CONTENT🔗

Science and Spirituality for modern man

Wake Up! – Part I

Wake Up! – Part II

Mind! Present Moment! Bliss! – Part I

Mind! Present Moment! Bliss! – Part II

Tantra Shastra – An Introduction

Tantra Shastra – Part II

What is Eternal?

Look in - Bliss! – Part 1

Look in Bliss! – Part 2

Now, let us enter into the first Sutra (technique) of Patanjali.

Science and Spirituality for modern man

'Patanjali Yoga Sutra for today's man' is today's topic for the discourse. Before going to the Yoga Sutra (Yoga techniques), I like to introduce certain concepts to you all.

We call today's program as "Open the door, let the breeze in" discourse series called Dhyanasatsang (group of highly committed people who meditate in search of truth). Let us first see what Dhyanasatsang means and how to derive the benefits from it and then we shall begin the program.

Dhyanasatsang is not just a spiritual discourse. In spiritual discourses, again and again we receive words. But in Dhyanasatsang we push out the words which are inside us. In an ordinary spiritual discourse or lecture, we grasp the message and the knowledge. In Dhyanasatsang, we learn out of direct experience. We not only grasp the message, we also grasp the technique and learn out of direct experience. It is easy to grasp the knowledge but it is very difficult to get the direct experience. The place where we learn out of the experience is called Dhyanasatsang.

If we can deeply and truly involve ourselfves in this Dhyanasatsang, these three days will be a turning point in our life. It will transform our life. So let us involve ourselfves completely and deeply in this Dhyanasatsang.

Really, the biggest problem which most of us face in life is not ignorance. The biggest problem is that we know too much. Only when we know too much, we find it difficult to put what we learnt into practice. Knowing ten good messages and following the same is enough. But we are aware of thousands of good messages and we don't practice even one of those messages. We are unable to apply these messages in a practical way and turn it into a reality in our lives.

A small story about a Zen enlightened Master.

A professor goes to a see a Zen enlightened Master. This professor is a highly educated and knowledgeable person.

He asked the Zen Master: Master, how do I reach God? What is the purpose of life? What is reality? What is truth? Please explain.

The professor continuously and hurriedly asks these questions.

Please understand that when a person is asking questions in such a hurry, we can be sure that the person who is asking the questions is not asking with an intention to receive the response. If he asks one question and waits for the answer and then asks the next question, we can be sure that he has some interest in receiving the responses. But, if someone is asking questions in a hurry, it means he is not interested in receiving the answers. He just wants to show off his knowledge.

A small example, actually this truly happened.

A man came to see me.

As soon as he came hurriedly he asked me: Master, please tell me, what is meant by God? What is divinity? Is it true, that I can realize it, only if I am destined to realize it? Is it possible to realize divinity through self-work? Is prayer good or meditation the apt thing? In a similar manner he asked me about five or six questions. I did not answer any of his questions, but I asked him questions about his well being, how his business was, how his family was. He began answering my questions and spoke about his mother, wife, and his children. After sometime he completely forgot about the questions which he originally asked. After that we spoke about lot of other things for about one and half hours. But till the end of our conversation, that man did not ask for answers to his original questions. In fact, he did not even think of those questions. He did not ask those questions for the second time. He did not open that topic at all. Initially, when he asked those questions, he asked with such intensity, but moment the conversation was diverted, he forgot all those questions completely. From this we can understand that those questions have not become a quest in him. These questions have not come from the bottom of his heart. These questions have been asked just to express whatever he knew. These are just superficial questions.

Most of the times, if we see, questions are not asked with an intention to know the answer. Questions are asked to show our knowledge on the subject. Questions which are asked with an intention to know the answers are very less. The questions which are asked to show others what we know are more in number. Only these kind of questions are asked more often.

This man who came to me asked me only such type of questions, to show others what he knew. He must have bought some books and read a few words about the divine, the soul and God. Since he has read something related to this subject he has to show others that he knows something on the subject. He himself did not have the serious intention to know the answers. He did not have the deep search in him to know the divine. Since he did not have the deep search in him, when the conversation was diverted to some other topic for about two minutes, he forgot that he had asked those questions. He not only forgot the questions, but he also forgot that he came to me only to ask questions. Most of us, in our lives, have only these kinds of questions in mind.

This professor in the Zen story also asked such superficial questions. The enlightened Master smiled and without responding to his questions, ordered his disciple to get a cup of tea. His disciple got the cup of tea and placed it in front of the Master. There was already a cup of tea in front of the Master. He took the cup of tea, which was already in front of him and started pouring this tea into the cup of tea which the disciple had brought. Already the cup was full of tea. But the Master continued to pour some more tea into the cup.

The professor started shouting: Master, the cup is already full of tea and it is overflowing and is now onto the floor. Please stop pouring more tea. The cup is full. The Master said: So are you. Like the cup which is overflowing with tea and cannot store any more tea inside it, your brain and your mind are already filled with a lot of messages. You will not be able to get my message, since your brain and mind are already filled with many messages. You will not be able to internalize what I say now.

If we go to an ordinary spiritual discourse or a lecture, we will get more words; we can learn many messages. But Dhyanasatsang is not a place where we learn these words or messages. It is a place where we learn life's lessons out of experience. It is a place where we learn the techniques to make the lessons into an experience in our life. Here for the next 3 days, the Dhyanasatsang will be a place, which gives the techniques to learn life's lessons and have spiritual experiences.

If the message given by the speaker is superficial the crowd will be more. If the message is deep the crowd will be less. If we see, in Dhyanasatsang, it is only a hand full of people who participate. Why? Dhyanasatsang is not a social gathering. It is not a public meeting. This is a place, which completely deals with the individual person's life. This is a place where we learn about the messages which helps us to make our lives better, to make our lives prosperous and to make our lives joyful. Dhyanasatsang is a place where only people who have a clear understanding and a deep search for a great life, gather. At a place where superficial rituals happen or a place where public meetings are held, we can see different types of people gather in large crowds. But in a place where Dhyanasatsang happens, only individual persons can be seen. Just because we are all sitting here and forming a crowd, does not mean this is a crowd. This represents a group of individuals.

Group of individuals is different from a crowd. Both these are different. Group of individuals means a place where every individual has come with a search for making his life joyful, to improvise his life. We have not gathered here for any public or social reasons. There are two types of crowds. One type of crowd gathers for a social or a public reason. The other type of crowd gathers for bringing the awareness in the individual's life. We cannot achieve anything for the world by a social revolution or public revolution. Only due to the awakening or transformation of an individual, we can achieve anything in our life and in this world. Changing our own self and improving our own life is the only way to change the society.

Many devotees come and ask me: Master, what is the way to change this world? I tell them, before changing the world, let's first try to change ourselves. If the world has to be changed, the only way for changing it is by changing ourselves first. When we change the world will automatically change. By a social revolution, it is not possible to change the world. It is possible only by awakening or transformation of an individual. All of us are individuals. Every one of us is an individual. This is the group of individuals. Here answers are given to inspire people to pursue a quest for living a blissful life. Questions such as :What can I learn from this program? How much can I learn from this program?

How can I improvise my life? are asked. Only people who ask such questions can get the complete benefit out of the Dhyanasatsang.

If we want to get the complete benefit, if we want a big change in our life, just have this fundamental thought about the awakening of the individual, Then start contemplating by asking questions like, how much these points will be useful for me, how much can I put into practice, how much shall I practice?

Generally, if we go to any spiritual discourse, when we are listening to the discourse we will think: Okay as soon as I go home, I should tell this to my wife. Or we may think: I should tell my mother-in-law or I should tell my daughter-in-law about the message from the discourse. Instead of thinking about telling other people, we must contemplate only on how much we can internalize these points. We must see how much these points will change our lives and how these points will be useful for our lives. Without worrying about how to publicize this to others or thinking as to how this should be useful to others, we must deeply analyze how this will be useful in our life, how much change we can bring in our life with this message. We must make an attempt to internalize these points in our life. If we make an attempt to internalize these points in our life, then the Dhyanasatsang will bring about a major change in our spiritual life, in our mental setup and in our entire life.

Now let us begin the Patanjali Yoga Sutra. Firstly, let me give an introduction to this book. Let me introduce this book through a story. The story is about how this book was written.

Patanjali was a great enlightened Master, a rishi (sage), who lived in a place called Chidambaram in south Bharat. To enable others also to have the similar enlightenment experience which he had, the techniques were written by Him and this lead to the creation of the book called, Patanjali Yoga Sutra. How did he write this? To explain this, there is a wonderful story. Let us not worry whether this story is true or false. But the philosophy or the essence of this story is truth.

Patanjali is considered as the incarnation of Adhiseshan (a snake with thousand heads). Don't worry whether this story is true or not. The core meaning and the essence behind this story is wonderful.

Patanjali decided to explain his enlightenment experience.

He called for all his disciples and said: I cannot explain my enlightenment experience just by this single tongue. I shall take my true form, the Adhiseshan form, the form with thousand heads and thousand tongues and share my enlightenment experience. But when I am sharing my experience with thousand tongues, since I will be in the Adhiseshan form (snake form), the poison that comes out of my mouth, will destroy you all. To avoid that, I shall put a black screen in between me and all of you. So please properly make a note of whatever I say.

It was decided that thousand disciples would attend and all of them would take notes of whatever He spoke with His thousand tongues. That is, the techniques spelled out by one tongue, will be written by one disciple and the technique spelled out by another tongue will be written by another disciple and so on.

After this decision, the time for the discourse was nearing. At this time, Patanjali had a small doubt that in spite of being in front of him, the disciples may fall asleep or they may walk out from the class.

He thought :I will be behind the screen and giving out the techniques, but if someone walks out during the middle of the class, what to do? As this thought crossed his mind, immediately, he made an order that nobody should go out of the class for any reason whatsoever.

He said : If someone gets up and goes out, I will curse them.

Also, he made one more order: Nobody should remove this screen whatever be the reason. If you do that, then all of you will be destroyed.

Two conditions: One is no one should remove the screen and the other is no one should walk out of the place.

Patanjali started speaking about the techniques and the words were flowing like rain. All the thousand disciples were writing down quickly.

When it was almost over, one of the disciples, for some reason walked out of the class. To inform Patanjali about the disciple who walked out and to know the punishment to be imposed on that disciple, the head of the disciples removed the black screen without even informing Patanjali.

As soon as the screen was removed because of the poison which was emitted out of Patanjali's mouth, all the nine hundred and ninety nine disciples were destroyed. Along with the disciples, the notes which the disciples wrote also got destroyed. Seeing all this, Patanjali was deeply in distress that everyone was destroyed and everything He spoke also got destroyed.

Not knowing as to what to do beyond that, He came back to His original form, ,the human form, and sat down confused. As He was sitting, He noticed one of the disciples walking towards Him.

He asked the disciple: Where were you all this while?

The disciple replied: Master, I just went out.

Then Patanjali asked: That's okay, at least show me what you wrote.

The book, which we are going to discuss, Patanjali Yoga Sutra is the book written by that one disciple. Don't bother whether this story truly happened or if it's a rumor. But just understand the truth behind this story. This story has been written to tell that, a small drop, out of a great massive subject which cannot be explained, has been explained here. Whether the story is true or not, the message is truth. The great wonderful state, the path to the enlightenment state, the unexplainable state, has been first time scientifically explained by Patanjali.

Patanjali is the only inner world scientist among the enlightened Masters. All enlightened Masters expressed their enlightened state or the true knowledge in different ways. To enable others also to attain the enlightened state or the true knowledge, all the enlightened Masters wrote various books and explained about the enlightenment or true knowledge. But Patanjali is a great enlightened Master, who explained His enlightenment through science. Nobody before or after Patanjali has written such a great book on spirituality or enlightenment. And nobody has written a book that is so scientific on enlightenment.

Now let us deeply understand what is meant by Sutra (techniques). Enlightened Masters designed techniques to enable the enlightenment experience which happened in them, to be created in others. The words which were used to explain such techniques are called Sutra. Thus the words which explains the activities which one will have to do, to undergo the experience, which the enlightened person underwent is called Sutra. To enable such an enlightenment state, the blissful state, which happened in Him, to happen in others also, enlightened persons designed the techniques, which we can follow.

Similarly, Patanjali Yoga Sutra are the techniques described by Patanjali, which speaks about the techniques and ways to experience enlightenment. Patanjali is an inner world scientist who had great clarity. There is none like him in the past. And there can be nobody like him in the future. He has explained the enlightenment techniques with such a great depth, with such intensity and such clarity in the book Patanjali Yoga Sutra.

Generally, amongst people there is an opinion that scientists are considered as very practical people and that the principles, which they declare are also considered to be practically applicable ones. However enlightened persons are considered to be people who live in their own dream world. But if we deeply analyze Patanjali, we will understand right away that Patanjali is beyond any of today's Quantum Physicists. Because he himself has searched for the ultimate experience directly, and he has lived the techniques used for experiencing enlightenment in his life. These techniques can be followed in our daily life.

Please understand this basic thing first. To enable others also to have the blissful state, which they had experienced, enlightened Masters have devised various techniques. All our physical, mental and emotional problems are due to the fact that we have not followed these techniques, which the enlightened Masters have left for us. When we start following the techniques, which the enlightened Masters have devised, then whatever we call as problems in our lives, all such problems will automatically disappear.

One more question, which will arise in everybody's mind. Really is this Yoga (the technique for relaxing this restless mind) required for today's man? Many people come and ask me, 'Master, amidst all the problems, is meditation required to be done? In our everyday routine itself, we have to face lot of problems. We have to struggle for our livelihood and comforts. We have a lot of other work to do. We have a lot of problems. Amidst all this, should we do meditation and Yoga. How is this going to be beneficial to us?' Superficially if we hear this question, we will think that this question is a very good question.

Let me answer this question through an example. A patient went to a doctor and asked: Doctor, I have many physical complaints and many other diseases,, do I have to take these medicines?

How stupid this question sounds to us. We all know that actually only a person who is sick, should take these medicines.

Similarly, only a person who is in stress and who is in depression needs meditation and Yoga. If in our everyday life, we feel that we don't have any problems, we are very peaceful, then we don't need Yoga or meditation. This means that in someway, Yoga or meditation has entered our life. Practically if someone is facing many problems, and is not living peacefully, then only for such people, Yoga and meditation are required. Just as only a patient will require medicines, similarly, only people who are facing many challenges and problems in their life, need meditation and Yoga to face these challenges and problems.

Yoga is an alchemy process. An alchemy process is a process, which transforms iron into gold. Similarly, if we bring Yoga into our life, our life will be completely transformed. I had a chance to read a book by a great doctor named Maslow, who treats patients with depression. It is a wonderful book. He has written in that book, depression, which could not be cured by many medicines and people with depression whom he could not help, were not only completely healed but also such patients were in joy because they did meditation. When they had a glimpse of conscious experience they were able to completely come out of the depressive state. For all our physical ailments, mental problems, a glimpse of a conscious experience will lead to great results. We need not have to do meditation all through our life. It is not necessary we will have to keep our eyes closed all through our life. Just dedicatedly doing the meditation once and having a glimpse of the conscious experience once is enough. It will change our body and mind completely.

Since the doctors abroad realized the benefits out of Yoga and meditation, in America teaching Yoga has become very popular business. Many American doctors and psychologists have come to Bharat and learnt the meditation techniques. They have translated the same to their language and are doing the business of teaching Yoga and meditation in America. By this statistics we can understand how beneficial Yoga and meditation are to the people.

This Yoga and meditation are the biggest donations, which Bharat has given to this world. But the sad part is that we have given to the world as a donation and we have forgotten to use it ourselves. Since we have given it as a donation, we have forgotten to use it. That's what has truly happened. In our lives, just few seconds if we can allow ourselves to do meditation and if we can involve ourselves in meditation; we can have the greatest experience of changing our body and mind completely. We can get immersed in the complete energy ocean, which gives us a complete physical and mental well-being.

The first Sutra is as follows: Atha Yogānuśāsanam.

This is a very beautiful verse in the language, called Sanskrit (one of the oldest languages in Bharat. Many of the hymns and songs in the olden days were sung in Sanskrit). The above Sutra means: Now let us understand about Yoga. Why is this first sentence uttered? By this Patanjali means that people who are really interested to know these techniques and people who have the true dedication to follow these techniques in their life, alone shall listen further.

One important thing, if we just internalize only those messages, which we intend to follow in our life, our life will be in joy.

Some people come and tell me: Master, I listen to many spiritual messages, I am able to know more. But I am not able to follow these messages practically. I don't know what to do.

Please understand that it is not a problem if we listen to just the good and relevant messages. But we try to listen to all the information and the countless messages, which are unnecessary and are not required for us. Since we try to internalize all the unnecessary messages also, we are unable to follow the necessary messages, which are required.

One person came and told me: Master, a month back, I read a book which spoke about harmful effects of cigarette smoking, I left it after that.

I asked him: Oh that's good to hear, so have you left cigarette smoking? He said: No Master, I quit reading these kind of books which confuse the mind. Really, ignorance about knowing what is good and what is bad is not a problem for us. We don't just get the relevant and good messages, but we get to know all the messages, those messages that are not necessary as well. Our mind is completely overflowing with unnecessary information. So naturally, we are not aware as to what should be done and what should not be done. Because of too many unnecessary words that enter us, in our lives we are unable to follow the necessary words.

Ramakrishna (an enlightened Master from West-Bengal, in Bharat) beautifully says: It is okay, even if your senses do not work. But do not permit unnecessary words into your self.

Even if our eyes and ears do not function, it's okay. Or if any our senses do not work, it is okay. But by permitting the entry of unnecessary words into ourselves, we are not leaving space for necessary and good messages.

There is a beautiful verse in the Upanishads (Sacred texts that embody the experiences and ecstatic realizations of great seers who perceived the reality and enjoyed it), which says that only if the food is pure, our mind becomes pure. Please understand, by using the term food here, it does not only mean the food that we eat through our mouth. The incidents which we see through our eyes are also food. Even the music, which we hear through our ears, is food. The fragrance which we smell through our nose is also food. Whatever we take inside us through the five senses are all food. So understand that all the TV programs, whatever we see are all food. Whatever noise we hear through the ears is also food. Whatever our nose smells is also food.

I always say: Do not watch any television program which puts in you sorrow. The more we watch programs which put us in sadness, the more deeply we are immersed in sorrow. Because, whatever messages we are getting inside us, only those thoughts relating to those message will be working inside our mind. Whatever messages enter inside us through our senses, only those messages will be acting inside us without our awareness. If we watch any horror movie in the night and go to bed, suddenly at 12 in the night we will feel that the cat is meowing. If the screen moves due to breeze, we will fear that someone is walking in. Because whatever thought we have put inside in us, only that thought will work inside us. Whatever thoughts go inside us will work inside us. For any reason whatsoever, let us not permit any thoughts which put us in sorrow, misery and worry to enter us.

In those days, our ancestors, used to light the lamp in the evening and do meditation. They do this because, in the evening, whatever thought we put in our mind, it will sprout out as a tree. Whatever thought we put inside us, it will grow as a big tree. But nowadays, what we do in the evening? We see some serial on television and start crying along with the programs in the television. Let us not permit ourselves to watch any program that can put us in sorrow. There is nothing wrong in watching a program which gives us joy. We do not have to disassociate ourselfves from everything or avoid everything. Let us not associate ourselfves with any programs of media, which put us in sorrow, or any incidents which depress us. Be it any type of media like television or any movie or newspaper or even the internet; let us not take in any information or news which puts us in sorrow or anything which depresses us.

Generally, if we see, many people first read the obituary column or they read the news on accident or murder in the newspaper or magazine. What is the reason for this? It is because in many of us the revenge taking attitude is there in one corner of our mind. We try to satisfy or quench our revenge taking attitude when we come across any negative news.

Is any murder or robbery not going to happen? Any day we open the newspaper; this kind of news will always be there. The only difference between the news of yesterday and today is that the same incident would have happened in a different place and there would be different victims in the incidents Please understand that it is going to be the similar news but we constantly associate ourselves with these kinds of incidents and thus put ourselves into sorrow. Let us not take in any news or incidents or information, which puts our mind into sorrow and depression. Let us try to be involved, as much as we can, in good messages, good news and let us place our mind in a high plane. Our mind, will act according to the information it has received. When we receive and store the unnecessary and negative messages, there will be no space for positive and good messages.

That's why Patanjali beautifully says, 'Decide clearly whether you need Yoga in your life? That's the reason for this first technique. Only if we feel that we have to change our life, we must read this further. If we do not have the search or the deep quest for making the change or transformation in our life, we need not bother about what is going to be said further. Just to make us understand this clearly he declares the first technique, Atha Yogānuśāsanam which means now let us understand about Yoga.

Now let us begin the Yoga.

The next technique is a wonderful technique.

Yogaś citta-vritti-nirodhaḥ.

It is a beautiful technique.

The translation for this is ;The evolvement of the mind in different forms and in different creations is stopped by Yoga.

Patanjali explains the essence or the main core of the Yoga in this technique. Mind is a big monkey. Not just an ordinary monkey. Vivekananda (an enlightened Master, also disciple of *Ramakrishna*) beautifully says that mind is equal to a monkey, which is possessed by a ghost, which has drunk liquor, and which is stung by a scorpion.

There was a monkey, somehow it got a pot of liquor and it drank the liquor. We know, how these monkeys are! In spite of being normal, they jump. To add to this, there was a ghost, which possessed this monkey. And a scorpion stung this monkey. The way the monkey was jumping around due to the impact of the liquor, the ghost and the scorpion sting, the same way our mind also jumps and oscillates.

If we look closely into our mind wherever we are physically present, our mind will not be there. When we are brushing our teeth in the morning, we will be thinking about our office. Thoughts such as : After I go to office what should I do? What will happen in the office today? What should be done at work? arise in the mind. Then after we go to work we worry about school lessons to be taught to our children after coming home. Then once we come home after work and start teaching our children, we begin to think about the television programs. Then when we watch the televison program, we will then think about the next day's routine.

Please understand that the very nature of our mind is not being present wherever we are present physically. Our mind constantly jumps, oscillates and asks: What next? What next? What next? It will not be there wherever we are physically present. That's why Vivekananda says: Mind is similar to that of a monkey which is possessed by a ghost, which has drunk liquor and which is stung by a scorpion. Our thought flow keeps oscillating. The biggest problem in our life is only our mind. Our mind is the biggest problem in our life. If we are able to know how to operate this mind and bring this mind into our control, we can discipline this mind. Then our life will become blissful and heavenly.

Mind is like a car. If we know how to operate it when there is a need, that is if we know when and how to turn left and turn right or go straight and if we know how to apply the breaks and stop the car, then it means we are driving the car. We sit in the car and drive the car, we take the left and right turns and stop the car when we want to. If we can apply the breaks and stop the car when we want to, then it means that we are driving the car. But if we are unable to apply the breaks and stop the car when we want to, then it means that the car is driving us. Just by this one thing we can understand whether we are driving the car or the car is driving us. If we can stop the car whenever we want to stop, then it means that we are driving the car. If we are unable to stop the car and the car keeps on moving, then it means that the car is driving us. Our mind is also like that. If we can stop the mind when we want to, if we can bring our mind into our control then we are living with our mind. If we are unable to bring the mind into our control, then it means our mind is using us. That's all it means and nothing else.

If we drink less, then it means that we are drinking with some self-control. However if we drink without any self-control, then it means the drink will swallow our life. As long as we smoke less it means that we are in control. But if we go beyond the limit, then the cigarette will control us. If we are at such level, where we can stop our mind, then it means that we are living with our mind and that we are in control. If we go beyond that point where we cannot control our mind, then it means that our mind is living through us. Our mind will be using us.

Thus the Sutra, Yogaha Chitta Vritti nirodaha, means going to the no mind zone. It is the state at which the thoughts which arise in the mind disappear. Thus Patanjali says, 'Being in peace, without any thoughts in the mind, being in such a blissful state is Yoga'.

Firstly, we should understand whether this is possible in our lives. Most of us don't have confidence in our lives or in ourselves. There is no self-confidence. We never think that we can do something. We ourselves don't believe in us. If good fortune happens in our life, we do not have the courage and the maturity to accept it. Why is that? Because generally we don't even believe that something fortunate could ever happen to us. If we deeply analyze our lives, if we search in a relaxed manner in our lives, we will know the depth of our lack of confidence. Without the confidence, how much ever prosperous and wealthy we become in our lives, it is of no use.

Let us see this small story.

A poor man luckily won one million in a lottery. But he had a heart problem and had a weak heart. So, his wife was afraid to tell him that he had won one million because hearing this he might get a heart attack. But what to do, she had to tell him. She was looking for someone through whom she could convey this news to him. There was a priest in that town who was also an astrologer. He was a very popular person in that town. She went to the priest and told him her problem and said that somehow she wanted to convey this news to her husband.

She told the priest: This news has to be very carefully conveyed to him, since he has a heart problem. By you conveying this message nothing should happen to him.

The priest replied: You don't worry madam, I will take care. I know your husband for the last 30 years. I know how to break the news to him carefully. That's not a problem. I will take care.

The priest confidently went to their house and began talking to him.

He said : I think you are going to get a fortune.

Like this the priest slowly began the conversation, and then finally he changed the topic and asked him: If you get one million in a lottery what will you do?

That man replied: If I get one million, I shall give half of it to your temple.

Hearing this, the priest fell down and died.

Similarly, when fortune and luck come to us, if we don't have the maturity and the confidence and the stability to take it up, even if it comes, it is not useful. In the world there are hundreds of lucky draws and lotteries going on. I have visited many countries and as far as I know, there is nobody who has become wealthy due to a lottery. Money will come, however it will go back the same way it came. To maintain the fortune also, we need the ability and the capacity. We need the self-confidence. In our lives, most of us don't have the confidence, that's why; we are living a very superficial life, wondering whether we can achieve something in our life.

Being in the state of thoughtlessness, being in the state of peace and in the state of bliss is called Yoga. The moment we hear these words, the thought which run in our mind is: Is this all possible for us to do? Is it possible for us to practice this in our daily lives? Is it possible for us to be in a thoughtless state and peaceful state? We are not able to sit quietly for ten minutes. How can we do Yoga and meditation?

By thinking like this, we ourselves are pulling us down. There are two things: One is listening to the arguments and then giving the judgment and the other one is deciding the judgment and then collecting arguments to support the judgment we have decided. If we have already decided that we don't have self-confidence and that we cannot achieve anything in our life, then it means we really cannot achieve anything.

For example, if we had already decided that we cannot achieve or do any Yoga or meditation, then may be we will make a small attempt and if we are not successful in that attempt, then we will convince ourselfves that we have made a try and that we cannot try any further. If we decide like this, then this becomes an argument in support of the decision, which we had already made. Really, with an open-mind, with a confident and stable mind, with clarity in thought, if we make an entry into meditation, make an entry into Yoga, then we will know if it is possible or not possible to be in a thoughtless, blissful zone.

One important thing, we should understand. Mind is not a thing. It is an incident, which happens inside us. For example, we walk and once we reach the place we are supposed to reach, we sit in a chair. Once we sit on the chair, the act of walking which we did disappeared. That same moment we sat on the chair, the very act of our walking disappeared. That is, once we perform the incident or the action called sitting, then the incident called walking disappeared. Similarly, mind is an incident, it is not a thing. It is a program or an incident. Continuously some thought process keeps happening inside us. When we sit, the event of walking is no more. Just as the act of walking disappeared as soon as the act of sitting was performed, similarly, as soon as you come to the state of Yoga, the incident called mind will disappear.

Yoga means the techniques relaxing the oscillating mind, soothing the mind which is suffering due to wounds. The mind keeps oscillating up and down and in all directions. The technique for relaxing this restless mind is what we term as Yoga. Yogaha Chitta Vritti nirodaha. Yoga means attaining the state of thoughtlessness. This is the introduction, which Patanjali gives for Yoga. The only introduction, which we all should know is to understand that Yoga, does not just mean the physical movements and exercises which we do. Doing or making physical movements is just a part of Yoga.

Really, what is Yoga? Blissful state is always there inside us, the techniques that express this Nithya Ananda (eternal blissful) state, which is already there in us, is what is called Yoga. The techniques that help attain that state of Nithya Ananda are what is termed as Yoga. Mind is an incident, the techniques, which are used to calm down that incident, are called Yoga. This is the basic explanation for Yoga. The state of 'no mind' is termed as Yoga.

To attain this state of Yoga, there are eight steps or eight levels to it. Through these eight steps, one can experience the state of Yoga, step by step, clearly and confidently. Thus experiencing the state of Yoga through the eight steps is what Patanjali calls as Asthenia Yoga. This means the eight steps to attain the state of Yoga. When you go step by step following the eight steps, towards the state of Yoga, you can clearly and confidently, experience the eternal bliss.

In the next few chapters we shall discuss these eight steps, which take us into the sate of Yoga.

Wake Up! – Part 1

What is awakened state? And what is sleeping state

I welcome you all with my love and respects.

Today's topic is, 'Wake Up!' As soon as I said this, the next moment the question, which will come to our mind is, 'Does it mean that we are all sleeping?' Whether we accept it or not, or like it or not, the answer to this question is, Yes, we are all sleeping. May be the intensity of the sleep might have come down, but we are not truly, completely in the awakened state. May be its true that it is not as deep and intense as the sleep in the night, but we are not completely awakened. This is the truth.

What is the awakened state? And what is the sleeping state? When our common sense and our clear intelligence are not within our control, then we call that state as sleep. We cannot get into sleep by ourselfves. We can only fall into sleep. When our common sense and our thought flow is not in our control then that is the sleeping state. When our common sense is not in our control but if it still functions then that is the dream state. If it is not in our control and it is also not functioning then that is the deep sleep state. If common sense is not in our control, but it still functions, then that is called the dream state. In the dream state, our thought flow and our common sense will not be in our control, but, they will function. In the deep sleep state, it will not be in our control and it will not function also. But in the dream state, our common sense and our thought flow will function, but both are not in our control.

What is waking or the complete conscious state? When our common sense, our mind and our thought flow are in our control, then this is the waking state. Are these in our control? For this question, if we deeply search for the answer for this question, then we will know the answer, which is inevitably 'No'. We should understand this clearly, when our common sense, our mind and our thought flow are not in our control, then it means that we are not in awakened state. We are still in the dream state. May be we are at a dream state at a higher plane, not that much intensity as in the night. That's all. Sometimes if we see, when we dream we will know that we are dreaming. When we are dreaming, we will have the awareness that we are actually dreaming. Even if we are not in complete consciousness and awareness, we will have the awareness that we are dreaming. When we are not in the awakened state or in the conscious state, then we will not be in complete control of our common senses.

It is enough if we understand these basic few points. In deep sleep, our common sense will not be in our control and also it will not function. In dream state, our common sense will not be in our control, but still it will be functioning. A true waking state or awakened state is a state at which our mind, our common sense and our thought flow are in our control. In our lives if all three have not come under our control yet, then it means that we have not completely woken up. The complete awakened state has not yet happened in us. There is something called degree of consciousness to measure how much our mind and our thought flows have become straight. If our thoughts flow as per our wish and if it keeps our life in a joyful and blissful state then our consciousness will be at a higher plane. If our consciousness is in a higher plane and in a blissful state all the twenty-four hours, then, it means that we have all woken up. That's why, in Sanskrit (one of the oldest languages in Bharat. Many of the hymns and songs in the olden days were sung in Sanskrit), there is a word called Jagrat. Jagrat means awakened state.

The word Jagrat is also used for describing the state of the enlightened people. Why is it called like that? It is because, when we have truly woken up, it means that we have attained the complete, whole, blissful and enlightened state. Only when we are not truly awakened, our life is full of sorrow and dullness.

Okay, then what is the way to wake up? What is actually happening in our lives? What are we going towards? Only when such kinds of questions of clarity are created in us, we come to the awakened state. We should understand this basic thing. We are living neither in a state at which we are awakened nor in a dream state, but we are living in a dull state.

If we see carefully our thoughts do not flow in a free and clear manner. Just deeply observe the mind. We will understand clearly that our mind will be functioning in the same setup, in the same way and in the same manner. It does not think anything new. It does not have direct approach. It does not run freely. Our mind itself will function like a tape recorder. In those days, there was the gramophone. When a needle is placed over the gramophone disk, it will keep rotating and playing. If there is any scratch over the disk then the gramophone will repeat the same line again and again. I had been to one of our devotee's house. He had an old gramophone record, we asked him to play the gramophone. The song in the disk kept playing the same line. The line was: Varavu yettana, varavu yettana, varavu yettana …..(Income eight paisa, Income eight paisa, Income eight paisa….) This is an old Tamil (One of the languages spoken by the Dravidians in South Bharat) movie song. The gramophone kept repeating the same line because of the scratch.

I told him: This seems to be a very good gramophone; this speaks only of income not about any expense!

He replied: Master, we are really frustrated spending for this gramophone, hence we decided not to spend any more money on this.

An old gramophone plays the same line again and again, similarly, our mind has the same setup and acts in the same manner. If we observe our mind, we will understand this. We will understand how our mind functions in a pre-determined and fixed manner like the tape recorder. For example, when we are brushing our teeth in the morning , we worry about our office then when we are about to leave for work we worry about all the tensions in our office. After we go to work, we worry about teaching our son, his school lessons. When we are teaching our son, we worry about the provisions which have to be bought for our home. So once we are doing all the household related work, we worry about the next day's schedule.

Our mind will be used to this kind of mental setup and thus a mental habit will be formed. So when we are used to this kind of thinking pattern, then even on a Sunday, when we need not have to go to office, when we are brushing our teeth in the morning, automatically thoughts about our office come up. Even if we tell our mind: Don't worry about work now, today there is no office and you need not have to go to office today. The low mood or the depressive state which is present when we were in worry, will settle in our mind. Even if we ourselfves tell our mind that today is a holiday, since it is a mental habit to get worried, when the particular time comes, the mind automatically goes to a low mood and feels depressed.

After writing exams, getting the results, passing out, getting a job and getting married, after 5 years we dream that we have not written our exam. Or we dream that we have failed in the exam. It would have been years since our life changed, but our mental setup would not have changed. When we see, in many cases, this will apply. If we have the habit of taking coffee at seven in the morning, automatically there will be ring from inside us for coffee, even without seeing the clock. Then we will know that it is seven o' clock in the morning.

Mind will go in the same track, which is already recorded. Mind does not have its own natural course. It does not have its own freedom of choosing the path. Whatever we have recorded, it will use that same path. If we have the habit of sleeping at eight in the night, as soon as it becomes eight in the night, even if we don't see the clock, we begin to yawn. Our body automatically functions in the same routine way. If we observe deeply, mind is not a free, independent entity by itself. It is just a recorded system.

When we are functioning in this recording system, how we can say that we have awareness or we have the freedom to act the way we want. No. Really, our life is being spent in a very dull way. A devotee asked me: Master, which one will win in our life, is it fate or intelligence? I say : It is intelligence that will win, provided you have it. There is no doubt that intelligence will win. But whatever we have is not called intelligence. Of course, it is intelligence, which will win. But when will it win? When our mental setup and thought flow are in our control, only that time the intelligence starts working. Until then the intelligence does not work at all. Until then whatever was working was fate, which was calling itself as intelligence.

There is a beauty in this. There are some women who will run the family in such a way that no one will know that they are in control of that family. The husband will think that everything in the family is in his control. But even without the husband's awareness, she will control him. Some women know to hide the truth to that extent. Their actions will expressly prove that they are in charge. Some women are very smart, even without the husband being aware of it they will be in charge of him.

Our mind is like these smart women. That is the mind will show that we are free, But in reality it will control us and we will not have the freedom. That is a very dangerous situation. At least if we know that we are not free then that is okay. But if we don't even know that we are being controlled by the mind it is very dangerous. At this stage mind works at such an unconscious level. We won't even know that we are in sleep and we will be in sleep.

Once we come to clarity, first we should understand that we are in sleep. One more devotee had asked me a question yesterday, 'Master, I am trying to meditate. But when I begin to meditate, my mind is oscillating very fast. Am I really progressing in meditation?' We should understand one thing clearly, the moment we found out, that our mind is oscillating then it means that we are progressing in meditation.

During the new moon day, will we be able to see the black patches on the moon? No, we will not be able to see it. We can see that only on a full moon day. On a full moon day, the stains on the moon will be visible, due to the light from the moon itself. Similarly, when our consciousness or the intelligence starts working, then we will know that in our mind limitless thoughts are oscillating. During the new moon day, the stains on the moon will not be visible. It will be visible only on a full moon day, due to the light from it.

Similarly only when our intelligence and consciousness is in place, we will know that our mind is oscillating uncontrollably. When we sit in meditation, if we feel that our mind is uncontrollably oscillating, it is be clear that we are progressing in meditation. We have started progressing in our life. We have started bringing our mind in our control. Getting to know what is happening, is the first step to waking up.

If we dream of a tiger or an elephant chasing us, we will first come to the state of clarity that it is just a dream and only then we will come to the state of waking up. If we are usually haunted by dreams, we will know this. Firstly we will understand that it is a dream and then we will actually wake up. Similarly, the first thought which will come to us is that our mind is uncontrollably oscillating, that is, in our example, the first thought was that it was a dream. The clarity that it is a dream or that our mind is oscillating will come first. Then the second stage of waking up will happen.

There is a beautiful word in Sanskrit, which says, Buddha. Buddha means the awakened one. If we get the complete awareness and are in the awakened state then we become Buddha, else we will be Buddhu (fool). There is no big difference between Buddha and Buddhu. One is the awakened one and the other is the sleeping one.

We should understand deeply as to how we are sleeping. If we look into our life deeply, mostly; we do the same mistakes again and again. It is not wrong to do these mistakes, but doing the same mistake again and again is wrong. If we are doing the same mistake again and again, then it means that we have not learnt anything out of that mistake. Doing a mistake and not learning anything out of that mistake is the biggest mistake. There is no mistake, which is as big as doing the same mistake for the second time.

We should learn about two words, in our life, one is experience and the other word is experiential wisdom. Experience means the collection of incidents, which happen. If many incidents happened in our life, then it means we are a very experienced person. Experiential wisdom means the number of lessons, which we have learnt out of those experiences. Many times, we only age physically, but mentally we never grow. The physical ageing will increase our experience. Whereas only mental ageing will increase the experiential wisdom our experiential wisdom depends on the lessons, which we learn from our life's experiences.

Let me give an example. First time we touch fire in the gas range and understand that fire in the gas range will be hot. This is called an experience. Next we touch the coal stove and understand that even this stove will be hot. Then we touch a lighted cigarette and conclude that the fire in the lighted cigarette will also be hot. Then we touch a lighted match stick and conclude that even the fire from the match stick will be hot. By the time we touch every form of fire and conclude that all forms of fire will be hot, our body will be ready to get burnt. We will be ready to go to the burial ground. We will become old.

Touching the different sources of fire and finally concluding that fire will burn is what is called experience. Whereas understanding the first time when we touch the fire in the coal- stove, that all forms of fire will burn, is called experiential wisdom. Thus touching one form of fire and concluding that all forms of fire will burn is called experiential wisdom and touching all forms of fire and then only concluding that all forms of fire will burn, is called experience. Please understand that coming to a clarity based on one lesson, which we learnt is called experiential wisdom. Experience is different from experiential wisdom. There is a difference between experience and experiential wisdom. In our life, if we see, we face different experiences, but experiential wisdom does not happen.

This morning I was reading a very good book called Technology of consciousnesses. They have clearly explained that if a person is affected by cancer, then it means that at least thousand times he should have destroyed his body. Only then there is a possibility that one can be affected by cancer. Our body's immune system is extremely powerful. Though again and again we cause destruction to our body and we put our mind in sorrow, still the body has the ability and capacity to revive itself. It has the capacity to safeguard itself. Don't think God has trusted us and given this body to us. Since He did not believe us, He has packed our bodies with the immune system. If He had given this body to us, without the immune system, then within two days our body will stop functioning. He knows clearly that body should function in spite of us. The immune system in our body is an excellent system. How many ever times we might disrespect or cause destruction to our body, still the body immune system helps in renewing us again.

We may wonder, when are we disrespecting or causing destruction to our body? If we think deeply we will know. We are awake till twelve in the night and watch television. Our eyes will water and during the advertisements our eyes will automatically close. Eyes will literally plead for rest but what do we do? We force ourselves and open our eyes and continue to watch the programme. Then next, take the gonkura chutneys (spicy paste made of spinach). Our tongue will burn and stomach will pain, but since it is tasty, we keep on eating it. In spite of our ears pleading, we play and listen to music even if it tears our ear drums. This is what I call as disrespecting the body. It means for our sensory pleasures, and for our comforts, disrespecting the body and destroying it. How much ever disturbance and destruction we cause to our body, it has got the ability to renew itself again and again.

In that book called Technology of consciousness this has been beautifully explained. Diseases like cancer have an impact, only when it goes beyond a point where the body itself cannot bear the abuse. That is very true. Don't think any disease comes by itself. Many people come and tell me, 'Master, I have never cursed anybody or thought harmful things for others; I don't know why I was infected by this disease. I tell them, you might not have thought harmful things for others, but you have thought for your own body. Even without our awareness, we begin to insult and disrespect our body. We are disrespecting our body.

The great enlightened Master Thirumular says: Body is a temple. However we don't treat it like a temple. But now, there is a big problem. Since he said that the body is like a temple, people started disrespecting the temples like their body! People started disrespecting the temples, like the way they disrespect their body.

The verses, which we are going to see today, Patanjali beautifully says that maintaining the purity of the body is a penance. Purity here does not mean physical cleanliness. That is easy to do. Maintaining or safeguarding the body means not causing destruction to the body or disrespecting the body for our sensory pleasures or for our comforts. In our life, we don't respect our body.

Another important thing which we should understand clearly is that the moment we look at somebody's appearance and think : That body or the physical appearance is beautiful, then by that very act itself, we lose the respect for our body. I am not talking about the opposite sex attraction. I mean a male having an actor as a model for his physical appearance. To make sure that his body becomes like his model, he goes to gym and does all sorts of exercises. I am not saying we should not go to gym or do exercise, it is not wrong to do exercise or yoga to keep ourselfves healthy and fit. However the moment we think that our body should become like someone else's body, then it means that we have begun to disrespect our body. God has given the necessary, required physical structure and beauty to all of us. But, we apply extra makeup and do exercises so that we look like others. Please understand that all this just mean that we are disrespecting our body.

One person asked me: Master, why didn't God make everyone beautiful? I told him : How do you know that God has not made everyone beautiful? You decide a scale of beauty and also decide what beauty means. If someone is not according to that scale, then you categorize them as not looking beautiful. God is not an engineer who does mass production. If he was an engineer he would have made one mould and made mass production people. God is an artist, who has painted each one of us individually. If He was an engineer, then He would have done a mass production based on Mr. World and Miss. World. He would have given an order for mass production and gone to rest. But God is not an engineer. God is an artist. He has created all of us in dif erent forms, dif erent methods, dif erent shapes and dif erent angles. Each and everyone of us has a complete and beautiful body.

The moment we think that this body is not good and that we should make some changes to the body, we start to carve on this side, we color on one side and dye our hair, paint the lips, bleach the face, color our face and constantly start to hate our current physical structure. We begin to create a gap between us and our body. The moment we create this gap between us and our body, then without our awareness we begin to disrespect our body. Without our knowledge we begin to disrespect our body.

The moment we think that our body is not according to our wish then from that very moment we have begun to disrespect our body. If we are comfortable with our body, then it means that we are at ease with our body. If we have created a gap between us and our body, it means that we are not at ease with our body. The moment we are feeling uneasy with our body, this un-easiness is what is expressed as disease. Our mental setup is the fundamental reason for all our diseases. This is the truth. We shall discuss this point in detail today in our technique for discussion today. Today's topic for the discourse is related to this.

From the part, Sadhanai Padham, 26 th technique.

Viveka ghyadhi viblaba hanobhayaha.

It is a beautiful verse.

Let me tell you the meaning of this.

'The constant, uninterrupted acquiring of wisdom (vivekam) is a way to destroy ignorance', is the meaning of the above verse.

We should understand the relationship between this verse and today's topic. The questions which create clarity in our wisdom (vivekam) like, 'What is eternal and what is not? What is permanent and what is not? How to live our life? What has to be achieved in our life truly?', will pull us out of ignorance.

Let me tell you an incident, which actually happened. If I narrate this, then this particular message will become clear. I met an American devotee in America. He is a Hindu who lives in America.

Some of us think that the people there are very happy. It is our imagination. The people who are here think that the people who are there are very happy. The people there think that people who are here are happy.

Anyway, let us come back to the incident. That devotee came and spoke to me : Master, I came here eight years back. When I came to America, I had a list of things to be accomplished. I had imagined that I should buy two houses, two cars, that I should have so much of money, and a good family environment. I came here with this kind of mental setup and plans. I had calculated that to achieve this it will take ten years. But due to my hard work, I achieved this in three years only.

This is actually a very good thing. So far, whichever countries I had visited, I have sensed that Hindus have earned a good name. Truly, Hindu people are real hard workers, probably when they go abroad, they start working! People in all countries respect Hindus because they consider Hindus to be very honest, hard working and have a good conduct. Truly, they are hard working.

Anyway, coming back to the incident, that American devotee said: Whatever I had listed, everything I have accomplished, but I did not achieve the goal, for which I wanted to achieve all this. Whatever I had planned to accomplish, like buying a house, buying a car, earning money, the family environment, everything I had accomplished. But I achieved all these thinking that I will get the bliss, but I didn't get that bliss.

Most of us are actually confused with our goals. Since the goal is not clear, we don't know as to how our life goes on. At the age of forty or fifty, most of us go into this mental setup and worry: What did we achieve in our life? It looks like the entire life is wasted. The great enlightened Master Appar Himself says, Kurikhol illaadhu Ketaen (I have destroyed myself without a goal). If we see in our lives, we are not clear as to what is eternal and what is not? What we want to achieve? And such kinds of goals are not clear at all.

I am not saying we should not have desires. I am only saying let those desires have clarity. There are two kinds of desires, one is 'Clear desires' and other one is 'Unclear desires'. Clear desires are desires where we have the clarity in our life that we want to achieve something. For example say we want to earn one million. When that desire is clear to us, two things will happen to us. First thing is, before getting onto the desire itself we will know whether we can achieve that desire or not. If we think it is possible, we will pursue it. If we think we cannot, we will just drop it. So in the beginning itself, root of sorrow is completely cut off. Then there is no problem.

As an example, let's take this desire of earning one million and analyze. If we are running a business now, we will know if it is possible to earn one million or not. If we think it is possible then we will work towards it. If we think it is not possible then we will change our goal accordingly, like earning five lakhs or ten lakhs which may be less than one billion. Then we get the clarity to set our goal. If it is a business with which it is possible to earn one billion, then we will start working towards earning that. After earning that, we will settle down with the clarity where we feel that it is true that we earned one billion, but we did not get the joy and the bliss, which we thought we will get.

There are two things which we need to understand. First thing when we know that it is not possible to achieve a certain desire then that desire itself will leave us. Second thing, when we know it is possible to achieve our desires, if we start pursuing our desires, after achieving the desires we will come to a clear understanding that by achieving these desires we are still not feeling fulfilled.

Our ancestors say dharmam, artham and kamam (desire). Let us see what Kamam is. Kamam means a desire. When a desire crops up, if we deeply analyze it and we come to know that it will not be fulfilled, then we come to a clarity that it will not happen and we will drop it and focus on something else. Then it is fine. There is no problem. If we think it will happen, then we will achieve that desire and once we accomplish the desire, we will come to a clear understanding that even after fulfilling the desires, our life is still not fulfilled. Both ways it is good. If our desires are clear and are at a conscious level, then firstly our life will be peaceful from the beginning or secondly it will at least show the way towards peace.

That is, if in the beginning only we know, that achieving that desire is not possible, then at that very moment we will forget that desire and work in another direction. If we think it is possible to fulfill that desire and pursue it then after achieving the desires, we will at least realize that running behind desires will not give us the fulfillment in our life. In some way, there will be clarity. Either we will know it today or we will know it after ten years. At least we will realize it after ten years. That itself is a big thing. But most of the time, we don't even get those desires to the conscious level.

Let us see a small example to understand this further. Do any of us feel upset that we are unable to become like Bill Gates, the richest man in the world? Does any of us cry and yearn for it? But there are people who are upset that they are unable to earn like their brother. Bill Gates is wealthier than the brother. But we are not upset that we are unable to become like Bill Gates. The reason is that we are very clear that it is not possible to become like Bill Gates. When the clarity comes, there is no room for being upset. Since there is a possibility that we can become like our brother, we get worried. In the beginning itself when we get that clarity then there is no room for worry. Since that clarity is not there in the beginning, we are traveling towards worry.

Please take this as home work and do this. Sit alone for about half an hour and start contemplating and writing down what all we want to achieve in our life?

Our wishes will fall into any of these categories: First one is desire for the physical comforts, like tasting a sweet or wanting to visit some place or some kind of pleasures connected to the body. This is the first type of desire.

Second one is desire for recognition, name and fame. We feel that everybody should praise us and everybody should acknowledge us and praise us that there is no one like us in this world. That's why, when some people donate a tube light to a temple, they mention not just their names as donors, but they also mention their ancestors names, in a way the light from the tube light is blocked! The details of the donor with his ancestor's names and the date on which he donated and all other possible details will be mentioned on the tube light in dark letters, in such a way, when it is switched on, there won't be light from the tube-light, only the shadow of the dark lines will be seen on the walls! This is the desire for recognition, name and fame.

Third one is the desire related to the inner world. It is the desire for spiritual growth. Please understand that desire for spiritual growth is also a desire. Esanodu Aayinum aasai arumin says an enlightened Master. These are beautiful lines. It expresses the desire for a peaceful and blissful life. But this desire is a good desire. A desire towards spirituality will burn the other desires.

The fourth kind of desire is the one, which does not fit into any of the above 3 desires. That is the desire for giving trouble to others. That is a desire which implies, 'Even if I don't get anything good in my life, some one else should not get it. Anger, violence and terrorism all these fall under this category.

All our desires will fall in any one of these categories, nothing other than these. If we segregate all our desires, it will fall into any of the above categories. There is nothing else other than these above mentioned categories.

Please do this homework. Let us make a list of our desires under each of the above category. After we write down our desires and make it clear to ourselves, we will have a major clarity in our life. We might wonder, 'Master, what is going to happen, by writing down all the desires?' Please don't think this way. When our mind gets clarity about our desires, we will decide clearly the way our life should flow. Unnecessarily, our energy will not get wasted in all sides. We will come to a clear clarity. We will come to a clarity that, 'These are my desires and this is what I should work towards'.

When we start getting the clarity on our desires, two things will happen. One is that we will get the energy to fulfill the desires and we will begin to work towards it. Or secondly, we will get a clarity that we cannot fulfill it. Whatever happens, it is good. But the fundamental thing which should happen is the clarity which we should have over our desires.

Wisdom (vivekam) is the basic need. Power without intelligence is stupidity. Power without intelligence will lead only to terrorism and violence. That is of no use. Similarly, intelligence without power will make us dull and a coward. The power without intelligence will be harsh and rough. And our life will be haphazard and violent. It will not have any clarity.

Why do you think most of us are diabetic? Having sweets without any discipline and eating it vigorously. We don't taste these sweets deeply and joyfully. When we don't taste the sweet deeply and joyfully, then we start having more sweets, thinking that the next sweet will give more joy and so on. Be very clear, eating more is due to not eating properly. We might wonder: What? Are we eating more because we are not eating properly? How is that? If we eat patiently taking care to taste and enjoy every bit of the food, we cannot eat beyond a particular limit. If we tie the cow in the place where the grass is stored, the cow will never eat more? We may tie the cow in the place where the grass is stored, but still a cow will not eat beyond a limit. Even if a dog is sitting close to its food, it will still not eat beyond a particular limit. Man is the only exception to nature, acting beyond his limits. Acting beyond limits happens only in the life of human beings.

A small story.

This is actually a funny story. There was a middle-aged man. He hated both his wife and her pet cat. He wanted to sack both this wife and her pet cat. Unfortunately he could not sack his wife, so he planned to sack the cat. One morning, he escaped his wife's notice and he took the cat to a forest which is ten miles away from the city. Happy and relieved he drove back home. Much to his shock, he sees the cat at home. The cat came home much faster than him. Next day he takes the cat to another place which was in another direction about 20 miles away. He drove back home and ten minutes after he reached home he heard the meowing noise of the cat. The cat was back home again. The angry man on the third day thrust the cat in a bag and drove his car in different directions, left and right and haphazardly. After a long time he reached a forest and this thought passed his mind: This forest is a new to me. I myself have come here for the first time. So definitely the cat will not know the way.

So happily he left the cat behind, and proceeded towards home. On the way he had a doubt and called his wife through his mobile and asked her if the cat is at home. She replied: Cat? Oh yes, the cat is very much here, right next to me. He said: Oh, then please ask the cat the way back home, I have lost the way!

Please understand that man is the only animal who has moved away from nature. No other animal has moved away from nature. Eating beyond a particular limit comes due to experiencing something in a harsh manner, in a rough and tough way without any discipline. We do not enjoy in a relaxed and sensitive way. Most of us are always rough and tough. In our lives, if we see, even when we are talking in a loving manner to someone, the words that we use will be as though we are fighting. The other person will not know whether we are fighting or talking with love.

When we are eating food, if we can deeply, patiently and joyfully eat the food then we will not eat beyond a particular limit. We are either watching TV or reading the newspaper while eating. Or else only while eating all our past memories and future dreams will come up in our mind. It is either dreaming about past memories or imagining about the future. When we are not deeply involved in anything, for example, when we eat, if we are not focused on what we eat then we will not know how much we ate. If we fill our snack bowl and switch on the TV, when the program is over the plate also will be empty. We will not know how much we ate or what we ate. And in the process we will not know even if we have gulped any insects, since we are so engrossed in watching TV! The reason is we are watching TV and something else is going in through the other side. We don't even know the taste of what we ate. The moment we enjoy things without any sensitivity and in a crude manner we are actually destroying the body.

There is a beautiful Upanishad (Sacred texts that embody the experiences and ecstatic realizations of great seers who perceived the reality and enjoyed it) mantra (sacred words).

Annam Brahmaedhi navya janaadh. Annamna Nindhyaath Thathratham.

The meaning of this is, 'Food is like God, Don't waste it. Don't disrespect food. Please follow this religiously, like a Vratham (a commitment). Vratham is a duty done towards God, to show our gratitude to God. Wasting food does not only mean throwing the food in the dustbin. Without respecting the food, if we gulp down the food quickly, be very clear that is also equal to throwing the food into the dustbin. Without eating the food deeply, joyfully and patiently, if we dump the food in urgency into our stomach, then this is also similar to dumping the food in the dustbin. At least by dropping into the dustbin we will not put on weight, dropping into ourselfves increases our weight leading to other diseases.

I used to visit many of our devotees homes. They will place many items on the plate and tell me: Master please eat, if you don't eat then all the items will be wasted. I tell them: If the food which is external is wasted, then only the food will go waste. If the food is dumped into the body with an intention not to waste then be very clear, not only the food will go waste even our body functioning will also go waste. Experiencing something in an insensitive way means that we are insulting and ill-treating both the body and the mind.

Intelligence and wisdom (vivekam) and clarity should first come in our thought flow and desires. If we can come to a basic clarity that is enough.

Be very clear, this does not mean controlling our desires. Understanding what our desires are whether we can achieve such desires and thus arriving at this clarity is enough. Half of our problems will disappear. If we have clearly come to the conclusion that it is not possible to achieve those desires then such desires will disappear. We need not have to worry about that. That desire will settle in the back of our mind and get dissolved. To get that wisdom (vivekam) and intelligence is the basic requirement in our lives. The clarity, wisdom (vivekam) and intelligence as to what is required and what is not required is the basic requirement to be achieved by every one of us.

The fundamental duty of every man is wisdom (vivekam). Most of us think that if our parents have earned the required wealth for us to live our entire life, then their duty towards us is over. No, that is wrong. I always tell people: the duty towards your son is not just earning the wealth for his living. You are responsible for giving him the intelligence and the wisdom (vivekam) to run his life. Really, that is the duty of the father towards his son. Be very clear the duty of the parents towards their children is to provide them with the intelligence, clarity and wisdom (vivekam). But if we don't give them the intelligence, even if we transfer wealth valuing millions, we ourselves will be spoiling our children. Most often we see that if the father earns, the son will spend lavishly.

A small story.

Actually a true story. Henry Ford is one of the richest persons in America. Many of us may have heard of him. He is the founder of the Ford Motor Company. He usually goes to a hotel. Generally he stays in an ordinary room, which is not a deluxe room. But if his son goes to the same hotel, he will stay in a deluxe room with all the luxuries. The manager of the hotel asked Henry Ford: Sir, you always stay in the ordinary rooms, but your son always stays in the luxury rooms.

Henry Ford replies :His dad is a rich man, but my dad is not a rich man.

Please understand that the biggest wealth, which we can transfer to our children or to our next generation, is intelligence and wisdom (vivekam). Let us not think that our duty ends just by providing our children school education or transferring our wealth to their names. The most important thing which we have to transfer to them is the mental clarity, the ability, the wisdom (vivekam) and intelligence to handle their life and live their life. Provide them with meditation and knowledge. That is our basic duty towards our children. The moment we give them the wisdom (vivekam), intelligence and the clarity, he will earn whatever he wants. But if we just give them the wealth without giving the wisdom (vivekam) and intelligence, then how many ever millions we transfer to them, they will ruin the entire wealth. Since we earned it we know its worth. But this wealth goes to our children as a gift so they will not know the value of it.

Let me tell you an incident which happened. All of us know Bill Gates, the richest man in the world. He has just transferred 1% of his wealth to his children and he has written a will to donate the rest of his wealth towards charity. Actually he has really done it. He has created a trust to handle this. People are asking him as to why he transferred just small negligible portion of his wealth to his children and the balance has been allocated for charity.

He replied: Just because he has the credit of being my son, the entire wealth cannot go to him. He will not respect the wealth. He will know the worth, only when he earns it by himself.

By this is does not mean that we should not transfer our wealth to children. But before transferring the wealth we must give them the mental setup which is needed to handle the wealth. Give them the mental state needed to handle the status. If we transfer the wealth without giving the needed mental setup then they will not be able to retain the wealth. The first thing that we have to do is bringing the intelligence, clarity and wisdom (vivekam) into ourselves and transferring the same to our next generation. That is, the clarity and maturity to handle life should be brought into us and then the same should be transferred to our next generation.

That's what Patanjali beautifully says: Only when we bring in the wisdom (vivekam) into our lives, we wake up from ignorance. As long as wisdom (vivekam) does not come into us, our life will be immersed in the darkness of ignorance. The word, 'Wake up!' means this. We must bring our mental setup into wisdom (vivekam). The moment we bring our mental setup within wisdom (vivekam), then we will not face the same pain again and again. If we see, most of us will be facing similar kind of pains in our life.

For example, as soon as a person gets up in the morning, he smokes a cigarette and in the evening he feels guilty for having smoked the cigarette. Again the next morning, he smokes the cigarette and so on the mental pattern continues. Some people have this habit of drinking in the evening and feeling guilty in the morning that they are unable to stop the drinking habit. Both habit and guilt rotate like wheels. Both of them keep coming alternatively. First the desire to enjoy then after that the guilt will come and so on alternatively. It will keep rotating. Breaking free from this cycle of desire and guilt is called wisdom. The moment we bring in wisdom and clarity, we should not immerse ,ourselves in sorrow by doing the same mistake again and again.

Waking up from the ignorance of immersing ourselves in sorrow constantly is the basic meaning of the words, Wake Up. 'Wake Up' does not mean just waking up from sleep, it also means pulling ourselves us out of the sorrow and having the maturity to wake up from ignorance. That is what is meant through the words, 'Wake up'.

There is a beautiful hymn in the Bhagavad Gita (a spiritual book in which Lord Krishna explains the science of self-realization and the exact process by which one can establish the eternal relationship with the supreme).

Utharae Aathmanathmanam Aathman Avasadhyaeth.

This hymn means that we ourselves should bring us up from misery. We ourselves should wake us up. We ourselves should pull ourselves out of sorrow. We think that someone else will bring us out of sorrow. Nobody else can do this. How can someone else eat on behalf of us? Only we should take care of our mental setup. May be someone else can earn for us but nobody can eat on our behalf. Similarly, we ourselves should earn the wisdom in our life, the clear mental setup, and the maturity to run our life. Nobody else can do that for us. Nobody else will be able to do that for us. Only we can bring the clarity, maturity and the ability to live life.