Video 8

Astavakra's Teachings - Part 9

foreign [Music] foreign to the one who performs yagnas many oceans and rivers flow with sweetness by the plants be sweet midnight and Dawn be sweet May the Earthly realm and the fatherly Heaven be sweet to us May the trees be endowed with sweetness and the Sun be sweet to us May our cows Bend out with sweetness this Mantra invokes sweetness and pleasantness all around this Mantra addresses nature as divinity plants trees Heaven and Earth rivers and oceans cows and the Sun Are Not Mere in sentient components of nature but entities periciting with divinity [Music] let us continue our study of the teachings of ashtavakrav last time janaka who was actually a star across student although he was in age janaka was in age much older than a Starbucks so janaka said indeed in previous section that nowhere of brahmana brahmagyani a person who has transcended the ignorance that he is the body and demand and is actually experiencing his divine nature which is what the upanishad says upanishad says everything is Brahman sarbam kalvitam Brahma everything whatever nature we see is all Brahman alone and the upanishad says which one of us is that you are that a person who is actually experiencing it such a person remains unaffected by whatever happens to oneself once one body and mind and to the whole world remains totally unaffected absolutely merged in the infinite joy of the self so that was the description of a Brahma gyani given by janaka now in the next section chapter 8 of this book samhita talks about two important things namely what is freedom what is bondage bondage what is bondage and what is freedom without the talks about freedom freedom from what frame from freedom from ignorance of our True Divine Nature freedom from all suffering and limitations and Moksha Liberation means experiencing our infinite Eternal divine nature those two concepts are important we should know that what what is what Freedom sorry what bondage is if you don't even know the problem what bondage is that we are bound then there is no way they can even find try to find a solution to that one so the way it's important to know what is bondage what is it that is creating suffering in human life if you know that if you know the problem then we can try to find a solution how to find liberation mukti Moksha so that is why it used to are important things there the student at the beginning of the text asks the teacher several questions of them these were two questions what is Banda what is Moksha what is bondage that binds us causes all kinds of suffering in human life what is that and what is Moksha what is Liberation how to become free from all suffering those two questions are addressed very briefly in this as we have seen so far only the final conclusions experiences are given there is no reasoning there is no argument and there is no refutation of opposite views nothing just a conclusion based upon experience that's what we see so very succinctly describes what is bondage and what is liberation to understand this parable of fish being caught in a fisherman Fisherman's met is very important so many all of us have heard that I read that Parable in the gospel sriram Krishna talks about four kinds of people those who are bound and they don't know that they are born what situation most possible situation a person is sick and does not know that he is sick there's no way to find a solution then the second class of people are those who know that they are bound those who know of that they are ignorant something is causing the problem in their lives and they want to know why the problem is there they want to find a solution that that one they're struggling the first category of person persons called a birth the bound person does not know you that is even about second category of people they know that they have a problem they know there is suffering in life their experience suffering and they want to become free from it they want to find a solution to all suffering in human life your trying hard doors and the third category of people among those who have found the solution they are those who have found self-knowledge cause of all suffering ignorance support true nature they are free from that and they have acquired knowledge of the self on their established in perfect bliss of this self [Music] they received the purusha siddha by a virtue of effort by didn't have effort they have achieved Perfection knowledge then there is a fourth category of people small number of people who never get Bound in the first place they are ever free to illustrate these four categories of peoples sriram Krishna gives example like fisherman who carries a wide net in a river and lot of lot number of fish get caught in the net some of those fish which are caught in the net they don't even know that they are caught in the net they burrow into the mud and say they are comfortable here everything is safe or nice nothing to worry about they're happy they don't don't know that in a few minutes they will all die in the Fisherman's Net when they pulls the net out of the water they don't know that they are bad and the of those fish which are caught in the net many of them know that they are caught they are struggling hard to become free from the Met they're struggling hard for Freedom they know that they are caught so they are trying every which way to get out of the net these are some other cause they know they have a problem they are looking for a solution then there is another group of fish that are caught and they struggle and succeed in getting out of the net somehow through one way or other they would Escape and they are received the they achieved solution perfect perfect there was your knowledge the producing freedom their siddhasana then there is a fourth year of fish fish which never get into this nut in the first place then the fishermen because they met they don't get into the net at all they're very clever they're ever free they their need just so what is the problem that is afflicting majority of people is either they are badass they have a problem and they are suffering in life also trying to find enjoyment in between and they don't know that this is limitation of Life they don't know there is a solution they don't know that they can become totally permanently free from this all problems of life and enjoy their divine nature which is blissful everyone is capable of doing that everyone without exception is their Birthright to become that to experience it they don't even know that one they're struggling this is okay we are happy family job money position power Fame enjoyment entertainment they are happy with that one the problem has not been not even bigger to bother them then the second category of people are saw the cause who know there is a solution there must be a solution to the all problem all problems of human life or they are trying to find a solution there's most of us belong in that category we are trying to find solution to the problems of life through spiritual practice and we are trying to do that one we are not preached Perfection yet and some people who have realized God a few there are they have reached a goal their said thus they are they call them realized Souls we look for them holy people and we try to get their blessings and they are holy people they are siddhas and some people small in number in that group they never get entangled in worldly life at all SRI Ram Krishna says people like serious people like Swami Vivekananda Swami brahmananda their nithya siddhas they take human birth not to work out their karma or to enjoy anything they take even birth only for the sake of helping other people for loka sangraham their birth is not meant to work out their karma or anything they are ever free but still out of compassion for the summary of suffering Humanity they take birth and try to help other people this was from Vivekananda did foreign and the first and last category they are both happy the Buddhas are happy because they don't even know it's a problem they are happy with their parties and enjoyment and car and rest and sports and money they don't even know there is a problem and the everfree are always happy they never get into the worldly entanglement worldly life at all they're always free in between the people are suffering there is a very nice verse in the bhagavatam bhagavatam which I'm the Swami ranganathan Didi quoted in Islam lectures it says there are two categories of people in this world who are always free who are there yes okay yes means the worst most foolish people they are enjoying life oh this is nice we will always be like this they don't they are not afraid of the future they don't know their old age is coming to going to come and that is going to come disease they are not yet they are happy with their enjoyment they are very happy okay yes only existence suffering rishti goal of permanent happiness they were free with these two categories of people they are very happy in between people who know they have a problem they don't have a solution they're struggling saw the cars and they are unhappy because they are suffering they're looking for a solution they are bound so many problems in life and search it for a solution for freedom for liberation and they are unhappy because this struggle is continuing okay in between people most of us fall in that category you know if there is a problem life is full of a problem we are trying to fund a solution and we are in that category but by the grace of God everyone will eventually succeed everyone who is trying to struggle and find acceleration we will find a solution because that is our true nature we are that even now only we are not aware of it we are not experiencing our divine nature if you are not that now if it it's something that has to come as a result of effort then it's not permanent all effort is limited in time and duration so all resulted faculty is also Limited in time and duration so Liberation is not something that is that can be gained by effort it is our Natural State what is what is to be done why you are doing spiritual practice and other things or to remove the obstacle to remove the obstruction to remove the ignorance then our true nature which has always been there inherently shines forth and we realize that that's really called use the word realization we realize that we always get that you're never you never were born but you are you are ignorant of our true nature the triggers has to be removed that is why all this effort is necessary so to understand what is bondage what is Liberation briefly explains them in in chapter 8. so the first verse there is foreign do we know that we are born that we have a problem when the Mind anchors for something something that is missing in our life various kinds of problems something I don't have some people don't have good health they are struggling to gain good health they want good health something that is missing they want to have it this is a sign of incompleteness desire is a sign of incompleteness by Nature we are full perfect the thing is lacking we are sachidananda nothing is lacking 100 percent on and blessing and perturb the place nothing can shake Eternal infinite unchanging undiminishing Bliss that's what we are but we don't know that one you are suffering some Gap in your life something is missing that is making us unhappy such a person wants something wants you tell me something that's missing a person wants there's a sign of suffering a sick person wants good health a poor person wants some money to buy food a childless person wants a child that brings him happiness or he thinks it brings him happy like that one when a person wants something wants athi then he is a bound person when the Mind wants something something is missing that means he is not experiencing these are her Divine infinite nature that wanting something desire is a sign of problem it's a problem it's imperfection some these are is there we are not happy until it is until it is fulfilled we are struggling the sick person is struggling because health is not there every day is a problem listen that looking for solution medicine so that is sign of imperfect that is bondage wanting something indicates incompleteness bondage not full happiness grief when something dear is lost you hold something dear in your life that is lost then a person becomes sorrow sorrowful a child is lost bereavement in family job is lost no money to support family no job something in loss then grief comes grief is a kind of is an indication of limitational suffering no desire when the desire is there bondage in completeness suffering when Ashoka grief is there something there was lost then suffering that is bondage something that is unpleasant he wants to release that one become free from that one is something that is Pleasant wants to have wants to receive that one when a tendency is there to get rid of something the sign of bondage the tendency is there to grab something hoping it will bring happiness make me complete that's a sign of incomplete sign of bondage of suffering If You observe carefully we have all these things we want to get rid of something you want to get something which we don't have this is sign of incompleteness suffering this Banda but people don't experience it oh they're happy with what they have a lot of money is there food is there God is there children are there position we are happy nothing is missing but give you some time they will realize the problem those are Buddhas something make the person happy if a person is infinitely happy sachidananda there's nothing more that can add to his happiness you can't tell it add to Infinity something and make it a bigger infinity infinity is infinity then nothing can increase it or decrease it a person who feels good when something is added frustrative feels happy then that means something was missing and that is completed for some time that is happiness but something that is added that brings happiness is not from that it will go away also it must be inherent then it is true happiness anger will come desires when desires are thwarted then anger comes when karma is not fulfilled then Kroger will come I have some desire I expect my child to behave in this way get a in the course he got a C I become happy yeah I become I become angry by expectation will not fulfilled I wanted him to get a becomes unhappy anger like for other things something that is not fulfilled expectation desire then that turns into anger then Karma through the bichagata we saw in the Gita second chapter when these things happen these are all signs of bandhatara band he defines Banda in this way defines what is bondage so we have to observe what is happening in our minds do I want something is there desire in my mind do I get rid of something want to get something that is an unpleasant bothering me I'm angry because my desire was not filled for expectation not well I wanted to show me respect they didn't show me respect at all then become angry is it happening to me or am I happy something came I'm happy something that comes and makes me happy is not going to be permanent something goes away also it must be inherent cannot be Allah should not be lost then only it is permanent happiness if something that is not there now if it comes to me and I become happy that happiness is very temporary the thing that comes with us not there alone will also go away not it was not there all the time so that is all these are all signs up and uh so show called those things this is how astrakra defines bondage in the first lookup now we go to the second verse these are all states of mind if you examine our mind then they know that we are not happy in the second verse he defines mukti what is Liberation what is freedom is all opposite freedom is then Liberation is then when does not want anything always full completely full nothing to be added if I am 100 full then there is nothing that can make it more than 100 percent is like that Brahma gun is so infinitely joyful unconditionally joyful eternally joyful nothing bothers such a person nothing is missing nothing is lacking nothing bothers such a person you can't make him any happier if you give a to a person like if he gave fifty dollars 50 rupees it doesn't make him happy then I don't want any money I'm already happy without any money those days 10 000 rupees was a huge amount he didn't even want to hear about it became uncomfortable no don't even bring up the topic he said foreign no amount of money no amount of praise no Comfort nothing can make the person happier because a better mechanisms have fully hundred percent happy they can't increase the happen infinitely happy can't add anything to his happiness that's why without anything they are very happy they don't have any property or money or possession or their own anchor for a price or anything they're only happy nothing can make them happier such a person to desire already full of no loss also whatever there is nothing that they hold on dear to them because their happiness does not depend upon having something they are internally happy their their nature is happiness the thing that they have gives them happiness so when sriram Krishna was asked by mistake that are somebody they he was supposed to ask her today to live but by mistake yes siram Krishna to live that place where he was living in the United Kali Temple room he didn't complain oh I have to leave okay put on the towel on his shoulder and walked away towards the gate no why are you why should I leave I am living here in my room no go go it does not depend upon staying in that room happiness wherever he stress is infinitely happy another place will not make him less happy and more happy every place is same he is always happy regardless of where he is so he walked away didn't ask why why am I supposed to live what did I do know then they realize the mistake and went to ourselves are very sorry it was a mistake a communication problem you are not supposed to replace them or you do have to come back or come back he didn't protest you told me I have to leave no I come back okay I'll come back and sat down on this court such a person is unconditionally happy does not depend upon having something or staying some playing some place or not having something nothing to desire nothing to give up no no pain of loss so coming something that when dear is lost we soak up no then nothing Atman cannot be lost property can be lost Fame can be lost Health can be lost body can be lost but Atman Brahman can't lose it is we I cannot lose myself I am always there right the things I have will be lost but they are I'm not depending upon them for happiness what I am intrinsically I am happy for such a person there is no sense of loss at all foreign he was a great scholar and a devotee he himself became unhappy once you have to speak of ordinary struggling people like us we become unhappy nor they became unhappy so what does he do he has to find a solution so he goes to sanat kumara Brahma son greatest of all teachers so Narada approaches and says sir I am very happy I am Afflicted with grief please help me how to overcome grief I'm very unhappy what is your problem I don't know I am very unhappy norada says he says he knows the problem he says when she was asked why you are unhappy nor that says sir I have heard from great teachers like you nor that was I've heard from great teachers like you that only that person who knows the Atman such a person can be happy free from sorrow and all suffering and I don't have that one that's why I'm unhappy sir from black people like you ever heard that who crosses Ashoka grief all grief please teach me he says already great scholar he had studied everything so Kamara does not start giving a lecture about Atman foreign what have you studied so far then if you if I know what your study then I can see if there is something else to be added to what you know it's not the gives a long list of things I've studied astronomy physiology herpetology mathematics grammar logic all the four Vedas everything I have studied uh but you still am not happy long listing use all that knowledge that you have is only textual knowledge we have studied the text you memorize the text you can chantali with us upanishads and all these scriptures back and forth but that is not knowledge of the self now they're just selfie is missing Peter is that that makes us happy not World in all over no matter how scholarly a person is even in the upanishads and Vedas that scholarship does not bring happiness it can only bring worldly Rewards but not Liberation Sankara says scholarship of the even the scriptures does not being Liberation it only brings worldly Fame rewards a claim it bring that's all I'm great Proficiency in explaining commenting on the sastras and the scriptures this kind of scholarship of the scholars it is no liberation so what brings happiness is nothing to be lost nothing to be gained fully hundred percent happy within oneself not depending depending upon outside thing what other people think maybe if they think good of me it helps me but praise me I'm happy if you blame me I'm unhappy not like that one in the second chapter when Arjuna asks Shri Krishna what are the signs of Vegeta pregnant when we think early thing that Shri Krishna says completely satisfied with the self with him not depending upon outside things for happiness the moment I depend upon something outside of me for happiness good health praise money property Fame Etc the moment I depend upon these things then that is source of problem only no happiness but I am happy inherently in in world without any outside thing even if the body is in whatever condition does not make me unhappy if I'm happy with myself I am experiencing my divine nature I am Brahman I'm experiencing it then nothing can make me unhappy nothing can increase my happiness that is how mukti is defined with then he says give up that's uncomfortable the thing to add hold on to that brings you more comfort no anger and no joy no matter what people do you can't absolutely ordinary person becomes upset if you just say something uncharitable if somebody says Swami you are very nice and great I am happy somebody says some you are a fool then I become unhappy the thing makes the person happy was kicked One Day by another jealous priest that we know half aware uh in under one of jealous priest was there everybody was praising sriram Krishna but the dead priest was didn't get any appraise or anything he became jealousy when he was alone ramakrishna laying on the ground and this priest goes and kicks him on the back and back black mark was dead we didn't become angry he didn't tell anybody anyhow but he didn't complain why did you keep me no anger no it's okay body so that is nothing bothers such a person nothing bothers such a person totally and 100 happy within oneself not depending upon happiness upon outside things upon condition of the body what other people think of me whether I have money or food or now those things don't make me a happy addition does not make happy decent does not make me unhappy such a person of independently completely happy within oneself that is Liberation he says and then yeah in the next sloka he says again it describes bondage tissue drishti means seeing vision means Vision here drishti means something that is seen that means any sense object that is either same or heard that can be attached tested or smelled anything served no sense of that can make me increase my happiness if you take away something it does not make me unhappy if I'm a brahmanyani you say it is bondage foreign this is very nice I want to have this one then I am bound because I think that if I am if I acquire that one that makes me happier that is bondage that feeling of income if you have 100 happy additional the thing makes me happier if you give money to people like what will do no thank you you keep it for yourself I'm already Happy Money cannot be add to my happiness at all that is ah that is mukti nothing that is missing because when a mind is not interested in any sense of that hoping it will bring me more happiness then that is Liberation if there is something that I want to have that I don't have hoping that will bring me happiness that is bondage if the mind is interested I get it I'll be happy that is bondage foreign nothing can make me happier than I am already then that is liberation this way continues the description of what is happiness what is bondage what is liberation Ordinary People depend upon some subjects for happiness it makes me makes him happier the person who wants to have a husband or a wife gets her husband alive it makes him or her happier something that is missing audition makes happy that's bondage because that person not happy as it is something is missing anything which if we anchor for something that is sign of bondage if you don't have any desire at all total desirelessness already 100 fulfilled the thing can make me additional thing can make me happier that is freedom liberation that is the difference between an ordinary person again it does not anchor for something he doesn't want to get rid of anything there's nothing that's bothering him nothing that wants makes him happier 100 happy as it is ordinary person wants something does not want something if you're interested in something that I don't have I don't want this place bothering me I have to get rid of this one that is bondage so Ordinary People depend upon external things this we know from the from the bhagavad-gita a person looks for a happiness ordinary person not abrahamagani looks for happiness in outside objects objects such as money relationship with another person living relationship children grandchildren position power Fame Etc they look for they want this one hoping they will bring happiness what is happiness for a ordinary person contact between sensorg and sense of that is happiness what is pain same thing contact between sense organs objective unhappiness some subject is same my hands are there my my mind stands up that since organ everything is there if I get something that makes me happy if I get rid of something that makes me unhappy that's the condition of a a gyani bound person happier or unhappy so this explained in the Gita second chapter sloka number 14 there bhagwani Krishna explains what an ordinary person thinks of his happiness very happy very nice I want to have it I want to have it always closer to me some some job that if I see if I touch it oh two different painful don't get away from my life I don't want you there's nothing in the sense of that it's all a reaction of the play of the Mind same sense of object you can clearly see the undependental nature of sense of just to give us happiness or unhappiness in relationships in food also when you are young and strong healthy you can any amount of eat sugar chocolate cheesecake Pizza everything no problem you can Digest but the same food creates problem pain it becomes like poison well a little bit later in life relationship thing do people meet each other oh I love you I love you I want to always be with you you want we have a future together like this or they were happy I want to have that even when the person is at work is texting few people are at work different offices they don't want to lose contact that is happening what want want because company that medicine makes me happy that person makes me happy okay they go to court get United married find happy happy marriage give some time five ten years later they go to same court to get separated what happened same person same person I love you I love you because I hate you I don't want you in my life get out of my life what happened same person here same person there that is sign of ignorance depending upon that other person for me happiness ignorance we don't know we are already 100 happy within our own self Atman you are looking for happiness outside in outside objects or another person money car Fame position president I want to be president that is what the Mind thinks contact with sensor objects the Mind thinks is happiness heat and cold Happiness and happiness foreign and then people reach out for some subjects for happiness they bring happiness for some time then everything same thing makes me unhappy body makes me happy when I am young and Youthful I enjoy but it gives me a lot of pain when I'm old and sick same thing same body what changed that is not true happiness at all depending upon outside things regardless of their body mind what other people think what I have or don't have if I am independently completely hundred percent unconditionally happy foreign don't worry about their body or what other people think about that in chapter 15 chapter 12 local 15 SRI Krishna describes a devotee devotee say I have some qualities agreement getting yes a person who does not bother anybody other people with his or her behavior a person who is not bothered by what other people do or say or think other people's behavior such a personal independently happy the devotee is the moment by make my happiness a function dependent upon other things other people other having something not having something then I am miserable that is bondage so then he continues one more uh shloka he says instruction he gives us as long as I am think I'm the body and the mind then there is no Liberation because if we love suffering but he comes and goes in between it changes if you're very happy sometime become strong and middle age comes and then deterioration comes up six changes we have seen before it goes away also to a person who has the aham means I'm the body mind that is the greatest ignorance that one can suffer from not knowing my divine nature I must be it's true now it's always been to never been false something the history must be always true in the past in the present in the future regardless of my awareness of it whether I am aware of it or not is true an alterable truth is the problem so when I think I am the body mind not knowing that I'm the Atman that is that is suffering limitation when there is no aham then Liberation Body Mind Is Me that is liberation so we have to strive for that one giving up attachment to body and the mind positions other things we need all of these things can keep we don't have to shun any of these things but we don't become attached to them how to remain free from attachment will be next chapter how to practice the adjustment in next chapter of process the moment I become dependent on something or somebody for happiness not intrinsically happiness Within Myself then I am bound that is bondage that is ignorant that is that is suffering so knowing yourself is the most important if I know myself who am I am the Atman not the body man that is Liberation brahmagyana is a liberation that is the gyani's position for bhakta it is pure devotion is Liberation more than Liberation there's a different path worst of Christianity knowledge of the self so this way he continues in the you know uh the shankara comes up with this very nice verse there he says there are three categories of people if you take the whole population human beings eight million eight billion now the key tag three major categories so some people minority people think that I'm the body I am the I am the mind they are the majority of people Dev or always subject to suffering the two other categories of people are there they are the the last one is Brahma gyani this the verses like this he says inert person inner person means not able to think deeply such a person he says I am the body person who cannot think deeply I am the body what else is there I'm young I'm youthful I'm happy I have money I have family I have a job I'm happy I'm the body nothing beyond that one that is total ignorance give some time that person realizes all the problem then your question will begin who am I then until then happy days the second category of people the majority of people belong second category they they have to give a Hamdi Jiva I am a body I have a body I also have a Jiva I have a soul something Divine is there within me I don't know clearly what it is but the body is not does not exhaust my personality they are saying more than the body body includes the mind there is something in me when you have such feeling we are not clear about what that other thing is something even we have heard in the scriptures other people say I'm just not the body and demand I am something more than that second category of people foreign experiences divine nature he always that person unwaveringly is aware that he is Brahman not coming and going not sporadic not unwaveringly that person is established in Brahman consciousness such a person are only happy people all others are trying for that one devotional brahmagana struggling stage we are sadakas Someday by the grace of God that knowledge will come the devotion will come and we pray for that one so let me see the concluding prayer service [Music] [Music] it'll be going to be concluding song next Sunday Swami will speak on preparing the ground 11 o'clock next Sunday preparing the ground somebody will speak this is a song by Kabir give a little bit of translation drink the nectar my friend today the sky is showering in Bliss a drop is all that I need yet it cannot be tasted in this dreamlike world tell me how and to whom I explained this to this water is only for the one who is thirsty without being worthy you can never gain it guru's utterances are drops of this nectar this nectar is the way to eternal life foreign [Music] [Music] foreign [Music] [Music] [Music] foreign [Music] [Applause] [Music] foreign [Music] [Music] foreign [Music] [Music] foreign [Music] [Music] 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