Khandana Bhava Bandhana Lecture 07 on 02 June 2019

We are discussing the Āratrikam hymn ‘Khaṇḍana bhava bandhana’. We have completed up to ‘nirodhana samāhitamana nirakhi tava kṛpāy’. Now we will take up the next stanzas ‘bhañjana-duḥkhagañjana’.

Whenever an Avatāra comes, He removes all the miseries. All the miseries, sufferings, that anyone can experience in this world, are classified into three types. We call them Tritāpa - Adhyātmika, Adhibhautika and Adhidaivika .

• So first, traditional explanation is, Adhyātmika means anything physical. Whether it is bodily or mental.
• That which comes from outside, cold, heat, mosquitoes, floods, droughts, landslides, or infectious diseases anything is called Adhibhautika. Adhibhautika is that which comes from outside. 

Adhyātmika means bodily and mentally.  Adhibhautika, Bhautika means external, floods etc.

• Daivika means - Hindus believe there are gods and goddesses. Indra for example, in Bhāgavatam we get that beautiful story. Krishna advised all the Gopas that don't Worship Indra. What did he do? Immediately for seven days Mussalādhār-vrishti. So, that is how Krishna lifted the Govardhana giri, mountain and completely protected them.

So is it a fact? Yes, it is a fact. I'll just give you one illustration. At Belur Math, One afternoon, Swami Sāradānandaji, after finishing His food came out. Then one woman suddenly was trying to rush into the kitchen. He asked, ‘Who are you?’ She said, ‘I am cholera’. Cholera Goddess. He said ‘Mother we are poor monks,You better go somewhere else.’ She looked at Him and went the other way. So nobody died. But next place which we have now acquired, was a brick making kiln. And that is where many people died that day, that time, Cholera.

Now, for every good thing, rain, shine etc there is a Goddess. Similarly, there are Gods and goddesses also for diseases, cholera Chicken pox, you know in villages, Māriammā, all these we worship. We think these are all Village superstitions. But if you believe in Brahman, why not manifest a good person, bad person. As there are ministers in charge of water, electricity, pothole maintenance, all these. They  don't do the work here, but Gods and Goddesses definitely they do it. It is all a matter of belief.  

Shītalā Devi is one such Goddess. Kshudhirām, when he was worshipping, he had wonderful vision. You know that? When  he was gathering flowers, She used to come, Help by bending the branches, to help him collect all the flowers. He asked, ‘Mother, Who are you?’ Small  girl! He used to look upon every woman as a mother. He did not recognize, ‘Mother who are You?’ She said ‘I am Shītalā, I love you and I came to help you’.

Now another story is there. Swāmi Yogānanda was traveling in a train with Holy Mother. At night, I think they were going to Jaipur, at night a terrible Goddess appeared, And She said, ‘But for Paramahamsa Deva, I would have finished you today. Give me, offer me worship when you reach the other place Jaipur’. So He was terrified. Next  morning, He got up narrated the whole lot to Holy Mother.

Then they reached Jaipur and when they were going from Temple to Temple, they saw by the side, in a side small niche, a Goddess. Immediately Yogānanda said. ‘Mother, this is the Goddess who appeared to me’. Immediately Mother asked someone to buy some sweets and offer it.

( 05:47 mins )

Now this is a fact that had taken place. So who is to say that that they are not existing. The problem with us is we have selective faith. I say small Gods and Goddesses, They don't exist. But when we get something like chicken pox, chicken guniya, all these bugs, they are all nothing but our Prārabdha Karma in the form of these Gods and Goddesses.

Anyway, what is important is that these Gods can also give trouble. When do they give trouble? When the human beings displease then they will become because they are also due to be given some recognition.

1. First of all do not say I don't believe in You.
2. Second where there is worship due, give it. 
3. Third don't make any distinction, This is a higher God, This is a lower God. ( At the moment, Our problem is not the higher God, It is the lower God) So we have to be very careful.

So what were we discussing? Adhyātmika Tāpa, then Adhibhautika tāpa, and Adhidaivika tāpa.

So Purānas have affirmed it, and our experience, some of the great people also affirm it. So Lakshmi and Saraswati, Vināyaka, Ganesha, all these people are Gods. They can help us in every way.

When Gopis wanted to obtain Krishna, whom did they worship? Kātyāyini. Chaitanya Mahāprabhu had worshipped Divine Mother. Sri Rāmakrishna worshipped the Divine mother.

So what is my point? They all exist. So salute them, whatever number of Gods and Goddesses are there, salute them, Vana-devatā etc.

The other way of looking at it is, three types of bodily, mental and spiritual.

• Bodily, We all know. Headache, stomachache, Rheumatism, all these things are bodily problems.
• Then what are mental problems? Are we suffering from mental problems or not? We are all suffering from it. How do we know? Otherwise, you would not have attended my class. Only because we want something. You know, some lack, dissatisfaction.

So now we understand what are bodily problems, we understand mental problems.

• But what are spiritual problems? Nowadays, many many people are discovering, their health is more or less okay. There is nothing called perfect health. More or less okay. Why do I say that there is nothing called Perfect health? Perfect health exists only after death. Before death it doesn't exist.

Because early morning if you don't take breakfast, is it a disease or not? Why do you take Early morning breakfast? You are hungry. What is hunger? Is it not a disease? It is a disease. Then what about this? So many diseases are there. Lunch, that is another disease.

Not only that. Simple things, you know, like rāgi mudde will do, but no we want Idli. If somebody gives Idli to you, will you be happy? Someone gives you Dosa will you be happy? No along with that chutney should be there. That is called Chutney disease. We are suffering without knowing. These are the normal taxes. Diseases are occasional taxes. Sometimes jaundice etc special taxes. We have to pay occasional taxes, special taxes etc.

( 10:20 mins )

Okay. Have you ever heard about spiritual problems? What are spiritual problems? Your body is more or less okay, your mind is okay, but some longing you have - জুড়াইতে চাই কোথায় জুড়াই ( Juraite Chai Kothay Jurai ). I want peace, but where do I get peace? Some longing is there, what they call, psychologists call ennui.

What does that mean? You can't Point your finger and say what is it. But at the same time you feel highly dissatisfied, bored. Can you believe it we all get bored. Yes! Because anything in excess will create boredom. Is it a fact or not? Suppose everyday you eat rasagullā, will you get bored or not? Then what do you long for? First class Andhra avakāya pickle you long for. To change the Taste. Yeah, we are all… Same taste means it's very boring. Same talk means it is very boring. So there are many people now they are fulfilled, excepting they don't know what they're longing for, that’s what I call spiritual Longing.  

Why is it? What is the nature of a disease if you understand, then you understand, you have an explanation. You see, if body is perfectly healthy, then what happens? You forget the Body when you are healthy. You forget the body. When your mind is perfectly healthy, then you are always happy.

When you forget your spirituality, you also become very unhappy. Why? Because body belongs to you, mind belongs to you. Spirituality Also belongs to you. Because each soul is potentially divine. So if you don't do express it then you suffer. And in other ways this is called creativity.

Every person, even birds, even ants how beautifully they make anthills. Birds nests, you know, somebody has done research on it. Every bird has a different type of nest. So beautiful, so intricate. We only see the beauty, but there is a utility as well. What if the utility? They want to save themselves from predators. so they have got some ways how to do it.

So what are we talking about? Every living creature suffers from three types of sufferings, viz  bodily, mental and then Spiritual.

Do animals suffer from spirituality? Perhaps less. But, they want to manifest. But how do we know they suffer from spiritual lack? What is the answer, explanation? Evolution! Why do they want to evolve? Because they know, there is something, this is called in Vedāntic language or philosophical language, teleological urge.

Teleology deals with the ends, with the goals of life. Every Creature from the amoeba, there is a teleological urge - you are divine. They don't know what it is. So they want to develop.

• First of all appropriate fit body. Human body is the fittest body.
• Then, they want to develop complex mind, capable of understanding what is life. All because there is a teleological urge. Then there is a moral urge.
• Then finally there is a spiritual urge.

If you ask a dog, which is capable of understanding you and answering you, then It will tell you I don't want to be a dog. I want you to be my dog. You are always commanding me, I want to be you.

( 15:31 mins )

See, we also don’t know. Something is urging us, there is something I have to reach. And that is why the mind is restless.

Swami Ashokānandaji, he gave a beautiful explanation. Why is the mind so restless? The answer given is that until the Mind reaches its true nature, it will never become restful. It will always be restless. Restlessness means I am searching for something.

It is like Sri Rāmakrishna used to say, at night somebody is searching, ‘Where is the master?’ Touches the chair,  ‘This is not the master’. Touches the door, ‘This is not the master’. Touches the table, ‘This is not the master’. Touches the bed, ‘This is not the master’. Then touches the body - ‘This is the master’.

So we don't know what we are searching for. But definitely we are searching for only one thing, in common language - ‘I want to be always happy’.

That is a keyword. ‘I want to be happy’. We are all happy at times, that doesn't fulfil us. I want uninterrupted, unbroken happiness, and the highest happiness, quantitatively as well as qualitatively, for eternity. So only an Avatāra, He is born, He tells the goal of human life is to manifest the Divinity within us.

Bhañjana-duḥkhagañjana - All the three Tāpas will come to an end only when we know we are not the body. Bodily problems - Talāq. I am not the Mind, mental problems - Talāq. I am the Divine, Spiritual  problems - Talāq - Permanently. So, Bhañjana-duḥkhagañjana.

Karuṇāghana - He is an embodiment of compassion. There is not an iota of selfishness, that I want something. Because He from His point of view He is Us. Karuṇāghana. He is born as a human being.

Karma-kaṭhor - from birth to death with every breath, He is only doing activity. Now in our case also, is breathing an activity or not? Is lying down an activity or not? Is sleeping an activity or not? Is thinking an activity or not? Of all the activities which is the hardest activity? Thinking. We don't want to be thinking people.

We want to think that we are thinking people. We don't want to actually think. Why? You have to whip up the mind to think. Thinking deeply means what? Thinking rationally, thinking threadbare, thinking without deviating to any other subject. This is the most wonderful thing. Think deeply your mind will go to a very high level.

All these discussions we are having, wherefrom is it coming? I ask you to sit here and then give a talk. Will you be able to explain all these things? You will be able to. What is the difference? You have to sit and think about it, meditate upon it.

So karuṇāghana karma-kaṭhor. That is why Bhagavad Gitā said we are also Karma-kaṭhors. That means unceasingly from birth to death. Birth after birth, we are all working very hard. Body is working. That is why in the Bhagavad Gitā He says:

न हि कश्चित्क्षणमपि जातु तिष्ठत्यकर्मकृत् || 3:5 ||

na hi kaśhchit kṣhaṇam api jātu tiṣhṭhatyakarma-kṛit |

No one can sit without activity even for a single second. Blood stops flowing, the heart stops beating, if our Prāna is not functioning properly. We will be Kāput, we will not survive. This is the truth.

What is the difference? The difference is we are working for our own selfishness. Avatāra works for everybody’s purpose.

( 20:19 mins )

Prāṇārpaṇa - His very birth is for what? It is dedicated. Mother's birthday is dedicated for whom? For the children. So prāṇārpaṇa.

Sri Rāmakrishna, Rāma, Krishna, Jesus, Buddha, Chaitanya Mahāprabhu, any great Avatāra, they are not Karma Janmis. They are Kāraṇa Janmis. They have a mission to fulfil. What is the mission? Only one mission. What is that called? Dharma Sthāpana. Three missions we said. Dharma Sthāpana, Sādhu paritrāṇan and Dushṭa Nivāraṇa.

Jagata-tāraṇa - tāraṇa means to save the world. We have to be saved. Are we not saved now? No. Now we are all suffering from, progressing towards inevitable death.

Human beings are supposed to recognize, everybody doesn't recognize, but we are acutely aware of the impending death. There is no doubt about it.

Jagata-tāraṇa - we have to be saved. Not temporarily. Temporarily medicine will save, some rich person can save, but permanent saving can be done only by Bhagavān Himself.

That is why He sets up an ideal, He clarifies the paths and then He inspires us, and He guides us at every step.

One funny example is there. Swami Brahmānandaji, after He became president conceived the idea that let me also put Sri Rāmakrishna’s teachings in words, like M. So He started writing. One night Sri Rāmakrishna  appeared. And He said, ‘Did I say that? I did not say that’. Then He corrected and said, ‘That is someone else’s saying. I have heard about it, and I quoted it’. He was acutely aware of DRM – Digital Rights Management. Yeah, he didn't want to take… ‘Such and such a person told it to Me, I heard it’. You know Satya pālaka.

So He sets the ideal. He lives his own life, at the same time He also inspires each one of us at every step. If He is not guiding us, if He is not supporting us, we won't be able to progress further.

So prāṇārpaṇa! For what purpose? Jagata-tāraṇa. He did not come for India alone.

Swāmi Vivekānanda had written a letter. You see, these fellow, Indians  you know, are very good at giving advice. They wrote to Swāmiji, ‘You don't eat all those things’. Swāmiji wrote back, ‘Wonderful advice. You send all the Indian groceries and along with that a cook’. After that there were no more letters. That was the end of it.  Swāmiji in those days where is He going to get?

You know he had to eat meat. He had  no objection to eat meat. Then he was very fond of chocolate icecream. Swāmi Vivekānanda was very fond of chocolate icecream. If you ask me why was He so fond of chocolate icecream? My answer would be - mango icecream was not available. Today if he had gone there who would care for this chocolate. First Class mango ice cream you know.

Why was He eating? Because normal Indian food was not available. Sometimes lentils were available, rice was totally unknown. Now everywhere people are flooding Indian restaurants. Because this is one way traffic. Once they change their tasteless food into this list, there is no going back. He has to travel that way only. Thriving!

So what am I trying to tell you? How much difficulty Swāmiji had to undergo. Because everything smells of this non-vegetarian food.

( 25:23 mins )

Once I went to Italy to attend an interfaith conference. I was put up in a hotel. I was very hungry having reached in the evening, winter season. The plane three times it had to down, it had to again take off because he couldn't align himself with the control room. Third time again we were thinking… because of thick fog, ice and there was hardly any visibility. The third time it was successful. By the time we reached the hotel it was about nine o'clock or something. I was ravenously hungry.

We went straight for the food. I said I will not eat non vegetarian. So they gave some biscuit, beautiful biscuit this big like pencil, and some pieces of bread. So I was happily munching. Somebody said ‘Swāmiji, don't take that biscuit, It contains pig’s fat’. I said, ‘Already Brahmarpanam has been done. It has already gone inside, half digested, now I cannot bring it out’. Anyway I did Brahmarpanam, so that was my consolation. It was tasty. Yeah, how many times I must have eaten like that.

Three days I had problem. So then I have to eat only first class curds. And then banana and a cheese. Mozzarella cheese they call it. You know Mozzarella  cheese? When a cow gives birth, the first few days, that thick, you understand… for 3, 4 days when you boil that cow's milk, it just breaks. Very very high protein. And it contains all the ingredients good for the calf.  That I like because the other cheese It is, what is called, so bitter, and also such a horrible smell, rotten smell will come. This  one is fresh. So with the some honey or sugar, it is enough, sufficient.

Then I was told we will prepare rice for you. I was very happy. They gave rice, full of cows fat. Peculiar smell. I said, I don't want rice. I am happy with the banana, yogurt, first class yogurt, and Mozzarella cheese & bread. I am quite happy. So now you get Vegans restaurants. Vegan. They will not provide even milk product. So strict about it.

So what are we talking about? Jagata-tāraṇa - to save the world, Swāmiji, He had to go there as the representative of, or another form of Sri Rāmakrishna. Who spoke? Sri Rāmakrishna was carried in the heart of Swāmi Vivekānanda. Swāmi Vivekānanda was only the form. The Voice belonged to… Voice, Do you know what voice means? Knowledge, ideas!

There were incidents. Whole night Swāmiji was hearing voices, the hosts were hearing voices. And they knew that excepting Swāmiji nobody was there.

So the next morning one host asked, ‘Swāmiji with whom were you talking?’ He smiled and said I was talking with Myself, which is also the truth. Sri Rāmakrishna was none other than His own Self, Ātmā.

But who was talking? Sri Rāmakrishna was talking, ‘Tomorrow, You will speak out these ideas’. Throughout! ‘I am only a voice without a Form’, Swāmi Vivekānanda used to say. All the direct disciples, they were only instruments.

Okay, so Jagata-tāraṇa, Their very birth is out of compassion. And then from birth to death They offer Their life, Their Prāna, Their Āyush, Their knowledge, everything, for uplifting the world - Jagata-tāraṇa.

( 30:13 mins )

And part of that mission is कृन्तन-कलिडोर ( kṛntana-kaliḍor )

Kṛntana - means to Cut off, uproot.

Cut off what? Kalidor? Kali - means Kali-kāla. Kali-kāla means what? Ajñāna or ignorance.

Dor means what? Bandhana – Bondage – Kali’s bondage. Bondage of ignorance. You can say Kali is there to open kali’s door. Then you can go out of Kali’s hegemony. This is the truth, you understand? Get out of Kali’s influence.

Kali represents what? Ignorance. Yeah, Kali-kāla we call it. Ghora Kali-kāla! What is Ghora Kali-kāla? Swāmiji wrote a letter, that a duck was suffering from cold. He said, this is Ghora Kali-kāla, when ducks are suffering from cold! Kṛntana-kaliḍor.

Okay, let us recollect -

• bhañjana-duḥkhagañjana - how many types of sufferings? Three types of sufferings Ādhyātmika, Ādhibhautika, Ādhidaivika. Another way to put it - physical, mental, and spiritual. And only Sri Rāmakrishna is able to completely destroy all suffering. How? by giving us the knowledge, You are not the body, You're not the mind, But you are Brahman – Tat tvam asi. By that knowledge only, a person may be completely free, for eternity, from all these.
• Karuṇāghana - Why does He do it? Out of His, He is an embodiment of compassion. Compassion means what? There is no selfish motive there.
• Karma-kaṭhor - They work from birth to death. I cited last time the example of Buddha. He was on His death bed. I think the last week one man came seeking His advice. Ānanda prevented him from meeting Buddha. Buddha said, ‘Ānanda do not prevent him. Tathāgata is not available all the time. In a few hours time people will not be having Tathāgata. Let him come. My very life is for that. I will remove his doubts set him free. And then this Tathāgata will pass away’. That is what He has done. Sri Rāmakrishna also, until the end, He was only talking about what is good for the world.
• Prāṇārpaṇa - His very life is a dedication, is a sacrifice.
• For what purpose? Jagata-tāraṇa - to save the world. To uplift the world, to make them conscious of their ideal.
• How does he do it? By His grace if anybody surrenders to Him, He will completely destroy the very root of ignorance. That is called Kṛntana - means to cut down, Kali - means Ajñāna. Dor - means bandhana, the bondage of Kali, bondage of Ajñāna.

वञ्चन-कामकाञ्चन अतिनिन्दित-इन्द्रियराग ( vañcana-kāmakāñcana atinindita-indriyarāg )

Sri Rāmakrishna condemned so strongly. What did He condemn? Indriyarāg! Attachment to indriyās. All our life is what? I want to see nice things. I want to hear nice things. I want to smell nice things. I want to taste nice things. I want to be a very comfortable. Why are we putting on the fan? To be comfortable. It is hot, so you want to be comfortable. Why  do we want tasty dishes? For the sake of comfort. Yes. It is all comfort and comfort and comfort only.

So we are terribly attached to the sense organs. Why? Because if anybody has cultivated the mind, he need not have been a slave to the Rāgas. What is the example? Bhāmati, Have you heard about Bhāmati?

( 35:05 mins )

Sri Shankarāchārya’s Brahma-Sutra has been commented on by various people. One of the commentator’s commentary is called Bhāmati. Why was it called Bhāmati? There was a man who was married. Even though he was married, (He really did not want to get married. Parents  must have forced him to get married). The moment he got married, he promptly forgot about his wife.

He was completely absorbed for several years from morning till he went to sleep he is thinking about Brahma-Sutra. Shankara Bhāshya, Shankara Bhāshya, Shankara Bhāshya, and writing his commentary on Brahma Sutra Bhāshya. And  he became a little old. One day, he was trying to sit and write, when it became dark. Then suddenly one lady came and lighted the lamp and put it in front of him.

He was surprised. He asked, ‘Who are you?’ She said, ‘Don't you remember me? I am your wife Bhāmati’ He said, ‘My God. I have forgotten her for so many years’, you know the dedication of study. ‘I am really grateful to you. You have been looking after me, that's why I'm able to write. When I complete this one, I will dedicate it in your name’. So this is called Bhāmati. Her name was Bhāmati, so the commentary is called Bhāmati. Such wonderful people were there, you can just imagine.

So this is the most important point we have to understand - atinindita-indriyarāg. What is Sri Rāmakrishna’s teaching? Two. What are the teachings? What Is the obstruction to spiritual progress? Kāma and Kanchana - atinindita-indriyarāg.

Vañcana-kāmakāñcana - Vañcana - means those who deceive. Of all the deceivers, the greatest deceivers are Kāma and Kanchana. There is a distinction between these two.

Kāma means desire, specifically lust. But this lust does not work all the time. When you're having a headache, lust is not there. Lust will disappear. When you have a stomach ache, lust will disappear. When you are very young there is no Lust. When you are very old you're suffering from so many other things. Only at particular times this lust will flare up, any desire for that matter of fact.

But this kanchana fellow is suffering from headache, somebody comes and says, ‘Do you know, your stock has gone up by 12%?’ Immediately his headache would disappear. ‘Huh? How much money has fallen into my bank account?’

See the power of money? An old man, about to die, somebody says you won a lottery ticket.

I told you that story, remember Bill? You don't remember? I have repeated it so many times. There was an American who used to buy lottery tickets. For 25 years he never got anything. But out of habit he bought. Then he had this heart problem, severe cardiac attack, so he was admitted in the hospital. The doctor was very good, slowly he was recovering.

Then the news came to his sons that he won a million dollars. Now the news has to be conveyed, because the money has to be collected. They were in a dilemma, if they convey the message directly, he may die. So they caught hold of his cardiac doctor and then said, ‘Doctor this is what has happened, you have to convey the news gently to him’. Doctor said, ‘Don't worry, tomorrow morning I will do it.’

The next morning he went and said ‘Bill how are we doing?’ ‘Oh, Dr. many thanks to you. Because of you I have recovered’. They spoke like that five or ten minutes.

Then he said, ‘Supposing Bill, supposing you get the news you have won 1 million dollars in Lottery. What will you do?’ Immediately he said I will give half of it to you. Hearing this the doctor fell down dead. So what is the point? The power of that greed.

( 40:12 mins )

Sri Rāmakrishna used to tell a story. One old man was dying. He was so attached to his money, that he was saying, ‘Hey, why is the Lamp burning so brightly? Reduce the wick, it is consuming too much oil.’ And that fellow is on the death bed.

Yes. We see it all the time. I saw one person here. He was on his Death bed. Not money… He could not talk. All over the body tubes were there, test tubes, you know? The input is going in, output is also coming through tubes only. ( We are very fond of tubes, you know? Which tube? YouTube! )

One day a sevak was there. You know who was the sevak? Swāmi Japānanda. So he was asking, ‘What do you want? Do you want kesari bhat? Do you want murrie? Do you want pāyasa?’  ‘Hmm..hmm’ This man was telling later graphically, after 5-10 minutes, every conceivable eating item, he wants to eat. Suggesting, ‘Do you want chocolate?’ ‘ Hmm…Hmm’

So he opened the Chocolate, but he could not even swallow. And in the next two or three days he died. The power of Desires you know? Kāma & kāñcana.

What is Bandhana? What is Kalidor? Kali Bandhana? Kāma and kāñcana.

Sri Rāmakrishna has come to release us from it. But according to Hindu Dharma shastra, Kāma and kāñcana are Purushartha - Dharma, Artha, Kāma and Moksha.

But, Why was Sri Rāmakrishna condemning it? Why was Hinduism saying that it is a human goal? They are sandwiched between Dharma and Moksha. Rightfully you earn, rightfully you enjoy, rightfully you spend your money, rightfully you uplift the society, help the society, serve the society. That service will not bind us. It rather helps us to go forward. But  it should be sandwiched by Dharma. And the vision should be, ultimate goal should be Moksha.

So, Sri Rāmakrishna condemned Kāma and Kāñcana, Kāma-kāñcana. He used to use the word Kāmini-kāñcana. The correct translation, Kamini means woman. No, that is not a correct translation. Anyway sex is the translation. Why? Now all sorts of sex attractions are there. Same gender, the hetero gender like that.

It is horrible, especially in the West. One man came and introduced, he brought his friend. And he said ‘Swāmiji, this is my fiancé’. Oh Rāma! I thought I misheard him, and I asked, ‘What did you say?’ ‘We are going to get married’, openly. There is no, what is called, hiding about it. Indians will hide. They will not hide because it is accepted in the society.

What I'm saying, Kāma means desire, bodily Desire. Every desire falls under the category desire only. But this one especially.

Kāñcana -  how to fulfill the desire? You need a means. What is the means? Money. So knowledge is transformed into money, work is transformed into money, whole Prāna is transformed into money.

Atinindita Vañcana means they deceive people. Kāma and Kāñcana they deceive. Deception in Hindu philosophy has only one meaning, connotation. You know what is that? It will not allow us to think about true nature. Anything  that blocks thinking of our true nature is called Kāma and Kāñcana. And both of them have got support from body and mind. If you think you are  not the body and mind you have no desires at all.

( 45:22 mins )

That’s why in sleep, deep sleep, there is now. There is no kama there is no Kanchana. Why?  Because  they belong to Body and mind; and in this kama belongs to the body. Kanchana belongs to the mind; it is that idea.

I also told you the story of Mulla Nasirudden, Wisdom stories. Mulla Nasirudden was a fictional character created by the Shah for giving Sufi wisdom. He is mullah was staying in a village.

One  day one midnight a villager could not get sleep walking up and down. Suddenly he saw a Mullah stealing away means walking silently secretly.

So this villager’s  curiosity was aroused. So he followed him soon Allah entered into his field outside the village and under a tree he started to dig. And then this man was observing. He brought out one bundle. He opened the bundle and there were diamonds. So  he counted it, bundled it up, put it  there in same  pattern, filled  it up with our patented. It happily came back.

As soon as he went away,  they neighbor took the whole lot. And he filled it up with small stones, Exact number of stones, as that of diamonds. And next week, again on the same day. The neighbor followed. so Mullah slowly came. He thought nobody was watching, took out his bundle, very happy opened the bundle very unhappy. What did he see? Stones. He  started weeping.

Then  the neighbor came forward. Mullah, What are you doing here? Then he confessed. So I hide my diamonds here, somebody has stolen. So the neighbor ask   one question. What do what were you doing with the diamonds? He said I am Counting.  

And the neighbor said, if all that you are using diamonds for Counting, what difference does it make whether you count stones or diamonds. What it what is the point I am trying tell, in  old age, Even if you are billionaire, you're unable to eat you're diagnosed with jaundice. You can't even eat  tasty food. What is what are your crores or millions are going to do with you.

But man is under the control of ignorance. Just that feeling that I have. See how much you add this vañcana-kâmakâñcana. They are very deceptive. Why deceptive? They won't even allow us to think otherwise. And they express themselves to what kâma and kâñcana express through what medium? what instruments? Body. Desires  belong to the mind. Only  through the body. only through the you know, five sense organs. atinindita indriyarag.

Why you are attached to your nose? Because, Good smell. So what happens when you catch good cold? Nothing happens. You can't even enjoy food because 90% is flavor. Ten percent is  taste. That's why nothing tastes if you are having Typhoid, Malaria. Your tongue becomes absolutely dull.

Have you ever tasted your tongue? How do you know it tastes to you? what is put on the tongue, That is what they tongue is supposed to taste. Tongue is tasteless. Tongue cannot taste. But some tongues are very tasty - this oxen tongue. It is his special -You heard about it -  special dish. Who is with exotic dish French people and the Bears  paw. The costliest coffee in the world.

21:09

Ati nindita Indriyarag –

tyâgîs‧vara he nar‧avara deha‧pade anurâg” – I will dwell upon this a little.

Tyagiswara: Sri Ramakrishna is considered as the emperor of renunciation. Emperor  of renunciation. What is renunciation? we will come to that point. Haynaravara - naravara means the best among human beings

deha‧pade anurâg: anurag means devotion. Pade - the means to your Lotus feet.  opka paka upar parama bakthi dhedhena. “आपका पाका उप्पर परम बकठी धेधेना” .

So tyâgîs‧vara: what is thyaga? According to Sri Ramakrishna  What is the essence of bhagavad-gita? Gee taa - Gee taa - Gee taa – like that  if you utter, in sequence, what would be the word? taa - Gee – taa - Gee  means tyaga.

Tyaga means what? - Giving up. Renunciation, Of  what? You see people think giving up homes, giving up wives and husbands, giving up worldly relationships, giving up the property. That is a kind of tyaga. No doubt, but that's not the real tyaga. Real  tyaga is Giving up the “I”  and mind;  I and Body & mind.  I and mind. That  is what Sri Ramakrishna  if you if anybody can say not I and mine oh Lord but thee and thine -  is a gnanny according to Sri Ramakrishna.

First, let me tell you a story. There  was a disciple. And the guru instructed him give up all attachment. So he gave up; He renounced. He  renounced  his home, and renounced he gave up his possessions. Then guru was simply telling the same thing:”Renounce”. What’s to be renounced? It's - third time. What is there more to renounce?  Everything I renounced.  Remy house, renounced my relationships; I renounced in my property.

What does guru deva mean? He wants me to give up this body. He lit up a file about to Jump. The guru went there and said foolish fellow did I teach you this? I asked you to renounce them. He said what is there to renounce?  

Then the guru went on to explain in a very peculiar way.  Guru  said to the disciple, Go and find out something which is much less valuable than you. Then the disciple went on searching. A  clod of Earth. Oh, this is clod of earth, I am much better.

No no son. I am born only from this clod of earth, because this clod of Earth gives rise to plants and fruits and leaves everything. We eat everything enough Roots we  eat. What is mullangi, a what is potato? What is all those things? Roots. We eat the bark. What is your dhal?  Cinnamon and all these things it is roots. And we eat the leaves. All your greens .  then we eat the vegetables. Eat those  fruits, mango fruits Etc.

We eat even the blossoms. Bengalis are experts in this. Kumda pumpkin this one Rosen that flower what a beautiful pakkoda they make out of it.

You  don't know what I am talking about. Once you taste it, you will  say  spirituality in next life,  only kumda bhaja now. We eat  everything. Trees themselves, with plant themselves we eat.  So a body comes out of the plants. So this clod of Earth cannot be inferior to me.

Then  one day he went out to answer calls of nature. He  saw his own discharge. He said this must be the most worthless thing. Stools.  He was about to scoop it up. The word  scoping is – very – in New York, Swami adhiswaranandaji used to say, if anybody had done some punia he will be born in New York as a dog.

Because the dogs  owner, with a plastic bucket and he will scoop up - running behind, and they also cover with the nice woolen shawl all those things this poodles, you know and running that fellow is running here and there doing whatever it knows. It  knows my caretaker will take care of all those things.

Wow, I am feeling so much you know, so many stories are there.

But there was a millionaire. He had a dog. He was very fond of the dog. The dog died in course of time. So he wanted to get one Mass done for the dog. So he went to his church. The priest was there. Do you do mass for a dog? He said I had a pet dog. He died yesterday. I want to have God's grace upon it I am requesting you. Can you say mass?

Priest got so annoyed and said, get the hell out of here. We don't do masses for the dogs. And said, “okay. I'm going out. I thought I would just to endow(donate) 1 million US dollars of my pet dog. Immediately  the priest ran after him and said “hay. You didn't tell me that yours is a Christian dog. Definitely we will do  Mass for  Christian dog.”(thundering - burst of Laughter by the audience.)

So this is quite a bit of what is tyaga.  This man scooped – no – he was about to scoop up – about to. Suddenly a voice came don't touch me. This fellow was shocked. What is that really telling him? They said but what did you say? you fellow! I was a first-class Payasa. Worthy of being offered to God; and unfortunately, you ate it and I came into contact with you. This is my fate. Second time if you touch me I don't know what is going to be.

With that his ego got broken down. he came up & said, I understand now what is to be given up is what is called a egotism.

Kill the “I” and you see God.  Sri Ramakrishna  was a fun master that will be fun Master. But one master a person came and a asked when do I realize God. . Sri Ramakrishna  said when your w I dies you will realize in God. He could not Understand.  If I die  who is going to realize God?  Sri Ramakrishna  said when he will die you realize – when your “I” dies -  I means what here.

Giving  up - the charana saranagathi.  saranagathi means. Giving up your ownership and get trusteeship. That's what Sri Ramakrishna told to Mathur Babu, don't think mother has given you all this zaminari for the sake of your enjoyment.  You  are but a trustee.

You  do good to the society. You also enjoy but  do good to the society. That is most important. So tyâgîs‧vara. Why  Sri Ramakrishna from the very beginning has given up completely THYAGA of his I and mind. you will not get a parallel. Holy mother certified. He was a king of renunciation.

Haynaravara: This is the most wonderful topic that the modern psychology is trying to make us nature human beings. So what is a nature human being? A person who doesn't suffer from either inferiority complex or superiority complex is no complex at all.

That's why if we suffer from there. How do we know? How do we know you? Can't mix with people? For example, you made somebody who is much better older- vayo vridda, guna vridda, jathi vridda  And so many vriddas are there. Gnana vridda. Do you understand?

Vayo vridda means they are aged, in comparison they are older to you.  The gnana vridda means they're much Superior to you in knowledge.  Guna vridda means they have got better qualities than you.  Jathi vridda  means, he may be sudra, but he is a pukka Brahmana, so you have to respect all those people. Sri Ramakrishna  used to respect. just, we will discuss this point in our next class.

Sri Ramakrishna he used  to do  go and meet all the famous people at Calcutta in his time. And some of them they never cared. For  example, Vidya Sagar did not care much for Takur.

Dayananda Sarswathi  did not care for Takur. He visited so many great so-called pundits. He did not agree with him.  Some  of them down great insulted Sri Ramakrishna . But mathur babu or Hriday,  they used to question “ Mama, Baba  They don't care for you. What do you want to visit? You know Sri Ramakrishna gave a beautiful reply. Can you  give me what replay he gave. Can you tell me what replay he gave?

He said I am not going to see them. The divine Mother is more present in them also. If I don't show my respect to her she will be offended. They don't know that it is divine mother who is manifesting in them. But Sri Ramakrishna knew and for that there is support from two scriptures.

Bagavad Gita, 10 th Chapter, shloka 41.

यद्यद्विभूतिमत्सत्त्वं श्रीमदूर्जितमेव वा |

तत्देवावगच्छ त्वं मम तेजोंऽशसम्भवम् || 41||

yad yad vibhūtimat sattvaṁ śhrīmad ūrjitam eva vā

tat tad evāvagachchha tvaṁ mama tejo ’nśha-sambhavam

o Arjuna whenever you see an extraordinary manifestation of anything great in anybody know that it will be my thejus. If  somebody is a scholar, mother Saraswati is manifesting in him. and if it's somebody is Rich, who is manifesting. Sri Lakshmi.

You know, what is Lakshmi, many people have got wrong opinion about mother Lakshmi. Lakshmi means happiness. That's why, Nom-nom-nom-nom-nomaa  baramma ma. Shukra  every Friday. They sing that song.

Bhagyada lakshmi baramma nammamma nee sau

bhagyada lakshmi baramma

hejjaya mele hejjeyanikkuta

gejje kAlgaLa dhvaniya madutha

sajjana sAdhu pUjeya velege

majjigeyoLagina bennee yante (Bhagyada).

What is Lakshmi. Money comes. This fellow is miserable. Do We want that kind of money? He is miserable, because of  the three reasons.

First  reason is he can't enjoy it? Second reason is all his children and relatives they are spending the money. Third reason is his servants are enjoying all his money and he can't he has he can only just take one tablespoon and in his name whatever is prepared, All the servants are enjoying.

The whole Literature of PC wood house are based upon this, you know, the upper classes, useless fellows. Common sense is not there. like that.  they will from U K  to India, They could reach in no time. But their servants  jeans and other thing everyday 50 to 100 dishes with rare wines etc.

For whose purpose? The  whole thing goes where to themselves. So they  if anybody in this fellow suggests is prepares and not taking no no, no. No, it is family tradition. You can't break the tradition all for what  purpose. They want to enjoy.

So  Lakshmi means what? So this is one where ever you see any ex extraordinary manifestation know that to be I am present in them in a greater, therefore Sri Ramakrishna  said I go to show respect for God to I see God in them Divine mother in them. Not  merely to see these fellows his support for that second comes in the chandi. Durga Saptha sathi.

या देवी सर्वभूतेषु विद्या रूपेण संस्थिता

Lajja rupena samathitha, Mathru rupena samathitha, Daya rupena samathitha,

If somebody is extraordinarily kind (Vidya sagar)  Who's that kindness belongs to whom?

Divine mother. but they are not realizing it. they are not acknowledging it with gratefulness. they are thinking. Oh I acquired it. You did not acquire it.

Mother has bestowed it upon you don't become proud because we acquired it because you made yourself fit. But after that don't flaunt it, you are could hard. You got money. Don't say that I am I right God has given so what puniya more puniya I can do. How did he get all that money because of puniya.

Puniya means good actions. And unselfish actions, if I don't continue that the karmapala  will come to an end. Then he will be like anybody else. So these beautiful points:

tyâgîs‧vara he nar‧avara deha‧pade anurâg ||

tyâgîs‧vara:your are the greatest among the renouncers naravara. You are the greatest human being.

They oh Lord, I beg you I pray you Grant me devotion because

Why do we make devotion? deha‧pade : at your Lotus feet grant to me unsullied motiveless devotion.

Very simple,  a poor man does not go to another poor man to beg for riches. Because  the poor  man cannot give. So  if you are asking Sri Ramakrishna  for bakthi that means he is very rich in bakthi. He is an embodiment of bakthi. He is an ocean of bakthi. but where do we get that point discussing?

bhâs‧vara bhâva-sâgara cira-unmada prema-pâthâr

An ocean of Love. Love means what? Bakthi.  So  he can give. So Lord grant me little bakthi. Wonderful word three words. We will discuss it all the three next class.