Ananda Valli - 1 of 4 | Swami Sarvapriyananda

[00:00:00]Oh, shanty shanty shanty.

[00:00:25]Oh, lead us from the unreal to the real.

[00:00:29]Lead us from darkness to light. Lead us from death to immortality.

[00:00:35]Om. Peace. Peace. Peace.

[00:00:41]Namaste and good evening everybody.

[00:00:44]It's great to be back here.

[00:00:47]Some familiar faces, some new ones.

[00:00:50]Always a joy to see familiar faces and also to welcome uh new people.

[00:00:57]when I was asked what I wanted to speak about um I said the titishad because there's a sequence in this opishad which is a particular favorite of mine so I've spoken about this earlier on other occasions but I enjoy speaking about it so I always have fun when I'm when you're speaking about thinking about investigating the vanta through the oponyish vanta we know is opishads The definition of vanta which I learned the first definition I learned in Sanskrit vanta is the source of spiritual knowledge called the upanishads.

[00:01:40]So these texts so we'll dive into one of them now and I'll speak for about an hour and then we'll have question answers. We'll have question answers. Yes. And that's the format we'll follow today, tomorrow and day after. Among these upanishads, the titanishad is a prominent one. It has three chapters. But the second chapter is uh the most popular. It's called has multiple names. The chapter the name of the chapter is Brahavali, the the section or the chapter on Brahman, the ultimate reality or also known as Anandali, the chapter on bliss. How nice on bliss. or also known as Brahmanandali the chapter on bliss that is Brahman that's what we'll focus on a study of that chapter to do it line by line we would have need several more classes but we get uh to my calculation four sessions one now one tomorrow and two more day after um so what I'm going to do is I'm going to focus on three crucial areas of this chapter which brings out the essence of Vanta. So we'll dive right into it.

[00:03:05]Vanta we know it promises freedom. Freedom from suffering, freedom from uh struggle in this world, attainment of fulfillment.

[00:03:16]One interesting thing to know about freedom you know is the word used in Sanskrit mti freedom moka freedom.

[00:03:28]You are free when what binds you has set you free.

[00:03:33]It's a subtle point. When I say free it feels like I have I'm bound. I have got some problems. I have to get out of those problems then I'm free. But actually it doesn't work that way. It's only when we are released by what binds us then we are truly free. So suppose somebody is in prison. They want to get free. If they try to get free then there'll be a prison break. You're going to get into more trouble. They're going to run after you, catch you and put you back in prison for a longer period. It's only when the you're released from the prison that you're truly free. So what we think or what we feel binds us when that releases us when that is gone then we are truly free. And vanta has this amazing thing which tells us that we have been set free already. We are already free. Nothing does bind us.

[00:04:25]We are not in the grip of so many problems as we think we are. And it is this ever free nature which vidanta points out. What we will see throughout today, tomorrow, day after is a pointing out to something that already exists.

[00:04:42]This is a unique thing about vanta spiritual life. We often think it conjures up visions of somebody sitting and meditating or chanting or whatever u rituals which we also do here.

[00:04:59]But vanta is not ritual. Vanta is not even praying. Vanta is not even meditating or chanting. Vanta is knowledge and inquiry into what exists.

[00:05:12]We don't know that we are free.

[00:05:15]Put it in another language. We don't even know that we don't have problems.

[00:05:19]That seems incredible. That seems utterly wrong. We do have problems. No, Vanta says we don't. But we don't see it. That pointing out to our essential nature, our real nature which is problem free, which is free, problem free to note that and then turn back into this world full of problems, life and live in that way. So that is the project of vanta. It seems incredible. It seems too good to be true. Vanta sometimes seems too good to be true. Somebody said, "Vant is difficult." Uh because it's too good to be true. It's too easy to be real.

[00:06:00]It seems too effortless.

[00:06:02]We'll see how this particular sequence which I've selected for this evening is at the beginning of the second chapter of the Titanic. You might say, "So what did we miss first chapter? What what went on in the first chapter?" Don't worry, you didn't miss anything.

[00:06:19]If you look at the first chapter, it's um certain rituals and certain meditations with certain resonance which are mentioned there which do not have anything directly to do with the vantic teaching. The core teaching of vanta starts with the second chapter really the essential teaching. So we are getting in when the uh actual teaching starts there and the first sentence of the second chapter of the chapter on the bliss that is Brahman the first sentence it is it's condensed vanta all of vanta has been packed into it starts with that sentence the knower of Brahman Brahman attains the highest. The knower of Brahman attains the ultimate.

[00:07:11]Vanta has that elegant quality almost mathematical quality where all these texts, all these teachings, these thousands of years of tradition, this vast literature, it can actually be condensed into um Shankarachara claims half a verse.

[00:07:29]That's a sign of elegance of thought. if it can be condensed into half a verse.

[00:07:35]A friend of mine who is a monk and a very noted mathematician, I remember long ago um many years ago when we were both monastic noviceses I think I was um excited about a book of logic which I was reading, modern logic, symbolic logic. So I took it to him and I said, "Oh, this is great. You know, this book says this and that." and he snatched the book out of my hands and he flipped to the end of the book. You know in textbooks at the end there's a cheat sheet with all the formula just one page or two pages. He looked through the formula and said okay got it don't talk so much.

[00:08:12]So for a highly trained mathematical brain he doesn't need all that advertisement all those explanations. He just needs the cheat sheet. He just needs to see because he's a powerful mind highly trained. He just needs to see the formula to know what's all there in the book and it's it's clear to him.

[00:08:29]Vanta is like that. A vanta master once told me that the skill of the teacher lies in condensing the ocean to a drop and expanding the drop to an ocean. The ocean of vanta you condense it to a drop half a verse and from there can you expand it to all of can you link it to everything in vanta? You can that's the skill of the teacher. So Shankarachara claims you can condense all of it cheat sheet one equation all of it can be put into half a verse a very famous attributed to shankara at least ja brahman is the reality the world is an appearance appearance of what of the reality and the sentient being you I we are none other than that absolute we are that absolute reality And that's the entire teaching of Vanta.

[00:09:24]You can make it even shorter, even more compact. A short sentence, not even half a verse, a short sentence. Very famous sentence. Anybody who studied Vanta has come across this sentence at least. You are that I am Brahman.

[00:09:41]Brahma consciousness is Brahman. I am atma Brahma. This very self. Each one of us can say that this very self is Brahman.

[00:09:51]Just one sentence. You can make it even shorter. You can make it into one that the monoselabic Om the most famous mantra in all of Hinduism. Not only Hinduism in Buddhism, Jinism in India. It's a the culture of Om.

[00:10:10]One of our swamies has this habit of playing with words. He says in this body itself is the spiritual self. Look at the word genome. In the middle of the gene there is the M.

[00:10:26]When Francis and Crick did they found the structure of the DNA I think they missed that one. The genome has in the middle of it. But the the mantra Om itself if you study the manduki opanishad which is the opishad of the oak oh it expands into the entirety of vanta and all of vantic teachings can be compressed into the oh it goes even further you can make it even more concise more elegant you can make it into what is called you know these gestures hand gestures in Hindu worship when we do worship you will see the worshipper the priest uses lots of hand gestures these are called mudras And these hand gestures have are they are loaded with symbolic meaning. One of the most beautiful and elegant is this one called the chin mudra.

[00:11:14]Sanskrit chit. Chit means consciousness.

[00:11:17]And if you in Sanskrit if you put them together chit mudra mudra hand gesture a symbolic gesture. Uh put them together it becomes chin mudra. This one that these three the physical body the subtle body and the causal body. This is the ego. I I which means I this I which all of us we intuitively we feel I so the I usually our state is I am the physical body subtle body and causal body basically I am this I am this this is our usual state and what vanta does is I am not the physical body I'm not the subtle body I'm not the causal body it becomes obvious that I am pure consciousness this stands for pure consciousness so I am pure consciousness and the entire entire teaching of vantes is compressed into this. So this is the meaning of the chin mudra or you can say the waking dreaming deep sleep and the consciousness which illuminates all three. So that that I am usually I identify with the this waking person or in dreams with the person in the dream or in deep sleep with basically nothing at all.

[00:12:25]Absence deep sleep. Okay, just an aside.

[00:12:31]um respected ma gi brahma prana g she wrote from Hollywood welcoming me she has been a presence here so many years you know years and decades here so uh I didn't write this to her but I was uh thinking about it the the naya concept of absence so there is presence so for example the phone is on the podium now if I remove the phone from the podium there's an absence of the phone on on the podium.

[00:13:01]That's how the naya philosophers would put it. Absence in Sanskrit abhava and I was thinking so there's the absence of mat gi here. Today we are acutely conscious of the presence of the absence of maj.

[00:13:19]So when you miss somebody who's you know you expect them to be there and they're not there. You there's an absence but you're conscious of the pres absence itself is a presence. So um deep sleep experience of the absence of blank and all of that illumined by one consciousness. So waking dreaming deep sleep illumined by the one consciousness. You can put it anyway all of it so elegant one hand gesture or opanishads go even further silence.

[00:13:53]Not half a verse, not a sentence, not even this. Just silence. Silence is the best expression. Of course, that is a philosophically informed silence. Not the silence of I don't know. Not in that s.

[00:14:08]And here is one such sentence.

[00:14:13]The knower of Brahman attains the highest.

[00:14:17]And that sentence it's it's called a sutravakia as an an aphoristic sentence.

[00:14:26]And what does that mean? If you look at it, the knower of Brahman attains the highest. There are three issues there.

[00:14:34]Something called Brahman has been mentioned. Not Brahman, that's a cast.

[00:14:37]Brahman, the reality talked about that's mentioned there.

[00:14:43]And then what is mentioned is knowing Brahman.

[00:14:47]And then what's mentioned is you attain the highest. So three things have been mentioned and immediately we'll have three questions or we should have three questions. What is this blessed Brahman which is mentioned here? What's Brahman?

[00:14:59]Second, how do you know Brahman? And third, how does that help us in attaining the highest? What is the highest? What do you get out of this entire project?

[00:15:09]So these three questions the nature of the ultimate reality the method of attaining it the procedure the method the technique and the promised result what do you what do you stand to gain out of it spirituality what's it all about one the broad questions what's it all about how do you do it how do you do it is there a method to do it one sadu in uttarak in him would There is a way to do it. There are many ways to do it. But there are ways. You can't randomly decide to do something and say that's being spiritual. No, there are ways. There are paths. So there's a way to do it. What is the way?

[00:15:52]And finally, what's the point of all of this? What are we after? What are we chasing? What's being promised here?

[00:15:57]What do you get out of it? Big, big questions defines the entirety of spiritual life. And the answer comes in the next three sentences. Three questions, three answers. The answers to these three questions are given. See how elegantly nothing is wasted here in the opishadic language. Poetic, simple, direct language, biggest questions and extraordinary, even bigger answers.

[00:16:29]It has been said Brahman is infinite existence consciousness.

[00:16:37]Brahman is infinite existence consciousness. Answer to the first question. You see that didn't really help. That still sounds very difficult.

[00:16:45]We'll see. Then the next question was how do you you are supposed to know Brahman. All right. What is this knowing Brahman and how do you do it?

[00:16:58]Who knows Brahman in the sacred space at the center of the heart in the cave of the heart. In the sacred space in the cave of the heart in the transcendent space in the cave of the heart which is a fancy way of saying heart means here. So in there which is a fancy way of saying you have to know Brahman as I am Brahman. Who's there? I that's but that's what we point out here I am when it says that you have to find Brahman there basically what is being said is we have to realize Brahman as I am Brahman not that there is a Brahman not that that's wrong but that's not what's meant here not that there is somewhere something called Brahman no I am Brahman that's the method still one may say it's not very clear what I'm supposed to do wait we'll see and finally the big question the prize at the end of the road, at the end of the rainbow with a pot of gold. What what are we looking for here? What's the project in spiritual life? What are we trying to achieve here?

[00:18:03]Goal, point, purpose.

[00:18:07]So that one um the one who realizes I am Brahman attains to the fulfillment of all desires.

[00:18:22]fulfillment of all desires. So whatever we are looking for in life, all of that is attained when you realize that I am Brahman.

[00:18:33]Now you can't have a better or bigger advertisement than anything else.

[00:18:38]SpaceX IPO, [laughter] I'm coming from New York. That's big news there. The big news first news today is certain gentleman has become the first trillionaire in human history.

[00:18:53]Here the opanisha thousands of years ago is saying you can become that trillionaire just now if you become if you know this if you realize this about ourselves attains then the fulfillment of all desires together that is the not that you know it's whatever I wanted my I can put it all on the Amazon shopping cart and all be delivered to me in a torrent of Amazon packages to the horror of my neighbors. No, it's not that what what will happen is that which I'm seeking through all that Amazon packages that which I'm seeking through my shopping cart there that which I'm we are seeking through um you know SpaceX IP or whatever it is all of these ways in which we are seeking we means all of us everybody spiritual not spiritual believer non-believer vantin whoever we are whatever we are doing in life we are seeking We are irresistibly going forward there.

[00:19:53]All of that will be fulfilled by this.

[00:19:56]Not only that, the upanishad says there is no other way to that fulfillment.

[00:20:01]Which means the all the other ways in which we are trying to get that fulfillment. They're all doomed to failure. There are only two results available to us in life. Whatever we pursue, relationships, money, career, physical health or beauty, political power, fame, whatever we pursue or any combination thereof, whatever we pursue, there are only two alter two possible results. One is uh either frustration or the other one is disappointment. If you get if you do not get what you want, you'll be frustrated.

[00:20:37]If I if I fail, frustrated. And if you get what you want, ah good then. No, then you'll be disappointed.

[00:20:44]Disappointed in the sense that it's never as good as it seemed to be promised. This is called the hedonic trap. So nature, society, advertisement, Wall Street, they put it out there in front of you. This is the goal. If you if we attain to it, if but once you have this product, you'll be really really happy.

[00:21:07]One of our senior swami is Atma Rupan G.

[00:21:09]She would say that uh the serial advertisements he's talking about a particular serial advertisement.

[00:21:15]Somebody's having the cereals and with A HUGE GREEN. WOW. Everybody's delighted and you know like it's the best day of their life. So they're so bright and happy and he says no no nobody's that happy by eating a bowl of cereals.

[00:21:28]It's unnatural.

[00:21:32]That's true. So either um frustrated or disappointed but there is a deep solution to all this. Real fulfillment is available. Real transcendence of suffering is available. So this is the in three sentences these three questions have been answered. What is Brahman?

[00:21:52]Infinite existence consciousness is Brahman. How do you know Brahman? You have to realize Brahman as I am Brahman.

[00:21:58]And what do you get out of it? The ultimate prize complete fulfillment total transcendence of suffering. Sri Krishna says in the Bhagavad Gita centered in which the heaviest of sorrows cannot shake you attaining which nothing remains more to be attained greater than this.

[00:22:17]This means the heaviest of sorrows cannot shake you attaining to which there's no other gain which seems greater than this. Such a thing is there. That's the promise of the upanisha. That's the promise of vanta of all spirituality actually different language. Vanta has its unique advantages which we will see um later on. But now let us take a deep dive into it. Today we will concern ourselves with the first question.

[00:22:50]What is this Brahman? The crucial question. What is this Brahman?

[00:22:55]And there's a definition of Brahman.

[00:23:00]Brahman is infinite existence consciousness. What is this infinite existence consciousness? We'll take a look.

[00:23:09]Definition. When I said definition, one has to be careful here. Once I saw in Kolkata somebody had written on a wall a quote from some spiritual teacher God defined is no more God. You can't really define God and say define definition is limitation. Definition means X is this and nothing else. But that you can't do for God. But we'll see later on as we not later on today itself we'll see how that definition that thing does not apply to this definition in what sense this definition slips through that net.

[00:23:40]You can still define in a certain sense and it's still the infinite. It's still God.

[00:23:48]One thing I forgot. Not only can you teach vanta in half a verse, not only can you teach vanta in one sentence, you can even teach vanta in one word.

[00:23:58]Brahman, the word Brahman itself. That's which is being defined here. It means the vast Sanskrit the root. If you go to the root of the the word Brahman in Sanskrit, it means the vast, the limitless. And in that word itself, the limitless, all of Vanta is encompassed there.

[00:24:19]Brahman and take a step back here and think about what great things are being discussed here. When we become monks, one of the vows that we take that henceforth Oh spiritual heroes henceforth speak of the vast speak of the great nothing small anymore nothing petty anymore once you have become a monk a spiritual seeker like this briad let us speak of vast things of great things nothing greater than this when we are speaking about brahman the vast think about it the greatest questions that we can we have posed in human human civilization the greatest of questions philosophy which deals with what is real metaphysics that's the branch of philosophy which deals with reality what's real is matter real is mind real is there god or is heaven real big questions so what is real and that branch of philosophy is called ontology or metaphysics ontos means being existence and vanta has an answer vanta says S existence is real. Infinite existence consciousness. So existence is real.

[00:25:41]Existence itself is the ultimate reality. It is out of existence itself that existing things are coined and manufactured.

[00:25:49]Existence is not just a word. It's not playing with words. We actually talking about reality that there is such a thing as pure being or pure existence.

[00:25:58]And then the next part, the next big question in philosophy is the branch of philosophy called epistemology.

[00:26:05]How do you know? One can make any kind of claim about God or you know aliens or whatever it is. How do you know? What's the proof?

[00:26:16]On what grounds? What's the justification of these knowledge claims that the branch of philosophy which deals with this is called epistemology?

[00:26:25]How is knowledge possible? How is experience possible? And the answer from Vant is another equally bold consciousness chit hot topic today.

[00:26:36]Consciousness studies is one of the burning questions in in the world today.

[00:26:40]One of the cutting edge issues in science today.

[00:26:47]I was just thinking just a thought out there.

[00:26:51]This investigation into the world out there, the most sophisticated theories we have quantum theory about this nature of this cosmos. And there's a mystery at the heart of quantum theory and our investigating investigation into ourselves, we end up with the mystery of consciousness, the so-called hard problem of consciousness. So these are the two the margins of science. When you push the inquiry outwards, you end up in the mysteries of quantum theory. When you push the inquiry inwards, you end up with the hard problem of consciousness.

[00:27:27]Notice in vanta the equation that you are vanta sort of prefigures prophesizes the answer you will find one day hopefully. The reality you will find out there and the reality that you'll find in there in in here is the same reality.

[00:27:47]Anyway, that's a separate um subject altogether. A writer, a science writer says that I've been attending physics conferences for the last 25 30 years and there is a newcomer in these conferences. Surprising newcomer in physics conferences. What is that newcomer? Surprising newcomer consciousness. You would not expect something as you know biological as consciousness to suddenly turn up in a fundamental physics conference but it's always there. No. nowadays. Anyway, that's just an aside. Why did I put that out? Because you are that the mystery of consciousness and the mystery of this the existence of the universe are somehow one and the same mystery.

[00:28:35]Epistemology the basis of epistemology is consciousness chit.

[00:28:40]And there's also one more question in philosophy. Do you want to come in? Yes.

[00:28:46]They want to come in. No. All right.

[00:28:49]It's all right. There's one more question in philosophy. The general question of value. What is good? What is bad? What is right? What is wrong? The question of value, question of purpose.

[00:29:00]Is there a point to all of this to human life? Like many theories are there.

[00:29:05]These are called this is called the study of values. Axiology. Right. Ethics is part of it. Aesthetics is another part of it. Study of beauty. The question of uh uh of value what's the point purpose goal of all of this and vanta has a clear answer there also ananda bliss so sat ananda the answers to the three greatest questions that you can propose in human that human civilization has come up with what is real how do you know anything at all and finally what's the point purpose or value of any of this and Vanta's answer is sat pure being chit pure consciousness bliss ananda pure bliss and vanta goes on to say further very bold that these are not three different things they are the same thing that is pure being is pure consciousness and it itself is the fulfillment of everything it is pure bliss itself satan is brahman is the word brahman means Sat anand existence consciousness bliss.

[00:30:18]So this is in one word that little word and so neutral brahman is not the name of a particular deity.

[00:30:26]It's not a name of a particular metaphysical concept. It's just a neutral the vast and they make it more precise. What do you mean by the vast um existence? But because it's the vast it's limitless existence. It's not a limited this one existence consciousness but it's not just one particular conscious being or a few conscious experiences. It is endless consciousness, limitless consciousness.

[00:30:52]We'll explore those things. What does it mean? Limitless consciousness, limitless existence and bliss, limitless fulfillment which is what we are all seeking and it is Vanta says such a thing is there and it's all one thing.

[00:31:07]the answers to the questions of ontology, epistemology and exiology. One answer to all of them that is Brahman sat anand but vanta doesn't stop there. It goes on further to say this Brahman, it's you.

[00:31:24]Look at the stroke of brilliance here.

[00:31:26]One might stop at this point and say, well, um, it's a grand grand idea. None grander than this, none bigger than this. It's an idea, just a concept. It's nice. Or you might say, yeah, you're sort of talking about God, right? We may believe in God. I mean, it's the old story of religion. Some people believe, some don't. And anyway, what does it matter if you believe or not? It's a speculation. It's an article of faith.

[00:31:52]No, Vanta goes and says it's you. The brilliance of this is if it's you, if it is I, the one inhubitable thing I know about anything in the universe is that I exist.

[00:32:09]Like Deart, I cannot deny my own existence. Kjum, I think, therefore I exist. Our absolutely irrefutable existence is combined with the infinitude of the absolute infinite existence, infinite consciousness, infinite bliss and they are identified in this extraordinary identity statement. You are that if you see the the underlying what's going on under the hood in vanta we can explore that later but right now we're going to dive into the definition of the absolute gham infinite consciousness existence consciousness is Brahman. What is Brahman is the question and that we will answer now in the next few minutes.

[00:33:01]Let us proceed together. You remember we all did it in school. A mathematical proof step by step. 1 2 3 4. This implies this implies this implies. And if you miss one step, God help you. Then you are lost. You don't know what's going on.

[00:33:19]I I read about this professor who used to give these long proofs implies implies implies and then summer vacation has come two months gap and then the cl the school reopens after summer vacation and this professor comes into the class and writes implies and then continues with the proof which I was doing two months ago and you're supposed to remember all of that in your head. No, it's easier than that. It's easier than that. But we need attention now especially for the next few minutes.

[00:33:45]We're going to unpack the definition of Brahman.

[00:33:51]Brahman is infinite existence consciousness. Infinite existence consciousness is Brahman.

[00:34:00]All right. There's a way of doing it, a technique. Start with the word Brahman.

[00:34:05]The word Brahman, as I said, it means vast. It means limitless. Limitless.

[00:34:12]The word for limitless in Sanskrit is anantam. The word for limit is an means limit. Vanta the limit of the Vedas. What is the limit of the Vedas? These texts called the upanishads where the highest or final teachings are given.

[00:34:33]Ant means end. In one sense these upanishads and vanta is the end of the vedas. In another sense um it is the final or the highest teachings of the Vedas. So in that sense the end professor Arindam Chakravarti called it the edge of knowledge edge in the sense of a cutting edge.

[00:34:55]Upanishads themselves talk about puradhara the the razor's edge. There's this beautiful novel by Somerset mom razor's edge. In the kanisha this is shuradhara the razor's edge this vanta is also the razor's edge the cutting edge of knowledge brahman is anantam infinite limitless now precise let us dive into it what is the limit now you might be all be scared oh calculus limit vague memories of terrors in in high school calculus. No limit here in philosophy, what's a limit? Anything that cuts something off in a limit which separates where something comes to an end that's a limit. So there's something coming to an end is a limit. Vanta speaks of three kinds of limit. A space limit, a time limit, and an object limit. A space limit and time limit will it's it's what you are thinking of already. Object limit is interesting thing. We'll see later. So a space limit. What's a limit in space? Things are located in space. So uh the podium is this much only. Here is the podium.

[00:36:16]But when I go here, the podium is not there anymore. It's limited. This is a Dallas. No matter how big it is, it's still limited. There's something outside Dallas. Even Texas has a limit. There's something outside Texas.

[00:36:30]The Earth has a limit. The solar system has a limit. The galaxy has a limit. So everything has a limit in space. This is the location. You are sitting right there which means you are not here. I am here. That means I'm not there. So we are located. We are limited in space.

[00:36:47]This is called in Sanskrit des a special limitation. Every physical entity is limited in space. But then why just physical entity? If you are that way think fond of abstract thinking mathematics you have different geometrical spaces there also things have entities geometrical entities have boundaries and limits in space so we're limited in space now if I ask you that suppose something does not have a limit in space remember Brahman is without limit no limit everything has a limit in space but suppose something does not have a limit in space what happens when something has a limit in space. It's located in space.

[00:37:29]It's here. It's not there. It's not anywhere else. It's only here.

[00:37:35]If something does not have a limit in space, we are being told Brahman is limitless. It has no limit in space.

[00:37:41]What will happen to it? It'll be everywhere. It'll be everywhere. Or if you put it negatively, there will be nowhere where it is not.

[00:37:52]Nowhere where it is not. It'll be everywhere. in Sanskrit survi in English all pervasive omnipresent omnipresent all pervasive suppose such a thing is there you might say yeah that's you're just playing with words what thing could be omnipresent so suppose such a thing is there what what will it be um you might immediately say oh present everywhere in space but space itself is omnipresent because you're talking about space well it still wouldn't be our physical space wouldn't be there in a geometric space for example you have to tell me something which is present in all possible spaces nothing left out oh you have heard too much vanta but first this is the entity will be all pervasive now look at time limit so something has a limit in time limitation in time limitation in time means Everything has a beginning and an end, a production and a destruction.

[00:38:58]An appearance and a dis disappearance. A birth and a death.

[00:39:03]Before this time, it was not there.

[00:39:06]After this time, it will not be there.

[00:39:09]We're talking about absence. Earlier in in naya philosophy, there are four kinds of absence. Did you know that nothing has also four types? Nothing. But there are four types of nothing.

[00:39:22]One type of nothing is that which was there before something was made. That nothing which was there before something. Before I was born, this person was born, this did not exist.

[00:39:33]That nothing. Nothing prior to creation.

[00:39:37]That is called praabhava in Sanskrit.

[00:39:40]The the um interior non-existence.

[00:39:45]And then after death, after destruction, a thing does not exist. So after destruction, a thing does not exist.

[00:39:50]that nothing which is there after something has gone after death that is called um posterior non-existence.

[00:40:00]Then there is another kind of nothing which is called mutual nothing. That means they give the example a cow is not a horse. So there is no horarsseness in a cow and no cowess in a horse. They're mutually absent. Nothing. It's a fancy way of logicians way of saying they're different.

[00:40:20]difference. Then there is a fourth kind of nothing which is just plain old nothing.

[00:40:28]It's nothing. There's nothing there. Not posterior, antior, nothing like that.

[00:40:36]So time before the production of something after the destruction of something. So something exists in the limitation after birth it comes into existence. After death it goes out of existence. Limited existence. Every entity in the universe has a limited existence. Limited in time. Those entities which are born in time, especially physical entities. It's another way of saying impermanent.

[00:41:01]Everything is impermanent in this universe. Every being we, our bodies are definitely impermanent. Our thoughts are impermanent. Our experiences are impermanent. Everything is impermanent in this universe. So um impermanent time limitation means there's a time when it was not there. There's a time when it is there and there's a time when it will not be there anymore. That's called a time limitation.

[00:41:25]But suppose the says Brahman has no limitation. That means it has no time limitation. If a entity does not have time limitation, what will happen to it?

[00:41:39]It'll always exist. That's right.

[00:41:41]Something that has time limitation exists only for a period of time. Not before, not after. But something that does not have a time limitation um exists forever.

[00:41:52]It is eternal in Sanskrit. Nitium.

[00:41:56]Nitium. Eternal.

[00:41:59]One more. We're talking about limitations. There's a third kind of limitation. Object limitation. Now this is a peculiar concept. It's worth thinking about.

[00:42:09]Each object is just itself and not anything else. This podium is what? It's a podium. And what is it not? Nothing.

[00:42:19]All the others apart from the podium, it is not. The whole universe can be divided into two categories. This podium and everything else.

[00:42:29]A and not a. We did it in logic. This is called the law of identity.

[00:42:34]What does the law of identity do? It gives you nowadays you have real ID.

[00:42:39]Real ID. What does real ID do? It gives you a unique identification for you and sets you apart from what? Everything else and everybody else.

[00:42:48]So law of identity means A is A and there therefore everything else it's separate from everything else.

[00:42:55]Everything else is not A.

[00:42:59]So this is called the law of identity or this object limit. But Vanta says it's a kind of limitation. It's a kind of poverty. Imagine poor A. It's only A. It can't be B or C or D. So it's just A.

[00:43:15]It's just that and different from everything else. Separated from everything else. It's a limitation. It's a limitation. This podium is only a podium and nothing else. No. And different from even other podiums. So it's a limitation.

[00:43:31]Object limitation means that an entity is itself and different from everything else.

[00:43:39]It's distinct from everything else. Um suppose an entity does not have object limitation. What will happen? It's a tricky one. Something that does not have space limitation, all pervasive, omnipresent. Something that does not have time limitation, eternal. Something that does not have object limitation.

[00:43:59]What will happen to it? If it has object limitation, it's different from everything else is different from it.

[00:44:06]Separate from it. If it has no object limitation, then there will be nothing separate from it.

[00:44:12]There will be nothing separate from it.

[00:44:14]Let me repeat that. If it is an object limitation, everything else will be separate from it.

[00:44:20]But if it has no object limitation, there is no anything else. There's nothing else about everything will be one with it.

[00:44:29]That is the meaning of no object limitation. There will be nothing else apart from it. There will be no second entity apart from it. No second nondual.

[00:44:42]No second non-dual in Sanskrit.

[00:44:47]So no object limitation means nonduality.

[00:44:52]This nonduality vanta says this is true infinity but we are all what are we discussing here the term anantam limitless infinite no limit non-duality is true limitation see infinity can only be one mathematicians will say no no no there are so many infinity in mathematics we learned the set of real numbers is infinite between two numbers you can find an infinite number of other you know real numbers you can find.

[00:45:23]But those are mathematical infinites.

[00:45:25]They're not true infinites. Why? What is an infinite? The true infinity is that means which has no limit at all. There should be nothing outside, nothing left out.

[00:45:38]If you leave something out, then what?

[00:45:40]It can't be a true infinity. Why? If I leave something out, then this infinity you're saying this is infinity and something is left out of that infinity.

[00:45:48]Then this so-called infinity goes and stops there. There is something outside.

[00:45:53]So it's not infinite. There is a border to this this infinity. There is a limitation to it. A true infinity true in the philosophical sense. A true philosophical infinity must be only one.

[00:46:05]There can't be a second entity outside that infinity. Otherwise then both will become limited.

[00:46:12]If a is infinite there can't be a not a.

[00:46:15]Everything else must be included in that A. So non-duality is true infinity. Now anyway let's now see what we have got.

[00:46:22]How far have we progressed in our unpacking of the definition of the absolute Brahman. First word to define Brahman was anundant limitless. And what did we get? We got not limited by space omnipresent not limited by time eternal not limited by object nondual in Sanskrit.

[00:46:46]Nitya in English allervasive eternal nondual so Brahman is that entity which is all pervasive everywhere eternal all the time past present future and nondual there's nothing else except Brahman whatever is must be in some sense Brahman if you say something exists it must be Brahman in some sense in some way okay this is the understanding of one word anand Anam where did this come to explain the word Brahman. The word Brahman is equal to anam. The word anantam limitless is equal to all pervasive eternal nondual.

[00:47:28]All heavy duty philosophical heavy philosophical machinery at work here. At this point you say okay fine these are interesting concepts cool concepts but they're concepts. They are words. Is it real? Any of it? Make it real. This is the beauty of this definition you know it gives you a grand uh understanding definition of the absolute and then it will point it out in our experience. It will show us that infinite that Brahman that eternal all pervasive non-dual Brahman will be pointed out to us to us to such clarity that we can't you know we can only say oh I see that's what you're talking about. Yes, it's obvious.

[00:48:12]It'll be pointed out. So, okay, good.

[00:48:14]Point it out. Where is this Brahman? It says Brahma. Look at the wordsha.

[00:48:23]Existence, consciousness, infinity is Brahman. So, existence is Brahman.

[00:48:28]Brahma.

[00:48:30]Means real existent. So, existence is Brahman.

[00:48:36]Brahma. What do you mean by existence is Brahman? Look around in a nice way, straightforward way existence here. So these are all existing things. The podium exists, the phone exists, the swami exists, the table exists.

[00:48:51]The So this is Brahman. The podium, the phone, the table.

[00:48:57]Not quite. Why? Because the podium may exist. Yeah, that's it quite clearly does exist here. But the problem with with it is we just defined it as anam limitless. We just defined it as all pervasive, eternal, nondual. Is the podium allervasive? Does it cover the entire universe? Wherever you go in the universe, is the podium there? That would be a very strange podium and a strange universe.

[00:49:22]No, it's not. If the podium is very much limited in space, is it eternal without beginning and without end? When the big bang arose, was the podium waiting for it then? No.

[00:49:35]The podium is a very limited thing. It was produced just the other day and one day it'll be gone.

[00:49:41]So it is limited in time. It's limited in space. And most of all, is it nondual? Is it true that there's nothing else except the podium? Of course not.

[00:49:51]The entire universe is there. Every other millions and billions of other entities are there. The phone itself is there other than the podium resting on the podium.

[00:50:02]So the podium is not all pervasive. The podium is not eternal. The podium is not nondual. So the podium is not infinite anam limitless.

[00:50:14]Hence it can't it can't be Brahman. Now we have a problem. The upanishad gave us two words which are contradicting each other. pointing out Brahman. It says Brahman must be limitless and then it points to existing real something real.

[00:50:28]Here is a real thing. We apply the test of limitlessness to it fails. It is limited.

[00:50:34]Then what cannot be wrong. So here we go. So far it was if we think it was difficult, it was easy actually. Now we're going to get get a little more difficult.

[00:50:46]We have to find out something that is existing which is satya which is real but which is also infinite which is limitless which is all pervasive eternal and nondual and it is something to do with existence.

[00:51:03]So this is called implied meaning in vanta is called implied meaning. The direct meaning of satyam real are real things straightforward dictionary meaning of real real stuff in the world.

[00:51:15]The implied meaning of real stuff is reality. What is that one thing which is there in all these real things but does not have a limit. It is limitless.

[00:51:26]We want reality to be limitless. These two must go together. What's there in all these real things which is also limitless which is all pervasive, eternal and non-dual.

[00:51:38]One thing we notice this uh um podium is it exists. This phone is it exists. This table is it exists.

[00:51:52]Now the podium is certainly limited. So is the phone. So is the table. But we notice something is common to all of them. Is is is exists exists exists. In fact, every real entity in the universe, you will always qualify it with is it exists.

[00:52:12]And what Vedanta says this is not a grammatical thing. It's not just something part of our language.

[00:52:19]We think the table that's the reality is is just a word. No, Vanta insist just the opposite. Vanta says is is the reality. The table is just a word.

[00:52:32]says is nama it is the universe is just name the reality of it is being or existence itself this isness with the name and form and function this is called a podium the same isness with a name form and function like this it's called a phone the same isness with a name form and function like the table is called a table podium and phone are different they are all limited but isness itself Well, if you look at around, we are in an ocean of ismness. Look around.

[00:53:09]Compare these entities like waves in the ocean. And isness, think of it as water.

[00:53:17]In that way, if you look, we are in an ocean of existence. Ocean of isness.

[00:53:24]Actually, everything you will notice is.

[00:53:29]Where does isess end?

[00:53:33]It is all pervasive.

[00:53:35]If space is there, then isness is there.

[00:53:40]You say but suppose where is not non-existence there but is not non-existent does not exist. So you need not bother about it.

[00:53:48]Whatever is must be based on that isness.

[00:53:53]Wherever there is a golden ornament, gold must be there. Wherever there is a clay pot, clay must be there.

[00:54:00]Wherever there is an existing thing, existence must be there.

[00:54:06]This existence is a very interesting thing. It's not a property. I can say the table, the podium is wood, the podium is brown.

[00:54:16]And if you say the podium is existing, now wood and brown are properties of this podium. It these are characteristics. Existence is not a characteristic.

[00:54:26]Let me do a little deep dive into analytic modern analytic philosophy 20th century. This is to this called Bertrren Russell's theory of descriptions. He says you can put everything in an analyt analytic format. The way to express this the uh podium is brown. In Bertrand Russell's logical language there exists an X such that X is a podium and it is brown.

[00:54:53]There exists a mobile phone such that it is there exists an X such that X is a mobile phone and it is black but existence. So being a brown or black or a podium or a mobile phone these are characteristics but existence is not a characteristic like that. If you say the podium is brown and it exists. So it has two properties being brown and existing.

[00:55:20]Existing is also a property and you put it in button's theory of descriptions the language what will happen there exists X such that X is a podium X is brown and X exists you you're double counting existence in that case existence is prior to giving any properties and it becomes even more clear if you deny the existence of something the podium does not exist how will you express it there is X such that X is a podium and it does not exist.

[00:55:52]You have you have straight out contradicted yourself. So anyway just this is an interesting thing theory of descriptions but Russell he comes to this um he was not a vantist by any uh [laughter] any calculation. In fact once Raindraat Tagore was in uh uh England I was giving a talk and Bertrand Russell's daddy sits there he went to hear the talk Raindra Tagore he came back and wrote wrote down more of the Brahman nonsense but partly we have to blame Tagore also because if you look he was talking about Vant he gave talks on Vanta but those because being a great poet his talks on Vanta were very poetic And Bertrand Russell was not particularly poetic. He he wanted crisp analytical. I think he would have appreciated this kind of analytical uh you know presentation of Vanta. So existence not existing things but the existence which we experience as existing things that exist everywhere.

[00:57:02]If space exists then existence is there because you have to say space is existence is eternal.

[00:57:12]This bodium is not eternal.

[00:57:15]Shankaray says in his in a Gita commentary on the Bhagat Gita he says part is then uh his opponent asks suppose the pots all the pot is destroyed then well the other part is suppose all parts all those blessed parts are destroyed then where is your existence he says the cloth is is in Sanskrit the word for pot is ga and the word for cloth is put. So it rhymes nicely.

[00:57:53]The pot is suppose you smash all pots.

[00:57:56]Get rid of the pots. Now where is your existence?

[00:57:59]The cloth is.

[00:58:02]If you smash the pot, what remains? The clay. Suppose he says you smash clay into powder. The earth element. Suppose you take a you put it into the atom smasher and smash all it down to atoms.

[00:58:14]Atoms is now looking in this way uh going down this line of reasoning the opponent asked the question which is must be there in our minds. Suppose every entity in the universe is destroyed.

[00:58:29]The cosmos is destroyed. Nothing remains nothing.

[00:58:34]Then where is that isness? There Shankarachara makes a very profound observation. He says then the isness will remain by itself as isness as existence as ever except that it will not be obvious anymore.

[00:58:49]To make it obvious to make it a part of the universe to make it usable, transactable, relatable, you need names and forms.

[00:59:00]Existence by itself unusable.

[00:59:03]existing existence as existing things becomes part of this universe of the only thing is once you make existence into existing things they will come into existence and they disappear out of it will become impermanent the only thing that is permanent eternal remember existence itself so um existence is all perervasive existence is eternal you can destroy existing things existing things can be born existing things can go out for existence but existence itself is not born nor does it go out of existence if existence were to be born that means previously what would be there non-existence how can something come out of nothing I'm just quoting from the chandop How from nothing can come something. So something must have come from something.

[00:59:58]Existence must have always been there.

[01:00:02]And nonduality.

[01:00:04]The only thing that is non-dual in this universe is existence.

[01:00:09]What is the one thing? What is nonduality? What is the one thing other than which nothing else exists?

[01:00:16]Must be existence. Because other than existence, what is there? Non-existence.

[01:00:22]All the existing things in the universe, they cannot be a second reality apart from existence. You can't say there's existence and then there is a pot. No, the pot must be one with that existence to exist.

[01:00:36]It sounds weird, but no, it's actually pretty simple. If you look around, if you think in that way, think in terms of existence, then you'll find the entire universe depends on that existence. is based on that existence is a network of names, forms and uses put on that existence.

[01:00:56]So this limitless existence limitless means allervasive eternal nonduality in Sanskrit that existence that is called in Sanskrit s it's been demonstrated here and what this definition is claiming something amazing the definition is claiming it's a fact look around you it's already a fact not only it's already a fact it has to be it's necessarily a Otherwise, the universe itself wouldn't exist.

[01:01:29]It's the basic reality of the universe.

[01:01:44]obvious reality existence a sneaking suspicion might come into our minds okay so it's a thing Brahman is a thing existence is a thing just like this podium so there's something called Brahman Brahman immediately the next word comes this conscious being which you are right now this consciousness which you are experiencing ourselves that is Brahman you are that existence the existence we talking about is the consciousness which you experience yourself as not part of it not whole of it is that one only so this limitless existence is also this limitless consciousness the limitlessness of existence I've demonstrated the limitlessness of consciousness the next word conscious brahma that's your assignment because we have run out of time what you have to do is do it this way the clue is All our life start with yourself. All our life is just experience.

[01:02:51]I see, I hear, I smell, I see, I touch, I taste, I think, I remember, I enjoy, I suffer. This is experience.

[01:03:00]What's common to all exper? Because these experiences come and go. They are not anam. They're not limitless.

[01:03:07]But what's common to all of them?

[01:03:09]Consciousness. Yes. I are conscious in both ways. You can call the bare eye the I am. Recently I was interviewed for a documentary and the name of the documentary is I am that I am is from the Bible. I am that I am but from a non-dual perspective.

[01:03:28]So the I am or consciousness that's common to every experience that you have ever had.

[01:03:36]And then the opition see but when we say oh okay so that is a limitless consciousness I am that limitless consciousness but a sneaking feeling comes into the mind okay I am this limitless consciousness but there are others also who are pure consciousness there there are so many other beings like me they also must be like me immediately it says anam limitless there's only one such consciousness so if you are that consciousness you are the same in all beings anam Brahma limitless existence conscious. So this limitless consciousness is called in Sanskrit chit.

[01:04:13]So what do you have sit not anand limitless?

[01:04:19]Where did ananda go? Please go. It'll come later on. But but right now you can see but the link is here. Um in the chandoga it is said it means that which is the vast that alone is fulfillment or joy or bliss. Um not there's no no true bliss in the limited.

[01:04:40]So it says anantam here limitless. When it says limitless in this it translates into anundam bliss also.

[01:04:49]It is the very limitless nature of your existence consciousness. This isless awareness.

[01:04:57]Even the I am. Notice the nature of the I am. The amness. What is that am?

[01:05:03]Existing. I am. I exist. That is the satyam. And the I. The I. The basic nature of the I is consciousness shining. It is continuously revealing itself as an conscious being. So the I am in the Sanskrit word would be I would be chit and am would be s and what and that I am is obvious to all of us. I exist and I am conscious. Is that all you are saying swami? It will be obvious to me. I knew all this. It's the most obvious thing at all. But what vanta adds to it is what we did not know. And the crucial ingredient in all of this I am I am such but it adds anam limitless I am limitless is something that I don't know I don't feel that I don't think so I am I I understand vanta reveals to us one way of understanding vanta is it reveals to us the limitlessness of the I am this limitlessness of the I am is bliss It is the bliss that is Brahman. This bliss is called Brahman in Vanta. Sounds convoluted but if you look at it, if you take a look at it in our own experience, it's not all that difficult at all. It's already there. It's pretty clear either tomorrow or day after we'll do a a meditative exercise to take a look at this everpresent I am. For one can always say that uh uh if this is so obvious it's already there show me.

[01:06:41]If I can see there's no problem. If I cannot see you you should be able to show me because something which is there I should be able to experience it.

[01:06:51]When you talk about God in heaven and you say show me well you have to go to heaven. You have to die first then I'm safe because then you can't catch me.

[01:07:02]If you don't find God there, you can't catch me. But if I say that this I am infinite I am, you are that satyam, you can always you always have a right to say I don't feel that I don't see that. Show me and indeed vant is up to the task. So we will take take a look and catch a glimpse hopefully of what we are talking about here. So summing up what is Brahman? That was the question we were dealing with. Three questions.

[01:07:29]What is Brahman? How do you know Brahman? And what is the result of all of this? What is Brahman? That one we just discussed it now. And what did we what was the answer? Satyam anam infinite existence consciousness is Brahman. Infinite we understood what is infinite. All pervasive eternal nondual allervasive eternal nondual what? Satyam existence. In other words, s all pervasive eternal nondual what? Chit consciousness.

[01:08:05]And that you are. This is the whole of vanta packed into the definition.

[01:08:14]I'm done for the evening. [laughter] It's a lot. Now you can see why we the monks they bow. We shall let us speak of great things, vast things. Nothing vaster than this. This is these are the ultimate realities. How do you do the question answers?

[01:08:30]>> Yes, please put them podium here if you have questions otherwise I'll ask. Let me start off with asking you a question.

[01:08:37]God defined is no God. So did we just define God?

[01:08:44]Did we? An answer is yes and no. In one sense yes it's a definition. Another sense it's not really a definition.

[01:08:52]A definition always limits. But this definition did not Yeah, you're right.

[01:08:56]This definition did not limit.

[01:08:59]Yeah, it removed the limits.

[01:09:04]Okay, if anybody has question, just come up here. Please come up here and tell us your name and ask the question.

[01:09:10]I'll get us started. My name is Kalash.

[01:09:12]Please come.

[01:09:14]Go ahead.

[01:09:16]So Maharaj uh Pam Maraj um eternal and allervasive give credence to space and time.

[01:09:29]>> Yes. So they don't really fit with non-duality then right >> so >> yes so vant is primarily a path of not this not this ni the moment you say it is eternal that means there is time and something lasts a pretty long time I mean never comes to an end really and that's called eternal is that what you mean by vanta by brahman no not really what does eternal do it does two things.

[01:10:00]The word eternal anam limitless in time what it does is does two things. One is it rules out temporality that something is born and something dies. So what we talking about is not something that's created and destroyed. Not something that's born and it dies. So Brahman is not like that because it is eternal. I I'll finish this. And then then do you mean Brahman is something that lasts throughout time?

[01:10:31]No, not even that. What it really means is time is an appearance in Brahman.

[01:10:38]Time is also not ultimately real. It is something that appears in Brahman.

[01:10:44]Brahman gives existence to time.

[01:10:47]Like the clay pot. Now if I say um the clay is um you know eternal in terms of the pot it's it's not that the clay will last as long as the pot. That's not true. The pot itself is an appearance in clay.

[01:11:04]It's a form given to the clay. The clay was there before the pot. The clay is there during the pot. The clay will be there after the pot. The in place of pot if you put time in place of clay if you put Brahman.

[01:11:16]Then you realize Brahman exists without time. Brahman exists when time is appearing also. Brahman exists when time is gone also. In that sense, Brahman is eternal.

[01:11:29]Right? I was going to say um I lost.

[01:11:34]>> Okay, so we'll come back. Don't worry.

[01:11:36]>> Just quickly uh it's right there. um concepts >> I guess it it's it we have to approach it this way because that's we are operating through our cognition right and so we have to like there are no concepts in Brahman even right there is there is just Brahman so yes >> there's no concept there's no cognition >> it's just that we have we have to make sense for it ourselves so >> true but remember all concepts all cognition they are Brahman is um not dependent on them but they are dependent on Brahman.

[01:12:11]>> Right.

[01:12:12]>> And because you are Brahman and concepts and cognition are appearing in you, they can lead back to your real nature.

[01:12:18]>> Okay.

[01:12:19]>> Right.

[01:12:21]>> Yeah. Yeah.

[01:12:22]>> They are not two divorced things.

[01:12:24]>> Right. Right. Right.

[01:12:25]>> It is in the sense none of the characters, nothing that is happening in the movie is actually in the screen and yet the whole movie is appearing on the screen. So an investigation of the movie, not the plot of the movie, but what's going on in the movie. If you push far enough, you'll get into the screen itself.

[01:12:41]>> Yes, in that sense.

[01:12:42]>> Thank you very much.

[01:12:43]>> Yes, pronounce Swami.

[01:12:46]>> Um, I have a question. Not >> your name.

[01:12:49]>> My name is Usha.

[01:12:50]>> Yes.

[01:12:50]>> Um, this is not directly to what the lecture was today, but I'm also studying titanas right now. Um so the question is all the oponyish says once you have the realization once more you you you you get the brahma vana yes >> then you're liberated and you're done.

[01:13:15]>> Yes.

[01:13:16]>> However my question is um we all there's a I feel like there's a contradiction and I'm sure I'm wrong. Um there's a contradictions the sita papa and praaba karma and all that um we suppose suppose this lifetime I get moka wishful thinking but let's say that but my sitta karma and praabda karma if I don't exhaust it in this lifetime am I coming back again >> no >> no don't worry don't worry about that the answer is there it's Munda says what happens when one gets enlightenment that flash of realization that I am the absolute the knots of the heart are rent ascender it sounds like a cardiac event but knots of the heart it means that which ties you limitless consciousness to this construct to this body mind this personality we think I am this this seems absolutely beyond all doubt we don't even look at it vanta forces us to look at ourselves in one sense vant is utterly simple another sense it's very difficult because it uh we assume this to be true and then we go out into the world and look for whether it is super strings or god or whatever it is science or religion but vanta turns it around tells forget the world forget what appears to consciousness. I want I'm interested in consciousness.

[01:14:57]So if you realize what you are that which ties us to this the ignorance which ties us to this body mind that is cut all doubts are gone forever. You can't doubt it anymore.

[01:15:14]Every even the doubt will prove that you are that that Brahman.

[01:15:18]So it's like looking don't look into the sun but it's like look into the sun it's as inhubitable as that nothing could be more sureer than this in fact all proof depends on this um then answer to your question all the accumulated kmas are destroyed in a flash they're destroyed in what sense you realize Brahman is the only reality the non-dual reality and there's no existence of those kmas anymore. So from our perspective, from the relative perspective that enlightened ones accumulated karmmas are all burnt. Um Krishna says ghanam, the ghanai, the fire of knowledge reduces to ashes all the accumulated karmmas of that enlightened one. So you're freed forever.

[01:16:09]So that's the answer to the question.

[01:16:10]You know what's happening here is something a little deeper.

[01:16:14]Um remember the first remark which we started with when are we truly free?

[01:16:22]It's only when we that stuff which we think binds us that sets us free then we are free. When the prison sets us free then we are free. Not by trying to run away from the prison.

[01:16:34]Vanta says nothing has bound you. You have to see that you when you say when I get atma gyana or brahmagghan and I realize I am Brahman. Brahman was never bound. So you were never bound.

[01:16:50]The past karma accumulated karma.

[01:16:53]Brahman never had any past karma. Never had any accumulated karma. So you did not have any past karma. Did not have any accumulated karma. You realize you are always free.

[01:17:06]So the question of accumulated karma will I come back praa karma the actualized karma will I have to from your perspective nothing then all those calculations for whom from our perspective from the one who watching the enlightened one that person's body is still continuing that person is now we are calling that person a jan mukta freed while living how is the body continuing how are events happening in their life unless there's some karma connected to it those are our calculations from Your perspective is I am the one non-dual Brahman. You guys are still inhabiting the movie. I am the screen on which this movie is playing. I am unaffected by any any any of the characters or any of the actions of the characters. That's what happens.

[01:17:51]>> Thank you.

[01:17:55]>> Good evening.

[01:17:57]>> Don't forget your question. Let me I was in preet. I was in a conference couple of weeks back in Stony Brook University.

[01:18:04]the discussion of um please shankara adita post shankaradita and so on and these discussions of what will happen to this karma or that karma these were discussions which came up uh later on after shankara a lot of developments many great masters came multiple theories were added so one professor was saying notice what happened over the centuries from shankara's perspective even if you are not enlightened.

[01:18:34]Enlightened one is utterly free. Even if you're not enlightened, you're almost free because that little veil of ignorance is what binds from Shankara's perspective.

[01:18:45]It has come down a thousand years after Shankara.

[01:18:49]The post Shankara they developed it so much. So many theories came on that even those who are free are still a little bit bound.

[01:18:57]So this whole how the whole thing changed the picture changed.

[01:19:02]All right. Yes. My name is Aner. I got one question. Uh you mentioned that you know after the destruction of everything ease remains some sort of ease like is that what we call a witness consciousness?

[01:19:17]>> Uh the isness awareness is the witness consciousness >> isness awareness of the >> and the isness awareness is the same thing. It's you actually >> okay >> instead of saying is suppose you say I am.

[01:19:28]>> I am what your name is an >> right? Don't add the anuta. Just the I am.

[01:19:34]The bare I am is the witness consciousness.

[01:19:38]>> Okay.

[01:19:38]>> The bare I am is the witness.

[01:19:40]>> I am. Okay. Yes.

[01:19:41]>> All right. Thank you.

[01:19:46]>> My name is Romesh Raju.

[01:19:47]>> Yes.

[01:19:48]>> I'm a retired old man. Uh I see the value of doing my efforts to improve my body, my mind, my intellect. I can see that. Now to put special efforts besides what I do every day in order to discover myself or Brahman. How is it useful to me on a practical everyday situation? Utterly useless. They say they say it is useless.

[01:20:23]What Vant is saying is something more dramatic.

[01:20:27]All our efforts at stuff which is useful is doomed.

[01:20:33]Every attempt at improving the body will end with death.

[01:20:39]Every attempt. Viveandanda puts it starkly. Kings die and poppers die.

[01:20:47]Homeless dies and trillionaire also will die one day.

[01:20:51]Yes, it's true.

[01:20:53]>> And nothing terrible about it. It's a fact.

[01:20:55]>> It's life.

[01:20:55]>> It's fact. It's life, death, same thing.

[01:20:57]Two sides of the same coin. They said life is a terminal disease with 100% fatality rate. [laughter] Kings die and papers die. Saints die and sinners die. I'm quoting. The learned die and the fools die. Death comes for everybody.

[01:21:15]Body there is there is no safety in this body. It'll go one day. mind, one stroke, one little Alzheimer's, Parkinson's or nothing else, just old age slow down, everything will slow down. No, there is no safety here.

[01:21:37]Neither in the body nor in the mind. All efforts are good. As you said, you exercise, eat healthy, do yoga, then what is gluten-free.

[01:21:46]Your life will be better. Don't do any of that. Your life will be miserable.

[01:21:51]As age comes accumulate. But there it's a difference between an uncontrolled crash and a controlled crash.

[01:22:01]Vanta goes beyond.

[01:22:04]It shows you something that is utterly secure.

[01:22:08]Actually, not theoretically.

[01:22:11]It discovers something that is utterly secure. Ultimate security.

[01:22:16]the utterly free of the fear of death.

[01:22:19]Janaka when he becomes enlightened the king Janaka his guru tells him what have you got by becoming enlightened he says you have attained to fearlessness fearlessness one sadhu put it very beautifully I'll tell you what he said in Hindi and then I'll translate oh monk who's going to save you will the king save you king means politician powerful Will the rich person save you?

[01:22:52]Will the scholar or the professor save you? No.

[01:22:56]None of them.

[01:22:58]None of them will save you from death.

[01:23:00]None of them will save you from some form of struggle and unhappy and sorrow in this life. Nobody can save except this veanty. It makes such a big big promise and you have every right to ask.

[01:23:12]Suppose I realize this how will it help me?

[01:23:16]It'll be very it's a beautiful exercise to see once you have got it try to see what is the advantage of it. What do I get out? If I am Brahman, what advantage do I have? I am immortal. I am not born.

[01:23:29]I will not die.

[01:23:31]If I am Brahman, what advantage do I have? I am limitless consciousness.

[01:23:35]There's no darkness for me anymore.

[01:23:39]If I am Brahman, what advantage is there for me? I am an bliss itself.

[01:23:44]There is no suffering for me anymore from that perspective.

[01:23:49]That's our same su said look at so now you see oh monk if you are enlightened if you realize that for you there is no death anymore not only of yourself of nobody else also there's no darkness anymore because your consciousness itself and there is no suffering anymore in a deep existential sense the day-to-day sufferings of life as a body will continue as a person karma will come and go but it you are utterly beyond it now it is nothing to you that is the great advantage of this is mo >> so but once you are able to recognize it >> yes >> then doesn't it become secondary because now you're observing yourself attaining this and then won't it be like a contradiction then now it also becomes another feature of your character >> it doesn't you are it so when you say observe it and you recognize it You notice you'll at no point will you really observe it. It never becomes an object.

[01:24:54]You realize yourself as that and yet you can't say I know it as a feature as an object. In the koishan the teacher asked the student after teaching all this he says the real thing nature of Brahman is it is other than the known and other than the unknown.

[01:25:13]It is other than the unknown. This is straightforward. Yeah. It's you mean it's not something it is other than the known that means I don't know it yeah that's right I don't know it that's why I've come to you so it's unknown for me no it's other than the unknown also it's not that you know this Brahman not that you do not know it you're speaking in riddles no not riddles look at yourself not the body not the personality not your memories not your ideas or thoughts yourself as this awareness itself you'll find it's impossible to objectify And at the same time it's impossible to deny that one which is impossible to deny and yet you can't objectify. It's no it's not a feature and one more thing in a list of things. No, it is that to which all things appear and disappear. It's fundamental. You are that. So these are core questions. The more you hold with and then when Sadhu put it so nicely At least once in a day, oh monk, at least once in a day. It's a minimum spiritual practice of a veant once in a day. At least, oh monk, take a look at the reality at the word wasu here means the thing that take a look at it. See what it it's like. Examine it. Enjoy it.

[01:26:36]And see its advantages. Wow, this is incredible. There's nothing in the universe which matches it. After this, by the way, all your efforts at doing um you know, keeping the body healthy, your mind engaged, those things can continue.

[01:26:51]There's no problem.

[01:26:53]Yes.

[01:27:01]>> My name is Ma and um maybe I'm confused a little bit, but you said that adita is a study of natity, not this, not this.

[01:27:11]The approach is native not this not this >> but then uh when we say you know everything is so then how do we reconcile this and also maybe I'm a very slow student and I'm still stuck on your talk that you had given years ago two steps to nonduality >> yeah that's the answer actually >> so I thought that was [snorts] >> it's like this it's like this ad as I said is 1880 not this not this but now Mega is asking but you're ultimately going to end up with Brahman is all of this how can you hold on to both like that you can't say it's not this not this and then say it's all of this you can actually look at all the jewelry in the jewelry shop Tiffany's >> I keep giving Tiffany's example but I've never been into a Tiffany [laughter] where you go into a Tiffany's shop and then Then somebody tells you all these jewelry the reality here is gold.

[01:28:17]>> You say so that's gold. You mean necklace is gold? No the necklace is not gold. Literally the bracelet is not gold. The anklet is not gold.

[01:28:28]The tiara is not gold.

[01:28:31]Nati ni ni ni.

[01:28:34]So that means um the gold is not a particular ornament. That's what I'm saying. So none of the ornaments particularly are gold. That you can you cannot say this one only is gold. No, not like that.

[01:28:46]>> Then there's nothing called gold. No no no noi not that option.

[01:28:51]Not this thing or that thing or that thing. And then you see then nothing is gold. No gold is and they are all ornaments and names and forms and activities imposed on the gold.

[01:29:06]In fact, the only real only thing that is here in Tiffany's is gold.

[01:29:11]So, first you have to abstract the gold in your understanding from the names and forms of the ornaments and understand that the gold is the reality of all of these ornaments. You understand that the gold alone is then you say ah gold is all of these ornaments.

[01:29:28]It's all but first you have to do the ni ni first ni not necklace not bracelet not what do I mean by not you obviously necklace is gold swami no not in that sense what I mean is don't say necklace means gold no if you melt it necklace is gone gold is not gone gold is the reality the substance necklace is the form given to it the name given to it the use given to it so first n is to deny all the names and forms and uses The second n is to deny that then it's nothing. No not nothing. In fact it's everything.

[01:30:04]Once you have identified gold then you can say all those ornaments are gold.

[01:30:08]Then you understand look at vandanda's answer to the Mary h the same question. She wrote to viveandanda that you have I understood what you have taught. You have taught that all is god. And viveand wrote back I never taught such strange doctrine that all is god. Mhm.

[01:30:26]>> I have taught them. What have you taught? I have taught that God only is all is not >> in that sense. God is all because the all does not exist apart from God in that.

[01:30:40]>> So how would we put this in our practical daytoday life?

[01:30:44]>> Practical day-to-day life. Discover what you are. Don't try to be practical immediately.

[01:30:53]Discover what you are. Then you will find in every practical instance of life that reality is there from that perspective you can do you it will flow from you then don't try to force it don't try to force everything to be Brahman discover that you are Brahman and then start living you will find that everything is Brahman you're immersed in an so the first part of it is an investigation that has to be done that is the practice of vanta then discovering that you are Brahman and living accordingly that that becomes fed up.

[01:31:31]This will be the last question. We have run out of time.

[01:31:37]>> Please tell us your name and ask the question.

[01:31:39]>> Namaste Maharaj. My name is Ajit Roy.

[01:31:42]>> Yes.

[01:31:44]>> I have three little points.

[01:31:46]>> Three?

[01:31:47]>> Yes.

[01:31:47]>> Okay. Start with one person. Mhm.

[01:31:49]>> The reason I said points uh and in in our um what do I say? Elementary school or just middle school we learn what is a point?

[01:32:03]It has existence but no dimensions. Is that Brahma?

[01:32:09]>> Next question. Next point could say is uh that you have mentioned many times and that the card says the thing therefore I am or the other way I am therefore I think >> in the last point first time I came to the name Carlos Roseli from you one of your >> Carlos Railia >> and that was your lecture in Gulp India and you happened to be in the conference in Italy.

[01:32:45]>> Yes.

[01:32:46]>> And you met him.

[01:32:47]>> Yes.

[01:32:49]>> And how do you distinguish between no thing or not a thing and his hypothesis in quantum mechanics nothingness.

[01:33:03]>> Yes. All right. All of these can be a full lecture in itself.

[01:33:08]Yes.

[01:33:09]So I don't know we all memorize the definition of a point that which has no length and breadth and no dimensions and yet it exists. So it's actually an impossibility. You really cannot make anything out of it. But ukidian geometry depends on those those are the elements of ukidian geometry.

[01:33:26]>> Yes. So Brahman would be that and everything else also. But point is a good symbol of Brahman.

[01:33:32]But um just as all the whole line segment is made of points, endless number of points. Similarly, everything in the universe is made of Brahman. In fact, the bindu in Sanskrit is a representative of Nituna Brahman, the ultimate reality.

[01:33:50]>> Then the second question was that um what was the second?

[01:33:56]>> Not a thing, nothing.

[01:33:58]>> The third question with with Carlo Relli. The second question >> Deart yeah you're right >> Deart said I think therefore I am and wouldn't vanta say I am therefore I think that's true vanta would reverse it would say I am therefore I think because when I do not think say in deep sleep no thinking no imagination no remembrance no sense of I am sleeping also just utter blank even then I am it's just that I'm not thinking >> I am therefore I Yes, buthart's genius was in his approach because thinking is something common to all of us and he says that proves your own existence. You can't deny that. Even if you deny it, if you say I don't exist, that's a thought that that proves your existence.

[01:34:49]All right, the last part of it that will require a whole talk. Yes, Keri. It was a wonderful encounter. The only thing that I would add there to his interpretation of quantum theory is that which he sees as the the interdependent universe. He makes a connection between Nagarjuna's understanding of the universe and his interpretation of quantum theory that that would be the appearance the Maya in in Advita Vanta Brahman would be the underlying reality of that.

[01:35:26]All right. Thank you. Thank you.

[01:35:27]>> Thank Murad, let me do a peace chant.

[01:35:42]Ram Krishna.