Kaivalya Upanishad Lecture 08 on 11 November 2023

Full Transcript (Not Corrected)

We have been studying a Kaivalya Upanishad in our last class. We have been contemplating on the sixth mantra. There was a great sadhaka called Ashvalayana. He approached directly Bhagavan Brahma himself, the Saguna Brahma, and took refuge in him and then served him and pleased him and asked him, teach me or help me how I can know my own nature, Atma Jnanam. And as a result, Parameshti has been teaching. First he said, if you do not have spiritual qualities, you are not going to attain to this. For that, you must be pure in heart and you must have no attachment to anything in this world. Your mind must be absolutely under your control. You must, whether you are a sannyasin outside or not, behave like a sannyasin. And then you will be able to attain to your goal. Then he taught how to sit, how to breathe, how to control, how to do pranayama. Many details we are not given here, but a few details. And then Sukha Asena. Asana should be very comfortable, provided all these qualities have been attained. In the sixth mantra, Parameshti has been teaching. Now you have to meditate upon where? In the lotus of the heart. And what is the nature of this heart? Virajam. It is completely pure. Rajam means dust. Or here it means impurities. So as we know, when a person is taking to sannyasa, he has to do Virajahoma mantras. That is formally giving a vow. Vowing to God that I promise you, I will get rid of all my attachments to the body, to the mind and to everything that I possess. That is called Virajam. And then Vishuddham. Vishuddham means one-pointed desire. Only one desire. Called Mokshatma. And then in the middle of that lotus feet, you will have to think of Paramatma. Brahman. One must start to meditate, to think deeply on that Paramatma who is Vishuddham. Vishuddham means ever evident. How? Every thought that we have in our mind, the thought itself is a Jada. But it is illumined by the light of the Atman or by the consciousness of the Atman. And that consciousness remains ever separate as a witness, pure witness. Though we think that we get attached. And what is its nature? Vishokam. Means Ananda Swaroopam. There is no trace of Shokam at all. Then he goes on giving in the next mantra. Nearly 13 qualities. Achintyam, Avyaktam, Anantaroopam, Shivam, Prashantam, Amrutam, Brahmayonim, Tatha, Adi Madhyantavihinam, Ekam, Vibhum, Chidanandam, Aroopam, Adbhutam. Marvelous qualities. And they are all qualities of Nirguna Brahma. That is why the very first thing, Achintyam. He is beyond all thought. Then how do Parameshwari advise a person? On one hand, he says, Parabrahma is unthinkable. And you think of him. What it means is whatever thoughts I have about Brahman are inadequate. Not able to express. That is why he said Avyaktam. Because it is unmanifest. Whatever experiences we have, we can only have experience of something which is manifest. And manifestation takes six forms. What are those six forms? Pancha, Jnana, Indriya. So Shabda, Sparsha, Roopa, Prasa, Gandha. And these five also directly. Not experienceable directly. So for example, if I am seeing a red colour. So I say I am seeing a red colour. But the eye doesn't know what is red, what is blue, what is yellow, what is colour, what is colourless. It is just like telephone wire. It only conveys the idea. But the mind has got the ability. First ability is it consolidates all the five types of information. Shabda, Sparsha, Roopa, Prasa, Gandha. And makes one homogeneous whole. And the second is it forms a complete picture. But it is endowed with consciousness. So this is a tree. This is a human being. This is an animal, etc. It conveys that to the buddhi. So here Avyaktam. This is what we have been discussing. Avyakta means evident. And that which is not evident is called avyakta. And whatever is manifest alone is evident. And what is avyakta is not evident. But what is the point? The point is if I am seeing a pot. That is an effect. That is evident. That is manifest. But what is not so obvious is the cause. Karyam is evident. Karanam is not so evident. So who is the root cause of all this entire universe? That is not evident. Not really. We should not say it is not evident. But in a very abstract sense it is evident. How is it evident as an abstract sense? First of all, whatever object we see. What do we say? A tree is. A person is. That easiness or existence without any differentiation. At the level of easiness, existence, there is no difference between the existence of a tree and a human being, an animal, a mosquito. But at the level of vyakta, nama and rupa, there is anantarupam. That is what he said. Anantarupam. That avyakta which is the root cause, that alone when we perceive it in the form of an effect, karyam, but not one karyam. Anantarupam. It is of infinite forms. And as we discussed it in most of the things, I mean in everything, whether it is Narayana Suktam, Purusha Suktam, Devi Suktam, or whether any Upanishad, Kato Upanishad, Mandukya Upanishad, Yad Bhotam, Echa Bhaviyam, everything is nothing but that Omkara. This is called Anantarupam. Infinite forms. Sahasra, Sirsha, Purusha, etc. And we are interacting with them. But here comes a most marvelous thought. Shivam. Everything is auspiciousness. This idea of Shivam, we have come across many times. Every day, the devotees of Sri Ramakrishna are bound to sing at the Vesper service, Sarva Mangala Mangalye Shivay. Whatever happens in life. Somebody is cutting my throat. That is also Shivam. How do you say it is Shivam? Death is not Shivam. Suffering is not Shivam. Unpleasantness is not Shivam. No. Because these are the only things that direct our mind towards the higher reality. If our life is very pleasant, we will never think about God. And then, that is why, as we discussed in the Mandukya Upanishad, Godopadacharya says, the fourth obstruction to Yoga. Yoga means recognizing our own true nature. He says there are four obstructions. First is Laya. Then Vikshepa. Then Kashaya. Then Ananda. Laya means our mind is not able to sustain the thought. It gets bored. Simply it goes to sleep. Even if somebody is boring you, you go to sleep. You are reading a book, Brahma Sathyam Jagat Mithya, for a long time, you go to sleep. And if somebody is boring you, left and right, and God is the biggest bore or Ahavatara, so you go to sleep while meditation. But it has its own benefit. God bores you. That is the distinction. God bores you so much that you have the most relaxing sleep in the whole world. So many people tell, Swami, your talks are very refreshing. So this is Sarvam Shivamayam Mangalam. What we normally label as unsavoury experience, difficult suffering experience, actually, subsequently, after some time, it leads us to a very better, higher state. In that sense, everything is Shivam. Shiva is only coming in the form of enemy, and friend, and happiness, and suffering. How do you say so? Actually, Shiva is not coming. Our own Prarabdha Karma is manifesting in the form. Though many people might take offence, the present war, so many people are dying, how many people have become disfigured, lost their limbs, as a result of this war, we don't know. But definitely there will be. If it is earthquake, then we dare not to blame God. But if it is a war, we take sides. But the fact is, neither party is responsible. Then who is responsible? Our own self. Our own particular Prarabdha Karma is responsible. And when we are suffering, inevitably, it leads to greater ideal, reformation, at least in the form of trying to avoid, in future, what is unpleasant experiences. Therefore, everything is Shivam. So, this was what we studied in our last class. Now, we have to go through some more. Then we come across what is called Prasantham. So, what is this Prasantham? So, Prasantham means, when we develop a very positive attitude towards everything in life. Actually, this is something, very interesting psychology. In fact, the whole spiritual life is nothing but pure psychology. So, when we are going through some patches of happiness, what we call pleasantness, not only we hardly learn any lesson, it puts us to sleep. It makes us indolent. It doesn't allow us to think. Only difficulties. Every failure is a stepping stone towards success. As a great wise man had said, every failure undoubtedly, unerringly points out to future success. If we are discriminative enough, discerning enough to think about it, so that we can avoid it. So, here comes when we can develop a beautiful positive attitude. So, we don't know what type of future enlightenment this is going to bring us. That attitude is called Shivam. As soon as we get this attitude, our mind becomes extremely quiet. What is called equanimity? Prashantam. Prashantamanasamhenam. Sukham uttamam. Bhagavad Gita describes and that is what is going to come here also. The mind becomes not only not hesitating, but positively happy. That is why even while describing prasadam, any type of prasadam, physical prasadam, some kind of food usually, but we should also extend it. If a person has acquired a house, that is the prasadam of God. Somebody had got some new clothes or new presents, that is prasadam of God. Somebody is married, then both of them, husband and wife, are the prasadam of Bhagawan Himself. That is why in Christian saying, marriages are made in heaven only. That means what God arranges for our own good, what is good for both of us. So put it in a blunt way, it means marriage is a karma exhaustive therapy. Husband exhausts the wife's karma. Wife exhausts the husband's karma. Children exhaust the parents' karma. Parents exhaust the children's karma. Friends exhaust friends' karma. Enemies exhaust enemies' karma. So we are all helping each other, so that we can go beyond all karmas, karma phalas. So, Prasade sarva dukkhaanam. Haani rasyo upajayate. Prasanna chetasaha. That prasanna chetasaha is mentioned here as prashantam. And then, as soon as the mind becomes prashantam, what happens? Amrutam, just as a pure mirror, reflects the highest reality, Parabrahman. Here also, I hope you remember, Jesus Christ gives a marvellous sermon, pure Advaitic sermon, on the mount, Mount Sinai. He says, Blessed are they, pure in heart, for they shall see God. So, blessed are the poor in heart, for they obtain the highest bliss. So, it goes on. So many sutras are there, for higher happiness. In fact, our Swami Prabhavanandaji, has given a most beautiful commentary, from the Vedantic point of view, what is this sermon on the mount. A marvellous piece, of the highest spiritual literature, for us to follow. So, Amrutam, what is it? A knowledge, flashes. And that is what, Patanjali Rishi also, while defining Yoga, and all of you can remember, Yogaha Chittavruti Nirodaha. Nirodha means, make the mind absolutely, like a pure mirror. That is called Nirodha. Not suppression, not removal, but make the mind pure, one-pointed, Sattva Guna Sampanna. Then he goes on telling, what is the result? Prasantham, Tatha, Drashtu Swaroope, Avasthanam. And the Sadhaka's mind, will behold, unbroken vision, of his own self. Just as, when a mirror is pure, we see our own reflection, uncontaminated, uninterrupted. And that is what happens. This is called Amrutam. Then we realise, I am that marvellous self. And then, what happens? That, I am the cause, of this entire universe. That means, just as, an ornament, golden ornament, realises, I am not, as I was thinking until now, only an ornament, an effect, but I am gold itself. I am, not separate from gold. And I am the cause, of this ornament. So this is called, Brahma Yonim. So Brahma, usually, interpreted as, what is called, Srishti Kartha Brahma. And, Yonim means cause. So, as if, Bhagavan Krishna is also telling, Tasmin Garbham, Radha Myaham. If the entire universe, which is called Prakruti, called Brahma, if that is the Prakruti, Brahma is actually Prakruti, then, with my union, the entire universe, that is, the Brahma himself, transforms, manifests, as this entire universe, this is called Brahma Yonim. And when the mind is pure, then, flashes intuitively, that knowledge, I am Brahman, and from me, everything comes out. How beautifully, connected, and harmonized, these thoughts are, when we are talking about, Aham Rudre Vihi, Vasubhihi, Charamyaham. I, move along with, Rudra, Vasus, Adityas, etc. Varuna, Indra, Agni, Ashwini, Kumaras, etc. But what, who is telling? Brahman is telling. Because that, Ambruni, had now become, through Brahma Gnanam, Brahma. That Brahman, is declaring, I am only manifesting, as Saguna Brahma, in the form of, Rudra, Marutsu, Adityaha, Ashwini, Kumaras, Indra, Agni, Varuna, Vibharmiham. I am manifesting. I am only illuminating. I have become the universe. I am the ruler of the universe. And I am the, ruled, universe. Ahamannam, Ahamannam, Ahamannam, Ahamannadaha, Ohamannadaha, Ohamannadaha. Same ideas are repeated, many times. That is what we are going to study, in future also. So, I am Brahma Yonim. Same idea, is beautifully expressed, in the Bhagavad Gita, Maya Dhyakshena, Kaunteya, Prakruthi, Suyate Sacharacharam, Prakruthi is called Brahma, and Maya Dhyakshena, joined with me, under my supervision, that means, with my presence. I illuminate Brahma, the Srishti Karta, as this entire universe. Brahma, Prakruthi, Saguna Brahma, Shakti, Kali, whom we are going to worship, is none other than, that Parabrahman. So, I am the Brahma. These are the thoughts. Do not forget, Parameshwari, is advising, suggesting, to Ashvalayana, this is how you have to think, about Brahma. And then naturally, Adi Madhya Antavehenam, Ekam, Vibhum, Chidanandam, Aroopam, Adbhutam. So, Brahma, is the Jagat Karanam. And this Jagat Karanam, what is its nature? Adi Madhya Antavehenam. That is why, Brahman is described as Ajam Ekam. Unborn, this is called Jati Vada, Ekam. Advaita itself, not to, deliberately, for a particular reason, is used the word, Advaita. Non-duality. Instead of saying, Ekam, Advaitam, is a double negative. So, I am not the, Advaita. Should have said then, I am Advaita. Yes, that is why, non-dual, double negative. So that, other ideas would not, occupy our mind. So I am the, Adi Madhya Antavehenam. I have no beginning, I have no middle, and I don't have any, end also. Because, infinite. Where, where does infinite begin? And even, if you draw, a full circle around you, how someone asks, where does it start? Every point, in that circle, is both beginning, and end points. That is the beauty of it, we have to explore that, concrete idea. Abstract idea. Very interesting. So, this Adi Madhya Anta, that means, limitedness. And this limitedness, is of, two types. Desha, three types actually. Desha, Kala, and Vastu. Limitedness, is called, Parichcheda. Desha Parichcheda, Vastu Parichcheda, and Kala Parichcheda. So, beautiful illustration. If I am here, I cannot be there. And then, if I am here now, at this same time, I cannot be anywhere else. Another time, I can be elsewhere. So, Desha, Kala, go together. But, what about Brahman? Brahman is, beyond Desha, beyond Kala, there is no Vastu at all, so it is free. This is the meaning of, Adi, Madhi, Antavahena. In fact, these ideas, beginning, middle, and end, are the, possibilities, the powers of the mind. Because mind is limited, mind has to, think about, the beginning, middle, and end. Simple example, a baby is born, that is the beginning. And baby continues to grow, that is the middle. And, there will come a time, when the person has to, die. And that is, Adi, Madhi, Antavahena. So, Desha also, baby is very small, and then, he grows and grows, he may be, 6.2 feet. So, in comparison with the baby, baby is very small, and this is very big. So, this is also, Desha Parichcheda, spatial limitation. Of course, current time will be there, to grow for the baby, to this 6.5. Even there are people, who are 8 feet tall also. They are very odd people, very few people. But, time is needed, for them, to grow up. So, everybody is different. So, somebody is small, somebody is big. Somebody is thin, somebody is stout. So, Desha, Kaala, Vastu, Parichcheda is there. But, that which is infinite, Purnat, Purnamudachchate, Purnasya, Purnamadaya, Purnamevavasishchate. This is the idea, Adi, Madhi, Antavahena. As I mentioned once, a funny incident, I read about, there was a Brahmana, he was a great devotee of, Bhagavan Krishna. Therefore, Bhagavad Gita. And, he read the description, in the Gita, that, Adi, Madhya, Antavahena, I am Adi, and Madhya, and Antarahitam. And then, he could not make out, the beginning, or head, or tail, of this particular idea. And, this fellow was so poor, he had only, one wearing cloth, and used to go to the, river, wash it, and dry it. And in South India, it doesn't take long time. And then put it on again. And, because of that beautiful life, so he became holy, that cloth became holy, holier, holiest. And one day, he wanted to wear it, in the right way. He couldn't find out, which is the upper side, lower side, left side, right side, middle side, because, it has become so holy. Suddenly, he said, Ah, this is what, Bhagavan Krishna, is trying to describe. My cloth, explains it, fully. So, this is the, Adi Mathyanta, Vihenam. And then also, that is why, Kharanam. Because, it is, Avyaktam. It is, nobody can say, it has a beginning, it has a middle, it has an end. But, every, Karya, has a beginning, that is why, whatever has a beginning, whatever has a middle, whatever has an end, that is called, an effect. So, the Karana, will not, will be free, from this limitation. But, Karya, is beautiful, Sanskrit expressions, are there. Pradhvamsa, Pradhvamsa, Anyonyadvamsa, Pradhvamsa, etc. Praak means, for example, the baby was not there, before birth, that is called, Praak. Before, absence of the baby, before. Pradhvamsa. And then, after his death, he will not be there. That is called, so, Pradhvamsa, Praak, Pradhvamsa, after the destruction. Only in the middle, he is seen a little bit. That is why, And then, that is why, that which doesn't have, the beginning, middle and end, is called, Ekam. Without a second. Ekam means, infinite actually. So, that which doesn't have, beginning, middle or end, and if anything has got, beginning, middle and end, it will not be, one. It will be, one among many. And that is why, so where, your body is there, my body cannot be there. It can be next to it, above you, below you, by, in front of you, behind you, but, never in the exact same space. Therefore, one limits the other. It is called actually, Vastu Parichcheda. So, the infinite, can only be, one. Ekam. And then, he is the ruler. Why? Because, infinite alone exists. Even though we, in our ignorance, seem to be seeing, infinite number of things, but, the person who realized, I am Brahman, I am one, I am the Ananta, then, that person, he cannot see anything, that is, everything that appears as a, effect, is called Mithya. That is the meaning of, Brahma Satyam, Brahman is infinite, Jagat Mithya. So, what is Brahman? Ekam, Nityam, Ajam, Shasvatam, Puranam, Purusham. What is this world? Anekam. It has a birth, it has a sthiti, and it has a laya, srishti, sthiti, laya, and there are many, and where there are many, that is called Mithya. Why is it called Mithya? Because, if Brahman, only one of them can be true. Is it infinite, or is it finite? Infinity, negates finiteness, finiteness, negates infinity. Both of them can never be there. I am there, God also is there, that breaks the rule. Either God is there, or I am there. And that is why, I am called Ekam. And if I am Ekam, then I must be the ruler. Because ruler means, from which point? After creation, we have the idea, somebody rules me. What does that rule mean? A golden ornament will be gold, a wooden furniture will be wood, a silver ornament will be silver, a clay effect will be, a pot will be only a clay. So, so many differences are there. Clay is the ruler. What does it mean? It means, the nature of the clay, passes on to the manifestation. A pot is nothing but clay. The nature of the pot, can never be different from the nature of the pot. And that inability, to deviate, from its own true nature, is called the rulership. Not like a politician ruling, a dictator, trying to rule and suppress other people, that is not the meaning. Vibhum means, Vividham Bhati, or Vividham Bhavati. So if we are ignorant people, we have to say, Vividham Bhati. The same God is appearing, as many. But if we are Advaitins, Vividham Bhati. We don't say Bhavati. Bhati means what? So just like, in a broken mirror, there seem to be, lot of reflections. But really speaking, only one reflection will be there. So this is the meaning of Vibhum. So that is how, Ishavasya Upanishad also starts, Beautiful meaning is there, which we have explored, when we were taking, the Ishavasya Upanishad. So this is the meaning of Vibhum. So if it is, only one Lord, Karanam, and He must be Vibho, or the all-pervading, or Vividham Bhati, that only is manifesting, as the many. The one appearing as many. And then, Chidanandam. It is, ever blissful. Why is it ever blissful? Because, what is the meaning of Anandam? Anandam means, there is no want. There is no, desire. Desire comes, when we feel, we are lacking something. And if I get that one, then I become full. But, even if all the things in this world, are added, because the whole world is finite, still, we will be, unhappy only. In fact, the psychological truth is, the more things we have, the more unhappy, we become. Because, things may be there, but the capacity to enjoy them, will be very, very less. So, this is Anandam. Anandam means what? Fullness, happiness, freedom from any desire. Also called Purnatvam. Also called Tripti. And that means what? When I am everything, there cannot be any want. I want something. I can only want. I can only desire. What is separate from me? What is different from me? What is the other from me? Nobody says, I want myself. Have you ever come across a person who says, I lack myself. I want myself. In fact, we only want ourselves, but we are unable to know the meaning of, what I am. So, we are thinking, let us fulfill that our desire, which of course, they can never do. Then, after a long time, we turn inward and say, it must be me only, that I am desiring really. So, why am I desiring? Because, I am Paripoornam. Brahmanandam. This is called Purnatvam. And then, something beautiful comes. Arupam. I am formless. You know, Sri Ramakrishna used to tell, so many things, about the Brahmo Samaj. Brahmo Samaj means, the people who are worshipping Brahman. But actually, what is their Brahman? Brahman doesn't have any form. How do they know that Brahman doesn't have any form? Unless, a person is utterly stupid. We should not say, Brahman has got forms. Or, Brahman is formless. He is beyond. He is formful. He is formless. He is beyond both form and formlessness. Sri Ramakrishna's first teaching to him. And Sri Ramakrishna used to make fun. Even a six year old Brahmo boy is meditating on Nirakara Brahma. Nirakara Brahma of the six years old boy chocolate, lozenges, sweets and play things. These are the things. So, Arupa means formless. When anything expands, that is, you break the limitations. You have a small house and then you break all the walls. Now, it becomes open space. Arupa. You take off the roof, it becomes really Arupa. So, even if you have got one mile circumferential walls etc. like huge palaces have, still you can say it is a big house. But, you remove everything. So, whenever something expands beyond our imagination, it must become formless only. Instead of a simple experiment, you take a huge balloon and go on inflating it. First, it appears to be oblong and slowly expands and when it expands and expands and expands beyond you cannot see the edges of it and that is what is called formlessness. So, going beyond form because form means limitation. What limitation? Desha limitation. Then Kala limitation. Vastu limitation. But, that which is Arupam. Arupam can never be born because whatever is born will have a Rupa. How do you know something is born? Because you experience the Rupa and whatever is not born we can never experience and that is why all Rupas are only false manifestations, Mithya manifestations of that one Arupa. So, you can also say Arupam means Anantarupam. Anantarupam should never be mistaken as a billion objects for example. No, no. Anantarupam means that which is formless and how do you say God is both Arupa and Anantarupa? Because that is what is said Brahma Sathyam. Brahma as Arupa is Sathya. Brahma has so many forms, conceivable, experienceable forms. The green color, sweet sound, sweet smell, sweet taste and pleasant to touch Shabda, Sparsha, Rupa, Parasa, Gandha these are all experiences and whatever is experienced is limited. We can never experience what is unlimited. Who can experience unlimited? Only unlimited can experience. What is that experience? Not as separate as Mithya, as a second one, but as my own self. So, there is no contradiction between Arupa and Anantarupa. What is the next? That is Ashvalayana advised us to think about Adbhutam. Adbhutam means what? Greatest wonder in this world. What is the wonder? Ascharyam. Bhagavad Gita crystal clearly says Ascharyam. What is Ascharyam? Whatever has never been our experience and something which we have never heard, never seen, never tasted, never smelt, never touched. If it is described that is called Ascharyam. Oh! Such a thing exists in this world. So, here Ascharyam has some very special meanings here. That even though I do not have any special form but all the time I identify myself with this particular body-mind complex and I identify everybody else, every object also. Even a matchbox has a form and there are some madcaps who collect matchboxes because there are different pictures, different sizes, different shapes and different expressions. So, just as some people collect postage stamps, just some people collect matchboxes and they become quite rich also because they sell it to other madcaps and the other madcaps sell it to some other madcaps. So, these madcaps are very happy like that. So, what is the Ascharyam? So, I am birthless but I think I have a birth. I am the infinite. I think I am the finite. I am formless. I think I have a form. I am deathless but I think I have death. I don't have any relationship. Why? Because relationship is the connection between two objects. When there is only one object, it is ridiculous to say that there is any relationship. Relationship is always with a second. I don't have any relationship and yet I am born. I am myself. You are separate. I have a birth date and similarly, some others will also take it as a death date. I have a particular form by which every immigration party will identify you even though I am formless, birthless, deathless, relationshipless. I am one and I am thinking I am many and what can be more asterium than thinking that mistaking myself as something which I am not. And then all these are comprised in one word. I have no samsara. I am called asamsari and Brahman is asamsari because samsara means bound and desha, kala, vastu are the binding things, limiting factors but Brahman is beyond kala, desha, vastu. There is no parichcheda, aparichcheda. But I am thinking for how many births I am asamsari. I am being born, dying, again being born, again dying. I am wondering about in this samsara sagara oh my god since ever, since how much time millions and millions and millions of births. What could be more surprising, asterium than this. That is, these are the some of the qualities that Bhagawan has insisted that we must meditate upon sit. Take one one idea, sit and meditate and each idea is beautifully related to the next idea. achintyam why because avyaktam and avyaktam why because it is anantaroopam why because it is shivam why because it is prashantam why because it is amrutam why because it is brahmayonim why adhimadhyantavihenam ekam evam chidanandam aroopam adhutam. Thirteen hints subjects have been given for us to meditate deeply and the wonder of it is if one particular quality is meditated upon it is related to all other qualities like a gang all the good qualities come together also all the bad qualities also come together so meditate upon it. Is it possible to meditate? It is really that is not that easy to meditate on the nirguna brahma nirakara brahma on the ananta meditate on akasha meditate on the shoreless ocean meditate on the highest peak of the Himalayas ok let me meditate on the akasha what comes so many clouds so many colors so many birds and suddenly one particular bird comes aha my grandfather used to love this curry of this bird and this is our meditation on the akasha think of the ocean and you can say all the marvelous fish that I have been trying to catch and eat up so that is the idea that comes and think of the Himalayan peak oh I went to Kedarnath, Bhadrinath in intolerably coldish and I was about to lose my life these are the thoughts that come so we have to come down to the step just as I mentioned you know a wise teacher told a fit student who cannot understand and this you meditate on what whatever you love but not by the name of that object idea of that object elevate the same form elevate it to Brahma I love my buffalo so you meditate upon your buffalo it is not buffalo it is Brahman so the disciple very easily could think this is what Sri Ram Krishna was telling to him that just because you love indirectly telling loving is one thing and success is another thing so you may try to meditate upon the formlessness but you will never succeed and abstract ideas are not the what is called simplicity of our ordinary mind even an abstract mind it is not possible what we call scientifically abstract is only a thought in our mind every thought in our mind as a beginning as a sustenance continuation and has an end so we should never be able to think about it then what is the way the way is come to the Saguna Brahma and especially with Bhakti with complete self surrender and that is beautifully mentioned in the seventh mantra now the beauty of this Kaivalya Upanishad is some people consider it as one of the Shiva Upanishads you know Upanishads have been classified as what you call the Vishnu Upanishads those who extol Vishnu and for example Narayana Upanishad and those who extol Devi for example even Kena Upanishad extols Uma Devi etc but this particular Kaivalya Upanishad is one of the Shiva Upanishads and then Saguna Brahma Dhyana for people who have not yet attained to that state where they are capable of thinking of the abstract ideas has been beautifully presented here so it goes like this Parameshwaram Prabhum Trilocanam Neelakantam Prashantam Dhyatva Muni Gachchati Bhutayonim Samasta Saakshim Tamasaha Parasthaat so if some disciple or this Ashwalayna must have complained Gurudeva whatever you taught me is absolutely fine I do not doubt I am not capable of thinking of that therefore you teach me something which is my size and then the Guru had come down a little bit and then he said Uma Sahayam Parameshwaram Parameshwaram and what type of Parameshwara because this epithet Parameshwara can be used for Vishnu for Brahma and for Shiva of course Prabhum but certain words Uma Sahayam can be only applied to Shiva not really but superficially speaking Trilocanam so he was got three eyes and this Parameshwaram he is the ruler of everything this whole universe and he is assisted by Prakruti Maya that is called Uma Sahayam and he has got three eyes every word is very meaning has deep meaning this is what we call symbolism Neelakantam blue-throated Prashantam absolutely equanimous means unruffled these are some of the descriptions of Paramashiva Dhyatma and if you can meditate continuously assiduously for a long time then you will be called a Muni Mananasheelaha that is a person who is capable of sustaining a particular thought for a long time Nirgacchati and he will attain to that state which state Bhutaiyonem Samastasakshim and who is the witness of this entire universe and who is Tamasaha Parasthaat who is beyond all darkness so this Tamasaha Parasthaat so many times Shatashatra very famously we have come to hear of it many times and this is the clue that we get in Swami Vivekananda's declaration that ending with Tamasaha Parasthaat because you know all the Upanishads more or less use the same words because of the limitation of the words which suit what type of Adhikarana Bhutaiyonem earlier he said Brahmayoni here he said Bhutaiyoni and Samastasakshim he is the witness meaning you should never mistake identify that Brahman with this world at all and then Tamasaha Parasthaat is far beyond this darkness what darkness are we talking about both the Agnanam or Avidya what are the nature of the Agnanam or Avidya it has two powers Avarana Shakti and Vikshepa Shakti what is the further nature of this Prakruti is consisting of Sattva, Rajas and Tamas and what is called disturbance in the equilibrium of the Sattva Rajas and Tamas and that is called the beginning of the creation and if anybody any Yogi, any Sadhaka succeeds in bringing back the equilibrium between Tamas, Rajas and Sattva he will go beyond the Samsara and the seventh mantra is telling by meditating upon Lord Parameshwara consorted by Mother Uma assisted by Mother Uma the highest Lord the all powerful Lord the three eyed, the blue necked and the ever tranquil a true being of reflection a Sadhaka reaches him who is the source of all the manifested world, who is the witness of this entire world past, present and future and who is beyond all darkness. These are beautiful hints about how to meditate upon and all of these have got tremendous symbolical meaning which we will explore in our next class. Now tomorrow is Kali Puja so most devotees will be busy in attending. I also wish all of them that they must attend the Puja. So tomorrow there would be no class we will resume from next week onwards. Tomorrow there would not be class only next week onwards we will continue. I wish all of you happy Vijaya or what is called Deepavali, a row of lights. May Shri Ramakrishna Holy Mother and Mother Kali and Swamiji bless us all with Bhakti. Om Jananem Sharadam Devem Ramakrishnam Jagat Gurum Pada Padme Tayo Saritva Pranamami Mohan Mohan Jai Ramakrishna