Bhagavad Gita Ch16 part 05 on 29 August 2021

Full Transcript(Not Corrected)

OM JANANIM SHARADAM DEVIM RAMAKRISHNAM JAGADGURUM PADAPADME TAYO SHRITVA PRANAMAMI MOHOR MOHOHO Yesterday we had discussed quite elaborately what is Yagna. According to the Bhagavad Gita, our whole life has to be transformed into a continual Yagna. Another name for this Yagna is progress. If we want to progress, Yagna is the only way. So what is Yagna? Give up what is lower for what is higher. By whichever means we can achieve this goal, that comes to be known as Yagna. Today we are going to discuss about the next eighth quality. It is called Tapah. Tapas means, usually is called austerity. So what does Shankara say? Tapah Vakshamanam Sharir Adhi So Tapas, Austerity, that is hardship concerning the body etc. which will be stated in details in the next chapter from the 14th, 17th chapter, 14th to 16th verses, 3 verses, 14, 15, 16. Now before we start, I have to refer to this, this word Tapas, Austerity, that is the English translation. But it means much more. But the real meaning of Tapas is deep thinking. And this is what the Upanishad is going to tell us, practically the Upanishad. But there is a very special Upanishad called Taittiriya Upanishad. And it has got three chapters called three Vallis. Siksha Valli, Ananda or Brahmananda Valli or Brahma Valli and the last is called Bhrigu Valli. Bhrigu was the spiritual aspirant and his father was a Nohara Brahman. So the relationship is not father and son but that of the earnest disciple approaching a realized soul. So he approached his father and addressing him. Just take notice, Bhagavan, Adhi Bhagavo Brahma Iti. Teach me O Lord about Brahman. Bhagavan means God. Bhagavan means the highest respect that can be given. That's why Ramana Maharshi was called Bhagavan. Thakur means Bhagavan. So he approached. So what did the father do? Father here, Guru. Who turned into a Guru? Very interesting question. If his son was not fit to receive this, he would not have given that instructions. So he gives some preliminary hints because nobody can teach about Brahman. Brahman is not teachable because Brahman cannot be described. Any description should have to follow five types of worldly description. Not worldly, wordy description, words, Roodhi, Jati, Kriya, Guna, Sambandha. A well-known fact to everybody, a species, an activity, a relationship and a particular quality. Now Brahman does not fall because our five sense organs function only within these five categories. But since God is unlimited, infinite, so he cannot be taught. He can only be taught but yet he has to be taught. Words cannot describe him and yet we have to employ words to indicate at least. So that is what is said here that the father says certain hints he gives. Then what does he say? My child, seek to know Brahman through Tapas. Tapas itself is Brahman. And then the disciple took the advice and went. He performed austerity. Having done, he came to the realization gradually, I am not the body, I am not the prana, I am not the mind, I am not the intellect, I am not the happiness, I am beyond all those things. So here Tapasya or austerity means deep contemplation until we know what is the truth. So what is Tapasya? That which gives us right understanding. And right understanding comes only through deep rationality, deep contemplation. That's what it means. But as an aid to that deep thinking so that we can develop the right type of discrimination, we can reduce our food, control our sense organs, etc. But the real meaning of Tapas, austerity is to have right understanding. That's why the immortal prayer that we get in the Rig Veda which was formulated thousands of years back, so famous all over the world called Gayatri Mantra. May he grant us right understanding and he is right understanding. That means may he sit in my heart and then I will be illumined. So the Upanishads tell us that the creator performed austerities before creating the world. This is another indication the Upanishads tell us the God he felt that he should create. Then what did he do? He went into deep contemplation. What is creation? What should be created? How it can be created? How it can be sustained and how it can be again brought back into its original condition? How the effect should be resolved into the cause? So the Upanishads tell everybody has to perform austerities. Today millions literally of devotees consider Shri Ramakrishna as an incarnation of God. And yet he performed superhuman austerities to realize God. As we also know at one point of time Holy Mother had to go through the Panchagni Tapasya. Panchagni means when the sun is blazing above rise, sit amidst four blazing fires not in winter so that it will be comfortable. In summer season when even the slightest heat is intolerable, unbearable, sit, light up four blazing fires and do not keep them at one mile distance but quite near so that we can feel. These are the four fires and then one above the sun which is dazzling everybody, which is burning with tremendous power. From sunrise to sunset without taking anything. Holy Mother had performed it on successively several days. That's why she said ever since that time my body has become old. There is a Swami Vaikananda performed Tapasya and then every direct disciple was merged. They used to get up at three o'clock and become merged enjoying meditation. Even they would not get up for food and then there is a beautiful incident. Swami Brahmanandaji was in Vrindavan performing indescribable austerities, hardships. So his brother disciple Swami Subodhanandaji who was sent to look after him. He asked Maharaj, Sri Ramakrishna had given you everything. Why do you need to perform? Swami Brahmanandaji answered very succinctly. It is true Sri Ramakrishna had given us but we have to make it our own. If somebody gives something to you, to me, I should know first of all what it is. I should know how to use it. I should know for what purpose it should be used and I should be able to use it in the right way and that's a great austerity. So that is what Maharaj has answered and I just now mentioned in the Taittiriya Upanishad that Bhrigu, a spiritual aspirant was advised by his father and here are the relevant mantras from the Taittiriya Upanishad. Bhagavan, O Lord, teach me about Brahman. So the Guru, the teacher taught him this. By whose power, without whose presence, effervescence organs cannot do their function properly. From where all these beings are born. That means you see the beings, you see the effects but you do not see the cause. This maya covers a name and form and qualities is called maya. This maya covers the cause. Simple example, a thousand ornaments can be made out of gold. You remove the gold, minus gold, there would be not only lifeless ornaments but there would be absolutely no ornament. That means what? The ornaments, whether they are hundred, thousand, a billion, they are all nothing but pure gold but a lump of gold assuming a particular form, acquiring a particular name and used for a particular purpose. For example, a necklace, a bangle, a finger, a gold plate, a gold tumbler, a gold couch, a gold sofa, etc. So find out the whole universe is nothing but an effect. Find out where from the universe has come and how it is able to be sustained. Here the word used is not world, it is used as beings. Where from these beings are coming and how are they sustained? How are they maintained? And in the end, when death comes, where are they going to return? Always death means the cause returning to the effect, dissolving itself into effect. Simple example, that if you break an ornament, it will remain as a shapeless gold. If you break a pot, it will be useless clay. Where do they return? The whole universe is run because of this cyclic process. There is ocean and the Lord out of His grace lifts the water in the form of the sun, makes them vapor, carries them in the form of clouds to distant high places, mountains, releases them as pure water, distilled water and then slowly they flow and they gather speed, volume and becomes small streams, rivers and ultimately they come back again to be lifted up. So whatever be the name, whatever be the quality, whatever be the volume, like this is a cyclic process. So also we have come from God, we live in God and we return in God. As a great Sufi saint has said that every spiritual aspirant starts his journey from God and progresses in God and ends by becoming one with God. That is the truth. Varuna, this realized soul is teaching his former son who now became a spiritual aspirant. Try to find out how, why? Because the moment you find what is the cause, all your problems will be resolved. All differentiations will be resolved. There will be only even one, it is only human language. When there is one as one, you cannot even utter because there is no body, there is no mind etc. And what did this student do? He performed intense austerities and having then slowly from the individual to the cosmic, universal, from the body to the prana because the cause of the body, this external body is prana. It is only because of the prana the body is sustained and the prana is sustained, maintained because of the thought which is the mind and the mind is made to function only because of the determination or the deciding factor called intellect. And the intellect works only for one reason, it wants to be happy whatever we do. Get rid of suffering and get more happiness. This is the knowingly unknowingly everybody is doing and when a person's journey stops, he doesn't require happiness, he becomes happiness itself. So what does austerity mean? Deep contemplation, deep rational discriminative thinking until the differentiation, first the effect is resolved into the cause and the cause remains a cause, becomes a cause only when there is an effect. When there is no effect, the cause loses its causation, its very title and remains what it was before it is considered to be a cause. So any type of creative expression, whether a person wants to create a new dish or create a new painting or create a new symphony or resolve some problem, it's called creative always means higher expression of life is the result of austerity. Nobody has ever become creative by just leading and what is called non-austere, easy to go life. Thus we see that nothing great can be achieved without undergoing hardship. We hear of people fasting for days, observing silence for years, standing on one foot for a long time, flagellating themselves severely, especially some Christian sects. We even hear of yogis laying on a bed of nails. We mistake usually all these for austerities. Once a disciple asked Swami Brahmanandaji, Maharaj, what is austerity? And the Maharaj, Swami Brahmananda answered, Austerities are of many kinds. Once I saw a man who had taken a vow not to sit or lie down for 12 years. When I met him, only 5 or 6 months remained to complete these 12 years. Continuously standing for so many years has made his legs swell as they do in elephantiasis. When he slept, he held himself up by a rope. Some practice these austerities and sometimes standing all night in deep cold water in the winter and at the same time performing japa. Again there is the austerity of sitting in the blazing summer sun in the center of four fires, which I referred as Holy Mother doing. Maharaj, is that what austerity really is? Swami, Rama Rama, goodness gracious. Generally men practice austerities with the expectation that in their next life they may be born rich and find greater worldly enjoyments. Do they gain their wishes? God only knows. Remember God constantly. Remember Him when you eat, when you sit, when you lie down. Remember Him whatever you do. By such repeated practice, you will find that when you go to meditate, it will be easy to remember God and become absorbed in Him. As your mind becomes absorbed in meditation, a fountain of joy will spring up within you. Give no time to idle cares or idle talk. So what is austerity? Usually austerity is defined as an act of privation and hardship. But suffering caused by sickness, poverty or oppression etc. cannot properly be called austerity. But any act undertaken for a noble purpose, especially for spiritual progress and done voluntarily and which involves some sort of privation and hardship and suffering can be called austerity. But let us not forget all these are helps in making us think rightly, deeply and arrive at right knowledge. As mentioned earlier, austerity is unavoidable if one wants to achieve greatness in any field. But austerity should not be felt to be hardship. Or what does austerity do? It burns up evil tendencies and purifies the body and mind. But there are types of austerity. The Bhagavad Gita mentions three types of austerity. In the next chapter, we will come across pertaining to the body, speech and mind. These are very simply. Deva-dvija-guru-prajna-poojanam, saucam-arjavam, brahmacharyam, ahimsaacha, shariram, tapa-ujyate. That is, worship of the gods, the twice-born, the preceptors and the wise people, maintaining purity, straight-forwardness, continence and non-injury are called the austerity of the body. Then, anudvega-karam-vakyam-sathyam-priya-hitam-jayat, svadhyaya-abhyasanam-chaiva-vangmayam-tapa-ujyate. What is the austerity? In speaking, we spend so much time, either in speaking or listening, even when we are alone, we are talking to ourselves so much. Speech, which causes no vexation and which is true, also agreeable. And most important, beneficial and regular study of the Vedas. These are said to form the austerity of speech. Then what about the austerity of the mind? mana-prasadah saumyatvam maunam atma-vinigrahah bhava-samsuddhi ityeta-tapo manasa-mucchate serenity of the mind, kindness, silence, self-control, honesty of motive. This is what is called mental austerity. So you see, mostly people only talk about physical austerity, but real austerity is what is outlined in these three verses of the Bhagavad Gita, which we will talk about again after we complete the 16th chapter. What is the purpose of austerity? The only purpose of austerity is to make the body and the mind fit instruments capable of taking us to God. If we are undergoing hardships and privations, but they are not making us pure and are not leading us to God, then we must suspect that there is something seriously wrong with our motive. If our only purpose is God-realization, then we need not go to the top of a mountain or into deep forests infested with wildlife. Life affords us enough opportunity to practice more than our share of austerity. I will narrate to you one of my experiences. When I first arrived in UK, my predecessor was a great man, Swami Bhavyananda. And in our Vedanta Centre in UK, there was a person who used to give terrible trouble to everybody, mostly to this. Then once our Swami went to another Buddhistic monastery and there was a very great Buddhist monk. And he asked in course of conversation, do you also have hard to bear individuals from whom you have to suffer more? And then that Buddhist monk smiled and he replied to him, God, out of his infinite mercy, provides us enough opportunities to practice austerity, meaning they have not one, but quite a good number of people. So you look up around you, family members, could be husband, wife, unreasonable parents, unreasonable children, even babies. Some babies are born as if only to trouble us. Go on crying day and night. Whatever the mother does, it will not pacify him. The mothers have a sore time and it is a very trying time. Sometimes they go mad, they feel like dashing the child, like Kamsa tried to do to the sister of Krishna, like that. So there are different types of also austerities. What is it? To calmly put up with sickness, discomfort, inclement weather, traffic jams is an austerity. To live with hope and optimism under adverse circumstances is another great austerity. To live in harmony with others, whether at the office, in society or at home is a great austerity. Giving up unnecessary talk, harmful activities, fault finding, entertaining negative thoughts, controlling food are some of the wonderful austerities. To love God, to practice regularly japa, meditation, study of holy scriptures are very great austerities. If we look around, we can find many opportunities for the practice of austerity. All that we need to do is to sit and ask ourselves, how can I practice austerity? As I said, plenty of opportunities will be there. Every person who seems to bear terrible animosity, dislike, etc. towards us and to put up with them without really taking revenge or thinking negative thoughts, etc., that is the greatest austerity. In later years, Swami Brahmananda used to say, it is easy to practice physical austerities by not allowing the mind to come into contact with sense objects. But it is extremely hard to get rid of the mental craving itself. This mind of ours deludes us in many ways. We must control it and direct it along the right path. So what is austerity? It is to direct the mind towards God in order to taste divine bliss. And then Maharaj says, in this age, it is not necessary to practice many physical austerities, such as standing on your head. The path in this age is to create a deep desire to chant the Lord's name, to be compassionate towards all beings and to serve holy men. Real austerity consists in the control of the passions. But a little physical austerity is very good. The great Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, he said something so important, taught us something so important. It seems very easy to take God's name. But he says, who is a fit person to take God's name? Chaitanya Mahaprabhu's only extant work known to us is a small hymn consisting of eight verses called Sikshashtakam. He wrote a big book on Nyaya, but threw it away because his fellow student was also writing. And after seeing Chaitanya's work, he wept. After reading your book, nobody will even look at my book. Chaitanya Mahaprabhu said, that's all. What is so great? And he threw that book into the Ganges just to encourage his brother student. So real austerity, a little physical austerity is a little bit good. For example, fasting, say once in a month, once in a fortnight, or eating only limited type of food, etc. Not only it is an austerity, it is actually a very selfish activity. Because people are now doing tremendous austerity if we look at it properly. I have seen people at 4-4.30 putting on thin clothing in winter season, jogging, men as well as women. I myself would not have done that, to bear that cold and to go on jogging in that cold and getting up in that early morning. And now of course, so many people, especially the women, for the sake of appearance, they want to become as thin as possible. They are performing amazingly all sorts of food control. Sometimes months together they will only drink either vegetable juice or leaf juice or just some juices, etc. So that they will appear nice, they will appear attractive. Is that austerity? I am only joking. That is not real austerity because it has a deep selfish desire. I want to be attractive, I want people to look at me, I want to become a public person, like that. So what is real austerity? This is from eternal companion Maharaj's history. Real austerity is based upon these three principles. First, take refuge in the truth. Truth is the pillar to which you must always cling while performing any action. Second, conquer lust. Third, renounce cravings. Observe these three principles. That is real austerity and the greatest of these is to conquer lust. So I have talked enough about tapasya. But if you look around, you don't specially need to perform particular activities to put up with other people and to think of God and to do whatever we do with the greatest concentration, energy, etc. And to surrender to God is the greatest austerity. Then the next one we are going to talk about is Arjavam. The beautiful word Arjavam means straightforwardness. You know Arjavam, Rujutvam, Sarvada. Sarvada, all the time. From the time we know what to do, what not to do, we assume responsibility for ourselves until we become unconscious near death. We must practice austerity and Arjavam. What is Arjavam? Straightforwardness. Simplicity. These two words perhaps describe this ninth quality called Arjavam. So what is Arjavam? Rectitude, straightforwardness at all times. And when we look at the life of any sage, Hiram Krishna was an embodiment of purity and straightforwardness. Straightforwardness is one more quality. Bhagavan Krishna advises all spiritual aspirants to acquire. Straightforwardness is an indispensable virtue which must be practiced by all the aspirants, desirous of realizing God. Everyone loves babies. We all love babies. Why do we love? Because they have not yet learnt. Don't think that they will remain like that. Very, very few of them will remain simple like that. Hiram Krishna was one of them. Swami Vivekananda was one of them. Holy Mother was one of them. In fact, every saint, every sage is a straightforward person. Otherwise, they cannot become saints. So why do we love babies? Because they live their life, what the modern psychologists call an authentic life. What's an authentic life? If a person feels like laughing, he laughs. If he feels like weeping, he weeps. That means expressing whatever his mind is feeling at the moment without any attempt to hide it. And so that others will know. They can read. When a person is straightforward, you know what happens? Everybody loves a straightforward person. But there is a caveat here. We have to know. There are some persons and they want to be straightforward persons. But they speak so harshly and they behave so roughly that it is very difficult to put up with them. No. There is a person, very sweet, always thinking of only the other's welfare. But at the same time, there is nothing for such a person to hide. So that is why we all love babies because they are innocent, pure and guileless. This word guilelessness is one of the closest translations of this word, arjama. Unlike us who practice hypocrisy, most of the time, often in the name of etiquette and good manners. For example, many times I told you when somebody comes who is not desired, whom we do not like to come. It could be relatives. It could be friends. We cannot avoid them. Or it could be boss or office people with whom we have to work. And then we put up a broad smile and say, Oh, I'm so glad you gave me a great surprise. All the while cursing why this Saturn, Shani Graha has come at this time. I was about to enjoy a book. I was about to enjoy nice food. I was about to watch a nice movie and this fellow had spoiled everything. This fellow's blah blah. I have to waste my time. So, so many times. Of course, as I said, sometimes we cannot avoid it. But at the same time, we have to be, we have to observe these things. So long as we are in the world, only monks and nuns are free from it if they want to be. Even sometimes they are also not free. You know what I mean? Suppose there is a monastery and there is a junior monk and there is a senior monk who is craving for power, position, scheming all the time, talks one thing and thinks another thing, does completely, totally different. And nobody can predict what this person is going to do. This kind of people we come across everywhere, even in monasteries. And then the junior monk, if he straightforward says this and this, then most likely he will have to undergo terrible suffering. Remember what happened to St. Teresa of Avila. I remember a wonderful incident in our life. Christ used to appear to her and talk with St. Teresa of Avila, not St. Teresa of Lysiacs. So the St. Teresa of Avila used to talk. And once Christ said, you have to reform our church, rebuild my church. It took some time for her to understand, not rebuilding means not building, but to bring about a right reform. That means what? It was deformed. It was degenerated. And then she took in earnest. She was frail in health from the very beginning and she had to walk. There were a few very faithful companions with her. Wherever she went, she encountered terrible difficulties both from laymen as well as lay people as well as a brother monk. Because once accustomed to this luxury, even monks and nuns were averse to give them up so easily. And here comes a person upsetting the whole lot and trying to make them practice simplicity and austerity. That was not to their liking at all. They created a lot of problems. So one day St. Teresa turned to Christ and said, Lord, how come you only commanded me? And instead of helping me, you are creating more problems for me. And then sweet Jesus smiled sweetly and replied, thus I treat my friends. Quick as an arrow came the retort from St. Teresa. Now I know why you have so few friends. If you are going to treat your own friends in this way, I wonder how many people will remain friends with you. So everybody has to go through, even religious organizations. Some religious organizations, which we all are terribly aware at this moment, they want their power crazy and their ideas are imposed upon God. The poor God has no power but to accept their ideas. I mean, that is what people think. These ideas are coming from God and inflicting so much of injury, bloodshed, killing people, maiming people, suppressing, oppressing people and all in the name of God, all in the name of scripture, etc. So why am I talking all these things? It is the most important thing to acquire what is called Arjavam, straightforwardness. But it is not the straightforwardness of a fool. This is the straightforwardness of one of the greatest, wisest sages in this world. So foolishness and devotion do never go together. Sri Ramakrishna used to warn, if you want to be a devotee, on that account you need not be a fool. So during the time of his sadhana, Sri Ramakrishna used to keep the company of small children. By observing them, he wanted to learn and imitate their purity, innocence and detachment. Straightforwardness is the opposite of guile, deceit, crookedness, hypocrisy, etc. It is very close to truthfulness. To be frank, to think, speak and act with one accord is straightforwardness. To make the mind, speech and action one is straightforwardness. Sri Ramakrishna very interestingly gave the definition of truth. Truth is to make the thought, word, speech and action into one. Straightforwardness also means uprightness. Only those who lead a righteous life can really become straightforward, for they will then have nothing to hide or to be afraid of. Here the law of karma comes. What is the law of karma? A righteous person reaps righteous fruits and so the unrighteous. But there are many aspirants who are sincere and pure. Unfortunately, some of them are too outspoken, often hurting and creating problems both for themselves and others. The case of Golapa Ma, a woman disciple of Sri Ramakrishna comes to mind. Many times Holy Mother Sri Sharda Devi warned her to be careful, not to speak out harshly. Of course, she did not heed and had to suffer as a result. There are a few of us who can claim we are straightforward. Apparently, we may feel sometimes we are being straightforward, but often it may turn out to be a case of pure rashness. A rash or impulsive way of speaking is not definitely a sign of straightforwardness. I have come across people who have become positively proud and egoistic because they delude themselves that they are straightforward. They are in the habit of speaking out whatever comes to their mouth while failing to realize their rash, harsh and unthinking. In many cases, they are not even sincere. Their practice of frank speaking hides a great deal of selfishness and pride. Even a little observation makes it clear that our mind beguiles us often and we are not even aware of it. What is the proof of it? Just look, more than 40-50% of people in the world are mentally sick. What is mental sickness? Thinking that we are right, but all the while being completely the opposite. And why are we not aware of it? Because in the depths of our unconscious, we are unable to resolve the conflict between different complexes. So we have to take the help of psychologists, psychiatrists and then they point out that not a new truth, but that which is what is called pestering us, bothering us, boiling in our unconscious but sends the poisonous fumes outward because of which we are not happy at all. So developing a great deal of very rational, what is called insightfulness, discrimination, observation is very very important. So if really people think that they are simple, if this were the case, all poor people would be simple people. What is simplicity? Simplicity is a great virtue. The result of conquering desires and depending solely on God. Because a simple person depends for everything on God, he has nothing to hide or fear. Hence he can afford to be straightforward. Such straightforwardness not only does not harm anybody, it often helps both oneself and others go forward towards God. So straightforwardness leads the way to true faith. Ramakrishna says, unless one is guileless and broad-minded, one cannot have deep faith. A guileless man easily realizes God. He who can resign himself to the will of the Almighty with simple faith and guileless love, realizes the Lord very quickly. But is it so easy to be guileless? Unless one practices spiritual disciplines for many a life, many lives, only then one can become guileless. So Sri Ramakrishna says, one cannot be guileless and liberal-minded without much austerity or unless it is one's last birth. Just remember this. Only in the last birth before God-realization, one can really become straightforward, simple, guileless and liberal-minded. When a man has performed many good actions in his previous births, in the final birth, he becomes guileless. Unless a man is guileless, he cannot so easily have faith in God. This is one of the greatest things. Do you have faith in God? How much percentage? If our faith in God is 10%, then we have to understand that our simplicity, our guilelessness is exactly 10%. Even practice of spiritual disciplines makes one unworldly. Even a trace of worldliness does not allow one to be straightforward or guileless. That's why any practice of spiritual disciplines can slowly, it may take time, but definitely will surely make us really unworldly. That is, we will not have attachment towards worldly objects. Again Sri Ramakrishna says, the worldly man is a hypocrite. He cannot be guileless. He professes to love God, but he is attracted by worldly objects. He doesn't give God. Even a very small part of the love he feels for lust and gold, but he says that he claims, professes that he loves God. One cannot be guileless without a great deal of spiritual discipline in previous births. Spiritual instruction produces quick results only in a guileless heart. Unless a man is guileless, he doesn't receive the grace of God. Now I am going to give a few quotations from great Sufi masters. There was a great Sufi master. Many were there. One was Bayazid. He was a great Sufi master. He advises us that a believer be straightforward and completely humble as a servant. But according to him, straightforwardness is the last step on a three-step stairway leading to nearness of God. So what does he say? Here this is what he says. First, the first step is consistency. Where a traveler strives to embody Islam's theoretical and practical dimensions, success in this continuous effort without minding the occasional slips and failures brings one's carnal self under control. Simple words. Mind will be purified. Mind comes under control. Second, the second step is settlement or tranquility. Where an initiate purifies his or her inner self of the vices contaminating the spirit and heart. For example, show fame, vanity, all of which cannot be reconciled with servanthood. Thereby purging the heart of all that's not God. The third step is straightforwardness. Two straightforwardness is where the doors of divinity and creation are slightly open to the traveler. Slightly open. And the divine gifts are bestowed in the form of wonder working, miracles and blessings. Although he or she neither desires nor seeks them. Straightforwardness is the last station of the way. Means living without deviation from loyalty to God and under His direct protection. It's an environment in which divine gifts and favors are bestowed. Flowers never fade away and hills and slopes do not experience winter. For it is an environment of eternal spring. This is what is pointed out in If only they were straightforward on the path, then assuredly, God is telling, we would give them to drink of water in abundance. So, so long as people pursue straightforwardness on the path of belief in divine unity and fulfill their covenants with God and His messenger by fulfilling the divine ordinances, divine gifts and bounties will flow abundantly. Divine gifts and bounties will flow abundantly. Another Sufi master declares, So long as the heart of a servant is not sound and straight, his belief cannot be true and upright. So long as his tongue is not true, his heart cannot be sound and straight. Every morning, the parts of a man's body warn his tongue saying, fear God concerning us. For if you are true, we will be true and straight. If you are crooked, we will also deviate from that. So straightforwardness takes one to God quickly. It is the royal and a straight road. This is all about Arjavam, the ninth quality. Arjavam, straightforwardness, wonderful. Then we move on to the tenth quality called Ahimsa. Ahimsa is non-injury. Ahimsa means injury. Ahimsa is non-injury. In Sanskrit, there is a beautiful proverb, Ahimso paramo dharmaha. Ahimsa is the greatest spiritual practice. In fact, it is said when a person becomes God realized in his presence, even enemies become subdued and they behave as though they are lifelong friends. There is a beautiful memorable incident is told in the life of Shankaracharya himself. He was looking forward in South India where to establish a monastery where his teachings can be propagated by his disciples sitting there. So he was searching for a right place and when he came to the Sringeri, one of the branches he founded there, at that time, in his time, it was all an empty land. Suddenly he came across, it was summer, it was blazing hot. Guess what happened? A female pregnant frog was giving birth to a baby and it was feeling a terrible fire of the sun's heat. Suddenly from nowhere, a cobra came, spread its hood and started protecting, giving shade to this pregnant frog and then what happened, we don't know. I think the frog has given birth and then it must have thanked the snake and the snake must have gone away. When Shankaracharya beheld this sight, he understood this is the right place because when two eternally born arch enemies could behave in this way helping each other, instead of swallowing, the snake is protecting. So then this place must be endowed with natural greatness. By the way, I have to tell you, every place is not the same. There are places which are naturally very holy and uplifts the mind automatically. That is how great people have found out great places and after that they became great places of pilgrimage. This is what is called Tirtha. So one such incident was, once a sage was passing through Himalayas and he came to a place and then he saw a huge boulder and then he sat down upon it. Immediately his mind started rising up and thinking only of God. He came down and then his mind came down. Again he sat on that boulder and again his mind started going up. He understood a great soul must have performed a great austerity here and realized God and that's why this place has acquired such holy spiritual vibrations. So if anybody sits upon it, of course a stupid fellow, a cruel fellow sits upon it, he is not going to get the benefit but anybody with a little bit of purity of mind and with prayer in his heart, if he sits, immediately many obstacles will be automatically removed. That's why we are advised to go and join Holy Company so that in the Holy Company our minds can go forward without any problem. Go upward in fact. Such is the power of spiritual vibrations. So that place later on became one of the most holiest place for all Hindus. This is called Kedarnath. So straightforwardness takes one to God quickly but Ahimsa is automatically a quality that must follow. What is Ahimsa? Injury. What is Ahimsa? Non-injury. Buddha had preached this particular quality too much about it. Non-injury means abstinence from causing any pain or harm whatsoever to any living creature either by thought, word or deed. Swami Vivekananda is the greatest authority for us. He says never producing pain by thought, word or deed in any living being is what is called Ahimsa, non-injury. There is no virtue higher than non-injury. There is no happiness higher than what a man obtains by this attitude of non-offensiveness to all creation. There is a beautiful incident. There was a great Jewish teacher. Once a non-Jewish person went there or it could be even a Jewish person and asked, I don't have time to delve into these volumes of this Jewish literature, spiritual literature. I want to know what is Judaism in simple words. Rabbi said, I also have no time to explain to you but I will give the essence in one single line. Do unto others what you wish others to do unto you. If you follow this, you have understood the whole essence of Judaism. The rest is commentary. So Swami Vivekananda says, here is something most important. The test of Ahimsa is absence of jealousy. How do we know that we do not have jealousy? Even spiritual people are highly jealous. How many spiritual aspirants, they fall down by the roadside because they are smitten with this problem of jealousy. That's why Swami Vivekananda is describing the natural impurities of the mind and he compares the mind to a special monkey. He says, this is just my summarization, not actual words. The mind is restless like a monkey. Suppose there is a monkey and it is naturally restless. That is the nature of our mind. Then it is drunk, then it is stung by a scorpion and then it is possessed by a demon. Who can describe the immense restlessness or harm that can be caused by that type of monkey? By nature it is restless. And what is it drunk with? Desires. How many desires? Infinite, almost infinite desires. And what is it stung with? The sting of a scorpion. What is that scorpion? Scorpion of jealousy. He cannot tolerate other people. How many people are killed because they cannot tolerate the goodness, greatness of other people? I know of a great musician who had been murdered by her fellow musicians because they could not compete in any way. Such was the natural sweetness of her voice that they employed some low caste person to kill this lady at night. He came, entered into the house and knifed her. This is one instance. So many instances are there. Millions, almost all of us. Only this jealousy disappears only when we approach God. In the presence of God just as all darkness is driven away only the real presence of God drives away this last vestige of Maya which is called jealousy. So that's why he says the test of Ahimsa. Are you a non-injurious person? So don't go on looking. I don't kill any animal. I am pure vegetarian. I eat only pure milk, drink pure milk and then vegetables and leafy vegetables, drink pure water. No. Are you free from jealousy? When you find the other person being praised by other people given more attention than they give to you do you feel a sting? Whether another person speaks better than you do you feel a sting? Another person sings better than you do you feel a sting? Then definitely you are not rid of it. Definitely you are not a great person. This is a beautiful statement and about this quality called non-injury we will speak next week. Om Vasudeva Sutam Devam Kamsa Chanuram Arthanam Devaki Paramanandam Krishnam Vande Jagadgurum May Sri Ramakrishna, Holy Mother and Swami Vivekananda bless us all with Bhakti. Jai Ramakrishna