Bhagavad Gita Ch15 part 03 on 10 July 2021

Full Transcript(Not Corrected)

OM PASUDEVASUTAM DEVAM KAMSACHANURA MARDANAM DEVAKI PARAMANANDAM KRISHNAM VANDE JAGADGURUM SARVO PANISHADO GAVO DOGDHA GOPALANANDANAH PARTHO VATSHAH SUDHIR BHOKTAH DUBDHAM GEETAM RITAM MAHAT MOOKAM KAROTI VACHALAM PANGUM LANGAYATHE GIRIM YAT KRIPATAMAHAM VANDE PARAMANANDAMADHAVAM We are studying this marvelous 15th chapter called Purushottama Yoga, Uttama Purusha, Parabrahma. In our last class, we have seen in the 14th chapter, the Lord has ended with the note that to worship the Lord with undeviating love, surrendering completely to Him alone leads to liberation. That alone makes a person transcend the three gunas. By transcending the gunas, he becomes a gunatitha or he understands, I am one with Paramatman. There are no two things called I or God. Now, what is the nature of that God? How come we do not understand that we and Paramatman are one and the same? That's being expounded. For that, the Lord is describing this samsara. Samsara means maya. Maya means limitation. Limitation means identity with the body and mind, complete identity, I am the body, I am the mind and that's why we are caught in this everlasting samsara sagara but there is a way out. In order to make us understand what is the nature of samsara, the Lord has compared this huge world. World is nothing but body and mind. In deep sleep, we do not identify with the body and mind and therefore there is no world, there is no bondage, there is no sadhana, there is no liberation but it is a temporary state. We have to make such a state permanent, eternal, then only we will be free completely. This is one way of comparison. In the beginning of this 15th chapter, Lord Krishna gives a description of this world called samsara. Samsara that means ever-changing. Samsarati ti samsaraha. That which is continuously, constantly flowing and never ever remaining the same. What is the purpose? So that a seeker will know that I am caught in this. Once only we know what is samsara, what is the world. If we understand the nature of the world, that it is constant source of misery, then only a desire for liberation will spring in the minds of human beings. For that purpose, this huge samsara is being described, the nature of the world. But to make it convenient for us, to simplify, to make even a very ordinary person with ordinary simple intellect can understand the world is compared to a particular tree. In India, there are a few trees. One is a banyan tree, another is called ashwatha tree. This ashwatha tree is quite a big tree. Not so big as banyan but quite a big tree. It is considered a very sacred tree and its name is ashwatha. Ashwatha means, shwa means tomorrow, na shwa, that which does not last even a millisecond. So that is called ashwatha. That applies to all of us. What I was one second before, I am not the same. Some minute, maybe very minute change has already taken place for that person who understands the nature of this world and its binding nature and its everlasting unhappiness, grief, suffering, which Bhagawan Buddha, Lord Buddha termed as dukkha. The whole life is nothing but dukkha because nothing is stable. So what is the way out? Complete self-surrender to God. But such love, such complete surrender is not easy. For that we have to develop detachment. To develop detachment, we must know what is nectar, what is poison. So this world is compared to a poison with occasionally a small bit of sweetness. Shri Ramakrishna used to compare it to a hog plum, a little bit of flesh, big seed, big skin but it is so tasty, so attractive, we want it again and again and people suffer from colic. The first verse starts as ashwatha, literally that which doesn't endure till the next day. This phenomenal world is compared to that kind of ashwatha tree on account of its continually changing nature but this samsara vriksha, the tree of world has a peculiarity. Every tree that we see has its roots below and then it slowly manifests but the comparison is even though it is below, usually people do not see, we do not see the root, we see the trunk, we see the big branches, small branches, innumerable leaves, small buds, then flowers, then fruits, then innumerable birds, insects etc. But this particular tree is also invisible. Why? Far beyond the comprehension of the body and mind. That is the meaning of the root above and what is this root also? Root is the very cause of the existence, sustenance, maintenance and also destruction of this. Here the root cause of this world of which we are all parts, both the living as well as the non-living. It is Brahman with Maya, Eshwara. Brahman, pure Brahman is one, no Maya but when that Brahman is somehow associated, not really but because we think it is associated, so he is called Eshwara, it is called Prakruti consisting of three gunas which elaborately we discussed, studied in the last chapter. This immutable absolute supreme Brahman is beyond any categories of cause and effect. So the root of this Samsara Vriksha is described as above because Brahman with Maya is invisible, very subtle, infinite and supreme over everything and then all the branches come below, big branches immediately below that, small branches etc. Just imagine a tree upside down. If you wish, you can also take the example of the reflection of a tree in a body of water, then we perhaps may have a better understanding. The root is described as above because it is very difficult, invisible but that is the cause, that is called Sachidananda and branches. Branches means slowly the subtlest becomes subtler, subtler becomes gross. How is this described? Error. There is a school of philosophy called Sankhya, says first Prakruti which is avyakta, unmanifest and it manifests, becomes a little bit grossified, it is called Mahat and it becomes further grossified, it is called Ahamkara and it is further grossified into the five subtle elements and then further grossified into the gross five subtle elements. This is one model of the cosmology according to Sankhya. According to the Vedanta, same thing but slightly different analogy is given from the Atman. The space is born, born means becomes manifested like a pot is born of clay. Really speaking, the pot is not a separate thing from the clay. Clay becomes what is called the formless, quality-less clay manifests itself with name, with form, with utility, with qualities, a good pot, bad pot. A little bit of fun, one of the very senior swamis used to tell about another swami, he is a cracked pot. What does it mean? Usually cracked pot means he is mad. In spiritual terminology, madness means a person who has no identity with body and mind. So he appears to be mad from the ordinary people's eyes. What we call normal person is called mad, what we call abnormal person is called sane person according to the Jungian psychology. Okay, anyway that is just a little bit of fun. This nirguna brahman, supreme reality is beyond any category of cause and effect. The root is described as above and it has branches and these branches have got smaller branches, then leaves, then flowers, then fruits giving sustenance, giving ashraya. It acts as a big home with thousands and thousands of creatures, both visible as well as invisible, birds, animals, insects, very small insects, very, very microbic insects, but this tree sustains everybody, everything like that. So that is being said here from the cosmic mind, ahamkara, eye consciousness comes, from there tanmatras, five subtle elements, from there the gross five elements, cosmic principles of which our entire experienced visible cosmos is born and as the branches go down, they become grosser and still grosser and then every tree has got leaves. What are the leaves of this samsara vriksha? I'm using the Sanskrit word, the tree of samsara, this world which is a cause of bondage of which we are the part. Its leaves are the Vedas. Veda means knowledge. What do the leaves do? They protect the tree. They transform the sun's energy through chlorophyll into food, energy and then they support all of us, both moving, non-moving, anything with life, it all supports and curiously there are certain things. Usually we classify all things as either living or non-living but scientists cannot determine certain type of thing. It is both living as well as non-living. They don't know what to say about it but according to Vedanta, there is nothing non-living. Anything that is existing, it has got life, it has got consciousness and it has got its own ananda but the consciousness and joy or happiness or unhappiness, it is covered up. It is non-manifest but when the right time comes, like a seed which appears to be lifeless, as soon as it touches the soil and a bit of water, immediately it springs into life. The leaves of this tree are Vedas. Vedas means knowledge, whether we are spiritual or worldly. If we are worldly, we take recourse to worldly knowledge so that our sat will be healthier, live longer and we can enjoy more and more worldly knowledge is necessary but when we are tired, same Vedas give us real knowledge which takes us beyond the bondage. Bondage means limitation. Unlimited existence called immortality, unlimited consciousness which is called chit or pure consciousness and unlimited happiness which is called ananda. So, both the Vedas give. Just as the leaves sustain the tree, so also the Vedas sustain all of us. By the way, even what we call science is nothing but Vedas but it is Prapanchika Vedas, worldly Vedas, worldly knowledge, secular knowledge but rationally formulated, that is all. Then like leaves, what does it do? It makes us do things with this knowledge. Every piece of knowledge, every bit of knowledge, it transforms us. For example, if you happen to see a scorpion, that knowledge immediately will make you either kill it or run away from the place. If you see a very so-called, what we you call, I call, desirable object makes us run towards it and make it our own. Suppose it is a table, it makes us avoid bumping into it but even if it is not dangerous, that knowledge gives us the assurance. There is no danger here, so you don't need to think about it. Every piece of knowledge somehow transforms our life either consciously or unconsciously. So, these Vedas which contain both types of secular as well as spiritual knowledge, they will be covering us up. These leaves slowly sustain the tree and the tree slowly has buds. A bud means that which shoots forth again. The beginning of a branch or a leaf or a fruit, it all falls under the category of buds. If we have that knowledge, that knowledge transforms our life, saves our life, sustains our life like the leaves sustain. So, this tree of the world, by formulating, giving us knowledge about Dharma, righteousness and Adharma, wrongness with their causes and fruits, shows the way to prosperity, to well-being or to suffering. This knowledge of the Vedas give men the knowledge of the gods, of the principles and powers of the cosmos and the fruits of this knowledge are enjoyment and lordship either on earth or in heaven or in the world in between. He who consciously cultivates this knowledge of the Vedas, he knows it because once we know correctly, then our life will be transformed. Let me explain for such a person, the knower of the Vedas because nothing else remains to be known beyond the tree of the world and its root Brahman. Do we know about this world? No. Do we know about Brahman? No. We do not know about God. We have doubts about God. Even if we think that God exists, we don't have good opinion because of our experience in this world. What experience? If we are happy, everything is, all is well with the world, all is well with God but when I am unhappy, everything is wrong with the world, with God, we blame everybody. So do we know the nature of this world? We don't know. That is being described here because we are in the world day and night from birth to death. We are experiencing this world and yet we are deluded. How are we deluded? We think even though knowing fully well, everything is changing all the time. We cling to the hope, vain hope, useless hope, hopeless hope that somehow we live a long time, we will be happy all the time, we will be healthy all the time. No suffering will ever come to us in spite of seeing. What lessons have we learned from this corona? Has anybody predicted this? With all the scientific knowledge, nobody could predict. Can you predict the next moment? Whether something more powerful than corona will come or not? We don't know. Can we say an earthquake can come? Probably not. Can we know that a meteor can strike our planet? We don't know anything about the future and we don't learn our lessons from the past also. We don't know what is our nature. We don't know what is the nature of the world. The nature of the world compared to a tree for easy comprehension is being graphically, elaborately described in the very first one, Urdhva Moolam Atashyakam Ashwattham Prahuhu Avyayam Chandamsya Yasyapadnani Yastam Veda Taha Saha Vedavid. We will delve into this a little more. There is struggle in samsara. Nobody wants to struggle. Do you know that? You don't want to struggle. Suppose somebody tells you, you don't need to come to office. You don't need to do any work. You can be at home. You can be lying on your bed, on your sofa. You can enjoy yourself. Whatever is necessary for your health, happiness and entertainment for everything will be supplied to you. Then will you be thinking anything? No. Unfortunately, such a thing doesn't exist. Supposing somebody supplies you all the materials for our happiness. Can we be happy? Absolutely no. What is the reason? Because happiness is the result of unhappiness and directly proportionate to unhappiness. You have to work hard. You have to earn money. You have to calculate. You have to think what to eat, how much to eat, when to eat, where to eat. This applies to every sort of enjoyment in this world and yet Mahamaya. That's what Hindus are very fond of calling. Even after knowing, our delusion will not go. So, if we do not know, at least there is an excuse. I did not know. So, I was deluded. But having known also, have we become free from delusion? Absolutely no. So, the Lord wants to remind us again and again. What is the reason for this purpose? Only a person who looks upon this world as a big problem, he alone would love to get rid of this. Always remember, whenever we use the word world, it means body and mind. What is the first thing? Find fault with the world. Find biggest fault with the world. World means body and mind. What is the nature of the body and mind? There is birth, there is growth, there is old age, whether we want it or not, there is disease, there is a decay, there is union with good or bad, there is separation with good or bad. Finally, we do not know what happens to us when we give up this body. This was what Lord Buddha was talking. Existence is full of misery. He is not talking about when you eat sweet, you get some happiness. When there is a beautiful wife or husband, you enjoy happiness. He is not talking. He is talking about existential suffering and that made many a philosopher formulate a special philosophy, especially after the Second World War. It's called existential philosophy and the person who formulated it, he said something very important. He said man is completely helpless. He has got only one freedom, that is to commit suicide. We want to commit suicide. God bless you. Okay, finding fault. Then only we want. Fault means what? We are experts finding fault with others. We have to find fault with ourselves. We have to find fault with the world, not in a negative way, but in a very constructive way, positive way, so that we seek the opposite, the knowledge how to get rid of that fault and that only by knowing God who is faultless, eternal, infinite, sat, chit, ananda. Sri Ramakrishna as I mentioned says first go and enjoy the haaguplam, meaning the world and when you find no remedy for the colic you suffer from, then come to me. Come to me means come to the Vedas. Krishna begins the 15th chapter with a description of samsara. Samsara means change, birth, death, old age, disease, decay, association with good and evil, disassociation with good and evil. Tulasidasa is a wonderful way of expression. My salutations to the saints. My salutations to the most wicked people, evil people on earth. Surprising. Why? Because both bring me tremendous happiness. How? When saints come to me, they bring tremendous happiness. When sinners depart from me, they give me the greatest pleasure. There was a man in Chennai. You know Chennai is very hot place. From morning till evening, he will put on very tight fitting boots and whole day he goes about, suffers a lot, comes back in the evening, removes the shoes and sighs. Ah! What a relief! Somebody asked him, why do you wear when it is so troublesome? He said, you don't know. Only when I suffer whole day, when I remove, the tremendous relief I get, otherwise I will not get. What a horrible way of doing it. This whole world is nothing but pure misery and this misery has to be understood from another angle also. As I said, there is happiness and unhappiness. World is a mixture of both and they are eternal companions. They are not two absolutes. They can never be separated. One comes with the other. They are eternal companions. If you want one, you have to embrace the other also. There is another angle. Is this world, is there no happiness at all? Yes, there is happiness. Then why do you say it is misery? Because my friend, suppose there is a poor man, he has just very small means of sustaining himself, always worried, always suffering from want but he doesn't know a huge treasure is lying beneath his hearth but he doesn't know. If only somebody tells him and Guru is the one who tells him, my friend, you don't need to go anywhere. You are the possessor of the greatest treasure on earth and it is here inside your house. Then compared to what he was, when he obtains the treasure, what type of happiness he gets from that angle, what we are experiencing, what we call happiness and get terribly attached is so puny. So, it cannot be compared at all. From that angle, what we have, what we call happiness is compared as the greatest misery on earth. For easy of comprehension, this world is compared to a tree. Now, there are certain common features which very briefly we will go through. What is the first thing? That Mahatma. Mahatma means huge, large, very great. This tree of course, you always have to understand, every tree is limited but it is given as an analogy, should never take it for granted. Like a banyan tree, it could be half a mile, it could be one mile, that's one of the huge trees but this samsara vriksha, huge. How vast is it? Even scientists are baffled. They say that there are billions and billions of galaxies. Among one galaxy, our galaxy, thus our particular cosmos is only ruled by one sun and the sun is so huge compared to the earth and the earth is so puny and in that earth, each one of us are living in a particular country, state, village, small house, small bedroom and we are, can we comprehend? This is what Hinduism tells, ananta koti brahmanda, countless worlds ruled by countless powers of God called Brahma, creators. Scientists have not been able to measure its size. Sometimes they are advocating a very baffling type of theory. This is either they call it multiverse or they call it mirror image. Just like in a barber shop, all four rooms are covered with mirrors. How many of you are there? Infinite. So also, this world is infinite. That is the first comparison. What is the second? Adhyanta rahitam. Adhi anta rahitam. We don't know where is the beginning. We don't know where is the end. Do you know when the universe started? Stephen Hawking has formulated after many years of brilliant study that our cosmos had come into existence with a big bang. What was there before big bang? A point of singularity. Now the question, scientists are questioning, what is the meaning of point of singularity? How did it exist? How did it become point of singularity? So then they posited an expansion of this. It is not one big bang, infinite big bangs. When is the first time, the first big bang? We don't know. It is like a huge circle. Every point is a point of beginning as well as point of end. It all depends upon whether you are looking at the right or at the left. Adhi means beginning. Anta means end. The samsara vriksha, the tree of the world has no beginning, no end. Why we are here like this in this life? Because of last life. The actions are performed by us, the last life. Why we are like that? Before life. When did the first life start? There is no beginning, there is no end. This worldly existence is infinite, beginningless. Like Paramatma, if God is infinite, this world also is infinite. How come? Because when the Lord is looked at through the prism of our mind, which consists of time, space and causation, he appears as if divided, really not divided. You put a red flower behind a pure crystal, the crystal appears to be red and if you have not seen the flower, you think the crystal is red. Remove the flower, you know the crystal. This is an analogy. Don't mistake it again. This world is nothing but Brahman seen through the prism of the mind, constituted of time, space and causation is called the world. How do we know? When we enter into deep sleep, there is no mind. When there is no mind, there is no body. When there is no mind, then there is no world. When there is no world, there is no God. When there is no God, what remains? Not Shonya, not nothingness, not zero but I. I was sleeping. I slept well. That statement proves I was there. World was not there. Our goal is to make that deep sleep a permanent state going beyond body and mind. We cannot trace the beginning or end up. When did the universe start? Why am I born? Why God created this world and why he created this way? Who can answer? Nobody can answer. Hinduism tries to give a temporary answer. You are born like this because of your past life and what made my past life like that previously to past life. So there is no end. Every thinking intellect asks these questions and it cannot be answered. That's why Krishna says there is no beginning, there is no end. Hindus curiously believe in Karma Siddhanta. Hindus, Buddhists, Jains and Sikhs all believe in past lives, Karma Siddhanta. So I ask, why am I like this? Because of previous life and why the previous life? So when did the first life start? There is no my friend. There is no first life. It is in a huge circle. So you can sit anywhere in the circle. Every point is everywhere. So good and evil, joy and sorrow, what is the cause? We don't know. Anirvachaniyatvam. Anirvachaniyatvam. That means indefinable. That's another feature that is called Anirvachaniyatvam. What does it mean? Indefinable. What does it mean? It means is this world real? If you think it is real, it is real. Is it unreal? If you think it is unreal, it is unreal. It is both real and unreal. How can such a contradictory thing exist? Well my friend, when you are in dream, everything you experience is real. But when you come into the waking state, then everything is unreal. Vice versa. When we are in the waking state, everything is real. And when we are in dream state, all the waking state is completely unreal. And in deep sleep state, there is nothing is there. So we cannot say a thing is real or unreal. And again, it all depends upon our mind. A thing is real or a thing is unreal. I will give a common example. Just 5 minutes before, you have seen me. Was I real? Was I unreal? If I was real, I should have been exactly in the same way. Not one single moment can be discerned. But I have changed. Every millisecond I am changing. You are changing. Everything is changing. So reality means unchanging. Unreality means ever-changing. Is it unreal? No, it is not also unreal because somehow that feeling is there. I am there. The world is there. You are there. Everything is there. That's why it is called indefinable about this world. Then a theory of cause. Where from this has come? Every tree comes from a seed. Every seed manifests as a tree. Tree gives birth to a seed. Tree seed gives birth to a tree. Egg gives birth to the chicken, bird. And bird gives back into the egg, which is first. Somebody asked me, why two examples? Seed and tree, egg and chicken. I made fun. Tree and seed is for the vegetarians and egg and chicken for the non-vegetarians. So the theory of cause and effect completely falls by the wayside. But as the tree has got a root, there is also a root for the samsara. What is the root? Pure existence. The world exists because of existence. But the manifestation of the existence, like the manifestation of the clay, like the manifestation of the clay as pots, as the manifestation of wood as furniture, as the manifestation of ornaments, of gold as ornaments. So with the different forms and names, if we can get rid of all names and forms, what really remains is pure unmanifested existence, pure consciousness and pure ananda. What is happiness and unhappiness? Manifestations of ananda. If it is a little bit clearer, it is called ananda. If it is a bit covered, it is called dukkha or unhappiness. You cannot define anything at all. But here the peculiar thing, you can see a tree. Your eyes are there, you see a tree. Your hands are there, touch it, there is a tree. And there is a bird on the tree, you can hear even with closed eyes. But most often, as I mentioned, you can't see the root. Deep inside the earth, invisible is there. Just as the tree has got a root, though invisible, so the samsara also has got a root which is invisible. Invisible means non-manifest. And what is that root? That is called God, Paramatman, Bhagawan. He is not seen like the root but it is there. Similarly, I do not see Bhagawan around because He is like the root but I know that the universe cannot stand without a root and that is Bhagawan's nature, Satchitanandam. Then what is the next feature? Every tree has got plenty of branches. A huge tree has got many branches spreading far and wide. Some branches are on the top, some branches are in the bottom, some branches are in the middle. So bottom, middle and top branches are there. Similarly, in this universe also there are several branches. Take Christianity, there is paradise and there is our earth, Manushya Loka, world of men. We forget there is a world of animals, world of trees, world of insects, world of billions and billions of things, each living in its own limited sphere. That is its world. It is creating, it is maintaining, it is destroying. Every, even a microbe is creating a microbic world, sustaining it, maintaining it and destroying it and getting destroyed along with that. So according to Hinduism or Vedanta, there are higher worlds. Just to make us understand, there are 14 worlds are there. Sometimes they are divided into three, Bhuhu, Bhuvaha and Swaha. Bhuhu means our earth, Swaha means heaven and in between whatever is there but elaboration, a bit more elaboration, 14 Lokas, 7 higher Lokas and 7 lower Lokas. The 8th Loka is ours and another 6 Lokas are there. It goes down which is called hell, smaller hell, a little bigger hell, little biggest hell and the lowest is called Patala. So according to our Karmaphala, then we have got this Atala, Vitala, Sutala, Rasatala, Mahatala, Talatala, Patala, that's all the lower Lokas. Then all our Lokas on this earth, then all higher Lokas. What is the point? Point is somebody who does good actions go to the higher worlds, somebody who does evil go to the lower worlds and those who's neither too good nor too evil, they remain on this earth and next birth also same thing happens. But another parallel I will give you, even in this world a very rich people, very poor people, very happy people, very unhappy people, of course in between there are middle class, higher class, middle class and lower class are there. All these Lokas, Loka means world, these are the branches, higher branches, middle branches and lower branches. So the universe is a vast tree with the 14 Lokas, that is called Bakusha Kartham and then the tree is full of leaves just as leaves protect, leaves sustain and leaves also destroy the tree. So this universal tree is also having the leaves. What are the leaves? All our actions. That's why it is said earlier the Vedas are the leaves. What do the Vedas do? They prescribe. You do this, you will get this. You do this, you will go to hell. For example, if you perform a particular ritual, you get children, you chant Sreshuktham Kanakadharasthamam and by God's grace you will become wealthy. Then you repeat Medhasuktham, you will get knowledge by the grace of Saraswati. This is called a positive way of living but you become unrighteous, adharmic, do not follow teachings of the Vedas. Then what happens? According to our Karma, we are constructing our future. That's why Swami Vivekananda was very fond of repeating very often, each one of us is the architect of our own life and the past made us the present and what we do in the present contributes to what we are going to experience in the future. Open your eyes and then you will see all these things. So just as in this world, a tree is covered with leaves, Vedic knowledge, both secular and spiritual, covers this world and whichever we want, we can accept it. It protects this universe and it gives the right result according to our actions and this is the one. As well as these leaves, just as it makes a tree, wonderful tree, so also this world is a wonderful opportunity for us to go to Moksha, to attain to Moksha. This is called Karmakanda. So Karmakanda is most appealing to ordinary people because we think the world is real, so whatever objects in the world are real and we wish to get all the objects, we want to possess them, we want to protect them, naturally we are attracted to them. But this Karmakanda has a very most positive effect. Slowly, if we follow the scripture, purifies us, concentrates our mind, expands our mind and one day it will bring us to God through lessons in the form of both happiness and suffering. Happiness pulls us towards God and suffering pushes us towards God. That's why Holy Mother's saying that misery is a gift of God. This is what we have studied in our last class. You become Sattvic person, perform righteous actions, you will attain higher worlds. Be restless, be attached to various works and never look up or down, then you will be reborn again and again on this earth. You do evil actions, covered by, influenced by Tamoguna. What happens? You will go down and down. How much? There is a limit. Below that you can't go and after that only one way. Slowly you come up. That is the positive aspect of suffering. It always brings us up. Then another feature. Every tree provides sustenance in the form of buds, form of flowers, the form of nectar, in the form of fruits. So also this Samsara Vriksha, it also eats phala. What phala? Only two. Sukha and Dukha. If we do the right thing, if seed is right, then we are happy. Seed is bad, adharma brings papa, sin and so we suffer. Ultimately that is how the Samsara is perpetuates. So these fruits are divided into three types. Some are sweet, some are bitter, some are a mixture of both. So happiness, unhappiness and a mixture of happiness and unhappiness. This whole Samsara world consisting of these kind of three things are there. Then what is the another one? This whole tree gives sustenance. It protects thousands of birds, insects, various creeping things including what we call, forget the word, sponging, creepers like that and the sponges will be there like that. So it gives. So also in this world phala, every action brings its own fruit and that is what this Samsara Vriksha also does it by providing fruits. Exactly like a tree provides fruits. So also it gives nesting for the birds, gives nesting for us. Nesting means your body and mind and all of us are given the opportunity. Some birds are sitting on a higher branch, some are sitting on the middle branch, some birds are sitting low, pecking order is there according to the actions and their results. Either the bird is on the upper branches, lower branch or in the middle branch. There is in Mundaka Upanishad, we have seen. So the Jivatma bird perched on the Samsara tree experiences the sweet and bitter fruits. Now and then it looks up, there is a bird, serene, completely blissful and it takes hops a little bit higher. That is the ideal bird. Then what is the next? A Vriksha. Because of the wind, it moves all the time. Branches are moving. The whole tree sometimes becomes uprooted because of tsunami etc. So the whole Samsara, Chalana means movement. Always it is moving from happiness, unhappiness, happiness, from birth, growth, old age, death, rebirth. Same thing is repeating from happiness to unhappiness to happiness, from birth to death, from a lower world to a higher world, from a higher world to a lower world. Just as a tree is constant motion, is it ever motionless? Never. But sometimes when the wind is very small, it appears to be not moving. But go close to a leaf and see, it will be there. It is always moving. There is no doubt about it at all. This is called Chalanatvam. It is all moving. We are all moved by Maya, by all the experiences. In other words, complete change is taking place in our life. And what is it that makes, what is the root cause? We call it, Hindus call it Prarabdha Karma. What we did in the former life and our future will be moved by what we do in this life. Is that all? There is something else is there. And that is most marvelous comparison. What is that comparison? Chediyatvam. This tree take a big axe. Nowadays, electronic axes. Within minutes, a huge tree can be cut. All the branches are stripped out, cut into sizes, huge machinery. Within minutes, a whole tree is converted into round logs. I think most of you know about it. Every tree is cuttable, destroyable. So also, the Samsara Vriksha can be cuttable. But we need, it is a huge tree. The root is very strong, very big. Is it possible? Yes, it is possible. How is it possible? By the grace of God. And how does the grace of God come? In the form of detachment, in the form of discrimination, discernment, in the form of dispassion, in the form of body-mind control and in the form of deep desire to get out of this tree. Because you see, when there is forest fire, all the creatures try to escape from the forest. So also, when this forest fire developed by Vivek Agni, Gnana Agni, Bhasmasat Kurute Dha, burns every action and brings this knowledge alone can do. Knowledge comes in the form of Sadhana Chitsustaya Sampatti, the fourfold spiritual qualities. So it is possible to uproot and it is uprootable but only through detachment, through Gnanam. That's why this Samsara Vriksha is compared like any other Vriksha. These are only a few of the comparisons, common features because of which Samsara is compared. What is the essence? Essence is, Samsara Vriksha is full of limited happiness and most often unlimited unhappiness. It can be gotten out of and to show that it can be destroyed like a tree, many comparisons have been given and how this can be destroyed and it must be destroyed. It is a choiceless choice. It will be shown in the next shloka. This is, as I said, most wonderful chapter. We will talk about it in our next class tomorrow evening. Om Vasudhe Vasudham Devam Kamsa Chanura Mardanam Devaki Paramanandam Krishnam Vande Jagadguru May Sri Ramakrishna, Holy Mother and Swami Vivekananda bless us all with Jai Ramakrishna.