Srimad-Bhagavatam 5.12.3
Bhakti Vijnana Goswami · London · 2006
Chapters
King Rahugana requests simple spiritual instructions
Asmadbhavandam Mama Sam Srayartam Praksyami Paschat Adunasu Bodham Hadyatma Yoga Gratitam Tavoktam Akyahi Koduhalacheta Some. Whatever doubts I have about a particular subject matter I shall ask you about later.
For the time being, this mysterious yoga instructions you have given me for self-realization appear very difficult to understand. Please repeat them in a simple way so that I can understand them.
My mind is very inquisitive and I want to understand this clearly.
Namaḥ oṁ viṣṇu-pādāya kṛṣṇa-preṣṭhāya bhū-tale śrīmate bhaktivedānta-svāmin iti nāmine Namaste sārasvate deve gaura-vāṇī-pracāriṇe nirviśeṣa-śūnyavādi- paścātya-deśa-tāriṇe vāñchā-kalpatarubhyaḥ ca kṛpā-sindhubhya eva ca patitānāṁ pāvanebhyo vaiṣṇavebhyo namo namaḥ Jai Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya Prabhū Nityānanda Śrī Advaita Gadādhara Śrīvāsādi- gaura-bhakta-vṛnda Hare Kṛṣṇa Hare Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa Hare Hare Hare Rāma Hare Rāma Rāma Rāma Hare Hare Hare Kṛṣṇa Hare Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa Hare Hare Hare Rāma Hare Rāma Rāma Rāma Hare Hare So
here in this verse we can see how Maharaja Rahugana develops some doubt. And how he wants to clarify this doubt and how he expresses his inability to understand the instructions by Jada Bharata.
In general, as I already explained once. The fifth canto is more or less the collision between two attitudes. And in this particular conversation between Jada Bharata and King Rahuguna, we see it very clearly.
That King Rahugana represents more or less the attitude of Nishkam Karma, the dutiful king who is performing his duties and who is trying to purify his heart by performing the duties.
And we see another attitude of Jada Bharata, who is totally renounced.
And this attitude of renunciation of jñāna is, uh, although is a logical continuation of Nishkam karma, at the same time kind of clashes with the attitude of uh karma. These two attitudes don't go so well together because one still implies a certain kind of attraction or attachment to the material world. This is what karma is all about.
And jñāna means the complete renunciation. And therefore, when the instructions about jñāna or total renunciation, renunciation to the extent that you renounce your own mind.
Basically, the instructions in the previous chapter by Jada Bharata were about this: how to renounce your mind. How to totally, completely become mindless.
And that's what jñāna is. Although it's called jñāna. The ultimate result of jñāna, the ultimate achievement of jñāna is that there is no jñāna at all. There is no jnana, there is no mind, there is no individuality even. There is just pure subject-less awareness.
Whatever it is. It's very difficult to understand for normal people.
Realizing distinction between soul and mind
So but here we can see that this is exactly what troubles King Rahuguna. He cannot understand. How is that? And in the next verse, in the fourth verse, which is written in the board, he expresses what he cannot understand.
What he cannot understand is indeed very difficult to understand. And those who think that they understand this, they're an illusion. Because being in the body, it's very difficult to understand that I'm not this body.
Even though we have heard it so many times and sometimes we are even foolish enough to think that we understand this. What to speak about understanding that I'm not this mind.
In the previous chapter, uh Jadabharata explains what is the body and what is the mind. He says it's ātmā-liṅgam. Lingam means symbol or designation.
It's something like designation of the body which has nothing to do with us. And basically, this is the foundation of the spiritual philosophy, but this very foundation
is extremely difficult to understand because this simple philosophy is that the soul, even though it seems it appears to be in the body, it seems appears to be connected with the body, has nothing to do with the body.
And it has nothing to do with the mind. And all these connections which are there are a very seeming or apparent. And that's that's not possible to understand. That's very difficult to understand.
And uh therefore in the next verse, uh King Rahugana
he will express his doubt, he will say: How do you say this? That when I am fatigued, or when I am hungry, or when I'm thirsty, or when I'm in agony of pain, how is that I don't feel this pain? How is that I don't feel this fatigue?
How is that I, the soul, don't feel this hunger or thirst? And indeed, you know, theoretically when we are, you know well fed and comfortable we can sit in a nice comfortable asana
saying oh I'm not this body yeah yeah right very very good nice philosophy but when I'm in pain
when I'm tired, or when I'm thirsty or hungry, how is that I'm not designated this body? Right, I want to eat, yes. I want to get relief of pain, I need some injection, or I need the medicine, I need this, I need that, so many things I need.
So it's a nice theory.
Natural doubts regarding body and pain
But the question here is how to realize it. And the doubt is very natural. The doubt which King Rahugun expresses here is if anyone has some brain, he will express the same kind of doubt. How is that?
I have nothing to do with this body. And uh and it's nice to say this, how to realize this, how to really behave in such a way. Because uh you know sometimes we're you know very nice in explaining the theory.
You know if we give lectures, use you know big bombastic words, you know this and but when it comes to action or real life, do we behave in such a way?
And you know uh if somebody will try to kill us, like somebody tried to kill Jadabharata. They were these big robust thieves and rogues who caught him. You know. You know, at first they gave him nice food.
He was eating this nice food and you know, he was thinking very nice. And then they you know, tied him up with the ropes and said, we will kill you. And he said, okay, very nice.
He was not his body. When he was nicely eating, he was not his body. He was not really enjoying it. When somebody tried to kill him, he was not his body either. He didn't try to resist. This is the proof.
This is the proof that he realized this. And this is the proof that we didn't realize this. Because when somebody will try to kill us, we will run away like anything and we will scream. Save me, save me.
Who is you? You are eternal. So the point is that this doubt is natural. And And we really have to clearly understand how to get rid of this doubt. Because before we got rid of this doubt, the problem remains.
That's basically any spiritual philosophy will start with the explanation that even though we're so attached to our body, and even more than attached to our body, we're more attached to our ideas. We are more attached about to our conceptions of life.
Like Śrīla Prabhupāda, he uses the standard phrase, material conception of life. So we're not only attached to body, we're attached to this conception that I'm this body. Even stronger than to the body itself.
We are attached to the conception which are there in mind and everything.
Because we are so attached to this conception, to this understanding, the spiritual philosophy starts with the statement that this is the source of all your troubles.
That because you are so so miserably attached to the body, you suffer again and again and again. Because you're attached to the mind, you know, somebody, you know, speaks something about you.
You know, some some in disparaging way. You know, you're fool. And you become, you know, so painful. For weeks, for weeks you dwell on this kind of you know how did he dare to say that I'm a fool?
I'm not a fool. You know, if you analyze what happened. You know, somebody just produced some little sound. You're a fool, you know. It has nothing to do with you.
It didn't really, you know, it didn't really change anything in your life. Still, you're so painful.
Buddha story on three listener types
You're so you're your so suffering again and again and again. So the spiritual philosophy starts with this simple understanding, which requires many, many lifetimes to understand or to realize that you're not this body and you know this mind, and you have nothing to do with the body and the mind.
And uh the point here, which Prabhupāda explains in the purport very clearly, is that we really have to know the methodology, how to realize this.
How to really uh get it deep within our system, how to really uh realize it in reality. It was one interesting story about Lord Buddha. One person approached him.
He was a very, you know, learned person, very highly respected person in the society and he approached this famous monk, Lord Buddha, and he said, I have so many questions.
Uh do you have some time to answer my questions and my doubts? And the Buddha said, no, I don't. The guy was so offended. He said, you had to swallow this.
And he said, you that you're so busy or what? You're supposed to be a renounced person. You have plenty of time. What's wrong with you? I would say, no, I'm not busy. I have plenty of time.
But I I will not answer your questions. I said, why? You know what? said Lord Buddha. There are three types of listeners.
One listener, you know, if I am to speak to you, I have to understand how you will understand what I'm saying. So he said one listener is the someone can be compared with the pot which is turned upside down.
And no matter if you pour in this pot, nothing will be there. So this is one type of listener. You know, he's just there, upside down. You know, you may pour, nothing comes inside. He said there is another type of listeners.
They have a nice hole in their pot of the mind. So whatever you pour inside in this pot goes in one ear and nicely comes out from the other ear.
You know you pour and pour and pour and it just comes out. Nothing remains inside. He said but you know this too. You're the third one. There is another kind of pot. And this pot is filled with filthy things.
And you pour nice clear water in this pot, and it becomes rotten very soon. So no matter how much you try to give good instruction to this man, you know it becomes very much rotten.
And become because it becomes rotten, what is the use? He said, you are this third type, my dear sir. Therefore, I'm not going to waste my time by explaining to you anything because there is no use.
You know, you know too many things. And because you know too many things but you didn't realize all these things, there is no use. This is actually exactly our condition. Because we know too many things.
We know too many shlokas, too many bhakti shastras, too many things. Therefore nothing comes in.
Material desires as source of doubts
Whatever comes in is not being really being really acted upon. So this doubt of King Rahugan is of this nature. The doubt which King Rahugan expresses here, which he cannot understand,
is that, you know, I really, really, you know, I understand you and I don't understand at the same time. And the doubt is the most painful condition.
Arjuna, he says this to Krishna when he says, Madhusūdana or Keśisūdana. I mean he says that you know please kill these doubts. And Lord Krishna Himself says, uh, ajñaś cāśraddadhānaś ca saṁśayātmā vinaśyati.
He says that are three types of people in this world who perish. Three types of people who cannot really realize the nature of the soul. And one is Agya. And ajña is ignorant. Somebody who is just grossly ignorant.
Another one is aśraddadhāna, somebody who doesn't have faith. He's also perished. He's also he has no hope to get the salvation to get access to the eternal soul.
And the third type is saṁśayātmā. And saṁśayātmā is a very interesting expression in Sanskrit. Saṁśaya means doubt, and ātmā means the self.
Saṁśayātmā, the phrase which Lord Krishna uses, is that, you know, your ātmā consists of doubts. There's nothing else inside. There's only doubts. Doubts, you know. You take one doubt, there is another doubt.
You take another doubt, there is another doubt. And only doubts and doubts and doubts you peel your soul off, and uh the remaining is only doubts, you know. All kinds of it's it consists of doubts.
And Lord Krishna says in this verse in the fourth chapter of Bhagavad-gītā, he says that the worst lot, the worst fate is of saṁśayātmā. Why?
Because he says, saṁśayātmā, those who are doubtful, they cannot really enjoy neither in this life or in the next life. He says, at least those who are ignorant, they can enjoy in this life.
They're very happy, they're enjoying in this life there. And those who are aśraddadhāna, they also can enjoy there, they have a very nice, you know program to enjoy.
But saṁśayātmā, they want to believe and they don't believe. They know something, they know that there is a spiritual path and they cannot follow it.
There are too many doubts, you know, like I have one devotee. I know one devotee he's he's he's filled
of doubts, he's full of doubts, you know, and he's looking, he's so miserable, he comes, you know, what to do, how to get rid of doubts. And you tell him he comes the next day. I have doubt whether Krishna exists or not.
He says it's amazing. This is amazing how the mind works. The mind works in a very peculiar way.
The mind, you know, he says, I I don't doubt that there are demigods. I don't doubt there is God, but I doubt that there is Krishna. And actually the doubt is the manifestation of internal dirt.
The desires which are there within the heart, they really water down our determination to go along or the follow spiritual path.
And therefore, the mind being the abiding servant of our desires produces all kinds of doubts which more or less hold you from being too determined on the spiritual path.
You know, the mind says, you know, that you know, you don't really want it. I know better what you want. So hold back a little bit, you know. Don't don't be in a hurry.
You know, when you become retired and when you are eighty-five years old, then maybe you can become totally doubtless
and go along this path with full determination and full speed. But for now, don't be in a hurry, you know. So many nice things to enjoy. So this is the the uh cause, the inner cause, we have to be very clear about it.
The inner cause for doubts is our material desires. Now only one who is completely free from material desires can be free from doubts. Unless and until we have material desires, the doubts will be there.
Therefore, Krishna, Lord Krishna says that in the last verse of the fourth chapter of Bhagavad-gītā, Lord Krishna says, you take the sword of spiritual knowledge and you cut the desires which are the there in the core of your heart.
You know, it's it's a very it's a very I mean it's it's a it's a very how shall I say the very drastic statement you know you take the sword and you just cut within your heart. You just pierce your heart.
Because once Śrī Dayāl Nitāi Mahārāja he gave a very nice explanation of this phenomenon, explaining this verse.
He said that why Krishna is so, I mean, this is it's up to the point of being violent. You take the sword and you cut it within your heart. Not just within the heart, but within the core of the heart.
He says, because the doubts, this is the most precious possession which we have. And therefore, we hide it so deep. You know.
When we have something valuable, something which we really need, you know, we hide it very nicely.
So Krishna says you're hiding very deeply within your heart something which you think is very valuable. So you take this sort of knowledge and you cut it. There is no other way. Unless you really take this knowledge deep and get it within your heart.
There's no hope for you because the doubts will always be there and you will always be, you know, you will you will make one step forward and two steps behind. And again, two steps forward and one step behind and then you will be nicely dancing in one place without really going any further you know because of the doubts because your mind is not clear.
Methods for conquering the material mind
So basically, when we take the spiritual strategy which is there, the spiritual strategy, which is there in Vedic literature, is there to help us to completely free from the doubts.
And for that you need to have a little thing, you know, the the basic thing which we have to do, unless and until we identify ourselves with the mind. We will not be able to get rid of the doubts.
The only radical way, the real radical way, to get rid of all the doubts is, uh, stop identifying with the mind, which will always produce them doubts.
So, and in the Vedic literature there are three basic methodologies how to deal with this. It's not easy. To get rid of the mind is not easy. To really stop being mental is is not easy.
We know this phrase, you're too mental, Prabhu. And indeed we are. It's very clearly can be seen from little outside, you know, you can see this. you know somebody who is who is in the mind you know.
Of course everyone has a first hand experience of being mental. Usually it comes when you chant japa, you know. This is really time to be mental, you know.
You just your mind. You have nothing to do with Krishna. You don't want to have anything to do with anything else it's just your mind. So so this is what it is. So that there are basically three methods.
Three methods how to realize I am not this mind. And this is the main task or the main mission of human life. Nobody else can do it. Only human beings can get rid of this attachment to the mind. Which is the most difficult.
So there is karma yoga. And karma yoga basically the method, uh, the process how to get rid of the mind is that you follow your duty. Matrasparśa Śrīla Prabhupāda explains this verse.
He says, just you know, how to get rid of this attachment of the mind, to the attachment of the pain and pleasure which is there in the mind, to the attachment of the sukha and dukkha which is there in the mind. Just do your duty.
You know, you you do your duty, you're very dutiful, the shastra says this, you do this, no matter what, the mind will scream. The mind will say, no, no, no, and you will say to the mind, no, shut up.
You have to take the cold shower early in the morning and uh remember the hot tap is māyā and only only cold tap is And Prabhupāda explains in uh commenting to this verse that you know to take cold bath in the months of Māgha is very difficult.
Or if you are a you know, wife and you have to cook, you know, you have to cook no matter what, how no matter how hot it is, you have to cook anyway.
You know, it's hot outside, the sun is so hot and you're coming to the stove and the stove is hot and you're still cooking. So this is how to become a little less mental. You know, you do what you have to do.
This is basically the strategy. The strategy this is the first method which is there in karma-yoga.
You do your duty, you fulfill your duty, and uh you know no matter what the mind screams and tells you, no matter what the mind uh is trying to push you for, you just do it because you have to do it.
Then of course, but the problem is that you become proud after some time. This is the problem. The problem with this method, even though it is supposed to free you from pride, you become very, very proud karma-yogi.
You know, I am so dutiful and I'm so nice and I conquered over my mind you know do you know this I'm so pious and I'm so nice and I'm such a good person. And really, don't you see it? And this is this is the problem.
Because you still remain a doer. By doing your duties, you still remain the you still maintain the ego. I'm the doer. I'm doing this. So then there is this is the thesis, the anti-thesis
is that, you know, jñāna. You renounce. You renounce the world. You renounce the doership. I'm not the doer anymore.
And this is basically the strategy of jñāna and the strategy of jñāna, how to get rid of this attachment to the mind is that you absorb your mind. And you neglect your mind. Basically, that's what they do.
Those who renounce the world. This is the essence of jñāna-yoga.
Jñāna-yoga sometimes people think that jñāna-yoga is that you study the śāstras. Jñāna-yoga is not that you study the śāstras. You already studied all the śāstras. Jñāna-yoga means you absorb your mind. Aham Brahmasmi.
I am not the mind, and you absorb this.
And Prabhupāda explains actually in the last verse of the previous chapter, uh when King Rahūgaṇa, oh sorry, when Jaḍabhārata explains this method of jñāna-yoga, Prabhupāda he gives a beautiful explanation. He says, there is one easy weapon with which the mind can be conquered. What is this easy weapon?
Prabhupāda says neglect. You just neglect your mind. So many things are there. You just look at this and say, oh nice. Very interesting. Such a rubbish. Such a garbage. You know. You just absorb it.
You absorb it, absorb it, and after you know, after uh years of neglecting your mind your mind becomes starving because what is what is the food for the mind is when you take it seriously.
You know, you take it so seriously. Yeah, yeah, yeah.
So basically, the method of jñāna-yoga is that you starve your mind to death. You just neglect it and neglect it and neglect it and neglected, and ultimately the mind loses the steam.
The mind which is so enthusiastic to produce and to concoct and to give you so many ideas of who you are and what you have to do and this and that. I'm trying so hard. I'm doing all these things. Nobody appreciates me.
You know, I'm such a nice guy. You know, I am doing this. So this is the method of jñāna-yoga.
Basically, you you you more or less try to silence the mind and try to distance from the mind by absorbing the mind. There is also an interesting story in this regard, again, from Lord Buddha's life.
Again, the same kind of story. Somebody approached Lord Buddha and he said, I have so many questions. Please answer all these questions. And he started telling these questions.
And Lord Buddha, this time he said, Yes, I will answer your questions, but not now. In one year, I will answer the questions. Come back in one year. And in the meantime, you know, you think about it, then I will answer.
The man says, why? The one says, this is what I want. Come back in a year.
And when he was saying this, the disciple of Lord Buddha was sitting there, he started giggling. He started laughing and laughing and laughing. And the man, you said, why did he laugh? He asked Lord Buddha.
Lord Buddha said, you ask him, he will explain. He didn't want to answer now all these questions. So the man asked, why do you laugh? The disciple said, because he's a cheater. This Buddha he's a cheater.
He said, how is he a cheater? He's cheating you. He's trying to teach you, cheat you. You know, within one year he told also me, one year back, he told me, come back within one year and ask you all your questions.
And in the meantime he said, you know, you become silent and you just absorb your mind. And then, you know, one year later, I have no questions. So if you want to ask him, ask now.
But in one year, there will be no questions in your mind. He's cheating you. So and the Buddha smiled. You know, the man went away.
So when one year he came back and the Buddhist asked him, Do you have any questions? The man said, No, I don't have any questions. And he started laughing.
So, but basically, this is the method, this is the strategy, this is a powerful strategy. You just absorb your mind. You're not your mind anymore, you're just absorber of your mind. You you neglect the mind.
And whatever is there, you don't take it seriously, you just laugh at what's happening, you know, and you say, you know, very nice, very nice.
What else do you produce? You know, this is this is uh you know you, you become the you get uh the free ticket to the cinema of your mind. You become the absorber of all these different fantasies which are there
nicely produced in your mind. But again, this is not a very good methodology. There is a flow, inherent flow in this methodology either. Why?
Because you again become proud of being so renounced and being so neglectful to your mind. You know, the false ego is still there. In the karma path, the false ego is the false ego of doer.
In the jnana path, the false ego is the false ego of renouncer. You just so renounced, you know.
And you have after all you become after some time you become very proud of being so renounced of being so neglectful to your mind and this and that and therefore there is only one sure pass of spiritual life
Surrender to the spiritual master
which Śrīla Prabhupāda explains here in the purport. The real strategy is Bhakti, and in Bhakti Bhakti basically starts from
this verse, Tasmād Gurum Prapadyeta Jijñāsuḥ Śreya Uttamām. Śrīla Prabhupāda explains this that tad viddhi praṇipātena paripraśnena sevayā ఉపదిక్షంతి তেজ্ঞানম jñānasinas tattva-darśinaḥ. Because the real path or
the real path of realization is that you change your ego from the beginning. In the karma path, you still remain your ego of a doer. I am fulfilling my duties.
In the jñāna path, you still remain the ego still remains. The false ego, I'm the renouncer, I'm such a nice sannyasi, you know, look at me, you know, I'm so renounced. This ego still remains.
I'm you're still, you know, you're in a negative sense, you are still somebody which is not your real ego. So the real path, the spiritual path starts from the humility.
And humility starts from the real surrender to the spiritual master. The spiritual master is someone who can say who you are. Otherwise you will remain either doer or announcer.
And you will not be able to cut this vicious circle of false ego. And that's the problem, you know. Like Prabhupāda, he's expert in this.
Today we read this Brahmānanda Prabhu's Notes about how Prabhupāda dealt with him very expertly. Whenever he would feel that there is some false ego, he would just definitely point it out.
There is this famous story about Prabhupāda when somebody approached Śrīla Prabhupāda and was with a very humble uh expression on his face and said, Prabhupāda, I'm most fallen.
And Prabhupāda said, you're not m you're not most anything. You're just insignificant. Because again, this is the trick of the false ego. You know, the false eager says, I'm the most this or I'm the most that. And if I cannot be the most powerful, I will become the most fallen.
The main part is to be the most. Spiritual master very mercilessly will tell you, you're not the most anything, you're just insignificant. You're just nobody.
And therefore, Prabhupada explains that the real, the real path. The only real path. The bhakti starts from this.
And this is, you have to accept Guru in any path. In karma-yoga you have to accept Guru, in uh jñāna-yoga you have to accept Guru, in bhakti- yoga, you have to accept Guru.
But the real, but the relationship with Guru is of the nature of bhakti. That the very nature of the relationship between the disciple and Guru, they become only valid if there is bhakti between the two.
And this is, this is the real way to achieve one's own real ego. If there is no bhakti in the relationship between Guru and disciple, the relationship are dysfunctional.
And only through this bhakti you can really realize your true self through this process of tad viddhi praṇipātena paripraśnenā sevayā upadeśyanti te jñānaṁ jñāninas tattva-darśinaḥ.
Sometimes, you know, once I think Śivarāma Mahārāja, he made a nice observation that that how did he say it?
He said that the real qualification of a guru is to be far away from the disciple, because when he's far away and he doesn't bother the disciple, you know, then the disciple can be an illusion that he's a pure devotee.
When he comes closer and he starts saying something which is not so nice which you don't like or do this and that, you know, the whole bhakti vanishes and disappears, you know.
So if you want to be a real guru, be far away as far away as possible and then you know. But this is ridiculous. This is all this is all bogus. This is this is what does not work.
What works is tad viddhi praṇipātena paripraśnenā sevayā upadeśyanti te jñānaṁ jñāninas tattva-darśinaḥ. When there is the real humility in the relationship.
The relationship has to be filled or has to be, you know, the the essence of the relationship is this humility, and basically this verse explains uh the nature of this humility that the humility has to be all-pervading.
And this verse of Bhagavad-gītā, it is said that first you have to do praṇipāta. Praṇipāta means you fall down like a stick. Prāṇa means the life air. So praṇipāta means you, you, you more or less, you know, all your life air and everything which is there, you you put it in front of the Lotus feet of your spiritual master. You're surrendering on the physical level, on the level of the body.
But this is not enough. This is this is external. This is this is a good beginning to start with, to develop humility, but the real humility starts with the other processes which is pariprasnana and sevaya.
Pariprasnana is the humility of the speech. Because it's very difficult to ask questions. Because this is, you know, when you have to be humble in your speech.
You asking questions means you don't know anything. Oh, you don't know something. But you know, usually well we think we know everything, you know, and why should we ask questions?
So this pariprasnana is the humility of the speech and uh pranipata pariprasnana and the sevaya is the humility of mind.
The sevaya, the seva, which is the most important, which is the deepest problem which we have, the pride which is there in the mind.
Seva means basically the special attitude within the mind that I'm the servant, I want to serve.
So this verse, why is it the essence of bhakti and why is it the only sure and uh the proper methodology to realize the spiritual truth is that if it's i if it's being done properly is that it requires the total complete all pervading humility, you know, humility on the physical level, humility on the level of your speech, and humility on the level of your mind.
And in this way only, through this, you know, through this proper attitude, through the proper attitude of being humble and insignificant. You can only turn your attention away from the material world.
You know, our problem is that, and the mind and the body is the mechanisms or is the more or less the instruments of our attachment to the world.
And Śrīla Jīva Gosvāmī, he explains it very nicely. He says that in reality, he quotes the verse from the 10th Canto of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam from the prayers of Personified Vedas. Bhagavatam from the prayers of Personified Vedas.
But the Personified Vedas said that in reality the soul has no coverings. There is no body and there is no there is no mind. It's not it's not really the covering of the soul.
The soul is always part and parcel of the Lord. And Personified Vedas, they say that this is is the reality.
And Śrīla Jīva Gosvāmī says that but that how it is, how how you can understand this, how you can really realize that you're not the slave of your body and the of your mind.
And he says, there is only one way to do this. There is only one way. He is to divert your attention from the matter and to turn your attention towards the Lord. But how to divert the attention?
How to really realize my distinction from the body and mind which are so nicely and tightly bound in this material world by this, you know, Kama, Kroda, Loba, Moham, Sarya, by all these enemies of the soul.
The only way to do this is to surrender to the Lord and surrender means to really accept the ego of being somebody insignificant.
And this can only be realized, this can only be done through this process of surrendering to spiritual master. Therefore, in this particular verse, when King Rahugun explains his doubts,
Śrīla Prabhupāda said that there is only one way to get rid of the doubts. There is only one way to get rid of the material desires.
The only one way to get rid of all the plans and all the stupid things which are there in the mind. The only one way to distance oneself from the mind is to surrender to spiritual master.
Tasmād gurum prapadyeta jijñāsuḥ śreya uttamam. Just really to surrender.
And then by the mercy of spiritual master, by the by the real relationship between the spiritual master and the disciple, uh this process of internal spiritual realization can take place.
And of course I'm speaking this in front of Srutakirti Prabhu which is very which is not very nice for them to say this he is the one who should explain all these things because he is an example of an ideal
disciple of His Divine Grace, A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda, and he teaches all of us what it means.
How to get rid of this miserable attachment to the mind through the process of surrendering to the spiritual master. And we have to be eternally grateful to him for this, eternally obliged.
Because he is teaching us the most uh confidential secret of spiritual life. Thank you very much.
Realizing soul identity through spiritual attachment
So I guess I should stop now. Are there any questions? Yeah. Practically realize the soul to see oneself as a spirit transcendental.
Technically, when does it happen or does it happen at the stage of bhakti-yoga from bhāva to prema? And does it belong? Can that be realized in as a sadhaka, what is this safe for? No, you can realize it on a sadhana stage.
It is said that you can realize your own identity on a stage of a Sakti. When your attachment to the Supreme Lord becomes very, very strong,
then the glimpse of your own identity through this attachment also comes to your mind and your understanding, to your heart. Because basically, it's very easy to understand.
We create our artificial identity or our artificial personality through the material attachments. What we are? We are just sum total of our attachments. This is our artificial personality in this material world.
I'm the citizen of this country. I am the patriot. I am the you know the husband of this nice wife who is controlling me so nicely. And I'm the father of these nice children and so on and so forth.
Through the attachment uh uh the false personality uh more or less appears or being formed. So So the real personality or the real the real identity is also realized through the attachment.
But through the attachment to the spiritual subject matters. It's very interesting. His Manah-siksa, the instructions to the mind. He starts the instructions to the mind from the statement.
Guru-goṣṭhe goṣṭhālīṣu sujaneṣu su-janakeṣu sva-mantra-śrī-nāmni, and then uh nava-yuvadvandva-saraṇe. Srinamni, and then uh Navayuvudvandva Sarane. So he says, "O my mind, s-āntar, my inner self.
Oh brother," he says, "bhrātaha." Bhrātā means in Russian it's also brat. "Oh my brother, oh my dear mind, I fall down in front of you and I'm, you know, touching your lotus feet.
My only prayer to you is that you get attachment to what? Goṣṭhī-goṣṭhālīṣu sujaneṣu su-janakeṣu sva-mantra-śrī-nāmni nava-yuvadvandva-saraṇe. And he gives the list of the spiritual entities or
spiritual categories which the mind has to develop identity. And through the attachment to this identity, he will find his own identity.
He says, "Guru, first you have to guru, you have to be attached to your gurus. Goṣṭhe, you have to be attached to the inhabitants of Vṛndāvana or the pure devotees. Goṣṭhālīṣu, you have to be attached to the madhyama-adhikārī, so the goṣṭhālīṣu, you have to be attached to the land of Vṛndāvana and goṣṭhālīṣu, you have to be attached to the pure devotees, inhabitants of Vṛndāvana. Sujaneṣu su-janakeṣu, you have to be attached to intermediate devotees. And you have to be attached to kaniṣṭha-adhikārīs, su-janakeṣu, to the brāhmaṇas, to those who are attached to the mode of goodness.
Sva-mantra-śrī-nāmni, you have to be attached to the mantra which you received through the initiation and to the holy name.
And then you will develop attachment to the Yuga-yuvadvandva, to the eternal useful couple of Vrindavan which gives you shelter. And through this attachment, you realize who you are.
So therefore it is said that on the level of asakti, when the attachment becomes strong, when the attachment becomes basically unshakable, then the glimpse of your own and spiritual identity also comes to you, and you really understand that I'm the spirit soul and you understand who you are in relationship. Because we always have to be in relationship.
And that relationship means attachment. So the understanding of our attach, uh, identity of the soul can be done through that attachment, which is coming through the process of bhakti.
Of course there is this mystic yoga process when you try to you know identify your soul or Sāṅkhya-yoga process, but in reality it doesn't work.
The only thing which does work is this process of spiritual attachment, of developing spiritual attachments, which starts from the attachment to the spiritual master. Okay. There is no questions.
Oh, okay, but relationship between the spirit souls, why? Why does that make them develop it? There could be. There could be.
Following instructions of a spiritual master
Yeah, I'll explain. Uh, Guru, He says you have to be attached to your spiritual masters.
And this is very visible in the example of Raghunātha dāsa Gosvāmī himself, who had many spiritual masters, starting from Yadunandana Ācārya and then from Yadunandana Ācārya to Śrīla Svarūpa Dāmodara Gosvāmī, and from Śrīla Svarūpa Dāmodara to Sanātana, Rūpa, so on so forth.
But and it is said that, uh, that the spiritual masters are on the same level.
Moreover, uh, there is a verse in the Tenth Canto of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam where it is said that you cannot achieve perfection unless you have many spiritual masters, which is somewhat shocking for us.
We used to think differently. But the explanation is simple. master, and spiritual master is one. – is that you have only one spiritual master, and spiritual master is one. Prabhupada explains this.
Actually, the guru-tattva is the aspect of God. This is the descending feature of, uh, the Supreme Personality of God. When the Supreme Personality of Godhead wants to descend, to uplift the fallen
souls, he takes this aspect of guru, guru tattva. And the point is that we have to be attached first to one Guru and to his teachings. Guru Mukhapad Mavakya Chitat Te Koriya Kya.
I have to make my mind totally completely one with the words emanating from his Lord's mouths. I'm making, I'm more or less forcing my mind to become one with the teachings of my spiritual master.
Because, and for that you need one spiritual master.
Because if from the beginning you have, you know, to hear different people, and because your mind is not trained to become one with the spiritual teachings, you will develop doubts, you will find contradictions.
Moreover, the mind will look for contradictions. Because the mind wants to become to remain independent. So the mind subconsciously will look, oh he says this, and he says this. Oh, this is old nonsense. I'll be on my own.
You know, how is that the spiritual masters and somebody says this, somebody says this? Oh, this is contradiction. So this is what the mind will do.
So first, the first stage is a which is very important, you have to train your mind uh to become one with the instructions which are coming from one spiritual master where there is no contradictions because it's coming from one mouth through the one tongue and you know one mind is the instructions is very consistent.
But when you develop the attachment, then you can listen others. Then what happens? Then your mind will filter out the instructions of others through the teaching which you already established in.
You already established in the teaching of one person, and this is this is the step number one. You have to be established in uh very firmly in the teachings which is coming from your Diksha Guru.
And then you can take Siksha from so many others. And if something is contradictory, it doesn't bother you.
You know, you just filter it out or you just reconcile it very easily with the teachings. You understand what it is. And then you you gain something from this.
But unless you are fixed, you are established in the in the following of one person, then the mind will trick you. The mind will will just get bewildered, you know, more and more bewildered.
And he will go there and there and there and he will say, No, this probably this the the instructions from this spiritual master is not enough. I am not developing spiritually because it's not enough. It's not enough.
Usually because you don't follow the instructions of spiritual master, but you blame your spiritual master, you say oh yeah, he's not qualified, he's not Utamadi Kari. I need somebody who's Maha, Maha Maha, Bhagavata, Tratata, something like this. You know, and then then only I will be saved. Just you stupid.
Your mind is stupid, you know. Just you're trying to shop around in the spiritual market, in the spiritual fair. You know, first, therefore it is said very strongly the spiritual master is one.
And first to realize this truth, that this is all coming ultimately from the Supreme Lord, uh to realize this truth, you have to be firmly established in the teachings of one spiritual master, and then you know then you can listen to others and you will not be disturbed by this.
And you you will gain something through the teachings of others as well.
Connection between heart mind and brain
So that's the process.
Rajit uh very often we are smart and we also when we preach we we we put the hand here next to the head, but the Bhagavad says it's in the heart there are three quotes where it says you know that actually the mind is a situation in the heart.
It also is an expansion of who's musculated. Also my question is this. If you take the mind, you know, you can be a pressure on the heart. So what what what is the difference between the heart and the mind?
I mean what what is when we speak about the heart, obviously don't address the heart as the organ, because the heart transform is there. So the what is this spiritual heart that the Lord always talks about?
Is it the mind or is uh it is also being explained, I don't remember exactly where, but the definition of heart, I can find for you the Sanskrit for this, the definition of the heart.
The heart is basically when the spiritual literature speaks about the heart, it means the consciousness, because the soul is there in the heart. And the consciousness is the energy of the soul. The consciousness, the soul is radiating or emanating this consciousness or the awareness.
Therefore, the consciousness uh uh either conditioned consciousness or pure consciousness is called heart because it's it's there in the heart.
But when the the consciousness is conditioned when the heart when by heart in other uh sometimes Prabhupada translates this Sanskrit word cetana as heart, ceto-darpaṇa- marjanam.
You know, you purify your heart by this process of nāma-sāṅkīrtana. Ceta cetana means consciousness basically. It's uh it's conditioned consciousness more or less.
It's consciousness treated as the whole, as one entity, as one category. So and when we say heart, we mean this consciousness which is treated as one category, as undivided, non-differentiated consciousness.
That's what it is. And the mind, when we when we say mind and show here is that the mind has body right
uh uh the mind has this the mind is a part of the subtle body and uh the the gross part of the body of the mind is the brain. Even though the consciousness is being transmitted from the heart because the soul is there.
But still, it would be foolish to say that the brain has nothing to do with the mind. It has. The brain is the gross mechanism through which the mind operates.
Although mind is separate from the brain, but it needs the conditioned mind needs the brain for the functioning. So it uses it as a vehicle. It's more or less gross vehicle.
Therefore, when we say mind we so the consciousness which is transmitted from the body takes shape of the mind, being the more or less the identity of the soul is being delegated to the mind and the mind is using the brain for the functioning.
Therefore when we say mind we sometimes show this. And it's not wrong. But ultimately we have to know that the mind is this Atma Lingam, the symbol of or designation of the soul, and the soul is in the heart.
Or it's even more correct to call the heart and boss boss is correct. And you can say this the brain. Okay. Thank you very much. Śrīla Prabhupāda ki jai.