Hari OM
'Text-days' are for delving into the
words and theory of Advaita Vedanta.
Last week we covered part two of the
transcription from Gurudev's video on the nature of being as demonstrated with
a simple matrix chart, known as the BMI chart.
By now, already some understanding of the logic which goes into Vedantic
thinking ought to be shining through - and doubts raised. Keep noting them, keep asking questions -
share them! Now for part three.
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So, then, the PFT is the individualised ego, the jiiva, the sufferer
and enjoyer of the world. The BMI are
the instruments of experiences. OET is the total field of experience. Nobody in
the world has got any equipment other than these three.
No body who is rich or poor, healthy or unhealthy, developed nation
or undeveloped nation… nobody has any other field from which to gather their
experiences. The world of Objects, Emotions and Thoughts, is the only world
from which to harvest/ collect experience. All through life, from birth to
death every moment you are having experience; the experienceR, is you.
Therefore we go to another man and say that "I am experiencing
unhappiness!" In mind we feel happy
and unhappy emotion.
"I don't understand what you are talking swamiji, or I am smart
in misunderstanding swamiji"… that is your intellect. "I am
healthy/unhealthy - (wail!) - I have no home! I have no wife!" … these are
at the physical level.
Thus the physical, the psychological
and the intellectual personality in you all put together is called 'Mr Ego' -
the hero of your autobiography!!!
...ANALYSE IT - this experiencer.
Now. Having thus discovered it, the teachers looked out through the
windows (these great Rsis), having understood the mechanism of Life, having
worked it out, they found that every PFT all through their life, in every
experience, is trying to discover a total happiness. Complete
satisfaction, total contentment, from
OET through BMI. This is your
autobiography. Everyone, irrespective of
whether you are a congenital idiot or a great genius; spiritual or
materialistic; have or have-nots; every indvidual, nay not only Man! Unconsciously the plant and
animal kingdom also is searching and seeking for its own happiness. What is
wanted is permanent happiness.
Though, thus, the individual ego is demanding a permanent happiness,
it doesn't know where it lies and all that is available is only the OET; and
therefore each individual tries to 'hug' as much of OET as possible in order to
get the permanent happiness, but they forget that it's never permanent because
all these are conditioned by TIME!
Nothing is permanent.
Einstein discovered it in the 20th century that time and space are the
quantum in which alone the plurality can exist and function. This is the latest
Western discovery. In the Vedic period our masters have said that this is all
time-bound (kaala-bhand-jivan) and time is constantly changing.
Therefore everything that is conditioned and floating in time must
also keep on changing. Is not your body constantly changing? Nobody need be a philosopher to know it. None
of you were born from your mother's womb in the size that you are now. You've
been growing. Childhood, adulthood, middle-age, old-age, it goes on. Is not
your mind changing? Things you loved five years ago, today you hate as poison.
Things you hated three years ago, today you feel this kind of tenderness and
love. … your faith, your belief, your ideas, your ideology, is not this your
intellect also changing?
I am not talking of those who are educating themselves and studying.
Even if you don't study is it not the hammerings of the world outside which
make you change your values? So the body, mind and intellect are changing.
The world outside - are they not changing? Are not the objects constantly changing in
their arrangement? Are not the emotions
that you receive from others constantly changing? Don't you generally say that
"so and so and me were such friends I tell you swamiji it is one soul in
two bodies, we were together like brothers - oh woe - today he hates
me!"…"four years together...it is his fault…"
Hah - that it took him four years to discover you is the wonder! That
you don't think about!
They change, the emotions that you receive. At one place you get
applauses, at another you get discouragement and criticism. ...But it doesn't
matter; this all human frailty. We can only smile, not feel unhappy about it or
angry about it. That is how they understand.
These discourses, that dog was constantly lying down and listening
at the door. What has he understood? He
has not the ability even to MIS-understand. Those who complained here about the
discourse are seeking to leave. It is
better that they go, for if they have misunderstood, they are wasting their
time here. This place is not meant for
blind faith, but is a highly intellectual field. It is for thinking. **
So what we are saying is the emotions change, the intellectual
concepts change, [several examples…]… Even some of the greatest saints in the
world were atheists before, but changed their attitude, because their intellect
changed.
Thus my friends, BMI and OET are constantly changing. Between these two changing factors, you stupidly come to believe that a certain condition can be created in my mind of permanent peaceful serenity. Oh yes - when?! "Oh when I have some money in the bank.." (Swamiji is indicating our tendency to put off meditation!)
...so the Rsis said we can understand the animals and plant kingdom
feeling certain ways but you, Man, who has the capacity to think, why don't you
analyse and understand that nothing is permanent, that in the realm of time
everything is changing - PLAY with the change! Just as in the dance hall you do
enjoy the dance - why? For its constant movement. So, she steps on you and you
step on her, so what? Enjoy! ...
Similarly, hang on to the world outside, get crushed and don't mind it. Enjoy.
Don't you, in sport, despite exhaustion and panting say, "oh a beautiful
game that was"? You physically suffer, but mentally enjoy. WHY? It is a
sport, a game. Likewise, live through
the ways of life but consider it a sport.
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**apparently three ladies had
complained that women were not getting recognition in the camp talks. Gurudev here is putting the point that gender
does not come into spirit. The limitations of language are such that conventions
have been established for 'he' to actually mean 'he/she/it'. If those who would
call themselves intelligent cannot rise above such a simple point, they are not
ready to sit before him. This itself
challenges the ego and proves exactly the point being made with the chart
illustration.
Add notes and questions to your
books, prepare to ask them in comments - or privately if you prefer via the
link on P-O-O-P.