1 Misconceptions About Sankara, Eng (1) _21 May 2026

Added: 2026-05-24

[00:00:12]Okay. Okay.

[00:00:14]Today, we shall we shall discuss something in English.

[00:00:21]Because for long time, the English classes have been suspended.

[00:00:25]Now, there has been a there has been a demand, so let us have some classes. Okay. So, particularly this book, Misconceptions about Shankara.

[00:00:35]Okay, this book.

[00:00:37]>> [snorts] [laughter] >> Swamiji has compiled 70 misconceptions about Shankara's teaching.

[00:00:56]Okay?

[00:00:58]And we shall discuss them, some of them are very important and interesting and very deep [music] that help you to understand the differences between between Shankara's and post-Shankarites.

[00:01:13]Okay?

[00:01:15]Let us discuss [music] them.

[00:01:24]In the introduction, Swamiji says there are three bhashyas.

[00:01:31]Three kinds of bhashya. One is his commentaries, bhashyas on Upanishads.

[00:01:37]Another is bhashya on Gita.

[00:01:40]Second is bhashya on Third is bhashya on Brahma Sutra.

[00:01:45]Other than these, the fourth one is an independent uh text called Upadesha Sahasri.

[00:01:54]These are the works unanimously agreed by all the scholars as well as the traditional acharyas to be of Shankara's.

[00:02:04]Other books are doubtful. They are disputed.

[00:02:09]And there are sufficient reasons to dispute them like Vivek Chudamani >> [music] >> and Atma Bodha and all cannot be trusted to be to have been from the from the pen of [music] Shankaracharya.

[00:02:23]Okay. So, Swamiji says here we shall confine to these three alone.

[00:02:32]Gita Bhashyam Upanishad Bhashya and Brahma Sutra Bhashya. Okay.

[00:02:38]Based [clears throat] upon this we shall consider there are certain prevalent misunderstandings about Shankara's teaching and his ideas.

[00:02:48]Okay.

[00:02:49]And expose them how they are false. Why they are false.

[00:02:55]Okay, based upon facts.

[00:02:57]First one is >> [clears throat] >> Shankara's mission in life.

[00:03:04]Regarding the Shankara's mission. Mission means his work.

[00:03:09]His objective and work.

[00:03:11]First misunderstanding is I think in this first chapter there are six misunderstandings to state referred to.

[00:03:21]Okay. First one is Shankaracharya has been commissioned by his guru to write a Bhashya on Advaita to counteract the other sectarian views.

[00:03:36]Okay, this is the point.

[00:03:38]They say that because there there is a there is a belief prevalent belief and they have been repeating this these beliefs also.

[00:03:54]I'm looking for some basis, I think so that I can keep the book. Okay. So, they say Shankaracharya has been ordered.

[00:04:02]Commissioned means ordered.

[00:04:04]Or entrusted.

[00:04:06]A responsibility >> [music] >> is entrusted to him.

[00:04:10]What is that?

[00:04:11]By his guru.

[00:04:13]Guru has entrusted him to write a bhashya according to Advaita.

[00:04:19]Okay?

[00:04:22]One is [music] that he was advised to write a bhashya according to Advaita.

[00:04:31]Means he Shankara was advised uh ordered by his guru to write a bhashya on Brahma Sutras, on Upanishads and Gita according to Advaita.

[00:04:44]First, in these two points are there.

[00:04:47]Second point is why should he write on Advaita? In order to counteract other views of like >> [music] >> Dvaita, Vishishtadvaita, and others.

[00:05:00]In these things, two misunderstandings two assumptions are there.

[00:05:08]One is that there wasn't there were no commentaries on Prasthana Trayas according to Advaita.

[00:05:24]They believe that it is the Shankara who wrote the for the first time Advaita vyakhyanas. Vyakhyanas according to Advaita para, we call in Sanskrit.

[00:05:37]Advaita para vyakhyanas.

[00:05:40]Uh For the first time, Shankara was asked Shankara wrote uh commentaries according to Advaita in keeping with Advaita. This is a big mistake.

[00:05:53]That means they assume that before him there were no commentaries according to Advaita.

[00:05:59]Is that right?

[00:06:01]That's totally [music] wrong.

[00:06:06]Second is in order to refute the waitings and wish wish start waitings he wrote this Advaita Vyakhyana.

[00:06:15]The fact is that Advaita commentaries existed already.

[00:06:21]First point is I think I should I should write something somewhere.

[00:06:32]Advaita commentary already existed even before Shankara.

[00:06:42]This is a misunderstanding.

[00:06:47]Not only misunderstanding.

[00:06:49]Because we are too much influenced by West.

[00:06:55]So they think that just as a party was founded a building was founded >> [music] >> similarly uh religions were founded Christianity was founded by Jesus.

[00:07:10]Islam was founded by Prophet Muhammad.

[00:07:13]Similarly they believe that everything comes from founding founding somebody should start somebody should start.

[00:07:23]One important feature of Hinduism why Hinduism of the very world is founding religion looks very hard.

[00:07:32]How can you found a religion?

[00:07:35]Can you found a truth?

[00:07:37]Founding means you understand? [music] Establishing. Not establishing, starting.

[00:07:42]Can you start a truth?

[00:07:44]Nobody can start a truth. Truth has been existing on the earth.

[00:07:48]So, nobody can found.

[00:07:51]It is very ridiculous and meaningless to say that Advaita was found by somebody.

[00:07:58]As a school of philosophy, it was found by somebody.

[00:08:01]There was no founding.

[00:08:04]Advaita is as old as the very creation of the world.

[00:08:09]As old as the humanity.

[00:08:11]>> [music] >> Okay?

[00:08:13]>> [clears throat] >> It is as old as the humanity.

[00:08:29]Because human beings when there where there are human beings where there is a human society, there is a jijnasa.

[00:08:37]There is an investigation. There is a search for truth.

[00:08:41]Search for truth cannot be imposed from the outside.

[00:08:46]The search for truth, it is there in all of us.

[00:08:49]It is suppressed due to other priorities.

[00:08:54]People are interested in worldly pleasures, name and fame and suffering, tentative desires, tentative problems.

[00:09:02]People are preoccupied [music] and their mind is highly attached, attracted to many things. Therefore, they are unable to discover the the desire for truth.

[00:09:15]The search for truth, the desire for the truth, the absolute truth, it is inherently there in every human being.

[00:09:24]Because nobody can rest content unless one discovers oneself to be Brahman, means one's real nature.

[00:09:33]Until one discovers one's a nature, nobody is going to be happy.

[00:09:38]Nothing is going to make a person happy.

[00:09:42]Because all other things are tentative superficial pleasures.

[00:09:47]Tentative superficial happiness.

[00:09:51]Yet persons being immature in their understanding, in their thinking, >> [music] >> they think these superficial things, worldly pleasures, name and fame and uh uh acquiring the property and comfortable things like house and all luxurious goods and relationships like family relationships. Then then comes to the political power, money, status and all.

[00:10:20]Some people are interested little entertainment like music, dance and such things.

[00:10:25]People think that these things will give them happiness and these things make them real happiness.

[00:10:32]That means it is too childish state of a human human being.

[00:10:37]A human being is like a child who thinks that by getting acquiring few things you're going to become happy. You're going to solve the problems of human human existence, human human life.

[00:10:51]But there is a deeper desire.

[00:10:54]There is a deeper need of a human being.

[00:10:57]Therefore, the spirituality is not a is not a unwanted thing, is not a hobby.

[00:11:06]Is not a fancy. It is the real need, a deeper need which is there in every living being.

[00:11:14]Every living being, there is a need, there it is a desire. It is not a desire, cultivated desire. It is not a planted [music] desire.

[00:11:24]Okay.

[00:11:26]I've stopped my classes in English.

[00:11:28]Hereafter, there will be more classes in English.

[00:11:31]Okay, because there is a demand and more of our own Indians want it in English.

[00:11:35]And I can I can reach more people.

[00:11:38]Uh otherwise, only Kannadigas can listen if I speak in Kannada. There will be few classes in Kannada.

[00:11:46]See, it it really caters it really addresses a deeper need of a humanity.

[00:11:54]It addresses a deepest a deepest desire of a human of the humanity.

[00:12:01]So, everybody is unable to discern it.

[00:12:06]Discern Discern means discover it, to understand its importance.

[00:12:11]People are suppressing that essential desire, the deepest desire of a human being.

[00:12:18]>> [music] >> And they are so preoccupied with the superficial desires.

[00:12:23]Okay?

[00:12:24]People are preoccupied with the superficial desires. The deepest desire It is a deepest desire.

[00:12:33]It is the It is the not only deepest It is the universal desire.

[00:12:42]Because this desire is a is a universal in the sense it is not only deepest desire Okay?

[00:12:53]>> [music] >> Universal desire And what to say that uh uh root desire.

[00:13:02]Root Root desire means this desire for moksha this desire for absolute happiness the moksha iccha is the underlying all other desires. Ah.

[00:13:19]It is the root desire underlying all other desires.

[00:13:25]So, other desires are superficial.

[00:13:29]But, the real underlying is this moksha desire. That's why even after acquiring wealth, enjoying pleasures, having a lot of entertainment, still mind is dissatisfied, [music] deeply dissatisfied, and still looking for looking for something, still looking for something. That looking for searching for something can never be satisfied with anything else except the truth of life.

[00:14:01]Therefore, this is the real desire, okay?

[00:14:05]A deepest desire, a real desire, underlying desire, which nobody can escape, [music] circumvent.

[00:14:16]Okay?

[00:14:17]Yet, people out of their immaturity, misunderstanding, >> [music] >> their childish thinking, they become preoccupied.

[00:14:28]Due to their misunderstanding, they become preoccupied with many superficial worldly pleasures, worldly interests.

[00:14:36]Pleasures and interests. Some of them may be little more sophisticated.

[00:14:43]But, none of those interests, none of those things, external worldly pleasures, >> [music] >> really can satisfy this deepest desire.

[00:14:53]Deepest desire, inherent desire, real inherent, okay? [music] And a universal desire. It is there in every human being.

[00:15:05]Okay? Therefore, spirituality.

[00:15:08]In India, it is a religion, also.

[00:15:10]Religion and spirituality is one.

[00:15:14]Religion and philosophy are one.

[00:15:17]Religion, philosophy, spirituality, all the three are one.

[00:15:22]Okay? [clears throat] In India, in Hinduism, but in in all Hindu Indian religions.

[00:15:28]Religion, spirituality, and philosophy.

[00:15:33]All the three are one.

[00:15:37]They cannot be separated.

[00:15:40]So, if you are a religious man, you are also a philosopher.

[00:15:45]If you are a uh if you are a uh religious man, you are also a spiritual man.

[00:15:52]Okay? And also if If you are a philosopher, you are a religious man. There are no philosophy which is non-religious.

[00:16:00]We don't have such philosophy at all in India.

[00:16:04]A philosophy which is non-religious.

[00:16:11]Non-religious philosophy is all fanciful ideas, entertainment, superficial, childish.

[00:16:18]Okay?

[00:16:19]Philosophy should address the deepest need of human being.

[00:16:25]The deepest desire of human being.

[00:16:27]Okay?

[00:16:31]Therefore, if it is natural, instinctive and inherent, okay?

[00:16:45]If it is a natural desire, instinctive desire, uh inherent in everybody, why everybody is not searching for truth?

[00:16:56]Okay?

[00:16:58]Because other people are too immature, childish, we say.

[00:17:03]Immature and childish. [music] Why do you call them immature and childish?

[00:17:07]Because from his way of thinking and behaving, it shows clearly.

[00:17:11]He's He's unaware of the deepest real desire.

[00:17:16]What he wants really.

[00:17:18]And he's attracted like a child superficial things.

[00:17:22]This is one reason. Second is one day he has to come to this deepest desire. If not today, tomorrow.

[00:17:30]If not tomorrow, after some time.

[00:17:33]Sooner or later, everybody has to come to this [music] deepest desire.

[00:17:39]The real desire of life.

[00:17:41]The real desire for moksha.

[00:17:45]One day he has to come. He or she everybody has to come.

[00:17:49]So, at the moment he he is so preoccupied, mind is restless, superficial, unable to think deeply.

[00:17:59]A deeper desire requires a deeper thinking.

[00:18:02]Deeper thinking requires mind has to be quiet and somewhat free from the superficial things. It requires a certain deeper maturity.

[00:18:14]A superficial childish man will be running after money and entertainment a lot.

[00:18:20]You can see them.

[00:18:21]The West is so much uh entertainment, uh going to park and beach. Like they made our Goa also into another West.

[00:18:30]Because Goa is a Christian country.

[00:18:33]It was at some time.

[00:18:36]Okay. More Christians.

[00:18:38]Therefore, they have adopted that Western thinking of worldly pleasures, entertainment. [music] But Indian culture uh has given due place to spirituality also.

[00:18:50]Entertainment is one small part of life.

[00:18:53]Worldly needs. One is worldly needs.

[00:18:58]Worldly means the physical needs.

[00:19:02]Second is little comforts and entertainment.

[00:19:07]Okay.

[00:19:08]Comforts and entertainment has a place, but that doesn't constitute a real and great achievement of life.

[00:19:19]It's not a great pursuit of life.

[00:19:22]It is a childish pursuit, immature person's pursuit, immature and childish pursuit. That's why we always favored a deeper pursuit that is a spiritual pursuit, seeking [music] the truth of life.

[00:19:40]That really makes a person free from suffering, free from sorrows, free from ignorance, and really free and enlightened.

[00:19:50]Free and happy.

[00:19:53]So, that is the real goal of life.

[00:19:56]Okay?

[00:19:57]So, a mature person, therefore, in India, a person is mature who is more detached from worldly life.

[00:20:05]He A person who is more addicted to worldly pleasures, interested in worldly superficial things, is considered as a still childish, still childish.

[00:20:18]Therefore, a person who is mature is considered as a great man.

[00:20:21]Whatever caste he belongs to, whatever status, economic status, social status he may have, uh he may be educated or illiterate, a person who is detached, has self-control, who looks more inwardly, that person is considered as a more mature and respectable person, spiritually more advanced, more grown-up man, spiritually [music] more grown-up person.

[00:20:48]Okay?

[00:20:49]This is Indian [music] thinking, native thinking of India.

[00:20:55]>> [clears throat] >> So, those who are influenced by Western education and culture take more, think superficially. The goal of life is superficial.

[00:21:07]Goal of life is superficial. Mhm. Goal of life is money, entertainment, friends, relationships, power and status. These are all superficial and childish.

[00:21:19]Okay?

[00:21:20]India doesn't consider such thing as very high things.

[00:21:25]Uh and those who pursue them is not very mature person.

[00:21:31]He's not a grown-up person. He's still a child only.

[00:21:35]He's a small baby only. Small boy or small girl. Little girl and a little boy.

[00:21:42]Okay?

[00:21:43]That's why spirituality, detachment, maturity uh is always considered respectable in India.

[00:21:53]They command high respect.

[00:21:55]That's why brahmacharya, self-control, detachment, selflessness, vairagya always commanded respect in India.

[00:22:05]That's why any person who has these qualities, who pursues the truth exclusively by giving up all worldly pursuits, he's respected highly.

[00:22:18]That means the Indian values, Indian Indian values always give higher value to this.

[00:22:27]Other things are okay. They are a small [music] They do occupy some part. Money and status are okay. Pleasures and relationships are okay. But they are all They occupy a small place.

[00:22:41]Higher is [music] real spirituality.

[00:22:44]Higher is spirituality. Pursuing the truth, what is the real goal of life?

[00:22:49]What am I? Why am I born? Where am I heading?

[00:22:54]What do I want?

[00:22:56]What really makes my life fulfilled?

[00:23:00]What is it which gives me real fulfillment of life?

[00:23:04]By achieving which I become really fulfilled. What is it? [music] Okay?

[00:23:11]Therefore, spirituality is the real real goal, real desire of human life.

[00:23:17]That's why Indian culture is based upon that.

[00:23:22]Therefore, uh a person who is more detached, lives a selfless life, pursues the truth, is always respected.

[00:23:32]And he's considered as a more grown-up man, whatever age. He's a grown-up person.

[00:23:38]But a person who is interested money, power, status, they he is considered as a child only.

[00:23:45]He may be aged man, but he's still considered as a child. That's why this entertainment too uh uh importance of entertainment, too much of entertainment, excluding everything else, uh considering spirituality, uh as I told you, religion, spirituality, philosophy, all these three are one in India.

[00:24:08]Religion, spirituality, philosophy, all the three are one.

[00:24:14]They are not separate like in West.

[00:24:16]So, pursuing something a deeper life, spiritual life, is always considered as a high, advanced, [music] mature.

[00:24:28]Every small boy or girl learn this as the real goal of life.

[00:24:33]So, other pursuits have a place in life, but they are not considered as a grown-up man's pursuits, pursuit of grown-up man.

[00:24:43]But we have unfortunately uh adopted the Western culture [music] that entertainment. I see very surprising, aged people even after 60 retirement uh go to the laughing club, and then behave like children.

[00:24:59]Uh still pursue the money and these things alone. They say there are marriages of people of aged people of 60s and 70s they're getting married.

[00:25:09]What does it imply?

[00:25:12]We are just imitating the West.

[00:25:15]Because the deeper goal, some spiritual pursuit in whatever manner. If you If you pursue music, we have a Even in music we have got three levels.

[00:25:26][music] One is two ordinary entertainment music.

[00:25:30]Little more mature music and there is a spiritual music. Music got [music] got three level. Tamas Rajas Satvik.

[00:25:37]Even the Sahitya.

[00:25:39]Sahitya literature has got a three levels. One is a two superficial entertainment level.

[00:25:45]Another is little more have some ethics and [music] worldly literature.

[00:25:50]And another is advanced spiritual literature.

[00:25:54]Everything.

[00:25:55]Even karma job also has got three levels.

[00:25:59]Everything has got a three levels higher levels.

[00:26:02]So ultimate goal is a spiritual alone.

[00:26:05]Okay?

[00:26:06]Therefore, nowadays modern education system, media, our literature is more influenced by best West.

[00:26:15]>> [music] >> And they are giving you entertainment a pursuit of these things [music] as something great.

[00:26:23]They are okay. They have your place in life, but they are childish, I tell you.

[00:26:28]They are childish.

[00:26:31]Okay?

[00:26:32]Therefore, the spirituality is the real growth and that is the deepest need of a human being. Every human being This This deepest desire for moksha is there underlying.

[00:26:47]Nobody can Tentatively you may forget it. It is there.

[00:26:51]Only thing is we have not sufficiently discovered it.

[00:26:55]It's a value.

[00:26:56]People are preoccupied with worldly things and other pleasures, other interests, other needs. So, therefore, it gets ignored.

[00:27:04]But you can't be happy in the external things alone, worldly pleasures, entertainment, and etc. You can't be.

[00:27:12]One day you have to come to this.

[00:27:14]Sooner or later, if not now, tomorrow, after 10 years, after 20 years, after one janma, two janmas.

[00:27:22]>> [laughter] >> Okay? After one or two janmas or three janmas, you have to come to spirituality.

[00:27:27]>> [music] >> Therefore, it is the deepest desire, a universal desire, underlying all other desires.

[00:27:35]All other desires, the desire for moksha is underlying. So, people have to discover. One day they will come back.

[00:27:44]This is the Indian pursuit, Indian thinking. Okay?

[00:27:49]Therefore, people think that discovering new ways of entertainment.

[00:27:55]See, two ways are there. Entertainment, worldly pleasures, relations, joy in relationships, all that is okay.

[00:28:04]But we allow them. But we allow them as a one small stage of childish stage. So, you grow out of them, discover vairagyam, and you come to discover the real desire, the deepest desire, the deepest need of humanity.

[00:28:21]You come [music] to these things.

[00:28:22]Therefore, entertainment, worldly pleasures, we allow them as a one step, one stage.

[00:28:28]So, that you can grow to the higher level.

[00:28:32]But the West has giving [music] these entertainment, pleasures, etc. as the goal of life.

[00:28:39]As the real goal, as the real great.

[00:28:41]That's why even grown-up, aged people again marrying, again making pleasures, worldly entertainment, and all these things.

[00:28:50]It looks very odd for India.

[00:28:54]We are adopting so blindly from the West.

[00:28:57]Okay?

[00:29:00]Indians have to think. Therefore, every who Those who are born in an Indian way and in Indian exposed to Indian culture and literature, somewhere they hear that moksha is the purushartha, real purushartha.

[00:29:14]Okay?

[00:29:15]Moksha is the real purushartha.

[00:29:19]So, so they in the West this entertainment, pleasures, and status, and money since they consider as the real purushartha ultimate purushartha, the deepest need of human being is satisfied by these things, [music] they think. That's why they are more and more indulging in pleasures. That's why more park, going to park, and going to the uh what you call uh sea beaches. All these things did not exist in India. Sundays and other days holidays, they spend time. They have some celebrations, go to temples, satsangatia. This is what they were doing. If you have got a holidays, they would spend some tirthayatra.

[00:30:07]Now, tirthayatra has become tourism.

[00:30:10]>> [laughter] >> Okay? They would go to tirthayatra so that with some shraddha and bhakti, spend time with satsanga, and that [music] was the thing. Even now it is there. You find in India much.

[00:30:23]But what West did is these entertainment, worldly pleasures, external pursuits, they made it into an addiction. That is the extra point which I wanted to tell you.

[00:30:34]They made it into addiction.

[00:30:37]But for us it is one part of life, one stage of life. You live them for worldly pleasures, entertainment, relationship, family, and etc. for some time.

[00:30:48]After some time, you grow out of it into a higher level.

[00:30:52]You become advanced seeker of truth.

[00:30:55]They are okay. Then you grow up. Grow out of them.

[00:30:58]Now, the Western culture doesn't allow you to grow out of them. So, they make you addicted to them.

[00:31:05]Then the new ways of entertainment, more addictive ways, more phonetic ways. Why do you become addicted and phonetic?

[00:31:13]Okay?

[00:31:14]Addicted and phonetic. These two are you get stagnated with those things alone.

[00:31:21]In India, these worldly pleasures, worldly achievement, worldly purushartha, arthakama purushartha, we understand them as a one stage. [music] So, that after some time, after few years or decades or one or two janmas, you grow out of them. You start discovering the real need of human heart. That is the moksha purushartha.

[00:31:42]Okay?

[00:31:44]This is the difference between the Western uh education and culture and from ours. This we have to recover. We have to revive it and start teaching to all of our younger generation, all of our people.

[00:31:59]So, we are not against we are not sadist or we are not like Buddhist that we say right from beginning all worldly pleasures, everything is everything is anitya.

[00:32:09]Temporary and leave them.

[00:32:11]Worldly pleasures, worldly achievement is okay at certain stage of life.

[00:32:16]But that also helps you to discover the deeper needs of life, the deeper purushartha of life.

[00:32:23]So, you understand what is what.

[00:32:25]Otherwise, if you don't understand, if you don't get vairagya by seeing the world, money, and status, and relationship, go and watch life. See how deep these worldly things are.

[00:32:38]They don't have the depth of life.

[00:32:40]Superficially they entertain you, give you, please you, but superficial alone.

[00:32:46]Not too deep.

[00:32:47]Let them discover there is no depth in it. Okay?

[00:32:51]So, we allow them at one stage. [music] And also we expect them to discover something deeper than it. So, that you will become detached. At some days you get discover why they are gay and come out of them.

[00:33:05]This is the specialty of Hinduism. After karma is given as a stage.

[00:33:10]And at the same time you are expected to learn by your own experience and see them they are limited. [music] They are good up to certain point. But they are not so ultimate goal of life.

[00:33:23]But whereas Western says that these worldly things alone ultimate.

[00:33:27]Therefore, even the aged people want entertainments.

[00:33:32]See, aged people want entertainments.

[00:33:36]They look they they they go to clubs. We have created a culture of club. Do we have ever a club for old people in India?

[00:33:44]Did we have [music] culture of going to club, laughing club, or some entertainment club? What is all this?

[00:33:50][music] Then again, even in the after 60 years also have a boyfriend, girlfriend.

[00:33:54]What does it mean?

[00:33:56]We are not condemning them, but it looks so childish. It looks that's all.

[00:34:01]It looks so childish. There is there is no hatred in Hinduism, I tell you. There is nothing to hate. We only understand everything.

[00:34:09]The value of everything, the place of everything, how much it is useful, to what extent it is.

[00:34:15]>> [music] >> Then afterwards it is it becomes too small.

[00:34:18]It becomes a small because your understanding has become broader.

[00:34:23]Is it deeper than it looks a small? Ah, that is the maturity.

[00:34:27]Not that we hate anything, that we create a dogma, we hate, we don't like them, we like this thing. Our religion now you see Islam and Christianity, [music] they create a dogma. We don't like them, we like these things.

[00:34:40]But why? Why do you hate them? Why don't you like them?

[00:34:44]Because our religion says. Now this has become a belief now. This has become a dogma that you love something and don't love something.

[00:34:51]But in India, we don't put dogma.

[00:34:53]Everything has a place. Okay, go through, understand.

[00:34:57]And you understand it is limited, then come out of it.

[00:35:00]This is the thing. We give you as a stage, as an experimenting stage. Love and live in world artha kama purushartha.

[00:35:08]Artha kama purushartha also you earn them, live them, relationship, family and other things, okay, for some time.

[00:35:14]Then you understand, you discover, come out of it.

[00:35:17]Ha. It is a discovery, no dogma.

[00:35:20]Okay?

[00:35:24]Therefore, I told you religion, philosophy and spirituality, all three are one in in India.

[00:35:33]Therefore, you discover a deeper need.

[00:35:37]The real real desire, moksha alone is a real one, okay?

[00:35:41]Therefore, [music] such a person, his pursuit, his outlook to life, his understanding, everything changes.

[00:35:48]Family may be there, but he relates to the family more at a spiritual level. He sees the even family relationship itself is a another divine relationship.

[00:35:58]Even the relation with society.

[00:36:01]Okay? If he's pursuit- pursuing music, then the music is no more worldly thing, no more entertainment. Even the music becomes a divine spiritual pursuit.

[00:36:11]If he's pursuing literature, even that becomes a divine. If he's If he is a king, if he's doing a social service, that becomes a more a spiritual pursuit.

[00:36:21]Because you are looking You are trying to discover that paramatma tattvam, uh even in that service in relationship also, you are trying to >> even in that service in relationship also you are trying to discover the absolute truth.

[00:36:37]the all worldly things get a a different depth, a different meaning because of your different outlook. You start looking at the whole world as a paramatma at a deeper level.

[00:36:47]So, you are looking for looking for the truth in and through all your worldly relationship, worldly activity.

[00:36:54]Okay.

[00:36:56]That's what is sanyasa. Sanyasa means your outlook changes. You go to a deeper level.

[00:37:02]Because that's an ultimate ultimate truth, ultimate goal of life mind wants because without that you won't get the real freedom, you won't get the real happiness, the absolute happiness.

[00:37:14]Paripurna sukham, we call it a paripurna ananda.

[00:37:18]Fear free from death, free from the fear of death, free from the death itself, totally free from anything, free from insecurity, free from sorrow, free from suffering.

[00:37:30]You transcend all these things and become totally mukta purusha.

[00:37:36]Total moksha.

[00:37:39]That is a real.

[00:37:40]It is not a somebody's fancy, somebody's hobby.

[00:37:44]Okay?

[00:37:45]It is not somebody's hobby hobby or somebody's fancy. It is an inherent desire, underlying desire of all human beings. It is there. [music] Somebody has discovered it, somebody will take more time to discover it. But that is real desire of everybody. Okay?

[00:38:04]This is what an Indian understanding.

[00:38:06]Therefore, see we do have entertainment, worldly pleasures, worldly relationship, all that is there.

[00:38:14]But a certain stage where this is what I I'm repeating again so that I want to draw your attention to it. Why? What is the difference? We are making or fanaticism.

[00:38:27]Even religion has become fanaticism, because a certain little bit of prayers and etc. Belief in God, doing good to others, this much is okay, but that should not become another addiction and then fanaticism.

[00:38:41]Look for it's a value, a deeper value, how it transforms your life.

[00:38:47]Okay, your heart, your outlook, your thinking, your behavior, your whole life it transform. How much it is able to transform your life, that [music] is the That should be the effect of religion and life.

[00:39:01]Otherwise, it becomes either fanaticism or it becomes addiction. [music] Nowadays, you see them how to help them to come out of this addiction?

[00:39:10]Because you can come out only when you understand they have a certain limited value, to certain extent.

[00:39:17]Beyond that, you have to come to the another level, a deeper level. Okay?

[00:39:22]Therefore, >> [music] >> Indian is a primary creativity. It is not a borrowed creativity, it is not second-hand creativity.

[00:39:31]You can see them, all of our science, all of our spirituality, religion, everything is indigenously discovered.

[00:39:38]Our rishis had a primary creativity.

[00:39:41]It is not a second-hand, a borrowed or a What is all What do you say? A limited creativity.

[00:39:47]It is an absolute creativity, because that absolute truth makes you absolutely creative.

[00:39:53]Continuously creative.

[00:39:55]Continuously creative. Creativity is not that a scientist discovers one small point accidentally, one point, thereafter he remains blind, no. You can see our spiritual gurus, our spiritual pursuit, continuously creative.

[00:40:10]Throughout life creative. All aspect of life is creative, see?

[00:40:14]Ah, it is a primary creativity.

[00:40:17]Continuous creativity.

[00:40:21]This is a once you discover that's a lifelong you you are called as a what you call a Nobel Prize and scientist you call them. The scientist discovers one point and not thereafter stops.

[00:40:33]The what happened to the next discovery?

[00:40:35]Why one discovery and later you stop?

[00:40:39]Because he enjoys the glory of life that he has given award and he's praised and there is a theory in his name and that's all thereafter all discovery stops.

[00:40:48]Why?

[00:40:49]>> [music] >> Do you see our Rishi stopping?

[00:40:51]There is a continuous. Our prayers, meditation, all these are creative.

[00:40:57]Continuous creativity.

[00:40:59]Okay?

[00:41:00]Therefore, we have not created addictions.

[00:41:04]We have not to created dogmas and we have not developed fanaticism.

[00:41:10]These three are totally outside India.

[00:41:13]Okay?

[00:41:14]And why they developed? Because lack of creativity. Lack of learning, growing, observing because their life and spirituality religion is not inward growth.

[00:41:25]It is not helping you to give the inward growth. It gives you certain things and stop [music] there.

[00:41:32]A partly good but partly get stuck, get stagnated.

[00:41:37]Okay?

[00:41:39]This is the This is the difference we have to see that. Okay? So, we are talking of one thing here.

[00:41:46]Therefore, the [music] spirituality uh Advaita has be has existed right from the beginning of the That's why we don't say like our uh Darwin's theory or your Abrahamic religious theories.

[00:42:02]Both the theories say that world was created at one time.

[00:42:06]And the the spiritual guru or some somebody comes at a later time. World was created. Adam has fallen. But Jesus was sent after 4,000 years.

[00:42:19]Then what is the then where is the liberating source?

[00:42:24]How to how to get liberation?

[00:42:27]But in our Hindu outlook Indian outlook says that wherever there is a humanity, there are always certain spiritual seekers.

[00:42:35]>> [music] >> In the right from the beginning of the creation, there are certain gyanis.

[00:42:40]There are certain rishis. There are all the kinds of people. Very ordinary people, little bit mature people, then highly advanced spiritual seekers, then the directly Brahma gyanis, Brahma nishtas, >> [music] >> and the and the and the rishis. We always have all these people throughout life, throughout human society.

[00:43:00]Not that earlier there was only totally ignorant people. At a later [music] stage, human being is gradually advancing.

[00:43:08]This This This This This is not convincing to us. Wherever there is human human society, there is always different levels of people.

[00:43:18]Because from the previous srishti previous cycle of previous cycle of creation, jivas come. Jivas are of different levels. So, from the previous cycle, when they come to this level, we have got again people of jivas of different levels.

[00:43:34]>> [music] >> Therefore it is not that in the evolution at a later time, spirituality comes or religion comes.

[00:43:42]Religion is a human need of the human being. Wherever there is a humanity, it is there right from beginning. That's why we say anadi.

[00:43:51]It is anadi, beginningless. It has been there with us.

[00:43:55]>> [clears throat] >> Therefore it doesn't come at a later style. Then if it comes later stage, what were the previous 4,000 years? All human beings remained ignorant?

[00:44:07]then how did they live life?

[00:44:10]You have no explanation.

[00:44:12]Your explanation of life and world is only too childish.

[00:44:16]Only Indian explanation alone can give you true explanation. It looks so childish.

[00:44:21]They have no explanation. God created the world after 4,000 years creates Jesus.

[00:44:26]Then what happens to the previous generations for 4,000 years?

[00:44:31]Did they not have no spiritual hunger?

[00:44:34]No spiritual pursuit?

[00:44:36]Do Didn't they need any truth?

[00:44:38]How did they live?

[00:44:40]They lived like ordinary animals?

[00:44:42]>> [laughter] >> It doesn't convince anybody.

[00:44:46]Okay.

[00:44:46]>> [music] >> Anyway, leave them. So, here therefore, Vedanta existed. Spirituality existed throughout the creation. Right from the beginning until the end of pralaya, end of the srishti, that is pralaya. There are always certain spiritual people.

[00:45:05]Some gyanis, some tattva gyanis, some rishis always exist.

[00:45:10]Even in Kali Yuga, some spiritual people, some some seekers of truth, some gyanis always exist.

[00:45:17]A certain generation, a few more, a few less, but they always exist, I tell you.

[00:45:23]A few more, a few less, but they are always there.

[00:45:26]>> [music] >> World is never free from spiritually uh enlightened people.

[00:45:33]World is no generation is totally enlightened people.

[00:45:38]That is India.

[00:45:39]Because Because this is what we find. We see our history.

[00:45:47]Okay. Therefore, the Shankaracharyas, we are talking of uh the misconceptions about Shankara.

[00:45:54]The book is It is a highly technical book. Uh I think those who are interested in technical points alone is highly technical. Common man can't understand.

[00:46:02]Anyway, so the first misunderstanding is Shankara was commissioned by his guru to write a commentary on Prasthana Traya, Gita, Upanishad, and Brahma Sutra according to Advaita. So, implies that this mis- misunderstanding, this misconception prevalent in people among the people implies that there was no commentary according to Advaita on Brahma Sutra, Bhagavad Gita before Shankaracharya.

[00:46:31]So, Shankara was the first founder of Advaita commentary.

[00:46:34]This is not true.

[00:46:36]It has been existed because Shankaracharya also quotes many statements, refers to tradition in his Prasthana Traya Bhashya. He refers to tradition. He quotes many ideas, many shlokas from his previous acharyas from many generations before him.

[00:46:55]That [music] means Advaita Advaita commentaries on Gita, Upanishad, and Brahma Sutras had existed even before him. So, Shankara was a [music] was a part of an important tradition like a chain. Shankara, an important uh say what you say uh of the chain, a link of the chain even before it existed. [music] In fact, we say that it existed right from the beginning of the creation.

[00:47:22]Beginning of the cycle of creation.

[00:47:25]Advaita has existed.

[00:47:26]Therefore, that the see the the this this is what That's why I already told you I just repeated. In the beginning I told you this outlook has Again, we have inherited, we have adopted from the West. They think that Advaita is founded by Shankaracharya. Why this idea of founding a religion looks very childish.

[00:47:46]How can you found religion? Because religion is a spirituality and and philosophy.

[00:47:51]>> [music] >> So, the spiritual seeking, just as we have got a physical hunger, hunger of for food, similarly spiritual hunger existed right from the beginning of creation.

[00:48:01]Therefore, how can you say that the spirituality came later?

[00:48:06]That means there was nobody hungry of spirituality.

[00:48:11]Okay?

[00:48:12]Therefore, it has existed.

[00:48:14]>> [music] >> It has been there. Therefore, Shankara is a continue this much it can happen.

[00:48:20]In in a certain generation due to some people's extrovertedness, a certain spiritual bent becomes a little little little what you say overpowered due to worldly pleasures and others.

[00:48:33]Sometimes it becomes a little dim, but totally doesn't go out of circulation.

[00:48:41]Never goes.

[00:48:42]It continues. Sometimes a little dim, sometimes a little clear. [music] Sometimes a deeper, sometimes a little superficial. Some generation will be little less, but doesn't go out of circulation.

[00:48:56]Okay?

[00:48:59]Therefore, Shankaracharya happens to be one link. That's why we always have some saints or some Mahatma, some great people every generation or at least after a few generations, there will be little more great man will always arise.

[00:49:15]This has been the history of India throughout. [music] That shows the human nature. It's a human mind.

[00:49:22]Always it becomes a little dim, some Mahatma some there arises to awaken it again.

[00:49:27]Therefore, so Shankara was commanded, ordered by his guru to write a commentary according to Advaita. People thinking that Advaita started with Shankaracharya is wrong.

[00:49:40]It is not started. It It was not started by him. It existed even before. Okay? Next point is counteract other sectarian views. They say that there were other writings.

[00:49:53]Uh was only before Shankara.

[00:49:57]So in order to refute them all this have been existing simultaneously side by side throughout.

[00:50:05]Side by side they existed. They have been existing.

[00:50:08]Therefore to counteract them particularly they say Shankara Acharya to [music] to counteract Buddhism alone to counteract particular that you don't find them. Shankara Vedic tradition alone within the Vedic tradition alone certain things have become misunderstood within the Vedic tradition. So he wanted to bring that out within the Vedic tradition, purify it, correct it, and bring certain things which are submerged he brought out. It is there already in the tradition.

[00:50:43]Okay, this is the first misunderstanding we have corrected >> [music] >> and anyway we shall go slowly.

[00:50:51]The second point is This is because now what is the basis?

[00:50:57]How do you say Shankara Acharya was not the first misunderstanding is Shankara Acharya was ordered by his guru. If you read his writings Gita and and certain other in the particularly Gita if you say he doesn't say that my guru ordered me.

[00:51:16]Even he's writing it he says he's writing in Gita he says I find there have been certain misunderstandings about our Vedic tradition.

[00:51:28]People have been attracted to worldly pleasures their their has become little dim.

[00:51:35]Little diluted because of that people started pursuing heavenly pleasure and other things. The real has become little less. Therefore the there is a some misunderstanding about the Gita and the Upanishads. So, to clear that misunderstanding, I am writing this commentary.

[00:51:54]There Shankara never refers that my guru has ordered me. Whereas Sureshwaracharya says, which is Shankaracharya's disciple, in his Naishkarmya Siddhi, you can see [music] in his see, by guru's order I am writing this book. He openly mentions it. But Shankara nowhere mentions my guru has ordered me to write. He doesn't say that. He himself seeing the people, the need of the need of the people, he felt [music] that in his heart and he started writing.

[00:52:23]This This is a technical point common man >> [music] >> may think that but even Swamiji wanted to do There are much more deeper points but this is a simple technical point. Swamiji wanted wants to [music] point out here. So, guru ordering is not there but Shankaracharya felt himself seeing the society around and he himself started writing it. Okay?

[00:52:45]Second thing is Advaita is just one school of Vedanta. This is the second point. I think I'm tired now. So, we will discuss it in the next class.

[00:52:54]Mostly tomorrow or weekly few classes we shall have and other days we will have some Kannada classes, Kannada talks.

[00:53:02]This is one English talk I'm I'm started now after long time. There was a gap.

[00:53:06]Now English talks we will continue here after.

[00:53:09]>> [music] >> Okay. Next class we'll see tomorrow. Om Shanti Shanti Shanti. Hari Om Shri Gurubhyo Namah. Hari Om Tatsat.

[00:53:19]Oh, I am very happy.

[00:53:21]Shivnarain said, "Oh, I am very happy to see you."

[00:53:25]>> [clears throat] >> Yes, I am very happy to see you.

[00:53:31]Okay. Om.