March 24 2009
Title
Un-clutch from the mind maze - Destress Instantly Patanjali Yoga Sutra Nithyananda
Video and Audio
| Video | Audio |
Transcript
[00:01:01]
Sadāshiva samārambhām Shankarāchārya madhyamām | asmat āchārya paryantām vande guru paramparām ||
[00:01:48]
I welcome you all with My love and respects. Today’s subject is ‘Unclutch from the mind maze – de-stress instantly.’ I will be speaking on the 8th sutra of Patanjali. Patanjali has given beautiful 199 sutras describing the whole science of Yoga - uniting the individual consciousness to the universal consciousness; making yourself falling in tune with the ultimate. Today we will enter into the 8th sutra. Unclutching science is explained in this one sutra. That is why this title we gave ‘Unclutch from the mind maze – de-stress instantly’. This one sutra can completely turn the way in which you think, the way in which you act, the way in which you live. This one sutra can awaken new consciousness, new energy inside your Being. Sometime people tell Me, “For each sutra you say the same thing. How to take it Swamiji”? I tell them it is true for each sutra. For each sutra it is same. Patanjali is such a great Master, I know for sure he would have worked with millions of disciples; otherwise you cannot write such a great, highly mystical, just unimaginable work.
[00:04:32]
I read a story, Bernard Shaw wrote a 100 page book. Somebody went and asked him, “What happened, you didn’t have time? You wrote only 100 page book.” He says, “No, if I had time, I would have written only 40 page.” If I had time I would have written only 40 page means to write little and convey what needs to be conveyed needs more energy and time and intelligence. Here, Patanjali is so sharp, he is making everything into just two-three words; just few words he is putting everything together. Even to read this sutra it is such a wonderful experience. I will read the sutra: Viparyayo mithya jnananaam atathrupa pratishtaam Viparyayo mithya jnananaam atathrupa pratishtaam Let Me read the sutra for the sake of recording. If you don’t understand the english, it is okay. I will give the translation: Interpreting based on past conditioning leads to misconception or wrong understanding. Let Me repeat the translation: Interpreting based on past conditioning leads to misconception or wrong understanding.
[00:06:37]
The Upanishads, Zen cones, Sufi mystics poems, everything expressed by Enlightened Masters are again and again repeating what IS is reality. Ishavasyam idam sarvam - whatever IS is God. Again and again even the Zen Masters, they say, ‘Before enlightenment, mountain is a mountain, tree is a tree, river is a river. After enlightenment, mountain is a mountain, tree is a tree, river is a river.’ Then what the hell are we doing? 😀 Sorry what the heaven are we doing working for enlightenment? Again and again Masters say what IS is. Buddha beautifully says ‘Tathaata’. The word needs to be understood. The ‘IS’ness. Then what is the problem? Where problem starts? Problem starts with our wrong understanding, as Patanjali puts it here – viparyaya. Please understand it is a important word I can say the key.
[00:08:19]
Just today morning in the press meet one of our journalist asked Me, “Swamiji, how do you ask us to meditate? What are we supposed to do? You speak about meditation. Should we close our eyes and sit and mediate? What we should do?” I replied him, in the initial level only you need a technique. You may need to close your eyes and sit for half an hour or forty five minutes, do something. But actually, the real essence of spiritual life is not even meditation. This one sutra, complete understanding, completely understanding; stopping the misunderstanding is real meditation. Please understand. Meditation is not just an activity to do for some ten minutes or fifteen or half an hour per day then you leave it. NO!! It is a quality of life. In the initial level, maybe it is necessary for you to create a concentration and center yourself. So half an hour sitting with closed eyes okay. But that is not the end. Techniques are like boat, but this teaching what Patanjali is giving in this sutra is like a river. Boats are okay in the initial level, but boat is not life. That is not life. Life is river. Here Patanjali is giving a very beautiful technique, amazing technique, I can say the essence of spiritual life.
[00:10:04]
When I read each sutra, I feel that this is enough, nothing more is required, you don’t need anything else. Any single sutra, if you take up one sutra and contemplate, contemplate, contemplate on that, that’s enough; nothing else is required. Nothing else needs to be done. One sutra if you can internalize, that seed is enough, it will bear its fruit. The fruit will be your enlightenment. Sometime I feel you should not read more than one sutra per day. Because if you read too many sutras, you will just… your mind will skip from here to there, here to there, here to there, here to there and you will not internalize. You will not meditate on them. But if you read only one sutra, your whole mind will be working on it; or that sutra will be working on your Consciousness. Your whole being will be filled with that one sutra. You will see that sutra starts expressing itself inside you. It starts expressing itself inside you.
[00:11:22]
Interpreting based on past conditioning leads to misconception or wrong understanding. The whole thing, whatever problem you have, can be solved with this one key; because your whole thing. whatever problem you have, everything is just because of one reason - that interpreting based on past conditioning leads to misconception or wrong understanding. Please understand all your fear, all your greed, all the things which you think as your identity, all your worries, whatever you think as disturbance, misfortune in your life can be sorted out with this one understanding. If you look with little sympathy, little compassion, little sympathy and compassion towards this moment, will completely open a new door, you will have a new understanding. When you don't have compassion to this moment, you always judge this moment with your past experience.
[00:12:40]
Please understand, I am giving a new key - have compassion towards this moment. Have compassion towards present moment. We never have compassion toward present moment. We are always violent with the present moment. That is why we kill it with the past. We kill the present moment with the past. We are constantly waiting for present moment to come so that you can kill it with your past, you can destroy it with your past, you can abuse it with your past. Abusing the present with the past is what I call hell. Continuously we torture, we disturb the existence by killing the present moment. Please understand the eternity comes in front of you, presents itself to you in the present moment. You can touch the eternity only through, by touching the present moment. You can see very clearly you can't touch the past, you can't touch the future; you can touch the eternity only by touching the present moment. The present moment is the only way you can connect with the eternity. But when you don't connect with the present moment, if you are constantly torturing it with your past, you are creating misconceptions, wrong understanding. Sometimes you are strongly stuck with the strong understanding, with the wrong concepts.
[00:14:21]
That is why Patanjali gives a very beautiful, actually just before this Sutra, he has given wonderful concept. I wanted you to know that Sutra also. You will understand this 8th Sutra if you know the 7th Sutra; actually both of them are in a way interconnected. He says, he describes about knowledge pratyaksha anumana agama - these three are right knowledge. In the 8th Sutra he speaks about wrong knowledge, in the 7th Sutra he speaks about right knowledge. Both are interconnected; that’s why I wanted you to understand the 7th Sutra also. If you understand the 7th aphorism, 7th Sutra, you will understand the 8th Sutra in much better way. In the 8th Sutra, he says what should not be done. The 7th Sutra he says what should be done, what should be done. Please understand he says pratyaksha anumana agama pramanani, means perception through senses, conclusion arrived at through that cognition, and the words of an Enlightened Master are the three ways to gain correct knowledge. That are the three things which gives you the right knowledge. 8th Sutra he says about the wrong knowledge. Wrong knowledge means – interpreting based on past conditioning leads to misconception or wrong understanding.
[00:16:02]
For example: if you are hurt in the past by somebody who is wearing a white dress, whenever you see a man with white dress, you will always have that fear, that Sankata, means, discomfort, you will always carry that. That man and this man is no way related, they are no way connected, no way know... even know each other; but you carry that, you pass a judgment, you carry your past. With that past you try to constantly judge the present. With the past conditioning when you try to judge, that leads to misconception. Please understand that leads to misconception. The judgments we are passing about a particular race, the judgments we are passing about a particular religion, the judgment we are passing about particular state, the prejudice, bias we carry, all are related to this wrong knowledge. We have our own prejudice about particular race.
[00:17:19]
Many time people come and tell Me, especially when they come to India and see, “Swamiji, we thought whole India will be always meditating. We don't see here like that.” They think that whole Indians will be always constantly sitting with closed eyes silently, politely and meditating. The other day I read an article ‘yoga became very popular in Mumbai because Madonna practiced it’ 😄 No, really, the power yoga has become very popular because Madonna practiced it!! Please understand do not carry concepts, do not carry assumptions, we pass judgments. For example, if you meet one person, based on your experience with him you judge that whole country, you judge that whole race, you judge that whole religion. Poor religion!! What it will do, poor man what he can do? No, you cannot pass judgment like that, you cannot just create ideas. Please understand, creating this kind of ideas and adding, sometime we think, “Yes, this guy has misbehaved with me. I know it is not that all the people from his religion or from this country will misbehave with me, but even then I can have a casual opinion. What is wrong? Nothing wrong.” So, when you casually chat with your friends you pass a comment, “You know that guys, they are very egoistic, the whole country is arrogant.” You make a comment. You think, “What is harm in this simple comment? Nothing wrong. After all I am not going to believe this.” You yourself think inside, “No, no, no, it is not true. I am passing a judgment against one race, or against this country. How can I pass a comment? It is not true”, one side of your mind will say. The other side you will say, “No, no, no, it’s not wrong. After all it’s okay. Don't think.” If you repeat some words again and again you will start believing it. So, be aware of the words you are repeating.
[00:19:28]
Please understand the other day I was reading ‘Autobiography of a Yogi’ – Paramahamsa Yogananda’s autobiography. He says very beautifully, the power of words, the first few chapters, he describes few incidents where he uses particular words with strong concentration; just that words come true. He says he was having a conversation with his sister. Suddenly for some reason he said, the sister was trying to apply some medicine on her body. The… Yogananda commented, “That medicine will not work. You will have the boil twice tomorrow.” She was trying to apply some medicine for boil. He says, “You will have medicine.. you will have the boil two size, double size tomorrow.” And he says, “I will also have a boil in my hand.” Sister says, “What are you talking? Why will you have? You don't have any problem. Why do you say these words?” And, he just makes this statement, tomorrow it is there. He had the boil and the sister has double size!! He says, “I was shocked.” Just the mere word, the power of mere word, please understand, never utter words like ‘they are wrong’, ‘this race is wrong’, ‘that country is wrong’ ‘this religion is wrong’. The more and more you utter you will start believing the same words; you will start strongly feeling that same words.
[00:21:12]
One more important thing, the world is too small. Don't think, “Oh, if I make a comment about that country it's okay, even if I think that country is bad it’s okay. I am not going to go to that country.” Don't think. You may not physically go to that country but any news you hear about that country will start kindling different emotions in you. I have seen many people suffering with unnecessary lust, unnecessary anger. I always tell people, keep the lust which you need for your day to day life, keep the anger which you need for your day to day life; that is okay. But we suffer with unnecessary lust, unnecessary anger. Unnecessary anger means, the anger which is no way going to help you or the anger which you can no way exhibit. For example you read some news about some country's president, in some country you say these guys are killing their citizens. You carry a strong anger. This fellow, he is doing all these things… You carry a strong anger. Will you be able to do anything against him? No you can't. You can't directly interfere in his life. You have neither right nor power, nothing. You can’t do anything in his life. What you will be doing? You will be just sitting with that anger. Whenever you hear that guy is suffering through some news, you think, “Ah, this fellow needs.” You feel your anger is fulfilled, your violence is getting fulfilled. You go on cursing.
[00:22:55]
Please understand, this what I call excess anger. Carrying the anger which is no way directly related to your life. You have so many opinions, so many ideas, so many concepts you carry and you suffer joy or pain based on that concepts. I have seen people sitting in front of TV and crying for no reason; no way they are affected. The news which is told no way they are affected. Either they cry or jump; means excess anger, excess greed, unnecessary anger, unnecessary greed. All these things are based on this wrong knowledge - what Patanjali says the wrong knowledge interpretations, interpreting based on past conditioning leads to misconception. I have seen this enough in the life, enough I have seen. Because I am traveling all over the world I am seeing different race, different community, different culture, different religion, different nationality, different background, different kind of people; I can say this one sutra of Patanjali, if this one teaching of Patanjali is propagated to all over the world there won’t be any wars, there won’t be any wars. The world will become peaceful, blissful place. So much of peace will land on this world.
[00:24:34]
The big problem is we quickly pass judgments about a particular race, based on one person, about a particular group based on one experience. One experience is enough you think, ‘Yes, yes, yes, my friend also told me those guys are very arrogant. See, I realized he is arrogant, they are arrogant. You are just waiting, you are just waiting. Each country has jokes and comments about particular race or particular religion; each country… they have a race.. they have jokes. In India especially about Sardarjis. No, they have so much of jokes. And to tell you honestly, in My experience, they are the most devoted, spiritual and intelligent people; so deeply devoted, so deeply committed, giving nature. I wandered length and breadth of India, I tell you, I wandered length and breadth of India, I have seen so much, that giving nature…. the big problem is, you pass comments easily, you pass comments easily; not only that, after two three times if you pass the comment, you start believing it, you start internalizing it. We need to understand one important truth. We are not that intelligent not to believe the lies which we are promoting. In the initial you may start promoting some lies knowing that it is lie. After few days you yourself will forget it is the lie. So, be very clear do not start a lie, do not start a rumor; you will be suffering with it. You will be suffering with it.
[00:26:34]
A small story: I read somewhere in the book, one journalist who writes all tabloids goes on…. Actually lies can be sold, rumors can be sold much easily. Negative news can be sold very easily. It sells like a hot cake. Negative news sells like hot cake. Just write some ten positive things – ‘one enlightened master came, he did so many good things and he is doing so much service.’ who will read? No. But write some news about the drug or some news about the murder, some news about some crime activities; paper will sell. Negative things can always be sold. So this guy who lived his whole life by creating and maintaining rumors, creating and sustaining rumors - This guy dies and goes to the court for judgment, the upper court. There St. Peter is standing. He says, “Ohh, tabloid journalist, No, no, no, no, no, we don’t let you inside heaven, go to hell.” That guy says, “No, no, no, give me just one day, I will go round and come back. I will just see the heaven only once.”
[00:28:11]
This guy says, “No, you have no work here, you have no business here. Here no news comes. All saints are happily sitting on the cloud and singing alleluia. There is no news. Everybody is completely settled here nothing happens. Go to hell, you will have lot of news. All famous people are there. You will have enough news.” This guy says, “No, no, no, no, I wanted to just see one day.” St. Peter says, “It is impossible; we can’t allow you inside.” Then this guy tempts St. Peter. This guy is an intelligent guy; he says, “give me 24 hour time. If I can convince any one of your journalist to go to hell, will you let me stay here”?’ St. Peter says, “This is too much. How can you do that”? He says, “That and all you don’t ask. You see, if I can convince any one of your journalist to go to hell, will you let me stay here”? He says, “All right I can try. Okay deal. Come inside.” This guy goes. In the heaven they had only ten journalists; because nothing much happens. God comes and sits in the court in the morning and judgments are given, evening he goes back. Nothing much is happening. All the saints are there, enjoying. What is there? The same routine. And they have only ten journalists. This guy goes to the heaven, goes round. By the end of the day, evening, he comes back to the Pearly Gates.
[00:30:00]
St. Peter says, “No, now you cannot go back. You have to be here.” This guy says, “What happened? Now I have to go to the hell.” St. Peter asks, “Why, why do you want to go”? What this guy did? This guy created a rumor that in the hell they are starting a new magazine. They want editor. He spread a news and all the fellows fled. Because how many days, especially journalists, you can’t be sitting without news; it’s really boring. Even in the heaven they want some news. And without news even heaven looks like hell for them!! So, they thought better let us go to hell. They all ran away to hell. And this guy is also running. This guy who created the rumor, this guy is also running. St. Peter stopped and said, “What happened you only created the rumor. All of them are already in the hell, now you are the only journalist we have. We can’t afford to lose you also. You have to be here.” This guy says, “No, no, I only started the news, that is true. If so many people are believing, there must be some truth in it.” If so many people are believing there must be some truth in it.
[00:31:13]
Understand don’t start rumors, don’t start rumors even in a jovial way. You will be caught by your own rumors, you will be caught by your own words. The words which you create I have seen many times people casually create simple words; in the relationships, they very casually create simple words - ‘He is bad’ ‘he is torturing me’ – very simple words for no reason, for very simple incidents; but those words gets imbibed, engraved, and you start thinking that is the truth. Please understand. Words can just stop your thinking. Words can just stop your perception, words can just stop your conscious flow. For example: if you are in particular situation, if you are open, fresh, alive without the past conditioning words, you can handle the situation directly, you can live that situation directly, you can experiment with that situation directly, you can experience it directly. You don't do! You have some idea, you have some idea. You think, “No I know, I know this is what is going to happen. I know, you see, I was telling you the other day this guy is like this only.” Your mind comes to a confirmation and immediately you jump and start taking actions.
[00:32:49]
Look into yourself, all your suffering, I can say capital letter A-L-L, all your suffering is just with this one problem: carrying, interpreting based on the past conditioning leads to misconception or wrong understanding. Wrong understanding means wrong decisions, suffering. You can see in your life, you don't wait till the situation comes in front of you. You take your own decisions, your own ideas. Mind becomes chaos, mind becomes chaos, completely confused with the past engrams; you go on and on and on interpreting, create problems. Actually, many time you can see, by the time you create a whole problem in your imagination and be ready with all the weapons to attack the other person, he comes, when he starts talking to you suddenly you realize, “Oh god, there is no problem at all.” He did not even think about it as a problem. Here you are waiting with high BP, with all the weapons; if he utters that word I will utter this word, if he talks that word I will talk this word, if he says that word I will say this word, if he brings up that argument I will bring this argument. You are ready with all the arguments, weapons. That guy makes the whole think simple; suddenly you feel empty. But now you feel what is this? How can this be? I prepared so much. All this preparation has become waste. You start the fight, because you don't want to feel that you wasted so much time preparing for the fight.
[00:34:50]
You can see this many times in your life; with your spouse you can see. You can see, by the time she comes back, she or he comes back from the office you are ready with all your arguments. Sometimes you even start taking notes on the fridge, refrigerator. There will be white paper and this guy take all the notes not to miss the points. You are ready with all the arguments. But when the other person comes back, he doesn't even remember the whole fight, doesn't even remember the subject. But what to do? Now it is too much for you. You cannot leave what you prepared. Now whatever you prepared you have to express it, you start. That’s the way life goes on.
[00:35:37]
Understand our judgment based on generalization; we need to understand one important truth we think in a generalized way, but we live in a localized way. Our day to day life is dealing with one person, one situation but your mind always generalizes, always generalizes. I have seen many time, people have their own weird ideas, weird opinions, weird concepts. It’s just impossible. Small story: One guy goes to a psychiatrist. Psychiatrist sees his behavior and all those things and he says, “I will surely try to help you. I think you have a problem that you are thinking you are a dog.” That guy says, “Yes, yes small dog, with black and brown patches; don't you see me”? Doctor says, “Don't worry. I will try to help you. Can you first lie down first in that couch, I will see and try to find out the root cause of the problem.” That guy says, “No I cannot do that.” Doctor asks, “Why?” “No, I am not allowed up on the furnitures!!” 😀 Understand if you are convinced about something you are too strong. Instead of going to the roots of the problem, you go on hold on to the surface. You hold on to the surface. You know if you go to the root, the problem may disappear; the problem is your companion, you may feel lonely. If you don't have anything to worry, suddenly just think, suddenly if all the worry from you is taken away from you what will happen to your life? You will feel empty, alone, lonely. I think that will become a big worry; that will become a big worry. So, you don't want to look into the roots of the problem.
[00:37:51]
Here Patanjali is analyzing, very beautifully. With this one Sutra, he describes all our problems. Just sit and contemplate on this one Sutra. This one Sutra can lead you to enlightenment; nothing else is required, nothing else is required. This one Sutra can lead you to enlightenment. One incident, really it happened, it happened. One of My Brahmachari, he is trained in all our traditional puja and all the other spiritual practices. One program, they invited him for a… to conduct a spiritual program in India. This guy went and attended the program. He was pronouncing those Sanskrit mantras so beautifully, the local temple priest they thought he is a Brahmin. Local temple priest, they thought he is a Brahmin, he is a upper caste, priest class boy. So, when they saw him, he beautifully sits, and his body language is very graceful when he does the puja, rituals and chants the mantras. They thought he is a Brahmin, they gave him all the respects and touched his feet and did the namaskar and everything.
[00:39:18]
All the program was over, they took him to the nearby temple, gave him all the honor, he finished everything and came back. Somebody, who went to the temple next day, told that priest that he is not a Brahmin. That’s all, till yesterday evening this guy was honoring that Brahmachari feels blessed that he is able to receive him and touch the feet, all that things, now this fellow suddenly he is in depression. He is in depression, he is continuously taking bath for three days!!! Three days he is taking bath and three days he did not enter the temple, and three days he has to do all the rites to clean himself. I was shocked. If that inauspiciousness is supposed to come by touching that non-Brahmin, it should have come when you touched, not when you heard; not when you hear the news. It should have come when you touched. When you touched you don't have a problem, you felt blessed, auspicious, grateful, blissful. But when you hear the news it means what? The concepts, the past conditioning, the past conditioning; that poor guy he suffered so much, just that conditioning, “I shouldn't have touched the feet of a non-Brahmin.” Just that one conditioning; many time we suffer with conditioning not with situation.
[00:41:02]
Please understand 99.9 percent of our sufferings are not related to situation. It is related to conditioning. The .01 percent suffering is not a suffering at all. All our sufferings are related to conditioning not related to situation. You have an idea, your mind is programmed, your bio computer is programmed from the young age - what is desire, what is joy, what is pain, what is fear. You are programmed. You live based on that programs. You take decisions based on that programs. You walk based on that programs. You talk based on that programming. You do everything based on that programming. This is what Patanjali calls wrong knowledge. He says viparyaya. Viparyaya is the word you can't translate in English. Wrong knowledge is also not a right word. Viparyaya means everything is wrong. I can say wrong cognition. The very intake is wrong; the way in which you process the data is wrong, the way in which you output, deliver your result is wrong, the word ‘wrong knowledge’ does not give the right meaning of viparyaya. Viparyaya means, every step is wrong; how you receive the data, how you internalize the data and how you process it, how you take a decision; whole thing is wrong.
[00:43:00]
Please understand again and again Upanishads are declaring, again and again all enlightened Masters are declaring whatever ‘IS’ is divine, God. If you see anything other than the divine, any other experience other than bliss, in the life you are having this problem; you have this problem. You need this Sutra. Contemplate on this Sutra. you don’t have to… I am not saying you need to by heart or you need to repeat, I am saying internalize this idea, internalize this idea. Sometime people start repeating this sutra - viparyaya viparyaya mithya mithya viparyaya. Finally they do the wrong thing. I am not saying you need to repeat. I am saying, internalize, constantly contemplate on this Mantra, on this Sutra, on this idea. Interpreting based on past conditioning leads to misconception or wrong understanding.
[00:44:15]
Do this as a exercise, homework. Just sit for one hour in the house today. Write at least ten incident, you can surely write ten incident. I can say, ten I am not even saying from your whole life, from morning till today you can write ten incident. Ten incident where you did the same mistake of interpreting with the past conditioning, bringing wrong understanding because of past conditioning. Just write ten incident. See, how your mind is behaving, how your life is happening. You don't even have to bother or struggle to correct yourself. The big problem is before even you understand the depth of the problem you start correcting; that is where the problem starts, the problem never ends. Just understand the depth of the problem, that is enough. Suddenly you will see the transformation, depth of the problem. Just today sit, work for half an hour or one hour. Write ten incidents where you came to the wrong conclusion by the past… because of the past conditioning and understood when you looked into the whole thing with a restful awareness, this is the wrong knowledge.
[00:45:54]
Beautifully Patanjali describes about right knowledge. Perception through senses, conclusions arrived at through that cognition, the words of an enlightened Master are the three ways to gain correct knowledge. Please understand. Patanjali is highly intelligent. He beautifully puts one by one, one by one; 1st - first level of knowledge, 2nd - second level of knowledge, 3rd - next level of knowledge. He beautifully puts. Please understand. Correct knowledge can never be at one level. Correct knowledge can never be at one level. There is a beautiful story in Vivekananda’s life. When Ramakrishna gave the experience and the Truth to Vivekananda that whatever ‘IS’ is Brahman, is divine, it's a right knowledge. Vivekananda started going and hitting his head on a iron rod to test whether that iron rod is also a Brahman, whether that iron rod also is Brahman. Please understand the iron rod is a different level of knowledge, whatever is Brahman is a different level of knowledge. You need to understand different levels of knowledge.
[00:47:34]
There is another one beautiful story by Ramakrishna. One day the Master was teaching in the monastery that whatever IS is God. So, all the disciples heard that truth. They were in a high ecstasy. They went to take bath. When they finished the bath in the river and came back, on the way, one mad elephant was running here and there in the street, chasing people. So, that mahout, the elephant trainer, that guy was shouting “Please run away, run away, run away. Save yourself. This is a mad elephant.” He was trying to control the elephant and he is shouting. All the disciples ran away, except one guy. One guy was standing in the road and saying, “Eh, today morning only master said, everything is divine, everything is God. This elephant is also God. Let me stand.” The elephant straightaway came and just lifted him, threw him to the corner and went away. Poor elephant, he doesn't know this guy is a seeker. He is meditating! He just threw him to the corner and went away. Then all the disciples ran and brought him to the Ashram. The Master asked, “What happened? Why did you stand in the way of the mad elephant”? This guy says, “You only said everything is Brahman, everything is God.” Master says, “Yes, that is true. The mahout, the elephant trainer, he is also Brahman. He was giving you instruction – ‘Run, save yourself.’ 😀 Why did you not listen to the elephant trainer, why did you not listen to the mahout God? Why did you think only elephant is God?” Please understand this guy thought elephant is God, but this guy did not think that mahout is also God, the elephant trainer is also God. The different levels of knowledge.
[00:49:41]
Here, Patanjali beautifully describes the levels of knowledge. First level: perception through senses. What you perceive is the first level knowledge. Second level: conclusion arrived at through that cognition means you start calculating if this is this, then these two together must be this. Means development of mathematics, science, evolution of art, poetry, evolution of great things which you don't perceive with the ordinary eyes, but which can enrich your life, those things start evolving. That’s the second level of knowledge. Please understand science can never evolve just from the first level knowledge. First level knowledge is perception through senses means what you see, what you see. The second level knowledge the conclusions which you can come by calculating, by understanding, by analyzing, that's the second level knowledge. Third: words of an Enlightened Master, third level knowledge.
[00:51:08]
First level knowledge is a primitive society. They don't know anything except what they see with their eyes - very primitive, very primitive. They just live with the food, they…. if they see their food they kill and eat, if they see that they will become food, they run and save themselves; that's all. Either they eat or eaten. That kind of lifestyle. That is what is first level perception through senses. Please understand, if you are living in that level, even if you live with all the wealth, all the name and fame, power, prestige, everything, you will be depressed. Because you are running only through one channel. It is like a you have a TV, you can see only one channel. What will happen to you? You will be bored to death. You will be bored to death. Only one channel you can see, you can't go to the next channel. Either you see this channel or keep quiet. What will happen? You will be bored to death.
[00:52:23]
The other day, I was reading a beautiful story: one guy, great king, practically conquered the whole world. He was searching for immortality. All the kings, always search, some medicine, something, which can make them immortal. It is a big problem. Almost all the kings whoever has conquered the enemies in different countries, they think, “Now I should think of immortality.” He goes to an Enlightened Master and asks, “Tell me some way that I should become immortal.” That guy says, “Why do you want to become immortal? Understand, this is the nature.” This guy says, “I am not here to listen to you about your teachings. I am asking solution. Can you give or not”? The Master is, “I think your time is bad, what can I do”? He says, “There is a stream in the cave, nearby cave, go inside and drink that water. You will become immortal.” This guy did not even bother to ask that Master “if you know the technique why don't you drink.” No. He did not even bother to ask. He got the secret, he ran, he went and saw the cave. Really there was a stream and he was about to drink the water, one crow was sitting on the cave, he was shouting, “Don't drink, don't drink, stop, stop, stop.”
[00:54:10]
This king said, “Why are you stopping me? With my great effort I learnt this secret cave from that Master. I am about to drink, why are you stopping me?” This guy says, “No, no, no, listen” that crow says, “without knowing I drank. I am sitting here for last 3000 years. I can neither die nor live. I have seen everything whatever world can offer. I have done everything. All the people whom I know are dead, all the things which I know are dead. I have done everything. I am utterly depressed. I can't even commit suicide. I tried so many methods. I decided I will sit here and tell my story to everybody, whoever comes here to drink the water. Understand my story. Now if you want you drink.” First time that King had a shock, “Yes, oh God! I am gone… if I can't die at all, what will happen? If I am going to be here forever, I can’t see any change, what will happen?” He just did one big namaskar to that crow and escaped from that cave; just ran away from that cave. He said, “No, that crow is right, that guy is right. What will happen to me? I would have done everything, I would have enjoyed everything, all my friends would have gone, everything would have gone, I will be depressed but I can't even die, can't even die.’
[00:56:07]
Please understand, seeking immortality, trying to become immortal, this is also one more game, this is also one more game. If you become immortal… even if you become immortal, if you are living just through the perception of senses, just through the perception of senses, please understand you will be dead and depressed. You will be dead and depressed. It is like you can only have one channel, you can't go to the next channel. Life is like that only. If you have only one channel, means perception through the senses, however you may have wealth, relationships, cars, bungalows, whatever you want, you will be in depression. I have seen, I have seen people living in depression, deep depression. They have everything, but deep depression; because they do not know how to open the second channel, how to open the next level of knowledge. Understand, life is knowledge. Expansion of knowledge is life. Unable to expand after certain level in the knowledge is depression, is death. When you are unable to expand further, it's a depression; you’re dead. There is nothing else to be done.
[00:57:45]
Many time people who are very successful in the outer world life, they come to Me and ask, “We don't know what to do with the life Swamiji. It has become a big burden, we are just dragging. Neither we have courage to die nor we have energy to live. We are just dragging, dragging, dragging,” means you have opened only one channel - perception through senses that's all. Perception through senses. Very rarely people start the second channel. Only they become scientist, artist. For example if there is a stone, if you just perceive it through senses you will see it as a stone; that's all. But if you can start inferring, “If I remove this part, if I remove this part, if I remove this part, it can become a sculpture.” Inference trying to come to the conclusions through cognition; ‘If I put this line, if I put that line, if I put this line, it is a painting’; who is able to infer the second level knowledge.
[00:59:06]
A beautiful world pratyaksha anumana. Pratyaksha is the first level knowledge. Many people stop with that. Please understand I always tell people, try to spend little time in some little painting. Actually, whoever has entered into that second level of knowledge, only they became scientists. They become artists, the great artists, great creators, great sculptors, great poets - all of them have entered the second level. You can see science actually needs that. Every scientist he has to think, he has to infer; if this and that happens then this must be the thing. He has to go into that second level of knowledge, means he has to come to anumana.
[00:59:56]
Third Level of knowledge - very rare, very intelligent civilizations only accept and experience, internalize the third level of knowledge. The words of the Awakened Ones, the words of the Enlightened Ones. Please understand if you accept only the first level of knowledge, pratyaksha, perceived through the senses, your first 33 years will be joyful. There are many countries, many civilizations, you can spend only first 33 years. They are not useful, they are not worthy for second 33; second 33 you will be bored, depressed, empty in that civilization. That has nothing to offer to you for second 33. No. Very rare civilizations, countries, offer for second 33; means opportunities for science, opportunities for art, opportunities for creativity, exploring the inference dimension, anumana dimension. Very rarely, very rarely, only few civilizations gives you the opportunity to experience the third level of knowledge – the Agama; the knowledge words of the Awakened Ones, words of the Enlightened Ones.
[01:01:22]
Please understand if the civilization evolves to the next, next, next level… If the civilization in the very primitive level - it accepts only pratyaksha - perception through senses. If it has evolved to the scientific level - it accepts pramana, it accepts anumana, means inference. Only if it has evolved to the very subtle, very sensitive, very intelligent level, it accepts Agama, means words of an Enlightened Master, words of a Enlightened Master. There are some civilizations, primitive, they offer life only till 33. Even after you become 33, you have to have the entertainments only for things which is designed for below 33 people. You have to go to the same theme Park which is designed for kids, you have to enjoy the same theme which is created for kids. Please understand that civilization has nothing else to offer, it has nothing else for you. It has only below 33.
[01:02:40]
Some civilizations artistic, scientific civilizations they can offer material for you, entertainment for you till 66, two third. Very rarely, I can say, only Patanjalis civilization, the civilizations which produced great people like Patanjali, only that civilization offers… when I say that civilization, I don’t mean geographical India. Please understand, Bharat is not geographical, it is spiritual. Wherever this science is practiced, this spiritual knowledge is alive, all that place is Bharat. All that place is Bharat. Please understand only a civilization which gave birth to great Masters like Patanjali can offer entertainment things for you till 100, till 100; only that can entertain you for your whole life. See, the civilizations which has reached only to the second level, it can’t entertain you after 66. That is why all over the world so much of suicide after 66, so much the elders committing suicide. No media talks about it because they are not directly useful to society. If youngsters commit suicide it becomes a big news, but elders committing suicide, all over the world it is happening; it is a big problem.
[01:04:20]
The other day I read in a newspaper, in a report, the Swiss country is allowing, Switzerland is allowing elders to have one assistant; the government will pay for the assistant. They will give everything for you, entertain you; but please don’t commit suicide. That’s all they are asking. Please understand there are many civilizations which has nothing to offer if you have crossed 66, if you have finished two third of your life they have only two: pratyaksha and anumana. They don’t have Agama. That is why after 66 you feel life is empty. First 33 pratyaksha, enjoy, blood is hot; enjoy all the things. Then after 33 to 66 – anumana, start creating the science, art and all those things, enjoying. After 66, that also will be bored; now you need Agama – the words of an Enlightened Masters, the third level knowledge. If you can go next to next to next, you are a complete human being; you will live as a fulfilled Being. That’s what I call gracefully aging. If the third part, Agama has not happened in your life, means feeling connected to the words of the enlightened ones, if the third part of the knowledge, the higher level of the knowledge has not opened in your Consciousness, please be very clear, you will be in depression in the third part of your life. That is the worst thing can happen to a human being. Being in depression in the third part of your life is the worst thing can happen to your life.
[01:06:13]
The Vedic civilization, they have done such a great good to the humanity by awakening the third part in every human being. The Vedic civilization is such, if you go through first part and second part, automatically interest for the third part will be awakened in you. Because all their…. see, their games they play below 33 and below 66 both are related to Agama. Their pratyaksha and anumana both are related to Agama means the words of an enlightened Master; so you don’t have a problem. By the time you cross 66 you don’t have a problem in sitting in meditation, you don’t have a problem in sitting with enlightenment, you don’t have a problem in sitting and contemplating; because you are prepared in the first part and second part of your life. The first level knowledge and the second level knowledge, both are constantly guiding you to the third level knowledge. So, you age gracefully. You age gracefully, you live gracefully. If we have to avoid this serious problem world is facing – the elders committing suicide – the one and only way is awaken the third channel. Awakening the third channel is the greatest service you will do to yourself and to the world. You will do to yourself and to the world.
[01:07:48]
Please understand when the blood is hot, when the pratyaksha, perception through senses are happening, you will not bother. When the pramana, means ‘inference’ is happening, you will not bother. Only when both are bored, if you are bored of both, if you are tired of this both, if you are completely depressed with this both, if you have not opened your third dimension, life will be hell. Don’t think you will go to hell after death. No. You will go to hell if you are not able to touch the third dimension, if you are bored in this two dimension, if you continue to live after the boredom. Blessed are those who die in the young if they can’t open the third dimension.
[01:08:43]
People come and ask Me, “Swamiji, give me some technique that I should keep healthy and I should live loooong 100 years. Please teach me how to keep the body fit for 100 years.” I tell them, “Please understand, first prepare your mind to live for 100 years, awaken the third part agama, means feeling connected to the knowledge of the Enlightened ones; then prepare your body to live 100 years. If you prepare just your body to live 100 years and did not prepare your being for the third part of the knowledge, means feeling connected to the Master’s words agama, the third part will be the hell for your life. Never do that mistake. It is better to die with the nature as early as possible without living in that hell. Anybody who is interested to live long, please prepare your mind first. Awaken the third channel first. Feel connected to agama first. The third part of your knowledge, means, the words of an enlightened Master, start living that first; then prepare the body, then do yoga, exercise, run, do jogging, prepare your body to live long. If you just prepare your body and not the mind, you are creating hell for you.
[01:10:14]
I have seen elders they come and cry, “We can neither be useful to society nor we are feeling completely happy and we are not dying also, we can’t commit suicide, we don’t have the courage for suicide.” It goes on and on and on. Please understand the first thing you need to do for your future, I can say this is the best retirement plan. This is the ultimate retirement plan: Feel connected to agama, means the words of the Enlightened Master.. Enlightened Masters. You have done the ultimate insurance plan relax. If you have not done that, whatever retirement plans you create, you may see that beautiful retirement feelings only in those photographs. I am seeing in this country all that retirement plan advertisements. ‘See how ten million people are traveling towards their safe retirement.’ I will see a photograph of a beach, beach home and an elderly couple just relaxing, talking with each other. Please understand only in photographs it will be great. Only in photographs it will be great.
[01:11:45]
Unless you connect to that agama, means, feeling connected to the words of a Enlightened ones, Awakened ones, if you not done that retirement plan, please understand, the old age will be hell. Because you may have money, you may have food, you may have health, you may have relationship, but what will you do? You will have nothing to do. You will not have expansion, you are not entertained, you are not engaged; what will you do? Then you will start brooding over your first 33. If you start brooding over your first 33 - it is all fantasy. Your mind is ready but your body cannot cooperate. What will you do? And the second.. second 33 inference - it’s all intellectual jugglery maths, science, art, everything, but again even for that your body will not be ready. How long, how much you can do? Your body will not be ready. If you open only the third dimension, the most subtle dimension, subtlest dimension of your Being, you will have something to do. You have something to do, you have YOU for you.
[01:13:13]
Please understand I can say, this is the ultimate retirement plan - pratyaksha anumana agamaha. Awaken the agama dimension. That is the right knowledge. In these two sutras, Patanjali gives a beautiful understanding about wrong knowledge and right knowledge. These two sutras, I can say, is the essence of life. When I look inside, I really understand… I wanted to tell you, I have seen my own grandfather. He lived very old and one of My grandmother she lived 103. Fortunately My grandfather is awakened to the third dimension; that feeling connected to the words of an Enlightened one. He lived such a wonderful life. Unfortunately this grandmother whom I am referring, she was not awakened to the third dimension. She was stuck with the second. I have seen, her life was hell. She had so much wealth, all relations; in India you know it’s a huge joint family, joint family. One grandmother will have at least 20 grandkids. And one grandchild will have at least 20 grandmothers, grandfathers. And sometime only you will not know the names; no, such a huge family. Even then she was in such a deep depression, such a deep depression.
[01:15:00]
Please understand Alzheimer’s happens because you don’t want to think anything. Constantly you give instruction to yourself, unconsciously, you don’t want to think anything, you don’t want to think anything, because whatever you think you are not able to live. If you have not opened to the the third dimension, if it is only the first and second, what will you do? You don’t want to think anything. So, enter into the Alzheimer’s, it's lot better. It is lot better. I have seen the people who have not opened the third dimension, their old age, that’s a hell. I have seen the same way, who has opened the third dimension, they live in heaven. See, in all over the world the maximum suicide profession is psychiatric doctors, and people who die very early are physical doctors, the medical doctors. India, Swamis are the people who are doing both the job. They live up to 90-95. I have seen in many monasteries, the youngsters will be waiting for the seat; this fellow will not leave. He will be sitting, he will be 95-100. He will not leave; not only he will not leave, he will be very happy. That’s another one problem. At least if you are not happy, depressed, you can say, “No, no you are not able to manage, maintain all the responsibilities of the monastery and ashram. Please get down, we will sit.” These fellows will be very happy, going around morning for a walking, doing yoga and remembering every devotee whom they met at the age of 30, 20, 25. And asking about them, talking to their parents, grand kids. They will tell, “Ohh your grandfather is my devotee.” That fellow has gone long before and this guy is sitting, happily. I have seen Swamis don’t die quickly in India. The thing is, they open the third dimension. They are connected to that Agama part.
[01:17:16]
Understand this is the ultimate retirement plan you can do to yourself. How to judge whether your life is successful or not? You can judge your life only based on the last part of your life. If you are open to that Agama dimension, the connection to the words of an Enlightened Master, you have lived your life; otherwise old age is hell. Please understand not only… you see, we all save money for the old age, social security. You put it in the share market, it goes! That is different. Forget about the money part; prepare your Being for the old age. Prepare your being for the old age. Sometime I feel so connected to these great Masters, I feel so grateful for them for creating this great Vedic civilization with such a strong spiritual vision, with such a strong spiritual vision. Anybody lives that Vedic civilization, lives that Vedic life in a very normal way, by the time they are 66 already the third dimension is awakened, they will not know any depression. They will just smoothly pass and they know they have something to do, they have something. They have deep fulfillment and they feel deeply connected to something - the words of the great enlightened Masters, and their life is filled with joy, ecstasy. They live in heaven before they disappear into eternity. If you have not prepared yourself you live in hell before you enter into eternity or next birth.
[01:19:14]
So, prepare yourself this is the ultimate retirement plan which you can do to yourself. Share this knowledge with your kids. This is the best ultimate retirement plan you will give to your kids. Preparing them consciously to the Agama, means feeling connected to the Master's words. These are the three things for right knowledge. One is pratyaksha - direct perception through senses. Second inference – the decisions, conclusions you come through the cognition, through analyzing. The third - the great Masters words. The civilizations or societies which are not able to accept the Great Masters words, they always live and die in a deep depression. They spend so much of money to keep their elders out of depression, out of suicidal tendencies, but they always fail. In India I have seen, whoever lived these three dimensions, understood these three levels of knowledge, living in ecstasy and sharing the ecstasy.
[01:20:33]
So, please understand the both Sutras - right knowledge and wrong knowledge. Avoid, move away from wrong knowledge and experience right knowledge and prepare yourself for your whole life. Next Sutras Patanjali speaks about, beautifully he speaks about vikalpa – means imagination. Tomorrow he is going to…. we will work on the Sutra in which he is talking on imagination – the vikalpa. Then nidra – sleep. Patanjali is talking in these few Sutras about different modifications of the mind. So, the 1st modification is right knowledge, 2nd modification is wrong knowledge, 3rd is imagination, 4th is the Nidra means sleep, 5th is memory. So, tomorrow we will see the Patanjali's ideas about imagination. Next day on sleep, then after that, the next class we will see what he says about memory. Each day we will work on one subject; what Patanjali has to offer and what Patanjali teaches to us.
[01:22:11]
So, today please understand the right knowledge and wrong knowledge. You have one homework. Please don't avoid, take it sincerely. Go back to your house, we don't have time, otherwise I will make you do here itself. We don't have time. Go back to your house, sit for one hour, analyze the wrong knowledge, how many decisions, wrong decisions you made just because of your past conditionings about people, about situations, about races, about countries, about different things, and then you understood you made a wrong decision. It was because of wrong knowledge and realized, corrected yourself. Just ten incidents, write, you will internalize this truth. Next time when you take any wrong decision, you will remember that you are doing it out of wrong knowledge. You will have remembrance, patience, intelligence, to come back to right knowledge.
[01:23:17]
People have all weird ideas. The other day I heard one guy was telling, started telling, “My Kundalini is awakened. Now I need two wife.” God!! If your Kundalini is awakened, you may not need even one. They have their own weird ideas. I was shocked when I heard. Other day, I was reading one advertisement - yoga for better sex. Oh god!! If Patanjali hears what will happen? The first thing which he says is ‘brahmacharya’ before entering into yoga. He says ahimsa, brahmacharya, asteya, satya, aparigraha. Anyhow, we have our own weird ideas. So don’t have your wrong weird ideas. Come to the right knowledge. So, try to do this homework in the house, just to internalize this idea how many mistakes you make by your past conditionings, trying to interpret based on the past conditioning, which leads to misconception or wrong understanding. So, I bless you all, let you all experience this Truths in your Consciousness and live Enlightenment, live as Jeevan Muktas. Let you all achieve and radiate the eternal bliss, Nithyananda. Thank you.
[01:25:08]