Patanjali Yoga Sutras Lecture 090

Full Transcript(Not Corrected)

Yogena chittasya padhena vacham Malam sharirasya javaidhyakena Yopakarottam pravaram muninam Patanjalim praanjali rana tosmi We have been meeting after quite some time. We are entering into the most interesting part of this Patanjali Yoga Sutras. We are all interested in miracles. This particular chapter is full of how to obtain miracles. Not that it is very easy, but they can be had. Before we enter into this subject, I would like to make one or two remarks from our immediate past classes. We discussed that a yogi who is sincerely practicing yogic disciplines, his mind goes through three important changes. I hope many of you would remember or at least when I mention you remember Nirodha Parinama, Samadhi Parinama, Ekagratha Parinama. Simply translated, controlling the mind to a great extent, keeping the mind on one singular object in its subtlest form and thereafter abiding in that state. These are the three changes for a yogi's mind. Now there is an important law. Whenever the mind changes, correspondingly the physical body also changes. It's very important for us to know this point because if we think the mind changes but the body doesn't change, the mind changes but the external circumstances do not change, then we will have a big problem. Whenever the mind changes, the whole world changes. This change can take place in two ways. First, from our viewpoint, we seem to look at the world in a particular way. When our mind changes, there would be correspondingly a change in the external world and of that I said it could be in two ways. One way is really nothing changes in the external world but because of our perception, we seem to see something absolutely as a wonderful. Simple example, I'll give you from life examples. Many devotees used to come to Sri Ramakrishna. Many men and women. There was one very great devotee called Gopala's mother. Before she had this realization, she didn't like a particular woman for whatever reason. She didn't like a particular woman. And you know she was very strict. But as soon as this change occurred in her mind, what was the change? She started seeing Gopala 24 hours a day while she was playing with him and then that early morning, an hour or two before she had this vision, then she came running to Dakshineshwar. It's a wonderful episode, you should go through. She entered into Dakshineshwar temple. Then she saw this woman whom she didn't like. She was sweeping the room of Sri Ramakrishna and the moment in that mode, she says, what a stupid person I was. How could I hate this woman who is serving my Gopala so wonderfully? Well, infinite was her regret. Why she cherished those thoughts? The point here is, this is because her mind changed, her view changed and the same person, an enemy for example, everything changed. There is no enemy. If we change, there is no enemy. In fact, that is one of the Patanjali Yoga Sutra says, so if you change your mind and cherish friendliness, the whole world appears to be friendly only. So this is definitely, economically it is very profitable. Psychologically it is very highly enjoyable and spiritually that's what it should happen to each one of us sooner or later. So if we claim that we are devotees, spiritual aspirants and still cherish the same amount of likes and dislikes, then there is something drastically wrong in our approach and the tragedy of it is many of us are not even aware of it first. Even if we are aware, we do not wish to acknowledge it, let alone to others but to ourselves. Third, even if we acknowledge, we have absolutely no desire to change. Why? Because a lot, our whole lifestyle has to be changed. Anyway, the point here is when we change inside, it appears the whole world as though magically had changed. This is absolutely true. But it also is possible with the change in our mind, actually our circumstances outside things, then everything can absolutely, they can change. I will give a practical example. It is said some people are very frightened of dogs and when a person is frightened of dogs, the dog also reacts in that way. It must be one of your common experiences. But the moment a person starts loving the dogs and therefore that very person, even a ferocious dog appears to be absolutely like a kitten. So these are the two changes that are taking place. Now this is from the yogic point of view but the whole universe is going through three types of changes. So we have come to this third chapter which is called Vibhuti Pada. I think in the 13th and 14th, three types of changes. These changes are according to the form, time, status. Form, time and status. Examples. We already had given the example. This is the example. Here is a lump of gold and that changes into a necklace, a bracelet, a ring, whatever. This is called change in the form. Nothing changed in the gold, form has changed. Time, what is change in the time? It is old, it is, if it is new, it is bright. If it is old, it becomes dull. That's why we polish now and then. Why do we polish brass pots or whatever it is? Nothing happens to the brass, nothing happens to the pot. But what happens? It appears to be either old, time means old, new. Old age brings certain changes in status. Change in the status means, oh it was very bright and now it is very dull. So these are the changes we apply. And the law is that there is not a single object in this world which is not going through these changes. Why? Another name for this change is time. So three changes, form, time, status. Changes are taking place. Now why is it important for us to discuss these things? Because if we are aware of them, if we can in many cases separate them from each other, we can get what we call these miraculous powers. That's what we are going to deal. Until now what I have given you is a background, as a foundation for what we are going to discuss. The whole world is going through change. Our body being part of the world, it is also going through changes. In Vedanta we say that the body is going through, goes through everybody. Body means not only living beings, any, a table, water, river, a tree, a bird, an insect, goes through six changes, especially living creatures. What are these six changes? It has a Sanskrit name called Shadvikara, six changes. What are that? Birth or conception, confirmation, birth, growth, old age and death. Not to speak of disease, etc. What's our problem? Why are we discussing all these yoga sutras? We want to get out of these changes. But all these changes are very natural to anything that is born. Comes in time and goes out also in time. That's not going to solve the problem. People are trying, you know, how to stop old age. Very interesting topic because I laugh, you fellow, out of your 50 years of age, 45 years you have been worried to death. And if you live another 50 years, what do you think you are going to do? You are going to worry. Not only that, if you worry, that's your problem. But if you are living with somebody, you are worrying them also to death. That's biggest, that's why whenever you think that the scientists have found out something that eternal youth or fountain of eternal youth or whatever it is, you think the other side. Suppose there is a fellow, I am just adding in brackets, suppose there is a fellow who hates you and who has the power over you and who can torture you endlessly. If you live for 50 years, how much time he can torture you? 50 years. And if you live for 150 years, how much time he can torture you? We are not thinking about the negative consequences. Everything comes with this, what is called baggage. But there must be something which would never go through change. What is that? Changeless, witness, pure consciousness. So what is the point? When we are practicing these yogic disciplines, do not pay attention to these miracles before we enter into it. This is the caution every great teacher gives us. Before I start, first point is, are miracles true? Can they happen? Yes, they can happen. Second point, are all miracles bad? Yes, most of the miracles are bad. But there is one miracle which is most sought after by everybody, especially by spiritual aspirant. One, what is that miracle? If I am telling you what every devotee wholeheartedly wishes and prays all the time, that somehow if God in his infinite mercy can give me self-knowledge, instantaneous samadhi. Is it not wonderful? Yeah, that is what we wish. And we are going to get it. Actually, that is what is going to happen. Only thing is, after 50 billion births of spiritual practice, Sri Ramakrishna will say, I am going to bring about a miracle in your life. I am going to give you samadhi state, self-knowledge. It's not his fault, mind you. If he gives us self-knowledge, when we are not ready, our body-mind will shatter. I'll give example from Sri Ramakrishna's life. Most of you must have read it that after he became enlightened, that is, entered into Nirvikalpa Samadhi, there was a terrible painful change in his body and blood used to ooze out from every pore of his body. And many things have happened. He said, it was so painful at the beginning, but over time, I had just become accustomed to it. So let us remember, if there is a spiritual change in the mind, it is wonderful. Correspondingly, there could be a change in the body, which may be pleasant, but which can be also very unpleasant. And if we are given a sudden lift, it is like, you know, pulling a person by the hair and throwing him over a mountain. That is why we should not wish for such things. What should we wish then? Let us become fit to receive the grace of God. Let us work for it. That is a great miracle. Having said this, I will again give examples. I will give examples throughout. Among the direct disciples of Sri Ramakrishna, there was one whose name itself is Miracle Swami. Not that miracle performing Swami, but Miracle Swami. What was his name? Swami Adbhutananda. Really it is not a miracle, because he deserved it. And by the law of nature, it just happened. But it was the infinite grace of Sri Ramakrishna. So Swami, he named him as Swami Adbhutananda. I will give also one example. One day this Swami, he performed lot of miracles. But not to show them off, but to help his devotees. One, if you call it miracle, one day he was sitting in Varanasi in his room, and he was having a small talk with devotees. Suddenly he lifted his head and said, Do you know, so and so is saluting me from the train. A devotee whom he knew was passing through Varanasi. And as soon as the train was passing through Varanasi, he could not come to see Latu Maharas. But he lifted his hands from the railway and he saluted. And then here Swami Adbhutananda is telling this. So as we go on discussing these aphorisms, I am going to give concrete examples that actually happened. Keep the mind, let us not lose faith. Let us not say it is all cock and bull. Miracles can happen, are happening, will happen. Only thing is what miracles Sri Ramakrishna is bringing within us. He doesn't come and say, I did this to you. So write down in your diary so that you can be grateful next time. He would not say that. God is protecting us all the time. We have to be grateful. But subtle example is how much the mother is protecting us from adverse temptations, elements, so that we don't, one glance is enough to fall down. Temptation is enough to fall down. But if you rely upon God, if you rely upon mother, then she is going to save. How many miracles, such miracles she is going, she is performing or Thakur is performing, we just, we do not know because they don't come. Like how much mother protects the children. But the child has absolute reliance upon the mother. In this background, I am going to start this third chapter of the Patanjali Upasutras. These miraculous powers, how they come, what happens, starts from the 16th aphorism. Parinamatraya Sanyamat Ateeta Anagatan Gnanam By making Sanyama and the three sorts of changes comes the knowledge of the past and future. Now that's why I brought out that, summarized three types of changes. What is this? Change in the form, change according to time and change in the status. Keep always in the mind. And they are directly related to the mind. The mind is undergoing through that. Our samskaras are undergoing. In fact, you know, how much change has gone through my mind and your mind just now. Before you started hearing my talk, there were not certain thoughts in your mind. But after hearing me, certain new thoughts have come into your mind. There is a change in all of our minds. This is phenomena is going on all the time. Now we are very curious to know, is it possible to know somebody's past? And from the Vedantic point of view, past doesn't mean only in this life. Past means many, many, many, many lives. Future, what is going to happen in the future also? Is it possible? Yes, it is possible. Many people have done, especially saints have done that. How is it possible? What is the process? What is the experiment we have to do? Here he says, parinama praya sanyama Do sanyama. Do you remember what sanyama is? When the mind becomes concentrated. Three types of sanyama. What is it? First concentration, then meditation and then samadhi. These three combined together is named as sanyama. Simple word, sanyama means absolute focus concentration. When a yogi is capable of concentrating, doing sanyama, this translation of concentrating is a very inadequate word. Should be very strong. Sanyama is the best word. When the whole mind is focused upon these samskaras. What is samskara? Our personality in our mind is called samskara. There are unconscious level, you know modern psychologists say unconscious, subconscious and conscious. What is conscious? What we are aware of it is conscious. What is subconscious? What happened today morning? It's not immediately in our memory, but with a little effort you will be able to recall what breakfast you had, what happened, etc. Then there is an unconscious. This unconscious, according to Vedanta, remember how many aeons, yugas, janmas, that samskara is coming. By concentrating, by focusing upon these samskaras, one can know all the past, one can also know the future that is going to happen. I will try to rationally explain it a little bit and then I will give an example. Supposing there is a gardener and the gardener is cultivating flowers and fruits, etc., vegetables, etc. Does he not know that this particular plant requires this particular climate, soil and how much time after sowing the seed, how much time does it take and when does it yield the flowers or fruits or vegetables? It is a very common knowledge. Based upon this knowledge, we are trying to plant certain things at certain times. It is a common fact. Now supposing a gardener comes and he looks at a, say, a marigold plant and it is 12 inches height. You ask a baby, when was this plant really planted? When was this planted? He will not be able to tell. But you ask the gardener and he will see and say, this must have been planted about 20 days back or one month back and in another 10 days, it is going to flower and after a month or more, it is going to die. We take it as a common, this thing. Here is a corpse washed on a seashore. You know there is a particular science called forensic science. What does the forensic science do? Here is a corpse and they have that knowledge. The person takes it and instantaneously, this person must have died several hours back, several days back and now it is wonderful things again. They can identify what things the person had eaten even if it is billions, millions of years ago. All these things they are able to tell as clearly as though they know it, they witnessed it. Now the point is, how do they do that? Because samskaras. What is samskara? By the changes. These changes take place according to scientific law. Here the point is, our mind also falls under what law? Scientific analysis. So by looking into the samskaras, doing sanyama, not only one can know about one's past, one can also know about one's future. This is a very common thing among the sadhus, etc. Now I will give you some examples. Ramakrishna had a way of dealing with people. Whenever devotees come to him, the first thing that he does, he focuses upon the physiognomy and just now I mentioned. What is physiognomy? Depending upon what one's thoughts are, the physical body also can be more or less, sometimes very accurately, one can understand. Even we can understand it. You look at some persons, and if they are wicked, even ordinary people like us, we can come to know this person is dangerous. You know, say this person is very clever. Intelligent is okay. Clever, very clever person. I have to be very careful about this person. Through experience we can all know. How did you come to know about it? The point is, how did that person appear to be like that? Due to what? Because of his constant dwelling with particular type of thoughts. This is what we are talking about, samskaras. But if a yogi can really focus upon the samskaras, he will know about his past, he will know about his future also. And Sri Ramakrishna's life, you can see, he predicted many things. It will come later on. By observing certain events, he says, when you observe lots and lots of people are coming to me, that is the time for me to vanish, disappear. And when Holy Mother and others saw, lots of people heard about him and started coming, they were frightened. That means Thakur had predicted long back. We are coming to this point, Sri Ramakrishna. I'll give, I said I will give some examples. Madam Calvary, probably many of you have not heard, she was a very famous singer in America when Swami Vivekananda was there. She had terrible past. Nobody knew about it. She was very troubled. She was thinking of committing suicide. Someone fortunately for her, very fortunately, I said there is a great Indian yogi called Swami Vivekananda. If you could go there, then he will be able to help you. And somehow she had faith in the friend's advice, and she came, made an appointment, came. She was sitting in a room thinking just alone. Swamiji, he was busy with other things. Then he entered into this room. He looked at her face and he sat down and started narrating. These are the things that had happened in your life, madam. She thought, how did this man know about all these things? Even my most intimate friends never knew the secrets of my past life. And this man is reading a book. At first she had a suspicion that maybe her friends had informed him about it. But then she thought and said, even my friends, nobody knows excepting me. How did he come to know? And then he comes to know what she was thinking. She didn't say that. He said, madam, there is no need for me to be informed of anything. By looking at your face, I know not only your past, I also know about future. You are going to have a bright future. You will have to try to let them go. Madam, let them go. Madam, let them go. What are these words? Mantra. Acted upon her like a mantra. From that day, she tried. She became bright. And then she got back into her profession of singing. And she could never forget this. And these things are very common in Sri Ramakrishna's life. So whenever people come to Sri Ramakrishna, first thing is, he focuses upon the physiognomy. In the great master, you will get a lot of these lines, man, woman, etc. And it's for you to go and see. The second thing is, he used to observe carefully and how a person is breathing, how he is sitting, how he is, many things he used to observe. And by that, he will reinforce his first impressions. His first impressions would never go wrong. Because he is not looking like as we look. When we are looking at somebody, do you know how we look? We expect we have some already pre-formatted picture and we want this object to be like this. And then we like or we do not like. But they are just as the neutral person, like a good psychiatrist. They go with a blank mind and then do this one. Then third one, to be sure of some people whom he knew, who were conformed by his observation, they are going to be really spiritual people, he would use his yogic power and then ferret out their past and then future. Finds out what is his particular path, what are the obstacles and how he could help the obstacles. This is the most common thing. So as you know, when Narendra Nath came, Ramakrishna touched him and put him on the third visit or so and he touched him, put him into deep samadhi. Second time, you know what happened? The moment he touched, Narendra Nath cried out, what are you doing to me? I have got my parents. Third time, he put him in spite of Narendra's struggles. Instantaneously, he became unconscious. Then Ramakrishna ferreted out, who are you? Why did you come? How long would you stay? And what is your mission in life? Everything, ferreted. And then he later on told, when Naren comes to know who he is, he would quit this body instantaneously. So Sri Ramakrishna did it not only to Narendra, with every one of his disciples. Is he going to do it to us? Yes, he does it because we cannot see him, but he does it. And that is what our senior swamis told us. Ramakrishna is watching you and he knows. So if you consciously do not do anything wrong, he will always protect you. That's why Mahapurush Maharaj used to say, accepting hypocrisy, Ramakrishna will forgive everything. If a person is hypocrite, self, what is called deception, there is no hope for him in this life. But according to Vedanta, everybody has got hope in this life, next life or whatever it is. So, parinamatre sayamat, atita means past knowledge, anadata means that which is to come. For a person, for a wise sage, the fate of a person, other persons, are as though it is at the present moment. Everything is crystal clear to them, even though they do not say to us about these things. Next aphorism is, shabda artha pratyayanam itara itara adhyasat sankaraha tad pravibhaga sayamat sarva bhuta ruta jnanam By making sayama, please keep that Sanskrit word, sayama means absolute concentration, focus, that is what is called sayama. On word, meaning and knowledge, which are ordinarily confused, comes the knowledge of all animal sounds. Why to speak of animal sounds? We cannot even understand. I can never understand. If you are great, you might understand. East London, youngsters language, sit in the tube, they are sitting by your side and they are talking. Could you understand what they are talking? They have their own texting techniques, then talking techniques. It is for all Greek or Latin, for anybody who is not a youth. Now, what is the point here? Animals have also their language. Animals also have their language. All animals, including ants, now scientists are discovering, mosquitoes, they have their own, maybe limited, but very clear language is there. That is how they communicate with each other. Not only that, there are so many other things which I wouldn't like to go in this talk. There is something called a flock language, a mob language, you know, when there are 5,000, 10,000 birds are flying, each bird has its individual language, but each bird in a big flock communicates with every other bird. They have instantaneously, they know what is happening to some other bird and they wail and then they move away and they never may have any accident. Fishes also have got the same thing. It's marvelous if you think of it. It is indescribable. The point here is that yogis can know the language of any animal. How do they know? The process is given. Whenever we are communicating, I am talking to you, three things are happening, but we do not sit and analyze and separate. Shabda, Artha and Pratyaya. What is Shabda? You know, it's a sound, some sound. Supposing you are not English, he is hearing the sound, but he is not able to make any sense out of it. So we think that the whole universe understands our language. Shabda, mere sound will not do. Animals are also making sound. That's why there are a few talented people. They know what the cat is conveying, what a cow is conveying or what a dog is conveying. There are people crystal clearly they know, but we think they have no language. Babies also have their language, but not our language, divine language. That's why we call it Shabda sound. Then Artha, if we are familiar with that language, then it immediately conveys. I'll give an example also. And then what reaction comes from our mind? These are the three separate things which has nothing to do with each other. It is sound is different, meaning is different, and the reaction or knowledge is totally different. Now what we are doing, we are only focusing on speaking and you are listening to me English language, so you can understand most of my words and then you are making a meaning out of it. But equally any creature can make a sound and sound doesn't mean only sound. It can be not only through mouth. If something is flying, that is also sound. Wrigley, a huge locomotive is passing and a small worm which is on the rails, it is trying to wriggle. What sound is it making? Do not kill me. Do not hurt me. You put your foot on something, it is showing through the language. What is it telling? Do not hurt me. Do not harm me. A look also convey the meaning. So Shabda, sound. Sound has and then Artha. That depends upon how we are trained. Then what is our reaction that comes to us. Simple example, here is a table. I say table, even with closed eyes, you understand what I am talking and the form of the table comes clearly. But our problem is we never have the capacity to separate these three and say they are totally different from each other. But if someone can focus, separate these three and do Sanyama on the Shabda and Artha meaning and the Pratyaya, knowledge or reaction, anybody can know what the other creature is trying to talk to us. I will give you some examples. Say Ramakrishna, could he understand the language of the animals? Yes, he said. After he completed the practice of tantric sadhana, he said I can understand the language of any bird, any animal, anything I can understand. Did he lose it after some time? He never lost. He already had it but he did not use it as a miracle. He had every yogi can do it. But the only difference is sometimes they do not do that Sanyama. If they do not do, it is not a given miraculous power. Every time they have to do something so that they can have that knowledge. But they use it occasionally to help their devotees or whatever it is. So I told you Swami Vivekananda's case about madam Kalwe and all that. Ramana Maharshi was very famous. He used to talk with monkeys. So one day he was sitting in the hall and a female monkey with a small baby just given birth, it was sitting on the window and it was frightened because the hall was full of people and Ramana Maharshi noticed it. He notices it. And he said, come mother. What did he say? Come mother. The moment he said, he uttered this in Tamil language. Instantaneously the monkey, female monkey jumped, came to him and Maharshi put his hand, blessed it and said beautiful. You have to understand beautiful means for that species that is the most beautiful baby, very beautiful baby. Then he gave some fruits and then it went back very happily. Everybody could see and then he turned and said, why are you looking at me like that? When you have babies, don't you bring the baby to me for my blessings? And that's what she is also doing it. And he could speak with monkeys. He could understand their language and they could understand him. They were very friendly with him. It is possible Ramana Maharshi, dogs, horses, so many stories are there which crystal clearly convey their ideas, may not be in our language, but in their language. The point in this 17th aphorism is whenever we are talking, the sound and its particular meaning for us and its reaction from our mind, these three are separate issues. If we can do Sanyama and separate them, then what happens? You can understand language of birds and bees and anything else. There are instances galore, especially in a farmer's life. Swami Vivekananda is commenting, the word represents the external cause. The meaning represents the internal vibration that travels to the brain through the channels of the Indriyas, conveying the external impression to the mind. And knowledge represents the reaction of the mind with which comes perception. These three confused make our sense objects. Suppose I hear a word, there is first the external vibration, next the internal sensation, and then the mind reacts and I know the word. The word I know is a mixture of the three, vibration, sensation and reaction. Ordinarily, these three are inseparable, but by practice, the yogi can separate them. When a man has attained to this, if he makes a Sanyama on any sound, he understands the meaning which that sound was intended to express, whether it was made by man or by any other animal, not only animals. You know, Sir Jagadeesh Chandra Bose, he could understand the language of the plants, crystal clearly they express their reactions, and it is now well known. That's why some people have got green fingers, green fingers, that means they can grow whatever they touch, they grow. Some other people just the opposite. Aphorism 16, we are talking, By perceiving the impressions comes knowledge of past life. Each experience that we have comes in the form of a wave in the chitta, and this subsides and becomes finer and finer, but it is never lost. And the word samskara, it is there deep in the form of a samskara, like a seed, that is why it is called bija, bija, undense. It remains there in minute form, and if we can bring this up again, it becomes memory. So if the yogi can make samyama on these past impressions in the mind, he will begin to remember all his past life. Ramakrishna, we use it to say, he who was Rama, he who was Krishna, the present life he is Ramakrishna, but he did not say certain things in the bracket. He was the Buddha, he was the Jesus Christ, he was Chaitanya. You can add whomever you know, because whoever incarnates, the source is only one. So that is the truth. Now Swamiji also knew. There was this mention in the great master, sometimes Swamiji used to go to strange home, somebody's stranger's home. So it means they become acquainted with Ramakrishna, then they become friends, and say, let us go to my home. And before entering, the moment he sees, I know this whole house. I know each room. I know what things are there in each room. And they used to wonder and said, Swamiji, this is the first time you are even seeing the house. How come you know these things? They know because they have been given that knowledge before. This also is a very wonderful subject. What it means is, a very good outline is given to these great souls. This is how it is going to happen in your next birth. And the same thing happens in our life also. Only thing is we are ignorant. That is because the script has been written. The nearest example is, supposing you watch a drama or a cinema, you don't know what's going to happen. Or a book, you are reading a book, a novel, and you don't know what is going to happen at the end. But I know what's going to happen at the end. Do you know why? Because the moment I start reading, I see the hero becomes very clear. Is he going to be alive to the end? I will look at the end. Because if he is not going to be there, all my happiness is spoilt. I don't want to read the book. So after that, I enjoy the details. Swamiji knew, so many people know. Even we also have come with a script. How a drama, something is going to happen. Somebody was kidnapped. And we don't know what's going to happen to that person. But the actors who acted, they know. The script writer who wrote, he knows what is happening. The director who directed, he knows what is happening. The only person who do not know is the audience who are watching it. So our lives also is only an unfoldment of the picture we have already created. Like an architect, you just say, this is the land, this is the type of house we want. And what does he do? He makes a schematic diagram of what you want. And then he knows exactly where the kitchen is, where the toilet is, where the shrine room is. Everything he knows. But a stranger doesn't know. This is like that. Each one of our lives. But we are not yogis. It is dangerous even to know what is going to happen in the future. Very dangerous. One simple example I will give you. One devotee came to one of our swamis. He said, Swami, do you know how to look into the future? He said, I know. But it is not good. And you should not ask. The devotee was, no, no, Swami. You please look into and then tell. Swami said, you don't want, you would not want to know. Especially he wanted to know about his wife. Then you would not want to know. Devotee said, no, no. I would be happy to know what there was. Then he said, this wife that you are having now was your mother in your past life. And now the devotee became confused. Now how to treat? Before this knowledge, he was a darling wife. And now he came to know that it was a past life. She was his mother. And he did not know. This could create a problem. That's why Sri Ramakrishna was not telling to everybody what is going to happen. Especially certain things like, we all go and say, what is my future spiritual life? And if I know and say, you are not going to realize God in another 5000 lives. If I tell you now what happens, two things will happen. The first thing that happens is, all the devotee may stop coming to me and go to some other person who says, at the end Sri Ramakrishna is going to come and then give liberty. Second thing that happens is, maybe this devotee was bringing nice food for me. And after this prediction, she is not going to come. Because she is thinking, calculating that for 5000 births, I have to be reborn. And I have to supply different Swamis for 5000 lives, which is too much. Point is, it is possible. So how does a yogi know? How to know about past lives? We can definitely know. I will just give you one example and then we will close this talk. You know sometimes in the YouTube, you can see a 3-4 years old small baby, you can call it. One boy is there. He can play tabla perfectly. I don't know, some of these things you might know. I know particularly one boy, what is that modern you know, that percussion instruments. He could play perfectly. Anybody could make noise. That is not the point. A person knows according to what we call the time knowledge. Tala, nana, perfect and big instruments. And his father himself was surprised. He was a percussionist. He was surprised and said, who taught him? How did it come? From the past life. Another small baby, South Indian girl, 3 years, hardly she could speak. There is a very famous singer in Mumbai. It's called Bombay Jayashree. Very beautiful singer. And once they were showing this. This small girl has perfect knowledge of every raga. You understand? I don't know what is raga. South Indian names for different type of compositions called ragas. So this girl was demonstrating. What is this? This Bombay Jayashree would sing. And that girl has to point out and say, this is this particular raga. This lady opened her mouth. Immediately that lady, Mohanrao, this lady was annoyed and said, I have not even started singing and you are pointing out my raga. How can I show my talent to the people? The moment she hears for a few seconds, instantaneously she will point out this is the raga. How many of us can do it? Very few of us can do it. What is the point here? How did, when you come across such people, what would be your inference? That she must have had past life. In the past life, she must have been an expert musician. In this life, it is just manifesting. As soon as slightly her body had developed, she is manifesting. The other example, all of you are familiar with Mozart. When he was a small boy, he used to create symphonies and play. Even though his hands did not, he used to run from one side to the other side and he wrote symphonies and he played. Can you wonder how did he get this knowledge? He must have had it from the past birth, samskaras. What is the point here? If we can concentrate on our own samskaras, after all what is a samskara? Some event happens. It is an experience. That experience leaves a finest impression in the mind and an accumulation of these impressions are called samskaras. And when we catch hold of these thread-like samskaras, we will be able to find out how did this thread come? At the other end of the thread, what is tied? That particular experience which the person had and this is how purva jati jnanam, knowledge of the past lives. And if somebody can read my or your past life and then future life, then that is considered as a miracle. But for yogis like Ramakrishna and others, they could read about Swami Ayyappa and what did he say? He said in his past life he was a yogi. He could not reach the destination. In this life, he is going to become perfect and this Ramakrishna had predicted. In so many people also he predicted. He knows but for some people he said you will have to be reborn because they were not ready. How did he know about this? He has to be reborn. He knows. He is concentrating on the samskaras. And even we ordinary people also can do it. You observe the repeated actions of somebody. I will make a little bit small one, you know. You have a devotee whom you know very well and he is coming here. And whatever food materials are there, he is focusing on rasagulla. What is your conclusion? He loves rasagulla. How did he come to know? This is the first time you are seeing him. How did you know? By observing. You observe his samskara and samskara always is connected with past experiences. So it is possible. Nowadays there is some kind of science is coming, you know. I forget what is it. Taking a man's mind back and back and back and then ferreting out. Oh, in my past life I was like that. I did like this. My name was that. What is it? Regression. Regression. Regression. So there may be some truth in it. Definitely we know in Sri Ramakrishna's life, Holy Mother's life and other direct disciples, they could read anybody like what is called. Sri Ramakrishna is a person like an object kept in a glass case. He could see immediately. He could tell his past, future, everything he could tell. It is called yogic power. We call it miracle. But it is possible even for us by focusing upon our samskaras to find out what type of samskaras we had and then why those happened. Because these are the signs of cause and effect. Then what steps we need to take to overcome these adverse samskaras and strengthen the positive samskaras. So we will discuss very interesting subjects with examples in my future classes also. Om Shanti Shanti Shanti