Hinduism 14

Full Transcript (Not Corrected)

Formatted Lecture on Dharma and Hindu Life Stages

Opening Prayer

ॐ सह नाववतु ।

सह नौ भुनक्तु ।

सह वीर्यं करवावहै ।

तेजस्वि नावधीतमस्तु ।

मा विद्विषावहै ।

ॐ शान्तिः शान्तिः शान्तिः ।

हरिः ॐ ।

Transliteration (IAST):

Om Saha Nāvavatu

Saha Nau Bhunaktu

Saha Vīryaṃ Karavāvahai

Tejasvi Nāvadhītamastu

Mā Vidviṣāvahai

Om Śāntiḥ Śāntiḥ Śāntiḥ

Hariḥ Om

Translation:

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 feeling toward each other.

Om, peace, peace, peace be unto all.

Introduction to Dharma

So, we will discuss a little bit more elaborately about what is Dharma. Last class I mentioned that if we want to know what should be the goal of life, then we should know what is our true nature. According to our scriptures, this whole universe has come from God—and that is called involution—and so we have to go back to God because that is our nature. There is nothing else we can do about it. So what should be the goal of life? To go back to God. To find out our own nature.

The Journey of the Soul

This going back to God is called a journey. This imagery of the soul traveling has been illustrated in the Upaniṣads and practically in all our scriptures. This journey—how does it take place? So the scriptures have to provide guidelines at different stages of our journey according to the capacity.

It is like when you want to go some place and buy a train ticket. If you want to travel by train, you will be asked several questions. You should not simply go and say, "Give me a ticket." Nobody will give you one. First of all, where do you want to go? And secondly, by which class do you want to travel? How do you want to travel?

So this is how the journey is divided by Hindu scriptures into four categories, four types of men. All men are not the same. No two men are exactly the same. So according to the quality of their mind and according to the actions that they perform, men are divided into four types.

Two Paths: Pravṛtti and Nivṛtti

Before I come to that, I want to tell you: there are two graduated courses of travel, of journey. In Sanskrit these are called Pravṛtti Mārga and Nivṛtti Mārga.

So this journey is called dharma. A religion is a journey. Religion is going towards God. Dharma means gradually progressing towards our own true nature or towards God. All of a sudden you cannot jump into that state. We have to gradually progress, and that progress has to take place through these two steps which are termed as Pravṛtti Dharma and Nivṛtti Dharma.

Pravṛtti Dharma

What is Pravṛtti Dharma? It is slowly living in this world, enjoying in this world, self-restraining in this world. One should progress towards that state of mind where one is totally independent of this world. Even those who practice Pravṛtti Dharma—they don't live outside the world. Even God has to live in this world only. Incarnations also have to live in this world only, but the way they live is different.

What is the big difference between them and us? We depend upon the world. We cannot do without depending upon this world—like a child, for everything the child has to depend upon the mother. Whereas they are completely independent. The world depends upon them. They do not depend upon the world. That is called Mukti, complete freedom.

So this is how this life, dharma, is divided into two parts: Pravṛtti and Nivṛtti. First Pravṛtti, and then comes Nivṛtti. This is the first thing we have to understand about Hinduism's concept of journey. Journey means dharma. Dharma means slow progress towards our own true nature.

Swami Vivekananda's Definition

Swami Vivekananda's definition of dharma: whatever advances us towards God, that is called dharma. Whatever takes us back from God, away from God, that is called adharma. God means more stability in life, more consciousness, more bliss—Sat, Cit, and Ānanda.

See the prayer which we utter at the beginning of this class: "Lead us from the unreal to the real, lead us from ignorance to illumination, lead us from death to immortality." Here death means from unhappiness to happiness, a higher type of happiness.

The Four Varṇas (Social Classes)

So people have been divided into four types. As I said, this is not an arbitrary division, but there is a division based upon the qualities, capacities, and the state of mind of the persons. These are the well-known classifications: Brāhmaṇa, Kṣatriya, Vaiśya, and Śūdra.

Unfortunately, as I mentioned, this had become a family affair later on, a birth-right affair, but in the beginning it wasn't like that. That is the first division.

The Four Puruṣārthas (Supreme Values)

The second division that has been made is: what is the journey for? What do you want to do? You see, I want to go there. Why? What for? There must be a clear-cut purpose. What is that purpose? To attain our own true nature, to go back to God, and that again has to take place through two types of stages of development.

What was that? I mentioned in my last class, if you remember, the four supreme values of life are Dharma, Artha, Kāma, and Mokṣa. And I also mentioned that these are called supreme values. Values are of two types: instrumental and intrinsic.

Instrumental vs. Intrinsic Values

So what are the instrumental values? Dharma, Artha, Kāma. What is the intrinsic value? Mokṣa. Therefore, how many values are there? Only one value, which is Mokṣa, which means freedom. That is the journey, that is the goal of the journey.

The Four Āśramas (Stages of Life)

Now, every human being, irrespective of whether he is Hindu or Buddhist or religious or irreligious or whatever it is, has to grow up from babyhood. So life is divided into four stages.

Life Span and Stages

If 100 years is the Pūrṇa Āyus, what we call the full span of human life, then:

1. The first 25 years should be a learning stage. What is life about? How do I live the life? What am I supposed to know? How do I know whether I am traveling in the right way or not? This is called the learning stage, called Brahmacarya.
2. The second stage of life is where one actually starts the travel with all its advantages and disadvantages. So there one practices Artha and Kāma with self-control, as well as enjoying Artha and Kāma. This is Gārhasthya (householder life).
3. Then a time will come when his very body, the instrument, becomes as it were old, rusted. Then he should slowly withdraw the mind. That is called the semi-retired Vānaprastha stage.
4. Brahmacarya, Gārhasthya, Vānaprastha, and ultimately a time will come when the person knows that the only goal in life is to be spiritual, to be united forever with God. That is called Sannyāsa.

So this is the graduated state.

Recapitulation

Now to recollect: life is a journey. What is the goal? To realize our pure nature, and that has to be gradually attained through the acquisition of four values of life, which are Dharma, Artha, Kāma, and Mokṣa. And since all people can be roughly divided into four types of personalities, all of them must start from where they are.

Example of Different Starting Points

For example, a Brāhmin, his way of life should be different. You know why? Even though a Śūdra or the fourth caste baby and a Brāhmin baby are born—both are babies—but there is a vast amount of difference between these two babies. You may say, what is the difference between two babies? Is there any difference? Yes.

According to Hinduism, no baby is just a baby. A baby is nothing but an old man who had discarded his old body in the past life and has taken a new garment. So he has been born with all the old impressions of his past life, and therefore he is at an advanced stage of life even though he is a baby. Though he may appear to be what you call like a baby—he also smiles, cries, and doesn't know how to take care of himself—do you know how it is?

The Seed Analogy

It's like the difference between an ordinary wild seed and a cultivated wonderful seed. Nowadays they are cultivating what is called Mallika mango. If you have not eaten this Mallika mango, then you will not understand what I am talking about. It's a very flavorful Alphonso mixed, hybridized. You know, like an ordinary wild seed—the seeds, both the seeds from outside may appear to be the same, but when they grow up, crow becomes crow and cuckoo becomes cuckoo.

You know, the young ones of a crow and a cuckoo appear to be the same when they are young, but when both of them grow, a crow is a crow and a cuckoo is a cuckoo. So that is the difference recognized by our ancient sages. That is why Swami Vivekananda used to say: if a Brāhmin boy requires one teacher, a Śūdra boy requires three teachers, because he is not in the same state of mind.

The Grand Plan of Life

So this is how roughly it is divided. Now this is called true planning of life, and you will not get this kind of planning in any religion as clearly mentioned as here. I am not saying this. A great savant, Paul Deussen, he is telling this. I will read out to you.

Paul Deussen says: "How far the practice corresponded to this theory given in the Manu and other law books, we do not know. But we are free to confess that, in our opinion, the whole history of mankind has not much that equals the grandeur of this thought."

The entire history of mankind doesn't produce much that approaches in grandeur to this thought. What is this thought? This beautiful planning of life through the four stages of life, through the four castes, to attain these four supreme values of life. What a beautiful concept!

Sacraments (Saṃskāras)

Another way of this continuation of the journey is achieved through what is called sacraments. It is a subject by itself, but I will come to that subject later on after finishing this. You know sacraments—Hindus have many, many sacraments. What are these sacraments meant for? They are meant for the purification of both the body and the mind. This is part of preparation for this life journey.

You know how it is. Supposing you want to go for swimming, then you put on one type of dress. You want to attend dinner at a high political reception party or wedding party—would you go with the swimming trunks to a wedding reception?

So like that, every part of the stage of life requires a particular ceremony for the purification of this body and mind. This is a subject by itself which I will come to later on.

Multiple Meanings of Dharma

We are talking all about life, dharma. Religion means dharma. That is why we call it Hindu Dharma. The word dharma has many, many meanings as I mentioned. It is law, it is moral behavior, moral excellence, well-regulated code of conduct, ethics, morality. And dharma also means law. You know where there are two people, there will be quarrels, and how to bring harmony among those people. Dharma means duty, dharma means obligation. So many meanings are there.

The Essential Meaning

What is the real meaning of dharma? To put it in simple words: that which is the essence of a thing, that is its dharma—essence. Dharma means essence.

So in that sense, what is the essence of fire? Burning power. What is the essence of water? Wetting power. So what is the essence of a human being? To be a real human being.

What Makes a Human Being Different?

And what do you mean by to be a real human being? There is a beautiful saying, you know. There are certain things common both for animals and human beings: eating, sleeping, mating, getting fear and running away or fighting. These are all common to all animals, as David Attenborough has well documented. You know, he says after every show he says, "You see how close we are to the animals."

The real point—Hindu scriptures do not say that. They say an animal is also God, but it is more thickly covered. A human being is supposed to be less thickly covered, means his consciousness is more expansive. His instrument is a better type of instrument.

So what is the specialty? Dharma is the specialty of human beings. Dharma means he can know what he is. He can manifest his true nature. So far as we know—we do not know really—no animal is known to have studied scriptures. No animal is supposed to know, "I will plan for mokṣa and I will practice spiritual disciplines," usually.

Two Types of Animal Existence

But there are two types of animals. Just I am casually mentioning to you. In the scale of evolution, from a lower organism when the individual soul is acquiring a better type of instrument, he will become an animal—he will become a chimpanzee and all those. That's one type of animal life.

The other is—some Hindus clearly believe that if some human being behaves like an animal, then next birth he will become an animal, and that is different. Because here the person has attained to a higher state of consciousness. For some temporary lapse of conduct he falls down. It is like a man going to a jail and coming out. So his inner knowledge, consciousness is not covered up. It is only temporarily he is obstructed to manifest his true nature.

Example from Swami Vijnananda

A clear example: you know Swami Vijnanananda, he used to say that he had a pet monkey when he was a boy. And he said that the monkey was dying and, "I clearly saw," he said, "that it folded its hands and 'Rāma, Rāma, Rāma' repeated and died." Now do you call it an animal? How many human beings do that? That is a different issue. But in the normal sense, we do not know. Only human beings have the capacity to plan for this life and then go on.

The Dharma of Being Human

What is the dharma of a human being? First of all, to be a human being. And what does it mean to be a human being? You know, there are certain qualities which every human being must manifest. So we have a usual conversational language—we tell, you know, somebody misbehaves consistently, then we say, "This fellow is not a human being. He is an animal. He is a rākṣasa. He is a beast." Don't we?

And again, there are some people whose behavior is so wonderful, we say, "He is not a human being. He is a God." We exclaim spontaneously, because it is not the body—it is the expression of the inner man.

Swami Vivekananda on Education

That's why Swami Vivekananda used to say: what is education? It is the formation of character. Formation of character. Only a person who has got character—he is a human being.

Sri Ramakrishna's Definition

Sri Ramakrishna has his own unique way of expressing these highest truths. Who is a manuṣ (human being)? "They are manuṣ āchi" (They are aware of being human). What is manuṣ? Many, even Bengalis, don't stop to think what do these words mean.

So manuṣ means one who is intensely aware that "I am a human being. I must behave like a manuṣ." He is aware of his nature. So he will not behave in a wrong way.

A devotee of Sri Ramakrishna—he will be a devotee only when he is constantly aware, "I am a devotee of Sri Ramakrishna, so I should not misbehave." A monk who is aware that he is a monk, he will never misbehave. A student should be aware that he is a student. A householder must be aware that he is a householder. It is not an unrestrained license to do whatever he likes.

The Inner Guard

You know, people go on business tours. They are accommodated in seven-star hotels, and then you should see what they do there in those places. No. I say my inner conscience will be the guard. Whatever I am supposed to be, I will never, never deviate from that, wherever I may be, under whatever circumstances I may be.

Sri Ramakrishna on True Holiness

That's why Sri Ramakrishna tells so beautifully, you know: Who is a holy man? Who is a sādhu? He says a sādhu is one—even in the dense forest when there is nobody, if a beautiful woman approaches him and says, "I love you," then he salutes her like a mother and goes away from there. He alone is a true sādhu. In the public, everybody says "Mā, Mā" (Mother, Mother).

The Ultimate Essence of Human Nature

Dharma means that which makes a thing that particular thing—means its essence. That is called dharma. To maintain that we are human, our humanism, humanity—that is called our dharma. But Hindu scriptures do not stop here.

Look at this: who is a real human being? A real essence of a human being—where does it lie? Is it the body? Is it the mind? No. It is in being the soul. That is why he says that any number of zeros have no value unless the one is put before those zeros.

The One Before the Zeros

What are those zeros? All excellence, things in this world can be divided into two zeros. A first-class human body is one zero. A first-class, well-cultivated, highly talented mind is the second zero. But without the one, these two have no value.

Not only—you see, Ramakrishna has his own peculiar way of expressing these things, you know—he says a man is very proud of his scholarship. Ramakrishna says, "Oh, that fellow is sleeping with open mouth and a dog is passing by." You can imagine the rest. You see, what is he conscious of?

A real essence of human being is to know Aham Brahmāsmi (I am Brahman). This is the highest dharma.

Various Levels of Dharma

Again, that's why we mentioned several meanings of the dharma. To attain to our true essence, that is real dharma. Whatever action helps us to progress towards this goal, that is our dharma—that according to our quality, according to the stage of our life, according to the condition of our body, mind, etc.

But the highest dharma—do you know what is that highest dharma? It is to realize God. But again, another way of putting it: we are individuals, we are family members, we are also members of a society. Or to put it in another way, we are individuals, we are family members, we are citizens of a particular country.

Hierarchy of Dharmas

Our foremost dharma is to be a good citizen wherever we live, because we are identifying ourselves every second with that country. And then ultimately there is something called Viśva Dharma (universal dharma).

So there is:

• Vyakti Dharma (individual dharma)
• Kula Dharma (family dharma)
• Saṅgha Dharma (community dharma)
• Jāti Dharma (caste dharma)
• Deśa Dharma (national dharma)
• Viśva Dharma (universal dharma)

All these dharmas ultimately end up in one dharma. What is that? Ātma Dharma—to realize God, attain freedom. That is the ultimate goal.

Swami Vivekananda's Teaching

As I mentioned also, Swami Vivekananda mentions: he says whatever advances towards God, that is really dharma, through three types of actions—deed, speech, and thought. Thought, speech, and deed.

Sri Ramakrishna on Being Dhārmika

In Sri Ramakrishna's words, one should be dhārmika (righteous). The word dharma is also used in the sense of satya, truthfulness. Once Holy Mother wanted to know how weddings take place in the Western system, the Christian system. So Sister Nivedita or Sister Christine—I think she enacted: "For good or worse, until death separates us, we will be together, husband and wife"—they take a vow.

Then Holy Mother heard and then said, "Dhārmikotā" (How righteous!). She used the word dharma, means they are truthful. That is the truth. That will take one to God. That is the meaning of chastity.

The Example of Rama

Chastity means it is a dharma of a wife to be a chaste woman. It is dharma of a husband to be a chaste husband. That is what Rāma had established. Satya Dharma Sthāpakāha (Establisher of truth and dharma). That is how it is said about Rāma. Three things: one word, one arrow, and one wife. He is establishing a tremendous ideal of how husband and wife should behave toward each other.

These are wonderful characters in illustration, graphic illustrations—not this Batman, Superman—but how a human being should live in this society. Both Rāmāyaṇa and Mahābhārata have excellent characters there.

Varṇa Dharma and Āśrama Dharma

All these dharmas, different types of dharmas, have only one essence, and that is to take us towards God. So as I said, there is an individual dharma, there is a family dharma, there is a societal dharma also.

Now coming back, a little bit more elaborately, I want to talk about according to our Hindu scriptures—mainly there are two expressions of this dharma, this journey:

1. Varṇa Dharma - according to the personality type: Brāhmaṇa, Kṣatriya, Vaiśya, Śūdra
2. Āśrama Dharma - according to the stage of life: as a student life, married life, semi-retired life, and monastic life

Current Reality

Nowadays, unfortunately, there are only two stages of life. The other two have somehow been neglected or forgotten. What are they? Married life as well as the monastic life. So to speak, these monastic members are very, very few in number. It is only the married people. This is the largest number of people. That is why Gṛhasta Āśrama is called the prop, the very basis, the foundation of every other āśrama, because it is they who maintain all the other āśramas.

Meaning of Āśrama

Now we use the word in Sanskrit, āśrama. This comes from the word śrama. Śrama means what? Effort, endeavor, to work very hard. Āśrama means at whichever stage of life we are, we will have to fulfill, work our hardest to fulfill the duties, follow the dharma of that particular āśrama.

That is why brahmacarya is an āśrama. Married life is an āśrama. Vānaprastha, semi-retired life, is an āśrama. Āśrama means—the popular meaning is hermitage. Hermitage means a spiritual place, spiritual way of life. If a student is living a good life, that is also a spiritual way of life. And finally, you know, Sannyāsa Āśrama. A monastic member also is only expressing—he is only a grown-up man passing through all these stages. He is not fallen from the sky. Only when one fulfills all the stages, either in this life or in the past life, then only he reaches that stage. You cannot put on some 'Gerua' clothes and say, "I am a monk or a nun." That is not possible. One has to go through because it is a stage of purification, gradual independence from what we call this external world.

First Āśrama: Brahmacarya

First I will talk about the first stage of life. What is it called? Brahmacarya Āśrama. This ancient scheme of education was teacher-centered education. It is not organization-centered type of education.

Modern vs. Ancient Education

These days the education that we get is called organization-based education. How to equip a student to live in this competitive world and to be successful? And Indian parents are very expert in them. They give extra coaching also for their children so that they will pass better than the other children.

But in the olden days it's called Antevāsī. A student is called Antevāsī. Antevāsī means Anta means one who lives in the āśrama. Vāsī means one who lives with the guru.

Goal of Education

Briefly I am going to mention these things. According to this scheme of education, what is the goal of education? According to Swami Vivekananda, I mentioned, what is the goal of education? Formation of character.

According to the scripture, what is the goal of education? So in the Upaniṣad, clearly he said two types of educations must be imbibed. The education that makes our instruments pure, perfect, fit. But for what purpose? Knowing which everything is known. By knowing which everything is known. By knowing which everything is known.

Sri Ramakrishna's Garden Analogy

Sri Ramakrishna has his own way of putting it. One man entered into the garden of some rich man and he was asking the servants, "What is this tree? How much property does your master have?" etc. Somebody came and said, "Look, you will never get correct information. If you want to know everything, somehow by pushing aside the watchman or whatever, get introduced to the master of the house, then he will tell you everything."

So by knowing which everything else is known. And who is that one? By knowing whom we know everything? He is called God. He is called Brahman, because Brahman means everything. It's a wonderful subject by itself.

Sri Ramakrishna on True Education

Sri Ramakrishna's idea of modern education—there is one peculiar verse, as I said: that knowledge, education by which we only gather, you know, money and gadgets, that is not called true education. That's why he said, "I want that education by which I will come to know God. I will be happy forever." Even at that young age, he was only re-establishing the ancient ideal of education, Hindu scheme of education.

So education is the wherewithal of life journey. Education is to let us know what is life, what is the journey for, and how it progresses, and how easily we can go, and how do we know we reached our goal, etc.

The Upanayana Ceremony

When a boy is young, seven or eight years old, he will undergo a ceremony. That ceremony is one of the most important sacraments. It is called Upanayana. Another word is Yajñopavīta, investing with sacred thread.

Upanayana means—a beautiful Sanskrit word. I mentioned already, every Sanskrit word has an etymological meaning. Upanayana: taking—upa means near, nayana means to lead. Leading one to that person who can impart personality into this child, who can mold the child unto him.

You see, a teacher is like a mold. So a student is like a raw material. Put that raw material into the mold, and then ultimately what comes out will be just like the mold. That is why Ramakrishna said to Gaurīmā, "I have prepared the mold, you pour the water."

So Ramakrishna Mission is very often called Ramakrishna 'Machine'. But many devotees are so intelligent, they will never enter into the 'Machine'. From a long distance only they will salute it. If you enter into that mission, the end product will be absolutely the same.

Life as a Brahmacārī (Student)

First, this student—he has to, after this Upanayana, the upper three castes, you know—the boy will go to the teacher and then there, what does he do? First of all, he learns to serve him. Then he will also learn certain characteristics from the teacher. It is by living near that he gets inspiration.

The Importance of Environment

This theory, nowadays, you know, these psychologists are telling: the children that are born and brought up in families who are drunkards and who are quarreling all the time—what do you think they will grow up into? That's why Sri Ramakrishna used to say to the parents of these young boys who used to go to him, "I am not going to turn them into monks or nuns. That they will decide later on. But I want to give them the right direction. Once they have the direction, let them do what they like. After that they can lead a good householder's life or good monk's life. It doesn't matter. But in the beginning, I would like to shape them, mold them."

The Jesuit Saying

That's why the Jesuits, they have a way of saying: you give me your child for the first seven years of his life. Thereafter, you can do whatever you like with him. Wonderful, you know, molding of the character.

Qualifications of Teacher and Student

But anybody cannot be the teacher. A teacher must be a qualified teacher. What is the qualification?

Three Qualities of a Teacher

1. The teacher must be Śrotriya - He must be expert in understanding the true teachings of the scriptures.
2. Then he is Brahmaniṣṭha - That is, he must be a true spiritual personality exhibiting the qualities of a Brāhmaṇa.
3. Then he must be Akāmahata - He should not have any other motive excepting that "I want to pass on this to people who are eager and who are worthy."

The Student's Approach

And the student also, how does he approach? With firewood. You know, in the olden days, the students were supposed to approach the teacher with firewood in their hands. Why firewood? Firewood means, "I am prepared to burn all the obstacles which are within me so that I can receive from you."

So the process of education is not gaining something but to receive from the teacher. To receive, one must be a proper recipient. The teacher is ready to give. But are we ready to receive it? That is the important point.

So through humility, through service, etc., the student serves him. The students approach the teacher with humility, eagerness, service, reverence.

The Path to Brahman

Then, I am just quoting a little bit for your information: "One that is a Brahmacārī and that leads a life of domesticity and one that is a forest recluse and one that leads a life of religious mendicants"—means a student, a householder, a semi-retired man—"all these all reach the same high end by duly observing the duties of their respective modes of life."

That is why it is called āśrama. Or if one and the same person, freed from desire and aversion, practices all these four modes of life according to the ordinances that have been laid down, he is certainly fitted to understand Brahman.

The Ladder to Brahman

These four modes of life constitute a ladder, a flight of steps. That flight is attached to Brahma. Ultimately, these steps lead one to Brahma. Brahman means here God. By ascending there, that righteous one succeeds in reaching the region of Brahma and becomes free.

Duties of a Brahmacārī

So, this Brahmacārī, what does he do? He has got certain ways of life. So, here I am taking it from the Manu Dharmaśāstra, Laws of Manu.

So, this person, this student should be free from malice, should live with his preceptor. While residing, this student, he should go to bed after the preceptor has gone to his bed, rise before the preceptor rises. And all such acts again, as should be done by the disciple, as also those which should be done by a menial servant, should be accomplished by him.

Skilled in every kind of work, he should conduct himself like a menial servant, doing every act of his preceptor. Having accomplished all acts, he should study, sitting at the feet of his preceptor, and with eager desire, he should learn whatever the teacher imparts.

Purpose of Student Life

So, that is how the purpose is, as I mentioned again, not merely to acquire what is called "rice and banana gathering education," but to acquire certain qualities, imbibe certain qualities.

Story of the Eager Student

So, at the end, you know—after several years, then this student is supposed to have reached the conclusion of his education. It is an interesting story. How eager a student should be.

There was one such student living with his guru, and the gurupatni, guru's wife, used to look upon them like her own children and prepare food, everything. The student used to eat and the teacher also sit together and eat. One day, one of the students, he looked up suddenly while eating and addressing the guru's wife said, "Mother, today you haven't put salt in the food."

Nobody said anything. Food was finished, and after that the guru called him and said, "My son, your education is complete. You better go back home." And the student said, "Sir, but I haven't completed my education." He said, "My son, from the day one you came to our āśrama, your mother has been serving the same food, but because you were so eager to learn, you never noticed it. Now that you noticed, that means you are—there is no place for you to learn anymore. Better go home."

The Convocation Address (continued)

What a wonderful thing this Taittirīya Upaniṣad tells us. What a marvelous way of education is being imparted. So, this is called convocation address. After completing the, you know, university education, there is a convocation meeting, and some great personality will give an address about what they should do. Here is the convocation address. This student is being—all the students are being told, "Your education is complete. I am only summarizing what I have imparted to you all this time."

The Teacher's Final Instructions

Here is a beautiful quotation:

Speak the truth. Practice dharma. Do not neglect the study of the Vedas. Having brought to the teacher the gift desired by him, enter the householder's life and see that the line of progeny is not cut off. Do not swerve from the truth. Do not swerve from dharma. Do not neglect personal welfare. Do not neglect prosperity. Do not neglect the study and teaching of the Vedas. Do not neglect your duties to the gods and the manes.

Treat your mother as God. Treat your father as God. Treat your teacher as God. Treat your guest as God.

Whatever deeds are faultless, those deeds are to be performed, not others. Whatever good works have been performed by us, those should be performed by you and not others.

On Charity and Service

And then he says, "Whatever is to be given"—means in charity or service—"should be given with faith, with modesty, according to one's capacity, with hesitation and fear, with sympathy." Do not give, "You are a useless person. Take it and go away." No, do it with humility, because who knows, tomorrow you may be in that position.

This is the rule. This is the teaching. This is the secret wisdom of the Vedas. This is the command of God.

What a beautiful way. This is how education is complete. Those are the guidelines summarized. This is how you should behave in life.

Second Āśrama: Gṛhastha (Householder Life)

And then the student who completed this, he is called a Snātaka in Sanskrit language. That means he has completed studies. He has decided to go and get married. Then he enters into the second stage of life. It is called āśrama, Gṛhastha Āśrama. What should he do?

Duties of a Householder

So marry according to scriptural directions. Observe dharmas of a good householder. And what are those? Artha and Kāma are to be enjoyed with balance and restraint.

It is so natural for us to want to enjoy bodily enjoyments as well as intellectual enjoyments. One should not neglect these things. A householder is positively ordered, commanded to enjoy himself.

Misunderstanding About Hinduism

Now many people, you know, who never read our Hindu scriptures—I am mentioning this because they don't read. And they come, "Oh, Hinduism is an otherworldly religion." Who produced Vātsyāyana Kāma Sūtra? And he was supposed to be a great ṛṣi. Why did he produce such a work which is so, as it were, you know, looked down upon by many people, at least publicly? It's because, if you want to enjoy, enjoy to your heart's content. But there are only two conditions.

Two Conditions for Enjoyment

One is, it must be done with dharma. So he says in the Gītā, Dharmāviruddho bhūteṣu kāmo'smi - "I am kāma among beings which is not opposed to dharma."

So the first thing is according to dharma. The second is according to self-restraint. This is balance. Yuktāhāra-vihārasya, yukta-ceṣṭasya - How much time to sleep? How much time to enjoy? How much time to work? How much time to pray, etc.

According to these two conditions, these two wings:

1. It should be dhārmika - That means, if you want to enjoy, the means should be earned righteously. And you should only honestly, truthfully, whatever you earn, that alone you will have to enjoy. And then that too, after offering it to God as prasāda.

This is what Bhagavad Gītā says, you know: he who enjoys without offering a thing to God, he is called a thief.

1. The second condition is, it should be done in balance, with self-restraint.

Pañca Mahāyajña (Five Great Sacrifices)

Then a householder's main duty is Pañca Mahāyajña. In my past talks, I have given you elaborate details of them. Pañca Mahāyajña—in our very existence, we are indebted to five types of beings.

Who are they?

1. Our seers and sages, from whom all our present knowledge has come
2. To the gods, because of whose blessings our health, wealth, everything is there
3. And to our ancestors—we are made up of their genes. You cannot escape.
4. And then other human beings
5. And everything other than human, non-human beings—animals, insects, bacteria, trees, rivers, mountains, this whole earth, everything

Environmental Awareness

Nowadays people are recognizing the pollution. If you spit into the sky, where does it fall? So if you pollute the atmosphere, who is going to live in that? It is going only to affect us badly. Respect everything. That is the idea.

Iṣṭa and Pūrta

So Pañca Mahāyajña one should do, and through this service to all. Now there are two words which are very popular in Hinduism. These are called Iṣṭa and Pūrta.

• Iṣṭa means sacrificial rites or worship, pūjā
• Pūrta means service or charity

Now these Pañca Mahāyajñas, look at it. How do you get rid of your debt to the sages, or how do you get rid of your debt to the ancestors, to gods, etc.?

Our debt to gods and ancestors are removed through Iṣṭa. Iṣṭa means worship, pūjā. You offer, you know, Piṇḍa-dāna. You go to Gayā or somewhere, you do Piṇḍa-dāna, etc.

And how do you get rid of the debt to our sages? By adhyayana and adhyāpana. That means one should study every day and one should also propagate these studies by giving it freely. Education must be given freely, not for a fee.

And then Pūrta means social service. All that we do to other human beings, to non-human beings, that comes under the part of Pūrta, means charity.

This is the obligatory act for every householder. What a marvelous idea. If we all do that, then it will be wonderful.

Teachings from Manu Dharmaśāstra

Very briefly I'm trying to put what this Laws of Manu Dharmaśāstra is telling, so that you will hear. For most of you this is the only time you are going to hear.

On Honoring Women

"Where women are honored, there the gods are pleased. But where they are not honored, no sacred rite yields rewards."

How beautifully it is said. "Where the female relations live in grief, the family soon wholly perishes. But that family where they are not unhappy ever prospers. Hence men who seek their own welfare should always honor women on holidays and festivals with the gifts of ornaments, clothes, and food."

On Wealth and Knowledge

"And families that are rich in the knowledge of the Vedas, though possessing little wealth, are numbered among the great and acquire great fame."

The Householder's Sacred Fire

"With the sacred fire kindled at the wedding, a householder shall perform, according to the law, the domestic ceremonies and the five great sacrifices, Pañca Mahāyajña, and with that he shall daily cook his food."

The Five Great Sacrifices Explained

So teaching is the sacred sacrifice offered to Brahman. Offerings of water and food called tarpana, the sacrifice to the Manes. The burnt oblations, the sacrifice offered to the gods. The Bali offering, that offered to the bhūtas. And the hospitable reception of guests, the offering to men, etc., etc.

Swami Vivekananda on Householder Life

So Swami Vivekananda says, "A householder should be devoted to God. The knowledge of God should be his goal of life. Yet he must work constantly, perform all his duties. He must give up the fruits of all his actions to God."

Sri Ramakrishna's Direction for Householders

Before we forget, Sri Ramakrishna has a wonderful direction for the householders. A householder's life is not meant a free license only to indulge and do whatever he likes. He says a devotee, especially devotees, a husband and wife, after the birth of one or two children, they should live like brother and sister and devote their whole life to service of God, service of guests, service of sādhus, service of religion, service of other human beings.

From the Mahānirvāṇa Tantra

So Swami Vivekananda, he is putting that point. "The householder should never forget that life is meant for acquiring knowledge of God. Knowing that mother and father are the visible representatives of God, the householder always and by all means must please them."

He is not saying this from Vivekananda. He is quoting this from Mahānirvāṇa Tantra:

"He who thinks of another woman besides his wife, if he touches her even with his mind, that man goes to dark hell."

Treating One's Wife

"The householder must always please his wife with money, clothes, love, faith, and words like nectar, and never do anything to disturb her."

Illustration: Holy Mother gave certificate to Sri Ramakrishna. "He never hurt me even with a flower."

"That man who has succeeded in getting the love of a chaste wife has succeeded in his religion and has all the virtues."

Duties Toward Children

Then a householder has duties towards his children:

"A son should be lovingly reared up to his fourth year. He should be educated till he is sixteen. When he is twenty years of age, he should be employed in some work. He should then be treated affectionately by his father as his equal."

"Exactly in the same manner, the daughter should be brought up and should be educated with the greatest care, and when she marries, the father ought to give her jewels and wealth."

Personal Conduct

Then he says, "Excessive attachment to food, clothes, and the tending of the body and dressing of the hair should be avoided. The householder must be pure in heart and clean in body, always active and always ready for work."

Dealing with Enemies

"To his enemies, the householder must be a hero. He must resist them. That is the duty of a householder. He must not sit down in a corner and weep and talk nonsense about non-resistance."

Regarding the Wicked and the Good

"It is the duty of the householder not to pay reverence to the wicked, because if he reverences the wicked people of the world, he patronizes wickedness, and it will be a great mistake if he disregards those who are worthy of respect, the good people."

On Friendship

"He must not be gushing in his friendship. He must not go out of the way making friends everywhere. He must watch the actions of the men he wants to make friends and their dealings with other men, reason upon them, and then make them friends. This is the duty of the householder."

Third Āśrama: Vānaprastha (Forest Dweller)

Then comes Vānaprastha. So what does it mainly consist of?

• Upāsanā - thinking of God in the mind
• Frugal living - living with the minimum that is necessary
• And serving guests, etc.

Then he should do japa, study of scriptures, and always think of God. And he should also encourage others, direct others to the thinking of God.

Sri Ramakrishna's Advice

So what does Ramakrishna say? "When a person is busy, māje māje nirjana-sthāne yāo" - go to a solitary place from time to time.

Later on he says, when a person has become a little old, he should devote more and more of his life to thinking of spiritual progress only and not anything else.

Incident with Card-Playing Priests

You know, once he found priests and they were playing cards. He passed a remark. He says, "What? At this age you are more than fifty years old—when are you going to think about God?"

Incident at the Ganga

Or some people, you know, they were taking bath in the Gaṅgā and then talking about Gaṅgā-phala. You know what is Gaṅgā-phala? Fish. See, Ramakrishna got very annoyed. He told that man, "But even at this age you are a priest, you are a brāhmin, and you are taking bath in the Gaṅgā and you are talking about all this nonsense—prices of fish, which is the best fish, etc." He scolded him, but you know their ideal is different. So who will listen to him?

Conclusion

There are some wonderful points again from the Manu Dharmaśāstra and other Smṛtis I will deal with in my next class.

Closing Prayer

ॐ शान्तिः शान्तिः शान्तिः

Om Śānti, Śānti, Śāntih.

Om, peace, peace, peace be unto all.