Patanjali Yoga Sutras Lecture 032

Full Transcript(Not Corrected)

Om Yogena Chittasyapadena Vacham Malam Sharirasya Chavai Dhyakena Upakarottam Pravaram Muninam Patanjalim Pranjali Rana Tosmi I bow to the eminent sage Patanjali who removed the impurities of the mind through yoga of speech through grammar and of the body through medicine. The purpose of yoga is to attain Samadhi. In our last class I discussed that the yogi who perceives ultimately attains to that Samadhi where he knows that he is the Atman, the Self. There are some problems there. One of the problems is unless a person has supreme detachment even though he has attained to such a high degree of concentration and it's not mere concentration, it is a discriminative concentration which means that he knows everything other than the Atman is ephemeral. If it is true that he has this kind of real discriminative knowledge then he should never be attached to anything else. But we hear fallen yogis. If we study the life of Sri Ramakrishna then we come across quite a number of people of whom or about whom Sri Ramakrishna used to say they are fallen yogis. What does a fallen yogi mean? He was really practicing spiritual disciplines. He had the desire but he could not completely overcome his desires and the desires become very very subtle. We also have to be very cautious that these desires have nothing in comparison with what we have. Ours is like a worm crawling about in dirt. This is our highest type of happiness. But these great yogis, they attain to such a high state that they get stuck. I also had discussed, according to Gaudapada there are five obstructions to self-knowledge. The first is simply laya, sleep. It's a very interesting concept because why do we want to sleep? After all in sleep we are unconscious because it gives such a tremendous amount of relief from our day-to-day problems. That's why by hook or crook, could be through drugs, could be through drinks or even distractions we somehow want to attain to that state of sleep. Second obstruction is somehow if the mind is convinced that we have to continue, persevere, then comes distraction. Terrible distractions do come. If somehow we can overcome that, then the third obstruction comes. That obstruction is called spiritual practice which tastes like the bitterest of medicines, kashaya. This is called kashaya. And we do not understand what kashaya really is. Let me narrate an instance. Sri Ramakrishna had a disciple. He was asked, how is your spiritual life? And the answer he gave was, I do not believe in God. For such a highly advanced soul of whom Sri Ramakrishna used to say he was one of these fallen yogis, this is his last birth, and he attained to such a high state, he says, I do not believe in God. Sri Ramakrishna said, fine. This is also one of the states even I had gone through and everyone has to go through this state. Why? It's a very interesting subject all by itself. But just very, very briefly I will... When we are progressing in spiritual life, it so happens that we do need some kind of break. Once Girish Chandrakosh, another disciple of Sri Ramakrishna, was in such depths of despondency and nobody could really make him enthusiastic. Even the direct disciples of Sri Ramakrishna, many of them tried. Oh, this is the nature of the mind. Sometimes it goes down, sometimes it comes up, which is also true. But that didn't give any consolation to Girish Chandrakosh. Then Swami Brahmananda, he went to see him. And seeing Girish Chandrakosh's mind, and you must imagine, Girish Chandrakosh was one of those people who was bubbling with unending energy, joy. Jai Ramakrishna, like that. For such a man to be in that state of depression is really unimaginable by people. We all get depressed. Let us not compare ourselves with Girish Chandrakosh. Then Swami Brahmananda said, Don't worry, you know why your mind has gone down? It's like a wave. Unless it goes down, it cannot rise up. You will see within a short time, it is going to rise up. The moment he heard these words, his mind has not only remained there, it surged to such great heights. So it is possible sometimes the mind goes down. When does it stop going down? Is there a time when the mind never deviates but remains exactly in the same position? Yes. After realization, then the mind will have no influence. Until that time, it will continue to go up and down. But there is a secret here. Even in an advanced state of spiritual progress, the mind goes down. It goes down for a good reason and for the good of the practitioner. I know this. We should not compare. Even a beginner's mind also goes up and down. That is totally different. But when a man advances in spiritual life, the mind goes down. Let me illustrate it. Once Swami Avedananda was asked, why does the mind sometimes go down like this, even in an advanced state? And the person who asked him was also probably a quite advanced spiritual practitioner. Then Swami Avedananda gave two illustrations. One, he said, suppose a man is walking and he wants to go to the next village. Usually he comes across a stream and he cannot simply jump like that. What does he do? He goes back a few steps, then comes running, and then in one jump clears the obstacle. Another example he gave, when a person is sincerely trying to progress in spiritual life, it is like climbing a kind of staircase, a spiral-like staircase. Every time you go a little bit up, you seem to have come to the old place. But if you observe, every time you seem to come to the old place, you are in a higher position than when you were before. So there comes a time in our life when the mind goes on behaving like this. But that should not be mistaken or identified. When we were just starting our spiritual life, coming back to our subject, these great yogis, what was the third obstruction? Spiritual life looks like bitter medicine, kashaya in Sanskrit language. Then somehow if it overcomes that tendency, the last, fourth obstruction was there. That is called ananda. The mind gets so much of joy, it has not reached the God Realization, it has not got self-knowledge, but he advanced to such an extent. Tremendous joy overwhelms him and that overwhelming itself becomes an obstruction. Many times we get from the lives of great souls like Buddha, Mara, when just before Realization, Mara came and showed various things. This is the legend we are familiar with. But what we are not familiar with is, do you think a man who had progressed to such an extent that God Realization was just one step away, his mind will come down like our minds to the lowest plane, wants to enjoy sweets or fleshly enjoyments? Absolutely no. So there is the Mara. Mara means tempter. It takes different forms to different spiritual practitioners depending upon their stage, even the highest stage. Now what is the illustration that a yogi is obstructed by tremendous joy? We all know that. I mentioned it umpteen number of times. Hiram Krishna was practicing Advaita sadhana. Totapuri asked him, empty your mind of all the thoughts. He said, I could empty my mind of every single thought excepting one, that of my Divine Mother. Now what does that mean? When we look at the Divine Mother, we see a picture, we see an image, we see some stone or a piece of metal. But when Hiram Krishna looks, he is not seeing a piece of metal. He is seeing the living, loving, breathing Divine. There is a beautiful description in the Hiram Krishna, the great master by Swami Saradananda. Once Hiram Krishna was describing vividly how he obtained the vision of Sri Rama. He worshipped Rama in the form of a child, Ramlala. You all know that how he played, how Ramlala played with Hiram Krishna, etc. Now the point was, Hiram Krishna started weeping even while recollecting the Divine Leelas of Sri Rama. And Swami Saradananda and others, they were all enraptured by this description. Afterwards, Swami Saradananda was remarking that image which Hiram Krishna had played with, it was still there. So they ran to that place. Rama would again show it before them also. But alas, it did not happen. So Saradananda was graphically describing. When we looked, what did we see? A cold metal image staring back with lifeless eyes. We don't need to go far away. Our Ramakrishna's photo is here in this shrine. Here also he is there. But at least in this shrine, do we see the living Ramakrishna? But when we open our eyes, he is looking at you. He is listening to your prayer. And he knows everything about each one of us. And he is guiding us. If we are sincere, he is there. How many incidents in life, even though so many miracles happen in our life, we still lose that faith every time we say, is he listening? Did he not listen day before yesterday? Yes, yes, that was day before yesterday. What about today? This is what happens. Coming back, Ananda. Ramakrishna's mind was filled with Ananda. How do you know, sir? We may ask ourselves. Are we interpreting it in that way? No. There is a psychological law. And that law is, the mind would not like to think of a thought which doesn't give it either extreme happiness or extreme unhappiness. That which gives us the greatest joy, happiness, it is so difficult to get rid of that thought. Even in the highest state of spiritual progress, somehow it becomes an obsession with us. We cannot give it up. But if we want truth, we have to give it up. What is the way? We have to practice supreme detachment, supreme dispassion, Paravairagya. Now with regard to this idea of supreme detachment, I have one or two points to mention. And I am only talking about spiritual practitioners, not ordinary people. Our mind is endowed with samskaras or impressions. When we experience any object, that object gives us an impression, either good or bad, in the form of, I like this, I do not like that. Ultimate judgmental value is, I like this and I don't like this. Our whole life is a war, a battle, between if I like, I want to have it. If I don't like it, I want to avoid it. How to have what I want and how to avoid what I don't like, from morning till evening, this is what we are doing. Now, when a practitioner goes on practicing spiritual life, then a special impression goes. That is very important for us to pay attention and listen and understand. When we are meditating, naturally our mind becomes very discriminative. Even the lowest of us can also find out what is obstructing us from moving further on. I am attached to this, I am attached to that. Even though I do not have that much of strength of mind to push it aside and go, but at least I am aware of it and then that thought wants to come. Come on, it's very nice. It is such a joy it gives you. Why don't you think now? I am not asking you to go and enjoy it, but think of it now, savour it now. The other part of the mind says, no, you are sitting here for meditation. Are you not ashamed to think of these things? I am not talking only that which we call negative things. Most important is positive things. Suppose there is a mother who has just given birth to a most lovely baby. Will not that mother have terrible attachment to the baby? We cannot have that attachment to a baby. We may have a little bit of detachment towards the grown-up people because grown-up people are not dependent upon us. There is a human tendency when someone is so helpless, say a baby, very naturally we feel like going and protecting that baby. And what to speak of a mother? Imagine this mother is a devotee and genuinely wants to appropriate Ramakrishna, Jesus Christ, Buddha, whatever. But this love of the baby is bullying her. What is my baby doing? Her mind is there. A tug of war starts there. And she knows it. I am not supposed to think of my baby at this time. Baby is not in danger. My husband is looking after the baby. Now for at least 15-20 minutes I can freely think. No, the pervert mind would not agree to that. And we are aware of it. And then we go on. No, you should not think. No, no, let us think. No, no, no, no, don't think of it. No, no, yes, let us think. No, no, no, you should not. What is the point? I am trying to draw your attention. One part of the mind is developing the samskara or impression of wanting. Simultaneously the other part of the mind is developing another samskara saying no, no, no, no. When this force of no rises above the other saying yes and when it reaches the highest point that is called supreme dispassion. So what happens? In the mind there are such subtle impressions of so many past lives. It is not easy to get rid of them. And as I mentioned when a person attains to the highest state of spiritual progress he is enjoying that supreme felicity which he can never get here. And that makes that samskara, impression of enjoyment more strong. But at the same time this is not the end. I must have self-knowledge. I must have God. I would not like to accept anything less than the infinite itself. These two impressions side by side grow. Let us keep this point in mind. With this point in mind Patanjali is proceeding to the next aphorism which is 19. There are people, yogis, who experience the highest kind of joy, ananda and somehow their dispassion falls short of overcoming them. And like Swami Vivekananda gives the example a person is walking in the Himalayas at very great heights and the cold is so intense the person feels like going to sleep. And the point is if the person is allowed to go to sleep very soon what is called hyperthermia or something sets in and very pleasantly he dies. He gives up his body. But if there is someone even by beating the person is made active and then made to move and then there are hopes that he will live. Like that here this yogi this impression which says no, no somehow he tried and it could not so it lives as it were. And the impression which says this is wonderful I am in the highest world and this joy is no equivalent and then he becomes one merged in that. This is what it says. Bhava means this state of transmigration. Pratyaya. Pratyaya means here cause. These impressions which had made the yogi enjoy almost to the highest type of joy that joy becomes the cause of this man's future birth future state of existence. Either he becomes a highest type of God or he becomes merged in Prakruti life. I would not like to dwell too long in it. It is not very relevant for us here but just because the aphorism is there. When such concentration is not accompanied by non-attachment and ignorance therefore remains ignorance means in the form of the impressions of happiness remains the aspirant will reach the state of the disincarnate Gods or become merged in the forces of nature. The point we have to note is that we are only dimly aware of this hopeless existence. There are myriads and myriads of types of existences which are far superior. We cannot even imagine. Just as an example you know where from Swami Vivekananda had come. What did Sri Ramakrishna say? He was there among the seven Rishis and he was brought down. Sri Ramakrishna was describing when my mind through the path of Samadhi ascended to that place even the highest types of Gods do not dare to look up at this stage as though we cannot look at the midday burning sun. So these Gods and Goddesses far far below they were quite happy. This is one type of existence. We all read it. Do we believe that such a state of existence is possible? And Sri Ramakrishna is telling us who is supposed to be our chosen deity. If you entertain any doubt about these things I leave the rest to you. And this is what I wanted to tell you. Sri Ramakrishna referring to some of his disciples he will tell this was a Yogi but he could not attain Self-realization. This is the last birth. I will help him through my grace. And the important point for us here is the Patanjali himself is coming very shortly about it is the grace is the grace of God. The Yogi by himself is not able to overcome his past Samskaras of joy. He wants to stay there like a drunken man intoxicated man. But then God comes to his aid and as Totapuri came and helped Sri Ramakrishna so Sri Ramakrishna helped. Whenever they were about to show the tendency of merging in that highest happiness again Sri Ramakrishna used to pull them back and said My boys, this is not the highest state. You have to give it up like we give up the filth of a crow droppings of a crow. Is it so easy? The droppings of a crow is very easy to understand the words but when we even have a glimpse of that highest joy compared to which our greatest joys on earth are like filth we do not wish to easily give up. But God always comes to our aid. So what is the lesson? The lesson is to develop supreme renunciation and that supreme renunciation manifests in the form of Now, Now, Now. This is what the great Brihadaranyaka Upanishad says Neti, Neti Not this. You attain to that state and then is this? Be very alert. Is this the highest state? As though you are keeping a watch like a very awake and watchful one watchman with full watchfulness, awareness. Did I attain to the highest? No. Not this. Not this. Not this. And then a time will come when the person attains to that highest state. So the 19th aphorism If we do not have the supreme detachment then we will be born again. Not in these miserable human beings but as the highest state of Gods. But what happens to them? This is the question again I already pointed out. They have reached to such a state. How long will they remain merged there? Not for long because the Supreme Divine out of compassion will bring them down and then make them go through some difficult periods and then awaken their discriminative knowledge. Viveka Jnana. And then the man says Oh, I committed this mistake. I would not like to commit this mistake again. I want to go like an arrow without any obstruction. Goes and meets its target. So also this yogi will go. But by the grace of God. The 20th aphorism there are other people they are very alert. Maybe their Guru has told them. Maybe the scriptures have warned them. Maybe their own discriminative knowledge is constantly warning them. Whatever be the reason. Oh, I have attained to the highest state of bliss but I do not want to experience bliss. I do not wish to experience bliss. I dealt with this subject. I wish to become bliss. Because anything we experience is separate from us. Even though we all know it. Even though I mentioned it umpteen number of times. Again I mention it. Whatever we experience is different from us. In that sense the self is never experienced. Experience is that which comes and that which goes. Simplest illustration is you meet a person. Oh, I met this person. When did you meet? Yesterday. Day before yesterday. There is a time. And after that what happened? He went his own way. I came my own way. I returned my own way. That means what? For a short time you met. You enjoyed each other. That's wonderful. But the separation comes. Similarly, any experience even I have seen God. Oh, wonderful. When did you see God? Yesterday. And before that I never saw God. And after you have seen God what? He disappeared. Gone. That which comes also goes. So any experience including God don't say I have seen God. So when does it become permanent? When I become God there is no coming and going. Let us keep this in mind. There are some yogis who become very well aware of this. So the 20th aphorism says There are other type of yogis who have developed this supreme detachment and for them there is no stopping on the way. They experience the highest joy and say okay now I know what it is. But I am not going to stop here. He goes forward. How is that yogi going forward? Is there something that helps him? Here is a causal chain beautifully described. So let me dwell. Five. Five steps as it were from a lower to the highest. What is the lowest step? Shraddha. What is Shraddha? Shraddha is not belief. Shraddha is not merely faith. The English word faith is a very very weak word. You know the nearest translation to convey the idea Shraddha means it sits like a ghost on our heads. Doesn't allow us to do anything what we wish to do. We have to do what it makes us do. You know if a man is possessed of a spirit how does he behave? That is called Shraddha. This beautiful idea from I will tell you from Christian point of view from Vedantic point of view. Faith, hope and charity. These are the divine virtues granted by God. This is Christian faith. Theological these are called three theological virtues. Faith, hope and charity. Let these words charity has nothing to do Uttarakhand some philanthropic activity is going on. Charity means love. Let us very briefly deal with this. Faith. How does one get faith? Through divine grace. It is a gift from God. We cannot have it. It is a gift from God. What a wonderful idea this idea is. Sri Ramakrishna in his simple language he says you can't believe in God unless God is gracious to you. And even the non-dualists who do not think of a personal God very favorably even they say Ishwara Kripa the grace of God only through that Pumsam Advaita Vasana even a person wants to become a non-dualist even the desire I want to become a non-dualist is the result of the grace of God only. Otherwise it won't come. Those of you who have read Vivek Chudamani one of the very first beginning verses is Durlabham Rayamevaita only these three are extremely rare to obtain only by the grace of God. What are those three? Manushyatvam Mumukshatvam Mahapurushasamsrayaha The birth as a human being and the desire for God desire for God comes only when there is faith in God. This faith needs to be sustained and directed. Let us discuss this point. Such an important point. But before that from the Vedantic point of view also in the Katha Upanishad says the story of Nachiketa Shraddha Aavivesha as though the Shraddha had fallen from the sky and fallen on the head of Nachiketa the young aspirant and it possessed him Aavivesha Aavesha we call it a spirit possessed Bhoota possessed so it possessed him that's why he went straight to Yama Yama Dharmaraj it is a symbolic story I dealt with it in detail in my talks on Katha Upanishad you can refer to my Katha Upanishads it is a symbolic story don't take it literally so Shraddha Aavivesha coming back to the Christian point of why is it called unless God's grace is there faith in God it will not come first of all and it is only God's grace that makes us sustain that faith until we realize God we have to sustain that faith simplest example always that comes to my mind is you know Russia 70 years back before 70 years or 80 years whatever it was full of orthodox Russian devotees church and they were so much believers like Hindus they believe in mantras, tantras in lighting of the candle in chanting Mother Mary's name etc. what happened after that these communists have come socialists and they started brainwashing brainwashing means what? it is Sangha but not Sat Sangha it is Dus Sangha bad company went on brainwashing oh this God and all this monk are taking advantage of you why should they take advantage of you we are here to take advantage of you simply they changed only the name they took advantage of it they killed millions and millions of people so within few years hardly there were any excepting some oldies who retained their faith everybody started saying did their faith really die? no it did not die but it became obscured as it was something like moss covering Haldarpur pond like that for quite a number of years and then another gentleman came he removed this restriction and then the church people started new churches had come and new monks had come and they started preaching and again so many millions of them have become rushing to the church for consolation this is just an example but if you want to experiment just do for the next few days do not repeat the name of God do not pray to him remove all the photos and images and any associations and go on dancing this metal or rock or whatever it is see what happens to your so called deep faith I am a devotee of God you don't change the I am a devotee you don't change I am a devotee of after that what happens whatever it is that you will change so that faith needs to be sustained and who sustains it? God's grace in the form of good company holy company inspiring company that is what is first is a human birth second is a desire for God realization and the third that faith needs to be sustained by good company and God himself comes what is the greatest company that we have do you know? every company leaves us but one company never leaves us that is the company of God but in what form? in the form of the Guru first Guru comes in the form of a person second Guru comes in the form of giving a special instruction or mantra and thereafter the Guru lives in the form of the mantra so if any physically if some Guru dies there is no cause for grieving because you can always say my Guru is ever with me in the form of my mantra and when you go on repeating that mantra one day will come when that Guru himself reveals himself as our chosen deity let me narrate even though I have mentioned again this example once a disciple asked Swami Brahmananda Maharaj he was addressed as Maharaj what happens to the Guru after God realization? then Swami Brahmananda explained it so beautifully he said do you know Guru either visibly or invisibly he is always taking your hand and he is taking you forward and a time will come when he shows you this look that is your chosen deity and then you rush like a moth into the flame of your chosen deity then the disciple asked so what happens to the Guru then? he led me until that point what happens to him? he says have you not understood the Guru having shown the chosen deity he goes and merges in the chosen deity so you merge in the chosen deity that means you merge in the chosen deity as well as in your Guru because the Guru and the chosen deity are not two different beings that is why in Sanskrit we have that adoration of the Guru Guru Brahma Guru Vishnu Guru Devo Maheshwar this is the truth this is not an exaggeration this is the truth further if you want Vedantic explanation here is the beautiful explanation even we are not different from God each soul is potentially divine then what happens is like a play as though God has divided himself into God, into this world and into Guru and when we are suffering then we are praying and then God sends a Guru an intermediary and he comes and then helps us and then as it were he says okay you reach God you will be free from all these problems and when we reach God thank you Guru and I remain eternally grateful to you what eternally? you yourself will not remain there is the question of eternally being grateful because you, your Guru and your God is none other than that God himself manifesting in three different forms so coming back to our subject first faith faith gives hope wonderful words mystical words hope you know what does it mean? hope means it manifests in the form of intense activity the more hope we have the more it manifests in the form of enthusiasm that is the Shraddha intense faith yes God exists but not merely God exists Shraddha doesn't mean only faith in the existence of God what type of God is he? Hindu definition of God Sat, Chit and Ananda Sat means there is no death Chit means there is no ignorance Ananda means there is no suffering that is the nature of God and belief in the existence of God means belief that I am of that nature potentially divine when this idea really takes position but let us also not forget that we are still ignorant but this spark, divine spark is lighted up and this faith enters it doesn't allow us let us not forget that simple explanation it will not allow us to keep quiet it will give an electric shock and goes on saying come on go forward repeat God's name pray to him and seek holy company and go forward go forward go forward it goes on pushing us and that from faith springs Virya Virya means tremendous enthusiasm now we all know the word enthusiasm do you know the relationship between enthusiasm and energy? can you imagine that a person has tremendous enthusiasm but no energy? can you imagine? that means Virya means tremendous have you not seen people bubbling with enthusiasm? and you also feel inspired when you go into that present of course it doesn't last too long but we are all seeking company of people who can inspire us inspiration is the word so this enthusiasm is not a mere bubble soda water bottle bubbles that means it has certain characteristics one characteristic is tremendous faith that there is a goal second characteristic is that I can attain it third characteristic is there is a right way to go about it and there is a wrong way to go about it in Sanskrit there is a beautiful saying which is related here sometimes many times we certify ourselves as believers in God at the same time foolishly complaining not true I don't get real guidance I don't get real Guru so in Sanskrit there is a saying that as the disciple so also the Guru as the Guru so also the disciple and this saying doesn't work only in the field of spirituality it works in every field its implications are tremendous I'll just give you only a small example forgive me if anybody is saying why did I get this kind of husband don't blame the husband who deserved it sorry him who deserved him only if you deserved you got it it's not a joke this is the law of Karma we get what we deserve as the citizens so also they get the Prime Minister so don't blame Tony Blair or anybody else this is the implication of the law of Karma so in spiritual field also the same law of Karma works but only we misunderstand it what is the right understanding whichever Guru comes he is none other than God and he comes to us for our further progress he may be unpleasant but that is pleasantness and unpleasantness have nothing to do with that which helps us go forward that is true help if you go on judging whether it is pleasant or unpleasant the most pleasant thing is to practice meditation which will take us into deep sleep do you want it? no that which helps us go forward in life that's what we really want so Shraddha gives birth to tremendous enthusiasm that enthusiasm has these three aspects the first aspect is it manifests in tremendous activity, energy second aspect is it has a very positive goal this is the goal I know I can attain it you think that automatically it will come no again I give you an illustration to make this point very clear many of us or most of us don't you want to become the Prime Minister if I ask you do you wish to be the Prime Minister of UK most of you your answer would be no, I don't care for that job if you analyze further is it that you don't want the job or you are 150% convinced that you are not going even to get the deposit money back we have long back given up hope that I can become do you see the point but when a person is possessed of Shraddha then first of all he has tremendous energy, enthusiasm secondly he has the hope that he is going to reach the goal what did Swami Vivekananda used to say what, my children will they go down there is no way I am going to push them even willy nilly third is there is a constant guidance comes at every step there is a required guidance that is the faith we have is not God going to look after me and in spiritual life looking after me doesn't mean only providing my food and sleep and bed and other things it means whatever is necessary for me to progress in spiritual life and this tremendous enthusiasm begets a most wonderful quality it is called Smriti Smriti means memory memory means what God exists I can attain him and this is the surest way for me to attain even ordinary language religious language do Japa we are all advised to do Japa Japa means what remembering God not repeating God's name like a parrot remembering God if we remember God's name it doesn't mean again we always do it mechanically there is a being who knows my past, present and future he is right here besides me there was a great interesting poet saint Kabir Das Where are you looking for me? I am with you O fool where are you searching for me? I am always by your very side you know that beautiful story there was a devotee and always he used to talk with God and he used to see another pair of footsteps walking beside him he did not see he was not seeing God but he was seeing the foot impressions left in the sand and he used to see once he was walking and there was a terrible dangerous forest to be crossed so the devotee prayed to God the moment he entered into the forest the other footsteps vanished and there was no one even to speak with and the devotee was very agitated what type of God is he? he deserted me when I was not in danger he was accompanying me as soon as I entered into the danger zone and he disappeared he was cursing God remembering God somehow or other he crossed somehow and then as soon as he crossed the danger again he saw those footsteps this time he got even more angry he said what type of God you are? the moment so long as I was not in danger you were nicely chatting away with me and now as soon as I was in danger you disappeared and as soon as I was again out of danger again you come nicely to chat then he heard a gentle voice my child look at those footsteps behind you carefully whose footsteps were they? they were mine when you entered into the dangerous area I took you in my hands and as soon as the danger is passed then I set you down I am always beside you God is always with us supposing you are not a devotee is God with you? yes where can he go? who are you? even if you are most ignorant person who are you? you are none other than God himself so he cannot desert you neither can you desert him you can play with him I don't believe in you I don't see that's fine he also wants you to play for some time he is also boring you see when a person is alone he gets bored he also wants a little bit of play only with himself he plays so this tremendous this Smriti this is the most wonderful word Smriti means remember when we are awake we have to remember when we are dreaming we have to remember when we are deeply asleep we have to remember is it possible? absolutely it is possible but I don't remember you may not remember but the remembrance remembers it is continuing but we have to do that practice there was a wonderful incident let me narrate it and close this talk we will take it further because this particular verse is a most marvelous verse Swami Turiyahanda one of the direct disciples of Sri Ramakrishna he was asked once the same question was also put to Ramana Maharshi once Swami you always advise us to witness whatever we are doing your teaching is be a witness always in waking state of course yes I can practice witnessing attitude what about when I am dreaming? yes yes what about in deep sleep? yes the devotee was puzzled but I don't remember anything that is because you have never practiced a true witnessing attitude when you reach a particular stage in spiritual progress you are constantly you witness as though you are witnessing somebody else your own body in waking state your own mind in the dream state then again your own causal state of the mind in your deep sleep also all the time your mind becomes afraid that's why that state is called Turiya or the fourth state but these are statements of spiritual experiences so it may take for us some time to understand this but that is the truth Shraddha when a yogi who has reached the highest state and he is also tempted by the highest type of joy he doesn't fall into this trap and become merged in joy he wants to attain to the highest then he takes the help of these five elements Shraddha, Veriya, Smriti, Samadhi and Prajna Shraddha means intense faith that faith generates intense enthusiasm that enthusiasm manifests in the form of faith in God hope that he is going to attain God and constant inspiration all obtained by God's grace Shraddha itself is obtained by God's grace and this tremendous enthusiasm it gives birth to constant remembrance Smriti, called Smriti what is this Smriti? I am that, I am that, I am that I am divine that constant Smriti still he is far away and this Smriti purifies all the draws in the mind and gives tremendous concentration called Samadhi and this, when the Samadhi is attained then it gives birth to a real, real realization called Prajna when a person, when a yogi attains to that Prajna instantaneously he attains to that highest state of Samadhi called Asampragnata Samadhi I would like to discuss these aspects in my next class Aum Shanti Shanti Shanti