Post Aarathi Talk 19 on 19th Nov 2017

Full Transcript(Not Corrected)

The medical school, and this chap, you know, fat chap, he used to sit in one big earthenware pot, matka. In that, there will be that chaap paani, jeera paani, and all that. So, he will happily put all, you know, he's sweating and all that, and his whole hand goes inside, and he takes it out, and then... I could just never manage to eat that, because I could just see all that was happening right in front of me. Put on the aspects of Brahman, to see all those things. That is the ultimate solution, because whatever you see... Sri Ramakrishna had a vision, and he used to say, whenever I look at a person, I see the entrails inside. I see the whole thing, what is just like people see things... Yeah, please come here. So, come and sit. Now, you make a difference, I am getting the heat. People huddle together, you know, for warmth and other things. So, Jai Sri! Okay? Savita is alright? There is a beautiful song, Purandar Dasa, my favourite musician, saint in the whole of India. First comes Purandar Dasa, second comes Merabai, third comes Tulasi Dasa, fourth comes Kabir Dasa. Purandar Dasa, you know? Alli nodalu Rama, illi nodalu Rama, illilli nodidalu Rama Rama. It's a beautiful song. Alli nodalu, you look there, that is Rama. Illi nodalu Rama, you look here, that is Rama. Wherever you see, you see nothing but Rama. And what is his speciality? Rhythm. Even Thyagaraja, who is considered to be a greater musician than many people, he was one of the founders, founder musicians of South Indian Karnataka music, his compositions are long involved. You have to stretch and strain to fit it within this rhythm. But Purandar Dasa, anybody could. How does this go then? This one? Alli nodalu Rama, illi nodalu Rama, illilli nodidalu Alli Sri Rama Chandra, ava nige eva Rama. For him, this is Rama. Eva nige ava Rama. Like that it goes. Oh, beautiful compositions, thousands of compositions. There is a wonderful story about him. His name was Srinivas Nayak and he was one of the richest jewel sellers, jewellers. So, he was a married person. His wife was one of the greatest devotees of God. Srivoshan Ashwin. Meanwhile, I might be in contact with you over those things we discussed. You just send me that particular part. I will, if necessary, I will edit it, correct it and send it back to you. Then you can take photos. That's the best way. Do you know the story of this Purandar Dasa? He was also one of the greatest devotees of God. But in his case, the extreme attachment has become what you call miserliness, terrible miserliness. And that illustrates, not ordinary miserliness, that he developed his power of attachment to such an extent that when our power of attachment grows beyond a certain limit, it has only one venue to turn to and that's God. That is why, below Mangala, his attachment to a woman grew so much, he had no option. One word from her, you know that? Okay, first let me complete this one. Srivoshan Ashwin was extremely miserly. But God is waiting for him because that is the right time. Because the moment he turns his miserliness from wealth to God, it's very easy for him to realise God. And that is why Swamiji used to issue cryptic statements that Laila and Majnu are very near to God than ordinary people. I love you. I love you. How long will it last? I love you. I love you. I love you. I love you. Love turns into your naam. How are you? You were doing well in the country? Wow! It's getting cold. Be careful. Jai Thakur. I love you. You know what is love? I will go home and then leave. Yes, you can come again. See, in Sanskrit, if you put the letter A before a word, it gives the opposite meaning. Shoka Ashoka. Sukha Ashukha. Preeti Apreeti. Love, allow. So, what happened? God knew it is the time for my devotee now to come to me. Because his mind is ready, direction has to be open. This is what Swamiji calls, when the field is ready, the seed will come. It is an invariable law. So, he was ready. So, what happened? He was a married person. He had children also. So, one day, God appeared to him in the form of a Brahmin. Poor Brahmin. And this man's house, behind is the house, front is the shop. It's all safe and all those things. So, this Brahmin started pestering him. Sir, I am a poor Brahmin. I have children. I can't get them married. Will you please help me? And he could not directly say no. Every day he said, come tomorrow, come tomorrow, come tomorrow. Many days passed, you know, come tomorrow. So, one day the Brahmin begged him, pestered him so much. This fellow said, no, I am not going to give anything. You are like a parasite. God said, I know. And God decides to do something. There is nobody who could prevent. So, this fellow, what he did? Sorry, God. What he did? He went back side. His, this Srinivas Nayak's wife was Goddess in every way. So, as soon as he knocked, she came out and said, what can I do for you? He said, Mahabharata, God we call it, you know, he told him, I am a poor Brahmin, etc., etc. Then she said, I would like to give, but my husband will kill me. I have nothing of my own, because if I have something of my own, I could give you, but I have nothing of my own. God knows everything, you know. He said, what about that nose ring? That is yours. Your father has given you, so it belongs to you, not your husband. This lady did not think like that. That was a very precious, diamond studded nose ring. So, she promised, if I have anything, I will give you. Now, she could not. What to do? She was scared to death. So, she gave it and said, don't tell my husband, then I might be safe. He said, no, no, no, I am not going to tell. He took it, thanked her, straight went to the front, gave it to him and said, somebody donated to me and you please take Pana, we call it, you know. What is that called? Bond or something. Pani. Then he said, you give me money. Now, the moment Srinivas Nayak saw it, he recognized instantly, it is his wife's nose ring and he knows it is very costly. He said, you wait here, put it in the box, locked it, ran inside the home, called his wife and said, wear that nose ring of yours. She understood what had happened and he would kill her. So, he thought, instead of that, let me die. So, when she went into the shrine room, prayed to Vishnu, Narayana, I cannot live with this. So, there was some kind of poison. I don't know why they keep poison there. Yeah, you know that Churchill story? Churchill, always with a big cigar. So, one day he went to a reception party with all clouds, trailing clouds of not glory but cigar. So, one society lady came and said, marched to her with, you know, drink in hand and said, Mr. Churchill, if I were your wife, I would give you a tumbler of poison. With this, changed this pipe from one side to the other side and said, Madam, if I were your husband, I will gladly drink. Very sharp brain. So, they keep poison there. This lady was about to drink, suddenly cluck, some sound came and she looked into, in the small silver vessel, her nose ring had fallen. After all, God can do miracles, you know. And then she understood, it is God's grace. She took it and chided her husband and said, why are you suspecting me? It is here. That fellow was astounded. Just now, he kept it there in that box and locked. So, he ran to the front, opened the box. And it was not there. By that time, he understood, this is not a Brahmin, this is Lord Narayana himself. In South India, there are these two streams of Bhakti called Dasa Sampradaya and Linga Sampradaya. Sampradaya means tradition. Dasa means the devotees of Vishnu. Purandara Dasa, Kanaka Dasa, etc. And Linga Sampradaya like Basavanna, Akka Mahadevi, all these great people, very great people. You ever heard about Basavanna? It is very strange, you know. Devotees must know all the great saints of India like Tukaram, Narasimhaeta, Namadeva, Gnanadeva, Meera Bai, Tulasi Das, Kabir Das. And in South India, Tyagaraja, Purandara Dasa, Kanaka Dasa, Vyasaraya, and 63 Nama Alvars. Not Alvars. These are Shiva devotees. Alvars are only 12. Out of them, one was this Andal, Thiruppavai and all that. So, this is a wonderful tradition in India. But very few people from North India know anything about South India. Madras. Yes, that is Madras. But people don't know how many saints it produced. And the purest Indian music available is only Karnataka music. Your Hindustani music is a Khichdi music. It was at one time pure music and then that became mixed with this Persian music, Nawabs, etc. And then it became called Hindustani. Anyway, it has got its own beauty, whatever it is. But the purest is Karnataka music. Pure Indian music, you can call it. So, this Purandara Dasa understood and a tremendous dispassion came. So, immediately he sold all his very wealth, property distributed to the poor, took up his wife and children and there was a very great saint at that time called Vyasaraya. So, he went to this Vyasaraya, accepted him as the Guru and he was living with them. The moment this he was Srinivas Nayak, Guru gave him the name Purandara Dasa. Now, Purandara is the name of one particular God called Vithala. That's why all his songs are called Purandara Vithala. So, his name was Purandara Dasa, like Ram Dasa. You know how many Ram Dasas are there? Bhadrachala Ram Dasa, Paluke Bangaramayana, beautiful. Oh Rama, your very word has become gold, that means you are not speaking with me. Simple translation, beautiful. So, there were other disciples of Vyasaraya who became jealous, professional jealousy. You know spiritual people, that is called professional jealousy. They look down upon. I told you that story, you know, there was this, two wandering monks met by chance. One was older, one was younger and they introduced themselves, not like two lawyers in Madras High Court. You know that? Two lawyers, they hated each other. So, they were arguing the case of one defendant, one for the client and the other is for the opposite. So, at the same time, they happened to enter on the day fixed for hearing the case. And one fellow could not restrain himself. He looked at him and said, you are a scoundrel, number one. The other fellow shouted, you are a rogue, number one. The judge said, gentlemen, now that introductions are over, let us proceed with the case. Not like that. So, these two monks, you know, they discovered to their great delight that they were gurubhais, means initiated by the same guru. But the senior one doesn't want to accept. Gurubhai means what? We are equal. Equality doesn't want. So, he made a remark, you know, when we first went to our Guru Maharaj, he tested, tested, tested for years and years and then only initiated us. Later on, he became very loose. Anybody, any riffraff that came, he initiated. Oh God. Yeah, this is very, they don't show many times, but it is very common thing. You know, it is common, there is a psychology here. What is the psychology? First, nobody is free from jealousy, except realized souls. Nobody is free from jealousy. However subtle, however small, it will be there. But the important factor about jealousy is, one doesn't become jealous of somebody else. Only among his or her class. You know, you won't be jealous of millionaires. You won't be jealous of, you know, very poor people. But your friends, if somebody gets a better dress or better nose ring or something, immediately the heart starts burning. That's why we call it pet hinsa. The heart starts burning, heart burning. And Swamiji defines ahimsa, absence of jealousy, because this is the subtlest form of himsa, is jealousy. So we don't openly express it, because they're all our friends. If we can be without jealousy, we are saints. Only saint can be without jealousy. That's why Swamiji used to say that whatever other defects I have, but I don't have jealousy. Of course, he need not be jealous, because who would be equal to him? But others were jealous of him. Yes, they complained to Sri Ramakrishna, they became jealous even among his gurubhais also. This is a different story. I mentioned the story of Bhairavi Brahmani, who was jealous of Totapuri Maharaj and even Sri Ramakrishna and Holy Mother. This is mother-in-law, daughter-in-law problem. Spiritual mother-in-law, spiritual daughter-in-law. Anyway, it's a different issue. The other students, I mean, they were all supposed to be brahmacharis. They were jealous of this Srinivas Nair, because this man came just now and our guru is terribly attached to him. Then what happened? The guru was an enlightened soul. He wanted to prove why he was more loving to him. Then he devised a test. One day, some devotee had brought a bunch of bananas. You know Karnataka is famous for bananas? Very famous for two bananas and mangoes. Wonderful mangoes. It is called malgova. Huge, small seed, absolutely the sweetest mango you will get. That's why often you get worms there. So if you swallow by mistake, because that is also another transformation of mango pulp only, nothing else. So you won't regret about it. And it is an extra proteinous component. You know one fellow went and ordered some tea in a roadside shop and he was served. And this fellow found out what is called a fly. So he called the waiter and said, Waiter, there is a fly here. Why is it there? He said, For half an hour, my dear sir, you don't expect surely an elephant. For half an hour, you will get only a fly. Anyway, it must be having a flying visit. So the banana, there is one banana which is only this small. And something wonderful about the banana, I discovered only now. You know, before I went to America, in the month of August, I was given, somebody brought a bunch of that Karnataka bananas. It was not ripe. So I just kept it, totally forgot about it. After my return, accidentally I discovered by the opening, and you know, perfectly ready to be eaten. I was surprised. Nearly one month, and that means they can stay put. They won't get spoiled. That is the quality. And very good for health. That's why if anybody is sick, that banana is prescribed. Anyway, somebody brought bananas and Purandar Das, Yasaraya, called all his disciples, gave one banana to each one of them and commanded them, go and eat where nobody sees you eating. So one fellow went behind a bush and ate. Another fellow went behind a bush and he was extra finicky. He put his chadar like that and he ate. Another fellow, he thought, I must make absolute certainty nobody will see him. There was a small pond, so he took one banana, went inside, ate it there and came out. They all came and the Guru asked, Have you eaten? Yes, sir. And did anyone see you? They all chorused, No, sir. Purandar Das was seen having that banana with him. Then Guru asked, Why did you not eat? Then he said, What was your condition? Where no one can see. Wherever I see, I see God looking at me. How can I eat? Because your commandment is broken. That is why it is said in Mahabharata, nobody can do anything bad without being witnessed. Do you know by whom? Daytime, sun. Nighttime, the moon and the stars. Because they are there. Whether you see them or not, they are witnessing. So that means God in the form, He is witnessing. Nobody can escape God. That is the basis of Karmapala. You may do something evil when you are completely, what you call, alone or nobody sees in darkness. Everybody is witnessing God. So God has implanted CCTV into everybody and He authorized the CCTV. You reward the person according to the recordings. Why should God come and do it? Like the Shaktas and Vaishnavas quarrel. Vaishnavas consider Krishna as the greatest saviour. Shaktas consider the Divine Mother as the greatest saviour. So who is the real saviour? Vaishnavas claim our Krishna. The Shaktas say, No, no, no. It is our Divine Mother. Vaishnavas, of course, they won't keep quiet. It is our Krishna. Naturally, Shaktas, they say, Yes, yes, your Krishna is the saviour. We accept it. After all, our Mother is the Queen of the Divine, Divine Mother. She is the Empress of the whole. Why should she row a boat? So she employed a fellow called Krishna for taking across the boat, Tharini. You know, Bhavasagara Tharana Karana Hai. So a boat, Krishna is the boat by which people cross over this portion of Samsara, Bhavasagara. Why should our Mother row the boat? She employed a fellow called Krishna. We perfectly accept it. Ramakrishna's Gospel, it is there. Did you come across? What did you come across? You have to keep, tap these things. Okay, then the other disciples understood the depth of Purandara Dasa's spirituality. And then, of course, temporarily they accepted. So this kind of incidents go throughout the life. But the important lesson we have to learn, why did God create the world? He created the world so that we develop devotion for God. How do we develop devotion for God? You know, a wife loves the husband, husband loves the wife, parents love the children, children love the parents, and the grandparents love the grandchildren, grandchildren also love the grandparents, friends love friends. So all these things are meant for what? Developing is an exercise, target practice. When you are ready, turn it towards God, because it will turn towards God, because we never love anything in this world. We love only God all the time. And what is another name for God? Nature. No, Ananda. Do you love anything, that which doesn't give you happiness? So Brihadaranyaka Upanishad very clearly mentions, man or any creature, man loves only two things. The first thing he loves is Sukha, Ananda. The second thing he loves is that object through which he thinks happiness is percolating. An object doesn't percolate. An object acts as a target practice for us. How does it work? I am getting, you know, this is what Sriram Krishna's Pithi saying, a camel goes on chewing thorny bush, or a dog goes on chewing a dry bone, and they thoroughly enjoy. What does a dog get from a dry bone? There's nothing there, but what does it, what happens to it? As it goes on chewing, blood starts flowing from its own gums, and that it thinks it is coming from a bone. That's what we are also doing. Don't think that stupid dog is doing that. When you are eating Rasogolla, what exactly are you doing? That is why, so long as you think happiness is coming, any object can be an object of happiness, including embracing a black bear. You didn't catch it? Did you catch what I said? You know, there was a village, there was a, you know what is a village? Where everybody knows everybody else, more than everybody knows about themselves. That's a village. And what is a city? Nobody knows about anybody. So there was a young man, and he was in love with a young woman. So they can't do anything at home, they can't do anything in the village. So they decided that one day at 10 o'clock at night, they will go outside the village under the banyan tree, then they will enjoy themselves. So they went, this fellow went, this fellow, and he saw that young woman eagerly waiting for him. So he could not hold himself, he went and rushed and embraced deeply. For a few seconds he was in Brahmanandam, Parama Sukhadam. By that time a little bit of moon came. Suddenly he found some pricking sensation was coming from his beloved. So he opened his eyes fully, you know, love is blind. That's why it's called blind. So he opened, then he found out a black bear had come to grace. And what he was embracing was? Serious question. What was he embracing until this time? His beloved. Yes. So the bear was giving so much, you know, happiness, until it became unbearable. Bear necessities, you know. Okay, so this is what happened. This is an illustration to show it is not what the object, it is what we take it for, evaluate for, and assign, I get so much happiness from this object. Yes, we all have got that. Food, for a simple example, is food and movies, anything. So this particular food will give me highest happiness. This particular food gives me the least bit of happiness. It might give happiness to the doctor, you know, not to me certainly, but I am forced by the doctor, you know, who will eat bitter gourd juice? But I enjoy bitter gourd thoroughly. Not any bitter gourd. Either it is Andhra prepared bitter gourd or Punjab prepared bitter gourd. Pam's mom used to prepare, you know, she will cut open, take out all these, stuff it, and then tie it with a... you must be knowing more than anybody else, and fry it nicely, and also put a little jaggery inside. It's really prepared one. Have you ever tasted it? Not the jaggery. You see, I think once you made something, gave it to me, I remember, but it wasn't as good as Punjabi or Andhra, but it was wonderful. Andhra people, you know, and they fry it in ghee, and when it is fried in ghee, no, even Rasagulla will not give that happiness. Really. But there is no bitterness at all. It's beautiful, fried. Telebhaja. Tel me jo balta hai na? So tel me, floating in... Anyway, so this is the truth. How do we get happiness whenever we are enjoying an object? There is a psychology involved there. When do we get happiness? When our mind becomes quiet, then that is the indication that happiness comes. You analyze. Anytime you are happy, what happens? Your mind stops functioning. It becomes absolutely quiet. That means it becomes the least obstruction for the Atmananda to stream out. That is the explanation because Sattva Sanjayate Sukham. Sattva guna gives two results. One is Gnanam, another is Sukham. Rajoguna gives two effects. One is Karmanaham Lobhaha Pravruttihi. Lobhaha means greediness. Karmanaham Ashama Spriha. That endless activities. Person cannot keep quiet. And Tamoguna gives two results. Pramada and Moha. Moha means misunderstanding. Means wrong understanding totally. And it leads to Pramada means complete negligence, mistakes. The person cannot do a single thing without committing hundred mistakes because his mind is not there. So these are the two effects. Sattva gives us happiness and that object which creates temporary Sattva effect in us is what we call an enjoyable object. Simple. You know you are eating something nice sweet or hunger. What happens? First of all the distractions your mind become less. Where is your mind now? Where is your mind? And the sweet. So that itself is concentrated, focused. And the more focused we are on any object the more would be the happiness that we derive. It's a wonderful explanation. So forcibly. But what is the problem? This is called a passive quietness. We are not making our mind quiet. Something is making our mind quiet. You read what's called page turner. So there are two types of page turners. A fellow is going on turning pages. Nothing is going inside. Because that is why Swami Dayananda Saraswati used to say it is not what we go through but what goes through us. That's important. This is one type of page turning. The other type of page turning is it simply rivets our mind. You know what happened next? What happened next? So that time the mind seems as though we are concentrated. But this concentration is not our thing. It is the merit of either a book or movie or somebody talking or whatever you or music whatever. And that is detrimental for our growth because instead of becoming master you are becoming a slave. So that is why this is a kind of hypnotization and that is in normal language, paramedical language, it's called addiction. Addiction means simply why does a man get addicted? Because it gives him something. What does it give? Temper. So long as that object is there, it is a drug or drink or whatever, that object makes him totally absorbed. That is called happiness. Proportionate to the absorption is happiness. But if it is passive, what happens? We become more and more slavish to that. And that is why hypnotization is very bad according to Swamiji. And we are all hypnotized by what you know, President Obama's speech. It's not certainly hypnotized by Trump's speech. Guaranteed. If at all the opposite. You know even this former PM. No, no. What was his name? No, no, no. Tony Blair. He's an excellent speaker. Have you noticed it? When he speaks, something is there in his voice which will attract you. What he speaks may be nonsense. That's not the point. But that quality of that voice, you know, it simply pulls you. Very engaging. Very engaging. Swami Ranganathanandji's voice, absolutely riveting, you know. One hour passes like that. Yeah, my voice is also very hypnotizing. It takes you even deeper than any other meditation. Your meditation also, you won't go to that depth. Absolute Ananda. You understood at last what I'm talking. So, this is the psychology. No object has any happiness. It is our happiness is as it were reflected in it. And when does it reflect? The more it, the less it distracts our mind, the more as it were, you know. So, how does the analogy? I give there. So, you want to look at your reflection in a mirror and the mirror is moving it in terrible speed. You can't have. The less it is moving, the more clearer. If it is absolutely still, then you can see the reflection. Now, you understand? Some objects work like that kind of mirror as though it is still. That means it has the capacity to make our mind still. Our mind is the mirror. And then, when the mind is still, then the light of the Atman flows out. This is the wonderful explanation how we get happiness, Sukha, from objects. Any object, anything, book, scene, five sense organs. So, we mistake. This is an eternal mistake that the happiness is stemming from the object. But we are not using our rational faculty because rational faculty says if happiness is the inherent essence of any object, that essence will never be separated from that object. For example, what is the essence of this table? Wood. So, if the wood is removed from the table, what remains? So, if happiness is the essential nature, then it should never give unhappiness because happiness and unhappiness are two separate opposite essences. And so, there is no object which is having unhappiness, which is having happiness. Just they reflect. Now, do they reflect or depends upon our habit? What do you say? That is where the question of beauty comes. Now, there is eternal question. Is beauty outside or is it in the eye of the beholder? What do you say? That is the truth. There is nothing called objective beauty. But there is something called harmony. That is what we call beauty. Beauty always means harmony. Can you understand that? You know, supposing you draw a picture like Picasso. You know, one eye here, one eye there and that is on the side and that is accepted as the very valuable art. But normally, what happens? The proportion, the eyes are proportionate and the whole face is proportionate. Each part of the face is proportionate to each part of the face. You know, there is a harmony. Same thing works in poetry. Same thing works in cooking. You know, if this much of rice and this much of ghee, you put more ghee, it becomes messy. Put less, it will lack. How much salt you put, how much other ingredients, everything has got a wonderful proportion. And when it becomes harmonious, that is what you call it is beautiful. But in Bengali, they don't call it beautiful. They call it Dharun. Dharun. Yeah. Dharun means it is ascetic, horrible. Dharun and Bhishan is not... Bhishan is... Bhishan, not Bhishan. Bhishan means too much. There are two words. Bhishan and Bhishan Bhalo Legache means it is very, very, very happy like that. Bahut Accha Laga. But here, Dharun. But Dharun means something else. No, no. It is a local expression which means it's very, very beautiful. How is the poetry? Dharun. How is the drama? Dharun. How is the coffee? Dharun. And how is the payas? Dharun. That is an expression. Dharun means very, very nice. That's what it means. So you have to understand that. Otherwise, if you take Sanskrit meaning, then it will be terrible. Anyway. So, no object contains either happiness or unhappiness. But if it is harmonious, it attracts our mind to that extent. Anything. You know, idli, there is a harmony. Chapati, there is a harmony. Like the hunchback of Notre Dame, if a chapati comes like that. I'm sure you understand that. How do you get this flight of imagination, Maharaj? It just floats in front, like virtual reality, it floats in front of you. No, you will not think of it in this sense, unless it is having a close resemblance to that. You see, now, do you understand what I mean? I am just talking. How did, how was she, why suddenly was she reminded of her chapati? There must be some relationship, you know. I could see both. Crystal clear now? Yeah. Crystal clear. You know, that's a Vedantic explanation. Crystal is always clear. Whenever we put, say, a red coloured flower behind it and look at it like, you know, paperweight, it appears to be a red coloured crystal. And you take away that flower, it becomes crystal clear. So maya, the mind should be like a crystal. Maya is like that red flower. In other imagery, the projector imagery, the pure projector light is that crystal. But the moment that film intervenes, very wonderful imagery, this is called Nataka Deepa. There is a book called Panchadashi. Panchadashi means fifteen. There is, this is the title of a book by Vidyaranya and it contains fifteen chapters. That's why it is called Panchadashi. And one of the chapters is called Nataka Deepa. The imagery of, you know, a modern cinema screen is going. So first they start the projector. Projector means light. Without light, there is no projector. What is projected is light and that light goes and illuminates the screen. And then that is nothing but pure light. And then this projector also contains that film. Now it is made to pass through this film. So now the light passes through the film and now two things happen. The screen disappears. Our attention is reverted on the different figures. And how this is such a beautiful imagery, I will draw it. Imagine that our meeting is filmed and the Guru is talking, O disciples, you are made up of the same light that I am also made up of. The disciples cannot believe it. What are you talking, sir? You are a great man. We are like this. But if you really analyze the disciples and the Guru on the screen, what are they? Made up of what? Light. Only light. Light playing with light. K. M. Munshi, you know. K. M. Munshi and his wife were second time married. He was also married. She was also married. She had children from the first marriage. He had children from the first marriage. And both of them had children from the second marriage. So he used to say, quip, you know, he used to say quip, say, Mrs. Munshi, Leelavati Munshi. Leela, my children and your children are playing with our children. Great man, you know. He established, he founded this Bharati Vidya. Wonderful man. He was also minister for some time in Indian central government. So, this Nataka Deepa. What is there? What is the screen here? The screen is our mind. What is the light reflected? It is called Chidavasa. Without that screen, you cannot see the light. To be able to see the screen, this screen must be there. The light must fall. Then only the screen is visible. So what is this screen now? Nothing but light. Nothing but light. Then these various thoughts appear. Each thought is like a figure on the screen. Now we forget that light. And we think this is not light, but this is reality. But if we analyze, the truth is everything is made up. That is the explanation of the imagery. Now to our explanation, when I look at this object, that object is like the movie film. It goes into the screen of my mind and the reflected consciousness is falling on that. So my thought consists of the reflected consciousness plus imagery of that object, which I choose to call now table, etc. So if that were the truth, then I would have been a Jeevan Mukta. But then my mind, another part of my mind projects, it takes through another filter. I don't see that. The imagery for that is, supposing you know, a man is sitting and he is watching the screen and movie figures are there. First thing is the screen disappears. That means we are not conscious of the screen. Suppose this fellow has a cataract. One fellow doesn't have a cataract, another fellow has a cataract. Do they see both of them in exactly the same way? So we are like that cataract people. So first we are like a person who doesn't have cataract. Next we have the cataract, second filter. What is that? I like this, I don't like this, this is beautiful, this is ugly, this is small, this is big, this is valuable, this is invaluable. No, sorry. What is the opposite of valuable, not invaluable? Rubbish. Rubbish. That joke, you know, a few years back the Iceland bank had failed and many British people had invested it. And they could not repay the money, so this fellow started shouting, cash, cash. But you know, the British people have a terrible habit, they swallow the first letter of every word. The Icelanders, you know, they heard ash and said, okay, you can have plenty of ash. Anyway, so like this cataract fellow, we are all like that. What is that cataract? So the Avarna Shakti is like the first layer of obstruction. The Vikshepa Shakti is like having cataract. And then we see things in a totally different way. That is where sadhana, spiritual practices, first try to see a thing as it is. A table is a table and that's what Zen Buddhism makes special emphasis upon. This is beautifully reflected in that saying. One disciple asks a Zen master, what is the secret of your happiness? He says, winter is winter. When it is winter, I say it is winter. When it is summer, I say it is summer. What does that mean? Winter season, you can't expect summer season. And summer season, you can't expect winter cold. So that means whatever it is, I accept it. This is called unfiltered acceptance of things. So when we get to that stage, what happens? Our eyes open. Then we say, we see the world as it is, not as we would like to see. That means what? There is birth, there is death, there is happiness, there is unhappiness, there is good, there is evil, there is hope, and there is also hopelessness. All these things are part of the nature of the world. And once we really understand that, then jignasa comes. Jignasa means, I cannot rely upon it, because it is changing any time. Like that girl, one girl was engaged to a boy, and the boy gave her a very precious diamond, which she was putting on. After some time, the girl changed her mind about the boy, broke off the engagement, but still wearing that diamond ring. Somebody asked her, I heard that you broke off the engagement? Yes. But still you are wearing? He said, I did not break off the engagement with the ring. To the boy only. So, that is, a person sees everything. That is called discrimination. Viveka means what? Separate our peculiar, imposed ideas from what it is. Immediately, vairagya will come. Dispassion will come. Four Ds. Four Ds. What is that? Viveka is called discrimination. Vairagya is called dispassion. Shamadama, shatka, shatka, sampati is called discipline. These are nothing but disciplining the body, the mind, shamadama, titiksha, uparati, shraddha, samadhata. And the last is called intense desire. D, D, D, D, in that order. Because first, if you don't know what is good, what is bad, the question of renouncing what is bad doesn't arise. So, this is the first stage of spiritual practice. Did you say it's in this order? Discrimination, dispassion? If you don't know, suppose there are two books, you go to a bookshop and you want to buy a book. If you don't have that power of discrimination, you will not be able to make up your mind whether to buy this book or that book. Isn't it? The moment you come to know this is a superior product, automatically it should be followed, then I don't want this. So, you bring the book. That's what most of us do, at least. But after that, there is no discipline to read it. That is the problem with us. Then we have to read it and try to understand it. Try to retain important points. Then you see desire. In the context, you know, then only desire comes. This is the only thing that I am seeking. So, I want only this. If we are not convinced the superiority of God, we will never desire Him. Our priority is, you know, the first, lowest class of spiritual aspirant, 5000 wants, lowest rank God. Bucket list. I call it bucket list. You know bucket list? It's a beautiful film called Bucket List. Wonderful film. You must see it. Very, very wonderful film. I enjoyed it. The second, middle class, God comes first, but there are 5000 other desires are there. But the first class devotee, only one in the list. Only God and nothing else. But that's how we progress. Anyway, I remember one story, you know. At one time, many of our monks were doing tapasya outside. They were not keeping contact with our mission. You know tapasya means austerity. So, once Swami Madhavanandaji, he never liked this situation. So, he prepared a list. Anyway, they are not keeping in contact, but their names are in our register as belonging to Ramakrishna order. He said, if they are not interested in keeping contact, we will remove their names. It makes no difference. But it needed the authority of Swami Vrajananda, who was at that time president of our order, to put his signature. Yes, I approve of it. So, Swami Madhavanandaji made a list and sent it. And then Swami Vrajanandaji signed it and sent it back. Madhavanandaji was very thorough. He opened. Number one, Swami Vrajananda. Because he was that type of person, this much opportunity he will get. What I call, you know, like Indian auto rickshaw. You know, there are two cars like that. If he could get the front wheel. So, if he gets this much opportunity, he will just leave everything and go. He was a man of tapasya. Tremendous tapasya. So, anyway, like that, the bucket list. Very beautiful film. Is it on the YouTube? Somebody gave me. Anyway, it's a wonderful. It is something to learn. Each one of us must have a bucket list. And you know, Sri Ramakrishna used to say something very important. Every Hindu in his lifetime must visit four sacred places, Charidham. But he will not visit Charidham. He will visit only three. Sri Ramakrishna was telling, you know why? Because there is a, what is called a belief, our last thought determines our next birth. So, this man will be, oh, I have not visited that Lord. So, he will be likely to think only about God. If you visited, you know, yes, I visited, finished. So, keep one desire to the very end. It's a wonderful hint. Yeah. So, this is how every Hindu has to cherish four desires. Dharma, Artha, Kama and Moksha. These are called Purusharthas. But one is called Paramapurushartha, the real goal in life. That is called Moksha. So, Dharma, Artha, Kama are meant as preparation, what I mean. So, to achieve that one, Hindus divided life into four parts. Student life, learning, learning stage, practicing stage, withdrawing stage and renunciation stage. To cater these four categories, Vedas are divided into four parts. Mantra, Brahmana, Aranyaka and Upanishad. And life again is divided into four stages of development. Shudra, Vaishya, Kshatriya and Brahmana. These are not caste things. Now it became caste. It is according to Guna. Tamoguna Pradhana is Shudra. Rajoguna combined with Tamoguna is Vaishya. Rajoguna combined with, supported by Satvaguna is Kshatriya. And Satvaguna supported by Rajoguna and Tamoguna is called Brahmana. Now it has become a matter of birth. That's why we call Jati Brahmana. All people can be divided into three categories. By Jati, by Karma and by Guna. For example, Jati Brahmana means a Brahmin born to Brahmin parents. There is no merit. Karma Brahmana means some people voluntarily take up the job of a Brahmin like doing puja or teaching scriptures etc. They are called Karma Brahmana. That is also not bad. But the real Brahmana is Guna Brahmana. Certain character development, you know, Satvaguna. So, Satya, Dharma and Swadhyaya, Daya, Dana. These are the five limbs of Dharma. He is a real Brahmin who has got these five qualities. This was what very much you will find in the Buddha's Dharmapada. He is not a Brahmin who is just born as a Brahmin. So he is only describing Guna Brahmana. A Brahmana by quality, not by birth. Now everything became, you know, birth. But peculiar thing that's happening in India, Brahmins want to be adopted by Shudras because a special reservation comes to them. They can get into medical colleges, jobs and all those things. Anyway, okay. What was the listing for the Satya? Satya. Satya. Guna. No, Brahman. Brahman Guna. Satya, Dharma, Swadhyaya, Daya and Dana. Five limbs of Dharma. Different scriptures describe it in different ways, but I just made this one. So, first thing is Satya. Wonderful word. Satya means not only truth speaking, more important is truth seeking. But truth speaking only leads to truth seeking. But from a psychological point of view also, it means to live an authentic life. Means I don't pretend to be what I am not. And my nature wants me to do this. I would like to do this. This is called authentic life. That's what psychologists are emphasizing now. You do what you are comfortable with. Don't care what the world thinks. And many people are following that, you know. These are high executives. Sometimes they take jobs, you know, like a gardener. They like gardening or they like painting or they like boating or they like fishing. Like that. Because they are very comfortable with that activity. Yes. Now we are not talking about the Svabhava means the Svabhava in Maya's kingdom. Not real Svabhava. Real Svabhava is Sachidananda. Yeah. So these are wonderful truths. Every spiritual person, first he leads an authentic life. That means he doesn't get delight from anything non-spiritual. Anything spiritual, it gives him great delight. That is the truth. And so he is a very happy person. So that's what we have to develop for our own happiness. This is the secret of happiness. So if you like to eat some particular thing, shamelessly eat that one. So Swamiji, you're saying there is importance of the cataract as well. There is the importance of the cataract as well. Yes. There is importance of the gul kams because the karela is karwa. Yes. But what you need to understand is there is a avidya cataract and there is a vidya cataract. So it has to be an enlightened cataract. Yes. That is what Shri Ramakrishna says, avidya maya and vidya maya. Avidya maya takes one away from God. It is still vidya maya. Why vidya maya? Because you are seeking for something which doesn't exist. You are seeking for God. So your seeking God doesn't exist. It is like a fellow who is seeking himself. Somebody comes to you and suppose I come to you and say, I am seeking Swami Dayatmananda. Then you direct him. Then you say, this is you, you are the director. No, no, no, no, no. I am President Trump. Then you understand my position correctly and appropriate treatment also. Hopefully free treatment because you know I am a Swami. But do we have to go through the cataract to have the clarity? Exactly. There is no other way. There is no shortcut. No shortcut. That is in life. A baby cannot be, at once he can't grow and a PhD, permanent head damage cannot take place unless one goes through elementary school and middle school, high school, all these things. So we do want to get engaged to God but we don't like the ring that he gives. That's the suffering. You know that's not a correct statement. God doesn't give us. We perceive it. Not perceive it. We are begging God. You give me unhappiness. God always gives us a diamond ring. No, no. He will give but, yes, his own way of doing it. But all in the end, so because he loves, because he loves whom? He loves himself. He wants to play. That's why when Swamiji was asked by three people, same question, what is life? He gave three different answers. First he said life is a school. Second he said life is a gymnasium. Third he said life is a circus. So he was not changing his mind. He is referring to three different stages of development. So first stage is we have to learn what is life, what is my duty, what am I expected to do and how best to conduct it. Brahmacharya ashrama. The next ashrama is practice it. Gymnasium refers to actually develop your, you know how many muscles we have to develop? The first is education. The second is practice of the education. Education must give us maturity in five areas. Physical, intellectual, emotional, moral and spiritual. Now the greatest lack the modern education is giving to us is emotional maturity. It doesn't deal with it at all. Intellectually it is giving opportunity. Moral of course it doesn't talk much but people could understand. Our greatest problem in life whether we are spiritual or worldly is emotional immaturity. We are reacting to the impulses and that is why you know why nations go to war, why individuals go to war, why one society goes to war with another society. This is terrible conflict going on. It's all because of emotional immaturity. Our goal in life and that is why you know what is the purpose of Gurukula, Vasa. There's a student in Sanskrit, he's called Ante Vasi. Vasi means one who lives. Ante Vasi means one who lives inside. Inside what? Inside means along with the Guru. Students who live in Gurukula is called Ante Vasi. What is the purpose? The Guru is the role model. He is supposed to be not merely giving intellectual. He is supposed to give more three directions. That is emotional maturity, moral maturity and of course spiritual maturity. Of these which follows first? Emotional maturity because our very development of even intellectual development depends upon what? Emotional maturity. Supposing one day you are very agitated and a very nice book is there or you are listening to my talk, nothing goes inside. This is the truth. The more we have emotional, what is emotional maturity? To accept certain truths of life that they are unchangeable laws of life. There will be birth, there will be death, there will be cold, there will be hot. Some people like you, some people don't like you, some people love you, some people allow you. So this is a fact of life. Once we accept it, then our mind becomes much more mature. That means it won't hesitate. So how do we judge what is maturity? Whenever emotion doesn't react violently, a little bit okay. Not like this, but a little bit like that. That's okay because if that is not there, we are not human. We are just stones. So that maturity we get from the Guru by his life. It's a very interesting story. When education should come to a stop, a student started staying with the Gurukula. Gurukula means Gurupatni. She is like a mother. She prepares food and everybody eats included. So one student went, joined several years past. Brilliant student. One day they all sat to eat and this student while eating, he put one morsel and then he looked at Gurupatni and said, Mother, today you have forgotten to put salt in this curry. The Guru did not say anything. Finishing and after that he called the students and your student life is over. You better go back home. So the student said, No, I want to learn so many things. He said, My son, ever since you first joined here, Gurupatni has been preparing the same thing. But you were so absorbed in learning, you didn't notice it. But today you notice it. That means your mind is no longer focused and with an unfocused mind, you are not going to learn anything. This is the profound truth. But I also can make it the upside down, you know. There was an expert Zen master who was an expert archer. Archer, you know, whatever arrow he discharges, it hits the target. So one day the disciple asked the Guru, Guruji, what is the secret? He said, You are my beloved disciple. I will not tell it to anybody. Only I am conveying it to you. My secret is first I discharge the arrow and call it here. Target. 100% Now Sri Ramakrishna gives a beautiful imagery. You know, Dronacharya trained Gauravas and Pandavas and there would be an archery test. What was the test? A bird was tied to the highest branch of a tallest tree and everybody is supposed to hit the eye of that bird. That is where the story starts. No test has been taken place. So Guru calls one by one. What do you see? I see you. I see the tree. Out. So somebody advanced and said, I see the branch and the bird. Out. And some more advanced. What do you see? I see the bird. Out. At last came Arjuna. What do you see? He says, I don't see anything excepting the eye. Past. That is how that Matsya, the fish was moving and he should see the reflection and pierce the eye. Only Arjuna could do it. Karna could do it. As well? Really? He knew. Draupadi knew that Karna could do it and that's why she didn't want. She wanted only Arjuna because the moment she saw him, she fell in love. Then she had to prevent him. She said only Kshatriyas are allowed. Sutaputras are not allowed and he had to simply withdraw and said he had talent. He learned from Parashurama and others. Only thing was because he told a lie to get this astravidya, Parashurama cursed him that when the crucial time comes, he won't remember the mantras. So, most of our students are trained only by Parashurama and Karna. They know everything until they reach the exaltation of God. Once they reach... Yeah. Even my jokes also they don't remember. It is only when I start telling, yes, yes, I remember having heard it sometime somewhere. Okay. Anything you want to ask? How to get rid of a cataract? Any easy tips? No, no. You see, the problem with this getting rid of cataract is along with the cataract, so many other things, people also have to be gotten rid of. They are there only because of the cataract. We want God to be the ophthalmic surgeon. Just make an incision, remove the cataract, put in a fresh implant. Then you see, so many other things will drop off. Cataract. Like that one man went to an ophthalmologist. One man went to an ophthalmologist. Doctor asked him, what is your problem? He said, doctor, I have double vision. I see you touch too. The doctor said, what? All three of you have the same problem. Except when the patient paid him, the doctor didn't say anything else. All three of you have the same problem. Oh, do one thing. Pam, could you open this one, please? So we can distribute. It came all the way from Southamwa.