for the sake of the self and no husband also loves equally. Anyway, I can twist a little bit. Why did he want to take sannyasa? Because he thought two wives, great, two wives, he thought enough is enough. Like that story of two wives. I don't know whether you remember it. Muslim village was there. Charu, you remember? A man who got married to twice? Anyway, there was a Muslim village, all Muslims. So, there was a young man who was married once. He had a friend who was an elderly person who married twice. So, that elderly person went on brainwashing this fellow. One marriage, how boring it is. Morning you see the same wife, evening you see the same wife. Morning she says you have to cook, you have to eat what she cooks. Evening also you have to eat what she cooks. Morning one wife cooks, evening another wife cooks. Like this he went on brainwashing. After a few days, he decided, this younger fellow took on. So, he went, got married, brought a younger wife and he had a small house, only two rooms. One wife. So, he installed the first wife in the first room and the newly married wife in the second room. So, at night after eating food, he thought the first wife will be very angry because without telling her, I got married. So, he went. The moment he entered, a big husking rod fell on his head. He said, you rascal, you think I am old, ugly woman and so you got one younger woman. Until you get rid of her, you are not going to enter into my room. He had no option. So, he went to the newly married, the second room and she was waiting with what is called a hammer. She gave one. Until you get rid of that first old wife, you are not entering. No, he had no option. It was cold, it was raining and it was night. So, there is only one place, mosque, like wandering mosque, Shivalaya. So, he slowly made his, the moment he approached, a booming voice, welcome my friend. So, this fellow was shocked, you here? Why? He said, ever since I got married second time, I am only sleeping here. Then why did you advise me to marry second time? I got bored sleeping here. I wanted some company. So, but Yajnavalkya was one of the unparalleled Rishis we ever had. Of the Upanishads, Brihadaranyaka Upanishad is one of the most marvelous, I cannot describe. And of this, there are certain statements in the first chapter, fourth section, etc. And then this fourth chapter, this Yajnavalkya Maitreyi conversation, and how Yajnavalkya went to Janaka Maharaja's court and then defeated all the eminent scholars. And then what happened? Janaka Maharaja was not testing the scholarship. He really wanted to find out a true knower of Brahman. He understood. Because his courtiers were also advanced people in spiritual practice. They were not mere people. But they could never reach because he easily defeated all of them. Then every time he defeats this Janaka Maharaja, he says, I offer my whole kingdom to you. But of course Yajnavalkya did not accept it and said, yes I accept it, but I appoint you as my representative. You rule like that. Ultimately he makes Janaka also realize the same truth. And then he gives a certificate. Guru gives a certificate to the disciple. Janaka, you obtain fearlessness. And the teaching is, fear comes from the second. Now you have become fearless. That means you realize that there is only one and that is Brahman and you are that Brahman. What a wonderful statement you know. Even from a psychological point of view, it is true we don't love anybody. Every person in this world loves only two things. First we love Ananda. Second we love the instrument through which we get Ananda. That's why a husband loves the wife so long as she is the instrument to give him happiness. Similarly the wife also, it is like that. So this Upanishads, every Upanishad is a marvelous thing. Even the very recitation of these mantras, that's why they are not called shlokas. Everything in the Smritis is called a shloka. Everything in the Vedas is called a mantra. What is mantra? Mananatrayate iti mantraha. Through recitation that which saves us is called the mantra. And no religion in this world has such explicit highest literature leading us to that knowledge. Even the very reading is thrilling. So in the case of the story of Nachiketa, so those three questions that he asks the king of death, I understood the first level, but what is the deeper meaning of those three questions? Okay, very briefly I will tell. Next time we can discuss more briefly. It is a wonderful story. So Yamadharma Raja was absent when Nachiketa went there. And so Nachiketa was without food for three days. So in lieu of those three days without being worshipped by a householder, Yamadharma Raja said I will give you three boons. Actually he got four boons. Fourth boon also he got. The first is, what is your first boon? That when I return, let my father recognize me. Because when somebody comes from the Yama Loka, nobody, parents, children, nobody will recognize. That here it means let my father be happy. Representing that when not only I am happy, I will not be happy if those whom I consider mine are also not happy. Can you be happy if your children or Krishna or anybody, Krishna you might understand, but the children are not happy, you can't be happy. So let my life on earth be happy. That is the representation of first boon. But thinking, discriminating human beings, they also know there is life after physical death. And one of the things, if you are in the same world, then your happiness or unhappiness is limited to that world. If you go to a third class hotel, whichever room you take will give you same. But if you go to a seven star hotel, then the comforts are far higher. So a man thinks about future, about after death, which is called Svarga Loka. So for the second type of people who are thinking people, what is the way to go to heavenly world? This is the symbolism of the second. So he teaches Nachiketa Agni, one special ritual which is named after Nachiketa by Yamadharma Raja. If anyone performs it, he will go to heavenly world. Means much better happiness, but it is also earthly, temporary happiness, only a little longer. But the third question, Nachiketa was not interested in this. His real intention was, he is a representative of a Rishi for people like us, three types of people. One wants earthly happiness, one wants heavenly happiness and one wants permanent happiness. The third question is, he asks, we hear that there is life after death and who better to tell me the answer excepting Mrityu because he is the one. But that is also a redundant question, you know why? He has already gone to Mrityu and he is still alive to question, so he should know that there is life after death. That is not what he means. He means, other than this deathful life, is there something immortal life? That is what he means. If I am not in this country, what does it mean? I am in another country. If I am not in this room, what does it mean? So if I am not in this mortal world, what does it mean? There is only one chance. If I am not unhappy, what does it mean? I am happy. So what is that? Is there something called Atman? He has no doubt. But what he is implying is, what is the way to attain that world? Not that he is doubtful, because if he is doubtful, he would never have questioned. Then Yamadharma Raja wants to test him that desire is really a desire or he is only temporarily. So that is why he says, I will give you long life, I will give you all the happiness. What a reply he gives, you know. Sasyameva pacchate martyaha, sasyameva ajayate punaha. Like your six weeks paddy plant, how much time it takes by putting time, six weeks. And then afterwards, dead. What is human life? Even if you go to Svarga Loka, what is that? In comparison with infinity, what is it? And not only that, there is something very interesting here, psychological. You know what is the interesting thing? If you are a mosquito, what is your Ayudhaya? Ayudhaya, your longevity. You see, from whose point of view are you talking? From mosquito point of view, it is hundred years. You know, it will be having this childhood, teething problems, stinging problems and all those problems will be there. So it will never think, oh man is living for hundred years, I am living only for three days. So if you go to Svarga Loka, it doesn't appear to be what is called earthly hundred years. It appears to be even less. You know why? When you go to holiday for ten days, how many days do you feel? Yesterday I went, today I returned. So from our point of view, that comparison doesn't work. From their point of view, it is just normal period. You don't feel I am very long time in this place. So I don't want all those things. Then he says, Jarai sarvendriyanam, jarai enthi teja. You know what he says? This is psychological law. If you are fond of sweets and if you are surrounded by sweets, you won't enjoy them. Only when you get now and then, you enjoy them. If they are always available, you get bored of them. Isn't it? So he says, and then when we age, same enjoyment, our capacity to squeeze pleasure becomes less and less and less. Sarvendriyanam, jarai enthi teja. Teja means the capacity to squeeze happiness. Jarai enthi means slowly becomes less sluggish and sluggish until you cannot enjoy anything at all. So I know about this. I don't want this. I want only that. Then you know what Nachiketa says? I consider you, Nachiketa, as though he had already reached Brahma. He has not even started the teaching. He gives the certificate because with that type of earnestness, he is as good as reached. We also say about students, you know, this person is already a doctor, means as good as he has become a doctor because we know his qualities. And Yamadharma says, may we have more disciples like Nachiketa. What a certificate a guru is giving to the student. So very symbolic story. Then he says, tell me that which is beyond dharma and adharma, means beyond dualities. There is something only beyond dualistic. What is there? Non-dualism. Tell me about it. All right, that we will do today.