Svetasvatara Upanishad Lecture 02 on 5 March 2023

Full Transcript(Not Corrected)

Om Jananem Sharadam Devem Ramakrishnam Jagadgurum Pada Padmetayo Sritva Pranamami Mohor Moho Om Sahanaavavatu Sahanaubhunatu Sahaveeryam Karavavahai Tejasvinavaditamastumavidvishavahai Om Shanti Shanti Shanti Hare Om May Brahman protect us both. May Brahman bestow upon us both the fruit of knowledge. May we both obtain the energy to acquire knowledge. May what we both study reveal the truth. May we cherish no ill feeling towards each other. Om Peace Peace Peace be unto all We have started in our last class the Shweta Shvatara Upanishad and it belongs to Krishna Yajur Veda. And that is why the Shanti Mantra is Om Sahanaavavatu. This is a most important mantra. Usually this is chanted and it is also understood only in the context of before starting a class. Any type of class whether it is secular knowledge or spiritual knowledge. But this is also very important. Every situation in life is a give and take situation. That is what Swami Vivekananda's greatest emphasis, the East and the West. That division itself is one of the worst type of divisions anybody can make. God himself has created the whole universe so that we can help each other. We can tolerate each other. We can serve each other. We can love each other. And then we all can grow together. The world is given to us not for enjoyment but for growth. That is why as I explained earlier, something most important, I will be repeating it very often. There is a school of philosophy. It is called Jnana Marga, Dvaita Marga. And the people who follow, they firmly believe that only that path. Most of them believe that only Jnana Marga can bring us to the highest goal which is Moksha. In fact, even they explain that even Dharma, Artha and Kama can be attained only through knowledge. Absolutely they are right. On the basis of anything in this world, do you want to progress? Knowledge is the root cause. Do you want to suffer? Knowledge is the root cause. But we don't call it knowledge. We call it wrong knowledge. Knowledge is there. But is it right knowledge or is it wrong knowledge? That is the point. So what is wrong knowledge? Incomplete knowledge. How do we know? Some knowledge is incomplete. That knowledge which goes on changing itself and updating itself. You know, in software we call it version 1, version 2, version 3. And any secular knowledge, any number of versions will be there. But there is one type of knowledge after that, that is the full stop. That is called Brahma Jnana. Spiritual knowledge is full. Now the goal of life is that Dharma is necessary. Artha is necessary. Kama is necessary. And we need not necessarily misinterpret these words only in a secular sense. Dharma is the foundation. Artha means what? A desirable object. And according to Hinduism, Moksha is the only desirable object. Parama Purushartha. But the foundation is there. We are like babies. We have to grow. So we go on. We enjoy this world. That is why Artha and Kama. In a way I will tell you what is Artha and Kama. Kama means desire. We have a body. So we desire a perfect body. Almost perfect body. We have a subtle body called mind. We also require a healthy mind. And because of wrong knowledge. Look at the present situation. 50% of the people are physically sick. Mentally sick. All because the right knowledge has not been even attempted. In this context, the right knowledge happens to be that I am not only body. I am not only mind. I am also a spiritual being. That is what Swami Vekananda wanted to emphasize and said at the Parliament of Religions. You are all children of immortality. And at the same time, it would be wrong to misinterpret Swamiji saying he doesn't want us to enjoy the world. You enjoy the world. But there is a technique. While enjoying the world, you can also progress spiritually. In fact, that is inevitable. Nobody can enjoy with a wrong type of knowledge. Or the enjoyment will end up in suffering or in lower type of enjoyment. So coming back, Swami Vekananda had declared. We unnecessarily divided the whole universe into two parts. The East and the West. And the Western people ridiculed the East. That is, you are what you call impractical people. You consider this world as Maya. This is the result of misunderstanding Jnana Yoga. This terrible bug called Maya had entered into the very blood of every one of us without understanding what Maya is. And Sri Ramakrishna had interpreted it in the most succinct manner. I will come to that. We simply use it to justify some of our things. Why do we do wrong things? Oh, because of Maya. Maya possessed me. But when we are suffering, we don't use and say because of Maya I am suffering. No. Oh, because of what? Other people's fault. Or if nobody is there, God's fault. That's where Swami Vekananda comes in and tells us that the West had specialized in how to keep the instruments absolutely fine. Dharma, Artha and Kama. The West has specifically studied and specialized. And we can learn a lot from there and improve everybody's lot. Whereas it is the duty of the East for whatever reason that they have specialized in spirituality. This is what Swami Vekananda called division of labor. And if we want to progress either the East or the West, you cannot go on fighting. You will have to combine both. That is the East and the West. By combining the practicality of the West but combining the spirituality of the East. Both the East and the West. Everybody can progress happily and easily because this is the division of labor. Now I specifically mention Maya. Now Maya is considered at the root cause of bondage. Sairam Krishna specifically uplifted us by interpreting this word Maya. And he has used beautifully two words. And it is not his innovation. Because Mundaka Upanishad itself says very clearly that all this Ignas, Yagas, Karma Kanda, Etat, Sarvam, Satyam. Everything is absolute truth. Have faith in the scriptures. You perform this worship. You do this ritual. And you can obtain many things in this world. Excepting Brahma Jnana. That is to say the instruments necessary. That is to say the body and mind are the instruments. Whether you want to enjoy the world. Whether you want to enjoy God. The body and mind should be absolutely fine. And that is why Swami Vivekananda said, With a sick body, with a weak body, neither can you enjoy the world nor of course far away that you cannot enjoy spirituality also. That is why, For the weak, it is impossible. It takes a long time to understand Swami Vivekananda. Then he came back from the West. He compared both these by studying. And then he found out. Why are these millions of Indians suffering so much? Why are the people in the West suffering? They are suffering because they lack the spiritual outlook. Indians lack the physical outlook. Everybody is talking about Maya. And the best enjoyment Swami Vivekananda ridiculed. He is a fellow. He lives in a very holy hut. Holy means full of holes. Rain, wind, everything. Heat, cold and making everybody suffer. And he will have a torn mat. And then he wants to enjoy a few grains of something. And that is what Swami Vivekananda said. Learn from the West how to enjoy. There is a knowledge. And that is the right knowledge for sharpening the instruments. Dharma, Artha, Kama. Do you really think that without going through Dharma, Artha and Kama, can one really attain to spirituality? It's impossible. Like a person, he cannot jump to the fourth floor. He has to go through the first floor, ground floor, second floor, third floor. Then only gradually he can go to the fourth floor. What am I talking about? All these that I have talked about are implied in this particular prayer. Oh Lord! And I will be trying to interpret it in the light of what Swami Vivekananda had explained. And he got this knowledge from Sri Ramakrishna. In the light of Sri Ramakrishna's interpretation, Sri Ramakrishna got it from the scriptures. This is what really the scriptures mean. What is it? So there is one way of interpreting this Shanti Patha. The very word Shanti Patha is very interesting. Before studying, let it be physics, let it be chemistry, let it be anything in this world. Even let it be the least bit of how to sweep a room. We have to learn from somebody. When one person sweeps, it is so beautiful, very quickly, and absolutely speak and span. Another person, hundreds of things are left behind. And we have to sit at the feet of the person and learn. Learning, we are born to learn. That is what Sri Ramakrishna says, एवद्जीवि तवच्चीखि So long as I live, so long do I learn. We have a lot of things to learn. It doesn't mean you have to learn everything. It means whatever is necessary for each individual's particular necessity to keep his body, her body healthy, mind healthy, and enjoy the world and progress further towards the destination. That is what this Upanishad is going to talk. Very soon I will also talk about it. So this is the prayer the East and the West must pray. Let us be blessed together. Let God give us right understanding. Let there be a harmony between us. May I learn from you. May you learn from me. Let us learn from each other. May God protect both of us. And if we can learn from both of us, for that the condition is we must love each other. Loving is the condition of receiving, otherwise reception is difficult. Even a simple example, if you don't know, if you don't love cooking, you won't learn it easily. That is the difference between good cooks and bad cooks. Anything. If we want to learn, we will have to love that subject first. And love brings joy. Love brings concentration. Love brings memory. Love brings memory. Love brings everything. There is nothing which love cannot bring. And this love is possible only by the grace of God. Because He is of the nature of love. And the whole universe is a manifestation of the Divine Mother, Divine Lord. We must forgive and forget. We must tolerate each other. So this prayer can be used in any context. Two neighbours together want to live. Two persons following two different religions. For example, Hinduism and Islam. They should learn how to love each other. How to live together. Both of them progressing. Both of them helping each other. This prayer is very much in place. And it is all possible only by God's grace. The essence of what I was trying to tell is that without God's grace, no endeavour, no undertaking can ever be successful. That is why even in the office, officer and the worker, it may be a white collar clerk, blue collar clerk, or pure, it doesn't matter. All are required. All have a right place in the mechanism. And we must pray. I don't mean that you open your mouth and utter the Sanskrit words. Pray to God. Let us be in harmony. And let us love each other. And as Swami Vivekananda himself had explained, a king cannot do any better of the sweeper's job. And a sweeper also cannot do the job of a king. Each one of us are fit to do only that particular type of job for which we are trained and we are fit. And every one of our contribution is very much necessary. So this prayer, let us not mistake, is only in place when we are studying an Upanishad, a Veda. It is necessary, it is useful, it is unavoidable under any circumstances. This is how I understand in the light of the teachings of Sri Ramakrishna and Holy Mother. So that is why every author, whether he be a spiritual author or a secular author, starts the work with a prayer. But we should not think that only authors, poets, or dramatists, they only should need to pray. We also, before studying, even before enjoying, a simple example I am giving because these are very practical things. Suppose you want to watch a cinema, don't go and just take a tin of popcorn and go on leaning and go on trying to enjoy. You perhaps might enjoy a little, but if you want to squeeze the full happiness, and of course it is good drama, good cinema, not inferior thing I am talking, we can only derive the fullest joy only when we pray to God, then we pay attention, we try to understand, we identify ourselves with the actors and actresses, or with the bhava of a song that is being sung, or by eating food. That is why in Taittiriya Upanishad there is a vratam. That is, it is a promise to God that I will not find fault with food. Annam na nindiyat tad vratam. When do we find fault with food? Don't go on uttering four-letter words while cooking, while eating. Yes, it is Divine Mother Herself who is coming. Annam na nindiyat tad vratam. This is the greatest vow of service to the Divine Lord. That is why every Hindu, he does prayer. Christians do prayer before eating. And all the devotees of God in Hinduism, Brahma Harpanam Brahma Habehe, it doesn't mean first class Kishidas, Rishabullas are served each time. Anything that comes, it is Divine Mother. Of course, according to our Karmapala, it comes, O Mother, you are coming in the form of the food, and I require nourishing food. Let me enjoy it as your prasada. Make it prasada. Anything, everything, whatever actions I do, through the five sense organs, through the mind, let it be a prasada. And it becomes, any action becomes a prasada only when we pray to God. By the grace of God, the knowledge will flow. Even if we know the knowledge, it will not easily come out. It requires the blessings of Mother Saraswati, Grahana Shakti, Dharana Shakti, Smriti Shakti, Prayoga Shakti and Bhavana Shakti. All these five must be present. Then only we can manifest our divinity. There is no doubt about it. So with this introduction, we will try to understand what this prayer means. Earlier I mentioned in some of the Upanishads, every Shanti Patha, it means four things. Minimum four things. What is the first thing? It is, O Lord, let there be no obstacles. That is the first purpose of any peace chant. The second purpose is, O Lord, give me that capacity, give me that power of reception, so that I can understand what I need to understand. And that is also possible only by God's grace. What is the first one? Removal of the negativity. What is the second one? Acquisition of the positivity. What is the third one? That whatever we deserve, we get it. And understanding is a progressive affair. So it is a prayer for all round good, what is called Bhavana Shakti, that I must be able to use it for a practical purpose, not for merely intellectual purpose. And what is the fourth one? Many times, the very Shanti Patha itself is the essence of what is going to be taught later on. Simple example I gave you, Poornamadaha Poornamidham. And once we utter this Shanti Patha, we do not require, really we do not require, any further study. What is it? That is infinite. How many infinites can be there? If anybody says there are more than one infinity, that means he doesn't even know what is the meaning of infinity. So whatever, if there is one infinity, and that is called Brahman. And in this, it is not even called Brahman. Simply said, it is infinite. And what do we see? I am here, you are here, the whole world is here, and billions and billions and billions or trillions of objects are there. If infinity alone is the only reality, then whatever I am experiencing, what you call, in this world, through this body-mind, cannot be separated from that infinity. So that Brahman is infinite. This world is also infinite. This infinity, Purnasya Purnamadaya, this infinity, as if it is taken out of that infinity, even though as if it is taken out of that infinity, that doesn't become less, it remains infinity. In other words, infinity is the reality. Another word for infinity is Brahman. And for ease of understanding, I always use the word God. And by God, usually we have the understanding, He is generator, organizer, and destroyer. G-O-D. That is, He is the Srishti Kartha, Stheti Kartha, and Laya Kartha. This idea is severely limited. There is always that beyond the effect. When there is no effect, there is also no cause. And that which is beyond cause and effect is called Brahman. And we cannot conceive of it because whatever we are talking, I am talking through the mind. You are listening because of the mind. And I am trying to convey that whatever I understood, this understanding is because of the mind. And whatever you are trying to understand is also because of the mind. And mind is very limited. Therefore, we must pray to God, even though my mind is limited, let me be inspired by the unlimited, which is God. That is to say, may we know you, may we come to you, may we become you. And that is indicated by this, what we call Poornamadaha, Poornamidham. And that understanding, that Shantipatha itself, we can put a full stop and say that is more than sufficient. This is what we call Jivatma, Paramatma, Aveda, Aikya, Mahavakya. How does it go? That is infinite. That is, Brahman is infinite. This is infinite. This means what? Jivatma is infinite. This Jivatma, that Jivatma, there is no difference. The difference, seemingly difference, is because of the perceiving instrument called mind. Mind is, as Swami Vivekananda says, is made up of time, space and causation. When Brahman is looked at through the prism of time, space and causation, I also appear to be part, what is called limited. Brahman also appears to be limited. But in reality, everything is infinite only. And we have to get rid of that mind. And spirituality is nothing but an attempt to get rid of the mind. And in simple, plain language, this is what Patanjali's definition of Yoga, Yogaha chitta vrutti nirodaha. Get rid of the thoughts, then mind will be gotten rid of. Then what remains is, Tadah drashtu svarupe avasthanam. Then in human language, I understand I am Brahman and forever all the bonds, limitations have fallen off and I live with that knowledge. This is the meaning. Now with this understanding, we will go a little bit into this Shanti Patha. This Shanti Patha is specifically meant for Yajur Veda, especially Krishna Yajur Veda because this Shweta Shatra Upanishad belongs to Krishna Yajur Veda. So, I will revert back to the normal understanding having explained this. That is what we have to keep in background. Om. First of all, we have to utter Om. Why? This Om and another word Athah, Mangalikaubhav, both are considered most auspicious words because they have come out from the mouth of Brahman. And if we utter Om at the beginning and at the end, whatever is sandwiched in between these two, it becomes absolutely perfect. That is, if there is any defect, that will be removed. And this has been so beautifully explained at the end of the 17th chapter of the Bhagavad Gita by Bhagavan Krishna. Om Tat Sat Iti Brahmanah Nirdeshah Brahman can be called either by the word Om or Tat or Sat. And all the three are important. Any one of them we can use. So that is why Tat Tvam Asi The word Tat means Brahman. And Sat also. Sat is Brahman. Sadeva Somya Ida Idam Agre Asi Before creation, what is there? Only this divinity is there. So, having uttered Om, it removes all the obstacles. It bestows all the auspiciousness and it brings down the grace of God. How does the grace of God manifest? Saha Nau Avatu Nau means dual sense. The teacher and the student. Student because each one of us, our relations with our Guru is only myself and my Guru. Even if we are thousand disciples, each one of us has a specific individual relationship. Avatu We let both of us be protected. Who? Om. Let Om, which is the best name for Brahman. O Lord, O Omkara, You protect us both. What does it mean? Protection means it is like a journey. Both of us have undertaken a journey. What is the journey? We want to go through swim to cross the ocean of samsara from this bank of duality to that other bank of non-duality. We want to travel. And you know, the ocean is full of sharks, full of crocodiles, full of gems, full of pearls. Both good and bad are there. But behind, deep inside, there is something invaluable. What is it? It is called Amrita. Every story in the Puranas is deeply significant. We all are familiar with the story of Samudra Mantana, churning of the ocean. And who did that? Both the gods and the demons. Both the good and the evil. What is the symbolism? The symbolism is our mind has got both secular thoughts and also spiritual thoughts. But they need not be in conflict. They must cooperate. They must become one. They must become united. And then only progress is possible. How can evil be integrated with the good? Because evil people have some special qualities which good people do not have. But here what it means is the very maya, the very avidya that seems to be ever at war with our soul which wants to go to its parents which is Brahman, which is Parvati, Parameshwara or Ramakrishna and Holy Mother or Lakshmi and Narayana there seem to be a useless unnecessary misunderstanding for Kurukshetra. No, there need not be. We are all children of the Divine Lord. So, for example, this body does it belong to the demonic category or divine category? If we use the body and the mind and the world for the sake of worldly happiness small happiness, limited happiness and get stuck in this world that is what is called demonic quality. Demonic quality means limited quality. But the same body-mind if it is without body-mind it is impossible to do any progress, any spiritual effort. Churning means spiritual progress. That requires healthy body and healthy body requires healthy diet, healthy exercise at the right time, in the right quantities with the right attitude, feeling that is what Bhagavan Krishna says Yoga means spiritual progress is possible only when all these are harmoniously combined and wisely directed. Then yoga becomes very successful and it will take us beyond the three dukkhas Tapatraya. That is why Om Shanti Shanti we say. So this is a prayer. Oh Bhagawan, it can be any idea, concept of Bhagawan. It can be Narayana, it can be Shiva, it can be Ganesha, it can be Kartikeya it can be Nagaraja, it can be any Raja provided we believe this is my Ishta Devata pray to the Ishta Devata, pray to Brahman in the medium, through the medium of the Ishta Devata that you protect both because, simple example I will give you if you want to travel by a taxi so the taxi itself should be okay and more okay should be the driver and even more okay should be you you should not forget. What do I mean? Supposing you want to travel another country and you have packed everything and happy mood you have reached the airport and you want to check yourself in you brought everything, your tickets and everything excepting the passport what are you going to do? Very politely you yourself will turn out because you know no country is going to accept you even if your country permits you because the checker in is your closest friend as soon as you land on the other side you will be sent back by the very next plane so we have to be okay, taxi should be okay and the driver should be okay so God protect all of us Sahana Vod a teacher should be having that right knowledge not only that, he should have the right instruments so that he can convey what he knows effectively to the people these are very common things so we think but when you start expounding them I myself am astounded one of the questions that came was Sri Ram Krishna had 16 direct disciples why did he choose Swami Vivekananda alone to carry his message to the whole world Dharma Chakra Pravartana why did he? because what about Swami Brahmananda ji what about Swami Shardananda ji what about Swami Avedananda ji could they have been the right instruments not really, only Swami Vivekananda so the right instrument is necessary and that can happen only by God's grace so as I was mentioning if two people get married this prayer comes in, kicks in Oh Lord, let us understand each other let us love each other let us help each other let us both progress towards You with this prayer and Saptapadi is nothing but prayer it is really wonderful so Sahana Vavath Oh Lord and here in the form of Omkara indicating, representing Brahman You protect the teacher You protect me not only that let the right environment what do I mean supposing the place is full of very big mosquitoes what is the percentage of your intake I don't mean from the mosquitoes I mean from the Guru so let everything be harmonious and what does it mean may Brahman bestow upon us both the fruit of knowledge what is it that we want to enjoy of course we take it for granted the person who is teaching us he already knows about Brahman he is aware of Brahman but let him enjoy teaching let me enjoy learning, receiving and let us both progress towards Brahman let Brahman be manifest and let us enjoy each other how is it possible only by the grace of God here Bhunattu means let us enjoy enjoy means let our study be completely fruitful if it is secular knowledge let me be a musician let me be a great scientist etc what are we talking about here O Lord by your grace may both of us be made virile that means what when the teacher teaches me let him be infilled let him be filled up with the greatest joy because only whatever is given in joy can be received in joy viriya means here that vigor that result of having the right knowledge and what is vigor on my part let me be alert let me be open let my unconscious not raise any type of doubts let it be absolutely ready to receive 100% even without the least bit of obstruction may we both obtain the energy one to transmit the knowledge on the part of the guru teacher and another to acquire the knowledge and then what we both study endows us with the truth that means may we get good food may we ingest good food and may our stomach digest whatever we have eaten and the sign of digestion is it produces tremendous amount of energy and the very purpose of eating food is only for getting this energy so that we can expend it in worthy activities and that is the only purpose may what we both study reveal the truth whether it is secular truth or spiritual truth everything has a truth may we then lastly let there never be any ill will towards each other because you know so much of ill will is manifest in this world especially nowadays Kali Kaala Hindus divide time Satya Yuga means loving each other Preta Yuga means we love but some dilution has already entered some pollution has already entered and it went on increasing in Vapara Yuga that is what has brought Mahabharata Yudha and in Kali Kaala practically only very little that is what Hindu system of philosophy called Vedanta compares this Dharma with a cow a cow stands comfortably with four legs Dharma was present as a four legged cow that means 100% in Satya Yuga 75% in Preta Yuga and 50% in Vapara Yuga and 25% only in Kali Yuga God is very very our teachers are very very generous I don't know whether 25% is there still or 0.5% is there, 0.25% is there I don't know and it seems to be becoming worse and worse nobody cares for truth everybody only cares for what is temporary what is an appearance so may what we both study reveal the truth let it reveal the truth to the student let him be inspired by the truth let him be vigorous to travel towards the truth ultimately may that truth may we become, may the student become one with the Guru that means Guru in this instance is a Brahma Vidya Guru and Brahma Vidya Guru there is a special point we should never forget Brahma with Brahma Eva Bhavati we may think he is a human being no, Guru Brahma, Guru Vishnu is none other than God himself but in order to achieve all these things the very first thing is may we cherish no ill will towards each other here I place a most important point most of us when we are asked to tell about what's our opinion about Guru usually you know what we say so Guru Brahma, Guru Vishnu my Guru is God is God only in the form and that understanding is absolutely right but for our progress we require another type of interpretation you know what first of all I don't care whether my Guru is God or a dog whether he is a good man, bad man I have chosen him I have decided to look upon him as God himself he scolds me still he is God for me he beats me he is God for me he doesn't show any love towards me still he is God for me like Ekalavya is a beautiful story the Guru rejected him and the disciple said you may reject me but I will never reject you I have elected you as my Guru he fashioned a small image of his Guru and as if the Guru is talking he must have been praying oh Guruji please teach me how to become an expert in archery and who is the Guru? God himself so God manifested through that image and then he made him even a better archer then what even Dronacharya could not do his best pupil Arjuna we know that story that when they went for hunting and this Ekalavya's arrow struck that boar first and when they found out Arjuna was ashamed so it is said I don't know where it is said he went and told secretly you have been teaching somebody because you have taught the best things to this fellow and not to me you claimed that I am your beloved disciple but why did you make that person better than me and Dronacharya himself was shocked because he asked who taught you? He said sir you yourself have taught me what? I don't remember yes I approached you you rejected me but I did not reject you so this is what I am talking about that even if it be a stone image even it be a clay image it doesn't matter if we think this is my guru and it will teach you everything why? the simple truth is the real teacher is only God sometimes it may come in the form of a human being whom we choose to call a guru sometimes it may come in the form of an image a clay image or a picture etc and it doesn't matter it comes knowledge comes right knowledge comes and who can put a stone and just you may think what is this Swamiji going on talking about I will give the illustration there was a true disciple and he went and confessed also that I don't know who my father is I only know I am a satyakama true desirer of satya and the guru accepted him and then he what did he do instead of teaching brahman told you go and tend these cows when they become 1000 then come to me I don't know I cannot imagine what he is going to do with 1000 cows how he is going to feed 1000 cows unless there are at least minimum 100 vigorous disciples to look after the cowshed anyway these are not the important details importance is this man went and day and night he was devoted only to the welfare of the cows and suddenly one morning the bull chief bull of that had said sir we have become one drive us back to urukula because that is what your teacher had commanded me and this person was shocked he was not even counting when does this crowd become 1000 and then when can I go back he was so devoted so absorbed time had passed and then what did the bull do this is what the upanishad is telling us I will teach you one fourth of the brahman fire taught him two birds taught him and before he reached he became paripoorna brahman jnani and then when the teacher looked at him one look at his face your face is shining like a knower of brahman who taught you but he was humble enough to say other than human beings have taught me but they say I have faith that which comes through the mouth of the guru alone is fruitful and please sir please teach me because I have fulfilled your commandment now our cows have become 1000 then the teacher what did he teach same thing that he obtained Swami Vivekananda was very fond of this story now what is the point why did I quote because fire is supposed to be inert two birds a bull are these what is called teachers of brahman brahman god came in the form of these and they taught because he was ready to receive this is the important point a guru will be effective only when we are ready to receive when we are ready to receive the knowledge can come from a piece of book from an image from a bird from an animal from anything because anything that comes is only what you call an instrumental cause to remove the obstruction between our mind at that highest truth but for that we have to be ready of course nobody like a human being because we can get communicated in the understandable language but don't choose a Chinese guru because he won't be able to convey to you and you won't be able to receive it unless you are practicing Zen Buddhism wherein they use an instrument called a thick stick and they give you a very very great tap on your shaven head instantaneous illumination will come no so what are we talking about this is a whole hearted prayer and as I mentioned this prayer is necessary not only for spiritual knowledge for any knowledge and that is what Swami Brahmanandaji actually meant even to receive expert pick pocket knowledge we need an expert what we call pick pocket guru who is an expert pick pocket guru he who had picked the pockets of thousands of people and he had never been caught and that is the Sadguru so we have to sit at the feet but where do we get such a Sadguru for that only one question we need to ask am I hungry for that truth am I prepared see very simple example I will give you here is a baby mother is there she prepared the food everything is ready but morning the baby was fed and then the mother said go and play the play not merely for pleasure but it is to get the child ready to receive the next food that the mother is going to supply by playing he will digest whatever food he has eaten whatever energy he acquired he is using it in the proper way for a child it is play but for a school boy it is learning and for a married person it is learning for a vanaprastha it is upasana for a sanyasin it is complete sharanagati towards God the whole life is a process of learning every little bit is a manifestation of God's grace that is why Sri Ram Krishna has words avidya maya is not an obstacle it is the required help like karma kanda is a required help to make our minds pure to make our minds absolutely enlarged so that we can live in harmony not only with the neighbours of course first with ourselves then with our neighbours then with the entire universe so this prayer removes whatever obstacles and definitely there will be obstacles wholehearted prayer definitely removes the obstacles and that is the great thing but there may be things because of whatever we have done in the past purvajanma karma phala for that purpose we need to get rid of three sources of obstacles adhyatmika adhibhautika and adhidaivika I had already explained on umpteen number of times so I will just summarise this one there may be obstacles bodily obstacles in the form of ill health, weakness etc that's why swamiji said muscles of iron nerves of steel gigantic wills and then only we will be able to achieve either prayas or shreyas so this is the bodily troubles including mental troubles we should be healthy bodily and mentally then there is no saying that from the external world it may be cold it may be hot somebody may be discharging a gun somebody might have declared war anything can come so let god's grace protect me all these unwanted unnecessary obstacles but there is another type of obstacle which is called if we are not grateful for what we are receiving every second of our life we are eating food we are breathing we are drinking water all the pancha bhutas that's why they are called pancha devatas all these things can create problem if we do not pray if we do not be grateful to them so let there be peace let there be peace let there be peace from all these three sources of affliction how do we get the peace only by being grateful be grateful be grateful and that is real prayer and from next class onwards we will enter into the Upanishad itself Om Jananem Sharadam Devem Ramakrishnam Jagadgurum Pada Padmetayo Saritva Pranamami Moham Moham May Sri Ramakrishna Holy Mother and Swami Vekananda bless us all with bhakti and understanding. Jai Ramakrishna