Hinduism 29
Transcript (Not Corrected)
Opening Prayer
ॐ सह नाववतु ।
सह नौ भुनक्तु ।
सह वीर्यं करवावहै ।
तेजस्वि नावधीतमस्तु ।
मा विद्विषावहै ।
ॐ शान्तिः शान्तिः शान्तिः ।
हरिः ॐ ।
Transliteration (IAST):
Om Saha Nāvavatu
Saha Nau Bhunaktu
Saha Vīryaṃ Karavāvahai
Tejasvi Nāvadhītamastu
Mā Vidviṣāvahai
Om Śāntiḥ Śāntiḥ Śāntiḥ
Hariḥ Om
Translation:
Om, may Brahman protect us both.
May Brahman bestow upon us both the fruit of knowledge.
May we both obtain the energy to acquire knowledge.
May what we both study reveal the truth.
May we cherish no ill feeling toward each other.
Om, peace, peace, peace be unto all.
The Law of Karma: A Vedantic Perspective
Introduction: Questions About Karma and Suffering
We are discussing the third pillar of Hinduism, which is the law of karma. Very interesting questions we had raised before. One of these is regarding the present event that had taken place in Haiti. Why so many people had died? Is it the result of karma? And if it is the result of karma, why some people did not suffer so much? And some people are so fortunate as to land in a room with plenty of beer and chips?
Is there any way to counter the law of karma? When we ask this question, there is some wrong or shallow thinking in our minds. The result of karma is both happiness as well as unhappiness. When we are in happiness, do we question, "Why am I suffering from happiness?" We do not. What we mean is, we want to avoid suffering.
The Nature of Suffering in Creation
Why did the merciful, compassionate God create suffering in this world? The first answer is that suffering is the condition of happiness. Suffering is the condition of happiness. Second, suffering itself is the very nature of this world.
We want to have a head, but not a headache. We want to have a big house without problems. That is not possible in this world. But these are very superficial things. We will go into the real purpose of karma.
The Origin and Nature of Karma
Before that, I would like to trace what is the origin of karma. Karma means action, creation, maintenance and destruction as well. These are all nothing but karma—action, ceaseless action. There is nothing static in this universe.
Everything is in Motion
Sometimes we are mistaken and we divide things into two: moving and non-moving. This table, for example, it is non-moving. By non-moving, we do not mean that a car is moving and it is not moving, but it has the capacity to move. This table has no capacity to move. Is it really so?
There is no object in this world which is not dynamic, which is not moving. Everything is moving, not only moving, but moving at tremendous speeds—maybe mind-boggling, lightning speed we call it. Atoms, molecules, energy. It is not possible for anything to be static.
The Law of Change
Moving means what? Changing. Changing means what? See the implications. You are sleeping, it changes. What happens to you? You wake up. You are walking, you change. What happens? Either you sit or you lie down. You are happy. What does it change into?
Motion means change. Change means one state into a completely opposite, different state. That is the nature of this world. Do you see the point I am driving at? If we are expecting only happiness, then it is not going to happen.
Continuously supposing we are happy. Would you know that you are happy? Not only that, you get so much bored. This is the definite condition of what we call this world: changing. Happiness changes into unhappiness. Unhappiness into happiness. This is the nature of the world.
Even Heaven is Subject to Change
You want to be in this world and you want to change the nature of the world. It won't change. That's why even if we go to heaven, Svarga Loka, you will have to come down. Because that is the nature of the world. It is not that the Svarga Loka doesn't like you. Svarga Loka itself will change into what? Svarga changes into Naraka. Heaven changes into hell. Hell changes into heaven.
What is it we call hell and heaven? If you are in the same house for a long time, you call it hell. When you change it, you call it heaven. Anything that continues in this world, it doesn't serve the purpose.
The Changeless Self
Is there any state which is beyond? Yes. Go beyond this world. What is that world? It's not a world at all. It is our real state—the true nature of the self. It cannot change. Why?
Because, you know, for changing, there is a condition necessary. For one thing to change into the second, there must be two things. You see, there must be two things. A table has to change into a chair, and a chair has to change into a table. Where there is only one thing, where there is an infinity, change is impossible.
Not only that, there is also a mechanism behind. For a change to take place, two more things are necessary. An instrumental cause is necessary. Somebody should be there to change it. And also an intelligent cause. So a human being, or an intelligent being, with the help of some instruments, changes one thing into another thing.
But the self, being one without a second, it doesn't have instrumental cause. It doesn't have any other cause excepting itself. Therefore, change is impossible.
The Difficulty of Understanding Karma
For us, it is difficult to understand. When we are saying, "Let me change my karma," what we really mean is, "Let me reduce my suffering, pay a minimum and get the maximum." That is not possible because the law of karma is very, very stringent. You pay for one dollar, you get one dollar's worth.
The Psychology of Karma
With this background, we wanted to delve into the psychological analysis of what is it that produces karma. Karma means action. Anything that we do, think or do something, or just by being—some people think, "I am sitting, I am not doing anything." No, it is not possible.
Even when we are in deep sleep, so many changes are going on within the body. Otherwise, we would never come back. Suppose the heart says, "My master has gone to sleep, let me also go to sleep." See, karma is going on.
Creation, Maintenance, and Destruction
This whole creation means karma. Creation means creation, maintenance and destruction. All these three things combined together is called karma. Destruction is also karma. Destruction is not death again, as I mentioned many times. It is the effect going back into its cause that is called death. What is birth then? The cause manifesting as effect is called birth.
That's all. Birth and death, cause and effect are only two states of one and the same thing, constantly going around in a cycle. This is called Brahma Chakra, Saṁsāra Chakra, whatever name you want to give.
The Root Cause: Desire and Ignorance
What does Vedanta say? Why did karma originate? Because karma is necessary so long as there is a desire to do something. A desire to do something. What causes the desire? Desire is always a sign of imperfection.
"I don't have this. Therefore, I would like to have this. I do not feel complete if I do not have this." Imperfection is the characteristic of desire always. We must be imperfect to desire something. Desire translates into action. Desire is the seed and action is the effect. So that is how this karma comes into this.
The Forgotten Truth
But Vedanta tells us we are completely perfect. We are Pūrṇa. We are infinite. We do not lack anything. Why did we forget? Forgetfulness. We don't know why. We don't know how. We know that we have forgotten our true nature.
There is no point in trying to find out. Funnily, we are scientific type of people. We must know why it happened, how it happened, when it happened, where it happened.
The Dream Analogy
So Vedanta laughs and tells, "I will ask you a question. Tell me. Yesterday night, did you go to sleep?" Yes. "Did you have a nice dream?" Yes. "So when did the dream start? Who did it start? Where did it start? When did it end? Come on, tell me."
When you are dreaming, you are somewhere. Say you are attending the class. "When did you come to this Vedanta centre? I came 15 minutes back, half an hour back." But upon waking, can you tell what is the time? What time you started attending the class?
Simple question. What time do you fall asleep? Give me the answer. Then I will change my whole view. So long as you are calculating, you are not asleep. When you stop calculating, then you are asleep. This is the condition. So we don't know. But we are in this condition.
The Purpose of Karma
Then the crucial question that comes is, what is the purpose of karma? According to Vedanta, the only purpose of karma, as I mentioned in my last class, is that we should get out of karma. The cause or the reason why there is action is for us to get out of action. I call it Naiṣkarmya Siddhi, that state of pure inaction.
When do we attain? According to this psychology, desires are the root cause of actions. And what is the root cause of desire? Ignorance of our true nature. Therefore, when can we attain to that state? When all the desires come to an end and when our ignorance comes to the end. Ignorance comes to the end. Destroying the ignorance is the only purpose of karma.
Two Ways of Performing Action
But there are two ways of performing any action: a wise way of doing it and an ignorant way of doing it, a foolish way of doing it. When we do something the foolish way, then karma increases the desire, desires increase the karma—that is called the Saṁsāra Chakra, the wheel of birth and rebirth.
But when we do it wisely, it is like, as I said, homeopathic medicine, similar symptoms. You get another medicine which will produce similar symptoms that will act like poison—poison to be countered by poison. This is called, in theological terms, philosophical terms, Karma Yoga, Niṣkāma Karma Yoga, etc. It is a technique of doing karma so that we completely get rid of all karmas.
The Psychology Summarized
So that is the psychology. Ignorance is the root cause of our desires. What is ignorance? "I have everything, I am everything." Not "I have everything"—"I am everything." If I am everything, I don't need anything. But I have forgotten. I am so little, I want something very big.
Fear and Desire
There is another funny name in Sanskrit for this, what is called desire. Do you know what is it? Bhaya—fear. Do you connect fear and action? All actions have only one goal: how to be?
Where do you pay insurance premium? To be. They don't use the word fear, we use the word security. Insecurity. Because this very body is insecure. It is changing all the time. And we want to prolong this insecurity.
If anybody says "I want to live a long time," what does it mean? I want to pay insurance premium for a long time. I don't want insurance companies to come to my rescue in a short time. I want them to come after a long time. Because they won't pay you unless you are dead. Have you noticed? Insurance companies will give you security only after you are dead. There are some companies, health insurance companies, that do come to your rescue.
Holy Mother's Teaching on Karma and Desire
Anyway, this is what Holy Mother is telling: "As long as a man has desires, there is no end to his transmigration. It is the desires alone that make him take one body after another. There will be rebirth for a man if he has even the desire to eat a piece of sweet meat.
"Desire may be compared to a minute seed. It is like a big banyan tree growing out of a seed which is no bigger than a dot. Rebirth is inevitable so long as one has desires. It is like taking the soul from one pillowcase and putting it into another.
"Only one or two out of many men can be found who are free from all desires. Though one gets a new body on account of desires, yet one doesn't completely lose spiritual consciousness if one has to one's credit merits from previous births."
Can Karma Be Countered?
A disciple is asking in this connection, "Is it possible to be freed from effects of karma through religious festivals and music, etc.?" The Mother says, "Yes."
Disciple: "Can the effect of karma be made null and void? The scriptures say that knowledge alone can destroy karma. Still one must reap the result of prārabdha karma."
Mother: "The result of karma is inevitable. Karma alone is responsible for our misery and happiness. But by repeating the name of God, you can lessen its intensity. If you are destined to have a wound as wide as a plowshare, you will get a pinprick at least. The effect of karma can be counteracted to a great extent by japa and austerities. Chanting God's holy name lessens the intensity of karmic effects."
Understanding How Prayer Reduces Karma
This is one of the most beautiful statements that I have come across. Most of us have read it. And we have faith that if we pray to Holy Mother or God, the effects of—what do we mean by again? Only bad karma. "O unto God, if He reduces the effects of good karma." Only bad karma. Suffering must be reduced.
Holy Mother says, yes, it can be reduced to a great extent. And especially by repeating the name of God, by praying to Him, and through japa, through austerity, etc.
The Psychology Behind This
What is this psychology here? Is it that God arbitrarily comes and says, "Okay, since you are my devotee, I will give you a special favor which I will normally not do to anybody else, but I am doing it. I am reducing your bad karma"?
Many times, God doesn't reduce bad karma. You know why? Karma can be reduced only when we learn our lessons. Repeat: when we learn our lessons. What is the lesson? What is the purpose of karma? To be, to have the knowledge of our true nature.
So look what happens. When a person prays to God, his mind becomes pure. When the mind becomes pure, automatically, self-knowledge dawns. Automatically. That is the beauty of Vedanta.
The Sun and Curtain Analogy
See, it is not that first we pray, and then God says, "Okay, I think he deserves my grace, so I will reduce his karma." No. What happens immediately? It's like light is streaming outside, and your windows are covered with curtains. The more you remove the curtains, the more light—you do not need to invite the light to come in. It will, by its own nature, come in.
God is inside. So as soon as the mind becomes pure, and He is covered by impurities, or divinity is covered by impurities, immediately God becomes manifest. And what is God? Higher knowledge. Knowledge. Pure knowledge. Pure consciousness. So here, manifestation of God means knowledge dawns.
What Happens When Knowledge Dawns
And what happens when knowledge dawns? Interesting things happen. From our low, ignorant point of view, we think, "Oh, I have got tremendous headache. How I wish that I could get rid of it." Then you say, let us say, pray to God. And God's grace comes. Then you say, "Oh, my headache is reduced." That is one way of looking at it. And a very ignorant way of looking at it.
The other way of looking at it is, this is the nature of the head. So long as there is a head, there will be headache sometimes. Then, what is the way to get rid of headache? Did you hear what I said? As long as there is a head, there will be headache sometimes. Not always. Sometimes.
So by God's grace, if headache is removed now, tomorrow, is there any guarantee that it won't come again? It will come. But this knowledge comes, that this headache is inevitable as long as there is a head. And if I don't want this headache to come, what is the remedy? Get rid of the head. That knowledge.
So how can I get rid of this head? Means, this body, this saṁsāra, my limitations, how can I get rid of it? And then, other type of knowledge will come. Why did this headache come? Maybe I have done something wrong. Who is responsible? Me.
So why did the headache come? Because I ate something, or I did something, which is the cause. This is the effect. So there must be a cause. If there is a cause, and that cause is not acceptable to me, if the effect is not acceptable, what does it mean? Come on! If we don't want the effect, what should it really mean? We should also not desire the cause.
But that's where ignorance covers us. We don't want the bad effect, but we don't want to stop the cause. But when we pray to God, when the mind becomes pure, what happens is, the only way I can permanently get rid of this suffering is to get rid of this cause.
The True Meaning of Not Wanting to Suffer
Not only that, why do we want—when we say we don't want suffering, it has a double meaning. When we say we don't want suffering, it doesn't mean we just want to get rid of suffering. Is there any person, any being in this world, who says, "I don't want to suffer, but I don't want to be happy also"? Is there anyone who says?
Always a man says, "I don't want any suffering, I want happiness too." Then, if I want to be happy, just as this cause produced this suffering, if I want the effect called happiness, then I must also produce the cause for happiness.
The True Source of Happiness and Suffering
And incidentally, according to Vedanta, this cause of both happiness and unhappiness has nothing to do with external objects. This is a very important point for all of us to understand. The causes of both happiness and misery are not at all external objects.
A man may have many, many things, which are rare to obtain in this world, and yet be profoundly unhappy. Another man may have practically nothing, and it is possible for him to be supremely happy.
The Story of the Unhappy King
Remember the story of the king who was unhappy. There was a king—for those who do not know this story, it's a beautiful parable. There was a king who had everything, but he was profoundly unhappy. Excepting happiness, he had everything.
Then, being a king, he called his ministers and said, "Find out how I could be happy, otherwise I will chop off your heads." So the ministers put their heads together and then, because one head is not so good, you see, then they found out a solution.
The solution is: find out the happiest man in that kingdom and get his clothes and make the king wear the clothes. So they sent the armies from the four directions. They all went. After six months, they returned and the king asked, "Did you find the happiest man or not?" They all said, "Yes." "And did you bring his clothes?" They said, "No." "Why did you not bring?" He said, "Oh king, he had no clothes."
External Objects Don't Create Happiness
This is the truth: it is not a thing that makes us happy or unhappy. I am trying to put this idea in so many ways because that is the hardest part of ignorance for us to understand. External things may be there, may not be there. It has nothing to do with either happiness or unhappiness.
Supposing some man desires rasgullās, sweetmeat, very desirable sweetmeat, and he has plenty of them. Supposing he is suffering from severe stomach ache, would he like to even look at the rasgullās in that state of mind?
See, that is what—you analyze one or two days of your life: when were you at your happiest most? You will see two things. One, when you are very hungry, any type of food will give you the maximum amount of happiness that is possible. Right? Not only that, but that is not happiness really.
Hunger and Satisfaction
The eating part does not give you happiness. The eating part only removes the hunger. Hunger was not there. Hunger came, then you gave some food, hunger was removed. But when hunger was removed, the dissatisfaction in the mind has been removed. That is what gives happiness—not the satisfaction of hunger, but the satisfaction that "I have no want now."
The Saint and Hunger
Look at saints and you will see, even if they are hungry—tell me, why am I giving this example? Supposing there is a saint, and the saint is a saint. Also, if he has a body, he has hunger or not? Right? Suppose he is very hungry. For three days he has not eaten. Tell me, is he a happy person or unhappy person? He is a saint. He would be a happy person because nobody can take away that happiness of God from him.
Then what does he suffer from when there is hunger? Does he suffer from unhappiness? No. You know how it happens? Supposing you are working in the garden and suddenly you need to dig around a plant and you don't have the instrument and you know that you don't have the instrument even inside the house. Would you be unhappy?
You will not be unhappy. But you say, "If I have to do this work, then that implement is very necessary." You feel the lack of the implement but you don't feel unhappiness. Mark the point. So a saint would never feel unhappy but says, "There is this instrument. This instrument needs a bit of repair."
His body is the biggest instrument which needs repairs definitely four times a day and in between too. This is the difference.
The Body as an Instrument
Satisfaction of desires doesn't produce happiness or unhappiness. It only produces a condition for the self to manifest. But if the desires are satisfied, this instrument becomes a little bit useful. That's all. Useful means it can be used for good or bad. That's all its purpose. It has nothing to do with happiness or unhappiness.
I don't know whether I am making any sense. See, happiness is a different state, but making use of our body or mind is a different state. I can do something if my body is healthy. I can do something. If it is not healthy, I cannot do something. But whether to be happy or unhappy doesn't depend upon body or mind. It is just a tool.
The Car Analogy
And a saint doesn't have identity with the body, just as you see, if your car has a dent, you won't lose your sleep. Yes, sometimes you lose your sleep. That's because—you know, there was a man who met an accident and he went to a doctor and he became alright, but for some six months he had to use crutches until he became alright. But even after he became alright, he was still using the crutches.
So once his doctor suddenly came across him and he was shocked: "I treated you so well, you are perfectly alright, why are you using crutches?" He said, "Doctor, I know you told me I don't need crutches, but my lawyer says I need crutches. Until the case is settled, I have to use the crutches."
The Saint's Attitude Toward the Body
If a saint has a healthy body and a healthy mind—mind will always be healthy; a saint's mind is always healthy; it's only the body we are talking about—in our case, body and mind both can be sick, ill, devastating or normal functioning. So a saint doesn't mind if he doesn't get food. He doesn't—"Oh, my car is not working properly. Okay, it's alright. I am not in need of the car. I can do without a car also. If it is there, it's convenient. If it is not there, it doesn't really matter." That is the attitude of a saint.
"The body is there? Fine. Body is not there? Fine." A saint always thinks his body is a car. Do you know that imagery? What does Kaṭha Upaniṣad say about the human body? It is compared to a chariot. What is the modern chariot? A car, then four horses, they have four wheels. That is all the difference.
The True Function of Karma
So happiness, unhappiness have nothing to do with having things or not having things at all. What is the function of karma? Karma is to remove the layers of ignorance within our mind so that the divinity, or the knowledge that I am—or that divinity—slowly, slowly, slowly manifests.
Three Stages of Realization
And it manifests, as it is said, in three stages:
- "I am the body. I belong to God."
- "I have a body. This must be offered to God. This must be used in the service of God."
- "I am God."
Swami Brahmanandaji put it:
- Work and worship
- Work is worship
- Worship
Just worship. In it is interesting to know, we do pūjās, you know, in our celebrations, everyday pūjā. Who can really do pūjā or what is pūjā?
The Meaning of True Worship
The Sanskrit definition is: devo bhūtvā devām yajed' one can worship God only by becoming God. Because if you don't become God, then you cannot worship God. To worship God is to know—if you are sitting by the side of somebody, you are sitting in a park and suddenly somebody comes and sits by your side, what will you do? "Somebody has come. He is sitting by my side." Okay, that is fine, is it not?
But supposing you are a devotee of Śrī Rāmakṛṣṇa. You are sitting there and suddenly Swami Vivekananda comes and sits. If you don't know he is Swami Vivekananda, if you don't recognize him as Swami Vivekananda, then you just like any other person. But if you recognize Swami Vivekananda, how joyful you would be, is it not? Then how do you look at him?
The Smoking Example
I am just taking my time and putting some—like workshop, you know. Nowadays there is lot of propaganda: don't smoke, smoking is not allowed here, public places, in restaurants, in airplanes and in trains, etc. Now it has become a big campaign. And you are a what is called 100% non-smoking fan or whatever, vehement propagator of non-smoking.
One day you are sitting in a park on a bench and suddenly a man comes with a huge cigar, sits by your side, smiles at you and looks at you. What would be your reaction? You will be damning not only him—as we say in our language—14 generations, right? As you are looking at him, and how you look at him depends upon how he looks at you. If he is tall and sturdy, and then your looks will be—as you are looking at him—what they call daggers and swords and dagger, something like that.
Suddenly you see Swami Vivekananda is sitting. How do you look upon his smoking now? Do you see the point? Do you object to his smoking? Not only you do not object to his smoking—if he says this cigar is finished (he may not be saying anything to you), "This cigar is not there," immediately you will run without telling him, bring a big packet of cigars and offer it to him. Don't you? That is called worship.
Worship as Recognition
Worship is not simply doing something, but to recognize a person's greatness. That is called love. How a same mother looks at others—there is a vast difference. So that is what is called pūjā, worship. So work and worship, work as worship, and then thereafter the last stages—everything becomes worship. Because whom are you worshiping? You see, wherever you see, that is nothing but God.
Prahlāda's Example
But Prahlāda—he was almost killed by his father. His father asks him, unable to kill him, "Where is your so-called God?" Prahlāda replies, "That is a wrong question. 'Where is not God?' Show me a place where God is not."
So that is called real worship. If Śrī Rāmakṛṣṇa is interesting, you know—Śrī Rāmakṛṣṇa, you go to meet Śrī Rāmakṛṣṇa. He says, "Sit down," and he looks at you with pleased eyes. What do you think? "Śrī Rāmakṛṣṇa is bestowing his grace upon me." Don't you? Supposing he looks at you with angry eyes. What would be your reaction? "Oh, I am so unfortunate and Śrī Rāmakṛṣṇa has got—has become offended with me and I don't know what I am." Is it not? This is our normal course of reaction.
God's Anger as Blessing
But if God looks angrily at you—and can God ever become angry? First of all, because in his eyes is there anything that he could get angry? If you do something wrong, who is doing something wrong? God. In his eyes there is nothing else excepting God.
But here is the point: if a saint or God is angry with you, that is the greatest blessing that can ever be conferred upon us. What did Holy Mother say? "Misery is the gift of God." When God is very pleased, he creates this so-called misery. What I call fast-track to him. Little bit painful but very fast—you will advance towards God. It is better that you should make even a saint angry.
God Worships Us
So you see what is worship? To see God everywhere. Only to see God—that is worship. And God is worshipping us. Do we understand? God is worshipping us. When you worship God, what do you do? You show light, you offer water, you offer flowers, you offer food, you fan him when it is hot, you put some central heating when he is feeling cold. Don't you?
What do you think God is doing to us 24 hours a day? Who is fanning you? Is God fanning us now or not? Yes or not? How do you know that God is fanning you? You see, what is my answer? If God is not fanning me, I would be fanning myself.
No, it is not completely correct. The 24 hours the Vāyu Devatā, 24 hours the wind, the clouds, the sun, the moon, the stars, the flowers, the fruits, the rivers, the mountains, everything—he is worshipping us. Not only worshipping, he is protecting us.
God's Eternal Vigilance
Latu Mahārāj was asked by Śrī Rāmakṛṣṇa, "My boy, what do you think your Rām is doing?" It was at nighttime. The boy said, "I don't know, sir." And Śrī Rāmakṛṣṇa replied, "You know, your Rāmjī is wide awake." At that time, by that time, many people—practically the whole of India—was asleep. "So the whole world he is protecting."
Latu Mahārāj was surprised. "What, you mean to say when I am sleeping, God keeps awake so that he can protect me?" "Yes, my boy. He never sleeps. 24 hours a day he goes on with big eyes protecting you, protecting us." Is this not the truth?
Even Death is Protection
Even death is his protection, if we understand it properly. When this—even ordinary people like us, when our children have torn cloth, dirty cloth, what do we do? If they are dirty, we clean them. If they are torn, we throw them away and then provide new dress. So when this body becomes a little bit torn or old, then what does God do? Mercifully he takes it away so that he can give us a new dress.
This is what Gītā says: Vāsāṁsi jīrṇāni yathā vihāya navāni gṛhṇāti. So what is the point we are trying to say? That true knowledge alone produces happiness and ignorance produces misery.
Knowledge vs. Ignorance
This is again another important concept which we don't seem to understand. You do some good karma, good karma—not Karma Yoga—but with the desire for its results. Naturally good karma will produce good results. That means you get happiness. Is that happiness or is that misery? In our ignorance we think that is not misery.
The Prison Analogy
Let me give a—supposing you are in a jail and you are behaving very nicely and the inspector comes, and police inspector comes and says, "You are behaving very well. I will extend your jail days for a few more days, you know." Is that what happens? You see, this is what happens with us.
If God gives us more happiness in the form of puṇya, he gets more—he provides more sweets and a better house, better spouse, etc., etc., what happens, you know? Saṁsāra will extend for a long time. Is it not the truth? But we do not, in our ignorance, we do not seem to understand this.
Self-Knowledge Produces Bliss
Anyway, self-knowledge—because self is of the nature of bliss—self-knowledge alone produces bliss, happiness, joy, whereas ignorance of the self produces the opposite. So what is the purpose of karma? Karma is to counter this ignorance. Only purpose of karma is to get rid of ignorance.
Looking at Life Through Vedanta
Now in this light, look at what is called life. What do we see? We are born, we grow up, go to schools or colleges, take up some work, get married, we get children, become old, retire, and then die. What is the purpose of life?
If you ask an ordinary person what does he say? He will say, "You go to get good education, get a good spouse, partner, get married, lead a happy family life, do what you can do for the good of the society, and die peacefully." This is a typical reply that we get.
Vedanta's View of Life
What does Vedanta say? Vedanta says saṁsāra, or this worldly life, means only two: what is that? Happiness and misery. The purpose of both happiness and misery is not happiness and misery, but the purpose is slowly to help us evolve towards a higher destiny and ultimately to know, realize, that we are divine, we are the self, we are God. This is the only purpose.
That is why everything else falls away, having given some opportunity for us to learn a lesson. That will fall away.
The School Analogy
You know how it is? Supposing a child is admitted into a school, say third—what do you call here—third form or whatever, and there will be some tests. So he has to pass some tests so that he can be promoted to the fourth class. Supposing the fellow is lazy and doesn't study and doesn't pass the exams. Then next year where will he sit? In the same form. Third, third class. And suppose next year also he doesn't do well, then he will sit in the same.
You know, there was a criminal and he was caught and he was given some jail term for a few months. He was released. Again he did the same thing. Again he was caught—five years it went on. So once after five years he was brought before the judge. The judge got very angry: "Why do I see you even after five years?" Man folded his hands and said, "Sir, if you don't get promotion, don't blame me. If you don't want to see me, better get some promotion."
Learning Our Lessons
So what happens? This student, even after 15 years, 20 years, he won't be promoted until he really understands his lessons and passes. But meanwhile what can happen? The teachers may pass away. One set of teachers come, they teach him and they become old and they pass away. Another set of teachers come, they also may pass away.
So this is what is called life. As long as we don't learn our lessons, we remain in the same classroom. Set of circumstances may differ, but the same lessons will be taught until we learn these lessons. There is no way to get up. That is the purpose of saṁsāra.
The saṁsāra is not there to make us miserable. God has not created it so that he can torture us. Whom can he torture? Who are we? Himself. In a way it's a play, but in another way, the saṁsāra is there so that we can gradually progress in self-knowledge. That is its only purpose.
Can Karma Be Countered?
So when we ask this question, "Is it possible for karma to be countered?" Yes, it is possible. But what is the point if you don't learn your lesson? If you don't improve in self-knowledge, what is the point of merely changing the outside circumstances?
In a classroom, you know, get tired of sitting here, then the fellow says, "This is not a good place. I will go and sit there." In the classroom—learn our lessons. Karma will not leave us. That is the truth.
Now the question that really we have raised is how to get that state where we can be free of karma. So that is called mukti. So how to—before we attain, it is a very beautiful subject also, difficult, deep subject—I will deal with in my next class.
Practical Steps to Counter Suffering
Now what I would like to do is, now we are here in this life and sometimes we are suffering. How to counter this suffering? Before we discuss this, one more point that is to be needed is, by whose will this whole world is running? By the will of God.
He has created this so-called factory or classroom, whatever you call it. We are all here to learn our lessons. So then who created this, let us say, earthquake at Haiti? By whose will is it happening?
Addressing Misconceptions About God
So lot of questions have come, you know. Ignorant people go on questioning, go on trying to find out whether God is there, whether God is merciful, whether—why he creates, does he enjoy the misery of human beings. Lots of stupid statements come out of these people.
If you ask Śrī Rāmakṛṣṇa or Swami Vivekananda, what does he say? Says God created this world, this earth, let us say this earth, and this earth is created in such a way is called nature. Is nature, you know, always the whole earth is moving. Are you aware of that? Earth is moving. What they call tectonic plates are always moving.
Natural Phenomena
So when these unfortunately two plates collide, one of the results could be earthquake. And this earthquake can cause also—if the earthquake happens deep underneath the sea, that what it will produce—tsunami. This is a natural phenomena. It has nothing to do with God in a way of speaking. In another way of speaking, it is God's will. He created nature and he said, "Oh nature, you will be like this. You will be moving like this. And whenever you move nearer, this would happen. When you move further away, something else will happen."
Disasters and Blessings
Another interesting point in this connection is, what appeared to be a terrible natural disaster later on proved to be greatest blessing for the earth. Volcanoes are what is called—so many fires, there were places full of deep vegetation and some fire had come and devastated the whole thing. And they found out that that became the cause of the fertility—and diamonds and so many. The whole Africa, so much of gold, so much of diamonds. On one side so much of destruction, on the other side from that very destruction springs the greatest things, greatest blessings.
So nothing is utterly disastrous, nothing is absolutely a great blessing. Everything has got both sides. Only time will decide in what way it is manifesting at different times.
God's Will and Individual Karma
This happened by the will of God—this would be Śrī Rāmakṛṣṇa's answer. Then where comes the law of karma? If it is the will of God, where comes the law of karma?
I mentioned at the beginning of this talk: if your karma is very good, then you will be buried in a room with plenty of beer and chips. Even today almost 120 people have been pulled alive out of the trouble. They were not destined to die, and some of them didn't suffer much. So many people of course died according to the end of life, because they will be coming back again, maybe in a better form, in a higher form. We don't know. That's why we must have faith in dharma.
So that is where the law of karma applies.
Practical Steps: How to Reduce Suffering
In any case, when we are suffering, how to counter the suffering? In this connection there are a few points I would like to make in today's class.
First: Sincere Desire to Reduce Suffering
First of all, desire to reduce suffering. A very important point. We are all focusing on the question, "Can I reduce my suffering?" Before that we have to ask ourselves, "Do I really desire to reduce my suffering?"
What a question! Does anyone really want suffering? Desire suffering? No, nobody desires suffering. Then why are we producing suffering? Because we produce the cause. What comes first? The cause.
Do we desire to reduce the causes of suffering? If we have sincere desire—"I want to reduce the cause of suffering"—then we deal with the very root of the problem. And say, "If this is my desire to be happy, two things: I won't cause the beginning of my suffering, but I will actively plan for happiness."
Planning for Happiness
So you can't simply have happiness. You can't have anything in life unless you plan for it, desire for it, plan for it, work for it. Is that point clear?
You want to be happy. Then how to be happy? Then you look around and say, "If I get good education, then I have good chance of getting a good job, then I have a chance of having a good house, good marriage and comfortable life." That is what—are we not doing the whole thing? Are we not buying health insurance? We are planning already. We are desiring, we are planning.
"Why can't we plan for happiness?" "Then these are not planning for happiness. These are only planning for getting certain things." "Yes, I get good partner, good house, good job—that doesn't mean that can make you happy." "No, it may or it may not."
The causes of happiness and suffering are totally different. But at least we are discussing now how to reduce the amount of suffering that we already have.
The First Step: Desire
Desire: I don't want to suffer, therefore I don't want to further produce any causes of suffering. And I would like to deal with the suffering already that is being experienced by me. So how to do it?
Second: Accept Suffering
First, accept that all happens because of the will of God. Accept suffering. The first thing is accept suffering. And don't—what do you mean by accepting suffering? We all accept suffering. "I am suffering." Saṁsāra, are you in saṁsāra or not? Saṁsāra is pronounced in Bengal—saṁsāro, saṁsāro. You see, saṁsāro. You want to be in 'some sorrow' (saṁsāro) and not be without sorrow? Is it possible?
So accept means accepting that it is because of me. It is the will of God and I am suffering. I want to reduce. Accept all happens because of the will of God. And accept also that this karma affects each one of us as per our past karma.
Taking Responsibility
If I am suffering, then who is responsible for it? I am responsible. The moment I say "I am responsible," there will be pain but there will be no suffering. There is a distinction between pain and suffering. Pain is physical, suffering is mental. The mental aspect of it is, "Somebody is responsible. I am not the author of my own pain. So why should I suffer?"
That is itself is cause of our suffering. "I myself have caused my own pain, the circumstances " that immediately it will have lot of effect, have you noticed it?—Third all suffering has a hidden meaning, it is part of life and helps in evolution. This is even better, why is there pain? oh that means its there to teach me a lesson. Just ask one question. why is there this suffering, what can I learn from this? it even helps in ordinary things also. Supposing one night you are not able to sleep. Why am I not able to sleep? You'll see either you are worried about something or not eaten properly or you have done something, some action or something is responsible for that. So what if you can find that out, then there is a good chance in future we can avoid that . Try to avoid that, that all suffering has a hidden meaning. its part of life and helps in evolution. Second reduce Karma to what is absolutely necessary. This is a very important thing, especially when we are aged above 50 plus. Very important to ask three questions.
Three Important Questions (Age 50+)
After we are 50 we should ask—before also, but it is good to ask definitely after 50:
1. Is it necessary? Any action, is it necessary? How much misery can be avoided? Suppose I want to have a cup of tea. First, is it necessary? It is very uncomfortable and I know it is not necessary, but really I feel like drinking it. You will see it makes us very guilty many times.
2. Is it right? Second, any action—is it right? Even if I am doing, is it right? Am I doing the right action?
3. Am I doing it in the right way? And am I doing in the right way? Every action can be done in a right way and wrong way.
Is it necessary? Is it right? Am I doing it in the right way? If you really go on questioning these three ways, you will see lot of your problems will be automatically reduced. The questioning will be very uncomfortable. If you don't want to counter this, that will be the problem.
Third: Connect All Actions with God
Next, third: connect all actions with God. All actions with God. Anything that happens: "Oh Lord, let me do it for your sake." Remember God at the end: "Oh Lord, I have done it. Now I leave it to you. Whatever you want to do."
Then fourth...
Fourth: Increase Spiritual Practices
Increase japa, prayer, meditation, pūjā, rituals, pilgrimage, satsaṅga, meditation, etc. What is the purpose of karma? Self-knowledge, God realization. What is the way to do it? We must get rid of ignorance. How can we attain this?
Getting rid of ignorance and getting self-knowledge is one and the same things. How can we achieve that? Spiritual practices. Increase your japa, prayer, meditation, pūjā, rituals, pilgrimage, satsaṅga, meditation, etc. And that is called Karma Yoga.
Topics for the Next Class
So we will deal in our next class or classes: What is Karma Yoga? Most of us are under the delusion we know what is Karma Yoga. Just because we are taking God's name doesn't mean it becomes Karma Yoga. It is not Karma Yoga.
What are the fundamental principles of Karma Yoga? How can we transform any action into Karma Yoga? And how do we know that we are really performing Karma Yoga? These are the important points.
The natural corollary of what we have been discussing: not only how to reduce suffering, how to get rid of suffering. How? And the purpose of karma is not necessarily reducing suffering, but it may be even increasing our suffering so that we can altogether get rid of karma itself and attain to our true state of being, which is "I am Brahman." And Karma Yoga is a part of this process.
Why is it necessary and how it should be done, etc., we will discuss in our next class.
Closing Prayer
ॐ शान्तिः शान्तिः शान्तिः
Om Śānti, Śānti, Śāntih.
Om, peace, peace, peace be unto all.