Patanjali Yoga Sutras Lecture 039

Full Transcript(Not Corrected)

OM YOGENA CHITASYA PADENA VACHAM MALAM SHARIRASYA CHAVAIDHYAKENA YOPAKARUTTAM PRAVARAM MUNINAM PATANJALIM PRAMJALI RANA TOSME I bow down to the eminent sage Patanjali who removed impurities of the mind through yoga, of speech through grammar, and of the body through medicine. One way of realizing God is total surrender to Ishwara or God. Surrender, according to Patanjali, is to do japa or repetition of God's name. Repetition means not merely repeating like a parrot, but to go on feeling the meaning of the name of God which is called OM, pranava, OM. In my last class, I have given a very nice illustration just as a very hungry person, the moment he remembers some nice food, his mouth starts watering. This is a very mild example. If we can feel the presence of God as vividly whenever we remember God's name, that is called real japa. Holy Mother, she used to say that just as an alarm clock goes on ticking, so also the name of God should go on in one's mind. At the same time, she also made a very wonderful statement. What is the use of repeating God's name a million times if there is to be no feeling behind it? If we can repeat the name of God once with feeling, then that is much more effective than doing it many times. In this connection, Sri Ramakrishna also tells the father of Balarambas, why is it these people are not able to progress in spiritual life even though they do so much of repetition of God's name? Here is the explanation. They do not feel for God. Why? Because their minds are still so much attached to the world and if they are really wanting God, then they feel it. Even the very name. In my past classes, I have given lots of examples. Chaitanya Mahaprabhu's mind, where do we think it was dwelling all the time? On Krishna. And anything that revokes the association of Krishna used to throw him into ecstasy. For example, he was passing through a village and somebody told him, the clay from this village is used in a musical instrument called Khol. Immediately he went. Now that is called Artha Bhavana or feeling. And we experience in our day-to-day life towards those who are near and dear. One telling illustration of this from Sri Ramakrishna's teachings. He gives an example. Suppose a man is sweeping and another man comes and tells, do you know so and so had died. If that person who died is known to this person but has no relationship, that means he doesn't have the feeling towards him, then he simply says, oh too bad, sorry to hear about it. But if that person is a very beloved person, remember what he said, the broomstick falls from his hands, he falls unconscious, that is called feeling. And we must have that kind of feeling towards God. Then the God and God's name are associated. And if we can attain to that state of feeling, immediately we also become liberated. Not only we become liberated, there is another psychology involved there. That psychology is anything that affects us, changes our body, changes our mind, modifies our body and mind instantaneously. How it does? We will deal in our future classes. So this was what we discussed in our whole class, last class. Then Patanjali raises a question, what is the result of this doing japa? Japa means tat japa tat artha bhavanam. Japa means repeating, remembering God's name with intense feeling. Intense feeling and intense yearning. These are the words of Ramakrishna. Vyakulata. These are the words of Narada Maharishi. Tad vismarane parama vyakulata iti. There is one aphorism, Narada Bhakti Sutras. If we forget, any devotee forgets God, he feels like a fish that is brought out of water. Parama vyakulata tad vismarane. Just even to remember, it is extremely painful. So what is the result of this type of japa? It says, tathah pratyak chetana adhigamaha api antaraya abhavasthya. As the result of this japa comes, the knowledge of the Atman and destruction of the obstacles to that knowledge. How does that knowledge come? Knowledge of the Self. The point we have to remember repeatedly is, God doesn't give us realization. Guru doesn't give realization. Nobody gives us realization. Nobody can give realization. And there is no need for anyone to give us self-knowledge because we are the Self all the time. Then what does Guru, God, scripture or anybody else, what do they do? They merely assist in the removal of the obstacles. Now Patanjali in the later chapters, he gives a beautiful example. Kshetrika vat. There is a field, there is a river and the field needs water. How to bring water to the field? Just make a channel. What is the meaning of making a channel? Removing the obstruction between the body of water and the field. That is what we do when we dig a well, a tank, etc. This is Vedanta's particular emphasis on, always we have to say, Sri Ramakrishna used to say, Holy Mother used to say, God cannot be realized without His grace. What does it mean? Does God bring realization from somewhere? It is lying in India in Kamarpakur and then out of compassion, He flies there and brings it and gives it to you? Now, very interesting incident is there. I cannot refrain myself doing it. You know, those who read Ramayana, when Hanuman did not know what was his potentially hidden power, a guru comes forward and says, Hanuman, have you forgotten that when you were a small baby, you flew to the sky? And immediately, yes, yes. So it was said, he was cursed so that he need not to do any unnecessary harm, damage to others. But by these words, he simply was reminded of what his inner power was and then he jumped and then you know what happened? He brought news to Rama after half destroying the world. Now, that's very interesting. I want to dwell a moment on that. Hanuman, what did Hanuman do? He went to Sri Lanka and he met Sita. Then he let her know. What did he let her know? Because this Ramanasura was coming in so many forms and she lost count in next time in what form he will come. Suddenly, she saw this monkey, small tiny monkey and then he was talking in human language. Oh Sita, I am a messenger of Rama and she said this devil has come taking another form. Then he understood immediately, you know, because if he goes near, he is getting frightened. So he stands at a distance and then he glorifies all the deeds of Rama and the moment she heard it, she forgot all these issues. Her face was beaming as she was listening. What a beautiful description in the Ramayana. Then Hanuman slowly was approaching. Again Sita was afraid, maybe this fellow is going to do something because when Ramanasura came, in what form he came? In the form of an ascetic monk. Now, yes, he is praising Rama, but who knows? Then he has to let her know that he is her saviour. This is the interesting part. He is her saviour. So how to know? He has a ring belonging to Sri Rama and that ring cannot be found in anyone else excepting Jnani because she recognizes this is Rama's signature and she trusts him. This story is well known and then he asks permission. I am hungry, let me eat. Then he eats almost all the fruits, destroys the entire fruits and then he goes and then destroys half the barons, half the Lanka, meets Ramanasura and all that and then he goes. Now, if we have to pause ourselves and then say what were the fruits that he had eaten and why did he destroy only half of the Lanka? He was quite capable of destroying the whole Lanka. Why did he destroy only half? So the commentators come to our aid. What are the fruits? Adhyatma Ramayana. What are the fruits? What is it that binds us? The fruits of our karma, both what we call punya and papa, both if it is virtuous, even more poisonous than papa. Do you understand what I am talking about? If we are suffering, that is something which there is less of a curtain between us and God. But if we are enjoying, it's a wonderful family, loving wife, most loving husband, lovely children. Do you know what happens? God has very little place there. But if you are suffering, there is always a place for God because Sankatakale, Sankataramana. So, what are those fruits? The Hanuman has destroyed the fruits of karma, karma phala. But then Rama has to come. Why? Because the man was unable to recognize. What is the symbolism of this? You know, what did the commentators say? Who was Hanuman? Hanuman came to Ravanasura in the form of terrible misery. He could not help himself. He thought he was a very powerful man. Now he could not help himself. In fact, Hanuman out of compassion only left half the town. What is that half? He destroyed all the karmas of Ravanasura, of this life. But that final removal of ignorance can only be done by the direct realization of God. Then he says, Hanuman is considered in South Indian tradition as Guru. Mukhya Prana is called. Special name. Not Prana. Mukhya Prana. He is the Guru, Paramaguru. Who is a Guru? He who connects the individual with the Paramatma. So, first Paramatma, when he is gracious, he sends the Guru. What does the Guru do? He will destroy our Papa as well as our Punya. And then slowly God comes. So Hanuman came back and took Rama and Lakshmana and he went there and he destroyed. What did Rama destroy? Already Hanuman had destroyed. What did Rama destroy? The karma phala of Ravanasura was destroyed by Hanuman. Whereas, the ignorance of Ravanasura was destroyed by Rama himself. Then he became merged in him. This is the inner symbolism. So a Guru, he doesn't give us God realization. Even God cannot give realization. How does God destroy our ignorance? He comes in the form of a Guru and the Guru, that's why it is said, you know, if it is a Sadguru, like say Ramakrishna or Holy Mother, they take all the Papas. You heard about it. That's why they used to suffer. Did you hear that they take away not only your Papa, they also take away your Punya because they don't come to give real Sadguru. Doesn't come to give three things. Dharma, Artha and Kama are not given by any Sadguru. He gives only one. What is that? Moksha. Then what about Dharma, Artha, Kama? That is given by the Karma. Karma creates Punya and Papa. Punya and Papa give Dharma, Artha, Kama less or more. And that needs to be destroyed. And that is what the Guru comes and then he destroys these things. But the final ignorance must be destroyed only by God. How it is, you know? When the sun rises, the darkness of the night automatically disappears. And until that time, it is not possible to get rid of the darkness. What the Guru does, he facilitates, he gives us the eyes to experience the light when the light automatically comes. Sri Ramakrishna also tells profound things. When God is pleased, you know, it is like he says, when the sun is about to rise, then the whole eastern horizon it becomes pinkish. What is that pinkishness here? A devotee gets faith in God and he has devotion, he has discrimination, he has dispassion and he says only before the rise true faith comes. And that true faith is Guru Shastra. Yes, God exists and I can attain him. That 100% firm conviction comes. Then it is not far away when the realization comes. What is the point we are discussing? That God and his name are one and the same. By the reputation of God, we are actually realizing God in our heart of hearts, intellectually. When that God comes into our heart, really when we feel, then what happens? Pratyak chetana adhigamaha, the aspirant realizes his own true nature. How does it happen? Antaraya abhavascha, all the obstacles, all the darkness it is removed. And in Vedantic terms, darkness always means both virtue and vice. Don't even say, oh my virtue I will retain and my vice I will give it to God. No, when God comes, he destroys everything. From Vedantic point of view, any duality, any separation or difference from God is called avidya or ignorance. So he takes away both. Sri Ram Krishna's statements, it is scattered like jewels throughout the gospel. He gives an example. I am just reminding you, Sri Ram Krishna refers to Sri Krishna's call to the Gopis. Sri Krishna went to the banks of the Yamuna and he started playing the flute and so many Gopis prayed to Mother Katya, any divine mother, we want to have union with Krishna and so many Gopis simply came. This is, you know that. The next part is, there are some Gopis who could not come because their relatives, their husbands, their children, they were forcibly keeping them. There is no way they could come to Sri Krishna. Then what happened? One Gopi was milking the cows. Another Gopi was cooking food. Another Gopi was suckling her baby. Like that various. Then what happens? Hearing the sweet flute of Bhagavan Krishna, their hearts started burning. Paramavyakulata, intense yearning. We are unable to go. And then Sri Ram Krishna says, the fire of burning because of their yearning separation from Krishna burnt away all the sinful deeds of theirs but punya remained. The punya remained. Punya means virtue remained. They will be separate. Why? Because they will be enjoying this world. Their remembrance of Krishna burnt completely all their virtues and they attained to salvation. It's a, that is not actually our direct subject but the comparison is so marvellous. So what about the other Gopis who were able actually to meet Krishna? Before meeting Krishna, their idea was, we love Krishna. We want to be with him. We want to enjoy him. But he was God. You embrace fire. This is my favourite example. You embrace fire or fire embraces you. What do you become? What does fire become? Does fire become you or you become the fire? If you touch a powerful electric wire, what do you become? And if anyone touches you, what happens to that person? He also becomes powerful electricity. Any number of people. That is the beautiful analogy. Fire embraces us. We become fire. These people embraced whom? Krishna. What did they become? That's it. They express it. In that beautiful poem called Gopika Geetam, the graphic description Bhagavata gives is thrilling. Krishna disappeared because their egos have come. We could get Krishna. That is ego. No, you can't get Krishna. Unless Krishna comes out of his grace, you cannot. If the darkness ever thinks. Now, this is another question. Very interesting question. When the sun rises, what happens to the darkness? What is the word we use? It gets... When the light comes, what happens to darkness? It gets destroyed. Is that a correct word? No. What happens to the darkness? It turns into, merges into light. See, what a difference it makes. As though the darkness ran away somewhere and light is different. Darkness is different. No. Darkness and light, they are two aspects of one and the same, of upwards and reverse of the coin. So when the egotism had risen in the Gopika's mind, then Krishna disappeared. What does that mean? When ego arises, God disappears. When God appears, ego disappears. Disappears means what? We use this word, destroyed. Ego is destroyed. What does it mean? It means, the individual, small ego has become universal ego. The individual has become the supreme. What is the point of all this discussion? The point is, that through the japa, japa means feeling, feeling of the presence of God. What does it do? It destroys the obstacles. Means what? We realize everything as Brahman. Let me dwell a moment on this subject. You know Vedanta and Yoga Sutras. They are two different ways of interpretation. But the foundation is Vedanta. Now here, Patanjali says, through the repetition of God's name japa, pratyak chetana adhiga maha, man realizes that he is the divine. So the Guru comes and he says, tattvam ase, the what, that. And the person realizes, after some time, or immediately, depends upon, what does he realize? Guru comes and says, you are that. How does the disciple reply to the Guru? He says, I am, do you get what I am talking about? The Guru comes and teaches, the what, that. And if the disciple has got enough qualification, how does he respond to the Guru's teaching? Sooner or later. What does he say? Aham brahmasmi. I am, you are right. You said you are, aham brahmasmi. Do you see the fun of it? The Guru says, you are that. And the disciple says, I am you. I am the Guru. That is why Shri Ramakrishna says, Shukadeva's incident you know, Janaka Maharaja said to Shukadeva, give my fee right now, before I give you the teaching. Because the moment I say the what, that, what will you feel? I am you. And who is going to give fee to whom? So, Guru says, you are that. Disciple says, I am that. I am that means, I am everything. That is the important. Aham brahmasmi means what? I am everything. If I am everything, I am also the Guru. The difference between, I am a disciple, and you are a Guru, that also vanishes, with the dawn of knowledge. Then, everything, not only the Guru, everything is Brahman. There is nothing which is not Brahman. The whole universe is nothing but Brahman. That is the realization. That is what, Pratyak Chetana Adhigamaha. How does it happen? Antaraya Abhavasthya. Merely by removing the obstacles. From Vedantic point of view, what is the obstacle? To feel, I am separate from you. I am separate from you. This is called Dvaita, duality. And that is the greatest obstacle. That is why, what is most important, the body is not an obstacle. The mind is not an obstacle. Nothing in this world is an obstacle. What is the problem? To feel, that this is, the whole of reality. Again, I have to remind you, Ramakrishna gives a beautiful parable. Once four blind men, they were asked to describe an elephant. All the four people were touching an elephant. What was their statement? One fellow for example says, elephant is like a pillar, like a winnowing basket, etc. Each person was telling, one part of the elephant, as the complete elephant. They were not wrong. What they touched was really, an elephant only. And what they were talking about, is an elephant only. What was their problem? They are identifying one part, with the whole. So, we are saying, I am the body, I am man, I am a woman. There is nothing wrong. Is that Brahman? Yes, it is Brahman. Then why is it called ignorance? It's called ignorance because, we say, that this is the only reality, and nothing else. That's why we say, I am. How to get rid of it? You don't destroy the body, you don't destroy the mind. You merge it. All the bodies is Brahman. All the minds is also Brahman. Individual is now, looked upon by himself, as the universal, that is called Aham Brahmasmi. And when such a state comes, the man doesn't recognize, the difference between, one and the other. There are so many incidents, rush into my mind. Sri Ram Krishna, was one day smoking, and, Narendra Nath was nearby, if you remember. After smoking, he wants to, Narendra also to smoke. And Narendra was very hesitant. This holy person, he knew, how Sri Ram Krishna suffered, when he touched some people, some objects. So he was very hesitant, because, he was very hesitant. You know, I wanted to ask you, why was he so very hesitant? Because the ignorance still is there, I am different, and you are different. Now here is Maja. Maja is, if he thinks Sri Ram Krishna is different, has he got the correct idea about Sri Ram Krishna? Or was he thinking Sri Ram Krishna, an exalted personality, not Brahman? Are you getting what I am trying to drive at? If Narendra Nath knew, that Sri Ram Krishna is Brahman, would he hesitate? Does he consider himself, I am inferior and you are superior? So long as we cherish, I am inferior, you are superior. Or, I am superior and you are inferior. The other way also, that indicates, ignorance. What does Sri Ram Krishna, how did Sri Ram Krishna, respond to that, Narendra Nath's response? We know he said, what an ignorance. From one point of view, Sri Ram Krishna's body was very pure. It could not touch anything impure. From the other point of view, what is impurity? Impurity comes from where? From outside, from something different. How can we say, I am pure and impure at the same time? Anyway, these are all aside questions. Just the thought came to my mind, so I wanted to, share it with you. So, by removal of the obstructions, the Self, by itself, it manifests. The moment you remove the obstruction, the Self manifests. And that is the result of doing Japa or with Artha Bhavana. And what are the obstacles? Last class, we decided there were nine obstacles. Vyadi, Styana, Samshaya, Pramada, Alasya, Avirati, Bhranti Darshana, Alabdha Bhoomikattva, Anavasthitattvani, Chitta Vikshayapahate, Navamaha Antarayaha. Nine obstacles. What are they? Sickness, Mental laziness, Doubt, Lack of enthusiasm, Sloth, Craving for sense pleasures, False perception, Despair caused by failure to concentrate, and Unsteadiness in concentration. These distractions are the obstacles to knowledge. Let us take one by one very briefly. Sickness. Sickness is disorder of the humors, secretions and the organs of the body. According to Ayurveda, Ayurveda is the science of health from Indian standpoint of view. According to Ayurveda, the disbalance between three is called disease. The English word disease is very interesting word. This is disbalance. You know Chinese medicine? What they say? There is a balancial or disbalance, balancial difference between the yin and yang. Have you ever seen that black and white like that? A circle, black and white. So, according to Ayurveda, there are three elements which constitute the body. Kapha, Vata and Pitta. I don't know exact English equivalents to that. These are the three elements. And this is the the body, physical body. Any disbalance between these three bring about dis- ease and restoration of this balance between these three is removal of disease according to Ayurveda. Okay. What about the mind? Mind also as we know can be very very sick. Mildly sick and seriously sick. I want to ask you a question. Don't don't get angry with me. How many of us are mentally healthy? If I ask this question, very few accept, admit that they are mentally diseased. It is it is but the reality is we are all mentally sick is a little or more. But the nature of the sickness is that we don't think we are sick. We think everyone else is sick excepting us. What is mental health according to Vedanta? What is the mental health? If a person knows this is me, he is mentally healthy. Not from worldly point of view. Worldly point of view very few they are ignorant of their own identity. Very few. But they don't know what they are talking about. You know, suppose you come across a person. You ask him who are you? I am Ram. Okay, fine. And then next second suppose somebody else asks Sir, what is your name? My name is Krishna. This fellow opens his eyes. Just now he said I am Rama. Next moment what is he telling? I am Krishna. Then what do you how do you label that person in your own mind? Mad, isn't it? This is from Vedantic point of view our real identity is I am Brahman. And if you say give any answer and you are giving various answers not in the form of who am I but in the form of how am I? How are you? I am not alright. What is the problem? A headache. After five minutes, how are you? I am fine. Why? I have no headache now. After some time I am happy. After some time I am unhappy. After some time I am so-and-so etc. etc. etc. You know that funny story? In a school a small boy was asked what is your age? He said I am six years old. How old is your father? He said six years old. The teacher said explain yourself. The boy said you know he became a father only when I was born. What a wonderful thing. We are changing. Before he says I am just I am an unmarried person. After some time I am a married person. After some time I am a father. After some time who are you? I am a young boy. Who are you? I am a young man. Who are you? I am a middle-aged man. Who are you? I am an old man. Then the next question will be not who are you? Who was he? Someone else has to answer. So when a person is going on changing his identity what should be how should he be considered as mad? Is it not? We don't do it because we all reinforce each other because if I call you mad you will also call me Maha Mad. That is why I pat your back and you pat my back. You pat my back saying Swami you are a very spiritual person. I pat your back saying you are a great devotee. We go on complimenting each other both in the state of ignorance only. Who is a really real individual? Talking about Swami Vivekananda says you have not become an individual. You are a dividual now. You can be divided. When you become real individual your identity would be very interesting. He doesn't say I am Brahman because if he says I am Brahman who are you? He says Sarvam Kalvidam Brahma. Everything is Brahman. There is no I or you. These are all nonsense. Anyway, what is the point we are discussing? That what is an obstacle? An obstacle is that which makes us aware and identify with our ignorance. That is called Vyadi. Physical disease is caused as I mentioned because of the disbalance between Kapha, Vata and Pitta. Kapha, Vata, Pitta Kanthava, Rodhana, Vidhau Smaranam, Kutaste Krishna, Tvadiya, Pada, Pankaja, Pingya, Rastam Adhyaiva, Vishadhu, Me, Manasa, Rajahamsa There is a beautiful shloka verse in a stuti hymn called Mukunda Mala. He says, O Krishna let the swan of my mind enter into the cage of your lotus feet right now. Why? Because Kanthava, Rodhana, Kapha, Vata, Pitta When Kapha, Vata and Pitta are choking my throat Kanthava, Rodhana, Vidhau Smaranam, Kutaste Smaranam is a beautiful word. Smaranam means what? Remembrance not utterance. Your speech is gone but at least mentally can you remember God? No, I can't remember God. Why? Because when you are having headache where will be your mind? When your stomach is burning where will be your mind? We have not attained to that state. Shri Ram Krishna can say O body, O mind you deal with your own sickness O mind, let us think about God. We have not attained to that state. He could withdraw his mind but not we. For us that is why Vyati is a terrible obstruction to spiritual not only spiritual progress but to any even worldly enjoyment if you want to enjoy you must have tremendous health physical as well as mental. Our worldly happiness is proportionate to our physical and mental health Vyati, sickness. Then there is a special type of obstruction called mental laziness. Why is it called mental laziness? Because there is a physical laziness. What is physical laziness? When the body is heavy for example after eating a lot of food what happens? The body becomes very heavy. There is nothing to do mind. The mind wants to do something. This is another thing also you must have noticed. When we become old our mind doesn't become old. Body becomes old. The desires are strong. We want to eat more. We want to enjoy more. We want to hear more. We want to do everything more. We feel like running like Eggman but what happens? The body doesn't move at all. Have you seen people with walkers? Who walks first? It is the walker which walks first, isn't it? How pathetic it appears but that is a natural condition of old age but we do not need to be old to have this kind of laziness. We can have laziness. Right, you eat more then laziness will come. You eat less laziness will come. Then you work hard more laziness will come. You work less laziness will not come but what comes? Restlessness. Do you know what is restlessness? Very interesting topic. What is restlessness? Restlessness is terrible mental laziness. Is it right? Mind is moving like a racehorse from here to there. How could you call it laziness? It is restless with regard to other objects but with regard to that particular object which you want to think about you understand? You can't focus your mind on God. What do you call it? You want, you desire, you say I want to focus my mind on God but your mind is running away. What is it called? Laziness. And that is a great obstacle. And who doesn't suffer from this kind of mental laziness? This is only one of the nine. First physical disease, mental disease then this is laziness then doubt. Very often doubt comes to us. Is what my Guru told? Is it true? Is what my scripture said? Is it also true? Now I am discussing these points in such elaboration there is a reason for that. The reason is we use all these words. We know about these states but we have never gone deep into them. What is doubt? There are people who do not believe in God. We say they have no belief in God. They are called nastikas. And the rest of us we label ourselves as what? Astikas. Do you believe in God? Let me give you an illustration. What do the scriptures say? Even if you have committed most horrible unimaginable crimes you utter the name of God once and you should feel absolutely free. Once Ramnaam Koti Koti Janma Bhagay They run away. Have you heard about it? Shall I test you? How many of you believe it? How many of us really believe in it? How many times we are not taking Ram Krishna's name? And then what do you say? Uthakur I am a weak creature. I am a sinful creature. I am a lowly creature. Oh Lord! I don't have devotion. I don't have faith. Are we not saying that to Thakur? We don't say it to each other. But we are telling it to Thakur. And at the same time you are saying Thakur, Thakur, Thakur. How many times? What about Sri Ram Krishna's teaching? He says what kind of faith you have? What? I have uttered the name of Durga and what fear have I got? Have you read somewhere? Doubt comes. It is in the mind's nature is to have these doubts. That is an obstacle. It has to be removed. How can doubt be removed? What is the opposite of doubt? Faith. That is the correct word. Faith. Absolute. Like you know I gave the example of Ramanasura tied Rama's name to one man who was stranded and he was walking nicely over the waters and then he became curious. There is a saying in English curiosity kills the cat. It is exactly what he opened in the middle. He should have opened after reaching here. Stupid fellow. He opened on the way in the mid-ocean and then he found only one word is there. What is that? Rama. Oops! This much. And then the moment this oof means what? Doubt. Ground. Then one sadhu came to Sri Ram Krishna at Vaishnavism and he had a big book, you know and Sri Ram Krishna observed the sadhu. Now and then he opens the book and then turns a few pages. It is a drama. Turns a few pages and he smiles, closes the book, closes his eyes and meditates and then again he opens where the bookmark is kept. He opens. Mind my words. Bookmark is there from there onwards. Sri Ram Krishna became curious as you know and he took the permission of the sadhu. He went and opened the book and then he started turning. What was written in that book? On every page only one word Rama. Now my point is why do you need such a big book? You need only one page. If it is Rama all that you needed was one page. Do you really need one page if you know Rama? Can't you remember Rama? But you know this is called drama. That is how they pass their times. Sri Ram Krishna was looked, probably looked, puzzled and then the sadhu explained after all what is the essence of all scriptures, any scripture? God exists. It is true and if you understand this much you don't need to read. You don't need any more scripture. Who says? Who said that? Sri Ram Krishna said. What did he say? A man went to a town and he received a letter and he lost the letter. He was searching for the letter. After long search he got it and he opened. He read what was written. When you return home you bring a few things along with you and what did he do? What did he do? He destroyed that letter. He took so much trouble to find out that letter. Then what did he do? He destroyed. So what is the essence of scriptures? God exists and you have to realize God and once we really understand it you don't need any scripture in this world. So that is the point. Doubt. Doubt and faith are opposite poles but we start our life only with doubt then less doubt then less doubt until finally no doubt at all and that is the point of self-surrender. How? Because self-surrender means actual realization and then journey has come to an end. That is the end of it. So this is called doubt. Then lack of enthusiasm directly proportionate. If you have doubt your enthusiasm for anything is directly proportionate to lack of enthusiasm but lack of enthusiasm can also be caused by other things like for example, you know you go on reading worldly books watching worldly films your enthusiasm for God for doing japa I'm not talking about God realization I'm talking about just normal day-to-day spiritual practice. You don't practice with enthusiasm. Now shall I ask you a very interesting question. How many of us do our day-to-day spiritual practices with tremendous enthusiasm? I know we practice most of us practice regularly a lot of time sometimes even more. Is it done mechanically or is it done with tremendous enthusiasm? I'm not going to ask you directly. I know you examine your hearts find out am I doing it with joy? Am I doing it because I have taken a vow I will do this. Sometimes yes always no. How do we know? How do you know? Because if you are really getting joy we need a crane to pull you out of doing japa. But here what is we are looking for any excuse for somebody to come and say you know there's a phone call immediately we jump up and run. Is it because of the phone call or because we are not getting any joy out of our spiritual practice? So lack of enthusiasm sloth sloth means it is terrible terrible heaviness craving for sense pleasures. We know what it is. Then comes false perception. What is false perception? To misunderstand the Guru's and the scriptures words in the opposite way misunderstand. Then despair caused by failure to concentrate. This is it is a very wonderful point. You know, sometimes we are very sincere. We want to focus. We want to concentrate but our mind is restless. As a result of our inability to concentrate despair comes. Oh, I am unable to concentrate. What a horrible person I am. Many times we regret, isn't it? That is an obstacle to spiritual practice. What should we do? Should we not recognize? Yes, you recognize that you are unable to concentrate. Once you recognize you say I will try again. Otherwise you are wasting your time. You know how it happens? Supposing you have done something you should not have done and then you realize you have wasted your time. Having realized you have wasted your time you go on thinking how you wasted your time. Is it a waste? Further waste. Already you wasted your time. Now hundred times repeating I have wasted my time is not going to rectify the matter. Immediately you do something. You are reading a book or you are doing japam. Your mind has gone somewhere and then suddenly you come back with a start and say Oh, my mind is thinking something else. I wasted my time. Oh, I wasted my time. Instead of doing immediately more japam what are you doing? What japam are you doing? I have wasted, I have wasted, I have wasted, I have wasted. This is real waste of time. Okay, the first one is caused by samskaras. The second one is caused by lack of intelligence. We should say, immediately we should say Yes, I have done something wrong. I should not repeat it. Let me try not to repeat it. Then we save the time. So that is called despair caused by failure to concentrate and unsteadiness in concentration means alabdha bhumi kathwa is a beautiful word. Sometimes we attain to higher states of concentration, but then we are incapable of retaining them. I will give you one or two examples and close this talk. Once a person was brought to, a young man was brought to Shri Ramakrishna and then this man was constantly repeating God's name. Tears were flowing from his eyes. The parents of that man, relatives, they were concerned. What is this happening to this man, Ramakrishna? They brought him fortunately to Shri Ramakrishna and Shri Ramakrishna one look and he said this man will not be able to retain this. He had attained to a very high state of spiritual experience, but he won't be able to retain it because he did not come from steadfast practice. It came as an emotional upliftment. As soon as his mind comes down, if someone, impure person touches him, immediately his mind will come. Exactly after one or two days, immediately it happens. This state is called alabdha bhumi kathwam. Another example, very beautiful example, Swami Subodhananda. Once his name was Khoka. Thakur used to call him Khoka. He came to Dakshineshwar and then Shri Ramakrishna asked him, do you meditate? He said yes, I meditate every day. And how is your meditation? He said not good. What happened? Sometimes I have real good meditation and sometimes the mind doesn't go at all. Now is it so? Go to Panchavati and meditate. Shri Ramakrishna sent him. He went to Panchavati. In those days, there was a kind of table, stone, and people could sit. Shri Ramakrishna used to sit there and talk. He went there and he started meditating. But that day, the meditation was not that good. He was meditating because Shri Ramakrishna asked him to, but his mind was not that steady. And then after some time, Shri Ramakrishna went there, saw his disciple restless, and then he went and touched him casually. The moment he did that, Subodh Swami, Subodhananda's mind merged, went to deep. He became like a stone. After many hours, he came back and then Shri Ramakrishna told him, from today onwards, you will, every day you will have this kind of meditation. This is called Guru Kripa. It is possible. Of course, he was also a nice recipient, fit recipient, not like us. What is the point we are talking about? Sometimes we can attain to that state, but because of our lack of fitness of the mind, we cannot stay there. We have to come down. Shri Ramakrishna gives a beautiful example. There was a mongoose. It wants to, whenever danger threatens, it wants to go into its hole in the wall to be safe. But some boys tied a stone to its tail. So the moment it enters a little bit, this weight of the stone, brick, it brings it down. It's a beautiful example. We also want to go to higher regions. But what happened? Our tails are tied with huge stones. The only difference between that story and our story is, there someone else tied its tail. Here we tied our own. So these are the nine obstacles. And what is the result of these obstacles? Five results will come. We will discuss these points. Om Shanti Shanti Shanti