Khandana Bhava Bandhana Lecture 08 on 09 June 2019: Difference between revisions
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Now what happens? Let me first give you an example of why we love something and why it gives happiness. True happiness doesn't lie anywhere. It is only my happiness. | Now what happens? Let me first give you an example of why we love something and why it gives happiness. True happiness doesn't lie anywhere. It is only my happiness. | ||
First I'll give you an analogy. You keep a mirror in front of you, it is a very dirty mirror. How much of your reflection, as you are, can be seen there? The more dirty it is, the less you see yourself. If you can completely clean it, then there would be absolutely no difference between you, as you are, and the reflection. योऽसावसौ पुरुषः सोऽहमस्मि ( yo 'sāv asau puruṣaḥso'ham asmi ) Yeah until that, time you are God I am a devotee, because of the distance. | |||
Okay now follows an example. You love a sweet. Then you eat this sweet. What happens? How does how does happiness comes from? Does it come from the sweet? No. | Okay now follows an example. You love a sweet. Then you eat this sweet. What happens? How does how does happiness comes from? Does it come from the sweet? No. | ||
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( 15:19 mins ) | ( 15:19 mins ) | ||
Here is something very important. These are all important things for | Here is something very important. These are all important things for Sādhana. Here is a person who hates another person. This is hatred. Here is one person who fears another person, that is fear. But what is the object? You love somebody, there is an object. You fear somebody, there is another object. You hate somebody, there is another object. It doesn't depend upon whether you are loving or hating. | ||
What is the object towards which your Love or hatred is directed. If it is God, It will release you. Why? Because, I tell you something very interesting, it is taking time. What is the nature of God? Freedom. What is the nature of God? Ānanda. Ānanda. | |||
Suppose you hate God. About whom are you thinking? And what is the nature of God? Happiness, you're getting so much of happiness. And the more you think of hatred to God, the more happiness you are getting. What is the nature of God? Freedom! You become free from your hatred. | |||
So, you love Him. You lust after Him, Kāma. But who is the object? God! If the object is another binding object, then it will double your bondage. Already you are bound. That object also will bind you more. But here is God… | |||
I will give you two examples. One is Ānanda. Ānanda means freedom. So if you're free you get Ānanda. Freedom & Ānanda are synonymous. Can you understand that? I am elaborating it for this purpose. I will tell you how. | |||
You get hungry. Same example. You get hungry. When you are hungry your mind is agitated, and that's a bondage. Then you eat food. What does the food to do to you? Used correctly, it removes your limitation, your bondage, of this desire. Removal of this desire is called freedom. | |||
So God is freedom. You meditate upon God, you hate God, and you do anything with God, What is He going to do? Because, you are meditating, ultimately, upon whom? Freedom. | |||
Because we cannot understand what is the dimension of Freedom, therefore we use the word God. That is where we bring in personality. Whatever it is - whether you hate, you fear, you love, you have devotion - <u>What makes us either bound or free is not your feelings, but the object. Because the nature of the object will make you Free.</u> | |||
Hot ghee. This | So we say, you know, somebody is frying some Vada. And there was a pot of ghee. Somehow this Vada slipped & fell into the hot ghee. Is it a good thing or bad thing? Hot ghee. This Vada now has become what Vada? Maddur Vada. Ghee Vada, which is even better isn’t it? So we are trying to fry ourselves in the world’s oil. Suddenly for some reason you got angry with God and you fell into that Ghee pot. What do you become? | ||
You fall into sugar syrup, what will you become? Syrup. Suppose a fly falls into a sugar syrup, after that it solidifies, afterwards you eat it. Can you make any difference between the fly and sugar? Several mangoes the moment mango comes, you know, you eat. These worms grow in the mangoes. Practically they have become what? Mango! So you are not eating the insect, you are eating the mango, because they are eating only mango. They are also mango. You are also mango. After eating what do you become? Mango! I’m giving an illustration. | |||
( 20:23 mins ) | |||
So love, freedom, happiness are synonymous with memory, interest. | So love, freedom, happiness are synonymous words with memory, interest. Now you think over it. Is it clear? Okay, and at least for this class, I hope so. | ||
'''Tyāgīśvara,''' we are talking about Tyāga. What is Tyāga? Anybody who gives up what is limiting. | |||
Now here is another psychology, when I'm talking like this you have to note down certain important points. If I meditate upon some limited thing. Not only that thing is limited, a limited thing will make me also limited. | |||
Simple example, you're making friendship with a fellow who is an idiot. If I make friendship with an idiot, what am I going to turn into? Idiot. If I cultivate company of Sat, what I am going to turn into? Sat. This is the cycle. Now you understand what is the effect of Sanga? So Sri Rāmakrishna gave some example, His own examples. | |||
They found | There are so many fossils available. Frozen living, what is called dead animals, without the least bit of degeneration. They found a Neandertals, a human being. They found a mammoth somewhere Arctic Range. And they found one small girl completely frozen, after 50,000, even more number of years. Now there is a possibility that she might be reconstructed also from the DNA. Because, if it is frozen the DNA is also not dead but it is frozen. Big Moral questions are coming. I don’t want to go into it. | ||
What is my point now? That God is such an object. And you become That. Not only that. | |||
I am giving you another very deep point. When I think of a chair… how do I think of a chair? I become one with the chair. You see when I'm looking at the chair… For example, this table, I'm only looking at this. I don't know what is here? Therefore for me the ignorance of the bottom part is there, unless I bend down and look at it. | |||
That | So what is my point? That whenever we experience any object, we become totally identified with that object. This is the Indian philosophical theory of knowledge. How do we get knowledge of anything? Our whole mind like a mould goes and becomes that chair. I hope you understood? | ||
Now when you think of any limited object, what are you going to become? Limited person. When you are thinking of God, What are you going to become? Unlimited. | |||
That is why whether Kamsa feared him, Sisupāla, Dantavakra, hated Him. Yashodā, the Gopīs and Gopās, all loved Him, in various ways. One as a child. Another as a friend, another as a lover, etc., the object is completely God and they know that He is God. | |||
Don't think Yashodā doesn’t know, because She has seen a miracle, that for seven days He was Keeping the whole Govardhana mountain. Like that His father asked Him, ‘Bābā Krishna, you bring my Chapels?’ ‘No, no, I am a small child. How can I carry such a huge weight?’ This fellow, happily, was holding the Govardhana. This is called Līlā. But We forget it. | |||
So God - the idea that this is God - should be there. But God's grace is such that even if you don't know that He is God, but you have some idea about God, He will forgive the whole lot, He will make you Himself. | |||
( 25:05 mins ) | |||
What is the psychology? If I want to know about the chair, I must become one with the chair. If I want to know about God, I must become one with God. Therefore you fear God, that is one way of thinking. Hate God, another way of thinking. And you Love God, that is another way of thinking. Any way, of dvesha - any way of thinking of God, it is only going to liberate you because you are going to become one with Him. I hope now it is clear. | |||
This is related to our subject. What is it? '''Tyāgīśvara'''. Sri Rāmakrishna is called Tyāgīśvara. What did Holy Mother say? So some Disciple asked Holy Mother, Sri Rāmakrishna practiced so many spiritual disciplines as a Hindu, He.. Among Hindus means Purānas, Tāntrika, Vaidika. | |||
* Among Purānas - Vaishnava, Shāktā and Siva Bhakti. Purānas means Bhakti. | |||
* Tāntrika - 64 important primary scriptures of Tantra, Bhairavi Brahmani had made Him go through. | |||
* Vaidika - What is Vaidika? Advaita Vedānta. | |||
So | In everyone He succeeded. So is it not the greatest thing Sri Rāmakrishna had accomplished? Some devotee was remarking to Holy Mother. Instantaneously She said, ‘No, that is not the greatest thing. He did because He was insatiable. But His greatest quality is Tyāga. I have never seen in my life, anybody who is so much of a Tyāgi’. | ||
What is | What is Tyāga ultimately? Not giving up a chair, or not giving up… you know one man had 16 wives. After having 16 children or more he thought it is time to give up. One by one he was giving up. | ||
So there was another person who was married only once, so the wife of that person started to ridicule him, ‘Look at the renunciation of that Fellow. 16 wives he is giving up one by one’ ( And you are nothing, that is what she meant ). Always wives admire only other fellows. So this Fellow said, he was going to take a bath. He had a towel. He said, ‘You are a mad cap. You don't know what is renunciation. He will never be able to keep up’. ‘At least he's better than you’. ‘You say so. All right pagli, bye’ - that with the towel he left, and never returned back. Afterwards whole life she was meditating, ‘Why did those words come out of my mouth?’ | |||
So what is Tyāga? Abhimāna Tyāga. | |||
What is Abhimāna – body Abhimāna, mind Abhimāna. What else is there? The whole world is gone. If I am not the body mind, the whole world is gone. If I am not body conscious, I won't see any body. This is another insight. If I don't see mind, then I won't see anything in the world. Can you understand that? | |||
Is Sri Rāmakrishna , Holy mother seeing a body? Yes they are seeing. You know how? Just as you see figures on the cinema. | |||
Suppose somebody in a cinema, a fellow is saying I am hungry. Will you run taking some Rasagulla. What do you do? You enjoy it, because it is only a figure. Like that, I see everybody as a shadow. That's what's Sri Rāmakrishna was telling. | |||
That ultimate knowledge, I am not the body mind is the characteristic of every Jīvan-Mukta. But in Sri Rāmakrishna it has reached the very Peak. That's why Sri Rāmakrishna… so many incidents are there, I'm just remembering. Once you know, He sat for food, with so many items, seven eight items. His own disciples - I tell you these disciples are unreliable fellows, outside they are doing like that, inside they are criticising. | |||
So, His own disciple said, ‘O! This man He loves to eat so many varieties’. Not telling anything outside, as though is Gada, gada, with devotion - inside critical. What does it mean? ‘What the hell are you doing? I am also here. A Guru should be only drishti bhoga. Sishyas will be actual Bhogis’. It is for Prasad actually we are gathering around a Guru, you understand? And instead of that You are eating up. | |||
( 30:28 mins ) | |||
Then Sri Rāmakrishna, He could read everybody’s mind, it is like things kept in a glass almirah. So He said, ‘Do you know why I keep all these things? My natural tendency is towards the impersonal. The moment there is nothing to hold Me, My mind, ooh like that, It will go into Samādhi. That's why I create artificial desires. I want to eat Shukto’. Shukto is a Bengali bitter dish. You have to eat it. And after that you don't want to eat anything else, if they are good Cooks. Otherwise afterwards you never want to eat it. | |||
Once Sri Rāmakrishna said ‘I want to go to Calcutta to see some devotees’. Has He got desires? No! He wants to keep His mind on our level. For whose benefit? Our benefit. That is what is called Tyāgīśvara . | |||
In the scriptures, there are four types of desires. All the objects fall into these 4 categories. Putreshana, Dāreshana, Vitteshana, lokeshana. Some people add one more Shāstreshana. Eshana means intense desire. What is it? | |||
Putreshana - I want a son. A father wants a son. Not a daughter. Because daughter is duhitah. Duhitah means one who milks the cow. But later on in Indian Society, she milks the whole family. Dowry. Dowry system. | |||
So Putreshana. Why? In olden times people thought that if a man has got a son he will save him from a special hell called पुन्नाम्नो नरकाद् त्रायते इति पुत्रा: ( punnāmno narakād trāyate iti putrāha ) If a person doesn't have a male child, that fellow will go to hell. How does he go to hell? Because he will not be given Tarpana, you know monthly rites, all shraddha's etc. yearly. Some people do practically every day. And it is this which keeps the father from going to hell. | |||
That means somebody to continue the traditions of the lineage. Bhagavad Gitā also, it refers, when wars take place, the men will be destroyed. Then there is nobody to uphold the… then they, all our ancestors, will attain to naraka. | |||
That was one of the reasons Arjuna give to Krishna. First lecture was given by Arjuna to Krishna. Afterwards only Krishna took revenge. He never allowed him to open his mouth. Yeah. The whole first chapter is what? And a few shlokas of the second chapter is what? Arjuna’s defense of why he wants to renounce the world and not take part in the war. Now what are we talking about? Putreshana. | |||
Then Dāreshana - In Vedic rituals as a house holder cannot perform rituals without Dharma-patni. That is why when Rāma had banished Sitā, He had to make a Golden Sitā in order to complete the Yajnas, Yāgas. That is why Dāra is necessary. | |||
But the Vedas are also intelligent. They are covering up in the name of this. Every man will have a desire for enjoying a woman & vice-versa. But the main purpose is to beget the children and to perform the Yajnas and Yāgas. So a man will have a desire for Dāra. It is called Dāreshana. | |||
Then Vitteshana. Man requires money. Vitta means wealth. Why wealth? For three purposes | |||
# One has to enjoy life first purpose, | |||
# One has to maintain the family, children, disciples is the second factor. | |||
# Vitta is most important, wealth is most important, for performing rituals. | |||
( 35:16 mins ) | |||
So all these things are necessary for the sake of what? | |||
So Putreshana, Vitteshana, Dāreshana. We have covered three. There is a fourth Eshana. You know what is the fourth Eshana? This is called Lokeshana. Loka means not only this world but Swarga, Indra, Prajapati, Brihaspati Etc higher worlds are there. Man wants attain to those higher worlds. Why? Because man also wants to attain higher and still higher, and still higher, happiness. So this is called Lokeshana. | |||
How many, how many desires we said? Four! What are they? Putreshana, Dāreshana, Vitteshana, Lokeshana. | |||
There is one more Shāstreshana. Some Swāmis ,they want to go deep into the scriptures. They get so much of Joy. In simple words. I love to read wonderful books. Anybody who doesn't love to read these wonderful books, he is a useless fellow. He is a stunted fellow. Because we have to expand our intellectual Grasp. That is very important for us. | |||
So one who gives up all these five types of desires, he is a real renouncer. Any one desire, that fellow will be tightly bound to this world. So Sri Rāmakrishna prayed to Mother, ‘Mother, here is Your Dharma, here is Your adharma. Here is Your good, here is your evil. Here is everything. But I don't want anything Mother. I want Ahaitukī Bhakti towards You. I want motiveless devotion’. | |||
And so many people, devotees, - ‘How can I get motiveless devotion?’ One second. Next second, ‘I have a desire to buy Tesla’s electric car’. Yes. One of my disciples went and purchased for 80,000 pounds. Just walked in and bought it. And when he came here he gave me a hundred rupees donation. I just laughed. This fellow who wants Ahaitukī Bhakti, he wants Moksha. You know, they don’t know what they are talking. Like mad caps, like drunken fellows they go on talking. What they doing… What the right hand is doing the left hand does not know. | |||
In Bible there is a saying, ‘Let not your left hand know what your right hand is doing’. You know what is the meaning of it? Whatever philanthropy or charity your right hand is doing, let nobody know. Not even the left hand - you forget that I have done it. Otherwise Abhimāna, ‘I did it’. Let left hand not know means completely forget it. I have the capacity. God has given me the desire to do. I just do it. It is God's money being given to God. | |||
Swami Sāradānandaji, sent one brahmachari for Relief work. And then the man asked, ‘How should we conduct the relief work?’ He gave a beautiful reply. Do you know what He said? ‘The things you are distributing among the poor people, they don't belong to you. Somebody is donating it and you are giving. So somebody's property is being given to somebody else. But where do you come in? Give it lovingly, not expecting anything. And whatever be their reaction do not have Abhimāna’. | |||
I was | Somebody says you gave that person a better saree, you gave me a rotten saree. I am telling from my experience, Bangladesh 1971. I was at Cherrapunji. So we collected some old Sarees, second hand sarees, very good sarees. And was distributing. One fellow came said, ‘To that person, to that lady you gave such a beautiful Saree. And then to my wife you're giving a third-class Saree, why this discrimination?’ At least he only criticized me that much. My Mahanta Swāmi Gokulānanda, He said, ‘You liked that lady, that's why you gave her a better saree’. I was happy he did not charge me with that. | ||
That means what? If you do something good only they will abuse you. | ( 40:33 mins ) | ||
You see people are there. That is why, Īshwar Chandra Vidyāsāgar used to say, one day he was walking, with his friend. His friend said such and such a person is abusing you. Īshwar Chandra Vidyāsāgar said, ‘I don't remember having done any good to him. Why is he is abusing me?’ | |||
That means what? If you do something good, then only they will abuse you. If you don't do any good, they will forget you immediately. This fellow is not worth even considering. The other fellow. He could have given a little more. | |||
We have got a beautiful saying in Telugu. A beggar has come. And the household are not there is a measuring vessel and he filled it up with some Dan and he gives that's the way is there a hole in that? Okay, what are we talking..Puthreshana, dhareshana, vitheshana, lokeshana and shastreshana. One who gives up These things he is a real jagadiswara. | We have got a beautiful saying in Telugu. A beggar has come. And the household are not there is a measuring vessel and he filled it up with some Dan and he gives that's the way is there a hole in that? Okay, what are we talking..Puthreshana, dhareshana, vitheshana, lokeshana and shastreshana. One who gives up These things he is a real jagadiswara. |
Latest revision as of 07:41, 13 August 2024
So we are discussing ‘khaṇḍana bhava bandhana’. When Swāmiji composed this hymn, nothing but the Upanishads have been put in this particular form. For every word, we can find one equivalent Upanishadic word. We have already given some references.
Tyāgīśvara he naravara dehapade anurāg - This is what we will discuss now.
Tyāgīśvara – He is the emperor of renunciation. What is renunciation? Giving up complete attachment that is called renunciation.
So the first meaning of renunciation is Deha, Mana, Abhimāna Tyāga - I am the body, I am the Mind - Whether a person is a devotee or he is a Jñāni or Yogi. So, how does it…
If he is a Karma Yogi, he gives up attachment to the result. Results always come in two forms. Results of actions come only in two forms. What are they? Sukha and Dukha. So Sukha and Dukha affect whom? Only the body and mind. Body and mind. Therefore the one who gives up his Karma-phala is a karma yogi. It means he looks equally upon both Sukha as well as Dukha.
Okay, then what about Jñāni? Completely he says the whole world is Mithyā. Certain words we have to understand very clearly. Keep this in mind always. There is no world other than body and mind. If you don't have identity with the body and mind, you will not have any world. Example, When you are in deep sleep, do you have body mind consciousness? Therefore there is no world. There is no world. So for a Jñāni the world is Mithyā. That means the body mind is Mithyā. Then every Mithyā, you understand what is Mithyā? Mithyā means unreal. Because you will get the real thing, if there is a shadow there must be an object.
No senses - No world. That's why in your deep sleep, you don't have any of these things. That is why you don't have any world at all. But what is there? When do you get the greatest happiness? Tell me. When do you get the greatest happiness? In deep sleep.
So there is something very interesting, you know? You are hungry. That means you are acutely aware of one part of the body. Then you eat food. As a result of eating food what happens? The sensation or awareness of that particular part of the body becomes completely absent. That means there is no activity. That is called Happiness.
When there is no body, there is bodily happiness. When there is no mind - mind happiness. When there is no body or mind - complete happiness. That's why we are so happy. Sukham aham aswapsam, I slept very happily. I did not know anything. Na kinchit avedisham.
( 05:04 mins )
These are our greatest psychological truths. Not only Vedāntic truths, psychological truths. In fact, there is no Vedānta excepting psychology. Vedānta starts with bondage. Bondage belongs to the mind. Solution also comes from the mind. When there is no mind, there is no bondage & there is no solution at all.
Do you know what is deep sleep? Let me put it this way. I am devoid of body mind. That is called deep sleep. When I get up Problems come.
You see this is the greatest mistake people commit. How they commit this mistake, I cannot figure it out. You are telling that I was completely unaware. Are you aware that you are unaware?
So that ‘I’ is not aware of non ‘I’. But it is fully aware of ‘This is ‘Me’. Follow that one? In deep Sleep ( So many people have these problems ), It's a complete awareness of me.
When I look at the table, ( this is a deep thought ) I forget myself. When there is no table thought, then I am aware of Myself. So this is the greatest truth we have to understand.
When I am alone, I am very happy. I hope you're following it. When I'm alone, I have no problem. No problem means not a zero experience, complete experience of Happiness is called…
Deha means the moment… You see if I take this wall out, complete sunlight will come in. What is limiting the sunlight? The walls. Deha, Mana, the body mind is like that. It puts a limit to my happiness. And that's why you remove a little bit of that limitation, You feel very happy.
Suppose you're very hungry. That is a limitation. You remove that hunger by eating food, and you say I'm very happy. What were you before happiness came? Unlimited happiness. Body mind is a limitation. I can only tell what I understand. It is up to you how much you take it further.
Happiness, Love, memory, and interest, all these are synonymous names. Whatever you are interested in that remains in your memory. Whatever you are interested in, and to the degree of your interest, your happiness also will increase. Your memory also will increase.
So my favorite example, a young man is walking. Another girl from the other side of the pavement smiles at him. He will never forget. Suppose she says my name is so & so, he will never forget. All examinations, Lessons he forgets. Why? Interest is there. Deep interest is there. And we cannot be… whatever we are interested in, it cannot but produce love. If you don't love something, it won't give you interest. and you won’t love something which will not give you happiness.
Can you love something which doesn't give you happiness, whether it is another human being, a book, a cinema, food, or shirt, or any other thing? I'm talking specifically about happiness. You will not love. Necessarily you may use it. Like I am using that soppu for getting rid of my jaundice, so bitter, so I have to disguise it with some yogurt and other things. So straight away, we don't eat it.
( 10:47 mins )
Sri Rāmakrishna, He may eat it. Sadāshiva Brahmendra may eat it. I will also eat it. Why? Because I have to eat. Given a choice, I will not. So that is what I am telling.
That which you love, you are sure it will give you happiness. And it will give you happiness, even if it is not a happy thing. My point is - there is happiness there so you love it - Not that way. You love it because it gives you happiness. The same thing may not give happiness to somebody else. Love, interest, memory, joy, concentration, these 5 things are synonymous.
Now what happens? Let me first give you an example of why we love something and why it gives happiness. True happiness doesn't lie anywhere. It is only my happiness.
First I'll give you an analogy. You keep a mirror in front of you, it is a very dirty mirror. How much of your reflection, as you are, can be seen there? The more dirty it is, the less you see yourself. If you can completely clean it, then there would be absolutely no difference between you, as you are, and the reflection. योऽसावसौ पुरुषः सोऽहमस्मि ( yo 'sāv asau puruṣaḥso'ham asmi ) Yeah until that, time you are God I am a devotee, because of the distance.
Okay now follows an example. You love a sweet. Then you eat this sweet. What happens? How does how does happiness comes from? Does it come from the sweet? No.
Now follows an example. You love a sweet, then you eat this sweet. What happens? How does happiness come from… Does it come from the Sweet? No! Where from is it coming? From yourself! But what is the sweet doing? It is removing the covering of your happiness by your thought, ‘I like to eat this sweet’. That desire. A desire comes like a black cloud. And that desire is removed by the object. And when that cloud is removed by the act of fulfilling that desire, then the happiness within you naturally flows out.
But then we mistake this happiness is coming from the object. Now you understand. ultimately it is the chaitanyananda which is actually coming.
Love and happiness are synonymous. It is oneness. Love is Oneness. When a mother loves her child, she may not be a psychologist, but she feels that anything that happens to the child is happening to me. That means that lady is identifying herself with the child.
Similarly Sri Rāmakrishna or Holy Mother, They love us because They are identified with us. We may not love them, Because, we are not identified with Them. In fact, we get bored. Suppose you are meditating. What is meditation? Trying to become one with Sri Rāmakrishna, isn't it? After half an hour what happens you get bored. That means instead of simply saying ‘O Rāmakrishna, you are a very boring person as far as I'm concerned’, we dare not say that. So this much happiness, this much meditation, is more than what you deserve.
Kamsa was the greatest devotee of Krishna That is why he was constantly fearful of Krishna. But what is the object of the fear?
( 15:19 mins )
Here is something very important. These are all important things for Sādhana. Here is a person who hates another person. This is hatred. Here is one person who fears another person, that is fear. But what is the object? You love somebody, there is an object. You fear somebody, there is another object. You hate somebody, there is another object. It doesn't depend upon whether you are loving or hating.
What is the object towards which your Love or hatred is directed. If it is God, It will release you. Why? Because, I tell you something very interesting, it is taking time. What is the nature of God? Freedom. What is the nature of God? Ānanda. Ānanda.
Suppose you hate God. About whom are you thinking? And what is the nature of God? Happiness, you're getting so much of happiness. And the more you think of hatred to God, the more happiness you are getting. What is the nature of God? Freedom! You become free from your hatred.
So, you love Him. You lust after Him, Kāma. But who is the object? God! If the object is another binding object, then it will double your bondage. Already you are bound. That object also will bind you more. But here is God…
I will give you two examples. One is Ānanda. Ānanda means freedom. So if you're free you get Ānanda. Freedom & Ānanda are synonymous. Can you understand that? I am elaborating it for this purpose. I will tell you how.
You get hungry. Same example. You get hungry. When you are hungry your mind is agitated, and that's a bondage. Then you eat food. What does the food to do to you? Used correctly, it removes your limitation, your bondage, of this desire. Removal of this desire is called freedom.
So God is freedom. You meditate upon God, you hate God, and you do anything with God, What is He going to do? Because, you are meditating, ultimately, upon whom? Freedom.
Because we cannot understand what is the dimension of Freedom, therefore we use the word God. That is where we bring in personality. Whatever it is - whether you hate, you fear, you love, you have devotion - What makes us either bound or free is not your feelings, but the object. Because the nature of the object will make you Free.
So we say, you know, somebody is frying some Vada. And there was a pot of ghee. Somehow this Vada slipped & fell into the hot ghee. Is it a good thing or bad thing? Hot ghee. This Vada now has become what Vada? Maddur Vada. Ghee Vada, which is even better isn’t it? So we are trying to fry ourselves in the world’s oil. Suddenly for some reason you got angry with God and you fell into that Ghee pot. What do you become?
You fall into sugar syrup, what will you become? Syrup. Suppose a fly falls into a sugar syrup, after that it solidifies, afterwards you eat it. Can you make any difference between the fly and sugar? Several mangoes the moment mango comes, you know, you eat. These worms grow in the mangoes. Practically they have become what? Mango! So you are not eating the insect, you are eating the mango, because they are eating only mango. They are also mango. You are also mango. After eating what do you become? Mango! I’m giving an illustration.
( 20:23 mins )
So love, freedom, happiness are synonymous words with memory, interest. Now you think over it. Is it clear? Okay, and at least for this class, I hope so.
Tyāgīśvara, we are talking about Tyāga. What is Tyāga? Anybody who gives up what is limiting.
Now here is another psychology, when I'm talking like this you have to note down certain important points. If I meditate upon some limited thing. Not only that thing is limited, a limited thing will make me also limited.
Simple example, you're making friendship with a fellow who is an idiot. If I make friendship with an idiot, what am I going to turn into? Idiot. If I cultivate company of Sat, what I am going to turn into? Sat. This is the cycle. Now you understand what is the effect of Sanga? So Sri Rāmakrishna gave some example, His own examples.
There are so many fossils available. Frozen living, what is called dead animals, without the least bit of degeneration. They found a Neandertals, a human being. They found a mammoth somewhere Arctic Range. And they found one small girl completely frozen, after 50,000, even more number of years. Now there is a possibility that she might be reconstructed also from the DNA. Because, if it is frozen the DNA is also not dead but it is frozen. Big Moral questions are coming. I don’t want to go into it.
What is my point now? That God is such an object. And you become That. Not only that.
I am giving you another very deep point. When I think of a chair… how do I think of a chair? I become one with the chair. You see when I'm looking at the chair… For example, this table, I'm only looking at this. I don't know what is here? Therefore for me the ignorance of the bottom part is there, unless I bend down and look at it.
So what is my point? That whenever we experience any object, we become totally identified with that object. This is the Indian philosophical theory of knowledge. How do we get knowledge of anything? Our whole mind like a mould goes and becomes that chair. I hope you understood?
Now when you think of any limited object, what are you going to become? Limited person. When you are thinking of God, What are you going to become? Unlimited.
That is why whether Kamsa feared him, Sisupāla, Dantavakra, hated Him. Yashodā, the Gopīs and Gopās, all loved Him, in various ways. One as a child. Another as a friend, another as a lover, etc., the object is completely God and they know that He is God.
Don't think Yashodā doesn’t know, because She has seen a miracle, that for seven days He was Keeping the whole Govardhana mountain. Like that His father asked Him, ‘Bābā Krishna, you bring my Chapels?’ ‘No, no, I am a small child. How can I carry such a huge weight?’ This fellow, happily, was holding the Govardhana. This is called Līlā. But We forget it.
So God - the idea that this is God - should be there. But God's grace is such that even if you don't know that He is God, but you have some idea about God, He will forgive the whole lot, He will make you Himself.
( 25:05 mins )
What is the psychology? If I want to know about the chair, I must become one with the chair. If I want to know about God, I must become one with God. Therefore you fear God, that is one way of thinking. Hate God, another way of thinking. And you Love God, that is another way of thinking. Any way, of dvesha - any way of thinking of God, it is only going to liberate you because you are going to become one with Him. I hope now it is clear.
This is related to our subject. What is it? Tyāgīśvara. Sri Rāmakrishna is called Tyāgīśvara. What did Holy Mother say? So some Disciple asked Holy Mother, Sri Rāmakrishna practiced so many spiritual disciplines as a Hindu, He.. Among Hindus means Purānas, Tāntrika, Vaidika.
- Among Purānas - Vaishnava, Shāktā and Siva Bhakti. Purānas means Bhakti.
- Tāntrika - 64 important primary scriptures of Tantra, Bhairavi Brahmani had made Him go through.
- Vaidika - What is Vaidika? Advaita Vedānta.
In everyone He succeeded. So is it not the greatest thing Sri Rāmakrishna had accomplished? Some devotee was remarking to Holy Mother. Instantaneously She said, ‘No, that is not the greatest thing. He did because He was insatiable. But His greatest quality is Tyāga. I have never seen in my life, anybody who is so much of a Tyāgi’.
What is Tyāga ultimately? Not giving up a chair, or not giving up… you know one man had 16 wives. After having 16 children or more he thought it is time to give up. One by one he was giving up.
So there was another person who was married only once, so the wife of that person started to ridicule him, ‘Look at the renunciation of that Fellow. 16 wives he is giving up one by one’ ( And you are nothing, that is what she meant ). Always wives admire only other fellows. So this Fellow said, he was going to take a bath. He had a towel. He said, ‘You are a mad cap. You don't know what is renunciation. He will never be able to keep up’. ‘At least he's better than you’. ‘You say so. All right pagli, bye’ - that with the towel he left, and never returned back. Afterwards whole life she was meditating, ‘Why did those words come out of my mouth?’
So what is Tyāga? Abhimāna Tyāga.
What is Abhimāna – body Abhimāna, mind Abhimāna. What else is there? The whole world is gone. If I am not the body mind, the whole world is gone. If I am not body conscious, I won't see any body. This is another insight. If I don't see mind, then I won't see anything in the world. Can you understand that?
Is Sri Rāmakrishna , Holy mother seeing a body? Yes they are seeing. You know how? Just as you see figures on the cinema.
Suppose somebody in a cinema, a fellow is saying I am hungry. Will you run taking some Rasagulla. What do you do? You enjoy it, because it is only a figure. Like that, I see everybody as a shadow. That's what's Sri Rāmakrishna was telling.
That ultimate knowledge, I am not the body mind is the characteristic of every Jīvan-Mukta. But in Sri Rāmakrishna it has reached the very Peak. That's why Sri Rāmakrishna… so many incidents are there, I'm just remembering. Once you know, He sat for food, with so many items, seven eight items. His own disciples - I tell you these disciples are unreliable fellows, outside they are doing like that, inside they are criticising.
So, His own disciple said, ‘O! This man He loves to eat so many varieties’. Not telling anything outside, as though is Gada, gada, with devotion - inside critical. What does it mean? ‘What the hell are you doing? I am also here. A Guru should be only drishti bhoga. Sishyas will be actual Bhogis’. It is for Prasad actually we are gathering around a Guru, you understand? And instead of that You are eating up.
( 30:28 mins )
Then Sri Rāmakrishna, He could read everybody’s mind, it is like things kept in a glass almirah. So He said, ‘Do you know why I keep all these things? My natural tendency is towards the impersonal. The moment there is nothing to hold Me, My mind, ooh like that, It will go into Samādhi. That's why I create artificial desires. I want to eat Shukto’. Shukto is a Bengali bitter dish. You have to eat it. And after that you don't want to eat anything else, if they are good Cooks. Otherwise afterwards you never want to eat it.
Once Sri Rāmakrishna said ‘I want to go to Calcutta to see some devotees’. Has He got desires? No! He wants to keep His mind on our level. For whose benefit? Our benefit. That is what is called Tyāgīśvara .
In the scriptures, there are four types of desires. All the objects fall into these 4 categories. Putreshana, Dāreshana, Vitteshana, lokeshana. Some people add one more Shāstreshana. Eshana means intense desire. What is it?
Putreshana - I want a son. A father wants a son. Not a daughter. Because daughter is duhitah. Duhitah means one who milks the cow. But later on in Indian Society, she milks the whole family. Dowry. Dowry system.
So Putreshana. Why? In olden times people thought that if a man has got a son he will save him from a special hell called पुन्नाम्नो नरकाद् त्रायते इति पुत्रा: ( punnāmno narakād trāyate iti putrāha ) If a person doesn't have a male child, that fellow will go to hell. How does he go to hell? Because he will not be given Tarpana, you know monthly rites, all shraddha's etc. yearly. Some people do practically every day. And it is this which keeps the father from going to hell.
That means somebody to continue the traditions of the lineage. Bhagavad Gitā also, it refers, when wars take place, the men will be destroyed. Then there is nobody to uphold the… then they, all our ancestors, will attain to naraka.
That was one of the reasons Arjuna give to Krishna. First lecture was given by Arjuna to Krishna. Afterwards only Krishna took revenge. He never allowed him to open his mouth. Yeah. The whole first chapter is what? And a few shlokas of the second chapter is what? Arjuna’s defense of why he wants to renounce the world and not take part in the war. Now what are we talking about? Putreshana.
Then Dāreshana - In Vedic rituals as a house holder cannot perform rituals without Dharma-patni. That is why when Rāma had banished Sitā, He had to make a Golden Sitā in order to complete the Yajnas, Yāgas. That is why Dāra is necessary.
But the Vedas are also intelligent. They are covering up in the name of this. Every man will have a desire for enjoying a woman & vice-versa. But the main purpose is to beget the children and to perform the Yajnas and Yāgas. So a man will have a desire for Dāra. It is called Dāreshana.
Then Vitteshana. Man requires money. Vitta means wealth. Why wealth? For three purposes
- One has to enjoy life first purpose,
- One has to maintain the family, children, disciples is the second factor.
- Vitta is most important, wealth is most important, for performing rituals.
( 35:16 mins )
So all these things are necessary for the sake of what?
So Putreshana, Vitteshana, Dāreshana. We have covered three. There is a fourth Eshana. You know what is the fourth Eshana? This is called Lokeshana. Loka means not only this world but Swarga, Indra, Prajapati, Brihaspati Etc higher worlds are there. Man wants attain to those higher worlds. Why? Because man also wants to attain higher and still higher, and still higher, happiness. So this is called Lokeshana.
How many, how many desires we said? Four! What are they? Putreshana, Dāreshana, Vitteshana, Lokeshana.
There is one more Shāstreshana. Some Swāmis ,they want to go deep into the scriptures. They get so much of Joy. In simple words. I love to read wonderful books. Anybody who doesn't love to read these wonderful books, he is a useless fellow. He is a stunted fellow. Because we have to expand our intellectual Grasp. That is very important for us.
So one who gives up all these five types of desires, he is a real renouncer. Any one desire, that fellow will be tightly bound to this world. So Sri Rāmakrishna prayed to Mother, ‘Mother, here is Your Dharma, here is Your adharma. Here is Your good, here is your evil. Here is everything. But I don't want anything Mother. I want Ahaitukī Bhakti towards You. I want motiveless devotion’.
And so many people, devotees, - ‘How can I get motiveless devotion?’ One second. Next second, ‘I have a desire to buy Tesla’s electric car’. Yes. One of my disciples went and purchased for 80,000 pounds. Just walked in and bought it. And when he came here he gave me a hundred rupees donation. I just laughed. This fellow who wants Ahaitukī Bhakti, he wants Moksha. You know, they don’t know what they are talking. Like mad caps, like drunken fellows they go on talking. What they doing… What the right hand is doing the left hand does not know.
In Bible there is a saying, ‘Let not your left hand know what your right hand is doing’. You know what is the meaning of it? Whatever philanthropy or charity your right hand is doing, let nobody know. Not even the left hand - you forget that I have done it. Otherwise Abhimāna, ‘I did it’. Let left hand not know means completely forget it. I have the capacity. God has given me the desire to do. I just do it. It is God's money being given to God.
Swami Sāradānandaji, sent one brahmachari for Relief work. And then the man asked, ‘How should we conduct the relief work?’ He gave a beautiful reply. Do you know what He said? ‘The things you are distributing among the poor people, they don't belong to you. Somebody is donating it and you are giving. So somebody's property is being given to somebody else. But where do you come in? Give it lovingly, not expecting anything. And whatever be their reaction do not have Abhimāna’.
Somebody says you gave that person a better saree, you gave me a rotten saree. I am telling from my experience, Bangladesh 1971. I was at Cherrapunji. So we collected some old Sarees, second hand sarees, very good sarees. And was distributing. One fellow came said, ‘To that person, to that lady you gave such a beautiful Saree. And then to my wife you're giving a third-class Saree, why this discrimination?’ At least he only criticized me that much. My Mahanta Swāmi Gokulānanda, He said, ‘You liked that lady, that's why you gave her a better saree’. I was happy he did not charge me with that.
( 40:33 mins )
You see people are there. That is why, Īshwar Chandra Vidyāsāgar used to say, one day he was walking, with his friend. His friend said such and such a person is abusing you. Īshwar Chandra Vidyāsāgar said, ‘I don't remember having done any good to him. Why is he is abusing me?’
That means what? If you do something good, then only they will abuse you. If you don't do any good, they will forget you immediately. This fellow is not worth even considering. The other fellow. He could have given a little more.
We have got a beautiful saying in Telugu. A beggar has come. And the household are not there is a measuring vessel and he filled it up with some Dan and he gives that's the way is there a hole in that? Okay, what are we talking..Puthreshana, dhareshana, vitheshana, lokeshana and shastreshana. One who gives up These things he is a real jagadiswara.
but there is a psychology here if we want to give up something. We will never be able to give up unless we are hoping to get something better. So what is that better thing here only God and a person who knows that this is a better thing only then you will be able to give this is another deep insight. unless you are sure you're going to get something better. You cannot simply give up something which is an inferior quality. I don't know the whether I told you this story at really beautiful story.
There was a poor man if He wanted to become rich so he went to a sadhu. Local sadhu. How can I become rich please show me the way. He said, yes, you see the mountain in front of your village on the top of that mountain is a sadhu another holy man lives. I heard that he has a what you call Rasa Vedhi,(Sparasa Vedhi) That which you turns Metals into gold. Philosopher’s stone. I do not know why it is called Philosopher’s stone - philosopher doesn't want those things.
Anyway, philosopher Stones. I heard he has got, you can go and ask him if he has got he will give it to you. So this fellow had to take three days to climb. He climbed, found out this sadhu, this sadhu for another for 50 years that sadhu had not seen another human being.
He was very happy. What can I do? What brings you here? Very frankly he said, I want to become rich. I heard that you have this philosopher's stone “Sparsa Vedhi” it is called.
((The philosopher's stone, more properly philosophers' stone or stone of the philosophers (Latin: lapis philosophorum) is a legendary alchemical substance capable of turning base metals such as mercury into gold (chrysopoeia, from the Greek χρυσός khrusos, "gold", and ποιεῖν poiēin, "to make") or silver.))
((Fullmetal alchemist, Philosophers stone ...pinterest.com))
“Sparsa Vedhi”. They will become the moment you touch any metal will turn into gold. So, can you please, Sir, give it to me?
The Sadhu said I have got one Good news and one bad news. The bad news is, the moment I came here, I just threw it away.
The good news is after I threw it away, Nobody had ever come here. So it should be lying down somewhere. So you can go search for it? So this you should be praised and the man went searched within a short time. He got something there are some useless Metals nearby. He touched it. It immediately turned into gold!!
And he came and made sashtanga pranam and said I am so grateful to you and then may be three pranams. But he started coming down for three days. He had to come down. Three days. He was not having sleep. Now. What shall I do? I will turn metal into gold. I resell it. I become a rich man. Where do I buy a land? Where do I buy some buildings? Whom am I going to marry? And what is she going to demand etc, etc, all “gonthemma korikalu”.
Three days. After three days, He got exhausted fell asleep for the first time. Got up with fresh mind became calm and quiet then he said “array this person had it for 50 years. He gave it up. No fool will give it up anything unless he's a fool unless he's getting something much more valuable.
I must find out immediately again another three days and they sadhu asked him, what brings you here. Then he said you sir you had this you give this up? You must have got something much more precious than this. The sadhu said yes, do you want to have that something more precious. He said yes, throw that out. I will tell you. until you throw it out. I will know that it is only idle curiosity you don't want.
So that fellow threw it out. Then he told him about “God” and that is the greatest Labha anybody can have.
This is what Sri Ramakrishna says, all this clever fellows were like crows learning a growth from morning till evening runs after what. Only filth. A real clever fellow is one who gives up all these things and he will only thinks on one thing. What is that - nothing but God. What a beautiful thing. This idea is. So Sri Ramakrishna is unparalleled thyaga, first.
Second if we want to give up, we can give up but it will come as a result of tremendous effort. For Sri Ramakrishna it came effortlessly. As if it is very natural; as if he was born with the love of God. Some people you see from the very beginning. So that is why Swami Vivekananda he had not simply like a poet he sat down and wrote. He meditated years and years and years upon Takur, condensed the essence of his meditation and this is the result. And as I said Oh swamij, Saptha Rishi, rishi, From rishi’s mouth. Nothing else Will come excepting Upanishad.
What is Upanishad ? that which destroys worldly bondage is called Upanishad. That is why Sri Ramakrishna’s gospel is a vedha. Upanishad. Yeah.
Haynaravara. Last class I mentioned, every human being is not yet fit to be called a human being so there are three Nature's. Thalassic nature, rajasika nature and Sathvika nature. Human beings are divided into three categories. Rakshasa or Asura, manusha, and deivika.
In the Upanishad, There is a story. chandogya Upanishad. There is a story Rakshasas, asuras And human beings manusha and the Devathas has all of them prayed to prajapadhi – Brahma, guide us enlighten us. Give us some thing. And his teaching came in the form of a thunder.
What is the Dha, Dha, Dha- then prajapadhi asked asuras –Did you understand what I said. Yes, Sir, made Pranam & Departed. He asked human beings did you understand What I said. Yes Sir. They made pranams and departed. The Devathas they were asked do you do understand? They made pranams and departed. So the Upanishad is explained. What is it explaining?
What is the nature of Rakshasas, cruelty. Therefore overcome cruelty with it opposite quality. What is that opposite quality. Dhaya. Dayadhwam, Dayadhwam, Dayadhwam. Be compassionate, Be kind and compassionate.
What is the nature of human beings miserliness? What is the opposite of miserliness? Generosity Dhanadwam, Dhanadwam, Dhanadwam. what does it mean Dheeyatham, Dheeyatham, Dheeyatham . give give give give up you.
And then what is the Nature of Devathas? Unlimited enjoyment. So Damayadham- Damadhwam, Damadhwam, Damadhwam. Control of the sense organs is called dama.
So we are talking about human beings every human being suffers from many complexes. Of these complexes psychologist divide this complex into 2 categories. What are they. inferiority and superiority. It is a big subject. I will deal only in brief.. The first this complexion comes from the body. What is the body? Somebody is tall, hefty, strong when he sees a cookja a dwarf? He feels Superior, he may not express it. He feels be real. If, a person is very beautiful and he encounters an ugly person. A rich person and Learned person. Body and quality.
This is called superiority complex. There are two types of superiority complex. Some people really have those things.
And They don't have a right but they feel Superior. Some people don't have but feel Superior. Understand now. Similarly inferiority complex. Then you took up only when you are. You're walking and you took your to look up your companion. How do you feel?
Inferior. So there was this fellow who are suffering who thought he was suffering from inferiority complex . He went to a psychiatrist. And got treatment for three years. After three years psychiatrist said I'm terminating your treatment patient gabar agaya. I have not been cured of my ailment, I still feel very inferior. It is only after three years, I discovered you are not suffering from inferiority complex you are inferior. ( Big Laughter)For that there is no cure.
Complex can be overcome, but this fellow. painful. So we are all suffering lack of self-confidence and lack of willpower. These are all complexes. Most of the people Suffering from Psychiatric problems other either Superior 30 complex the whole cosmetic Industry is based upon what?
Inferiority complex. My nose it is like that. I What to make it like that. This fellow brings one chisel and hammer to and fit and then stitches it. Are you happy? Mm mm mm…Yeah, like that he tells. I've seen it at that film.BBC. All these things they show very nicely.
So inferiority complex. Sri Ramakrishna feels neither inferior or Superior. Why because he never considered himself and yet he knows this is a Divine body. Divinity is fully manifest in this particular body. So the nar‧avara. But there is something else. Previously psychology used to deal it started. What is the cause of mental diseases? First find out diagnose and then find out a way to cure the person from that. From physical Medical Science also, how did it start?
Man is suffering from physical some diseases. Find out the cause. Try to help the person and that was the goal. Now completely changed. What is it? What is the optimum physical health? What is a of optimum Mental Health?
Carl Ransom Rogers (January 8, 1902 – February 4, 1987),Abraham Maslow.( April 1, 1908 – June 8, 1970) Karen All these peoples latest it is to means not very latest Erik Erikson - from all these fellows have devoted their entire lives to define What is the nature personality?
In today's class. I'm just going to out read out the outline and then if there is anything we can discuss it later on.
So much meaning I find in this is no less than studying. Upanishads. . Yeah, we are here. We are not even nature human beings. We are not what are we so I'm According to Swami Vivekananda touch-me-not plants. Is somebody even touches with the breath-we will shrink.
You Understand what I'm talking about. So sensitive we have become somebody looks at you. You feel bad. Somebody doesn't look at you, you feel bad. if somebody smiles at you feel bad. If somebody doesn't smile at you, you feel bad.. Does not talk with you for everything you feel bad. Oh! Rama!
Okay.
I will just read out.
Characteristics of a Nature personality - Nature person has a thorough knowledge of the workings of his mind is completely aware of what is going on in his mind second. He knows his assets and liabilities. He knows what are his good points. Also, what is it deficient in not imagining he knows it. He becomes an integrated personality. Swami Yathiswaranandaji M in that book marvelous book meditation and spiritual life one whole chapter has been devoted to this particular subject. What is it? Integration of personality.
The subconscious the unconscious and the conscious and the super conscious must be completely integrated other ways, but does he become split personality? You know me around we all suffer from what is called if MB PCS cmps MPS multiple personality syndrome Multiple Market because at home, we are somebody in the office. We are somebody and in the club, we are somebody there is no integration that is why. So many mental problems are coming. So a nature person becomes totally integrated. I think I have also mentioned it earlier something very important.
Or do you that according to William James when a Christian becomes converted that conversion takes place?
In three ways three characteristics, you know, what is that first? He becomes integrated for Life converted for Life. Secondly. It is always a journey from the lower to the higher and thirdly his. Sorry.
I got here, but you're talking especially find out what it is. Okay.
And thirdly the person's inner and outer personality. There will be no split. What does that mean? That means if he is spiritual inside his spiritual also outside. So what are what is we doing? Like they say in and marvadi’ s shop. Visiting their front there will be Krishna picture player every day morning is known he opens he lights of the incense and does it. But if any B the money transaction has to take place and B has to be converted into w.
He will turn Krishna’s picture towards the wall. Finishes his transaction Turns smilingly The photo of Krishna Hare Krishna did not know anything about it. So when we are in the temple or Saints not really sensitive people also there are devils. They go on talking. From the back And the children are making so much of noise. And some fellow is coughing out who asked you to venue are coughing coughs of money. Why are you passing ordinary Cough - infectious, cough?
You know English word coffee giving out. He never brings any money not even chilli kasu. So he is creating so much of disturbance to other people. He is not even aware of that. Anyway, but I'm not talking about it when a person comes completely converted. Then the third but it is between the inner and the outer absolutely integrated. The unconscious subconscious and conscious and the super conscious the spiritual and the secular the body and mind completely they must be integrated. Then nature person accepts himself loves himself and takes upon responsibility for himself. He doesn't blame anybody if I am here today this way with responsible. I am responsible. So I must make effort if I want to become better upon myself.
He has a clearly defined philosophy and goal in life. He lives in the present taking the past and the future into consideration and learning their lessons. His steadfast is optimistic cheerful but realistic attitude towards life and world. He suffers neither from a superiority nor an inferiority complex. He has sufficient self-control to sacrifice weaknesses and defects. He constantly strives to improve himself without getting frustrated. He always Tries to see the best in others. He forgives himself and others. He integrates evil and suffering as stepping stones to a better life.
He has a place a definite routine for everything in life. He can objectify himself called self-objectification. Understand. he can look at himself as others are looking at himself. he has a keen sense of humor without becoming a buffoon. Nature people have a very realistic self image of what they can do and are not threatened by their weaknesses. They are also able to laugh at their weaknesses and we'll close this talk with one particular quotation. Somebody had quipped I don't know who - he quipped if anybody has the ability to laugh at himself, He will never lack entertainment in his life.