Mandukya Karika Lecture 027 on 01 December 2021

Full Transcript(Not Corrected)

Om Jananim Sharadam Devim Ramakrishnam Jagadgurum Pada Padme Dayo Shritva Pranamami Muhur Muhur Om Bhadram Kanne Vishnu Yamadevaha Bhadram Pashye Maakshabhirya Jatraaha Sthirai Rangai Stushtu Vagum Sastanu Bhihi Vyashema Devahitaiyadayuhu Swasthina Indru Vidhashravaha Swasthina Poosha Vishwa Vedaha Swasthinastarkshu Arishtanimihi Swasthinobrihaspatiridadhatu Om Shanti Shanti Shanti Hari Om Om O Gods, may we hear auspicious words with our ears, may we see auspicious things with our eyes, worshipping the Gods with steady limbs, may we enjoy a life that is beneficial to all. May Indra of ancient fame bestow auspiciousness on us, may the all-nourishing potion be propitious to us. May Garuda, the destroyer of all evil, be well disposed towards us. May Brihaspati ensure our welfare. Om Peace Peace Peace be unto all. We have been studying the Mandukya Upanishad, especially the third mantra. So in the first mantra Omkara is everything. In the second mantra Brahman is everything. And that Brahman is none other than my own self. So I am Atma. This Mahavakya has been proposed. Now the Upanishad Kara. He wants to tell us how this Brahman is divided into four quarters and how it can be equated. Third mantra describes the Jagrad Avastha plus the person who is experiencing the Jagrad Avastha plus not only the Vyashti, the individual, but also the Samasthi. Similarly, we have to understand the fourth mantra which graphically describes what we call Swapna Avastha, the dream state, the dreamer, and both as the individual and also the universal. So also the third pada, the fifth and sixth mantras talk about the third state, that is what we call Sushupti Avastha, both as the individual and the universal. Vyashti and Samasthi. So Vishwa and Virat, Taijasa and Hiranyakarbha, Prajna and Eshwara, or sometimes the name is given Avyakruta. Avyakruta means completely unmanifest, which is the Karana, the cause. Cause is always unmanifest. Why is he describing? This is the question that comes now in our past classes we have seen. What is Jagrad Avastha? What is the instrument through which we experience it? And what is the nature of this particular instrument called the body along with all the organs? I hope you remember it, that it has got this Sthula Sarira consisting of ten sense organs, Karmendriyas, Jnanendriyas, Panchapranas, along with the modifications or departments of the mind called Buddhi, Manas, Chitta, and Ahankara. And this instrument has got seven limbs, Sapta Anga, where suddenly the Upanishad, not Shankaracharya, brings in this Virat Sarira. Why? Because as I mentioned last time, I hope you remember that point, whenever you think I am an individual, you are necessarily forced to think that you are part of the whole. Otherwise you can never know what is an individuality. Now the process that is being described here has a special purpose. That is to say, first of all to say, you do spiritual practice and from what we call the Sthula gross state. My gross body is only the least part of the manifestation of the Atman. All the three states are manifestations of the Atman and every manifestation in every particular state can be looked at from two standpoints, the individual and the universal. Yasti and Samasti. And what we call, glibly go on talking about morality, is nothing but to identify ourselves with everything in this universe, whatever exists, whether it is living or non-living. Remember, from the Vedantic point of view, there is no non-living. With Prana, without Prana. With Chaitanya, without Chaitanya. All this is only very temporary way of experiencing it. It is Brahman, pure consciousness, which has become this entire universe, both living as well as non-living. So, how do we understand this? For that, dream is the greatest example and in this Mandukya Upanishad, study of the dream state assumes the most important part. It is the huge proportions because once we understand what is a dream from the waking point of view, then we understand the waking state also is equally having the same value, which is to say, it is very limited, it is incomplete, but it is not separated from Brahman. That is the most important point. When we say, you have to give up, you have to give up our incomplete knowledge. Similarly, that is to say, as an example, when we mistake and think there is a snake, the snake has to be negated, means find out what is the real nature of the snake because it is first dependent upon the Adhishtana, which is the rope. Secondly, it is because of the semi-darkness, we mistake a rope as the snake. Of course, at this stage, we do not know it is the rope. We only know it is a snake, but if we go on approaching it, approach nearer and nearer, what does it mean? It means examine it minutely, still more, still more minutely, and then you will understand that behind this minuteness is the infinity and that is how you go there. I am putting it a bit lightly and first of all, you go nearby, near the snake and you are expecting it to bite you at any time, but it does not move. It does not bite. So you get bolder, come nearer, and then even you are within the striking distance, but it does not strike. Then you stretch your hand, ready any moment to take it back, but it does not do anything. So approach near, you touch it, touch the tail, touch the middle, finally touch the head. It is not doing anything. Then you say, what is this? It is not doing anything. So you catch hold of it and then you realize that there is something odd going on here. This appears to be, but it is very rough. Snake is very smooth and it will wiggle. This is not doing anything unless it is dead and so slowly by the time light comes and you realize it is nothing but pure rope. What am I talking about? I am talking about, this is called Nishayadha, negation. What is the negation? You slowly expand your view. You merge the smallness into the biggerness. You merge the Karya into Karana. You merge the effect into the cause. So first of all, if we compare our individual life with the universal life, certain facts become very evident. The first fact that becomes evident is, supposing I am a man and man as a man, as an individual, I have a birth, I have a death. But as part of the humanity, I am a human being. The moment I elevate myself, I have negated my manliness, individuality. Then even if this body happens to fall off, but the larger whole remains. So let people go on dying one after the other. Nothing happens because again they are born. So as humanity, there is an immortal eternal life. As an individual, there is a severe limitation is there. This intellectual understanding that it is all just like a dream, everything appears to be real in the dream, but it is all my imagination. Imagination works only when I am completely aware. And if I can become completely aware and identify myself with the awareness, awareness has nothing to do with imagination. It is only a part of the awareness that takes various shapes. It is only the Moolakarana, the clay that assumes various forms, pots, etc. Then we understand, this is what is meant by the truth. It is for this purpose. First of all, as a Vishwa, as an individual in the waking state, I have to gradually do Virat Upasana. Remember, Upasana means becoming one with the object I am meditating upon. The purpose of meditation is always to become one with what I am meditating upon. So if I am meditating upon Vishnu, I must become Vishnu. If I am meditating upon Ramakrishna, I must become Ramakrishna. It is not a mere intellectual analysis, but it is actual transformation. But the transformation can take place only when I identify myself with Ramakrishna. The more I identify, the more I become ashamed. How could I swoop so low? Ramakrishna will never be able to do it. If I am Ramakrishna, I should not be able to do it. This is how purification takes place. Gradually, the individuality becomes negated, becomes expanded. Negation means expansion. And ultimately, the individuality is forgotten and the cosmic person, Virat alone, is remembered with this I am that. And then this is on the gross level. Same thing will happen. This Virat first identifies himself with the Taijasa, I am the individual dreamer. And gradually, he will also, through spiritual practice, finally merge himself in Hiranyagarbha, that is, I am the creator. And then this Hiranyagarbha starts his spiritual journey with the identification of the Avyakruta, that means unmanifest, as an individual called Prajna. And finally, he merges, he negates his individual pragmatva and becomes merged in the universal Ishwaratva. And that is the process, that is why in the third mantra, Saptanga completely brings the picture of the universal, the whole universe. The heaven is the head and the earth is the feet. And all the vayu is the shvasa nishvasa, prana vayu, our prana. And all the fire is what is making me active. The sun and the moon are the eyes. So all the waters, pancha bhutas, everything in its cosmic form is my form. This is the vishwarupa darshana. The Lord wanted to give to Arjuna and he was not ready. So he said, I am not comfortable with this. I feel highly uncomfortable because my mind has not become accustomed to think of you. It is more happy thinking of you as my friend, as my beloved Krishna, whom I can hug, with whom I can speak, etc. That is how spiritual progress is achieved. Then the Lord says, okay, I will make you comfortable. I will resume my universal. That means Arjuna was accustomed to see the Lord in a higher sight than ordinary people. How was Duryodhana looking at Krishna? How was Dhritarashtra looking at Krishna? How ordinary people are looking at Krishna? How are gopis looking at Krishna? How are gopis looking at Krishna? We know you are not the son of an ordinary milkmaid. You are the indweller. That means you alone exist and nothing else exists. And that is why they were able to say Tava Katha, Amritam, Tapta, Jeevanam, etc. So why am I giving such a long introduction? Because having commented upon this, we have come to a certain point. Now Shankaracharya raises a question. Purvapakshi. It is not Purvapakshi or Uttarpakshi. It is we are the pakshis and we are always fluttering here and there and we can have doubts in our minds. So Shankaracharya, even before the doubt arises in our mind, he himself brings up this possible objection. Possible if we are thoughtful and if we are not thoughtful, of course no question will ever arise but it is not gone. It will come at some point of time when we attain to higher state, deeper state of understanding. So he is bringing, Osar, the mantra, that is questioning the Rishi who propagated this mantra. You promised to describe about the Jagradhavasta, Chatuspatvam. You are talking about the individual self. The individual self, you said, has got four parts. Chatuspatva, Chatuspath, Pada. Path means Pada. So you started describing. So I expected you to think here is a body, here is a mind and the body with all these Panchapranas and five organs of action, five organs of knowledge and your mind, etc. This is you experience the whole outside, external world and that is what is the description of the Jagradhavasta. In between, suddenly you brought this Aptanga. This Aptanga describes only Virat Rupa. Why did you bring the Virat again? So that is the objection that could come to thoughtful people. We will read that one. Katham, how? I am Atma Brahmaiti. That Brahma, so that Brahma about whom you must have heard through hundreds of thousands of lectures and you read about it in all the other Upanishads, in Puranas, everywhere, that Brahma is not somewhere else. That Brahma, Poornamadaha, that, but suddenly Upanishad says I am Atma. That Brahma is not that. This, this means the nearest. The nearest means I. I am Atma. I am Atma Brahma. I am means this. This Atma. That what you are constantly mouthing. I, I, I. For every before we think, I will be there. And before you speak, I will be there. Before you do, I will be there. So for example, I am thinking of sitting. And you say, I am going to sit. And I am sitting on this chair, etc. I must come first. But we don't use for every sentence I because it is well known. The moment you say, so that chair is there, I will make myself comfortable. That means I am going to sit there like that. But the meaning is, if you have to put it in formal language, I decided to sit there and I will feel comfortable when I sit on that chair. This I cannot be removed. That I is called Atma. Atma means I. This I, which you are using all the time, I am Atma. Brahma, Him, or that highest reality whom you are thinking about, is always referring Tath. That is nothing but Thou. You are that Brahma. Iti, thus, Pratyagatmanah. Pratyagatmanah means as if that Atma is within. Whenever you say, I am the Atman, you feel that as though He is inside you. So who is inside? His body is inside. So we make a sharp distinction what is inside the body and what is outside the body. If something is outside the body, it is a real object. If something is inside the body, we think it is a thought. It is an idea. This is common experience whether animals or human beings, every living creature. So Pratyagatmanah asya, this Pratyagatmanah, this inner self with which you are born, you are growing up, and you die. You say, I die. I am going to die, etc. Asya chatushpatve prakruti. Prakruti means the present topic, the topic under discussion. Chatushpatva. This Atma has got four parts. That was what you discussed and I could understand it and you started describing in the third mantra about the first gross state called Jagradhavastha and then in between suddenly Dhyulokadhenam mordhat angatvam ithe Dhyuloka, that means Dhyu means heaven. So this Loka, so heavens is the head. Mortha, Angatvam, that is the part of the universal Lord. That is not acceptable. So this is what is the objection. While the subject matter under discussion treats of the innermost self, Pratyagatmanah, as having four quarters in the text, this Atman is Brahman, how come you, the Siddhanti, to the external universe consisting of the effulgent regions etc. have been suddenly introduced as its limbs such as head etc. Why? So the Siddhanti has to answer. Siddhanti means our own deeper mind has to answer. Always remember whether Purvapaksha means the person or that intellect which understands or sometimes misunderstands but whose understanding is never proper. From the Advaitic point of view, that is called Purvapaksha or objection or objector. For that, the Siddhanti. Siddhanti means who knows everything, who is a realized soul, who is telling the highest truth. He has to make that Purvapaksha. Understand. The non-understanding mind should be made to understand the truth. That is how we have to understand Purvapaksha means the opponent. Opponent means our own intellect which cannot comprehend properly. So this is what Shankaracharya is trying to raise the objection and give the answer. Reply. So what is he telling? This is no fault. That means this is a correct thing. The Upanishad is doing the correct thing. Why? Sarvasya Prapanchasya Prapanchasya of the world. Entire Prapancha Sa Adi Daivikasya which includes all the gods and goddesses in the form of Agni Devata, Varuna Devata, Indra Devata, Ashwini Devata, all those Devatas who are ruling. Anena Atmana and with this Atma, Chetushpa Atvasya Ivakshya Tattvaat. From the viewpoint of the movement I say I am going to describe Jagrat Avastha. I am not talking only you the individual what you are experiencing. I am talking about the entire external world and that world doesn't consist only your own individual. It contains the entire world. You may experience, you may not experience. Generally we experience. Do you know what is the truth? Only one object at a time. Only one object. Even if there are ten people right in front of you, at a time you can see only one particular person. So it says Sarvasya Prapanchasya Sadhidaivikasya We have to understand this very beautiful concept. The world merely doesn't consist of what is called living and non-living, what you experience. No. When you look at the sun, behind the sun there is somebody who is shining. Otherwise who is going to tell us that why the sun should emit so much of light, how many billions of light years away it is. And because of that light we are every day surviving, every night we are surviving because of the sun. It is because of the sun that the space is created, the wind is created, the heat is created, the water is created, the earth is created. Everything is being created because of that light. And who can be the cause of the creation of all these things? It cannot be done by a non-conscious object. Jada. It is possible. So we say Surya Mandala is the external world. Surya Devata is the ruling world. We always forget. And this is most wonderful because within each one of us, supposing I scold you, but I will never be able to scold you unless I have a thinking mind and the mind cannot think without my consciousness being added to that mind. It is the consciousness which lends me the ability to be aware of I, to be aware of you, and there is something wrong you have done so I have to scold you for that purpose. Whether it is right or wrong, I am not talking. So whatever we want to do, this doing is not possible. Thinking also is part of doing. Thinking is not possible. Speaking is not possible. Doing is not possible unless there is that Adhishtana, substratum, a pure consciousness behind. Neither is it possible for you to understand, to experience my scolding and to act and react in what you think is the appropriate manner. That is also not possible without that consciousness. It is the whole subject matter is about this consciousness only, but slowly the Upanishad is leading us to it. So first, you see this entire world and you will see there are individuals and individuals also, there is the living and the non-living, the mountains for example, the earth for example and according to the western scientists, the earth, the water, the air, the fire and the space, they are all completely non-living. Whereas according to Vedanta, that Atman has manifested as Akasha, space has become a little more grosser, manifesting as the Vayu, air, air became a little more gross becoming fire and fire has become a little more manifest as water and water has become a little more manifest. So all these five elements are possible, but it is nothing but the modification, manifestation of pure consciousness, that is the point. This Atman is nothing but this entire Jagat is to be considered as myself. So because the object is described, entire phenomena of the world, including those of Gods, that's why it took time. If you exclude the Gods, then you are only describing a part of the world which is meaningless. After a person is dead, this dead person is going to kill me, is going to donate me so much money. If anybody talks, that person will be taken as a madcap because it is only the living person who could do good or evil, not the dead person. What do you mean by dead person? There is no life. What do you mean by there is no life? If there were life, there would be consciousness. Life, prana and consciousness can never be separated. So if you exclude the consciousness in the form, another name, Gods and Goddesses, then you are not describing the external world as it is. That is the understanding we have to understand. So this Atman, known as the Virat, so that totality of the entire external world is called Virat and just as our body, there is reflected consciousness. Then there is the mind and there is the physical body. So also the entire world is the physical body. Within that, all these shabda, sparsha, uparasa, gandha are manifest in the form of the Akasha Devata, Agni Devata, Vayu Devata, Jala Devata, Prithvi Devata and the same thing is reflected in the micro also. The micro and macro are made on the same plan and the entire whole world is called Virat. So what is the point of description? I myself slowly should get out of this Vishwa concept and become Virat through Upasana. That is called spirituality. Then what happens? Then I become my neighbor. I become my enemy. I become American. I become Canadian. I become Chinese. I become Russian. Then what happens? That I will not have likes and dislikes because it is me only. So that is how we expand our nature. Expand means not that we are not. We are that but we do not know. By removing the Agnana we slowly realize I am not only here in this body. I am in every body etc. etc. That is the reason why when we have to describe the entire Jagat because when you open your eyes you don't see only particular object. You see whatever is seeable and if you are not able to see that is not because the object is not there but because your eyes have certain limitation. There should be light and you have got 20-20 vision etc. So this is how we have to understand. Then there is a purpose. What is the purpose? Shankaracharya's commentary is revealing it. What is it? Evanchasati. If we can understand the entire Jagrat Prapancha, Jagat world along with Antaryami, the lord, the god manifesting as different gods and goddesses as Akasha Devata, Vayu Devata, Agni Devata, Jala Devata Prithvi Devata then you understand there are no different Devatas it all goes by one name and it is called Virat and when Virat comes at this level of the waking state Advaita Siddhi will happen. That means I become identified with the entire world. There was a wonderful incident in the life of Swami Turiyananda. He was wandering in the North India and one day at noon he was sitting under a tree and he was seeing the cultivators, the farmers it was terribly hot outside probably summer season or whatever and everybody was sweating but even though with a few loin cloths these people were toiling from early sunrise to sunset they will be tilling the land, cleaning it up everything and the rainy season is going to come they are preparing etc. So he felt disgust towards himself what am I doing? I am sponging without doing anything I am sponging upon these people's hard labour going. That is why many people called Sannyasins as useless spongers on society. They do not contribute anything but they go on sponging taking of honest people's work. So many people cherish entertain these kind of thoughts anyway Swami Turiyananda was becoming depressed suddenly he said, he was describing his own condition suddenly I saw I was growing and growing and growing and growing and growing until I became one with the whole world that means I am the field I am the cultivator of the field I am everything then he said, then only my mind became completely peaceful and this is the truth, until we attain oneness with the entire Virat for a beginning for a start, we will not be able to get any peace and today so much of conflict is going on in this whole world, is all because of this one thing that every nation thinks we are separate and we have to struggle and unless I grab nobody is going to give us for that I devise so many strategies, it could be bombs, it could be missiles it could be misinformation, it could be anything like that and we think if I am the cleverer person then I will grab everything not knowing that a fellow like Kalidasa he takes a knife with his right hand and goes on cutting his left hand saying this left hand is the root cause of all my problems, if I can cut it off then my right hand will be a very very happy hand, he doesn't understand, we don't understand that is why we are creating wars and conflicts everywhere you see nowadays news means conflict and hearing such news means conflict in our minds conflict means restlessness peacelessness etc. we have to be extremely careful this highest truth, the whole universe is nothing but me but at least let me slowly realize it in the form of erot, that's being described so graphically here, so what happens, sarva prapancha upashyami, that is when the whole world is negated upashyama means negated upashyama means merge in its cause, then advaita siddhi, I attain to the state of complete oneness, so again and again I am reminding you, negation is not something something is undesirable you take it and throw it at a long distance, that is not negation, negation means I negate my limitedness I identify myself with the larger whole that is called truly negation sarva prapancha upashyami this is me and this is the sarva prapancha that division, advaita has to be completely gotten rid of and if I can do it when I do it, I attain to that state of the understanding which is called advaita siddhi means there is only one it doesn't remove the world but it elevates the world to godhood that is what sarvam jagat satyam not only brahma satyam brahman is nothing but this jagat, jagat is nothing but brahman so there was a beautiful incident in the life of Swami Shankaracharya was once asked, what is the essence of what you have written, because you have written cart loads of books and I don't have time, I don't have the intellect, tell me clearly what is the essence? He also said, I will summarize whatever I wanted to teach to the world in half a sentence what is it? brahma satyam jagat mithya jeevo brahmaiva na paraha that is to say that brahma satyam, god alone is real, jagat mithya at the time of sadhana we have to think the jagat is mithya mithya means limited so this limitedness has to be slowly removed, and when I remove then jagat becomes satyam, jeevo brahmaiva na paraha you are none other than brahman so the jagat also is none other than brahman, brahma satyam jagat satyam, jeevo satyam, that was the message I wanted to give you even many sadhus and especially our Ramakrishna mission sadhus they only heard brahma satyam, jagat mithya, so the time has come for Swami Turiyananda to give up his body and crystal clearly people heard him uttering before passing away, brahma satyam jagat satyam everything is nothing but brahman and some of them got puzzled here Shankara says that jagat mithya, brahma satyam is fine jagat mithya but here is a great man that who says jagat also is satyam so jagat is not satyam, as we understand it, jagat is satyam, from brahman's point of view, the jagat is nothing but brahman from our point of view, I am different, jagat is different, that is that concept is called mithya and that wrong misleading understanding concept should be completely merged in the complete knowledge which is I am not different from the world the world is not different from brahman, so brahma satyam jagat satyam aham brahmasmi that is the understanding where to go sarva prapancha upasame advaita siddhi, and then Shankaracharya always gives quotations from shrutis, smritis and yukti and anubhava, three sources he gives, sometimes one sometimes both, sometimes all the three, what is it first of all, what is the scripture telling in many places again and again secondly, yukti through reasoning also we more or less can understand the same truth third is our own anubhava anubhava is our own experience simple example is a mother, a woman before marriage, she is a woman then she becomes married then her self has become expanded now that not only me, my husband both of us become one, then children will come along so she knows, my children are different, but mentally, she identifies herself with all her children and she is prepared to give up her life, why is she prepared, because she is not giving up her life for the children, she is giving up her life for her own sake the child is no longer somebody, that child is none other than me similarly, desha bhakta a devotee, a patriot he also does exactly the same thing, so also there are people who love the entire world, who can call the animals as brother wolf sister birds etc, etc, as in the case of Saint Francis of Assisi so, the first pramana is shruti second pramana is reason, and third pramana is our own experience so, I just now quoted, what is our experience, if I love my mother, my father my brother, my sister my children, my wife, my husband my country my religion, that means I am I have crossed my very limited individuality and becoming identified with the larger whole, so now, profusely Shankaracharya quotes from the scriptures and for that he gives a quotation he who is in every creature bhuta, bhuta means we have to understand, both living and non-living a mountain also prithvi also panchat, we get it he who is in the earth and who is moving the earth whom the earth does not know and who is none other than earth itself, that is atman, like that all the pancha bhutas, the sun the moon, beautiful description we will get sarvabhutas cha atma atma, our the real self ekodrishtasya, is only one there cannot be different consciousnesses as Sankhyas tell, every body has got a separate consciousness, every individual has got a separate atma, no vedanta doesn't accept it, there is only one atma and he is paramatma and besides that there is no jivatma ekodrishtasya we see everywhere only that one real self and how do you say that's our sarvabhutani cha atmani, so he is realized as existing in all beings and all beings are seen as existing in atma, where is it? this is where we get in Isavasya Upanishad sarvabhutastam atmanam sarvabhutani cha atmani ekshate yoga yuttatma sarvatra samadarshanah yastu sarvani bhutani atmanye vanupashyate sarvabhuteshu cha atmanam tatona vizhugupsate, so sarvabhutastam atmanam atma which is in every being, sarvabhutani cha atmani and every being is in that self only ekshate yoga yuktatma, ekshate is seen, the who, yoga yuktatma one who has attained perfection in yoga ekshate, he sees the same atman in everything and everything in the same atman as the same atman, and what does he become? sarvatra samadarshanah he becomes a samadarshi vidhya vinaya sampanne prambhane gavi hastini suni chaiva svapake cha panditaha samadarshanah this quotation is not from Isavasya it is from the Bhagavad Gita 6th chapter so but Isavasya tells us in this 6th mantra yastu sarvani bhutani atmani eva anupashyati, he who sees sarvani bhutani atmani eva, within one's own self, as one's own self anupashyati, he who perceives sarvabhutesu cha atmanam sarvabhutesu cha atmanam so sees every being as none other than his own self in the form of ideas etc. tatah navizhugupsate he will not hate them he will not look down upon them that means he will be beyond both raga and dvesha likes and dislikes he who sees everywhere the self in all existences and all existences in the self, shrinks not thereafter from aught ityadi shruti arthas chaiva shruti smruti, so many passages are there upasamrutahasyat so this is the final essence, final conclusion upasamruta means final conclusion of all the shruti smruti passages, what is it? everything is nothing but brahman brahman is everything everything is brahman as alone the meaning of such shruti passages as who sees all beings in the self can be said to be established without any doubt and we say established, for whom? for a realized soul for other people it is not established but it is believed because now we are in a state, that is not our experience but we believe every idea that is there in the Upanishads Bhagavad Gita and Mahabharata, Ramayana etc it is nothing but pure truth, one truth then why should we perceive that there is only one atma, one brahman and that one brahman has become everything because we are all under the that kind of delusion and there is a particular school of philosophy called Sankhya, Sankhya Darshana Darshana means a school of philosophy and their firm belief is every individual is a atma a little bit of consciousness purusha, but as many individual bodies are there, so many purushas are there, that means billions and billions countless purushas, that means atmans are there this is called Bahujiva Vada, the theory that there are many many jivas are there, but this Sankhya school of thinking has been superseded in Vedanta and the Vedanta says there is only one God and when he is manifest then he is seen just as the one sun is reflected in a myriad of water drops as each has a separate sun if there is a lake and there is wind and the wind is whipping this into different types of waves small wave, big wave and every wave is consisting of billions of water drops and in every water drop that same sun is getting reflected and every drop is thinking, if it can think that I am the sun, not knowing that there is only one real sun. Sri Ramakrishna gives this beautiful analogy supposing there are ten pots filled with water and there is one sun shining and reflecting as ten reflected suns. Sri Ramakrishna this is a beautiful story he must have heard from somewhere so the guru is asking the disciples, supposing you break a pot, how many suns are there? Then the answer is one true sun and nine reflected suns suppose you break nine pots how many suns are there? Yes, one real sun and one reflected sun supposing you break the tenth pot also, how many suns are there? Yes, there is one real sun immediately the rod had come down upon the disciple says that when you are that tenth reflected sun, when your individuality is gone who is there to say that there is one real sun even to say there is one real sun a mind is needed and that mind has become completely destroyed now that means the individual has become the real sun the reflected sun had now is destroyed, only the real sun remains, who is going to ask that real sun, how many real suns and how many reflected suns etc that profound message of Mandukya Upanishad was being given by Srirama Krishna in the form of this beautiful story, there are also similar stories that ten people were crossing a river etc we will talk about it next class so finally they thought one of them was lost because the counter was excluding himself from counting counting everybody else he gets only nine figures and one of us is missing then a onlooker comes and he makes him stand along with the nine others and when he comes to the tenth one he says Dashamasthomasi you are that tenth man, that means to say that we are thinking we are the reflected suns but when the mind is destroyed, there will be no reflection, along with the death of the mind, the duality Dwaitam also will go so when there is no Dwaitam Advaita Siddhi happens that is going to be beautifully described so Sarva Upanishadam Sarva Atmaike Pratipada, this is the real essence of all the Upanishads, all scriptures in this world, whether it is Bible or Koran or anything we will talk about it in our next class Om Jananim Shanadam Devim Ramakrishnam Jagat Gurum Pada Padme Tayo Sritva Pranamami Mohur Mohur May Sri Ramakrishna Holy Mother and Swami Vivekananda bless us all with Bhakti and Ramakrishna