Svetasvatara Upanishad Lecture 10 on 02 April 2023

Full Transcript(Not Corrected)

OM JANANIM SHARADAM DEVIM RAMAKRISHNAM JAGAD GURUM PADAPADMETAYO SRIDHVA PRANAMAMI MUHURMUHU OM SAHANAVAVATU SAHANAV BHUNATU SAHAVERYAM KARAVAVAHAI TEJASVINAVADHITAMASTUMA VIDVISHAVAHAI OM SHANTI SHANTI SHANTI HARE HARE OM OM May Brahman protect us both. May Brahman bestow upon us both the fruit of knowledge. May we both obtain the energy to acquire knowledge. May what we both study reveal the truth. May we cherish no ill will towards each other. OM PEACE PEACE PEACE BE UNTO ALL We have been on the 12th mantra of the first chapter of the Shweta Kshetra Upanishad. The Upanishad is emphatically declaring the only goal of life is God realization. Of course, the Upanishad doesn't use the word God often. It does use. In this case, it has used Devam, also used the word Hara. But Atma is the word most often that is used. In this 12th mantra, ETAD GNEYAM NITYAM EVA ATMA SAMSTAM NA ATAH PARAM VEDI TAVYAM HI KINCHIT BHOKTA BHOGYAM PRERITARANCHAM ATVA SARVAM PROKTAM TRIVIDHAM BRAHMAMETHA Which means, this Brahman alone which abides eternally within the Self should be known. Beyond this knowledge, truly there is nothing else to be known. The enjoyer, that is the Jeeva. The objects of enjoyment, that is the Jagat. And the ruler, Eshwara. They try, described by the knowers of Brahman, all these three are nothing but Brahman. Who is the Jeeva? Brahman. Who is the Jagat world? Brahman. Who is Eshwara? From whom both Jeeva and Jagat has come? That is also Brahman. And that Brahman should be realized. ETAD GNEYAM. Brahman should be known. And where is that Brahman? NITYAM EVA ATMA SAMSTAM. For eternity, it is there within each one of us. Each soul is potentially divine. OK. Is there anything else to be known? Should we strive first to realize Brahman? What is the second thing to be realized? NA ATAH PARAM KINCHIT VEDITAVYAM He. He indeed. ATAH PARAM. Other than this God realization, Atman realization. And what is that realization? I am the Atman. I am the Eshwara. I am everything. VEDITAVYAM KINCHIT NAVIDYATE. Nothing else is there excepting this knowledge. And what happens if we do not realize that one? Then we will be Samsaris. Samsara means continuously transiting from one state to another state. And why does it happen? Or how does it happen? Every one of us thinks I, I, I. But I doesn't come by itself. I am doing. I am seeing. I am hearing, etc. Bhokta. I am the experiencer. I am the knower. I am the subject. Bhogyam. And there must be something in relation to which I feel that I am the subject. Bhogyam. And there must be something which is inspiring both the knower and also the known. PRAYER ITARAM. That is Eshwara. Matva. Having realized. Here Matva means having prayed, having meditated and having known. Matva. SARVAM PROKTAM. What happens? Trividham. Who is the Bhokta? Brahman. What is the Jagat which is called Bhogyam or experienced? That is also Brahman. And who is Eshwara? That is also Brahman. Brahman is manifesting as these three. SARVAM, TRIVIDHAM, PROKTAM. Brahman. E TAT YAT SARVAM PROKTAM. TRIVIDHAM ITE TAT SARVAM BRAHMAMEVA. Nothing else. Thus Brahman alone which abides eternally within the self should be known. And beyond that knowledge truly there is nothing else to be known. The enjoyer known as Jeeva. The objects of enjoyment known as the entire world. And the ruler who is manifesting as both the Jeevatma and also Jagat. This pride ascribed by the knowers of Brahman. All this is nothing but Brahman. So what is this pride? Pride means three. Brahman is manifesting as the knower, enjoyer. Brahman is manifesting as the known, as the enjoyed. That means the entire world. And who is the prerita or the impeller, the inspirer, the creator? That is Ishwara. And how do we understand it better? By comparing each one of our dreams. When we are in the dream we are the subject and we are the object. Though we do not realize it if this class is going on and you are dreaming this class is going on in your dream. If a teacher has to tell that the whole dream world consisting of the knower and the known, the Jeevatma and the Jagat is nothing but you the waker, the Ishwara is the waker then you will not believe it. But when you wake up there is no need to believe it because you yourself say what a nightmare have I created, what a beautiful pleasant dream have I created. The value of both is absolutely nothing. So once a person realizes this there is nothing more to be known at all. And every Upanishad supports every other Upanishad and this is what Katha Upanishad has to say mahatah param avyaktam avyaktat purushah paraha purushat na param kinchit saakastha saaparagate he That is beyond everything is that Purusha and beyond that Purusha and that Purusha is the highest to be known and beyond that Purusha there is nothing else. saakastha that is the supreme saaparagate he that is the ultimate object of realization and then what happens if somebody cannot realize it yachet avit atha satyamasti If somebody realizes that I am God, I am divine in the words of Swami Vivekananda satyamasti everything is real na chet eha avetet mahati vinashti he Very often quoted by Shankaracharya and others and by the dualists like Ramanujacharya it is quoted slightly different words. What words do they use? Anybody having been given this human birth cannot love God then such is the loss greatest loss mahati vinashti he nashta Therefore only those who realize bhuteshu bhuteshu vichitya knowing seeing everything that they experience as none other than brahman dhiraha pretya These udheras having given up the body at the end of the fall of the body asmat lokat pretya having transcended this world amrutah bhavanti This was what Swami Vivekananda was trying to convey to us sunvantu vishwe amrutasya putrah and this is tamasah parastha He is beyond all ignorance tameva viditva only having realized him atim rutyum eti man transcends every type of limitation and the worst type of limitation is called mrutyu or death nanya pantha vidyate ayanaya and there is no other way and this amruta putra aspect will be coming in this very svetasvatara upanishad So this is what he said that if one knows brahman here then life is beautiful we live in paradise there would be no fear it is all bliss that is called truth if one knows not that I am brahman this world is brahman here and now there will be great loss so the wise seeing the one atman in all created things having turned away from this world become immortal we have to slightly rearrange this one what is having turned away from this world that means what you turn your face away you turn your face up and only looking at the sky there will be also birds there will be also bird droppings everything will be there now what does it mean seeing the world in a new light that is what is called wisdom seeing the one atman in all created things but when having turned away from this world this world is not an object I am not the subject everything is that pure brahman sarvam khalvitam brahma then the wise sees what does he become what does he get he becomes immortal he attains amrutatvam eti and there is no other way and where is that brahman as if we have to travel somewhere and attain to another state and then obtain it in you no pratibodhaviditam matam amrutatvam hi vindate atmanam vindate viriyam vidyate vindate vidyaya vindate amrutam pratibodhaviditam every time we become aware of thought that which makes the thought spontaneous and very obvious and that which makes that thought throwing its own light that is your true self as pure consciousness that is every single time either in the waking state you are that pure awareness the dream state you are that pure awareness in the sleeping state you are that pure awareness without you no you will not know you are the waker without you there would be no dream state without you there would be no deep sleep state without you the entire world itself will not exist and without you even god doesn't exist so that ultimate reality wherever we are looking at is nothing but brahman that lost awareness of the thought everything is brahman is called the ultimate chitta vritti it is called brahma akara vritti so it is there everywhere what is the important takeaway from this twelfth mantra it is there atma samstham it is there everywhere it is there within you first find out and then you will see it everywhere and the following verses try to explain elaborate this so this mantra 13 speaks of om as a symbol of atman symbol means doorway doorway is that through which we enter into another room another building another tent another state whatever we call it so a yogi here spiritual seeker here brahma jignasu communes with atman how does he commune through om this method is repetition of the word om and meditation on its meaning that is being explained here and it is explained in every upanishad as seen in kena we have seen in prashna we have seen in katha especially katha of course the most elaborate explanation in the mandokya upanishad and yoga sutras patanjali himself states that tasya that is the purushas this one omkara what is this symbol only one that is called omkara so on that omkara meditation has to be done and this form of meditation is explained by an illustration and what is the illustration we have to understand here something when we are studying the gospel of sri ramakrishna he gives many illustrations most of the illustration are from his day-to-day observations simple example i am reminding you that sri ramakrishna must have seen many of these people they purchase paddy and they husk it beat it and then they sell it usually women do that job so with one hand they're stirring the paddy and with another hand they're doing lot of business sri ramakrishna used this illustration to explain to us what is called karma yoga this lady is somebody comes i want one kg of rice okay here is your one kg of rice and you owe me last time you did not pay so much this account system was all in her brain and then she takes okay and suppose that fellow pays only half today i only have this much money and the rest i will have to pay next time there is no other way for me all right you paid some money the rest i have got calculation and she will not forget it and then she has her own children she will be suckling them she'll be playing with them throwing them scolding them talking with various customers but one part of major part of her mind is on her hand with which she is stirring the paddy so that the heavy weight that falls in it should not crush her hand and that is the marvelous illustration like this ram krishna's illustration so how does a farmer buy a bullock and he puts his hand near the tail and if it is a spirited bullock it will jump up and if it is dispirited it will just wag its ears or look at him in a doleful way and goes back to sleep and the farmer understands this is not of much use so in the olden times people were accustomed to do what we call tremendous amount of yajnas yagas etc and there is a rule how to start a fire the fire has to be started with the help of some fire sticks they are called arani and this is what he gives there but he will give first to give you the illustration where is the fire it is everywhere but especially it is manifest in firewood that is the example given here and he will elaborate that in the coming mantras so here it is vahner yatha this is mantra number 13 vahner yatha yoni gatasya morte na drishyate naiva chalinga nasaha sa bhoya eva indana yo ni grihya tatva ubhayam vai pranavena dehe what is it you bring some arani sticks they are supposed to be more conducive to bring out the fire within them but once fire is there any type of dry firewood will do more than do but to create that initial fire one requires so they take one small arani wood make a small hole there and then they will take another one with a sharpened end put that end in that hole and go on churning left and right with both the palms and as they are they churning heat is produced that heat this arani wood produces tremendous amount of heat and they put a small bits of cotton or small leaves dry leaves etc very soon smoke starts coming and very very i have seen this also with the stones two stones like that even this is patika stones they produce this fire so by rubbing like that slowly smoke starts coming then they add a bit of small leaves the leaves catch fire and once a small fire is lit caught and then immediately it is made gradually bigger and they will take another two arani pieces and butter is very well known at that time and with that butter they will take this fire lit it and take it round those who have witnessed at the Homa specially done in the Ramakrishna ashramas etc they can very easily imagine this one how it works so this is the illustration given just as vanni means agni it is there deeply inside the wood but nobody can see it like electricity is there but we cannot see it even if we don't see either before we bring it out or after our work is over we put out the fire after the putting out the fire before we are able to see the fire fire is there completely potentially hidden there but we cannot see it we cannot destroy it we cannot do anything so until it is brought out nobody can see it in its potential form nobody can destroy it that means anytime if we do the needed activity of charming then it will come out so but when it is being charmed what happens that fire again indhana yoni indhana yoni grihya so that indhana means that firewood that medium of bringing out that fire it becomes yoni yoni means karana for bringing out that fire the cause of the fire grihya tatha upayamvai pranavena dehe this is the example given how pranava ankara has to be used pranava is the one type of r and e stick and body obviously body mind are the another type of firewood r and e firewood and in exactly in the same way we have to use it what is it telling first let us see the literal meaning the visible form of fire when it lies latent in its source is not perceived by anybody and yet it doesn't mean that there is no fire there is no destruction of its subtle form that very fire which is there potentially as swami vekaranda used to say each soul is potentially divine we don't see that potential divinity but it doesn't mean that it is not there not only that we also have to understand you look at two three babies or hundred babies lying in a maternity ward in the hospital do any one of us have a faintest inclination idea notion that what these babies are going to be one may be a great saint another may be a great rakshasa daitya political leader another may be a great charitable person another may be a great scientist still another may be a great musician etc etc or some people may be stupid some people may be peons clerks not that they are bad but they have not brought out that necessary thing swami vekaranda's favorite saying hundred percent knowledge infinite knowledge is potentially there within everybody vedanta practice of vedanta that's why it is called practical vedanta helps us bring out that inherent divinity and many times i repeated i am not tired of repeating when we say divinity bringing out the divinity manifesting this divinity don't imagine that some fire will come some jyoti some beautiful light will come out and surround our heads etc we are very apt to draw a line of like sunlight around the heads of saints etc that is not the way to understand here is a baby and as he goes on growing up he will bring up his latent knowledge in the form of physics music or cookery or agriculture any form that is the first meaning of the manifestation of divinity and the second is how that person is using that either by to earn something or to enjoy something that is where true spiritual practice starts yoga means that which brings us nearer to god if it is an action it's called karma yoga if it is emotion that is called bhakti yoga if it is intellect that is called jnana yoga if it is willpower that is called raja yoga but the manifestation of divinity is through the manifestation of what we call talents, powers etc within each one of us so that is how we have to understand through this illustration in this 13th mantra just as there is a fire present practically in everything in this world including stones but it is easily available only in certain in wood especially dry wood but especially in a special type of wood called arani which our vedic times yajnas, yagas time the fire has to be lit from there they were experts and every time they do a new yaga they have to do this some people do it almost everyday that is a day to day experience that is given as an analogy that within each one of us that potential divinity is there atman is there within everybody like fire is hidden within every object but to bring it out one has to churn it like two pieces of wood are churned that means that is called yoga, we have to take the help of body and mind and meditation is called the process of churning and guru padesha that is the teachings of the guru are supposed to be the fire wood and we have to steadily go on meditating, churning manana is that process and slowly the fire will come that means more divinity is manifest so we will go through this again the form the potential fire just as it is hidden in the fire wood yoni means here the cause and when so long as it is not brought out na drishyate it is not seen but it doesn't mean that it is destroyed or it is not there but when we go on churning it, taking two pieces of wood then slowly the inherent fire will manifest in the form of heat in the form of smoke and in the form of sparks ultimately leading to the manifestation of fire so that that fire can be used either for cooking or for doing yajnas, yagas, etc so also every sadhaka has to bring out, it is there potentially, that was what Swami Vivekananda had meant ubhayam means both both means what? means take the help of two sticks what is one stick? our personality what is the other stick? the mantra given by God or Guru, through the Guru what is that mantra? Pranava what is Pranava? Omkara that is how we have to understand, two pieces of firewood, they are called arani is a special type of wood as I said one placed above the other or used in Vedic times to ignite the sacrificial fire, that fire produced by the rubbing of wood is compared to Atman which though invisible during the state of ignorance exists all the time and is revealed when the body is rubbed as it were by Om that is the body is the lower piece, Omkara is the upper piece that is symbolism a body-mind in harmony goes on meditating, repeating Omkara, so the word friction is the symbol of meditation through constant churning, friction meditation on Om the body becomes subdued means becomes harmonious the mind becomes still that means only the thought of Brahman is infilled and the vision of Atman, the Atman which is not coming from anywhere but which is already there within it will come out that is the idea given there the same idea is now a little more elaborately given in the next mantra swadeham aranim kritva pranavam cha uttararanim dhyana nirmathana abhyasat devam pashyet nigodhavat exactly same idea in the last line of the 13th mantra, so there are ubhayaha, that is the mind or the personality of the person and the pranava, both must be combined together that is compared as two pieces of wood one is to be kept at the lower end, another is kept above and then as I mentioned is to make a small hole in the lower wood and usually our people also, human beings very intelligent, they will take a quite good chunk of the wood and two pieces in one they make a hole in the middle in a square one and in the other they make it like a pointed let us say a pencil and they put that and go on rubbing it, churning it back and forth like we churn butter with both hands uttering some mantras and then slowly it gets heated up very soon and those who are experts they can bring it out within few seconds and then they add the fine pieces of cotton or small pieces of leaves etc even there are some leaves which catch fire very quickly, for example coconut fiber is very good because it does not get completely burnt up but it just slowly catches fire and then you go on pulling it, they go on breathing over it very fast and very forcefully and slowly you add small things and that is how even today when poor people they take a piece, two pieces, three pieces of stones and then they go on putting some firewood and they go on blowing with their mouth and very soon there is sufficient amount of fire is there so by making the body a lower piece of wood and Omkara, Omkara has to be understood not only as Om but it could be Gayatri Mantra, it could be Astakshari Narayana Mantra it could be Dvadasakshari Narayana Mantra, it could be Panchakshari Shiva Mantra it could be Ramakrishna's Mantra whatever Guru has given God has given through the Guru and go on uttering, meditating what is called with concentration, with Shraddha then slowly fire heat, heat means what? Concentration, then what happens? Slowly the smoke comes, what is the smoke? Various results the mind becomes very blissful very peaceful and it becomes pleased the enmity of the people will become less the jealousy becomes less and the ambition becomes less desires become less and then fire comes, the person's vision is entirely changed remember fire also is light, when the fire comes out the person sees with a different light what is this? goes on saying like that this is the description of Ramakrishna, when the Kundalini rises to the Anahata Chakra then he will say what is this? what is this? everything he sees with a light then one perceives the luminous self, hidden like the fire in the wood, that means the knowledge, I am the body and mind, slowly becomes less and I am the Brahman, I am the Atman, I am separate from the body mind this what is called as the Vedanta Sara describes it, that is what we feel so here Patanjali says it will take long time, it will take unceasing practice for a very very long time, then only slowly Yoga starts producing the result so the practice becomes firmly grounded by long and constant efforts coupled with great love for the knowledge of Brahman to be obtained it should be accompanied by Vairagya or the giving of attachment for objects either hurt or unsafe, that means unless the mind is convinced that there is something higher naturally here the question comes, if we are not having that Shraddha, our desire for lower things will not disappear in fact we don't want to desire anything any object, we want the happiness that is obtained through the instrumentality of the object once happiness is obtained, the object becomes like a chewed sugar cane, it will be simply thrown out but when the same Ananda comes for example in deep sleep or in meditation much more in God Realization incomparably great in Brahma Jnana then we don't require anything, but until that time certain things will be pulling us down, so we have to with great effort try to convince ourselves that is not the real goal of life so the nature of Self Realization itself will take us to the highest goal so in this 14th mantra, what are what is advised that continuous meditation making our personality one and that is the meaning of controlling body and mind that is the meaning of Shramadhamadhi Shatka Sampatthi accompanied by Viveka and Vairagya and of course being pulled by the tremendous desire for liberation called Mumukshutvam, so this is called Sadhana Chatushtaya Sampatthi and one who is more or less a strong Sadhana Chatushtaya Sampatthi he is called an Adhikari and then Guru will come sent by God Himself and Guru will give exact instructions what to do and it is an individual affair between the Guru and the disciple and first he should listen only an Adhikari is qualified to do the Shravana, then he must deeply think about it until he is convinced that this is the truth until no more remnants of doubts are remaining and then slowly realize the truth called Nidhidhyasana, Shravana, Manana and Nidhidhyasana that has been indicated in this 14th mantra then again in the last this first chapter of the Ashwathara has only 16 mantras we are coming to the last two mantras they have to be studied together combined because the idea is only one so they go like this Tileshu Thailam Dadhini Vasarpehi Aapah Shrotaha Swaraneeshu Chagni Evam Aatma Aatmani Grihyate Asau Satyena Enam Tapasayo Anupasyati Sarva Vyapinam Aatmanam Kshire Sarperi Varpitam Aatma Vidya Tapo Moolam Tat Brahma Upanishad Param. With this 15th and 16th mantras the first chapter of the Shwetashwathara comes to an end. What does it mean? First of all four examples are given. Let me first read out the plain translation. As oil exists in sesame seeds, butter exists in milk, water in the river beds and fire in or any wood. Four examples. These are common things even in Vedic times. So the self is realized that means is known as existing within the self here within the self means within our buddhi. When a man looks for it by means of truthfulness and austerity when he looks for the self which self pervades all things as butter pervades milk and whose roots are self-knowledge and austerity. That means the way to realize that Aatman is Aatma Gnanam and that is achieved by austerity. This is a beautiful mantra, concluding mantra but what does a person get? Tat Brahma Upanishad Param that whatever has been described as Upanishad Brahma that is the Brahman proposed and explained and all the time explained through every Upanishad, every scripture he is also the supreme reality Param and this person who practices a life of austerity a life of truth a life of self-control an Adhikari, he will ultimately get it. How does he get it? Only through the following practicing instructions given by the Guru. First four examples are given. Tileshu Thailam so suppose somebody comes to you and says Aunty, I want a little bit of butter, do you have? Yes yes, it is there. And can you give me? No, I cannot give you. Why? Because it is there in the milk I am yet to take it out. It is there but it is not available practically. That knowledge that butter is there is of absolutely worthless knowledge. Similarly Dadhiniva Sarpihi so like butter in milk sesame, this is oil in the sesame seeds any oil seed will do sun, sunlight sunflower also is enough and sesame is also there there are many varieties of oil available including even what we call very in the Middle East palm oil they call it very heavy and very dangerous also but it is there Dadhiniva Sarpihi means in butter milk or in butter butter is there but it has to be churned and this is what every Hindu household the mother does first thing and that is what Gopis were doing first thing in the morning and then singing the divine names of Govinda Govinda Damodara Madhaveti so if you go to the river where do you go for water looking for water Saraneshu so you will go Apaha Apaha means water where are they available where there are water is flowing that means in rivers etc and then you want fire where do you get fire already earlier we have seen examples are given what is this example meant for that you don't need to go running anywhere that Atman that Paramatman in the form of Antaryami is there within each one of us Evam if we understand this Atma Atmani Grihyate so this Atma that is Paramatma that is Brahman that is called God Grihyate we have realized where He is within us as potential divinity we don't need to go anywhere as many times I quoted Moko kaha dundere bandhe Mai to tere paasme ho Grihyate yasau and He can be attained only if we don't get Him within us we are not going to get Him anywhere else but what is the way Satyena Enam through living a life of truthfulness Tapasa and a life of self control both body and mind control Anupasyati then slowly what happens the body idea becomes attenuated the mind idea becomes attenuated and just as when we go on churning rubbing two pieces of wood slowly the fire will come out definitely through meditation this is the meditation means we should never get that wrong idea that I will only what is called go on speaking and I will not do any Tapasya no Tapasya also has to be done but Tapasya means only I will live a what is called hardened life simple life I have seen so many people living very simple life terrible what we call low wish miserly people even though they have but they wanted to go to their own children, grandchildren never thinking of anybody else and then Ram Krishna observed this thing and he said if a beggar comes to such a householder and then he says my man I have given up all attachment to money and it is my wife who is looking after, I have made her the home minister she is in charge of finance and everything and I cannot do anything because I am living a detached life the fact is when I went to Bangalore to one devotee's house it is written on the house a plaque I am the master of this house with the kind permission of my wife so this fellow had no option he has got a wife who catches hold of his if at all any hairs are left out probably sometimes the hairs are not there only because she has been pulling ever since he got married so this person he pretends to be a great holy person in fact the most useless good for nothing fellow in this whole world beggar comes says you wait here I will ask my wife he goes very very trembling way shaky voice and very faint voice coming from the graveyard says a beggar has come I thought of giving two annas, immediately she flares up and says these are Shri Ram Krishna's words not my words that what you fellow you think money is raining from the sky he can spend so much here is half anna if he wants to take you give it to him otherwise bring it back to me again don't put it in your pocket this is called a simplified living a holy life holy means it has nothing everything has become is full of holes only everything has disappeared nothing is there in that fellow but here is a person and in Taittiriya Upanishad we get was asked to do Tapasya Tapas itself is Brahman what is Tapas? deep one pointed undeviated thinking of Brahman is called Tapasya anything that aids is also called Tapasya so that is the a person's life must be completely harmonized with truthfulness and he must having self control Tapasaya Anupashyati whom? Anupashyati means he beholds him everywhere with closed eyes with open eyes whatever he says it is nothing but the Divine Lord but what is this person says Sarva Vyapinam the Atman Atmanam he himself says oh I am Brahman I am everywhere Tasmai Mahyam Annamaha salutations to myself again and again because I open my eyes I see me only I close my eyes I see myself only so Sarva Vyapinam that means there is only one Brahman and nobody else how? Kshire Sarpa Riva Arpitam Kshire that is in the milk this butter is it not? Everywhere then further this is about sadhana Atma Vidya the self knowledge it is obtained only Tapomolam where there is austerity there is a chance of self knowledge and through the help of Satyam and Tapasya then Tat Brahma Upanishad Param Vidyate this person realizes that Aham Brahmasmi Sarvam Kalvidam Brahma this process goes through three steps Guru comes to a Uttama Adhikari superbly qualified Adhikari and he says Tat Tvam Asi and the man listens to it with faith he knows I am that Brahman but not because I realized because my Guru told me and then he goes on meditating and that is called Mananam until there is no doubt about it but this still is intellectual not only intellectual it also shapes our day to day conduct behavior Achara and then one day that Nidhidhyasana will come I am that I know that I am that so this is the simple meaning as oil exists in the sesame seeds as butter exists in milk as water exists in river beds and fire or any wood so the self exists but it is realized as existing within the self when a man looks for it by means of by following the path of truthfulness and austerity when he looks for the self which self that self which pervades all things butter pervades milk and whose roots that means the only way to realize that self or self knowledge and that self knowledge is obtained only obtainable only through austerity there is no way we can remove this three similes are meant only for this now with this we have completed the sixteenth mantra and I will summarize today as far as possible this first chapter has got sixteen mantras are there but before I go there I want to pre-emphasize it with the support the teachings of Sri Ramakrishna because Sri Ramakrishna is Vedamurthy Upanishad murthy so he cannot tell anything different and only truth will come out of him so Sri Ramakrishna is talking about this self realization only he used Puranic words called God realization so God realization has been the ideal of the Indian nation from time immemorial and the Brihadaranyaka Upanishad says there are some renunciates who take to the life of begging mendicants giving up all kinds of desires upon self realization are extolled to be of superior status Kena Upanishad urges each one of us that we must realize the truth even in this very birth because human birth is the most precious birth avidhata satyamasti na chet eha avidhit mahati vinashthi bhuteshu bhuteshu vichitya dhiraha pretya asma loka amrutaha bhavanti I have already explained it if somebody realizes God then he is the blessed person he will forever become becomes free from this samsara brahma chakra but if not mahati vinashthi the greatest loss is there that is why Ramakrishna was asked by M in the gospel M asked sir what is the meaning of the realization of God what do you mean by God vision how does one obtain it Ramakrishna gives a succinct answer saying that a man of realization sees nothing but God everywhere and when one loves him with great intensity one can see God everywhere he gives a beautiful example when a person has jaundice he sees everything only as yellow so if a person has that God cholerium and then Ramakrishna further elaborates a little one characteristic of God realization is that the activities of a man with such realization gradually fall away because the purpose of any action is to obtain happiness with the realization of God the infinite bliss of Brahman is continuously experienced by this person and the same thing in the Munna Kopan Shastra which says and what happens after God realization Ramakrishna says that one obtains an inner vision in that state and realizes that God alone has become the universe and all the living beings and this state is called Vijnana and it is the only goal of life that's why he says it is the realization that God alone is the real and eternal substance and all else is unreal, transitory and impermanent so you must cultivate intense zeal for God you must feel love for him and be attracted to him but how to realize God? Ramakrishna says one must become mad with love for God to realize him then he draws the attention to this fact one cannot get true feeling about God from the study of books this feeling for God is something very different from book learning books, scriptures and science appear as mere dirt and straw after the realization of God this is the support that we have got from Ramakrishna but we are enjoying both here now the essence of the first chapter is the help of the 16 mantras there were some Brahmavadins and they wanted to realize Brahman and they came with some questions and what is the question? we can be free from samsara only when we know the cause of this entire universe including our bodies our minds and our Jeevatma status so the first puzzle is are there any things that are the causes of this world then they have tried to find out time nature actions, accident elements Jeevatma but all of them failed to answer why? because they are already part of the creation and they are looking for something which is outside creation which is different from creation which is the cause of creation they are not looking for creation they are looking for the creator so how to discover? then what happened? they thought there is only one way and that way is attention inward then what did they become? they have turned their mind and they started meditating and having meditated they understood that each soul is potentially divine avidhyanath through meditation yojanath identifying oneself with god tatvabhavat owing it as aham brahmasmi and this process of nididhyasanam has to be done till the ego that creates the difference between the subject and object the enjoyer and the enjoyed the knower and the knowledge is completely eliminated and this is summarized by Ramana Maharshi when the ego ends the self shines gloriously spontaneously in one's heart and why are we bound? because by asha, pasha etc. that is raga, dvesha abhinivesha ahankara, avidya and what is the way to destroy them? and what is the way to destroy? approach a guru uttishtata, jagrata prapyavarana, nibodhata and then ultimately they discover through meditation, through nididhyasana through dhyana yoga as oil in sesame seeds as butter in curds as water in underground springs as fire in wood even so this self is perceived within oneself in the guha, cave called buddhi he who by means of truthfulness, self control and concentration looks again and again for this self which is all pervading like butter contained in milk and which is rooted in self knowledge and meditation, he becomes that supreme brahman a destroyer of all ignorance he becomes brahman, he sees everything brahman aham brahmasmi sarvam kalvitam brahman, this is the essence of the first chapter next class onwards we will start the second chapter om jananim sharadam devim ramakrishnam jagat gurum pada padme tayor sritva pranamami moho moho may Ramakrishna holy mother and swami vekananda bless us all with bhakti Jai Ramakrishna