Patanjali Yoga Sutras Lecture 036

Full Transcript(Not Corrected)

OM YOGENA CHITTASYA PADENA VACHAM MALAM SHARIRASYA JAVAIDHYAKENA YOPAKAROTAM PRAVARAM MUNINAM PATANJALIM PRANJALI RANATOSME 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. Whatever efforts we might make, there will come a time when we would not be able to go one step further and that is when the idea of self-surrender comes. So whatever path a person may be following, the ultimate step is surrender to God. This is what we had discussed and what is the proof that such a God exists? His name is Ishwara. Of course from the normal point of view, accepting faith, there is no way we can prove that there is a God. But from a rational point of view, so far as it is possible, the idea is this. Whenever we think of a particular thing, we must always recognize its opposite. For example, say this is night time. Unless we have the idea of daytime, we cannot understand what is night. So we know that within each one of us, knowledge is very very limited. Why is it limited? Because of the instruments that we are making use of. A simple example would be, you take a small telescope and look through it. There is a limit how much it can show. You take a very powerful telescope, then you can see much further. So what is the difference between these two? It is the difference between the capacity. One is very much limited, the other is slightly limited. Our body, our mind are another name for limitations. Therefore the knowledge we can derive from this body and mind will always remain very very limited. Now this idea let us keep in mind. So whenever we think of a small bit of knowledge, how do we know? The very word that we use limited, we have an idea there is something also is unlimited. So when we think of ourselves, I am a small being, I am a limited being, I am a mortal being. Let us take up from here. When we think of ourselves as mortal, we have an idea that there is someone who is immortal. When we think our knowledge is limited, we have the idea of unlimited knowledge. When we think of we are people who have got only small amount of happiness, that means we also have the idea there must be unlimited happiness. That idea which indicates there is no death, there is no ignorance and there is no limitation to the happiness, Sat, Chit, Ananda, that concept is called God and necessarily it must be there. Let us read here, Swamiji's this thing. Who is God? He in whom knowledge is infinite. In all of us it is only in a form, in a very germ form, very small. And the second idea is he was the teacher, even of the earliest teachers. Since he is not limited by time, how did I get this knowledge? From my Guru, from my teacher. How did he get? From his teacher. And if you go on like that, if you go on questioning and where from that first person got? From another person. There would be no first person. So necessarily we have to stop and say that there must be a being who is not limited by time. The very concept, where from did you get? From my teacher. Where is he now? He is dead. Where from did he get? From his teacher. Where is that teacher? He is also dead. If we go on tracing without stopping, then it becomes infinite regress. That's no answer. We will not accept that. There must be a being who is beyond time. What does beyond time mean? Very beautiful concept. Beyond time means for him time is infinite, timelessness. In time we have to think of the past and the present and the future. Timelessness means there is no past, there is no present and there is no future. So if there is such a being who is beyond the time, then all the knowledge must be within him. He knows the past, he knows the present, he knows the future. That is why we say God knows everything. But the peculiarity is in timelessness there is no past and future. And when there is no past and future, there is also no present at all. The present is a concept between the past and the future. And since he is infinite and he is timeless or eternal, then he must be alone. If he is infinite, how many infinites? Only one. And if he is only one, then he cannot lose that knowledge. He himself is the knowledge. That is the concept of God very briefly. So that is what we discussed in our last class. Now the second point Swamiji makes is beautiful. It is that no knowledge can come without a teacher. We are forced to admit as a last conclusion that the one teacher who is not limited by time and that one teacher of infinite knowledge without beginning or end is called God. Now here the idea is also that if we are ignorant in course of time, do we become naturally enlightened? Does knowledge come? Take a simple example. Here I do not know anything about atom and I just keep on waiting and waiting and waiting. Will the knowledge of atom come to me just because of time? It is never ever going to come. Just like imagine there are a billion candles all unlit. By hook or crook do they get lighted up? There must be one, at least one which is lighted and then only with its help everything can be lighted up. That is why Swami Vivekananda beautifully he puts it and says even though all the knowledge is within ourselves, we need someone who could remove that obstruction and so that we can manifest. But the peculiarity of Vedanta philosophy is again and again Swami Vivekananda puts it that we do not get knowledge from outside. All that happens is a teacher merely removes the obstacles. He doesn't give us knowledge. There is no need for him to give knowledge. He can't give knowledge. There is no need for him to give knowledge. Knowledge is already within us but we do not know it. He removes the obstructions. This is a beautiful idea we have to keep in mind. Why I am mentioning this? Because so many religions believe that if God is not gracious, a person is never going to attain liberation. Liberation means knowledge. He is never going to have any liberation. Means never going to have any knowledge. That means what we are not, that's what God is going to give. Now the peculiar law is even God cannot give us something if that is not our nature. There is this law. But what can God do? He can remove the obstruction. His grace means he removes the obstructions. Let us keep this in mind before we proceed. Then the 27th aphorism says His manifesting word is Om. God's or Ishwara's manifesting word is Om. This is a very beautiful idea. What is the relationship between an object and the name? Ramakrishna was very emphatic. The Rama and his name are identical. God and his name are identical. Now we already had discussed this point a little bit at the beginning but let us recollect it and consolidate it further. Here is an object and here is a word for it and here is a meaning. Let us always keep these three points, an object and a word for it and the meaning that is evoked. Now the first point where Swami Vivekananda points out is you cannot think of an object without associating it with a name. Every object has got its corresponding name. Here is a table. If you know about the table, even if you close your eyes and if you hear the word table, immediately the picture of the whole table will come to your mind. This is invariable. You cannot separate them. Always they will be together. The second point which is even more important that even though every object must have its name, it is not necessary that it should be the same name. For example, the word God. We all understand what the being God is. The moment we hear the word, read the word God, we have an idea. But the name, the God in Sanskrit language, it is Ishwara. In English language, it is God. By Muslims, it is called Allah. By Jews, they are called Yahweh. Like that there are different names are there. So every object must have a name and that name not necessarily the same name, sounding name. It could be sounding diametrically opposite. The next point is, however much these names differ in various languages, but the meaning of the word is exactly the same. When an Englishman says God, when a Hindu uses the word Ishwara, when a Muslim uses the word Allah, when a Jew utters the word Yahweh, they mean exactly one and the same thing. This invariable association between an object and the word which means it, this can never be separated. So every object must have its corresponding name even though it may be different in different languages. Now sometimes conflict can come. If four people speaking four different languages, meaning the same object, but they are uttering different sounds and they do not understand each other, what does it lead to? Quarrels, differentiations. This is why Ramakrishna gives that famous example, you know. There is a tank, four Gods and some people come and say, I am taking water, I am taking pani, I am taking aqua, gel, etc., etc. and they start quarrelling. So what is this symbolism? That all the four people they are uttering four different words, but meaning exactly the same. These are the few points let us keep in our mind before we proceed further. There is a God and by God means not a person, but the idea of infinity, eternality, all knowledge, all existence and all happiness. That beautiful Sanskrit word Sat, Chit and Ananda. It is the concept. Every religion, every one of us have that concept. Even if we say we don't believe in God, let's say many times I say you ask a person, do you believe in God? He says yes. You ask another person, do you believe in God? He says no. But do you want to live forever? Yes. Do you want to be all the time happy? Yes, sure. He is only talking about God because a concept is something which cannot be destroyed and we are all wanting more existence, more knowledge and also more happiness. How much more? Infinity is the limit. For how long? For eternity. This is the goal whether a person says I believe in God or not. These are all just mere words. Let us keep in mind. So if there is such a being, that being has a name and different religions, different people use different names for that concept of God and then that is where the quarrels come. Is there any word which can generalize all these different names and react, give complete freedom to each one of everyone so that they can utter the name of God in their own way, in their own fashion? Is there any such word? Yes, there is such a word. What is that word? That is called Om Tasya Vachakaha Pranavaha. Tasya means of Gods, Vachakaha means that which indicates. Indicates means the moment we hear that, it is only indicating that particular being. Like you hear the word man, immediately you will not think of a woman, you will not think of a table or an animal or a plant, you will think only of a man. The moment you hear that word, you are only thinking how is this possible? So we will discuss it very briefly. Tasya Vachakaha Pranavaha. What is Pranava? Om. Another name for Om is called Pranava. What is the meaning of Pranava for those who are slightly interested in Sanskrit? Prakrishta roopena sthauti nudati iti pranavaha. Pra-na-vaha. Pra is a prefix, you know Pranam. How does Pranam come? Namaha. We know Namaha. If you put a prefix pra-vakara, then na becomes na. So pra-namaha becomes pra-na-maha. Total salutation, wholehearted salutation. So Pranavaha. Pranava means that word which indicates all the richness of God's ideas. That is called Pranava. That is in other words Om. Why is Om the best word? Somebody else comes, oh you are a Hindu, you know Sanskrit, that's why you are using the word Om, but we don't accept it. No, we say there is a reason, there is a rational way of explaining. Swami Vivekananda gives a beautiful explanation. Let me briefly explain what he explained. In this world of ours, we get infinite number of objects and every object must have a word to indicate it and every word can be uttered with some sounds. Table, you hear the word table. Even if you don't understand a word if I utter in Telugu language, but you hear the sound, you hear the sound. So you call that being God or Eshwara or anybody else. Every object has its own name and the name can be uttered and that uttering is called produces sound. Sound, name, meaning, object. Every word. And if we have to utter a sound, that sound must come through the sound box. This is called sound box. Now in this sound box, where does it start? Where from the sound comes? Do you know? From the lungs. Air, like through a pipe, the air is passing, passed through, like that the air comes. So in this sound box, when that air from the lungs, it touches the lowest part of the sound, it starts vibrating like a drum and that vibration in this particular part, invariably it is ah. If you wish, you can experiment. You put your finger here, ah, ah. You put, you say ma, it won't come from here. Makara will not come from here, I will tell you ah. The next place where it sounds is called oo. You say oo and it is somewhere in between, in between here and the lips. The whole sound box from the beginning of this throat and lips, the lips are very important and the end sound that emerges from the lips is ma. That's why ah, oo and ma. Now what is so beautiful about it, these are not created sounds. No man sat down and said let us create these sounds. When the air strikes here, it will sound as ah and when it travels and reaches the middle, it will be invariably oo and when it reaches the end of this sound box, the only sound that comes is ma and for that the lips have to be closed. Can you utter Manchester with open lips without touching your lips? Try, it will never come. All the objects in this in almost infinite world, they can all, they all have names and all the names can be uttered through sounds and all the sounds have to come through this little sound box and what is that word which can comprise all the words from the beginning of the throat and the end of the sound box? What is that word? Om. Because it is om is having three syllables, three parts ah, oo. When you mix ah plus oo, if you utter ah and oo fast, then invariably it will turn out to be oo and the end will be makar, om. What is Swamiji trying to convey to us? He is trying to tell us that this word om comprises all the sounds that were in the past that would be in the future. That means all the sounds represent all different objects. Whatever object you may create in future, billions of years hence, when you create a new object, you will give a new name. When you give a new name, you have to utter. Interesting thing is suppose you create a new name and it is inside your mind, will anybody know about it? That's why it's such a wonderful thing. How does it, how do we as children, how do we learn all these things? Because we hear from our parents. How we pronounce also and then we imitate them. We are not deliberately trying to learn them. We just soak this knowledge like a sponge and when we grow up, that's why our accent is completely fixed. Everyone has got it. Have you ever heard a Welsh Englishman talking? How much did you understand? It will be like Chinese person talking. Even English people complain that they can't understand Welsh language, not to speak of non-English people. So Swamiji had brought this wonderful truth. Any object is indicated by sound and all sounds are comprised within this A, U and MA which is Aum. By uttering this word Aum, then the whole universe is represented by that and what is this universe? Nothing but manifestation of God. That is why Aumkara is the best generalized sound which represents God. The next point is even more interesting. I say table. That word table also comes from my throat only but when I utter that word table and it indicates a subject. Am I talking about God or am I talking about a table? I am talking about a table but if you analyze here, what is this table? This table is nothing other than God only. How does it become God? If you believe in the Vedanta, God only is manifesting as this universe or otherwise even that is a wrong idea God is manifesting. God is not manifesting. We are seeing God as a table. That's why my famous example, if you remember, here this is an object without the tablecloth. You ask a woodworm, what is it? It says this is food. You ask a carpenter, he says this is wood. You ask a physicist with an electronic microscope, he says this is energy or matter. You ask Sri Ramakrishna, he says this is God. This is a beautiful illustration. What does it illustrate? That what we call a table is not fixed something. As your state of consciousness changes, suppose you are saying this is nothing but energy. You are a physicist. Just I am making fun with you. You are a physicist, great physicist, Einstein or whatever and you have got this very powerful electronic microscope and you are looking at this object. Someone asks you, what is that you are looking? I am looking at energy or matter, right? Imagine suddenly by some fluke you become a woodworm. How do you look at this object? See your whole percept has changed or if you become a God man, what do you see? Only God. Now you see, what does this concept mean? It means whatever we are perceiving is not even a manifestation of God. Why manifestation? Because if God manifests as this table, suppose Sri Ramakrishna is sitting there, a woodworm is sitting there, a physicist is sitting there, a carpenter is sitting, all of them are looking at this object. Can the same object be four different things at the same time? See what a beautiful idea. The object is that particular object depending upon our state of consciousness. So this Omkara, it represents because this represents all the sounds in this world and every sound must represent some object and every object is nothing but in ordinary words manifestation of God. So when we are saying this is a table, what do we really mean? I am looking at God with particular name and form which I choose to call as table. You remove the name and form from this object, what do you think you will see? This is one idea. But the other idea is even more important, even more fun, interesting. I am looking at this table. Actually what am I looking? My consciousness has taken the form of this object. I am looking at my own consciousness like I look at my reflection in a mirror. That is why in dream you can see a table. Is there a table really? But you are clearly seeing a table. What are you looking at? There is no object at all there excepting your consciousness and that consciousness has taken the form of a particular idea. Consciousness modified by a particular idea is called a thought and that thought is what you are experiencing and that's what you call a table or whatever. In reality suppose there is no consciousness, will there be a table? Will there be a thought? Will there be an idea? Will you know anything? You will know nothing. That means the whole universe is nothing but our own consciousness modified. How beautiful it is! Whatever it is, this is the way Swami Vivekananda said, Aum is the most wonderful symbol of God. Another idea Swami Vivekananda brings even more. For example, if you use the word God, your idea of God has limitations. Though we do not say that but we mean it all the time. God has tremendous limitations. You know what is the limitation? I am praying to God, He is making my life miserable and He is making somebody else very happy. I am praying to Him, make me win the lottery ticket and this fellow goes after my, specially after my prayer perhaps, he goes and makes somebody else win the lottery ticket. What's my idea of God? He is a very limited God, very partial God, very unresponsive God but the word Aum has no such associations at all. It is just a symbol and a symbol and that which is signified by the symbol are absolutely one and the same. Let me very briefly dwell on it. Two, you want to add two with two, two plus two, two plus two. Now the invariable answer you come will be four. Why is it? What does that plus signify? Always plus means you add, two plus two is you will never think plus as minus, minus as plus, minus as to divide or to multiply. Always you mean plus means only plus. Invariable, so that symbol as an invariable meaning we always associate with it. So every object is associated with a particular symbol. Man is a symbol, cow is a symbol, plant is a symbol etc. etc. etc. What is that symbol which comprises all the every other symbol? That is Aum because every object must be sounded and every sound must be between Akara and Makara only. It cannot be anything else like you know a dictionary. Even a dictionary is limited. Do you know that a dictionary is limited? Even Encyclopedia Britannica is limited. Why is it tomorrow if they find an object and they name it, that name is not there now. They go on adding it. That's why the dictionary goes on expanding. But this Aumkara, it neither shrinks nor expands because it comprises of the entire gamut of these sounds. That is why it is the best symbol. But this rationality may not convince everybody. So Swami Vivekananda says, why is it that this Aum produces? Now we enter into totally different concept. That concept is first of all there have been so many great souls who have uttered this word Aum and through that achieved the highest. That is the idea Patanjali is going to give us. By uttering this word Aum so many people have achieved perfection and they are the what is called authenticity, Pramana. They have proved this symbol can really work. This works by faith. So you don't need to do it. Another concept that comes is the concept of vibration. This is most important thing for us. This Aum invariably the mantras that we get from our Guru invariably there will be this Aumkara will be there. It is rare to get a mantra without this Aum. Now what is the idea? Very briefly I will explain. Suppose you are initiated with a mantra. Simple example will be Aum Ramaya Namaha. Aum Ramaya Namaha. Namaha means I prostrate. In fact the word Namaha is not prostration at all. Namaha means na mama not mine. Nothing is mine. This body is not mine. This mind is not mine. If body mind itself is not mine then nothing is mine. But there is an object. There is the world. If it is not mine to whom does it belong? The very concept of not mine means you know not mine means not yours also. If it is not mine it is also not yours. If it doesn't belong to none of us then to whom does it belong? Only to one being. Must belong to somebody. Who is that being? It is God. This is the idea indicated Namaha means you know when I say to you Namaha. Namaste we call. What is Namaste? Namahate. Salutations to you is the usual meaning. Namahate means this is not mine. And how do you reply to me? Same way. That means this doesn't belong to me. I am saying it doesn't belong to me. You are saying it doesn't belong to me. If everyone says it doesn't belong to me then to whom does it belong? Only to God. This is the word. That's why whenever we say Namaha that means we are saying that I am nothing. I do not have anything. Nothing belongs to me. That idea must come. That means that is called reduction of egotism. You see why we say I respect you. The moment you say I respect you that means my egotism is to that extent reduced. There are so many people they touch the feet of swamis or elderly people, parents etc. Now some people cannot tolerate it. Why are you touching the feet of some other human being? He may be a swami, he may be somebody else. Why should I touch? The idea is not you are making somebody great. The idea is to reduce my own egotism. So if you go on reducing your egotism, I did not say ego, I am saying egotism, ism and then what remains? Or imagine one day you go on reducing ism and then ultimately what remains? Ego. What is pure ego without any association? It's only God. Ultimate. Because you cannot get rid of ego because so long as you are existing there must be an identity. That identity is called ego. But egotism is separate. Egotism means you forget who you are and then you think you are somebody else, something else. I am the body, I am the mind etc. So we are talking about this vibration theory. In that part of that is mantra. A guru gives initiation to the disciple. So invariably there is a Om. Om say Ramaya Namaha. Ramaya means two Rama salutations. What is the meaning I just now said? Namaha means not mine. If it is not mine, to whom does it belong? Ramaya means belongs to Rama. Who is Rama? My idea of Rama is Rama is different from Krishna. Krishna is different from Jesus. Jesus is different from Muhammad etc. So even that idea of personal God has to be removed, transcended. So if I transcend, it's like three steps. Namaha is first step, then Rama is second step. What is the ultimate step? Om. What does Om represent? First it represents the unity, harmony of the entire, all the Gods, the whole universe. It is a symbol for the whole universe and the whole universe comprises three things. God, world and me. I, the world and God. All the three things. That is our idea of the world. The moment you say I am in the world, you mean that. Three. I, world and God. When all these three are reduced into one state, that is called Om. And that Om first represents the symbolism of the personal God. When we say personal God, what does it mean? Personal God means God, individual and world. All these three combined is called personal God. But personal God also the highest type of limitation. It is from our viewpoint, it is unlimited. Personal God. But when we reach that state, we understand this is also a limitation. There is, what is the, when the moment you say personal God, what is the second idea that comes? Impersonal God. Saguna as against Nirguna. That is the human limitation. We have to think of the opposite. And about Nirguna, you can't talk anything. So when we reach that state, what does Omkara do? It self-destructs. How do you transcend Omkara? You don't transcend Omkara. Until you reach that state, it goes on pulling you. And once you reach identity with it, what does it do the next step? It self-destructs. That's why I mentioned earlier classes, Sampragnatha Samadhi is the highest step through effort we can achieve. But after that, you cannot achieve Asampragnatha Samadhi. It has to come by the grace of God. So when we reach that state, what happens? Some magic, something happens. That personality is totally destroyed. Who destroys, how it is destroyed is beyond our comprehension. But it does take place. And then what remains? Nobody. Nobody can tell about it. It is beyond speech, beyond thought. Avang Manasa Gocharam. So with this idea, let us now think of Tasya Vachakaha Pranavaha. What is the symbol of such a God, Eswara? Pranavaha. Pranava means Omkara. And then what is the thing that is indicated by Patanjali? How do we achieve that highest Asampragnatha Samadhi? By surrendering ourselves to Eswara. Eswara Pranidhanat Vah. Vah means R. R means a choice. What is the choice? The choice is that you do go on doing Sadhana. You don't need to believe in God. You come to a certain state. After that something happens. But for most of us, we cannot go that far. Even little far, we can't go. We need the help of somebody. And that person, that being who gives that help is called Eswara. Pranidhana means what? Surrender yourself. Worship such a God. Adore such a God. What does adoration mean? Self-surrender means. What does it mean? So what does it mean? Tat Japaha Tat Artha Bhavanam. So you go on repeating his name. What is his name? Just now we said. What is his name? Om. Om is his name. Go on doing. But you just parrot like Om, Om, Om. No. Tat Japaha Tat Artha Bhavanam. That means the repetition of this Om and meditating on its meaning. Very briefly, let me deal with this. So why should there be repetition? Swami Vivekananda says. So we have to remember the theory of Samskaras that the sum total of impressions lives in the mind. This is where a theory of vibration comes. What is the vibration? That is every object has its name and their relationship is eternal. You can never break that relationship. And the moment we utter that particular name, that name vibrates. When that name vibrates, what happens? Our mind takes the particular shape of that particular object. That is how table, table, table. The moment it starts vibrating, a picture of a table comes. Means the knowledge of the table comes in our mind. This is called the theory of vibration. Now when as we start uttering Omkara, it is also a sound. As we go on uttering, what happens? It creates certain vibrations and that vibrations bring the knowledge of whom? God, Eshwara. First personal God, then impersonal God. Why does it happen? Because of its eternal relationship. The eternal relationship. Suppose it is not eternal relationship. Let me give you a funny example. Here is a table. 20 years back what did I call this object? Table. And after 100 years what do people call this object? A table only. Suppose every year you change. Table means a microphone. Table means a person. The word table means a plant. Table means mosquito. Imagine. Then what happens to your language? It becomes absolutely irrelevant. Yeah, this is what happens, you know. See Ramakrishna had a very funny way of putting these things. One man was being shaved by a barber and during the process of shaving, the barber nicked him a little and that man suddenly involuntarily uttered the word damn. Now the barber did not know what his word meant damn. He said, what do you mean by damn? He said, oh it's just a word that I uttered. But the barber was not convinced by that. He said if the meaning of the word damn is good, then damn to me, damn to my father, damn to my grandfather, damn to my 14th generation. But if it is bad, then damn to you, damn your father, damn your great grandfather. The point, what is the point I am making? If an object is for eternally associated with its symbol, you can never separate. They are obverse and reverse of the same coin. That's why the moment you see a table, object, immediately the word springs, table. The moment you hear the word table, the object table, the picture of table flashes in your mind. So this Aum and the Ishwara are eternally connected together. This is not human creation. This is, you know, eternally connected. I used the word eternally connected. Eternally connected means at some point somebody has not made it up. It is there and it will be there. So this is called the theory of vibration. That's why every mantra has its eternal association and all mantras spring from Omkara only, really speaking. As I mentioned it, too much explanation confuses people. That's why I am not going into too much explanation. Rama, before Rama was born, before Jesus Christ was born, was Jesus Christ there? So could anyone would have uttered the word Lord Jesus Christ, have mercy on me, you know that Christ mantra? Could anybody have uttered this mantra before Christ was born? No. Only after Christ Jesus was born, that mantra came. Om Ramakrishnaya Namaha. Could you have uttered that mantra before Sri Ramakrishna was born? No. What we are talking is not about these peculiar sounds. These sounds are different in different languages and sometimes we forget them also. What is the Nama means? Name means that particular symbol which is eternally associated with that particular object. The other things come and go. Anyway, these mantras are eternal and this Omkara is a symbol which is eternally representing that highest concept of God and what is the surrendering oneself to God? Means, according to Patanjali, a repetition of God's name. But what type of repetition? Artha Bhavanam. Think of the meaning. Now, you can never think of an object without its meaning. You may change the meaning. Funny example would be, there was a man and he had a dog. He named the dog as Narayana and with the time of death has come and the person loved his dog. So, before passing away, he was repeating Narayana, Narayana, Narayana. What do you think he means by Narayana? The dog. So, we Hindus have a peculiar belief. Whatever is the last thought, next birth, he will be that. So, by repeating Narayana, what would be his next birth? Yeah. Vajamila story, famous story is there. He uttered his son's name. That's the point is that this symbol and what is symbolized, signified by the symbol, they are eternally associated. They are not human creations. Eternally, eternity means it is not created at all. It's peculiar. Hindu philosophy says, according to Vedanta, that this creation is eternal. What does it say? Creation is eternal. Creation is eternal means what? Creation means what? That which has come into manifestation at some particular point of time. Creation is eternal means what? It's a paradoxical expression. What it means is manifestation of something every now and then. Like a person, he goes to sleep. Again, he wakes up. Like that, the tree goes into the state of a seed and the seed also is non-manifestation of the tree and then after some time, the seed becomes manifest. But the tree itself, is it eternal or not? You know that eternalist thing, egg first or chicken first or the seed first or the tree first. What is the answer? There is no answer. You can't say because it is eternal. That is why we say it. Creation is eternal. Then why do you use the word creation? Instead of using the word creation, the better word would be manifestation. The same thing is manifesting again and again. This is what the theory of four yugas and then the dissolution will come and it will be in a seed form. This is what beautifully Shri Ramakrishna says at the end of this yuga is divine mother destroys everything but destroys means she will gather the seeds like a granny collecting all the seeds from her garden and then when the rainy season comes again, she plants it and again it goes on and on and on. That is the concept, Hindu's concept of creation. God has not at some point of time decided to do something else. This is the beautiful point. This eternal is creation, manifestation. So this word Rama, Krishna etc. are manifestations of that eternal Aum. Next to yuga, the word Rama, many people may not understand it. Ramakrishna. As Aum, he is eternal. As Ramakrishna, he is sometimes manifest, sometimes non-manifest. Beautiful idea. So when we repeat God's name, we have to think of the meaning. Tasya, Vachakaha, Pranavaha and repetition of that name with meaning is called surrender, self-surrender to God. What does this repetition really mean? We know that we sit either on fingers or mentally or with the help of a rosary, we go on repeating a particular mantra which we have been given or we have chosen. That is what we call japa. Good enough. What is the purpose? Why do you do japa? Let me give a small illustration. Here is a student. He wants to pass an examination and he goes on studying these textbooks. Is he studying? Yes. What is going inside? Do you see the point? The point is if he is not studying without comprehension, it is like our doing japa without its meaning. That means if he is studying, the knowledge must go inside him. Similarly, if we are repeating God's name, then what is the artha? Means we must feel the reality of God. And when we feel the reality of God, certain changes automatically take place. What changes take place? First of all, let us see. God means, Ishwara means, the most beautiful, meaningful word is Satchitananda. Sat, Chit and Ananda. So you are remembering Sat. Sat means what? Existence. Chit means what? Knowledge. Ananda means bliss. So you are remembering. I am existence, I am knowledge and I am bliss. I am existence, I am knowledge and I am bliss. What is it you want by repeating God's name? You want to become God. This is the idea. I am existence. As existence, do you have any fear? As Chit, do you have any fear? As Ananda, do you have any fear? Let me very briefly explain such a wonderful concept. The difference between existence and manifestation of existence. The difference between knowledge and manifestation of knowledge. The difference between Ananda and manifestation of Ananda. It is very important for us to understand. I discuss it so many times. Here is a table. Again, my favorite example. Here is a table. What is a table? Wood plus name, particular name and form. What is a table? Wood plus name and form. That name and form is manifestation because at some particular point, somebody has taken a piece of wood and manifested this table, right? As a table, it has a birth and that which has a birth also will have a death. That means what? This table, as table, it won't be permanent because it is a manifestation of wood. But as wood, what happens when you break up this table? It remains as wood. Before it became a table, it was wood. When it became a table also, it is wood only with name and form. And when you break up this table, then it's still wood only but without any name or form. Is the idea clear? So, now you see the difference between you consider wood as existence and the table as manifestation of that existence. So, this is only an illustration. So, what is the basic material of this wood, that chair, this microphone, this human body, the stars? What is the ultimate thing according to science? Energy, matter. Let us say matter. As matter, it is indestructible. You remember the second law of the thermodynamics? Matter cannot be created or destroyed but it can be transformed. Do you see the difference now between the existence and the manifestation of existence? Manifestation is liable to destruction. But as existence, it won't be. Similarly, knowledge. Knowledge is eternal and infinite. But manifestation of knowledge, like you know, before I did not know about this table. Now, I have come to know this table and after some time, I may lose this table knowledge. But the real knowledge will never become destroyed. Similarly, ananda. What is the difference between ananda and pleasure? Ananda measured in a time scale is for a second, that is called pleasure. Ananda measured in a few years time, that is called happiness. Ananda, which is beyond measurement of any time, that is called ananda. So, manifestation of ananda will always come to an end. But ananda itself will never come to an end. Now, what is the connection between what we are talking and this? When I am thinking of Ishwara, I am repeating the word Om and then this, the word Om again. A, U and Ma. A represents creation and occupation. And U represents sustenance and Makara represents dissolution, change. But that which never changes is Artha Makara. A, O, M. That M is called the original thing. That A, U and Ma, they come and they go. Similarly, A represents sat, U represents chit and Makara represents yes, when you eat something nice, what do you say? So, this is called Artha Bhavana and we will discuss in our next class further about japa because Holy Mother's most wonderful teaching, perfection can be attained japa siddhi. Through japa, you attain perfection. Who said that? Holy Mother had said. This is what Patanjali Rishi was telling. This is what Holy Mother said that japa tad artha bhavana and in the next aphorism, he is telling what is the result of this? You will have self-knowledge, God-realization. This is what Holy Mother said. Through japa, you attain perfection, you realize God. This is a beautiful idea. How many types of japa? What does it mean to think of the meaning and how do we progress step by step? This we will discuss in our next class. Om Shanti Shanti Shanti