Patanjali Yoga Sutras Lecture 027

Full Transcript(Not Corrected)

I bow to the eminent sage Patanjali, who removed impurities of the mind through yoga, of speech through grammar and of the body through medicine. So far we had discussed the first two types of lower samadhi, which is meditation on the gross objects as well as meditation on their causes or the subtle objects. Now last class we had discussed a very interesting topic. It is this. We experience any object in this world only in our mind. The container wherein we experience all this is called mind in English language, chitta precise word in Sanskrit. Every experience brings about a change in the chitta or the mind and that is called vritti, thought, meditation, modification. Next point we discussed is every object just is. It is neither good nor bad, neither happiness nor unhappiness, it just is. The difference is how each one of us experiences. The result of our perception is called knowledge. This is the difference between information and knowledge. What is information? Just to get an idea of an object as it is. Here is a table. It is a wooden table. It is just a table. But to interpret it, it is good, it is bad, it is beautiful, it is ugly, etc. That is our interpretation. And this point also that every object just is, it doesn't have anything. The proof of that is that if every object is exactly either happiness or unhappiness, each one of us should be able to experience it exactly to the same degree either in the past or the present or the future. But our experience shows that our interpretation differs from time to time, from place to place and from mood to mood and every person's experience is totally different. Now why do we interpret a thing as we usually do? Because of three reasons, if you remember. What are they? Past habits, social environment in which we are brought up and past experience. These three. What is the point of this understanding? The point is we cannot change the idea of an object because that belongs to the object. But we can and must change our way of interpretation. If we can interpret a thing in a most positive way, definitely that will impact upon us and it will give us tremendous amount of bliss or happiness or whatever you call it. And the highest such interpretation is to look upon every object in this world as divine, God, Purusha, Atma. That is the point Vedanta always emphasizes, Sat, Chit and Ananda. Every object in this world is a modification of Sat, Chit, Ananda. If that is so, then every object must be endowed with Ananda only. Then why are we not experiencing it? Because we interpret it through our own mirror called the mind. And how can we interpret it properly? By removing the obstruction. Now here is a very important point. Every object in this world is Sat, Chit, Ananda. Therefore every object is God or of the nature of Ananda. Why do we not experience it? What is the reason? Because it is said in Vedanta, these are the three manifestations of Brahman. Sat, Chit, Ananda, Existence, Consciousness or Knowledge and Bliss. Every object manifests Sat and Chit. Sat means Existence. Chit means Consciousness. For example, you are looking at me. Now you are aware of two things. You are aware of first, you are aware of your own Self. What is the word that comes before any experience? I. So I am there. Not only you are there, you are also aware. If you are not aware of your own Self, then so far as you are concerned, you do not exist. So whenever we experience the existence of any object, along with that, simultaneously goes that awareness, I know I am. This is common for enlightened people or ignorant people. Now what is the problem? Problem is with Ananda. Now what is Ananda? I know I have discussed this subject many times. What is Ananda? First of all, it doesn't have opposite. Now what is that thing in this world which doesn't have its opposite? And what is it that makes it something as opposite? You know, happiness has its opposite, which is unhappiness. Now can a thing be both happiness and unhappiness at the same time? Never. But it can be both happiness, unhappiness, good or evil, at different times. What is it that makes something change? You know, we should connect this with our past talks, understandings. So what is it that changes? That is called Desha, Kala, Nimitta, time, space and causation. At some point, at the same time, at the same place, you cannot interpret a thing as two. So if we have to interpret it or we experience it as something other than what we experienced it before, it must be at some other time, at some other place maybe, or it could be the same place but at a different time and definitely due to some reason. There must be a reason. If there is no reason, there could be no change at all. So what is the point of it here? What is Ananda? Ananda, when it is limited by time, space and causation, that is what we call happiness and unhappiness. When it is limited a little, we call it happiness. When it is limited a little more, we call it unhappiness. It is one and the same thing. What is the point here? The object is always Ananda Swaroopa. Where is the problem? Within us. So if we can change that instrument which is bound by time, space and causation, then we can remove it through the practice of yoga. In fact, what is yoga? Yoga is removing all limitations. What is spiritual life? Removing the limitations technically called time, space and causation. When we are able to remove time, space and causation, I know you already understand this thing but I am putting it again. Now you are sitting there. I am sitting here and so you feel I am different, you are different and you are different from each other. Your left hand is different from your right hand. Your white hair is different from your black hair. What causes this differentiation? Time, space, you know the person who is to the left is another person, the person who is to your right is another person, behind another person, left hand, right hand, etc. Time, space and causation. If you are capable of removing that one, then what happens is every object disappears. Do you get what I am talking about? If there is no time, space or causation, how many objects will be there? Only one and that is, call it Brahman, call it I, call it you, doesn't matter. Now this is a wonderful statement, thou art that. Thou art that means that thou art, thou that art. You are Brahman and Brahman is also you, there is absolutely no difference, it makes no difference what language you use, there is only one. If there is one, do you feel that it is one? If there is only one, do you really feel there is one here? I am alone, do you feel that? When you are in deep sleep, do you feel that I am alone? This is an experience which we never have but accepting through ignorance in deep sleep but a person, even in deep sleep you don't, you never feel, oh I am alone, supposing you are in a very deserted area, ferocious animals are roaming around in a forest or wherever and you know any time those animals can attack you, why do you feel? Because I am separate, the animals are separate, right? Now supposing you are in deep sleep, do you feel, oh I am alone, no one is here, what is going to happen to me? Would you feel that? This is the difference. So that then, what do you experience? When you are alone, what do you experience? Do you experience bliss or not? Do you experience bliss? No, you do not experience bliss, you go even to a higher state which we are going to discuss very shortly, even beyond, bliss is a very, very small thing. So let us focus on the third step. We have already started the discussion. What is the third step? The third type of lower Samadhi is called Sananda Samadhi. What is Sananda Samadhi? A Samadhi, that state of the mind which is absolutely focused on one and only one thing. What is that? Ananda. And how does it happen? I had already initiated the discussion, it is like this. What we discussed in our last class is this, according to Vedanta, every object is but the modification of Brahman, everything is Brahman. What is the nature of Brahman? Satchitananda. If everything is Satchitananda, every object must be Satchitananda only. That fact does not change whether we experience or not, this is a very important point. When we experience more happiness in something, there is no change in the object, there is only a change in our mode of perception, that means the lens through which we are looking at that object now has become a little more clearer, I would say. So this is one way of looking at things, everything in this world. Second point, I think I had already mentioned is, according to the Yoga teaching of Patanjali, let me first give an illustration. Supposing you are thoroughly enjoying, say, nice food, tasty food, how do we enjoy food? There is a difference between eating food and enjoying food. Eating food we eat because we have to live, why do we enjoy food? Because that gives happiness, bliss. Now we are slaves now, unless there is an object and that object fulfills certain conditions and those conditions depend upon what we are habituated to, then only we derive happiness, a little bit of happiness from experiencing that particular object. But supposing we are too greedy, we are not happy with this small amount of happiness, we want to have tremendous amount of happiness, is there any way? Yes, according to Patanjali, you just focus at the back end of the tongue because which is the instrument which helps us experience taste of food, what is that? Sense organ, tongue, Rasanendriya, it is called in Sanskrit, Rasanendriya, that's why rasa comes, rasa means water, water comes externally, internally rasa means happiness. Focus he says at the back of that tongue and you will get the highest type of taste, even divine cooks cannot prepare like that. If you want to enjoy fragrance, where do you need to focus, on the nose because nose is the right instrument and you will get divine fragrance, so you don't need any object, you are free. Now what is the difference between these two experiences, there is nice food and you eat, now you are focusing on the back of the tongue and you experience higher happiness, what is the difference? One we are dependent upon the object, second we are totally free from the object, so that means every sense organ has in it infinite potentiality to give that particular type of experience, that is why Sananda Samadhi or the third type of Samadhi is also equated with focusing, concentrating the mind upon the instrument of experience. Let us remind ourselves, whenever we experience or if we have to experience any object, three things are necessary, object, experiencer and that which joins, connects the experiencer with the object, what is it called, mind. Now no object is necessary, the Samadhi has shifted from dependence upon an object, whether it is gross or subtle, totally to the instrument. So how does this instrument which is called mind and mind means the sense organs also combined there, how do they give, they give because all the power of experiencing is within me, within me, let me also explain very briefly how it happens, supposing you like very much to enjoy nice food, have you noticed when you have deep cold you can't experience anything, why? Because what is dull, the food is fine, what is wrong? The instrument is wrong, this we know, but what we do not know is how much power each sense organ has or the mind has, it can produce tremendous amount of happiness. Now I told you something very very important, what is it, last week, last class I put a question to you, if you are enjoying something very nicely in your waking state and the same experience you have in your dream state, do you find any difference in the quantum of the experience, whether you experience in waking state or in the dream state, you feel either happy or unhappy equally, there is not one iota of difference, keep that in mind, that means where is the root of happiness or unhappiness? In the mind, now this is the first step, the second step is, already the yogi who has gone through the first two steps, he has become so pure because purity and the power of concentration they go together, any impure person can never focus, incidentally let me also bring out this point here, what is the statement I made just now, purity and the power of concentration they go together, any impure person cannot really focus, it is impossible, now what is the best way of becoming pure, according to our scriptures, you all know it, but I will remind you, it is the observance of Brahmacharya, continence, if a person is observing Brahmacharya, the amount of bliss he gets is incomparable to any person experiencing gross or anything, why? Because what is Brahmacharya? Not doing something, that is why Sri Ramakrishna sometimes used to make fun, there are some bulls which are castrated, are they Brahmacharins? They have nothing to do, they have been forced to do, but a person, who can control, only a person who has observed for a long time, allied types of controls, simply a person can say, I will observe this continence, but I will be free in other respects, it is never going to happen, if you have control, you have control over your tongue, your eyes, your ears, your everything, you will have control, they all go together or they fall together, now when a person, he has controlled his mind so much, he is able, capable of concentrating on the very subtlest of the object, he had acquired that power, now that mind is one of the most wonderful instruments anyone can desire and if that mind can focus on the sense organs, not sense objects, but on the sense organs themselves, which is part of the mind, he will get all the happiness in this world, that is one way of understanding what is called Sananda Samadhi, how things can give us really happiness, there is a third way, it is through understanding of Sankhya philosophy, now according to Sankhya, every object, the whole world, the whole universe, the whole cosmos, including the mind, including the ego, is born out of what? Prakriti, Prakriti and Purusha, Purusha is pure consciousness, whatever is not pure consciousness is Prakriti, the mind also is made up of Prakriti and Prakriti is constituted of three gunas, as we mentioned many times, Sattva, Rajas and Tamas, each of these gunas have their own special effect, if the mind is covered with the guna called Tamas, then what happens? Dullness, ignorance, inertia, laziness, procrastination and misunderstanding, all these result from the quality called Tamas, if the mind is endowed with Rajas, then ambition, desires, activity, restlessness, they all pack together, they go together, so Rajas produces mixed knowledge, some right knowledge, some wrong knowledge and it produces its result of both happiness and unhappiness, the result of the mixed knowledge, what is mixed knowledge? Some right knowledge plus some wrong knowledge, so the right knowledge produces, always right knowledge produces happiness, wrong knowledge produces unhappiness, therefore a mind which which is endowed with Rajas always produces restlessness, capacity, at the same time happiness and also unhappiness. Now we come to the Sattva Guna. When the mind is endowed with Sattva Guna, what happens? When the mind is endowed with Sattva Guna, what is the resultant of Sattva Guna? Only two. First Sattva produces Jnana or knowledge. Sattvam Sanjayate Jnanam. Sattva produces right knowledge, not merely knowledge, right knowledge. And right knowledge always produces happiness. Why does it produce? Let me first give a small illustration. In semi-darkness, suppose you have seen something and you mistake. You think, it is wrong to say you mistake because at that time you don't think you are mistaken. You think you are having right knowledge. You see a snake, what does that produce? Fear means unhappiness. Fear, trepidation, heart beating, fright, blood pressure, all these go together. But suppose at that time someone brings a light and you see the rope. Now what happens? Perceiving the rope is removing wrong knowledge. Snake, what happens? The knowledge of the snake is replaced by the knowledge of the rope. When that happens, what is the resultant? Your fear goes away, you feel very happy and all those things. Now what is the point we are discussing? What does Sattva do according to both Sankhya and Vedanta? It doesn't really produce knowledge. It does not produce happiness. We are conventionally using those words. Simply you get right knowledge. Right knowledge is never produced. The right knowledge that it is a rope doesn't belong to the mind. It belongs to the rope. Your inability is what created the snake. Who created the snake? Did the rope create or did you create? So when your mind becomes endowed with Sattva, it merely recognizes, reflects the fact this is a rope. Immediately it gives happiness. But this example is not adequate because according to Vedanta, every object is none other than Brahma. When the mind is endowed with Sattva, what happens? You know, you recognize every object as a manifestation of Brahman. The moment you do that, what is the nature of Brahman? Sat, Chet, Ananda. The moment you recognize it, immediately you will experience that bliss. Now one more point in this connection. It's a little bit deeper point. How do we get knowledge? One of the examples given is like our mind in its original nature is like crystal. What is the nature of the crystal? Purity. Suppose you place a red flower behind the crystal. Now immediately the crystal takes the color of the whatever is behind it, red or blue or whatever it is. Now a mind endowed with Sattva is compared to this crystal. So what happens is when this Sattva endowed mind, when it comes into contact with any object and that object reveals its true nature, is a human language, reveals means the mind becomes totally capable of reflecting what it really is, not what we think it is. So as I mentioned, you know, this whole universe that we see, what is it in reality? It is nothing but Brahman. Then why do we see it? Because of only two factors. What is that? Name and form experienced through the five senses. Remove name and form, what do you experience? Only divine, only Brahman. That's what we are, that is the goal we are aiming to achieve through the practice of yoga or Vedanta, whatever it is, through any spiritual practice. Okay. So what happens when the mind is endowed with Sattva, then it does not place any obstacles between that object and oneself. I said very deep point. What is the deep point? Here is, this is the deep point. Now as we are experiencing things, I am the experiencer and you are the experienced. But when this mind becomes endowed with Sattva, this duality that I am different, you are different, that becomes removed. Then what happens? I am Brahman. Whatever object I see, this is me. Aham Brahmasmi means what? Let me elaborate slightly. Suppose you as an ignorant person practice spiritual disciplines and one day you will attain to the highest Nirvikalpa Samadhi, Asampragnaath Samadhi, whatever. Then according to Vedanta, what is the state you attain? Aham Brahmasmi. Okay, Aham Brahmasmi. Then you see what we call a cow. What do you say? Aham. Do you say I am a cow? What do you say? Because you see that cow not as a cow but as Brahman. Therefore Aham Brahmasmi. Whatever object you perceive, you only see. Now you may say, does a Brahmagnani, Naira Brahman, does he really experience objects? Yes, there are two states. One state is where he has gone beyond the mind. Then he doesn't see I or you or there is no difference. But there is when the mind comes down a little. That means coming down means, don't mistake, his knowledge comes down. He is using the mind now as an instrument. Then whatever appears through that mind appears as a reflection of Brahman only. Now take the examples of Sri Ramakrishna. When Sri Ramakrishna is talking to Narendra, what type of experience he was having? Was he seeing Narendra as Brahman or was he seeing Narendra as an ignorant person? Aham. That is a very tricky question because it's a, as I mentioned, I gave a beautiful analogy. It is like a psychologist looking at a patient. Simultaneously there are two views. One view is, he is absolutely a normal human being. The patient may say, I am a dog, but the psychologist doesn't see him as a dog. He sees him only as a normal human being. At the same time, he is aware this man's mind has some misunderstanding. Therefore, I must help this man to overcome. Suppose he says, no, you are fine. Will he be able to help the patient? No. You see, this double vision, this is called Bhavamukha. Divine Mother asked Sri Ramakrishna to remain in the state of Bhavamukha. What does that mean? Sri Ramakrishna himself explained. It is like staying, you know, what we call Grihadwara Nyaya in Sanskrit. You are standing at the door sill. You know, there is a door to your house. You are standing at that point. What does that mean? That means you can see outside. You can also see inside. So this Bhavamukha is like that. What does that mean? That means Sri Ramakrishna, he sees everything from one point of view that this is absolute. This is Brahma. This is God. From the other point of view, this is also there is something lacking in this mind. There is some problem with the mind. In reality, we are all problematic people. From a Brahmagnani's point of view, we are all problematic people because we are endowed with ignorance. The euphemistic word is problematic people. The real word is Pagal, mad. We are all mad because whoever does not see the truth, that person is mad. This is the simple truth. So Sri Ramakrishna or Holy Mother or Swami Vivekananda, when he is lecturing, when he addressed the Chicago Parliament of Religions, sisters and brothers of America, from what point of view was he saying? Sister means you are a female, you are a younger one, you are an older one, you are a beautiful. The moment you have that kind of idea, you have discrimination. One sister is more beautiful than the other sister and your preferential treatment goes to the more beautiful sister. I am not saying the sister is beautiful. I am saying our interpretation of the sister is beautiful. But at the same time, he knows I have come here, I have a mission in life. So I will have to help them. From one point of view, he knows they do not need help because they are none other than Brahma. From the other point of view, definitely they need some lift and that is the state called Bhavamukha. And anyone who does not have that Bhavamukha, he will be a very impractical person in this world. Now incidentally, this is a very important characteristic we have to develop. Every spiritual aspirant must develop this. I am not saying from the absolute point of view, from a spiritual point of view, what is it? When you meet people, all people are not the same and the same person is not the same at all times. But what should be our attitude towards them? He is also a child of God. But at the same time, I know at this moment, this person has some small problem. So let me pray for him or help him or whatever. But let me not forget that he is a child of God. So these two views should always be there. That's why later on Patanjali tells what type of attitude we should have when we are moving in this world. He says there should be four types of attitudes. Maitri, Karuna, Mudita, Upeksha. Those who are good people, friendship. Those who are suffering, Karuna, compassion. Those who are making enormous strides, progressing, Mudita. That means you should be very glad. It's a wonderful aphorism that comes later on, when the time comes. But there are people who are inveterate as we call it. It's very difficult to change them. Regarding such people, even towards our own selves, they have their own negative feelings. What should be our attitude? Do we return coin for coin? What should be our attitude? Upeksha. Upeksha means indifference. It's a wonderful word I find, indifference. If you are not indifferent, what happens? Who is affected? You are only thinking, oh that rogue, I have not done anything wrong. But that person is doing all these things to me. Now who is affected? So what that person, he might have done some 1% bad to you. But now you have added 90% bad to that. Who is responsible for that? We are ourselves responsible. That is why friendship, compassion, happiness and indifference. These are the cover, all sorts of people in this world. Now this is called Bhavamukha in our own simple way. I know that I have been referring to this many times. But we need to, until we reach the goal, until we reach the goal. That means when do we know we reached the goal? We develop intuition. And until we develop intuition, we need to be in tuition. What is tuition? Repeat again and again and again and unconsciously it does go inside. Coming back to our subject, what is the third Samadhi? Sananda Samadhi. What does that mean? Meditation on the instrument with which we experience outside objects or inside objects. That instrument is mind. Now concentrate and become one with that instrument. What is the result? It gives tremendous joy, Ananda. How does it give? Again we have to remind, focusing means, meditation means becoming one with the object. Removing the differentiation between the subject and the object is called meditation. When we really focus on this mind. And who is capable of focusing? Only a pure person. And who is a pure person? He who is endowed with more amount of Sattva. Not 100% Sattva, gradually increasing amount of Sattva. Why? Because if a person is 100% Sattvic, he has already reached the goal. This is another viewpoint. How do we get Ananda? Because our mind has become so Sattvic that it bypasses the limitations of time, space and causation. And then looks at the object as it is, not as it appears through the prism of time, space and causation. Let me give you a small illustration. You know, any object that we look at, say for example this table. When we look at it, what do we see? A table. Supposing a physicist with an electronic microscope, he looks at the same object. What happens to him? He bypasses time, space and causation. Then what does he see? He sees really the object, the world is the real object. What is the reality of this object? Energy. Not only that, I also reminded you last time. When you look through a powerful electronic microscope, whereby you could see any object as energy, then can you say this is energy but the other one is a man or a woman? Whatever you look at through that, then it appears to be only pure energy. This is the greatest discovery of the science. The only defect, even Sri Ramakrishna approves of it because they are coming nearer to Vedanta. The only thing they lack is, they don't add consciousness to this Shakti. The moment, what is the Sanskrit word for energy? Shakti. And what does Sri Ramakrishna say? Brahman and Shakti are one and the same. But with this provision, there when Sri Ramakrishna says Shakti, when a physicist says Shakti, energy, what he means, what Sri Ramakrishna means is, it is consciousness manifesting as energy. Here, there is no consciousness. It's a pure material thing, matter. But even it is a great development because it brought about a unity. In that sense, good man, bad man, a plant, a mosquito, everything is a manifestation of energy only. What a wonderful thing it is. When the mind becomes so sattvic, it is like having, what scope? Not powerful microscope or telescope, but having the most powerful sattvic-o-scope or Vedanta scope. And then what does he see? Everything is manifestation of the divine and he gets. This condition, let me summarize. When a person reaches the peak of this third stage, which is called Sananda Samadhi, then what happens? Here is the experiencer. Here is the instrument with which he becomes one and he experiences. But still, he says, I am experiencing bliss. From our standpoint, it is the highest state. From the Vedantic point, it is called the fifth Kosha, Ananda Maya Kosha. Now, just a brief reminder, because I had dealt with this subject in my talks on the Taittiriya Upanishad in their retreats. I don't know whether you still remember, long, long back. But the point is, here is a man who goes deeper and deeper and deeper into meditation. And finally, he says, I am Ananda Maya. And according to Vedanta, this Ananda Maya Kosha is still a Kosha. Kosha means a barrier, a sheath. Still there is, I am experiencing bliss. How wonderfully Sri Ramakrishna expresses this thing in his inimitable way. There is one person who says, I want to enjoy sugar. There is another person who says, I want to become sugar. Now, interesting question to think about. That question is, which state is better, to enjoy sugar or to be sugar? Now, ordinarily, if I become sugar, there is enjoyment there. Whereas, if I enjoy sugar, I know I experience something. But the real answer is, the state of being sugar is far superior to the state of enjoying sugar. Because enjoying sugar is also a dualistic state. But how difficult it is to make us understand that this, we feel as though we have become rocks, stones. What is there, at least now I am enjoying something. In that state, I don't enjoy anything. No, you get even far superior states. The problem is, until we go at least nearer to that, even intellectually we can't have a right understanding of it. So, this is the third stage, where a person, he meditates, he is totally free from any object. He doesn't depend upon any object. He is independent of the object. He is free. And he meditates upon the mind. What happens now, he becomes master of the mind. And when he becomes master of the mind, he experiences the highest bliss that is possible to the mind. But still, that is a limitation. Then the Patanjali tells, there is a fourth type of Samadhi. What is the highest peak of the third Samadhi? I enjoy bliss. Sa Ananda Samadhi. What is the fourth step? I want to separate myself from it. Who is this enjoyer? Let us remind, every experience involves the knower, the object and the mind that connects and brings about an experience. Now, all the object is removed. In the third stage, the mind also, the instrument also is removed. What remains now? I. Now, it's very difficult for any one of us to express what Patanjali wants to say. But let me give a general introduction. Even in our day-to-day experiences, we always experience three types of I. One I remains completely in the background. We are not even aware that there is an I. And the second I is that which never changes. It is also called Sakshi or witness. It is also called Kutastha or immutable. And another I is that which identifies with whatever experience we are going through. Let me give an illustration. Now, you are identified with the lowest type of I which is S. Now, if you ask yourselves, who are you? You know what answer you should give? I am the student. I am the listener. I am the audience. Right? But one hour before, one hour you came here, were you the audience? Were you the listener? Were you the student? Who are you then when you are driving? Who are you? You are the driver. When you are cooking, who are you? Cooker. So, whatever actions we are doing, we identify until that action is completed with that I am the walker. I am the listener, etc. But at the same time, you are constantly aware, I am so and so, which never changes. From birth till death, until death, I am so and so. I am so and so. That never changes. And that has nothing to do with body. Because whatever changes has something to do with body and mind. But whatever doesn't change doesn't have anything to do with body and mind. The thing that changes, I was young, I was middle-aged, and I am now old, that is something which identifies itself with the changing phenomena. But behind that, this I, I, I, there is an I that never changes, though we experience. And never we cease to experience this. And yet, we do not pay attention to that. But we use it. Oh, you meet somebody, 50 years earlier you met somebody. And now suddenly you meet after 50 years. And then you recognize the very world. What was the word I used? Recognize. What does that mean? Split that word. Re-cognize. That means the first time when you met, you cognized. Now, you are recognizing. Now, who is this recognizer? 50 years before, I. And now also, I. There are two I's. The changing I of the body and mind. The unchanging I behind the witness, behind the body and mind. It is always there. I said three I's. What is the third I? That which is real Purusha. So let me put it, try to put it, I am trying to express in simple language. Purusha is that eternal pure consciousness which is common to everybody. Which is common to everything. Anything that exists is that Purusha. Then what is the second I? That which never changes. That is particular only to that individual. I never feel I am any one of you. But I always feel there is one I within me which never changes. That I which gives me identity all the time in spite of all the changes. I was a happy person. I was an unhappy person. Who is telling this? Who is telling this? You know, I was happy. I was unhappy. I was beautiful. I was smart. There are three I's are there. One I, what is its characteristic? It is universal. There is no difference past, present, future, here, there. This man, that man, man, woman, tree, plant, rock, there is no difference. But there is one I which is unchanging but it is particular to each individual. And all of us derive that identity only. We have to focus upon that I. Now the fourth Samadhi is called Sahasmita Samadhi. Asmita means I am, I. This is the highest step in the lowest Samadhi. The fourth step. Now I am blissful. I am enjoying bliss. He has overcome. He is ready now for the fourth. What does he say? He has to separate himself even that mind. When there is no mind, then what remains? There is no experience. There is no object. There is no experience. But there is an I. Now I mentioned three I's. An I which changes. Now changefulness is gone. Now how many I's are there? Two I's. What are those two I's? That one is pure reflected I and another is the pure universal I. Now we cannot understand this at this point. Intellectually, yes, we try to understand there is an I there. But when we reach the peak of the third stage, then we are ready. Our mind also becomes capable of understanding that fact. Then it looks and says, look, I am the pure I. Incidentally, let me also tell you. When we are in deep sleep, which is the I which we experience? Which says, I slept well. I did not know anything. Which is that I? It is the second I. Which is nothing to do with body and mind because body and mind are totally gone there. Only that second I remains. I am. That's why he says, when he says, I do not know anything. It is a technical language. I do not know anything. It is not a foolish statement. I was ignorant. What it means is, I do not know any body. I do not know any mind. Just I am. But here Yogi, he is not experiencing this in an unconscious deep sleep. He is experiencing it with full consciousness. The nearest example scripture gives to us is like this. You know, when you stand in front of a mirror, this is a crude example. But this is the best we can do. You stand. Let me make it a little bit elaborate so that we can understand better. You dress very beautifully according to your opinion. And stand in front of a mirror. How many things you see? You, the original one. You, also the dressed one. And you, the reflected one. Right? Now just imagine, intellectually, you removed all dressing. Privately. Imagine you are dressed. And when you are thinking, I am beautifully dressed. Which eye is functioning? The third eye. Suppose you remove all dressing. Then you stand. How many things are there now? You and the reflection is there. Only two are there. If you can somehow extend this imagination, then you come to what Patanjali is trying to describe. When a person has gone beyond the mind, and we also go beyond the mind, in the state of deep sleep. Patanjali was not talking about that kind of... He was a fully conscious yogi. He deliberately separates his eye from his body and mind. Separation from the body means separation from every object. Separation from the mind means separation from the instrument. Then who remains? Only the so-called experiencer remains. When a person experience comes to that state, suddenly he perceives something. What does he perceive? I just mentioned. Three eyes. In our normal experience, we experience the changing eye frequently. And in the background, we experience the unchanging individual eye. But when a yogi reaches this state, that invisible, unmanifested, pure universal eye stands in crystal clear clarity, saying this is the real eye or Purusha. And what I always considered as my eye is but a puny reflected... And that particular state, when a person attains to that state, is called Viveka Khyati. It is a special term. Viveka means discrimination, Khyati means knowledge. The knowledge of discrimination, I have to use Sanskrit word because there is no equivalent English word, but means when the discrimination becomes absolutely pure, then there are only two things are there. Each individual has a reflected eye and the universal, real Purusha. Prakruti is gone, but still the Prakruti at the highest level, purest Sattva level, which is part of this reflected eye, is part of that Prakruti only. But as if he cut himself off with a knife. How wonderful it is, it is very difficult to describe. But let me narrate, Sri Ramakrishna used to say, once he was describing, what happens when the Kundalini slowly rising from Muladhara to Sahasrara. And those who read the gospel, they understand it. He is now coming until the sixth state. He says, I could clearly see the reality, Brahman, and I would like to touch it, but I feel like touching it, but I cannot touch it. Why? Because there is a slight, this obstruction is there, like glass case. You can see what is inside, but when I go to touch it, I cannot touch it because this is obstructing. That finest material, what is that material called? What is that glass? That is called Sattva Guna. You have to break that Sattva Guna. That's why Sri Ramakrishna gives the story of the three robbers. The third robber, Sattva Guna, Sattva robber, has brought you to the edge of the forest. What is that forest? Prakriti. But he cannot come. He has to say, I am Prakriti, I am incapable. What is Prakriti? Limitation. Limited can never show us what is unlimited. Its role is finished, but we are far away from it. When a person reaches, he develops what Patanjali calls Viveka Khyati. That is crystal clear knowledge. The reflected eye and the real eye are totally different. And now he wants to get rid of the reflected eye. Who is himself? Who is doing it? The real Purusha is not doing it. Who is problematic all this time? It is the reflected eye who is the problematic. Problem. But the problem now has to be removed by himself. It is very difficult to describe it, but Sri Ramakrishna says, when there are hundred thorns stuck in your foot, what do you do? You bring a big thorn and you bring all the hundred thorns with itself. But then what happens? That remaining thorn is there. What are you supposed to do? Stick it in your foot? No. You have to throw it. This is human language. The thing is you are the biggest thorn. Who is going to remove it? You cannot do it. That's why let us stop this class today. This is such an interesting topic. But what is important is you cannot practice Asampragnata Samadhi. You cannot attain Nirvikalpa Samadhi. It is not possible. Because it is something which can never be achieved through any activity. Then how does one attain? Because when you reach that state, we give an example in Sanskrit, like camphor. What does camphor do? It gives light and it burns itself out. The last thorn, it just falls off by itself. But having taken each one of us to that state, it just melts. Now the question is where does it melt? It melts into the highest reality. Because all this time what is you is none other than the highest reality. That is what happens and we will discuss it in our next class. Om Shanti Shanti Shanti