Tantra Shastras –Part II🔗

What is Eternal?

I welcome you all with my love and respects.

We will start with a small story.

There was a great learned man who was narrating Harichandra's (According to the Hindu history, Harichandra was the ruler of Ayodhya, in Bharat. He was a very straight forward, God fearing, noble king who at all costs spoke only the truth) story for 6 days and it was the last day.

After finishing the story, full of pride he asked some one sitting in the front row: What did you learn from the story?

That person replied: Even if death approaches, one has to speak truth is what I learnt. That learned man felt more proud as he thought people have grasped the right message. He asked one more person next to him: Sir, what did you understand?

That person answered: Sir if there is an emergency then there is nothing wrong even if you sell your wife is what I learnt.

In Harichandra's life, he was in a situation where he had to sell his wife for the sake of truth. Same story, same discourse, same event, but understood by different people in different ways. Everyone understands different lessons or different meanings from Harichandra's story. Either we can understand that we have to speak only the truth or we can learn that in case of an emergency, we can sell or pledge our wife. From any news or story, either we can learn from the point of view as Nithyam (eternal) or we can learn from the point of view as Anithyam (Non-eternal or impermanence).

In the first part of the book Tantra Shastra I had requested all of you to run a debate in your mind. Let me summarize the first part of Tantra Shastra. I had requested you to deeply reflect on the questions like: Is this world a reality or an illusion? Is this a dream or reality?

Understand the reason for running such a debate is not to know the result. We cannot know the result. We can only feel and experience the result. But, when these points deeply immerse in us, the root of ignorance which has been planted in us will start shaking. Wherever we keep the chemical called phosphorous, it will burn anything which is kept around it. If we keep it in a wooden box, it will burn the wooden box. If we keep phosphorous near camphor, it will burn camphor. If we keep it near cotton, it will burn cotton. Wherever we keep phosphorous, whatever is there around it will get burnt. Similarly when these spiritual messages are preserved and locked inside us, it will burn the stain of ignorance. It will shake the root of ignorance.

Firstly if we get a doubt about whether whatever we see in this world is true or not, then that is enough. It is not even required that we should get the clarity whether it is true or not. Not even the clarity whether this world is a dream or reality is required, just the doubt is enough, half the work is done. Even if the doubt arises, that arguments which support the doubt will arise in our mind. Generally, I do not straight away give the results.

Let me tell you a small story then it will be clear as to why I am not giving the results straight away. One person came to see me at the ashram. He asked me: Master, can I stay here in the ashram for four days. I told him: Oh sure, you can stay here, no problem. The moment I told him to stay, he started placing his arguments to support as to why he cannot stay. He said: No Master, I have to do work at home. I have to go somewhere. Then I told him: It's okay sir, you may leave. The moment I told him to leave then he said: No Master, it looks like it will be good if I stay here. This place is so beautiful. I can take healing from you. I feel that I can stay here for four or five days. Then I told him: Then it's okay, please stay.

Then again he said: No Master, I have some work at home.

Understand that the mind always gets the arguments ready against whatever we say. Many a times I have seen people ask me a question because they are confused. If in the above example, he had already taken a decision, whether to stay or not, he will not question me at all. He would have told me clearly whether he is going to stay or not. He is already in a dilemma and that was why he had asked me. But whatever solution I gave him, he brought up the argument against the solution I proposed.

The mental setup itself is like that. The mental setup is in such a way, whenever any solution is given to us, our mind will always bring about arguments against the stated solution. The grass on the other side is always greener. When we are on the other side, the grass on this side will seem green. This is our very nature. That's why, whenever any spiritual message is given to us as a decision or a solution, our mind will gather all points against the given solution. That's the reason, I did not give it as a result, but I gave it as a point for debate.

I want to stress on and repeat these points again. May these points sink in us. May both sides of the arguments keep happening in us. When both sides argue and debate in us and when the doubt also arises in us, by nature, a deep search will happen in us. The job of Nithyam is to create that act of search in us.

In the first part we discussed the three steps: Nithyam, Dhyanam and Anandham. That is we must understand that there is a stage which is very blissful. That stage is beyond the mental stage at which we are in currently and it is possible to reach that stage. To create this kind of search in us is the first step. This first step is the job done by Nithyam. Let us go into this subject deeply.

Now let us understand the Sutra (techniques) and the translations of Tantra Shastra (techniques). Before that, I wanted to tell you all something. Again, I want to remind you that this is not advice. In the first part of the book Tantra Shastra, I had mentioned, that in the whole world if there is something, which everybody wants to give and nobody wants to take, it is advice. These are techniques, ways and methods. If we listen to these points and keep debating over these points inside ourselfves that is enough. Nothing else needs to be done.

Let us see this small example understand how our mental setup functions. Sometimes when any of our close friends or relatives dies, we start hating life and we begin to contemplate: Oh what's this. He has died. One day this is going to happen to me also. Life is only so much. Thinking in this way, a certain emptiness creeps inside us. But this emptiness will stay only up to the stage of completion of dead person's funeral formalities. Not after that!

Thirumular (an enlightened person from South Bharat) says beautifully,

Paerinai neeki pinamenru paerittu, Ooraiyellam koodi olikku azhudhittu Paerinai niki pinamenru paerittu, Sooraiyan katidai kondupoi sutitu, Neerinil muzhgi ninaipozhindhanarae.

It means when someone dies, people crowd around the dead person, they show their grief; they call the dead person as corpse. They then burn the corpse and then dip themselves in the water and clean themselves. By doing so, they get rid of the emptiness that had occupied them. The thought about the emptiness will stay in them only up to the stage of taking the bath. The moment they take a dip in the water; they get rid of the emptiness and involve themselves in routine life. Sometimes the emptiness which occupies us has got the ability to create the clarity in us.

Sometimes even grief can teach us. Even sorrow can give us clarity about life. Even sorrow can become our teacher. Sorrow can teach life's lesson. Sorrows have the ability to provide us with a clear mental setup.

In a Pooja ritual (adoration of the deities with rituals such as lighting lamps, chanting the sacred words) there is a chant in Chandi homa (a kind of fire ritual), Anaisvariyaya namah, which means 'I pray for poverty'. Why should someone pray for poverty? We may think if we pray for wealth or to Goddess Lakshmi (Goddess responsible for showering wealth, according to Hindu mythology), it is fine. Why should we pray for poverty? In the commentary for the above, the Bashyas (people who wrote the elaborate commentary on philosophical and grammatical treatises) write that sometimes even poverty can make us think again and again about God. Sometimes even diseases will help us move toward spiritual clarity.

Let me explain this further with an incident which truly happened. One of our devotees had come to heal his psoriasis. I gave him healing for about four or five days and he became better. During that phase, he also participated in one of the meditation camps (Ananda Spurana Meditation – ASP, in which seven different meditations to deal with the emotions are taught by an acharya (person who lives the teachings of the Master) ordained by THE SUPREME PONTIFF OF HINDUISM BHAGAWAN SRI NITHYANANDA PARAMASHIVAM).

After participating in the meditation program, he said: I just forgot this disease, I don't feel the necessity of the disease being cured. If I was not affected by this disease, I would have missed you. So, in a way, this disease has been good to me.

In some way, poverty or disease can teach us some lessons in life. Even sorrow can teach us some good lessons about life.

We can either accept anything we confront in life as a message from God or from the Master and grow in life or else we can curse every incident we confront in life as our opponent, fight against it and make life itself hell. Only these two options are there. Everybody faces some incidents in their life. Be it good or bad incidents, it will happen. There is nothing like no incident will happen. Either we can learn from the incident, improve our lives, make our life blissful and attain a heavenly, spiritual level or we can consider the event as our enemy, constantly fight against it and make our life itself a hell. Only these two options are there in our hands.

The mental setup, which helps us to confront life, to learn from every event, to improve life is what I call as Nithyam. Our Vedanta (philosophies) talks about getting the clarity into our mind as to what is permanent and what is not?

Let me give you an example. Sometimes when we think of death, we may get some clarity that this world is not something which is permanent. When such thought comes to our mind, our mind will say: Yes that's true, nothing is permanent in life. Everything is going to be destroyed. When the breath that goes in does not come out then for whatever we ran in life for and for whatever things we made our lives a hell, such things are going to be a waste and such things are not going to be there. Life is not permanent. When such thoughts come into us, there is a chance of some calmness, peace entering us. We may get the clarity which tells us: Yes it is true; there is no necessity to run behind everything in life, there is no necessity to trouble ourselves and that we should enjoy life. We will earn as much as we require and whatever comes with that, we will live happily with that. Let us not create unnecessary burden of sorrow, mental depression, mental stress, which creates a pressure to run our lives. This kind of clarity may come to us sometimes.

When this clarity arises in our mind, if that clear understanding becomes part of us, and stays inside us, then it is fine, but it does not happen that way. The next moment our mind will say: If you keep thinking like this and sit simply, you cannot buy a car like the neighbor. Then the next moment the thought about neighbor flashes in our mind, then the old pattern of thoughts start running into our mind again and all the debating which we did on life permanency will also disappear. We don't let the peace that comes from the depth in our search or some calm state that enters us, stay in us. We let some other thought pull us out from that state.

There is a beautiful explanation for the word, 'experience'. We cannot be called as an experienced person, based on the number of incidents, which took place in our life. How much we have learned from those experiences determines whether we are experienced or not. Be very clear, those people who have accepted their lives as the Master are only considered as experienced people.

Let us enter into the Sutra.

Samas sathroucha mithraecha Samo Manama mana yoho Brahmana pariviradhi Thathvath ithi gnanathva suki bhavae

Wonderful Sutra. Let us see, what is meant by Samas sathroucha mithraecha Samo Manama mana yoho. It means: Be it joy or sorrow, be it your friend or be it your foe, be indif erent. This is a very deep message. If we just see this superficially, the message will not be clear.

Really, if we see, most of us misunderstand the point, when we say, 'being indifferent'. Even buffalos will be indifferent. Whether it is raining or whether it is sunny, they will not act. They will not move. They will stand wherever they are. They will not respond to anything. But the indifferent state at which buffalos are in is not the actual indifference which we are talking about. Buffalos are in state of insensitivity. That is feeling less. It is an indifferent nature due to insensitivity. That's the not the one which is meant here. Indifference is something which happens due to complete sensitivity.

Let us deeply understand the concept of indifference due to complete sensitivity and insensitivity.

There are three kinds of characteristics. They are Thamas, Sathvam and Rajas. Thamas refers to a dull state, a state at which one is lethargic; at such a state one does not do anything. Rajas refer to an over-active state, it means a state at which one runs actively and faster, oscillates restlessly to do something. Sathvam means a state at which one does everything, and amidst doing everything, one holds on to peaceful and blissful state. The characteristic Sathvam does not refer to lethargy. This is a state at which all the work is done completely, getting involved in all the activities completely, but one is not bound by any activity emotionally. If we see superficially we may feel that both Thamas and Sathvam characteristics resemble each other. Both dull state and meditative state may resemble each other. In the state of meditation, body will function and mind would be calm. Whereas in the dull state, body will be quiet but the mind will be functioning. In Sathvam, body will function and mind would be calm. There is a big difference between insensitivity and complete sensitivity.

Now let us deeply understand the message from the above Sutra. Let us see, where we are losing the required fundamental message in our lives. In our lives, we create our expectations and our own views and opinions for every incident. Be it a person, be it a situation, be it any event, we create our opinion about that person or situation. Only if a person or situation fits into that opinion, we will accept that person or situation. Else we will not accept that person or situation. We don't respect or accept such a person or situation as he/she is or as it is, whole-heartedly.

In our lives, we create a set of rules as to how we should be treated. We think we should be treated in accordance with such rules. Wherever we go and wherever we are, we expect to be treated in accordance with such rules of treatment, which we have designed. If such rules are broken or we feel that we are not treated as per such rules or we feel that we are not treated the way we should be treated, we will create our own opinion over the incident and such other people.

One more thing, even the scale of respect will not be the same everywhere. It will increase according to the place we are in. In some places, we will expect someone to respect us at a particular scale. If they respect us at that expected scale, then the next time we will expect at a higher scale. For example, the first time, when someone respects us, we will consider it as respect, then the second time; we will decide that it is our birthright to be respected. The moment we think it is our birthright: we start expecting much more than the first time.

Let me give you another example, to make it clear. When we get the first month's salary only we will have the satisfaction of having got a job. When we get the second month's salary, we will yearn for more salary. Assuming, we were getting Rs.2000 as our salary per month. Then after some time we quit from this job and move to another job, which pays us Rs.10, 000/per month. Even then, that joy and happiness remains only for one month. Then next month our mind will think that it is our birthright to get this amount as salary. Then after that we will be wondering: What next after this?

There is a beautiful hymn in Sanskrit (one of the languages spoken in Bharat. Most of the hymns and poetries in the olden days were sung in Sanskrit), Thathakim, Thathakim, Thathakim means 'What next?' 'What next? 'What next?' Whatever comes or whatever happens our mind will always look for, 'What next?'

For example, we will be traveling in a two-wheeler and due to some good fortune, we will buy a fiat car. As soon as we sit in the Fiat car, our mind will dream about a Maruti esteem. When we sit in a Maruti esteem car, our mind will dream about sitting in a Qualis car. If we sit in a Qualis then our mind will dream about a Benz. We always think, 'What next?'

Please understand that it is not wrong to grow by thinking 'What next? What next?' But in the process of growing we forget to enjoy what we have. That is the biggest problem. So the sensitivity to the experience is lost. We lose the sensitivity to experience life.

When we are in college we think: Once we get a job, life will be joyful then we can enjoy life. Once we get a job then we think: After marriage life will be joyful and then we can enjoy our life. After marriage we think: Our life will be joyful once we own a house. After owning a house we think: After having a child, our life will be joyful and then we can enjoy our life. After the birth of the child we will feel: After the child's studies are over, our life will become joyful and then we can enjoy life. After the child's studies we will think: Once the children are married, our life will be fine and then we can enjoy life. After the son's marriage, we will lose the sensitivity to enjoy life. At the end we will carry a heavy burden of memories and we will only be able to notice the mental setup with which we lived.

Understand it is not wrong to work for the material things of the outer world. Those are things which we have to experience and enjoy. But in the process of creating the material things in the outer world, we lose the sensitivity to enjoy those materials.

For example, even if thousand sweets are placed in front of us, if we don't have the tasting sensitivity in our tongue, is it possible to enjoy those sweets? No, it is not possible. Similarly in our lives how much ever property, wealth and comforts we earn, if our mental setup does not have the stability, calmness, peace and bliss to enjoy those things, is it possible to experience those comforts completely? We are going to enjoy this life only with our mind. How we will enjoy the experiences of our life is determined by the maturity of our mind. We experience our life with our mind. With whatever mental setup our mind has been created, only with that mental setup, we enjoy this world. Most of the times, we sell our eyes to buy a painting. We sell our sleep to buy a mattress. We sell our legs to learn dance.

Please understand that there is nothing wrong in acquiring property or money or wealth in our lives. However the mistake is in our mental setup and in our thought flow which we possess while acquiring such wealth. If we don't have the proper mental setup, then by nature we lose the sensitivity to experience or the nature of experiencing something in life. The ability to hold such sensitivity to experience our life and to make our life joyful is what I call as Nithyam. It means not losing the sensitive nature to experience life.

A small Zen story:

A King based on some rumors thought a Zen enlightened Master is wrong and ordered that the Master should be hung the next day.

It is easy to spread rumors about enlightened people, since they don't object much to anything in life.

In the above story even after the judgment, the Zen enlightened Master continued with His everyday routine.

One of his disciples asked Him: Master, the King has passed a judgment to hang you, are you not aware of this? Are you not upset about this? You are going to die tomorrow. The Master replied: I am living in this moment and this second only. I feel thinking about the next second itself is not possible. It is too much for me. How can I think about something that is going to happen after twenty-four hours? It is too much for me. Who has got the time to think beyond twenty-four hours. Just leave it.

If we deeply listen to this, we can understand. The enlightened Master says that he does not have the time to experience this second, this moment and this minute. He says this moment itself is wonderful and overwhelming. When we cannot enjoy and experience this moment completely, how can we enjoy the next moment?

Generally most of us think that tomorrow we will be fine, tomorrow we will be peaceful, and tomorrow our sorrows will be wiped off. By this we postpone our mind which means postponing the bliss. Bliss is always knocking our doors. Peace is always knocking our doors. We are not opening our doors. We keep postponing the bliss and joy. Our mental setup is like that. Our mental setup is such that if anything gives us peace, bliss and joy, we take that for granted. We just think, 'this is what it is supposed to be' or 'this is what is expected out of this'. However when any sorrowful event happens, we brood over it. If someone praises or respect us, we never think of it again and again. However if someone disrespects us, the same words they uttered will be ringing in our ears for three days! The same words will repeat in our mind.

Whichever channel we tune our TV to, we will be able to watch only that channel. Similarly we will observe that emotion to which we have tuned our mental setup. In our life, both sorrowful and joyful incidents happen. Both good and bad incidents happen. Whichever mental setup we tune ourselves to, we will let only that mental setup run inside us. If we expect bliss then we will again and again attract blissful incidents or blissful events in our life.

If you see, there are some people, who will buy only crime novels or books with a front cover which has pictures indicating some kind of violence like murder, blood stains. They will buy books like these only. In fact they will search for books and movies, which depress them in sorrow, such books, which cultivate the violence and violent thoughts in them. Already there is enough sorrow in them and they want to add some more sorrow!

There is a beautiful Upanishad Sutra (embody the experiences and ecstatic realizations of great seers who perceived the reality and enjoyed it), which says Aagaara Sudhi (purification of what we in-take). The Upanishad explains that by Aagaara Sudhi our mind will get purified. Generally we think Aagaara Sudhi means purification of the food we eat. No. Aagaara means and includes whatever gets inside us through the five senses. The programs that we watch through our eyes are also food. Whatever we hear through our ears is also food. Understand, whatever we intake through our mouth is not the only food. Whatever we intake through the five senses are all food. So, whatever we see whether it is through TV or movies or newspaper or magazines or any form of media are all food.

One more thing after listening to the above, one person asked me: Master, how will I get to know the happenings in the country or the latest news which are happening around us, if I don't read the newspaper or watch TV? I questioned him: Don't you know what is happening in this country? If you open the newspaper today you will get to know murder, theft or any accident which happened somewhere in the country. If you read tomorrow's newspaper, you will get to know similar type of news. May be the place of happening or the name of the victims would have changed at the most. That's all. There is not going to be any other change. What are we going to do by reading and knowing this kind of news again and again?

So we must only watch those programs which give us bliss. We must read only those articles or magazines which give us bliss. We must read only those messages which lighten our mind.

A taste or interest or some kind of liking has come inside us to attract such miserable incidents. That's why if you see there are some people, as soon as they open the newspaper, they read the obituary column. These kinds of mental setup are setups which are deeply rooted in us. Attracting sorrowful words, collecting miserable news, welcoming thoughts of misery, all these indicate the nature and depth of our mental setup.

There is a wonderful book called 'Synchro destiny' written by a great scientist. He is an American doctor who has done research on Hindu Shastra. In the book, he says, be it any accidents or disease which we are impacted by or infected with, it is actually we who welcome those accidents or diseases. He says that actually there are no accidents in life.

Let me stress on something. Whatever he said is the truth. He says even accidents which we encounter are created by us. We may wonder: Will we invite disease or accidents? Is this really the truth? We may be puzzled about this.

Our thought flow again and again welcomes negative incidents which are beyond our control. The American doctor says that the pleasure which happens in us while listening to negative news, while knowing negative information, while experiencing negative words uses our energy for all these negative incidents. Hence by nature we attract negative incidents in our lives.

If we tune our TV to a private channel then we can watch programs related to that specific channel only. If we tune the TV to some other channel, we get to see that other channel. Though all the elecro magnetic waves pertaining to all the channels are always present; we get to see the channel we tune the TV to. We see what we want to see. Similarly, to whichever incident we tune our mental setup to, our mind will act according to that.

Generally, if we see any negative incidents or negative programs, there will be a huge crowd. Once, Winston Churchill was giving a talk and there was a huge crowd. One of the press reporters asked him: Sir, such a massive crowd is gathered here; does this not show people's love for you?

Churchill replied to the reporter; Oh no, don't say that, if an order is passed tomorrow to hang me to death, if that happens as a public event and then there would be a crowd which is four times the present crowd!

Understand that there is always an attraction towards negative incidents. Our mental setup also relishes the collection of negative information. That's why many people find it interesting to spread rumors. It seems very relishing for many people. That too, it will be negative information and not positive information. They gossip only on negative issues.

Let me repeat this again. The pleasure that happens in us while listening to negative news and while knowing negative information and while experiencing negative words uses our energy for all these negative incidents. Hence by nature we attract negative incidents in our lives.

In our mediation programs we used to conduct a small game. We would make the attendees form a circle and sit. I would whisper something into one person's ears. That person should pass this as a secret to the next person and it would be passed on like that to the next person and so on. Not even once the original message what I had conveyed came out the same way from the last person. The original message has never returned back the same. The original message was always distorted and it never came back as the same original message conveyed by me. Only fifty or sixty people would be playing this game but the original message will never come back as it was. At every passing of the secretive message there will be some spice added to it. Finally when it comes out, the final message will be double the original message that I had initially conveyed. I might have conveyed just four words but when it comes out as a final message, it will come out as big news.

A small story:

One day a mathematics teacher did not come to school.

The first student conveyed this to the second student: Do you know, today the mathematics teacher has not come to school.

Hearing this second student conveyed this to the third student: Oh, the mathematics teacher always comes to school regularly. He has not come to school today. May be he is sick.

Then the third student told to the fourth student: Today mathematics teacher has fallen sick, so he has not come to school.

Then that student adding some spice to the above statement told the fifth student: Don't think mathematics teacher would take leave just for any normal illness, may be he would be very seriously ill.

Then fifth student told the sixth student: Mathematics teacher is very seriously ill, so in that case he would have been admitted to the hospital.

Then that student who heard this, informed the seventh student: Do you know mathematics teacher is admitted to the hospital.

Then the seventh student told the eighth student: Mathematics teacher is in the emergency ward in the hospital.

Then that student told the ninth student: If he is that serious, by now he must have expired.

Then the ninth student said: If he has passed away then all the funeral formalities would be over.

After some time the tenth student finally declared: The mathematics teacher has passed away; I just attended his funeral formalities.

As he was saying that, mathematics teacher was walking into school. He was late by ten minutes that day!

Please understand that our mental setup also relishes the collection of negative information. That's why it is an interesting act for many people to spread rumors. This is the very nature of man. Pulling any incident in a negative direction, creating an incident in a negative direction, expressing the incident in a negative manner is our mental setup. It is an unconscious mental setup. We all might laugh at this story. But we should deeply think, as to how many times we have done this in our lives. Some of us might direct the news or information towards a negative direction to add more spice to the original information. If everything goes normally then there is nothing to talk about. Only when something is abnormal it gets spicy. Some of us may relish doing this.

Let me narrate a small incident which truly happened. Before proceeding to the incident let me tell you something. I keep repeating some stories again and again. People who have attended our meditation programs would know this. One person asked me: Master, you seem to be repeating the same point and same message again and again. Why is that?

Let me answer that question through an incident, which happened in the life of Buddha. A disciple of Buddha asked Buddha: Master, forty years you have been talking, and you have been repeating the same message again and again in the last forty years. Why is that? Buddha gave a beautiful answer: Because you did not listen to the message the first time, I had to repeat it the second time. I would not have repeated the same thing again and again, had you listened to the message the first time. Understand, only when the message is repeated again and again, the message gets internalized. That's why I repeat some of the messages again and again.

Actually whatever Buddha had spoken for forty years has come in the form of a small book and it contains 780 hymns. So understand that he has spoken the same message again and again for forty years.

Let me now continue with the incident. One person came to me. He was around 35 years. He asked me: Master, I am planning to divorce my wife, please bless me.

I replied to him: I can only bless for a marriage not for a divorce.

He said: No Master, I am unable to tolerate all this, please bless me.

I asked him: Actually what's the problem? Tell me.

He said: Master this morning, my wife placed a cup of coffee on the table in such a way that it spilled over my dhoti (a traditional dress worn by Hindu men). We had an argument over this and it ended up in a fight.

Puzzled, I asked him: Is just spilling of coffee, a reason for divorce? What is this? Is that a big reason for divorce? Are you not able to find a better reason?

He narrated further that as soon as the coffee spilled, he shouted: Don't you have sense, are you getting all this from your dad's house? I have earned all this, and you have wasted my money.

She has replied back to him: Just stop shouting and drink the coffee. For your ability and your potential, me serving you coffee itself is too good for you.

So on the conversation got tough and it ended up in a fight.

I told him: Even if the coffee is spilled over your dhoti, it is she who is going to wash your clothes, then why do you want to worry about it? Why do you want to make that a big issue?

He hurriedly said: No Master, today she spilled coffee, tomorrow she might even spill acid! She is that dangerous. You don't know about her.

Understand that even we are also doing similar mistakes. Now we laugh at this person, but many a times, we are also doing similar mistakes again and again. There is no connection between coffee and acid. But what our mind does is connects the real incidents with the incidents which we saw on TV or in a movie.

Let us see another example, to explain this further.

The daughter-in-law might have seen a mother-in law who plays a negative character in some serial. She will unconsciously project the character of that mother-in-law onto her mother-in-law. Actually the mother-in-law may not be that bad! Even if the mother-inlaw enquires about her generally, she will immediately think that the mother-in-law is trying to dominate her. Similarly, the mother-in-law does the same projection on the daughter-in-law after watching a negative character of a daughter-in-law in some TV serial. Actually the daughter-in-law may not be that bad!

Like this we are increasing the sorrows beyond limit. We are increasing the scale of the sorrows. We are giving life to all sorrowful thoughts. Let me tell you one more example to indicate how we increase the scale of our sorrowful thinking and negative thinking.

One day, the husband of the house would have come home late by half an hour due to some extra work in the office. During that half an hour, the wife runs all kinds of negative thoughts in her mind by bringing in all the villains she saw in the TV. She imagines whatever possible negative thoughts she could think of. Finally she decides that her husband is into some wrong activities. So concluding on her analysis, she will finally be ready with all her arguments to fight with the husband as soon as he comes. Like this she has not only step-by-step increased the scale of her negative thinking, she has also given complete life and power to her negative and miserable thoughts.

Coming back to the devotee's divorce problem, I told him further: Don't you understand yourself, why do you want to connect coffee and acid? Can't you see for yourself, that this is a very small matter and you are making a big issue out of nothing? Is this right? He answered: No Master, you don't know how much I have struggled for the last ten years.

Like this he has built up and added more and more words in the last ten years. Please understand that he has increased the scale of his sorrows. He had not been aware as to what happened when the thoughts were flowing into his mind. Understand that we are also doing the same; we are not consciously observing the thoughts, which run in our mind. Thoughts related to the scenes which we see on TV or read in the books keep oscillating in our mind. The same words and the sentiment related to such words runs in our mind. We never think whether for this particular situation this thought flow is required? We never confront any situation directly. We never see a situation as it is. We never confront the situation straight away. We always compare every situation, with the incidents and situations, which we have already seen and then only confront any situation.

I told that devotee: Sir, see for yourself, how your mind is functioning. Understand that your thought flows are running at such an unconscious level. Anyway I told him: Okay don't use any general words, tell me some specific incidents, then we can analyze and see what happened and we can get some clarity over the issue. He proceeded to tell an example.

Before narrating this further, let me tell you about a traditional event which happens during Hindu marriages. During Hindu marriages, a small game is conducted amongst the couples. A small finger ring is put inside a pot of water and the couple is asked to pick up the ring at the same time from the pots. They have to insert their hands into the water and search for the ring at the same time. Whosoever gets the ring is the winner and shall own the ring. This small game is conducted to zero down the distance between the husband and wife. Since during those days the husband and wife would not have met or spoken before the marriage since most marriages were arranged marriages then, such games will be conducted to make them feel comfortable with each other. Such games are conducted so as to reduce the mental gap between them and to introduce them to each other.

Let us come back to our devotee's problem. He said: Master, in our marriage during that ring pick up game, we put our hands into the pot and at that time itself she scratched my hand with her nails. That time itself I came to know about her arrogance.

Just see his mental setup. He has maintained a log of complaints like a police complaint report. Something that happened ten years before, he remembers that like a police record. Like I said earlier, the game is basically played for fun. It is just for zeroing down the distance between the couples. So she might have scratched his hand for fun. He has formed an opinion about the wife. Since then onwards he was collecting arguments to support his original decision. Hearing this, I thought it is better for that wife to stay alone rather than live with this kind of a husband! It will actually be liberating for the wife rather than freedom for him.

Our mind, again and again keeps magnifying the sorrowful incidents and events. The miserable events are blown up by the mind. Understand that our mind has in depth power. Don't think the thoughts that run in our mind are very ordinary, they have tremendous power.

Let me tell you an example to indicate the power of our mind and it will be clear as to how our thoughts affect situations and outer space. A research was conducted in America. Similar to the ECG, there is a machine, which is used to detect the vibrations, which happens in trees. There were about 20 trees in a grove, and on all these 20 trees, a machine similar to the ECG machine was fixed and vibrations of the trees were being recorded. The vibrations, which happen at different instances like, when the wind blows, when water is poured, when the sun rises were all being analyzed and recorded. A thought flashes in their mind as to how the vibrations will be when a tree is cut. They decided to cut a particular tree and so they called for a tree-cutter. The tree-cutter came inside the grove with his axe, with an intention to cut a particular tree. In fact the tree cutter did not even come near the tree. But as he entered the grove, the movement in the graph relating to that particular tree was haphazardly vibrating and oscillating. Please listen to this. This is not a story, but a research that was conducted.

The scientists did not understand what was happening. They just thought that this was happening casually. So they asked him to walk in and out, again and again and the movement in the graph was accordingly oscillating. Then they decided to send him off. But they asked him to send another tree-cutter to cut another tree. Then second tree-cutter was informed that he should cut a particular tree and was asked to come in. As soon as the second tree-cutter walked in, the movement in the graph related to the selected tree, was haphazardly and vigorously vibrating.

This research was done not just once or twice, but it was done for more than 20 times and the scientific data which was recorded every time, showed that, the graph relating to that tree, which was considered for being cut was oscillating up and down vigorously.

One more research was done. Three similar roses were considered for a research. Under conditions of similar fertilizers, same type of mud, same type of pot, same type of water and similar type of weather conditions, they were all placed in three different rooms. One person would go to the first rose's room and sing in praise of it, by saying: You are a nice rose. You are beautiful. You will bloom well. We might wonder if the rose can understand our language. Whatever the language, he has communicated his point. Then he would go to the next room and he won't speak anything. He would sit there quietly for 2 minutes and come out. Then next he would go to the third room he would start firing the rose: You are fit for nothing. You will never do anything properly. Whatever you do, it will always fail. You can never bloom. You have only thorns. You are just a thorn bush.

They have done this as a research. This was done for about 21 days. This same process of praising one rose, keeping silent in another rose's room and scolding the third rose, was done for about 21 days. The result of the research was surprising and stunning. Whichever rose he kept praising, that particular rose had grown by about twice it's original size. The rose which he had looked at silently had grown slightly to an extent. The rose which was being fired constantly had died. This research was not done once. To make sure about the results, the same research was done for about eleven times.

In America, they don't just agree based on results from one research. They had done the research about eleven times to make sure about the result. Again and again, they found and they proved that the rose that was fired constantly died. The rose that was praised grew to a great extent. The rose that was treated neutrally grew to an extent. This had been proved scientifically.

Our thoughts have great power. Our thoughts have deep strength. With whatever mental setup we form our mind, we attract only such type of incidents in our life. Like the way, the dish antenna attracts the satellite waves; our mind setup attracts all the incidents into our life. Our thought flow affects the world around us. Please understand this carefully, don't think that our words flow and thoughts flow do not affect others. It not only affects others, it also affects our life. Generally, we never give importance to our thoughts flow. We always think that no one will come to know about whatever we think inside us. We think if we speak good words that is enough.

Here is a small story to make this concept clear. There were four friends who were chatting. They were actually abusing someone in his absence. After some time, one of the friends got up and went away. Then the three other friends gossiped about the person who got up and went. Then after sometime another friend got up and went for some work. Then the remaining two friends were abusing the second friend who got up and went. One of them got up and moved on, the friend who was sitting back showed faces towards the friend who went out last!

Understand this is the mental setup of people. They abuse someone who is not present in the situation.

One more thing praising a person upfront and backstabbing him after he moves, we think that the other person will not come to know that he is being abused. We speak behind someone thinking that the other person will not come to know, so it's okay. But please understand due to our back stabbing and abusing whether it is bad for him or not, it turns out bad for us.

Let me explain, as to how it turns out bad for us. We have just one mind. With just one mind we are living. If we use that mind as a knife to torture others, we will be using the same knife to torture ourselves. It is a double-edged sword. Whichever words we use over and over to others, we use the same words towards ourselves also. If we use abusing and insulting words on someone when they make a mistake, then if we make any mistake, we will be using the same words to abuse and hurt ourselves. The thought flow inside us will run with the same abusing words. Whatever words we use over others, we will be using the same words on ourselves also. Understand that our words and thoughts have deep power. Whatever words and thoughts we use in our lives; accordingly we will attract only those types of incidents in our lives. Both our thought flow and word flow play a very major role in our lives. Both the honor and dishonor which we confront in our lives is due to our word flow and due to our thought flow.

Some people wherever they go, they carry their visiting cards with them, to boast about themselves, to indicate, 'do you know who I am'. The size of the card will be small, but it will have 25 designations, indicating that he is the president of some society or even ex president of some club. In fact some committees will have only four members! I usually say, the visiting card is not just a card, it is a poster. Though the card will be small, the titles in that will indicate, 'Do you know who I am?' Wherever they go, they carry the

'Do you know who I am?' card. Luckily, they will not be able to carry a big poster. Else they will start carrying big posters wherever they go.

Since such people with the attitude, 'Do you know who I am', it will seem like that they are being disrespected wherever they go. When people don't notice them, they feel that nobody respects them, nobody welcomes them.

Especially in Tamilnadu (a state in South-Bharat), the host who conducts the marriage, suffers so much because of the expectations from the guests. As soon as the guests arrive the host is expected to welcome them as they enter the marriage hall. Then again during the feast he is again expected to invite them into the dinning hall from the marriage hall. Guests have to be attended to and respected constantly during any event or marriage party.

Apart from this when a person goes to invite somebody for a marriage, if only the man goes to invite them, then only the man of the house will attend the party. Only if both the men and women go to someone's house to invite them for the party only then the lady of the house will also attend the function. There are many ceremonies, rituals and formalities like this.

The moment we hold the 'Do you know who I am' card, wherever we go we will feel that we are disrespected. If we leave the 'I' feeling and become a person of a casual and humble nature, a person with simplicity and joyful nature, then wherever we go, we will always be joyful. Wherever we go, we will always feel that we are highly respected. Wherever we go, we will always be blissful.

A small beautiful Zen story.

There was a great warrior, who went to an enlightened Master and asked Him: Master, what is meant by hell?

Without answering him, the enlightened Master asked the warrior: What are you doing? He said: I am a warrior.

The enlightened Master: Are you a warrior? You don't seem to be one. I don't understand who appointed you as a warrior. Which idiot is paying your salary?

As soon as the warrior heard this he became furious and the next moment he pulled out his sword saying: How dare you say that? Let me show who I am.

At that moment, the enlightened Master said: Son, this is hell.

Then it flashed to him: Okay the anger which aroused in me due to my ego being hurt is what is called hell.

The moment he understood that, he realized his mistake and put back his sword in its cover and begged for forgiveness.

The enlightened Master replied: Son, this is called heaven.

Thus he gave a beautiful explanation for heaven and hell.

Please understand one more thing. Wherever we feel upset or wherever we feel that we are disrespected there actually might have been some mistake from our side. Let me explain with an example. If someone blames us saying that we have committed a scandal for about hundred crores, will we get angry? No. But there is every chance for us to get angry when someone blames us for being short-tempered or stingy. This means that in the blame of hundred crores scandal there is no truth. That's the reason why we did not get angry. But when we are blamed for being short-tempered and stingy, we get angry. What does this mean? It means that there is some truth in those words. If there is some truth in the words uttered towards us, only then we feel upset and angry about it.

We attract words of honor and dishonor. Both honor and dishonor are based on our mental setup. If we observe our lives most of our energy is wasted when we don't have any clarity about ourselves. Only when we don't have clarity about ourselves, we start living with unlimited ego. The moment we get clarity about ourselves then we won't live with such a high ego.

In the Sutras, Lord Shiva says: Being indifferent to both honor and dishonor*.* Being indifferent to both honor and dishonor means residing in a state of clarity which says that: I am unaffected by any honor or dishonor. Really, why do we pay so much attention to the words what others have uttered? Why do we expect others to respect us? Why do we expect others to praise us? Actually if we see, we don't respect ourselves. We don't have clarity about ourselves. That is the reason why we try to understand ourselves based on what others say about us. Not only we ask others directly as to what they think of us, but at times we will also have spies to get to know what others are talking about us in our absence. We appoint people as spies to go around and check as to what others think of us.

A small example to make us understand this point.

We have seen small children building castles out of playing cards. Similarly, we are also building an opinion about ourselves based on the certificates given by others. People literally die for recognition. People are ready to die for praises and recognition. Do you know why? As the number of recognition certificates produced by others increases, the opinion about us in our mind also gets better. When the number of certificates produced by others decreases then we have a low opinion about ourselves. We don't have clarity about ourselves. We form an opinion and we make decisions about ourselves based on what other people say. That is why we crave for others praises and certificates. Our whole life becomes a signature campaign. We will carry a big notebook which says: I am a good person, And with this we beg others for their signature towards that for various reasons. So when more and more people sign and agree that we are a good person, we then conclude that we are a great person. Or else we feel we are inferior people. We gauge ourselves based on what others say about us.

Please understand that there is nothing wrong if someone praises us. I am not asking others to stop praising us. But if we base our life and mental setup based on what others say then we might fall down any time. It is similar to that of a building without a foundation. Like a building that is built without any proper foundation we may fall down any time. The mental setup which is framed based on others opinion will also not be a solid one. In our everyday life we frame an opinion about ourselves based on what our family members say.

If someday, someone who is not at all related to us tells that we will never come up in life, listening to that we will be depressed for two days. Even strangers words can put us in depression. If we pull one card out of the castle built by the kids with playing cards, the whole castle will collapse. Similarly if we build our personality based on the certificates awarded to us by others then if someone takes back his certificate, then our self image will collapse. Whenever we are shaken mentally if we check it out someone might have removed his certificate. Whenever we fall down in misery or depression, just look back, someone might have taken back his certificate.

I always say, please don't waste your life worrying about what others think about you, because, the other person is worrying and wasting his life as to what you are thinking about him. Truly, if we see, when we are worrying what he is thinking about us, he is also worried as to what we are thinking about him. Please understand, worrying what others might think of us is the place where majority of our energy gets wasted. Our thought flow oscillates about this and gets wasted.

One person came and asked me: I am unable to be happy, be it my business or my personal life. Please give me one piece of advice, just one message as to what I can do to make my life joyful.

I told him: If you ask me just for just one piece of advice then I tell you, please don't waste your mental energy, your thought flow, your time, thinking what others will think about you because he is also wasting his time, thinking as to what you are thinking about him.

Generally for about 12 hours a day our thoughts keep flowing. This is excluding the dream state and the sleep state. Of course even during the sleep state and the dream state, our thoughts keep flowing. But our thoughts do not flow clearly during those two states. If we have the mental energy for about twelve hours then actually only for two hours this energy will be utilized for something useful. The remaining ten hours are used for worrying about what others think about us and are spent for making plans as to how to improve our image in others minds.

.Let me repeat this. We waste most of our energy thinking about what others think about us. We think as to how we can improve our image in others mind. Ramana Maharishi says beautifully: As long as we don't know who we are; we frame an opinion about us based on what others are say about us. For example, if we are sending a parcel from here to Chennai (a place in south Bharat), then firstly they put the stamp in the local post office, then in the head post office they will place their stamp, then in Chennai again they place their stamp, then again the local post office they place their stamp, then the parcel gets delivered. By the time the parcel gets delivered to the destined location, the parcel will have about 4 or 5 stamps over it. After 4 or 5 stamps over it, the parcel would start thinking that it is a collection of all those stampings over it. It will not think that it is actually the content inside the parcel, which has made the parcel, but just a collection of stamps. Similarly, society has put various stamps over us, like good person, bad person, stingy person and generous person. We combine all these and think that we are just a collection of stamps. No, it is not so. We are actually the content inside the parcel. We do not represent the stamps put over us. As long as we think that we are nothing but the group of the stamps, our whole life will be spent for acquiring the right stamps, it will not be spent for acquiring the right kind of mental setup inside us.

Most of our time is spent for creating an image rather than framing our character. Two things: creating an image and creating character. We spend most of our time in creating our image, but we don't spend time to create our character. Character creation is what is called as Nithyam and creation of an image is called Mithyam. Mithyam means that which is not permanent. Creation of an image is not permanent. Anything that is created based on Mithyam may remain today, but tomorrow it may collapse. But creation of character is Nithyam. Creation of a clear mental setup is truth.

Truly, if we spend ten percent of the time which we spend for image creation, for creating character then the image will automatically be framed. Image is really like a shadow. If we forget it, leave it and carry on with our work, it will follow us. However if we run behind it to grab it, it will constantly escape.

Our image is like a shadow. If we forget about the image, leave it behind, and focus on our work, it will follow us. But if we think we need the image and run behind to catch it, we can never catch it with our hands. It will constantly escape us.

As Lord Shiva says in the second S*utra, Samas sathroucha mithraecha, Samo Manama mana yoho. Understanding the deep meaning behind this Sutra, which says, eliminating the false mental setup, the false personality, the false image, the false prestige, which has been given to us by others and which has been created by others in us and thus understanding ourselves clearly, is what is called Nithyam. This is what gives bliss. Let us create such a mental setup within us. We shall end Nithyam* and enter into Dhyanam.

Look in - Bliss! – Part 1 Heaven is inside us and the bliss is already inside us

I welcome you all with my love and respects.

Let us begin with a story.

There is a joint family, comprising of mother, father, son, daughter-in law, grand son, and grand daughter. As a family, they go to a theater to watch a movie. The movie was going on. During the climax of the movie, the grand father was suddenly crawling on the ground searching for something. He was so involved in searching that he was disturbing the people who were in the same row in which he was sitting. He was searching for something under everyone's feet.

The little grand daughter started shouting: Oh Grandpa, sit quietly, what are you doing? You are disturbing everybody. What are you searching for?

The grandfather replied: No dear, my chewing gum fell down and I am searching for it. Grand daughter replied: Keep quiet grandpa, don't disturb others, nobody is able to watch the movie. If you sit properly and quietly, after we go home, I will give you a chewing gum.

Grandfather replied: No. No, I want that chewing gum only.

Grand daughter asked: What is so special about that chewing gum? I am telling you that I will give you another chewing gum. Why are you still searching for it?

The grandfather replied: No, no, my false teeth are stuck in that chewing gum! The grand father is not just searching for the chewing gum alone, though he says he is searching for the chewing gum, he is searching for the teeth that are stuck in that chewing gum. Same way we think that we are searching for money or recognition in our lives but we are actually searching for the bliss that goes with that. Though we think in our lives, that we are searching for money or recognition, actually we are in search of the bliss associated with it. We are not just searching for money and recognition alone. If the grandfather is searching for just the chewing gum, then he can take another chewing gum. If he just needs the chewing gum, then he can buy another chewing gum. However he is not just searching for the chewing gum. But he is searching for the false teeth set which is stuck to the chewing gum.

Actually we seem to be searching for money or recognition, but we are not really searching for money or recognition. Truly, we are searching for the bliss which is associated with it. The search for the bliss is portraying itself in different ways, as a search for money, as a search for recognition, as a search for relationships or as a search for comforts. Whatever be the search for, whatever be our way or type of search, we are not searching for the chewing gum, but we are actually searching for the teeth that are stuck to the chewing gum. We are not just searching for money, recognition or things of the outer world, but we are actually searching for the bliss associated with it. By searching for bliss, we keep wandering everywhere.

In Tantra Shastra, Lord Shiva (God responsible for dissolution of the universe), beautifully explains about it. He explains the above concept in just two words. If we begin to search for bliss inside us then we will not need any material things. If we are not able to reach the bliss which is within us then nothing in the outer world can provide us the bliss. He just finishes with these few words. If we are able to realize the bliss inside us then no other things in the outer world can give the us bliss. If we are unable to realize the bliss inside us, then how much ever we search outside, it is of no use.

All the enlightened Masters again and again, say that the bliss is inside us. In the world, there are so many enlightened Masters, yogis, rishis (Hindu mystics). Every one of them has a different opinion about life. For example, if we ask some of them as to what kind of food should be taken, one of them might say that we should eat only vegetarian food. Then another person may say that we can eat non-vegetarian food also. If we ask another person he may say that it is not good to eat vegetarian and non vegetarian. He may sight fasting as the best thing to do. Similarly, every enlightened Master will have His own opinion. For example regarding marriage one enlightened Master will say that being an ascetic without getting married is right. Another enlightened Master will say that it is okay to get married once. Another Master may say that there is nothing wrong in marrying even four times. Each person will have His own opinion.

About every thing in life, each and every enlightened Master will declare his opinion. It is tough to make all the enlightened Masters agree on a common point. There is saying that if two enlightened Masters say the same thing then please understand that one of them is fake. No two rishis(sages) will say the same thing or agree on a point commonly. By nature, whatever one enlightened Master says the other person will always say something else. It is difficult to make the rishis or enlightened Masters agree on a common point. But all the enlightened Masters agree on one common point. What is that point? That point is: Heaven is inside us. The bliss is already inside us.

Be it Jesus, Krishna (Incarnation of Lord Vishnu, the God responsible for protecting the universe), Mohammed (an enlightened Master of Islam), Mahaveer (an enlightened Master of Jainism), Buddha (enlightened Master from Buddhism), Rama (Incarnation of Lord *Vishnu*, the God responsible for protecting the universe) or Ramakrishna (an enlightened Master from West-Bengal, a state in Bharat), all of them accept this point and declare the same in their messages. The message is: Heaven is inside us and the bliss is already inside us. Again and again this point is being told. But, it does not seem practical in our lives. It has not become an experience in our lives. If asked whether this has become a reality, an experience and truth in our lives, the answer is: No. Why? What is the reason for this to not happen in us? Where have we missed it? Where is the mistake?

We are going to see the answers for the above questions. If all the enlightened Masters agree to this point then it means that message should be a very important and fundamentally needed message. Since it is fundamental need or fundamental message all the enlightened Masters agree on this point. Otherwise, one Master will agree and other Master will oppose it. This is a message which all the Masters agree. Why are we losing this? What is the reason? Let us do a deep research. Why are we missing this? Why have we not achieved this bliss in our lives? Asking such questions and doing a deep search will help us understand further.

First thing, we don't even believe that we can be in bliss. Firstly, the fundamental reason or the basic reason why our life is not in bliss is because we don't believe that even we can be in bliss. We don't believe that even we can have a blissful life. We are always searching for reasons which lead us to sorrow. Again and again we are searching for reasons so that we can be in sorrow all our lives.

Let us deeply look into the natural thought pattern of our mind. In the morning as soon as we wake up, we will wake up thinking about a problem. When we get up in the morning, the mind will come back and settle in our body by thinking of some problem. As soon as we get up, we will get into actions for solving the problem. If we are able to solve that problem, then we will not stop with that. Before solving that, we will have two or three problems in line to be solved. Only after keeping two or three problems in stock we will get into action for solving the first problem. What will happen if the first problem gets solved? Our life will seem empty. Sometimes if we see, when there are no problems we will feel our whole life is vacant. It will look like we are not living according to our nature.

We will create our wishes and hope that all the outside events should happen according to our wish. But for such wishes to be fulfilled the way we want to do it, is not to take any responsibility. Truly, there is nothing wrong if we desire. Tantra Shastra beautifully says: Do not control your desires. Tantra Shastra says: Desire is energy. There is nothing wrong in having desires. But we don't take steps and use our energy to attain our desires. When we are in the process of achieving our desires, we are not ready to take up the responsibility to handle the obstacles. That is the truth. Truly if someone comes to the place where we are seated and keeps the sweet in our mouth, we will feel really good.

A small story.

Two lazy people were chatting with each other. One person said: Hey, as soon as we get up in the morning, if there is a machine and on a press of a switch, if the machine brushes our teeth, gives us a bath and does all the work for us, feeds us food and finally also makes us lie down on the bed and massages our leg, how nice and comfortable it will be? In he field of science and technology they find so many things, why can't they find something like this.

The other lazy person replied: If that machine also switches on by itself, how nice it will be. Without us having to switch it on; if it switches on by itself, that will be nicer.

In our lives, we don't take responsibilities in accordance with our wishes. We don't express our energy to that extent. The problems are not due to our desires. Truly, if you see deeply, desires are life energy. If there is no desire, one cannot even breathe. Even the very breath happens due to our desire. Only if we desire, breath happens. Desire is a basic energy in our lives. Then why desire is giving problems both ways?

Tantra Shastra ordinarily classifies desires into two categories. Bhavanai (Thought) and Karpanai (Imagination). Bhavanai means the clear desires which we are able to feel