Kathopanishad (9) - by Swami Jnanasudhananda

[00:00:11]Omaheech.

[00:00:31]Om shanty shanty shanty.

[00:00:37][clears throat] Oh may Brahman protect the teacher and the thought. May Brahman bestow upon us the fruit of knowledge. May what we study reveal the truth. May we cherish no illfilling toward each other. Om peace. Peace. Peace.

[00:01:02][clears throat] Good evening.

[00:01:08]Last class we saw [clears throat] that Nachiketa began his question regarding the nature of Atman. Actually he put the question in the form of what survives after death.

[00:01:34]He asked Yama that there is this great doubt great mystery about death about death. Some people say that when a person dies there is something that survives death but others say nothing survives. Everything ends by the death of the body. This the truth of this uh death I want to understand you please teach me. So this would be my third boon. That was what Nachiketa told Yama.

[00:02:15]Yama tried to dissuade him. He said that look this is a very profound mystery.

[00:02:27]Even gods have entertained doubts about this and it is very difficult to understand.

[00:02:37]So please ask something else. Don't press me on this question of death.

[00:02:48]But Nachiketa said no. If this is such a mystery that even gods have doubts about this and it is very difficult to understand if it is such a profound thing then this is the best opportunity I have to be taught by you. So I don't want anything else. This Nachiketa said but Yama [clears throat] would not let let him go so easily and moreover he wanted to make sure that Nachiketa is indeed fit to receive this highest knowledge of Atman.

[00:03:38]Yma now puts before Nachiketa many temptations.

[00:03:46]So today we will see the uh the Nachiket Yama's alluring things what all things he offered to Nachiketa to stop him from his pursuit of this question of this mystery of death.

[00:04:11]So we are on mantra number 23.

[00:04:42]Yama said, "Choose sons and grandsons who shall live a hundred years.

[00:04:51]Choose elephants, horses, herds of cattle and gold. Choose a vast domain on earth. Live here as many years as you desire.

[00:05:08]So Yama is willing to give him sons, grandsons, lot of wealth in terms of elephants, horses, herds of g cattle and gold and all this wealth sons and grandsons everything will be useless if the person himself dies.

[00:05:31][laughter] So he says you also will live long for many many years you will live and not just leave. So if a person is having a long life but he is sick then it is more of a curse than a boon. [snorts] So Yama says you will live in good health. Live long years in good health and enjoy all these things.

[00:06:00]Emma tells Nachika next. [clears throat and cough] If you deem any other boon equal to that, choose it.

[00:06:35]Choose wealth and a long life. Be the king, oh nachiketa, of the wide earth. I will make you the enjoyer of all desires. See, Yama is giving so many things. He's ready to give so many things to Nachiketa.

[00:06:57]So many wonderful things. So he he is ready to make him a king of a vast empire and he can enjoy all desires. So commentator says these desires include both earthly and celestial desires.

[00:07:15]Everything Yama is willing to give to Nachiketa. And he's also asking me you choose any boon any boon [clears throat] except the one you have asked for. So [snorts] any boon equal to this um uh wealth, objects of pleasure, everything you can choose next. So yama doesn't stop here. There is one more mantra.

[00:07:48][clears throat and cough] Come on.

[00:08:20]Whatever desires are difficult to satisfy in this world of mortals, choose them as you wish. These fair maidens with their chariots and musical instruments, men cannot obtain them. I give them to you and they shall wait upon you but do not ask me about death.

[00:08:46]Okay. So he is trying to tempt seduce Nachiketa with the with these fair maidens with the chariots and musical instruments.

[00:09:04]And he says see ordinary men cannot obtain these but I will give them you I will give them to you and you can enjoy all this but do not ask me about death. So I hear the the the commentator says that when a person has [clears throat] desire for enjoying worldly things and he able to get them but instead of going for those things if he raises a question about death it is like examining the teeth of a crow.

[00:09:48]>> [laughter] >> It is as useless means [clears throat] spiritual pursuits are as useless as examining the teeth of a crow to a person who is full of desires for worldly enjoyments. So [cough] [clears throat] Emma is offering all these things to Nachiketa to see if he falls for any of any of these things.

[00:10:20]But Nachiketa's answer in the next mantra is remarkable.

[00:10:30]See though he was tempted by all these things Nachiketa remained unperturbed.

[00:10:39]Okay. So he remained resolute and he was very clear on what he wants.

[00:10:49]The commentator says he was he remained serene like the serene depths of the ocean. Okay. So serene depths of the ocean see on the surface of the ocean we see lot of waves maybe because of the wind or because of the movement of boats and ships there is lot of waves but you go deep down say a kilometer or two miles down then you it will be very very serene even if a if a huge ship passes on the surface the the depths will not be disturbed. So that continues to remain serene. So such was the [clears throat] the the mental state of Nachiketa. So that shows how earnest he was when he asked this question to Nachiketa.

[00:11:52]See spiritual life begins with question right? So last class we saw that philosophy begins with question and spiritual life also begins with a question. So it is in [clears throat] in finding answer to that question which wells up deep within us that we in terms of knowledge or it could be hunger for love, hunger of the heart. Whatever it is, it is prompted by a deep question. Say in the case of Sri Ram Krishna we see that when he came to Dakshineshwar uh and he was appointed the priest in the Dakshineshwar Kali temple he started worshiping mother Kali just like any other priest but then the question arose I am doing this worship making it making all these offerings to mother kali. Is she really there? Is she really accepting these offerings or it is all make believe?

[00:13:21]So this was the question that prompted him to dive deep in meditation, dive deep in prayer and get an answer directly from the mother.

[00:13:35]And then we we know in the case of Swami Viveananda when he was a [clears throat] young lad going to college. thought [cough and clears throat] the deeply prompted him agitated his mind was I hear so many things about God but is there anyone who has really seen God see so that was the question so he went to all the great men of Kolkata whom he had heard about and He went and asked them this question. Sir, have you seen God?

[00:14:22]See, it is the same question which brought him to Shiram Krishna as well.

[00:14:27]Right? So raising questions.

[00:14:33]It is not putting question to another person rather than it is putting question to ourselves and trying to find answer to that question. That is what gives authenticity to our spiritual life. So if if we don't have such questions then we may continue our spiritual practices but we will not make much progress even after many years because that hunger is not there. So the the question raising questions like this is the indication of that real hunger. Yes, my soul [clears throat] wants something something which I don't have it presently which the other things of the world cannot satisfy me.

[00:15:32]Nachiketa here has raised such a question.

[00:15:38]But Yama as we saw he has devoted the Upanishad has devoted three mantras consecutively one after the other [clears throat] to show that Yama tested Nachiketa by offering him so many worldly things, worldly enjoyments.

[00:16:02]Now Nachiketa replies [clears throat] it's it's a beautiful mantra.

[00:16:11]Nachiketa answers that is number mantra number 26.

[00:16:42]Nachiketa said, "Oh death, these things endure only till tomorrow."

[00:16:53]Furthermore, they exhaust the vigor of all the sense organs.

[00:17:00]Even the longest life is short indeed.

[00:17:04]Keep your horses, dances and music for yourself.

[00:17:11]So [clears throat] in one go he declined all those offers.

[00:17:19]Okay. So Nachiketa gives here three reasons why he doesn't want um uh uh these enjoyments.

[00:17:32]First reason that he gives is all these will endure only see tomorrow means they are all temporary.

[00:17:41]Uh the the Sanskrit word used here is literally means shwaha means tomorrow.

[00:17:50]Okay. So he is so dramatic means they they last only till tomorrow. So we may say no no it will not tomorrow maybe for few years it will last [laughter] but nachika says no it will last only till tomorrow. So we don't know today I have it but tomorrow I don't know what is going to happen. [snorts] So [clears throat] they are all temporary transient.

[00:18:19]The next reason why he rejects them is they exhaust the vigor of all these sense organs.

[00:18:33]is vigor.

[00:18:39]The commentator gives very beautiful explanation.

[00:18:45]By the enjoyment of sense pleasures, a man gradually loses five things actually. So here thoughishad mentions only tjaha the commentator says it encompasses five things. He says it is dharma vility, wisdom, strength and reputation. Okay.

[00:19:13]So what is meant by dharma here? Dharma means good deeds. So by uh by performing good deeds we have acred good merit by enjoyment. If we indulge in enjoyment of external pressures then this enjoyment reduces the good that is to our credit.

[00:19:41]So it is like drawing upon on your account of good merit on your balance of the good merit. So it reduces dharma.

[00:19:52]Then vility.

[00:19:54]So the the strength it's vility is also a kind of strength. Then wisdom then courage and reputation. So how how reputation is lost? Because we gain reputation, good fame through disinterested work, selfless work. But if a person indulges in enjoyment, he will lose even the reputation that he has.

[00:20:30]So, so they exhaust the vigor of the sense organs. And the third reason why nachiketa doesn't want these things is even the longest life is short indeed.

[00:20:51]So yama said you live as long as you please. long life is Yama is willing to grant to Nachiketa. But Nachiketa says even that longest life is short indeed.

[00:21:08]As I said the atman is eternal. It is beyond time.

[00:21:15]Compared to that even the life of many millennia is short. Okay. [snorts] Um everything that exist in time and space is subject to birth, growth, decay and death.

[00:21:40]Right? So the life human life that also is subject to all these four.

[00:21:50]No matter how long life you um you get one day the body will decay and finally will die.

[00:22:02]A god may live longer than a man and Brahma the creator his life is very very long for several millennia.

[00:22:15]But when the universe itself when this cycle of um creation itself comes to the end even the gods including Brahma they disappear.

[00:22:27]But atman the real self that alone is beyond time and space. Hence it is immortal.

[00:22:39]This amuta this re the atman which is of the nature of eternal that is what nachiketa is desiring that is what he wants to know and he is not satisfied even with this long life [clears throat] offered by yama that is that is the important thing and in the Next mantra he gives few more reasons why he doesn't want these uh objects of pleasure.

[00:23:23]Mantra number 27. [clears throat] >> [clears throat] >> This is also a very celebrated sentence in the uponish. The translation goes like this. Wealth can never make a man happy. Moreover, since I have beheld you, I shall certainly obtain wealth. I shall also live as long as you rule.

[00:24:17]Therefore, no boon will be accepted by me but the one that I have asked.

[00:24:25]So [clears throat] now wealth can never make a man happy.

[00:24:32]So Nachiketa he has thought over the whole thing so clearly here. See we in the in the modern times we all strive for wealth.

[00:24:57]Yes, wealth is very essential. Money is essential for the uh for the well-being, for leading a decent life.

[00:25:12]But wealth by itself it cannot provide deep lasting happiness that we seek.

[00:25:22]It cannot buy for us peace of mind, wisdom, character or spiritual fulfillment.

[00:25:35]Right? It can buy some things but not these precious things which alone can satisfy our needs.

[00:25:52]This food, clothing, shelter, comfort, entertainment, these things which we can buy through money, these are important but they all belongs to external side of life.

[00:26:10]A person he may live in a luxurious mansion but he he may be very dissatisfied he may feel lonely depressed.

[00:26:26]On the other hand another person of modest means he may be living a very contented life. He may enjoy good sleep at night than this rich person. So we know the examples of many celebrities, business magnets, public figures who were extremely rich but they struggled with depression, with addictions, unhappiness, loneliness. There are so many examples of that.

[00:27:07]The other thing is see desire has no end.

[00:27:14]See wealth it cannot give lasting happiness because human desires continually expand.

[00:27:24]A person who is earning say $50,000 will desire that no I should earn $100,000 after he gets $100,000 he will think of a million dollar right so now just a few days ago the the the first trillionaire [laughter] was born or rather he became first person to become a trillionaire Right.

[00:27:54]Elon Musk. Now the those who are billionaires they will start thinking when I will become a trillionaire.

[00:28:02][laughter] So there is there is no end. [snorts] Uh in the in [clears throat] the in Bhagawata as well as in Mahabharata we have this beautiful story of King Yayati. Right?

[00:28:21]King Yayati. Um [clears throat] he was a powerful king but he was full of desires, sensual desires and he used to indulge in sensual pleasures but because of one mistake he committed one um who was that um uh uh the the the priest of the assuras, the the priest of demons, he cursed him that you become old. [laughter] You he lost all his youth, his body, mind, everything became weak and all of a sudden he became very very old. But he was still he was his mind was he was still full of desires. Then what to do?

[00:29:23]He begged the this that priest that you please save me. Then he said okay if you can if another person if is is willing to give you his youth you can take that and give your old age to that person.

[00:29:47]So this Yayati he called his sons and told them that see because of curse I have become old.

[00:29:58]I want to exchange my old age with your youth.

[00:30:06]None of the sons were acceptable to this but except one. His name was Puru. So Puru said all right. Then Yayati exchanged his old age with the youth of uh the Puru. Then after getting that youth, he again started indulging in sensual pleasures and he enjoyed it for a long long time. The the Bhagwata says for 1,000 years. But all the while he knew that one day this is going to end.

[00:30:44]Towards the end of that period he realized that in spite of having enjoyed for so many years still he was not free from the desires. Then he uttered one famous verse his famous words.

[00:31:17]So havisha havisha means ghee or clarified butter. See as supplying clarified butter to a fire does not diminish the fire but instead increases it more and more. The endeavor to stop lusty desires by continual enjoyment can never be successful.

[00:31:44]See if if if a fire is burning, let's say, and you add fuel to that, the more you add fuel, the more the fire will grow. No fire will say enough.

[00:31:59][laughter] I I don't want more fuel. Will will fire ever say that? No. It is ready to accept. So [cough] similarly is the case with the desires in our mind.

[00:32:16]It will it can never be fully satisfied.

[00:32:19]The more you give yourself in sensual enjoyment, the more stronger, the more bigger the the desires grow. So Yayati realized this and after that he went back to his his son and told him now you please take back your youth and now it is time for me to devote myself to meditation and prayer. So afterwards he became u sort of rushi and then he ascended to heaven. So [cough] yama [clears throat] yati is the good example of how desires cannot be satisfied by by just satisfaction by by indulging in sensual pleasures.

[00:33:22]Then another thing we have to note is see whatever satisfaction that comes out of enjoyment is temporary. Okay. So the desire seem to be satisfied for a while but then it reappears in another form.

[00:33:46]A person let's say he buys a new car he and he satisfied he was always desirous of getting a new car and now he got one and this desire is satisfied for a while but soon after that he learns that there's a new model has come in the in the market. [laughter] So the the the excitement of owning a new car has already faded. Now he wants this new model. Okay. So then he gets that the new model which is more luxurious.

[00:34:27]But again that will also not keep him satisfied for long. The cycle repeats. He wants more and more and more.

[00:34:37]And this wealth it creates new worries right? [snorts] It it gives you little satisfaction but it gives you more worries. So you you are you worry about preserving it.

[00:34:54]You worry about keeping it safe of the investments, competition, uh taxes [laughter] and inheritance, right? So many things, all these worries you you have to handle.

[00:35:14]So wealth or money for that matter it gives you little comfort but the ultimate happiness depends on how we think how we love and how we understand ourselves. See these things money cannot buy for us.

[00:35:44]Wealth at the most is is a means to a Sri Ram Krishna in in the gospel of Shriram Krishna you will find see wealth is necessary but it it can give you food clothing and shelter these things then it will make you free to think of God to that extent so if you if you if you don't have these basic needs then you cannot think of God because of wealth your these basic needs are fulfilled.

[00:36:20]Now you can think of God. So that [clears throat] is the the the useness the the usefulness of the wealth.

[00:36:29]Here Nachiketa tells Yama that wealth can never make a man happy.

[00:36:50]See, Yama tempted Nachiketa with all these allurements, right? See we can understand it it in in in psychological uh sense and it is not just in katoishad we have such instances elsewhere say for for example in the bible Jesus Christ soon [clears throat] after he was baptized he went uh uh he he went into the wilderness and fasted for 40 days and 40 nights, right?

[00:37:39]So then what happened? Satan came to tempt him. So kept Jesus Christ. So this is a very beautiful episode in the Bible. So the the the first temptation of the Satan was he told Jesus Christ that you turn these stones into bread. If you are the son of go son son of god command these stones to become bread. So then what what did Jesus say? Jesus said men shall not live by bread alone. he uh but by every word that proceed from the mouth of God. So Jesus was not interested in using his divine power for getting this worldly comfort. Yes, he was hungry, he was fasting, but he was not ready to use his power to convert stone into bread. No, that that is not the purpose for the of his divine power.

[00:38:53]Second, this Satan, he took Jesus to the pinnacle of the the temple in Jerusalem and urged him to throw himself down [clears throat] and he quoted the Satan quoted scripture that God will command his angels. So, God will save you. So but Jesus said no I will not test God. I will not put God to test like this. See here here what was the temptation? The temptation was to do something very very spectacular so that you attain fame. See if suppose um Jesus had jumped from the from the temple and God had saved him.

[00:39:40]Of course God would have definitely saved him. Then Jesus would would be would have become very famous in the eyes of people. See he jumped from the from the pinnacle of the temple from the from that great heights but he still survived. So he must be a great man. So he would it's an easy way to earn fame but Jesus did not want that. And then when these two failed what did Saturn said? So here the the we have something very similar to what Yama did to Nachiketa. So Satan said [clears throat] Satan showed Jesus all kingdoms of the world and he told them if you worship me if you worship Satan you will be the king of all these kingdoms. [laughter] But Jesus said, "No." See, see, I will worship Lord our God, Lord O alone and no one else. I will, I will, you shall worship the Lord your God and him only shall you serve. See um just like Nachiketa, Nachiketa said, I don't want all these kingdoms. I want only the knowledge of atman.

[00:41:07]Jesus said I I will worship only the god and not you the this satan.

[00:41:16]So this these three temptations this bread jumping from the height and then kingdom these all these are all see they all represents our hankerings what we hanker after the bodily comforts um fame or sovereignity power these these things but Jesus stood firm.

[00:41:50]So this is in in Christianity. So similarly in Buddhism also we have a similar story. So Buddha um after years of spiritual struggle one day he finally decided that he took his seat behind the bodhi tree and decided that I will sit here and do meditation and I will not get up from this seat until I realize the highest.

[00:42:32]Okay, let this body wither away here.

[00:42:36]But I will not raise from this seat until I realize the highest that [clears throat] was with that resolve he sat under the bodhi tree.

[00:42:48]Now when Mara so just as in Christianity we have Satan here in Buddhism it is called Mara. So who is often called the evil one or the tempter. So Maha he understood that Buddha was about to um attain the highest. He wanted to put obstacles in his path.

[00:43:20]Mara we can say he represents a supernatural being or we may say that he is our psychological obstacles see that are there in every person in every mind uh like um attachment, hatred, fear, anger Or it could be forces which keep human beings bound to ignorance, um, fear, these things. So Mara wanted to stop Buddha from going further in his quest for the highest. So Mara, he did not come alone. He came with an army.

[00:44:20]Okay. So first what they did they that army held stones, swords, many arrows, other weapons, everything they held towards Buddha. But surprisingly Buddha sat so calm, so peaceful that as these weapons approached Buddha, it is said they all turned into flowers and garlands.

[00:44:54]So they they failed to do any harm to Buddha.

[00:45:00]So when this force failed, Mara he tried he resorted to seduction.

[00:45:11]He wanted to seduce Buddha. He sent three maidens. So their names are also very uh interesting. They are called Tanha, Arti and Raa. Tanha means craving. Arti means discontent and Raa means passion.

[00:45:32]So these were the three daughters of Maha. So they attempted to distract Siddharta but Siddharta was very resolute. So he remained unmooded.

[00:45:48]When this also failed then Mahara he confronted Buddha with a question. He asked him who gives you the right to seek the highest? Who is your witness?

[00:46:07]Okay. So that was the question.

[00:46:11][groaning] What right you have to seek this highest and who is your witness? Who is your witness? Means uh to seek the highest you need to have certain qualifications.

[00:46:28]Who is the witness to prove that you have those qualities? Then Buddha he touched earth with his right hand. Okay, this is a very famous gesture. It is called bhumispersa mudra.

[00:46:47]So you might have seen Buddha's pictures in this posture. So he touched the earth. So indicating that the earth itself is the witness for all the good deeds that I have done. So we know that before Siddharta was born in in this life when he became Buddha he had 500 births, right? He was born as so many animals, birds, then even as human being and he had done [clears throat] so many acts of good deeds and [snorts] all that [clears throat] was the witness and that is how he had acquired the necessary qualification and the witness for the witness for all this is the earth itself. Then um it is said that the the earth goddess herself appeared and testified bore testimony to Buddha. Then Mara was defeated. [clears throat and cough] So and then Buddha continued his meditation and he attained the highest.

[00:48:10]So coming back to our story Yama tempting Nachiketa. See it could be a nice interesting story but it has a lot of psychological lessons. See when we set for meditation right when we try to well go deep within ourselves all these things start coming up. See meditation is like churning right? So [cough and clears throat] when we churn all things that are lying deep under they come up. So similarly in our mind the meditation acts like a churning and all these fear, hatred, anger, desire, um all these things will raise up to the surface of the mind. So how how do we deal with them? So u Yama he wanted to test Nachiketa if he is really capable if he has really the necessary qualification the nec to hear about the atman because if the mind of the nachiketa is moved If he is if it is filled with desire for these things then it cannot understand it cannot comprehend the subtle nature of atman.

[00:49:57]So Yama wanted to [clears throat] test Nachiketa but Nachiketa as we saw he he he remained unmoved.

[00:50:09]Um uh then Nachiketa [clears throat] after saying this I don't want all this then he tells one more um beautiful thing in mantra number 28 Eight.

[00:50:25]Amirian.

[00:50:50]Having approached the undeaying immortals and knowing that eternal benefits can be sought of them, how can a person himself being a decaying mortal on this earth below seek such transient pleasures?

[00:51:13]Realizing the worthlessness of the pleasures of song and love, who will delight in [clears throat] long life?

[00:51:23]So, Nachiketa tells Yma, see [clears throat] you are an you are an immortal god, immortal being.

[00:51:35]Now, I have come to you and you are capable of giving me the highest knowledge.

[00:51:43]And having got this opportunity, if I do not seek that highest knowledge, but instead seek only these temporal things, these transient things that would be very foolish of me. So I don't want. So what all the things you are ready to give it to me they are all worthless and I don't want I want only the the atman the knowledge of the atman then we'll do the the the final mantra in this section So this is the final mantra of the first section.

[00:52:54]Nachiketa tells with utmost um determination, tell me oh death of that great hereafter about which a man has his doubts.

[00:53:07]Nachiketa will surely not choose any other boon but the one so wrapped in mystery that is the the boon concerning the nature of the self, nature of the atman. U or the way he had put it the mystery of death. So Nachiketa tells him finally that I don't want anything I want only that knowledge. So with this the the first section of the first chapter comes to the end and also the story the story comes to the end and starting the second section of the first chapter the Yama begins his teaching. Um few mantras still will not deal with the nature of the atman but they are all very very important mantras and uh after that we come to the actual mantras which begins with the selfnowledge.

[00:54:18]So we'll stop here. We have five minutes. If you have any questions please let me know. So we can discuss.

[00:54:46]So that's See [clears throat] in um there is one small text called vayahataka bhrahari.

[00:55:08]You might have heard there it has 100 verses on vayiraa or detachment. So there there is one uh beautiful uh verse um it says.

[00:55:25]So here Nachiketa said these sensual pleasures will take away all the vigor will drain the person of all strength and vigor. So here in it says BTA means we did not enjoy the objects of senses but they enjoyed us.

[00:55:53][laughter] So we did not we think that we are enjoying them. No actually it is the other way we are being enjoyed. So that is the bta. So that's the insight and one more thing we have to understand. See Yama offered nachiketa children, grandchildren, great wealth, kingdom, a long life, so many things.

[00:56:31]See all these are definitely are means to be happy. Okay? Means to give you great joy, excitement, all that. But all these you still remain in dream. Okay? So you this will only perpetuate your dream. You'll continue to remain in this dream world. But nachiketa what he wanted was he wanted to wake up even a long life of several millennia your dream will be per continue for several millennia right see Nachiketa did not want that he wanted something which is beyond this time and space and That is the reason he rejected all this.

[00:57:30]Now see we have to ask ourselves. See if we are confronted with these things what would be our our response. Are we going to pursue [clears throat] our spiritual ideal in spite of all these things? means we will not be swayed by these uh desires but keep going in our spiritual um path.

[00:58:03]So uh we have to ask ourselves unless we have that determination um that steadfastness.

[00:58:13]Um in other words we have to put the highest value.

[00:58:22]What is that which is of highest value in our life? That is our spiritual ideal. Okay. Not anything else. we we are ready to sacrifice everything else for our spiritual ideal right so if that is our um um uh that if that is if you're clear about that okay then these obstacles as I said [clears throat] when we sit for meditation many things come up in the mind if we are not to be disturbed by those things then our our concept our conception should be very clear. Yes, I want only spiritual ideal and nothing else. So this is the lesson we learned from this episode of Yama and Nachiketa.

[00:59:18]So before giving him the third boon, Yama puts him under severe test. Uh is very interesting. Yeah, tell me. Just reiterating what you said, but it seems like these questions and answers demonstrate that has the four-fold qualities necessary.

[00:59:39]>> True, true, true. The four-fold qualities.

[00:59:44]uh say in the upanishad we don't have these four four-fold qualities enumerated like 1 2 3 4 that comes in the later text but the upishad sorry >> in the later text say in the later say vive chudamani or vdantaasara we call them praarana grantas treatises on vdanta So there these four-fold shamadish all these things are clearly enumerated but these upanishadas are the source for that. See here we see nachiketa is full of that um vivea and he knows what is good and what is bad what is temporal and what is permanent he knows and he's full of detachment and he's not attracted towards any of these things so these are the qualities so okay >> you have one question online it's what does insight look like beyond >> insight.

[01:01:03]>> What does insight look like beyond?

[01:01:07]>> Yeah, [cough] probably it is better to instead of calling insight where the better term would be um uh intuition.

[01:01:27]Okay. See if you you have intellect.

[01:01:31]Through intellect we reason and arrive at certain truths. It could be the truths regarding the external world or maybe regarding our own self. Okay. But beyond that lies the intuition. So intuition is not through reason. We we come face to face with the truth directly.

[01:01:59]And mind has that capacity for intuition.

[01:02:06]Yeah. Uh that that is something we need to develop. We need to cultivate. Uh but Swam Vandanda again and again says yes we have that capacity.

[01:02:20]It is through that insight that we understand the supernatural things.

[01:02:27]Okay, we'll conclude.

[01:02:41]Ra Krishna Pamu.