Amrita Bindu Upanishad Lecture 11 on 10 February 2024

Summary

Swami Dayatmanandaji discusses the teachings from the Amrutabindu Upanishad regarding the nature of the self and liberation. It emphasizes that there is only one Self (Atman) that exists, though it appears to manifest as many due to ignorance and illusion.

Swami Dayatmanandaji explains that the Upanishad poses the question of what is liberation and how to attain it. The answer given is that one must contemplate Om and withdraw the mind from worldly attachments, redirecting one's focus solely to the Paramatma or chosen deity with sincerity. God looks at one's inner sincerity, not the specifics of practices. Any path sincerely followed leads to grace and spiritual progress is about expanding one's capacity to receive that grace freely given, like air.

Swami Dayatmanandaji then examines the Upanishad teachings in Mantras 11-15 on the nature of the Atman. Mantra 11 states that the Atman is one in all three states of waking, dream and deep sleep. One who goes beyond identification with these states attains liberation from rebirth.

There are differing philosophical views on whether there is only one Atman or many, but the Upanishad upholds Advaita Vedanta's position of one Atman that appears as many, like one moon reflecting in many pots of water. In truth, Brahman or Atman is infinite, eternal and without a second. The experience of separation into many is an illusion.

Mantra 12 gives the analogy of the moon reflecting in many waters, appearing one or many due to the medium of reflection. So too the Paramatma or Self appears as many selves due to identification with different bodies and minds, but is in truth only one.

Mantra 13 compares the Self to all-pervading space, which is unaffected by the movement of the pots containing it. The motion belongs to the pots, not space itself.

Mantra 14 gives the analogy of many pots made of one clay. Names and forms are superimposed on the one Self, like the various pots on the clay, but what truly exists is only the Self, like the clay.

Mantra 15 says the Self is unseen due to the darkness of ignorance and illusion. When the darkness lifts, unity is seen everywhere. The example of gold and gold ornaments conveys how words deceive - the "many" exist only as words with no substance.

Swami Dayatmanandaji explains these analogies, stories and examples philosophically to reinforce the concept of one universal Self appearing as many separate selves or Atmans due to ignorance. Using reason, he examines concepts like the opposition between subject and object, and principles like "I am Brahman". He notes that experiencing separation is useful and necessary in the practical waking state but the highest truthstill is nonduality.

The detailed summary conveys the key teachings from the text regarding:

• The nature of liberation and how spiritual practices lead to grace
• Emphasizing the one universal Self vs. concept of many separate Atmans
• Explanations of Mantras 11-15 from Amrutabindu Upanishad
• Analogies of moon in water, space in pots, gold in ornaments
• Philosophical reasoning on difference between subject and object
• Practical reality vs highest truth of nonduality
• Key principles like "Aham Brahmasmi" or "I am Brahman"
• Importance of words and names in creating illusion of separation

Full Transcript

We have been studying the Amrutabindu Upanishad. The question that arises now is: What is liberation, and how to attain it? We have already seen until now that we have to first of all contemplate Omkara. Gradually, step by step, we have to progress. What is this progress? It involves withdrawing our minds from all attachments to the world and redirecting that attachment only towards the Paramatma, Supreme Reality. It could be in the form of one's own chosen deity, or it could be in the form of devotion to one's own chosen deity. These terminologies, like contemplation of Omkara or contemplation of the forms of God, are all suited to different temperaments. Our Vedic scriptures give complete freedom, provided a person is completely sincere to the core; they will progress.

What God looks for within us is not how much sadhana we are doing or what is the right or wrong path. God is infinite. The paths to God are also infinite. No path, no yoga can take one to God. It is only the grace of God, and the grace of God comes when we qualify ourselves to be worthy recipients. Our capacity to receive is what is called spiritual practice. So when God is not sitting there, saying that I will wait to bestow my grace, just as the air is completely free, it depends upon each one of us how much we want to breathe in. The more we breathe out, the more we can breathe in. Surprisingly, many people do not even breathe fully, as if somebody has restrained them. Nobody restrains them unless, of course, a person is suffering from problems, such as lung problems like asthma, etc. Anyway, so any path is good enough. So first, we have to think on concrete forms, then subtle forms, then subtler, then subtlest forms. And the more we progress, the less encumbrance will be there. That means the thoughts become more and more focused. They not only become less but also less distracting. And they take us finally to that one particular thought that is called the thought of God, Brahma Akara Vritti.

According to Jnana Marga, the path of knowledge, remember, the path of knowledge is one of the paths. It is not the only path. Many people advocate that this is the only path. Shri Ramakrishna and Swami Vivekananda never advocated such narrow views. If God is pleased with us, any path is more than sufficient. He is here, He is now, He is everywhere, and He can give us. He is the embodiment of existence, knowledge, bliss. The nearer He comes to us and the more we are open, we perceive Him nearer to us; then all the ignorance, all the avidya, maya, everything will be destroyed simultaneously.

So this is what the Amrutabindu Upanishad is advocating, and we have seen until Mantra 10. We are entering into Mantra 11. So what is it? This, following from 11 to 15, five mantras are emphatically trying to teach us that God is there only one bound soul or God is residing only in one soul as one soul, one embodied soul, or He is residing in many, many, many forms. So it has taken a very philosophical type of argument in Hindu philosophy, Indian philosophy. We have to remember when we say Indian philosophy; there are so many followers of different religions in India.

There are Christians, Buddhists, Muslims, Hindus, Jains, Sikhs. All of them are Indians, but they do not follow this particular philosophy. By Indian philosophy, we mean the Vedic philosophy. In the Vedic philosophy, particularly Advaita Vedanta, non-dualistic philosophy, there are some minor differences. One of the differences is: is there only one soul experiencing everything as many, or are there independent souls? Where does this argument come from? Even Swami Vivekananda seems to favor only Ek Jeeva Vada. Ek Jeeva Vada, Aneka Jeeva Vada. Ek Jeeva Vada means actually in this world, there is only one Jeeva. As against that, all the other schools of philosophy, every school of philosophy, not only Indian, whether it is Christian, Buddhist or Islamic, we can all divide them into two categories, dualist and non-dualist. So accepting Advaitins or everybody, this question doesn't arise because as many living creatures are there, so many separate Jeevas are there. What is their argument? See, if I am happy, it doesn't mean anybody else is happy. Even in my own family, when I am happy, only I am happy; others I cannot tell. And if somebody else is happy or unhappy, similarly, it is not my experience. If there is only one embodied soul, then everybody should experience the same thing. If one individual is liberated, the whole world should be liberated. So this is their argument. Then the opposite argument is, no, no, there is only one soul. What is their main point? See, for example, the same thing applies in the waking state as well as in the dream state. What happens? One simple example I will give you. So when I die, the whole world dies with me. When I am in deep sleep, the whole world disappears from me. So that is the type of argument. The moment my mind withdraws itself, the whole universe completely disappears. Not a trace is there. So what is the compromise? We do not need to worry about the compromise. What we need to do is when we are in the waking state, we accept that there are billions and billions of creatures with separate habits, separate thoughts, separate ambitions, separate talents, everything separate. When we are in a dream also, that is a beautiful example. What happens? When we are dreaming, there are so many living creatures exactly like the waking state. And I do not know if I am trying to do some good to somebody, that somebody may be trying to do harm to me. So I cannot be the same as the other person. Everybody is totally different. We make so much difference between human beings, between different religions, then a lower class of animals, birds, insects, trees, etc., etc. Living, non-living. Among living, there are so many differentiations. So, aneka jiva, many, many, many, countless embodied beings. But there itself, we can also use this word, only one soul, because who created the whole world? Me. So if I created, how do I say that I am the whole world? Because if you take the example of clay or gold, even you may make a billion different types of pots. Size, color, shape, capacity, everything can differ. But in reality, such an object doesn't exist at all. Only clay, mruttika iti eva satyam, this is beautifully put in the Chandogya Upanishad. And what is the rest? Only words, words, words. Words can deceive us very much. As soon as I wake up, the entire dream world disappears. But the same thing happens, as soon as I go to sleep, the entire waking world is completely destroyed by myself. I just have to go to dream and the whole waking world is completely changed, destroyed. It doesn't even exist for me, not even in memory. Whatever memory is, this is a very interesting point. So supposing in your dream, will you remember? Supposing you are there in the UK and you came on a pilgrimage to India and you are here in Varanasi or Bangalore or somewhere and you are having a nice time, so you dream. Will you remember, actually I am from the UK and this is only a pilgrimage. In a dream, we don't experience that. Whatever memories we have in a dream, we attribute them to our experiences in the dream state.

I was in the UK; I visited the UK and I had good memories. This is how we attribute. A little bit of confusion also arises here. But actually, we never say that there is another state called the waking state, and I am experiencing the waking state memories and transposing them into this dream world. We never say that, or vice versa. That is a very interesting phenomenon. Similarly, when we are in the waking state also, we remember, "Oh, I dreamt like that." Now, you question yourself, I am not going to answer. When you remember your dream state in the waking state, is it your waking memory or dream memory? These are very profound questions you have to ask. But the point is, when we are in one state, all other states are completely nullified. And of course, when we go into deep sleep state, then the mind itself lies completely dormant. Therefore, there are arguments supporting many souls. There are also arguments supporting one soul. Now, whatever experience we are having, we have to take it as real and proceed. Because in the end, everything is unreal. Even this one soul or many souls are only constructs of the mind. All philosophies, as I said, are only mind constructs. So, therefore, when there is no mind, and that is what happens in Nirvikalpa Samadhi, there is no question of arguing whether the dualistic philosophies are real or non-dualistic philosophies are real. This fact we have explored in the Alatha Shanti, fourth chapter of the Mandukya Karika. Gaudapada himself says, all the descriptions the scriptures give about Parabrahma are only from the viewpoint of our mind, our waking state, our dream state at best. They do not reflect reality. Nobody knows what is reality, but we know there is something called reality. But here, Advaita Vedanta favours what is called only one soul. And that is going to be described in the next five mantras, beginning with the eleventh. And once we understand this, what they are going to describe to us and its implications, then it will be very easy to understand these mantras, eleventh to fifteenth. "ekayeva ātmā mantavyahā jagrat svapna suśuptiṣu sthānatraya vyati tasya punar janman avidyate" The self should be known as one alone in waking, dream, and deep sleep. And for one who goes beyond the three states, there is no rebirth at all. "ekayeva ātmā," only one ātmā is there. Why? Brahmins are not many. Only one Brahman. "ekaha advaitiyaha anantaha" Infinite, eternal, one without a second. There can be only one. And can one become many? Impossible. We can think we can become many. But you know, for that an example is given. Suppose there are a hundred mirrors in your room, small, small mirrors. And you are standing and the room is brilliantly lit. And you can see a hundred reflections. As many mirrors, so many reflections. So this is the idea the Rishi wants to implant within us. In fact, who is real? All the reflections are unreal. Only you alone are real. That you we have to call me. "I, I am the Brahman." "Aham Brahmasmi." That is what he wants to convey. "Eka eva ātmā." Ātmā means Brahman, Paramatma. One is only one. Mantaviyaha. One has to contemplate and then come to the idea. And that is why this is called Advaita philosophy. Non-dualistic philosophy. There is no second. Then what about our experience? It directly contradicts this particular statement. There is only one soul. I see that even my wife never agrees with me. My husband also never is pleased with me. My children, of course, what is called mom and dad. "You are ignorant. You belong 20 years back. Now we have better knowledge than what you have got." There is one Swami used to tell a beautiful joke. In the olden days, you know, when the son becomes a little bit grown up, let us say 15 years old, then you know certain natural instincts start exhibiting themselves. And so the father wanted to tell the facts of life to his son.

So one day, he called and said he went to the room of his son, which nowadays will always be closed, and many children get terribly annoyed if parents enter without knocking. To what state the world has come, God alone knows. "So what do you want?" Son, it is time for us to learn the facts of life." The boy kept his earphones aside and said, "All right, Dad. Okay, Dad. What do you want to know?" So this is the type of children we are getting nowadays.

Jagrat Swapna Sushuptishu. We are going continuously through waking, dream, and deep sleep. We know no other state. It is not a completely true statement. At every given moment, there is that pure unchanging "I." We are not paying attention to it. That is called pure awareness. That is called the witness. But because we do not pay attention to it, we are not cognizing it.

Now, these are the three states. And I believe every creature, even amoeba, will have them because whatever has birth, there will be change. Change not only in birth, growth, youth, old age, disease, and death. That is not the only change. That is one type of change called sixfold changes. Shadurmi. But there is another change. Jagrat Swapna Sushupti.

So even the amoeba had to work very hard from its own point of view. And it also dreams, "What type of life has God kept me in?" So if I were born in the other spot, plenty of food is available for my neighbor, not knowing that the neighbor is also thinking exactly the same thing about himself. So there will be dreams and there will also be deep sleep when they wake up.

Nowadays, scientists are discovering whether it is fish or horse, even the dolphin. Half of its brain goes to sleep, the other half, one eye, one fin, it keeps awake. Because it constantly has to look for some dangers. So I believe that Jagrat Swapna Sushupti, waking dream as well as dreamless, continuous change is going on, not only for human beings, but for every other being also. Interesting things are there which we will not discuss now.

So we know only these three states. But through contemplation, when a man understands that all this I am experiencing and whatever I am experiencing is not me. When a person crystal clearly understands this truth, this is the most fundamental truth. Whatever I am experiencing is not me. If I see a tree, the tree is different from me. This is what is called Kartru Karma Virodha, opposition between subject and object. How opposed are they? As they say in the English language, like light and darkness, like heaven and hell. So Asmath Yushmath, Shankaracharya's Brahmasutra Bhashya, introduction to Brahmasutra Bhashya, most famous, the whole thing can be fitted practically in one and a half pages. But several volumes have been written to explain this one. This is called Adhyasa Bhashya, the commentary known as superimposition. What is superimposition? How does it come about? But just I am giving. And the very starting point is, this is our practical experience, Asmath and Yushmath, I and everything else, subject and object, experiencer and experienced. They are as opposed to each other as day and night, etc. And they can never become one. It is impossible. So every living creature is going through; they may not analyze, attending classes like some of our devotees. But through spiritual practice, when a person goes on practicing this, and this is the most fundamental spiritual practice, whatever I am experiencing is not me. Whichever path we follow, of devotion, of yoga, or of selfless service, whatever it is, this is the final outcome. Whatever I am experiencing is not me.

A devotee will not say in these terms; he will say, "My body belongs to you, my mind belongs to you, the whole world belongs to you. I also belong to you only." So, Jagrat Swapna Sushrupteshu Eka Eva Atma. This is very rational. I only am in the waking state. After some time, I go to the dream state. After some time, I enter into deep sleep state. Continuously from birth to death, I am only going through all these three. But through spiritual practice, what happens? I develop that sense. I am not the body-mind. When that idea becomes very strong, then I identify myself. Because every object is what we call, there is no awareness. It is called Jada, inert. Inert means not only lifeless, but consciousnessless also. No consciousness there. Though, just like a light is percolating through a curtain, the light is not coming from the curtain. It is only percolating. Light is separate. So, without that light of awareness, it is impossible to experience waking, dream, dreamless. These are the only three states. Whole life is nothing but these three.

Through spiritual practice, when a person understands, what we need to understand here is, not that they stop. Even when I am progressing in spiritual life, there will be waking, there will be dream, there will be deep sleep. But, I will not identify myself with that. Hence, I will not be affected by them. Either if somebody brings me some nice things, I will not be elated. And if someone takes them away, I will not be deflated. My mind remains full of bliss in its own self. This is called Sthana Traya Vyatita. That is, Avastha Traya Vilakshanaha. I am completely separate from these three states of experience. When this is taken to the ultimate, then Punar Janma Navidhyate. Whoever understands it 100 times for all the time, he is not going to be reborn again.

So, the important thing is, at any given time, we are in these three states. And it is very important to understand, at any given time, we are also the subject. Subject means what? I am pure consciousness. And whatever I am experiencing is non-consciousness. And both of these will be there. We are unable to separate. We think that I lose consciousness. So, waking consciousness is separate. Dreaming consciousness is separate. And deep sleep consciousness. I am not even aware. I did not know anything. But these are all false ideas. They do not stand the scrutiny of true reason at all. So, each state is negating the other state. Then, who is witnessing these three states? Negation of these three states. And that is called that I. That I thought. That I am the pure consciousness. That is the thought. Bhagavan Ramana, he has to say the same thing. There is nothing. When we inquire into the origin of the I thought, it is false. And the infinite truth of the Self that supports and illumines that I thought is realized. That is to say, as long as we identify with waking, dream and dreamless, we fail to realize our true nature. When these three fall, what remains is Brahman. And this is also only a human description. Nobody can tell about it. Brahmana Maharshi, he composed something called Upadesa Sara. More or less, it is the essence of every scripture in the world, especially of the Upanishads. So, the Self is ever present as the witness of the three states. And we have to slowly detach it as a participant to me and identify ourselves as the witness me. And when this sadhana is taken to the ultimate, So, there will not be anything. What is the important point? There are not many selves. There is only I. And it is the nature of the waking where I see many things. Same thing in the dream. But I don't see anything in deep sleep state. So, whether I'm seeing many or whether I'm not seeing anything, both are only states of the mind. And this Rishi, we do not know who is that Rishi. So, that Amrita Bindu Rishi is emphasizing the same.

He gives a beautiful example. And what is that example he gives? At night, a beautiful moon is shining. And imagine that there are plenty of lakes, ponds, rivers, small, big, wells, etc. Sources of water. And that moon is reflecting in every one of them. Not only the moon is reflecting, but when the moon is just reflecting, if for any reason the water is moved, then the moon also appears to be moving. And the moon is not moving. As I mentioned earlier, and you look at on a crystal-clear night, then there is a full moon and there are plenty of clouds. Clouds are also running. And you just stare at it without moving your eyes at a cloud. Then the cloud becomes absolutely non-moving. And the moon is racing from one cloud to the other cloud. It's a beautiful experience. You can enjoy it. Sometimes if you go to the roof, summer is going to come. That is the time for us. Similarly, when you are traveling in a train also, intently you look at it. The movement of the train is not noticed. But everything outside the train, the trees are moving fast or slow according to the movement of the train. This is purely what is called a visual distortion, illusion. So this is the example given. Even though the moon is one, but when its reflection falls, then that idea is there. Another idea that comes, but just I am first telling it. Just imagine you have a bucket of water. And even in that bucket of water also, the moon is reflecting. And you are moving from your house to the cow shed or cow shed to another shed. The bucket is moving along with you. And the moon also seems to be moving along with the movement of the bucket of water. Really the moon is not moving, but is the movement of whatever is the medium of reflection that is moving. That's what he wants to give. In this particular 12th mantra, the example is Jala Chandravat. That is Chandra in water. A self in all beings is one alone, residing in every being. It is seen as one or as many, just like the moon reflected in many waters. It is again a very common experience. That is the Atma or Paramatma or Brahman or Jivatma. When we study the Advaita, we come to know that we unnecessarily divide Paramatma into two. That is the Paramatma, supreme reality. This is individual reality called Jivatma, individual soul, universal soul. But this is a trick of our mind. And we cannot escape it. As a temporary solution, we have to accept it. And accordingly, we have to move forward. But the same Atma, I feel I am so-and-so, you feel you are so-and-so, she feels she is so-and-so, a mosquito feels I am a mosquito, a dog feels I am a dog, etc., etc. So the body of the dog, body of the mosquito, the body of another person, male or female, they are all different. And that is what makes people think that since my body is different from your body, my mind is different from your mind, my state of knowledge is different from your state of knowledge, so I am separate, you are separate. So we can give that same example. It is the same electricity. Even if there are 100 different bulbs of different colors, different sizes, different powers, but the light will be different. Why? Because of the receiving capacity. But the electricity will be exact. Can you say that electricity in bulb number one is different from the electricity from bulb number two, etc.? Nobody can ever say that. So एक एवही भूतात्मा, भूते भूते, that means what is भूता, means a living being here. But we have to understand, so every hill, every river and every forest, what we call non-living, that is also we are separating. But there is, according to Advaita Vedanta, Brahman alone has become both the living, non-living, the inert as well as with consciousness.

But here we can make it clearer, every living creature. And this is an idea we encounter again and again in the Bhagavad Gita, which is the essence of all the Upanishads. There is a beautiful verse which I often quote, "पिद्याविनयसंपन्ने ब्राम्भणे गविहस्तिनि शुनिचेवः शपाकेच पंडिताः समधर्शिनाः" It's a beautiful idea. There is a Brahmana and highly learned, very spiritual, very humble. All the marvelous spiritual qualities are manifest in him. Naturally, we think God should be more manifest in him. This is what Shri Ramakrishna also says. God is the same, Narayana is the same, but in different waters. Some water is fit only for washing vessels. Some is fit only for watering the animals, watering the fields. Some water is fit for drinking and some water is not fit for any purpose. We should not even go near it. But आपो नरायण, all waters are nothing but manifestations of Narayana. So that is a beautiful teaching of Advaita Vedanta. There is only one I Consciousness. In every living creature, especially I, I, I, everybody says I. Even a mosquito says I. You raise your hand, it simply flies away. "Don't kill me, me, me." And we also do the same thing. If somebody is pointing a gun towards us, everybody starts running away because "me, me, me." And that "me, me, me" is only because of the different bodies, different minds. And we are so deeply identified with these bodies. We think that we are not the other body. And that is what gives us the illusion. I am a separate soul, you are a separate soul. So we use that plural souls like that. So एकदः बहुदा चैवा. So when I am alone, I feel I am. And when I am in a crowd, I see so many numbers of people. That is one or we can connect it with the last part of the second line. Supposing there are so many water sources. And the moon is shining. Don't bring in the scientific idea. Take the example for what it wants to convey to us. Even the moon is moving. Don't go on bringing that argument. Just imagine one moon is shining. And according to that, it is reflecting in the rivers, in the ponds, in the lakes. And even in a pot of water, even if there is a dew drop on a rose petal, even that is also reflecting the same thing. But it is all nothing but एक ये वही भुतात्मा. So who is perceiving the pond? Me. Who is perceiving the pot of water? Me. Who is perceiving the lake? Me. Who is perceiving the river? Me. So whatever we are perceiving, the objects of perception are numerous. But the perceiver is exactly the same. So we can separate every object. That is small, this is big, that is white, this is yellow, that is small, this is big, that is round, this is square, etc., etc. How do you distinguish one consciousness that is shining in you, in me, in everywhere? So it is a small consciousness, big consciousness, yellow consciousness, blue consciousness, small consciousness, big consciousness, learned consciousness, ignorant consciousness. There is no way. Any living creature knows whether it utters or not. I, I, I is exactly the same. There is no way to distinguish one I from the other I. Because to distinguish, certain qualities have to be attributed, like small, yellow, shape, etc., etc. That is not possible. Through this, the Rishi, in the Samruta Vindu Upanishad, there is only one Paramatma. And the same example is carried on. But before that, there is a beautiful example. This is an incident in the life of Shankaracharya himself. He was at one time here at Varanasi. And he was one day traveling with his disciples on a narrow path. And then suddenly, a low-caste man, whom no Brahmana will ever even like to be near, was coming in the opposite way with four dogs. And unconsciously, out of deep samskara, "Dhoram apasarare chandala." Hey, low-caste fellow, you take yourself off. And then that low-caste person said, "Sir, I do not understand your language. Will you please explain to me, whom are you telling to remove? Are you talking about the body? If you are talking about the body, both of us, our blood type is only O positive or O negative. If you are talking about flesh, it is nothing but your bones, your flesh, my bones, my flesh. So it is made up of only carbohydrates, minerals, vitamins, fats, proteins, nothing else. I don't see any difference. But if you are talking about the soul, I think you preach that there is only one Atma. So how can one Atma be removed from the other Atma unless there are two Atmas? Please clarify this."

And of course, Shankaracharya realized this is no ordinary person. He is Shiva himself that has come. And these four dogs are none other than four Vedas. So five upon me. Then immediately he composed a beautiful hymn in five verses. It is called Manisha Panchakam. Manisha means wisdom. Five shlokas of wisdom. And one of them that he says, when Shankara asked him to get out, he says, "The precious jewel of the sky, which is called the sun." Beautiful language from the Sanskrit. Isn't he shining in the same way in this very sacred and holy waters of this river, the Mother Ganges, as well as in the polluted cesspools, there in the dirty lanes of the outcasts? Because these villages are full of these sewage canals. And when the sun shines and is reflected, is there any difference? Will the reflected sky be inferior? Then the second example is, will the reflected sky be inferior in an earthen pot compared to the one in a golden vessel? Imagine there is an earthen pot and a golden pot. And both are having water. And the sun is reflected there. Will there be any difference in the reflections? Are not the sun and the sky absolutely the same without any difference? This is the fifth shloka in the Manisha Panchakam. Marvelous thing. If this one shloka is appreciated, it is exactly the same thing. The Samruta Vindu Rishi is also trying to convey to us. And the same thought is giving another example. This is the third example. So just imagine that you are carrying an empty pot. Another person is carrying another empty pot. And the pots are filled with space. Space in ordinary language, we call it emptiness. But there is nothing called empty from the Indian philosophical point of view. Akasha, that is space. So if nothing is there, then it will be filled with space. And the space is one, indivisible, immovable. Because it is almost like infinite, not really infinite, but almost like infinite being the first manifestation of Atman. So you are carrying one. Somebody else is carrying another. So the pot space in your pot is moving from one spot to the other spot. And the other person's pot, when he is carrying it from one point to another point, that is also moving. This is a beautiful example. Is the space being moved? Is the space confined and becomes separated in your pot, in the other person's pot? Or it is only a delusion that you are carrying? In fact, it is a terrible thought to think that space is in the pot. The other way around, pot is in the space. So inside the pot, outside the pot, in between the walls of the pot, above the pot, below the pot, these are all very ignorant points of view. So just like that, space is covered by a pot. Just as when the pot is moved, the pot alone moves. The movement of the pot gives the illusion space also is moving. But never the space moves. You can also extend this example and say you take one pot to a river and immerse it. And then you move the pot along with you from one side to other side, from one place to another place. Looks as though the water in the pot, the river water in the pot is moving from place to place. But the river is the same. That is only the pot that is moving and nothing else. In the same way, Jeeva is compared with space. Especially for meditation, this is what is called the infinite sky. It is indivisible. It is unattached. And it is infinite. And it cannot be even thought about. Because for a finite mind to think about infinity is impossible. And that's why Shri Ramakrishna used to give several examples. One example is just lie down on your back in an open space. Go on looking at the blue sky and you will see the infinite sky. Especially if you go to Middle East countries, you will behold this marvelous phenomena. Unending space. And it's very good for us to imagine such things. Or Shri Ramakrishna used to give the example of a bird flying. Only one bird, not many birds. Otherwise there will be a small bird, big bird and they may clash. They may have an accident or one may be preyed upon by the bigger bird. No, only one. And space is such that it doesn't know what is above and below, what is left and right, what is front and back. It is flying joyously, forgetting itself. Every soul, aspiring soul should think of his or her own chosen deity in that particular manner. And there is nobody. Akasha means or like a baby is being carried by the mother. And the baby will be playing all the time, dancing and playing and shouting and clapping and singing. Because it knows my mother is carrying me, I have nothing to worry about. Joyously, especially after drinking milk, it will be playing. Like that, a meditation, the condition is, should be joyful meditation, pleasant meditation, happy meditation. Not gloomy, gloomy meditation, not gloomy meditation. So you should be not a sad guru, sadhguru.

That is the example given here. In the 13th, just like a pot, you are carrying it. It gives the illusion that the space is moving around. But actually, it is the moving pot which gives rise to this illusion. And in the 14th, So just imagine that out of clay, you made a thousand pots. Small, big, different sizes, different shapes, different colors, etc., etc. But all those are only for the sake of some particular purpose. A small pot is for the sake of drinking water. And a plate-like clay is for eating food. A bigger pot for storing either water or grains, etc. But they are nothing but pure clay. A thing called a pot never existed. Only clay, but with different forms, different qualities, different sizes, for the sake of some particular purpose. So that is the example being given here. So when a pot is broken, oh, the pot is broken. The pot is not broken. And the clay cannot be broken. What happens when you break the pot? The clay remains exactly the same. But the shape of the clay has become different. It may not be useful. That is what we call a broken pot. And if we do not understand it, in the English language, they say we go to pot. In old age, pottering about, going to pot are very normal expressions. So various forms like pots are broken again and again. Yet the space in the pot does not know I am broken. Similarly, He, the Self, in the case of individual bodies, always knows. That is the Paramatma, the Jivatma. He knows I am Jivatma. But from the viewpoint of the body, that is why I am going to die. I am born. I am growing up. Various expressions, they all belong to the body. I know better. Previously, I did not know. Now, I know better. Previously, I was unhappy. Now, I am happy. All these are only modifications of the mind. But the truth is that awareness, that pure consciousness, that never changes. Through all these examples, there is only one Atma. That is what He wants to convey in this particular one. And lastly, in the 15th. Here, He gives again the example of space. Pushkara has many meanings. One meaning is a lake, a body of water. But it is very rarely we use it, meaning space. So, due to darkness, here ignorance. One does not know the space. That is the self, veiled by the world illusion. But on the destruction of darkness, ignorance, one sees the one alone as the unity. So, here is something that is an echo or a summarization of a beautiful thought, which we mentioned earlier from the Chandogya Upanishad. Many times, one Upanishad borrows some imagery, some teaching from another Upanishad to reinforce its own teaching. Ultimately, they all teach these same things. So, what is it? Oh, this is a small pot. There is nothing but the word. This is a big pot. That is also nothing but the word. This is a ring. That is another word. This is a bangle. That is another word. This is a necklace. That is another word. But they are all, they do not, as objects, as independent objects, they do not exist. There is no objectivity there. They are nothing but pure gold. So, different pots are nothing but pure clay only. So, in this whole world, what happens when we are in the state of ignorance? We see that we delude ourselves. The power of the words is terrible. I am happy. I am unhappy. I am sad. I am glad. I am rich. I am poor. I am learned. And I am ignorant. What happens when such all persons, when they enter into the state of deep sleep, who is learned? Who is rich? Who is happy? Who is unhappy? So, through all these examples, we are completely deluded. One of the greatest forms of Mahamaya is words. How much we are affected by words. And this is a beautiful subject. We will take it up in our next class.