Patanjali Yoga Sutras Lecture 110

Full Transcript(Not Corrected)

Om Sahanaavavatu Sahanaubhunaktu Saaveeryam Karavavahai Tejasvinavaditamastumavidvishavahai Om Shanti Shanti Shanti Hari Om Om Yogena Chittasya Padena Vacham Malam Sharirasya Javaidhyakena Yopakarottam Pravaram Muninam Patanjalim Praanjali 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. In our last class, we discussed a very important point, Ahanam Esham Kleshavat Uktam. Through meditation and by resolving the mind back into its primal cause, that is attaining Samadhi, one should progress in spiritual life. And we also quoted a saying of Sri Ramakrishna, how long should one really put forth efforts? How long should one put forth efforts? Only so long as the grace of God doesn't come. From the yogic point of view, they do not accept the existence of God. That's why the grace of God also doesn't arise. But from the Vedantic point of view, without the grace of God, even the desire for spiritual life never enters into the mind of a person. So as soon as a person becomes very sincere, God's grace flows as it were through him. His effort ends there. All that he needs to do is to direct that grace to take him to his destination. We are entering into the 29th aphorism. प्रसंख्याने अपि अकुसी दस्य सर्वता विवेक ख्याते हे धर्ममेग समाधे हे Just before the attainment of realisation, every sincere yogi attains to a particular type of Samadhi. It has nothing to do with Savikalpa Samadhi, nothing to do with Nirvikalpa Samadhi. It is called Dharma Megha Samadhi. Beautiful analogy is given here. Patanjali tells us, as if we are here, the sun is shining and in between us and the sun, there is a cloud. Because of the cloud, the light of the sun is obscured. How much is the light obscured? The answer is, if the cloud is extremely thick, very little light comes. That means, when Tamas covers the Chidabasa, reflection of the consciousness, then very little of this self-knowledge shines through. But when Rajas comes, like beautiful example, as though a powerful wind is blowing. Now it covers, now it uncovers, now again it covers, again it uncovers. This is how the play goes on. A Rajasic person, means one whose mind is more endowed with Rajas, he gets much more knowledge. Only two problems are there. One problem, compared to the Tamasic person, he gets much more knowledge. But that knowledge, first of all, is more directed towards the world, rather than towards God. But when the same person continues, then little by little, the Sattva Guna also comes. When the Sattva Guna comes, the cloud that is called Sattva Guna cloud, Megha. Megha means cloud. Then, as it were, very thin amount of obstruction is there. You know, sometimes there is a very thin amount of cloud. You can see clearly the sun. The light is there. This beautiful example is given. Sri Ramakrishna also confirms it, that what is it? Still, the direct experience of the sun is obscured. Yes, it gives more than sufficient amount of light, but still a little layer, thin layer of the cloud is standing between us and between the sun. Sri Ramakrishna's beautiful example. One day he said to his disciples, today I will reveal all the secrets. What happens when the Kundalini slowly rises and merges in Sahasrara? So he was going on describing what changes take place as a result of it, which is a most wonderful description. Because we all hear about these many people saying, oh, my Kundalini has risen like that. But what changes have taken place in you, in your character, in your thoughts, in your goals in life, other than saying, oh, it was a tremendous experience. I enjoyed it very much. And when it came to an end and I became very depressed, etc., it is absolutely no use. Why I am saying all these things repeatedly? We also discussed it so many times in the past too. You know, on the 1st January 1886, Kalpataru day, Sri Ramakrishna touched so many people. And different types of capability of receiving Sri Ramakrishna's grace was revealed through that. One example is he touched one person and that person's chosen deity came out alive. That was a wonderful experience. Fine. Wow. What happened afterwards? He himself neglected Sri Ramakrishna's advice and he insulted other people. So what change has taken place? In fact, an ordinary person without experience might be in a much better position, have better character. So important point here is not having an experience merely, but what change has taken place as a result of that experience. That is what is telling here. A person will have Dharma Megha Samadhi when discrimination reaches its ultimate peak. The discrimination, what is the discrimination? Before the discrimination came, I am the body-mind. After the discrimination started, I think I am not the body-mind. There is something in me which is much much glorious, great, eternal. A vague indication of it. But when this process of discrimination arises to the highest peak, then what happens? That process of discrimination is the result of Sattva Guna. That very process itself is the result of Sattva Guna and every Guna is a bondage. Remember Sri Ramakrishna's story of three robbers. Even Sattva Guna also is a robber, but very helpful robber. So what is said here that a Yogi attains such a tremendous amount of discrimination and it has two characteristics. He clearly knows I am not Prakruti, means I am not body-mind world. He clearly knows I am the Purusha. Still there is a small amount of obstruction is there. So I was mentioning Sri Ramakrishna's experience. He was telling until Kundalini reached Vichy Chakra, not Sahasrara, before Sahasrara, Agna Chakra. He says my boys, so many changes will take place with each experience, but I am going to tell you now what would be the final experience and he plunged into Nirvikalpa Samadhi. He could not say anything because who is there to say? To whom is he going to say? Because the division is gone. Again he came back and said last time I could not tell you, this time I will tell you. Again he plunged, again he plunged. Many times this had happened. What is the point of this one? It is indescribable, but so long as a person is in that 6th Chakra, Agna Chakra, still he has not attained to the highest. The illustration of this, all these aphorisms we can understand better through the life of Sri Ramakrishna. He was longing, I want to see mother, if you don't show yourself to me, I am going to cut my throat. You know this story and his eyes fell on this thing and he was about to cut his throat. He had that darshan and ever since that time he constantly was beholding the Divine Mother. Now Totapuri came. What was the first thing he said? He said remove all thoughts from your mind. What is discrimination? Removing every thought from the mind. When we remove every thought from the mind, what remains? It is a very beautiful question. If you ask somebody, suppose you are in a room, there are 100 people and you are asked, you throw all these people out, remove them. Okay, you announce, please leave this room. One by one they are leaving. And somebody who told you, how many people are there? Oh, another 50 are there. After few minutes, how many are there? 20 people are there. After some time, how many people are there? 10 are there. After some time, how many are there? Only one person is there. And that last person also departs from the room. Now how many people are there? There is nobody. This is our normal answer. Foolish fellow, you are there. You have forgotten yourself. You are there. When there is nobody else, who is there? You are there. When there is no thought at all in the mind, is it an experience of shoonyatva, emptiness? No. You are there. And who are you? I am the consciousness. You cannot get rid of consciousness. That is why neti neti in Upanishads, especially Brihadaranyaka Upanishad, very famous method of sadhana, spiritual practice. What is it? Go on saying, whatever you are experiencing, not this, not this, not this. And when you succeed in negating everything, if you are asked, then what remains? Who remains? The person who is negating, he cannot be negated. He is remaining. And who is that person? That is called pure consciousness. Because to negate, what is it that you require? Awareness. If that awareness is not there, you cannot negate. So awareness is the last thing. And when all thoughts are removed, until that time, that process of negating is called awareness. But when that last thought is removed, there is no more awareness. That awareness becomes pure consciousness. So that is what he is telling, that this yogi, if he can remove all obstacles, he reaches a particular type of samadhi. It is called dharma megha samadhi, very peculiar word, dharma megha. What is dharma? He is totally conscious. There is no other thought excepting me. But even that thought excepting me, that thought is also the last bit of the chitta or mind functioning. How hard it is to understand these things, you know. I am pure consciousness. Who is saying it? In the last class we discussed, you know, I am consciousness, who is saying it? Is God saying it or is it you who is saying it? Does pure consciousness say, I am pure consciousness? It doesn't say. It doesn't say because there is no one to say it. It is totally a different type of experience. It is called self-experience where it is fully conscious and at the same time not through discrimination. No thought is there. I am. That's why in the Old Testament, you know, Moses climbs Mount Sinai and he saw a burning bush and he asks, who are you? What is your name? The answer is so beautiful. He says, I am that I am. But even that description is only within the realm of maya. Really God doesn't say. God cannot say. God would not say that I am. This is trying to convey to us the idea. This finest discrimination, this Dharma Megha Samadhi, still has got that slight differentiation. Almost I can see, you know, Megha means cloud and Dharma Megha means pure cloud. Pure cloud means there is still, I can see all the light, but a thin layer of obstruction is still there. It is not obstructing the light, but it is there. So at that time, this yogi will get tremendous powers. That is called Dharma Megha Samadhi. He who remains undistracted, even when he's in possession of all the psychic powers, achieves as the result of perfect discrimination. That Samadhi, which is called the cloud of work. Important point Patanjali wants to convey to us in this is that when a person, when a yogi attains to this state of Dharma Megha Samadhi, all the knowledge in the world comes to him. All the powers in this world come to him. I'm giving a funny example, you know, do we have all the knowledge in this world? No, we don't have. We have to work very hard. But for him, spontaneously the knowledge will come. And what is power? You know, there is an English saying, knowledge is power. Does Sri Ramakrishna know how to prepare South Indian dishes, first class South Indian dishes? But when he gets this Dharma Megha Samadhi, he gets, oh, these are the materials required and this is how one after the other, you know, like a good cook instructing Sri Ramakrishna, he has the knowledge, how much, what materials required, how much time it has to be cooked each material, how much quantity he has to mix, all this knowledge he has got spontaneously becomes the best for him. What is the point? Patanjali says, when a person attains to this state called Dharma Megha Samadhi, all the knowledge becomes available to him, that means all the powers become available to him. When the powers come, there may be people who cannot resist. When Buddha was about to attain illumination, Mara came. Mara means what? Maya. Another name for Mara is, another name for Maya is Mara. Temptation came. It came in the form of fright. It came in the form of beautiful woman. It came in the form of his own mother. Many yogis have experienced this one. Even Sri Ramakrishna, it came in a particular way. One day, two women appeared with nose rings, with a plate of some sandesh and other things and then that is known. If you remember, Sri Ramakrishna was uttering most profound words. He says, Ma, even now you are playing your tricks. This comes. Why does it come? This is called Sita's Agni Pariksha. Rama knew Sita was so pure. Why did he? He loved her. If there is any dross in the mind of Sita, because one year she was associating with Ravanasura, even unconsciously, subconsciously, teeny weeny bit, this man is not bad. If that thought comes, that is a tremendous temptation. So that lost dross also is totally purged. It is completely ashified, burnt into ashes. But if a person is not cautious about it, he can fall. Example, Vishwamitra was doing thousand year tapasya. Was he a man of discrimination or not? Tremendous powers of concentration and discrimination was there. By the way, the power of discrimination means clearly reasoning what is right, what is wrong is called the power of discrimination. When a person attains such a tremendous amount of concentration, power of concentration, do you think that he will lack in discrimination? And yet, he had tremendous power. He attained tremendous powers. Because of his powers, the temptations came. And what happened? He was having sufficient discrimination, but that was not sufficient in his case. Completely hidden in the crevices of his unconscious mind was the desire for enjoyment. The moment the lady came, immediately he fell. But the greatness was, he realized, oh, I have fallen. I will not allow this to happen second time. Second time also the temptation came. But it came in the form of anger. That time also he realized, like Totapuri, never again will I become angry. The moment he realized, he gave it up and never again he fell into the temptation again. So what is the point? Be extremely careful until you know 100% that you are Purusha, you have to be careful about it. This is the meaning. Even with tremendous power of discrimination comes and along with that tremendous amount of powers come. But if a Yogi has got that power, he doesn't fall a prey to temptations. Then he attains to this Samadhi called Dharma Megha Samadhi. What happens when a person attains to this kind of Dharma Megha Samadhi? What is the result of it? What is the result of attaining to this tremendous power of discrimination called Dharma Megha? So what is this? Dharma Megha means what? It is a spontaneous, natural power of discrimination. In our case, we have to strive, no, no, this is not good, you don't go this way, you better go that way. Every time we have to remind ourselves about it. Even though sometimes we do unconsciously, you know, you go to the airport and you see some beautiful car, you know they exhibit cars there, revolving cars and there are people who die for cars. When a person attains to that Samadhi, he gets tremendous amount of power of discrimination. It is spontaneous. He need not strive, automatically it comes. Ramakrishna's example, you know, beautiful example. I have some desire to eat first class Sandesh. So he got some Sandesh. How did he eat? He said, I put it in my mouth. From one side of the mouth, I am moving Sandesh to the other side and telling, oh mind, this is called a most wonderful sweet. It is also equal to the mud because it is also made up of Pancha Bhutas, five Bhutas. So it is no different from any object in this world. He did not elaborate it, but I can tell you. After his practice of Tantric Sadhana, he said, I could not find a difference between an ordinary green plant and then the sacred Tulasi. We say Tulasi leaf is very sacred, but he said there is no difference because everything is the transformation of the Divine Mother. And then he also said, you know, what tremendous practices Bhairavi Brahmani made him go through. She used to bring most, what is called a boring type of objects. You eat a rotting human flesh or fish cooked in a human skull, but now what do you think is the point of making a person go through all these things? It is to remove that everything ultimately is the most sacred, it is the Divine Mother. It doesn't mean we have to go and grab everything and eat. What it means is you take what is suitable to you, but do not have any disrespect because every object in this world is a manifestation of the Divine Mother only. That is the idea. That's why Sri Ramakrishna's experiences, he was seeing a public woman. What was she? He sees, Divine Mother. Mother used to say Mother Sita waiting for Rama. What do we say? A public woman awaiting her customers and we look down upon that person. But Sri Ramakrishna always used to see Divine Mother in everything, even in dogs, in animals, in insects, in plants, in everything, Sarvam, Kalu, Idam, Brahma. That was his experience. Now the point is when a person attains to this Dharmamega Samadhi, the discrimination becomes first of all, I said, what is it? It is complete discrimination. There is nothing left out. Even the smallest hidden unconscious desires, as though he had thrown a very powerful torch light, he says, oh you are hiding here, I will not allow you to come out, get out of the place. So there would be nothing to tempt him. The important point is, why does a Yogi fall? Because of temptations. And how does temptation come? Because he has a desire. But why was he not able to detect it? Because he was negligent. He did not have that power of discrimination. He discriminates many things, but this he was not able to discriminate. But when this Dharmamega Samadhi comes to a Yogi, nothing is hidden. Everything becomes crystal clear for him. So what happens? What is the result of it? Two things get completely destroyed as a result of attaining to this Samadhi called Dharmamega Samadhi. What are those things? First is Klesha. What is Klesha? Avidya, Asmita, Raga, Dvesha, Abhinivesha, last class also, previous classes also, many other classes also we have discussed. What is Klesha? That which binds us. What is the mother of all this binding? Avidya, Avidya means what? Taking the non-Atman as Atman. In other words, considering myself as body-mind, this is called Avidya. From Avidya comes attachment. From Avidya comes Ahamkara, egotism. From Avidya comes aversion. From Avidya comes intense clinging to one's own life, Abhinivesha. So as soon as this discrimination comes, this Avidya gets destroyed. What is the Avidya? Previously the Yogi used to think I am the body, I am the mind. Now he knows I am neither the body nor the mind. Then who am I? I am pure consciousness. I am Purusha. As soon as this Klesha, means Avidya, Avidya means ignorance, ignorance disappears, all the actions come to an end, all the activities come to an end, all the results of the activities come to an end. Now as soon as we use the word activities, one popular meaning that comes to is a man is sitting, a man is walking, a man is cooking, a man is running, these are called activities. Now according to Vedanta, activity means not only doing something but even enjoying or experiencing something. A man is eating Rasagulla, this is the first meaning. What is the man doing? He is eating a sweet. But what is he doing? He is experiencing and enjoying the sweetness of the sweet. Is that an action or not? Even that also will come to an end because when he says that I am not the body, I am not the mind, then whatever that body-mind does also doesn't belong to him. I will give a simple example to make this point clear. I am sitting, you are sitting and you are eating a sweet. I am simply sitting and watching. Now tell me am I eating this sweet or are you eating this sweet? You are eating this sweet. Am I enjoying this sweet or are you enjoying this sweet? You are enjoying this sweet. What am I doing? I am simply watching. When a yogi attains to this Dharmamega Samadhi, then whatever the body does, whatever his mind does, he says I have nothing to do with it. His attachment is totally destroyed. Previously he used to say this is my body, my mind. Now he doesn't say my body, my mind. He says I have nothing to do with body-mind. But we, others, still continue and say, oh, Shri Ramakrishna has gone to the temple, Shri Ramakrishna is eating, Shri Ramakrishna is in Samadhi, Shri Ramakrishna is giving teaching to others. Interesting question that comes here is, Shri Ramakrishna now and then enters into Samadhi, isn't it? He is talking. He was talking and suddenly he enters into a peculiar posture like that, his eyelids have gone up and his body becomes absolutely still and he was not conscious of whatever is happening outside. What is the description that you get it? He went into Samadhi. Now went into Samadhi, before Samadhi what was he? He was not in Samadhi and then he went into Samadhi. After some time he came out of the Samadhi. What is the point I am driving? This going inside, coming outside, not going, not coming, what are they? What are they called? Activities. Is Samadhi a result of an activity? No. Samadhi means what? Pure knowledge and once that knowledge comes, no question of going or coming. Then what are all these things that are happening? That is your experience of what that body-mind is doing, not what Ramakrishna is doing or anything. We attribute everything to Shri Ramakrishna. I don't know how far I am able to convey this idea to you. A realized soul never says I am doing something because to say I am doing something he needs some instruments. What are the instruments? Body and mind. He doesn't have any connection with body-mind. Then who is to say? Do you say when you are in deep sleep that I am in deep sleep? Tell me. Answer me. When you are in deep sleep, do you say I am in deep sleep? You are simply experiencing it and you are not even listening to that. Shri Ramakrishna or any great soul is like that. But because they react towards us and that reaction is what we label as Shri Ramakrishna is talking, Shri Ramakrishna is in Samadhi, he went to the temple, etc., etc., all sorts of nonsense we attribute. Anyway, that is a very high thought. We don't need to go to that. But when a person attains to this, Dharma Megha Samadhi, what happens? Klesha, Kleshascha, Karmascha, Nivritthi. Every day, all day, Karma comes to an end. Karma means both actions as well as their results. The final point we have to note down is an action doesn't mean only doing something. Even experiencing, enjoying, suffering, all these also fall into the category of activities. All these activities totally cease and even in our case also they cease. As I said, if you are doing something, I don't attribute and say I am doing what you are doing, I am enjoying what you are enjoying because I never identify myself with your body and mind. You don't identify yourself with my body and mind. Then comes cessation of ignorance, the cause of suffering and freedom from the power of Karma. When a Yogi cannot be turned aside from the path of discrimination, even when he is faced by the terrible temptations arising from possession of the psychic powers, their knowledge is set to shower down upon him like a rain cloud, a cloud of virtue, pouring down liberation and the bliss of God. These are the negative way of saying his ignorance comes to an end. Positive way of saying now he knows what he is. Do you know what he says? He doesn't even say previously I was bound, somehow I practiced spiritual discipline, now I am totally free. He doesn't say. What does he simply say? I am. But Swami, previously you were a different person and then you started doing japa meditation and now you are behaving like a saint. What would be his reply? I gave you an illustration in my previous classes, again I will give you because these ideas are so profound. You go to bed, you have a dream, in the dream somebody is beating you black and blue and then you are shouting. Imagine also that I am also sleeping in the same room along with you and you are having this dream and somehow your subconscious mind says my friend is sleeping here. Someone is beating you black and blue in your dream. Then you shout Swami, please come and help me in your dream and in your dream I was not sleeping. I am fully awake and I come running with a big gun and shoot down that fellow who is beating you and then that fellow falls dead and then you say, oh you helped me, you are my saviour and then you wake up and you find me sleeping. What will you do? Will you wake me up and say, oh I am eternally grateful to you for saving me from this. Do you say that? What is your experience? This was all my imagination. I was going through a solitary place and somebody attacked me, about to kill me but Swami came and rescued me or God came and rescued me and therefore I am eternally grateful. You will neither be grateful nor ungrateful. Why? Because it was all not fact, it was just imagination. A realised soul, that is the ultimate state where he feels that I was never bound. Even this is our words. He will never say I was bound. Then I became liberated through samsara. He doesn't say. A yogi attains to that state, in other words he knows now, again human words, now he says I am Purusha, I am never bound, I have nothing to do with Prakruti. That is the result of attaining Dharma Megha Samadhi. Aphorism 31, when a person attains to his own nature. What happens? Let me read the translation. Then the whole universe, with all its objects of sense knowledge, becomes as nothing in comparison to that infinite knowledge, which is free from all obstructions and impurities. To man in his ordinary sense consciousness, this universe seems full of secrets. There seems so infinitely much to be discovered and known. Every object is an invitation to study. So, we know very little, very, very, very little. That's our present experience. But when a yogi attains to this state, what happens, Sarva Malasya Avaranasya appears. All the coverings are completely gone. When all the coverings are completely gone, then he attains to a state called all-knowingness, omniscience. That is what he is telling, Gnanasya Anantyat Gneyam Alpam. That is to say, because his knowledge is infinite, will there be anything remains to be known by him? When you say a person is all-knowing, what does that mean? Does it mean that there are, yes, yes, he knows 99%, but 1% he doesn't know. Do you say that? All-knowing means what? All-knowing. All-knowing means that is called Sarvajnatham, Ramakrishna is Sarvajnatham. A Brahmavid becomes Sarvavid. He knows everything. Interesting discussion is there. Earlier aphorism also, one point I forgot, Tatha Klesha Karma Nivruttihi. As soon as a person attains to Dharmamega Samadhi, completely all the karmas and kleshas, ignorance as well as the resultant actions and the results of actions, everything comes to an end. See Ramakrishna's profound words, many examples, but two examples I remember. Some injury has happened, you know, when a person fell down and a little bit of the skin got rid, a little blood came. What happens after that? A scab forms. What forms? A scab. What is the purpose of the scab? To hasten the recovery from the injury, to make the body whole. Now that scab will remain until how long? As soon as the person becomes whole, complete, then what happens? Does that scab remain there or does it fall automatically? Automatically it falls. This is one example he gives. Another example is when the palm tree is going up, you know first the young leaves, they are very strong, but as the tree grows, what happens to all these leaves at the lower level? Automatically they dry up and fall down. You don't separate them with force and injure the tree, it is a natural process. What was Ramakrishna trying to convey to us by this? That when a person attains knowledge, all the activities automatically come to an end. And he gives another beautiful example. Here is a housewife and she became pregnant and the child is growing inside. As her pregnancy progresses, what does her mother-in-law do, reduce the activities. And when the child is born, what is the activity she has to do, only play with the child. What was Ramakrishna trying to convey through this analogy? The growing lady is a sadhaka and what is the child in the womb? Growth of power of discrimination or knowledge and as the discrimination is growing, her outer activities become less and less. And when that sadhaka attains to the state of dharmamega samadhi, then instantaneously what happens, all that activity comes to an end. I am trying to convey a profound idea, what is the idea, activities belong to whom? Body and mind. What is knowledge? I am the Atman, I am Brahman, I am consciousness. It doesn't have body-mind. When there is no body-mind, where are the activities, where are the experiences of the activities? Everything comes to an end. That was what he means to say. When a yogi's coverings come to an end and he knows I am the pure consciousness and besides him there is nothing else, then what remains for him to be known? In other words, when a yogi says I am God, is there anything, does anything remain unknown to God? So when a person becomes identified with God, does anything remain unknown to him? Absolutely nothing. That is the meaning of this aphorism, when the whole universe with all its objects of sense knowledge becomes as nothing in comparison to that infinite knowledge which is free from all obstructions and impurities. That means to say for a yogi there is no object which he needs to know. Why? Because there is no object. Why? Because there is only one object, if at all you call it an object. What is that object? Me, Brahman. For Brahmajnani, how many objects are there? Only Brahman. Sri Ramakrishna used to say this very beautifully. In our Upanishads also it is there. Sri Ramakrishna also used to say about this, when you are cooking a pot full of rice and you want to know whether the rice is cooked properly or not, would you examine every single grain or would you just press one grain? By pressing one grain of rice, when you come to know this is cooked properly, then you also know the entire pot full of rice is also exactly in the same state. In other words, by knowing that Moola Karana, the real cause of this whole universe, we come to know everything. The Upanishads put it in a slightly different way like this. When there are a billion mud pots, clay pots, a billion clay pots, small, big, this colour, that colour, here, there, everywhere. Now to know, to have the knowledge of all the billion pots, how much knowledge do we need to have? Examine one pot and come to know what is the, what is a pot, nothing but clay with name and form. If you have that knowledge, do you have the knowledge of everything or not? That is what Brahma Jnana means. The whole universe, even from Vedantic point of view, is nothing but a modification, a transformation of Brahman with name and fame. Brahman plus name and fame is the world. If you know about Brahman, do you know everything about the universe or not? That is what it means. For a Yogi, nothing remains to be unknown. But here also a very subtle point, when a Yogi comes to know that the whole world is made up of only one material, which is pure consciousness, and he himself is that pure consciousness, does anything remain to be known? No. Why? Because, you know, here is a subtle psychological law. You want to know about something, why? You have a curiosity. I don't know about that thing, I would like to know about it. Why does this desire to know something comes at all? Because first of all you think it is an object which is not known to you. It is separate from me. This is the idea. It is separate from me and it is not known to me. But when a person comes to know that object is none other than me, then the desire will come. What is the point I am making? The desire to know comes from a desire and that desire comes only with regard to anything other than oneself. Nobody says, I very much desire myself. Does any one of us say that at any time, even unconsciously? Whenever we have any desire, that desire is always for some object which we think is something other than us, a second self. No one desires one's own self. I hope I am making some meaning. So when a person knows the whole universe is nothing but Kurukshetra, there is no second object for him to know. Therefore there is no second object for him to desire and therefore his knowledge is complete. Since his knowledge is complete, he doesn't have any desires. And what is it that causes happiness and unhappiness? It is the desires that cause unhappiness. Fulfillment of desires cause happiness. When a person knows everything, his happiness becomes complete, total, full, purna. When his happiness becomes full, there would be no desires. When there are no desires, there is no curiosity to know anything. You have to meditate upon it. When you have eaten up to here, will you have a desire to know about some other type of food? You will never have. Only when you are hungry, you will feel like doing this thing. This is the meaning of it. Here, a small discussion is there, Brahmavid, Brahman becomes all-knowing. So Ramakrishna realized Brahman. He became Brahman. He is the Brahman. So he knows everything. Does Ramakrishna know everything? So this question was raised. Does Ramakrishna know nuclear fusion? Yes. What is the answer, you know, you give? The answer is, he doesn't know immediately. If a scientist goes and asks, we are in search of the secret of nuclear fusion, you are supposed to be Sarvagya. You please convey that knowledge to me. He will not be able to say. Oh, if he is not able to say, then why do you give the title, he is all-knowing? No. Do you know what is the answer to it? First of all, the answer is, all-knowing means he knows the cause of everything. Secondly, Swami Saradananda gives this explanation, if Ramakrishna wants to know, if he just desires, I want to know the secret of nuclear fusion, within seconds he will come to know. Why? Because he has strained his mind so much that it will not think of anything else. What is the secret of knowledge, according to Swami Vivekananda? Concentration. Even to that perfect 100% concentration, everything reveals its knowledge. No obstruction will be there. So Sri Ramakrishna can know the secret. I will never feel inclined to it. You know why? Because when a person knows God, why does he want to know about these things? An ordinary person is overcome by a sense of ignorance. But to the illumined yogi, the universe doesn't seem at all mysterious. It is said that if you know clay, you know the nature of everything that is made of clay. So if you know the Atman, you know the nature of everything in the universe. Then all the painstaking researches of science seem like efforts of a child to empty the ocean with his spoon. In other words, when everything is Brahman, you don't need anything. Here also I will insert an aside note. The note is, suppose there is a scientist, he is doing deep research into nuclear fusion. What is the purpose? Purpose is to unravel the secrets of nuclear fusion. And what will you do? Okay, you have unraveled and you found out the secrets and you put it to use. What will you do? Oh, you can generate any amount of electricity, unlimited amount of electricity. Okay, with that electricity, what will you do? My mobile phone will never go out of battery power. Okay, if you are mobile, what will you do? Is it a nuisance or is it a help for you? So what is the purpose of any activity? To become happy. And when you are so happy, what do you want all these activities to do? That is the final understanding. A yogi will not have the desire, but he has the capacity to know everything. Even nuclear fusion is nothing but Brahman fusion. What is Brahman fusion? Do you know what is Brahman fusion? You Jeeva, you ignorant person, you don't know about yourself. I know about yourself. What is that? You will be fused with Brahman in the end. That is the secret I am going to tell you right now. That means what? Everyone will realise God in the end, sooner or later. In fact, even that word is a redundant word. You are not going to realise. You are going to realise, I don't need realisation. I am already there. Okay. Aphorism 32. Tatha kritharthana parinama krama parisamapti gunana. Then the sequence of the mutations of the gunas comes to an end, for they have fulfilled their purpose. Simple aphorism says here is a person, who knows who he is and what is the purpose of all these gunas, all these spiritual practices, all that concentration, all that discrimination. What is the purpose? Simply to know what is my real nature. When a yogi comes to know that I am the pure consciousness, purusha means pure consciousness, I am that pure consciousness, then that body and that mind, which has been assisting this yogi for so many aeons in attaining to this realisation, they have, he has reached the goal. What are you going to do? You have dug the well. You got the water. What are you going to do? Sriram Krishna's beautiful example, you know, a man wanted water to drink because he is thirsty. There was no water. So he digs a well. After digging the well, he got the water and he drinks to his heart's content. Afterwards, what does he do? The implements with which he dug the well, what do you think he will do? Some people, Sriram Krishna was very funny, you know, some people throw those implements in the well because his purpose is finished, he drank the water and he disappears. But then he again remarks, some people, out of compassion for other people, they leave those implements there in case somebody else needs to use them in the future, he leaves them there. What is the implication? There are some realised souls who once they attain Samadhi, they kick the body-mind and they ever become united with the Parabrahman, Supreme Reality. But there are some out of compassion, they come back, that means they use those implements, that means the body and mind, for giving the right direction to other people. Such people are called the Incarnations of God. No other person will do, only an Incarnation of God will do or their companions will do. Here it is telling, a Yogi has reached the ultimate goal of his life, now he knows I have nothing to do with Gunas. What does that mean? I have nothing to do with Gunas means what? I have nothing to do with body-mind because body-mind are the modifications of what? Gunas. So I have nothing to do with the Gunas and the Gunas also, they have completed their job. Most wonderful aphorisms, these 2-3 aphorisms are coming here. Kritharthanaam, here Kritharthana means one who reached the goal but here Krithartha is not applied to the Yogi, it is applied to the Gunas. The Gunas, your car or your boat has taken you to the other shore and you jump out of the boat. The boat has fulfilled its purpose. What does the boatman do now? He will go back to ferry other souls who are waiting to go to the other end. But what does Patanjali is conveying or Sankhya Yoga is conveying through this, do you know? It says we were thinking this damned body-mind have been the obstructions for my realising God. At the end we realise they are not our enemies, they are our greatest well-wishers. They have been ferrying us across. We will come to that point in our next class. But what is meant here is the sequence of mutations of the Gunas comes to an end for they have fulfilled their purpose. I can do no better than quote the story of the 3 robbers of Sri Ramakrishna. A traveller was going through a forest and the 3 robbers attacked him and one robber took away everything, he wanted to kill him. The other robber said we have taken everything, there is no need for us to kill him, let us just bind him and leave him to his fate, whether he survives or not it is his fate and then they went away. Having bound him, they went away. Then after some time one of the robbers came back and said my good man, I feel bad for you and we should not have done for you this one. He unbinds him, takes him by the hand because by this time the traveller was thoroughly confused and desolate, depressed and slowly he catches hold of his hand and brings him out of the forest. Beautiful story, even to imagine that story and the robber says there is your village, there is your house, now you go and the man was overcome, so much overcome with gratefulness says you have saved my life, please come to my home. He says no, I am still a robber, police will catch me. My capacity to help you ends at the edge of the forest, now you have to go alone and this is the story, parable. So Ramakrishna, what is the meaning of this parable, do you know? What is the forest? This samsara. Who are the travellers? All of us. Every Jeeva is a traveller. Then who are the 3 robbers? Three Gunas, Tamas, Rajas and Sattva. Tamoguna wants to destroy, Rajoguna wants to bind us, Sattvaguna releases us, takes us almost to the edge and then points out. It cannot come because Gunas have no power to come to the Purusha or pure consciousness because body and mind are the modifications of Gunas and body and mind cannot take us to God because they are limitations, they are called Koshas. So they can only take up to a certain distance and say now you have to go alone because pure consciousness alone can merge in pure consciousness. How beautifully it dovetails into this aphorism, the Gunas are our friends, that is important point. I will elaborate it in my next class. The important point is even Tamas in our normal understanding is inimical to us but nothing in this world is in any way. Maya is not in any way because what is this Gunas? Nothing but manifestation of Maya and that Maya, whose Maya is it? Who created the Maya? God. God created Maya means what? He did not create Maya. He became Maya and if God became Maya, is it for whose good, for his good, for our badness, for our suffering or for his enjoyment? It is for our good. Like a mother, this avidya Maya purifies us and vidya Maya leads us and ultimately until we merge, that means we realise we are Brahman, this Maya is not going to leave. What a beautiful interpretation Shri Ramakrishna is giving us and what type of interpretation you have heard about all about Maya and praying to the Lord, oh let me never fall into the clutches of the Maya. These are very fine points and we will discuss in our next class.