The whole universe is intelligence. It responds to our thoughts. Kṛṣṇa transmits the king of all knowledge and all secrets, which is eternal, easy, and joyfully done. To the one who is non-envious and trusts Him, Kṛṣṇa promises yoga (success) and kṣema (protection).

### Secret Of All Secrets

We are now at the halfway mark of the Bhagavad Gītā. Arjuna started in total confusion and dilemma. His questions were varied and repetitive. It was as if he did not listen to what Kṛṣṇa told him. As I said, questions arise from inner violence. They arise from the ego to prove one's correctness.

These questions gradually transform into doubts. Doubts are essential for any seeker. Doubt and faith are two sides of the same coin. Without doubt, we cannot develop faith. Blind faith will not help the seeker. It is just based upon root thought patterns and will collapse under pressure. Real faith develops in the seeker when he sincerely questions spiritual truths. Raising sincere doubts before an Enlightened Master actually does a lot to integrate a person and strengthen his faith.

Kṛṣṇa sees the change that is happening within Arjuna. He feels Arjuna's inner violence and conflict is clearing up and that his individual consciousness is opening to the space of completion. The Master is ready to change gears now and take the dialogue to the next level that is needed to address this change in inner space.

In previous chapters Kṛṣṇa explains to Arjuna how to act without attachment by renouncing the outcome of his actions to Existence. In the last chapter He enriches Arjuna with an understanding of the process of death and liberation.

Now Kṛṣṇa reveals to Arjuna the greatest of all secrets—*Rājavidyā Rājaguhya Yogaḥ*, the secret about Himself.

# Eternal, Easy And Joyfully Done

*9.1 Bhagavān Kṛṣṇa says:*

*Dear Arjuna, because you trust Me and you are not envious of Me; I shall therefore impart to you this profound and secret wisdom and experience; This will free you of all miseries of material existence.*

*9.2 This knowledge is king of all knowledge and the greatest secret of all secrets. It is the purest knowledge, sacred, and because it gives direct perception of the Self by Self-realization, it is the perfection of religion, dharma. It is eternal, easy, and it is very joyfully performed.*

*9.3 Those who have no faith in this knowledge cannot attain Me, O Parantapa, conqueror of foes; They will return to the path of birth and death in this material world.*

Kṛṣṇa assures Arjuna with these verses. He says, 'My dear Arjuna, because you are never envious of Me, I shall impart to you this most confidential knowledge and realization, knowing which, you shall be relieved of the miseries of material existence.'

#### *śri bhagavān uvāca*

*idaṁ tu te guhyatamaṁ pravakṣyāmy anasūyave I jñanaṁ vijñāna-sahitaṁ yaj jñātvā mokṣyase 'śubhāt II 9.1*

Beautiful lines!

He says, 'Because you are never envious of Me.' Depending on the context, this verse can be taken to mean 'Because you are not envious of Me' or 'Because you have trust in Me.'

We may wonder how Arjuna could be envious of Kṛṣṇa. Please listen, you don't know the ways in which the human mind works, especially since in our generation, we always think of Arjuna as being human and Kṛṣṇa as Divine. We accept Kṛṣṇa as God. However, when Kṛṣṇa was alive, when He was in the body, people did not always accept that He is Divine. In addition, Arjuna and Kṛṣṇa were friends. They were close friends, so Arjuna treated Kṛṣṇa as a human and related to Him with human emotions.

We should first understand the atmosphere, the background. Only then will we intensely understand this whole chapter as it is expressed.

### **The Ultimate Secret**

The very idea that Arjuna might be envious of Kṛṣṇa may surprise us.

Understand, whenever the Masters were in the body, people never respected them. This problem always existed. Only after they left the body did people accept and worship them. Actually, it is easy to worship a photograph. There is no sacrifice or transformation required. However, it is never easy to worship a living being. The living person will always be questioned and envied.

There is a beautiful one-liner: During his life, the grandfather is forced to live in the family outhouse. After his death, he is brought into the house and respected as a photograph!

As long as he is alive, he lives in the outhouse. Especially in Bharat, every village home has a front porch. When he is dead, his photo is kept inside the prayer room. When he is alive, he has no place inside the house! However, once he dies, his photograph has a respected place inside the home.

It is the same way with the enlightened Master. When a Master is alive he is never understood. He is never respected and he is never received. When he has left the body, when he is no more in physical form, it is easy to worship him.

A beautiful incident:

A group of devotees from Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu's (an enlightened Master, Incarnation from East Bharat) birthplace, Māyāpur, came to Śrī Rāmakṛṣṇa. They told him, 'Oh Master, we missed Caitanya Mahāprabhu. We could not see him. If we had that fortune, we would have become enlightened. We would have experienced devotion to Kṛṣṇa.'

Rāmakṛṣṇa laughed and said, 'When Caitanya was alive, many people went to him and complained, 'Oh Caitanya! We missed Kṛṣṇa. We could not see Kṛṣṇa. If we had seen Kṛṣṇa, we could have enjoyed the devotion, the energy!'

Rāmakṛṣṇa says, 'Open your eyes and see. Caitanya is here. Just as people went to Caitanya and talked about Kṛṣṇa, you come here and complain that you have missed Caitanya.'

Whenever Masters are alive, it is difficult for people to accept their divinity. However, once they leave the body, people say, 'We missed Rāmakṛṣṇa,' 'We missed Ramaṇa Mahaṛṣi,' and so on. We complain about what we missed. We never realize what we have.

Here Kṛṣṇa says, 'Because you are never envious of Me—*pravakṣyāmy anasūyave*, I will give you the ultimate secret—*idaṁ tu te guhyatamaṁ* (9.1).'

Here, please understand, Kṛṣṇa is giving the ultimate secret, *guhyatamaṁ*. Once we know this secret, then there is no difference between the Divine and us. Here He gives us the straight, ultimate secret.

In the business world, the leader usually never gives secrets to anyone, whatever they may do, however close they may be. Corporate people maintain secrets.

Here Kṛṣṇa says, 'I am not going to maintain any secrets. I am going to open the whole thing.' He says that knowledge is free. It is up to us to use it. Now, modern day IT companies declare that knowledge is free. Yet five thousand years ago, Kṛṣṇa declared that knowledge is free.

He says, 'I am opening all the secrets—*idaṁ tu te guhyatamaṁ*.' He decides, 'I am giving you this secret because you are never envious of Me—*pravakṣyāmy anasūyave*.'

There is an important thing that people who go near the Master should know, especially people who live around the Master. By and by, these disciples, instead of trying to achieve the *state* of the Master, they try to achieve the *status* of the Master. State is different from status. The enlightened *state* of the Master should be achieved, not the *status* that His Enlightenment confers. When we work for status, we are in trouble.

> Once I went to a college for a public lecture. It was a meditation program in Tamil Nadu.

> One young boy questioned me, 'Why should you be respected so much? After all, you are my age.' Of course, it is true. I am barely a few years older than him. He asked, 'Why do they shower so many roses at your feet when you come?' In Bharat, spiritual masters are usually received with flowers wherever they go.

> The first thing I told him was this: 'I tried my best to avoid these arrangements. However, they have done it out of devotion. Next thing, you only see the flowers that are showered now. You don't know how many austerities this body has endured. You don't know how many thorns these feet had to cross to come to these flowers.

> So don't be envious for the *status.* Be envious of the *state.* Try to achieve the same state in which I live. Then, not only will you be showered with flowers, you will be showered with everything. Achieve the *state*, not the *status.*'

When you see the status, you will always be caught in jealousy. If you see the state in which I live, I will become a source of inspiration for you to achieve the same state. I will be a role model. You will think, 'When he can achieve this, why not me?' I become an inspirational source for you!

I tell people that the one and only difference between an ordinary person and an enlightened being is that an ordinary man is sleeping while an Enlightened person is awakened; that's all. The Consciousness is the same.

**Again and again I repeat, 'Whether you believe it or not, accept it or not, realize it or not, you are God. You are Divine**. You have two choices. You can either sleep as long as you want without experiencing this truth, or you can make the conscious choice to experience your Enlightenment, your Completion. But the truth is, '*You are That.*'

**Here, Kṛṣṇa says, 'Because you never try to achieve My status, I am trying to give you My state.'** The person who never tries to achieve the *status* of the Master achieves the *state* of the Master. First, *state* comes; then *status* follows. If we try to create the *status*, the *state* will never be achieved.

Rāmakṛṣṇa says, 'First God, then the world.' The world is like a shadow. Status is like a shadow. Try your best to run after the shadow. Can you catch it? No. If we run after it, we can never grab it no matter how much we chase it. However, if we walk on the path, it simply follows. The outer world is like a shadow. Go towards the state, status will follow you.

Here Kṛṣṇa says, 'Because you are never jealous, never envious of My status and Me, I give you the ultimate secret of this state.' And I tell you, this *is* the ultimate secret. Really, this is the ultimate secret. And He says, 'Knowing which, you shall be relieved of the miseries of material existence—*yaj jñātvā mokṣyase aśubhāt (*9.1).'

What are the miseries of material existence? Whether we have something or not, it is misery. If we don't have, then the misery is, 'I don't have.' If we have, then we have the misery, 'I must protect it.'

#### **RĀjavidyĀ, King of All Knowledge**

*Yoga* means achieving. *Kṣema* means protecting. Both are miseries.

Whether we have or not, it is misery.

Kṛṣṇa says that the miseries of having wealth and not having wealth, both miseries that are caused by material existence disappear by knowing this secret. And I tell you honestly this is the ultimate secret that needs to be understood. Knowledge of this secret liberates you.

He says, 'This knowledge is the king of all knowledge. The greatest secret of all secrets, it is the purest knowledge and because it gives direct perception of the Self by realization, it is the perfection of religion. It is everlasting and it is joyfully performed.'

*rājavidyā rājaguhyaṁ pavitram idam uttamam I pratyakṣāvagamaṁ dharmyaṁ su-sukhaṁ kartum avyayam II 9.2*

See, religion or a spiritual path should have three characteristics. First, it should clearly describe the goal of life. Next, it should clearly give you the path to achieve the goal. Third, it should make you happy to travel in that path. The path itself should be joyful, blissful.

A small story:

One herbal doctor's billboard said he could cure all diseases that we know the names of, as well as all diseases that we don't know the names of. He put up a billboard with all these claims. One person came with a disease.

The doctor asked, 'What is your disease?'

This person said, 'I don't know the name. Please diagnose it yourself.'

The doctor tried his best to diagnose. However, he was unable to determine the disease. But he had put up the big advertisement, so he had to cure. There was no other way. So he gave some medicine. The medicine was: 'Swallow a crowbar without it touching your teeth and drink three liters of water. You will be cured!'

What kind of medicine is this? The medicine clearly shows that the person will not be cured! In the same way, our solution or the path we are shown should not be impractical. If it is impractical, naturally, we cannot practice.

There was once a yogi in the Himalayas. When disciples came to him, he gave a technique: 'Hold your nose for two hours and sit.' Can anybody sit like that? He said, 'If you do that, you will become Enlightened.' Who can travel that path? Nobody can travel it. The path must not be complicated. It must be simple.

**So here, Kṛṣṇa says, 'It is eternal—***avyayam'***, meaning that the result that we achieve is everlasting.** He uses all the advertising terms! And it is joyfully performed—*su-sukhaṁ kartum.* It is easy. We don't need to struggle or suffer for it. It is the deepest secret. All we need to do is to realize the secret. Understand the secret.

#### **Why is it a secret? If it is going to enrich so much then why is it a secret? Why not let the whole world use it?**

Please listen! The ultimate secret, the ultimate knowledge is not for the masses. Masses always get stuck with small things and shallow entertainment. That is why, if we run a cinema theatre, you can see how such a big crowd gathers! Only a few hundred people are here today because we built only a temple. Temples are for the chosen few, not for all. We need intelligence to come to a temple. We need intelligence to enter spirituality. It is not for everyone.

Yesterday one lady asked, '*Swamiji*, my husband does not accept or understand the path I am traveling. Coming to this program is important to me. But, it is difficult for my husband to come to terms with it. Do you have a suggestion to help bridge this gap?'

Honestly, the answer is that it cannot be done. It only has to happen on its own from within the person.' I can say one thing: Don't give up on people! Listen. If you have to learn just one thing from me, learn this one thing. I never give up on people. Whether you give up on me or not, I don't care. I will not give up on you! Understand, I am a person who has no individual family. But thousands see me as their family member! Even on Facebook, I get so many family requests!

**Don't give up on people based on their past record.** Earlier your spouse may not have listened to you, because you yourself may not have been integrated and authentic to your spiritual path. Now, bring that integrity and authenticity. And don't give up on people! Enrich people, enrich people and enrich people. If you give up on people, you will give up on yourself. You will lose your confidence.


He says we must allow consciousness to flower in us and in order to do that we must have faith in *dharma*. When our faith is complete, when we have internalized His *dharma*, with integrity and authenticity, in everything that we do, our consciousness automatically blossoms. When we reach that state of consciousness, we merge with Universal consciousness and then we are free from the cycle of birth and death.

So, Kṛṣṇa gives a technique. He says, 'Have *śraddha*, faith in *dharma* and it will lead you to the Ultimate.'

# All Rest In Me

*   9.4 By Me, the entire Universe is pervaded in My formless form. All beings are based in Me, but I am not in them.
*   9.5 And yet everything that is created does not rest in Me. Look at My mystic powers! Although, I am the Creator and Sustainer of all living entities, I do not depend the Cosmic manifestation; for My Self is the very source of all creation.
*   9.6 As the mighty wind, blowing everywhere, always rests in eternal space, All beings rest in Me.
*   9.7 O Kaunteya (son of Kuntī), at the end of every age all beings merge into Me, At the beginning of every new Age I create them again.
*   9.8 The whole Cosmic order is under Me and My material nature creates the beings again and again, and it is controlled by My material nature.

It is time to reveal the secrets. Śrī Kṛṣṇa starts:

*mayā tatam idaṁ sarvaṁ jagad avyaktamūrtinā I matsthāni sarva bhūtāni na cāhaṁ teṣvavasthitaḥ II 9.4*

'By Me, in my formless form, this entire Universe is pervaded. All beings are in Me, but I am not in them.'

Before entering further into this verse, the meaning of the verse should be understood.

I want to tell you about my meeting with Charles Townes, a Nobel Laureate and a great scientist. He discovered some secrets related to Laser and Maser.

I asked him, 'How did you discover? How did this truth happen in your being?'

He answered, '*Swamiji*, to tell you honestly, I was relaxing in a park in Washington. It was early morning about six a.m. I was supposed to give a lecture on this subject to a group that day at nine a.m. I tried my best to recollect everything. I was completely frustrated because I could not achieve much. Suddenly like a revelation, as an intuition, the conclusion was revealed to me! The whole truth came into my consciousness. I discovered it! I immediately penned down what I got.'

And he says, 'I then realized I had a difficulty: I knew the conclusion. I knew the truth, however, I didn't know the logical steps to arrive at that conclusion! I would not be able to present it unless I knew the steps. So after that, I needed to think and develop the logical steps. Only then could I present it to others. Like an intuition, suddenly, it had been revealed to me.'

Actually, even this experience is not a big thing. The truth, the important thing is this: I asked Charles Townes, 'How did you feel when it happened to you, when the revelation happened to you?' Because what he experienced was intuition just as our sages experienced.

He said, *'Swamiji*, I don't know how to exactly express; however one thing is certain: from that moment onwards, I know for sure that the whole Universe is intelligence!'

**This is the truth! The whole Universe is pure intelligence.** The whole Universe is not dead matter. The Universe is not an accident. It can respond to our thoughts. Please understand, the whole Universe, planet Earth, air, oceans, rivers, earth, fire, or the space, sun, moon, this whole Universe, is intelligence. It can reciprocate. It can respond. It can react to our thoughts.

This is an important, basic understanding. The moment we understand that we are this energy that is intelligence, the moment we are aware that we are inside the energy that is intelligence, at that moment, we immediately settle into a deep relaxation. The moment we experience, we understand: we are under the guidance of an intelligent energy. We are taken care of by an intelligent energy, we are part of the Cosmic intelligence and we don't need to struggle or stress ourselves. We don't need to torture ourselves with insecurity problems, unnecessary worries.

Actually, all our problems, tensions and stresses arise because we think we do everything. We think the Universe runs because of us. Understand that the Universe runs in spite of us! We should understand that the Universe is intelligent and it responds to our thoughts. If we trust the Universe, we experience how light we are. We can unload all our troubles including the extra responsibility of thinking that we do everything.

This does not mean that we just sit and relax and say, 'Okay, the Universe is intelligence. It will take care of everything.' This is laziness and escapism. We must still work; however we can enjoy the process. You see, we think of the result all the time. Our thoughts arise out of fear or greed: fear of whether we will get the results or greed of wanting more and more. However, we never enjoy the process of doing that work. When we enjoy the process and trust the Universal intelligence, thoughts arising out of fear and greed will disappear. We will enjoy the process of doing and we will let the Universe take care of the results. Kṛṣṇa says elsewhere, 'You do what you have to. Do it, but surrender the results to Me.' When He says 'Me', He refers to the Universal consciousness or intelligence.

This is what Kṛṣṇa means in the next verse when He says that the beings do not depend on Him, nor does He depend on them. Of course, it is clear that the Universe does not depend upon us; yet how can He say that we, the beings created and sustained by the Universe, do not depend upon it? What He means is this: it is not a passive and lazy dependence of letting everything happen while we sit idle. It is an active understanding. One does what one must do as part of his life process but without attachment and ownership.

One way or the other, we are in this Universe. Because the Universe is intelligence, it responds to our thoughts. It makes things happen. Since we are part of this Universe, just flow with the energy of the Universe. Do not resist it. If this understanding penetrates our life, it is enough!

If we know the Universe is intelligence, we never question how life unfolds. We don't say, 'I am moral. But I see people who don't live morally living luxuriously, happily. Yet I always suffer!' We never have these frustrations, these incompletions with others and with life, because we know the Cosmic intelligence will take care ultimately. Whoever is immoral or whoever goes around and disturbs others will naturally face the consequences, because intelligence takes care. In the same way, if we are integrated and authentic, living a spiritual life, we will live a beautiful life. We are rewarded because the whole Universe is run by an intelligence that responds to this.

Don't think the Cosmos is just matter. If we think the Cosmos is matter, we are materialistic. If we understand that the Cosmos is intelligence, we are spiritual, that's all. The only difference between the materialistic and spiritual person is that the materialist thinks the whole thing is material: 'Let me acquire more and more material things.' The spiritual person understands that the whole thing is spirit, energy. If we understand that the whole thing is spirit, energy, intelligence, then a tremendous relaxation and bliss consciousness happens to us.

Please understand, bliss is not just a mood. Bliss is our very Consciousness. If it comes and goes as a mood, we are only having one or two experiences. One devotee asked, 'Bliss comes and goes, what to do?' I explained, 'You are having initial glimpses of bliss. Through your mind, you are trying to touch the bliss. Nothing needs to be done; just relax, that's all.' Once we understand this secret, a deep relaxation happens to us. In such a deep relaxation, we straighaway experience bliss consciousness. Once we experience Bliss Consciousness, it is everlasting. The bliss mood comes and stays. Bliss Consciousness is everlasting.

**Kṛṣṇa declares, 'By My formless form, this entire Universe is pervaded. All beings are in Me—***mayā tatam idaṁ sarvaṁ jagad avyaktamūrtinā.'* **He speaks of Cosmic intelligence.**

Be very clear, such a big Universe is moving and happening. All the planets move around the sun. Each planet has its own moons. There are so many suns, moons and planets. Yet, each one travels in its route properly. No traffic police! Accidents are rare. Unless intelligence runs the whole thing, do you think things can happen so beautifully? And even on this planet Earth, see how the whole thing is beautiful! The whole thing happens in an order, in a complete way. Only wherever human beings live, there is chaos! Except human beings, nobody creates chaos. Even in chaos, the Divine creates order.

Understand, the whole Universe is intelligence and it operates out of intelligence. This intelligence responds to our thoughts and we can relate with this intelligence. When we internalize this truth, then we naturally experience a deep peace. Rest, a real, ultimate rest and confidence to live, happens within us.

As long as we think the world is matter or material, there is no use living. Nothing matters. Even if we become the president of one country, other countries will not be under our control. So naturally, we can never achieve the whole matter. As long as we believe the world is material, we create more and more violence because we live materially. Materially means that we must snatch from others. One way or another; violence will exist. Only a person who experiences, who understands that the whole thing is energy, intelligence, only he can relax.

Let me repeat the next verse.

*yathākāśasthito nityaṁ vāyuḥ sarvatrago mahān I tathā sarvāṇi bhūtāni matsthānīty upadhāraya II 9.6*

**He says, 'Understand that as the mighty wind blowing everywhere rests in the sky, all created beings rest in Me.'**

Please understand this principle: He says, 'Just as the wind rests in the sky energy.' Please understand how the Earth is energy. We know earth is Energy. Take a stone. If a stone is thrown at us or if we throw a stone, we know the energy behind that stone. Next, consider water. We know the energy of water. Whoever knows about the waters that devastated New Orleans knows the energy of water! Or, if it floods, we know what water does; water is energy, we can understand that. Next is *agni*, fire. All of us know the power of fire. Next, air: storms, hurricanes, and tornados. We know the power of air.

In the same way, *ākāśa* (space or ether) is also energy. We do not know the power of *ākāśa* because it does not directly create impacts and effects in our lives. *Ākāśa* is disturbed by our collective negative thoughts, collective poison. The collective energy of the Universe is *ākāśa*.

When the earth element is disturbed or poisoned, only one person suffers. For example, if our food is poisoned, we alone suffer, that's all. If water is poisoned, the whole region suffers. Whoever uses the water supply, suffer. If whatever creates fire in us is corrupted, a big group suffers. We can use medicines as an example for fire because medicines keep the fire inside us alive. If medicines are corrupted, people who take the medicines suffer. If chemicals pollute the air, the whole country suffers. If air is corrupted, if the air is polluted, the whole society suffers. But if space, *ākāśa*, is polluted, the whole world suffers.

Corruption at higher levels of energy creates suffering for more and more people. The higher the level of energy that is corrupted, the number of people suffering is more. Our thoughts corrupt space. Space is energy.

Because ether or space is so subtle and so sensitive, we cannot feel the happenings in the space of ether. We feel the happenings in the other four spaces: earth, water, fire and air, so because of that we can understand the happenings in them. However, we fail to understand that space, ether, is also energy, a power. It is more subtle and more powerful because the subtler it becomes, the more powerful and energetic it becomes.

# **Levels of Space, ĀkĀŚa**

There are three levels of space.

**The first level is when we are limited to what is inside this skin.** *This is Ghaṭākāśa,* **what is contained within our body.** We limit our whole understanding of everything around us to this body. We become conscious of how this body should look, how it should be maintained. We think we are only this body and nothing else. This is the lowest level.

**The next level is** *Cidākāśa.* This space refers to what our mind perceives as the world. Let's say we are sitting here but our mind is in Los Angeles. Then that (Los Angeles) becomes our *cidākāśa*, the space perceived by our mind. The next moment our mind shifts to Bangalore. Then that becomes our *cidākāśa*. The space that our mind operates in is *cidākāśa*.

**The third and final level is** *Mahākāśa*. The whole Cosmos, everything that is outside and that is inside forms *mahākāśa*. This is the ultimate level. This is the level where everything that we see as different becomes *One*.

Please clearly understand these three spaces. Our body, everything that is inside this skin is *ghaṭākāśa*. Next, the space governed by our mind, by our thoughts, is *cidākāśa*. Finally, the whole Universe, the whole cosmos, forms *mahākāśa*.

Now, if something happens inside our body, we immediately feel it. If we are hurt, we clearly see the blood flow. We see a rash or a cut. We clearly see and feel any disturbance or event in *ghaṭākāśa* at a gross level.

When we go to the next level, *cidākāśa*, events that disturb or change this space are subtle. Our thoughts affect *cidākāśa*. Listen! Whether we believe it or not, our thoughts have a huge effect on the external world. Whatever thought comes, don't think that it simply comes and goes. Every thought is energy. It manifests as something in the external world. The problem is that we are unaware of the effect. The effect is subtle so our mind cannot see that what happens is because of those thoughts we entertained.

Our mind thinks something. It affects this *cidākāśa,* our inner space. These changes are projected into the external world, yet our mind is unable to recognize that all it sees is because of *itself.*

So, as we advance one level higher, the changes become more subtle but the effect is more powerful. In *ghaṭākāśa*, the effect is limited to our body. In *cidākāśa*, our thoughts affect the space around us. The effect is seen in a bigger space. The effect is more widespread.

Now the highest level is *mahākāśa*. This level is subtler than *cidākāśa*. Any change here affects the whole Universe. When something happens in this space, the whole Universe responds. When we enter this space, we realize the ultimate Truth. We merge with everything, with the whole Cosmos.


All I am telling you is, when you create the space of completion in you, so much of unimaginable, auspicious, and good things happen in your system which are incomprehensible. Please listen! If I say: I am making a statement that if you acquire the space of completion in you, all your problems, externally and internally, melt away; all the moments of powerlessness, externally and internally, disappear from your life, you may think that it is too big a promise, too good to be true. I tell you, it is too small promise! Because, when you create the space of completion, whatever I promise like your external and internal problems will melt away, will be only a small benefit you will be having.

We may think, 'How can this be possible? How can this happen? What kind of words is *Swamiji* giving?' But I tell you, it may feel it is difficult to understand. But start experimenting with creating the space of completion. I tell you with integrity and authenticity, I declare from my own authority, this verse is the solid truth.

I can say this with authority because I experienced this truth for nine years. I tell you, this is a promise by the Divine. Nine years I lived in utter insecurity. I know Kṛṣṇa still proves His words. His words are guaranteed—*yogakṣemaṁ vahaṁyahaṁ*, He does!

I can quote thousands of incidents from devotees' lives. From so many devotees' lives, Tukarām, Tulsidās and so many masters' lives I can quote to support these words. I can quote numerous incidents from my own life, from the life of people I have met.

Let me tell you a small incident that happened in my own life during my days of spiritual wandering before the happening of enlightenment.

I was staying in Hardiwar at a place called Kankhal. I was doing spiritual practice. Every day morning, I went for alms to places where they feed monks. In so many ashrams, they give alms to monks. I used to get my food, eat two or three rotis (Hindu bread) and then start meditating.

Suddenly, one day, I fell sick. I had a high temperature and diarrhea. I was unable to walk. I thought, 'What can be done? Alright! Let it be.'

Suddenly, a young Sannyāsi came from nowhere and gave me food. Not only for one day but continuously for three to four days, he came; he brought food for me. Not only food, he brought medicine also. I asked him, 'Who are you? Where have you come from?' He said, 'Oh, my name is Śaṅkar. They call me Śaṅkar Mahārāj. I stay at a nearby ashram called Sādhana Sadan.' He pointed towards a distant place and said that is where he stayed.

Everyday he brought me food and medicine till I recovered. He came for at least four days. Because he came everyday, I talked with him. We became acquainted.

I saw that he wore a beautiful pen with a diamond in it. I was surprised at how a monk got a diamond pen. I asked, 'What is this, *Swami*?'

He said, 'This is a diamond pen. Some devotee gave it to me. It looks nice, so I wear it.' Anyhow, I did not bother about it.

After several days, when I returned to normal, he stopped coming. By then, I was okay. Then I thought, 'I must go and see him. Now I can walk and move, so I should go and see him.' I felt a little connected to him because he served

I felt I must thank him. After a week, when I became completely alright, I started walking.

I went to this ashram and asked an elderly person sitting there, '*Swamiji,* I want to see Śaṅkar Mahārāj.' The Swami said, 'Śaṅkar? Who are you talking about?' I said, 'I want to see Śaṅkar, a young swami. I met him two to three days ago. He came everyday and brought me food. Is this Sādhana Sadan?'

This Swami replied, 'Yes, this is Sādhana Sadan. In our ashram, there is only one Śaṅkar. Go to the temple and see. He is the only Śankar Mahāraj we have!' He pointed towards their temple.

I tell you, what I am telling is the truth. When I entered the temple, I saw a Śiva deity as a white marble statue with a cloth draped on His upper body, and wearing the same diamond pen on Him!

Of course, tears rolled down from my eyes. So much gratitude overflowed. Later, I asked the temple priest, 'How did this pen come to Śiva? Who put a pen on Śiva's statue?' He said, 'One week ago, a devotee came and offered the pen. It looked nice and he said it was a diamond pen. We just wanted to decorate Śiva with diamond jewelry. So we put the pen on Him.' It was the same pen! The very same diamond pen!

I asked, 'Who gave a pen to Śiva?' Other jewelry, we can understand, but a pen?

He replied, 'I don't know. A devotee came and offered this pen.

I asked, *Why should a Sannyāsi have a diamond pen*? *I will give it to God instead.* So I put it on Śiva. I just inserted it into Śiva's clothes.'

He then continued, 'For the last few days all the food of-

fering, prasād that we place in front of Him, disappears. I suspect that rats have been eating the food. So now I am careful. I sit for a while after placing the food for Śaṅkar Mahārāj.'

I did not want to tell him that I was the rat who ate Śaṅkar Mahārāj's food!

During the 2006 Himalayan trip I searched for this ashram and Śankar Mahāraj's temple with my devotees. After many years, it was still the same, the same temple and the same Śankar Mahāraj; but no diamond pen now!

Of course, I do not ask you to believe the whole thing because of this one incident. But you can experiment in your life. You may say, 'This is your experience. How can this be truth for us, *Swamiji*?' An ordinary mind doubts.

Let me tell you that your consciousness, your inner space has the quality to create miracles in your lives. Miracles can happen in your life. What you need, you will receive. Continuously, miracles are happening.

Let me try to show you how miracles might have happened in your lives. You might have noticed, when the telephone rings, you suddenly remember a friend's name. When you pick up the phone, that same friend is on the line. Or at times, you remember a person and when you open the door, that very same person stands there. This is what I call the power of coincidence! These are miracles in their own way. In each one of us, the power to create the space, exists. All we need to do is create that space. Understand that we have the power to create the space and cause our reality.

**Trust that your Consciousness is connected to the Universe. Continuously, the Universe cares for you**. The Divine waits for you. It responds to your thoughts. We create what we want. Just as we create the whole world in our dream, we have the power to create the world when we are conscious, when we are in the waking state. When we can create a world in the dream state, can't we create that in the waking state? We can do it.

Even now, we create our world. Next question, 'If we are creating our world, why do we create so many miseries, *Swamiji*?' The answer is simple. We do so because we have vested interests in our sufferings. Please be very clear. We have vested interests in our sufferings. Somewhere we feel comfortable when we suffer. So we create the whole thing.

# **Bliss Attracts Fortune**

When our inner consciousness changes, when we reside in eternal consciousness, we automatically attract the power of coincidence. We attract the power of creating the space and causing our reality.

The moment we understand, that the whole Universe is pervaded by the Existential energy of Viṣṇu, we attract Lakṣmi, Viṣṇu's Consort who represents wealth! When we understand that the whole Universe is Divine, when we experience Viṣṇu, meaning when we experience eternal bliss, we attract Lakṣmi, wealth!

There is a beautiful mantra in *tantra śāstras*: *'ānanda kamaprānaḥ*' that means 'bliss attracts fortune.' When we create a blissful inner space, automatically we attract external wealth.

Tell me, what creates wealth? We need three things: clear integrated thinking, a creative authentic mind that aligns our thoughts and words, and the ability to make spontaneous decisions. The ability to respond spontaneously to any situation with the truth, that we are responsible for everything happening inside and outside us, is responsibility.

Just let your inner space be completely integrated with the words you utter. If we are able to respond spontaneously to any situation standing with the strength of integrity and authenticity, we take that responsibility. We need integrity, *the power of words* that brings the experience of completion with ourselves and with life. We need authenticity, *the power of thinking* that expresses as the peak of our creativity and the *power of feeling* to take responsibility. Only these three create wealth and preserve wealth.

If we enter the bliss space, if we keep our inner space blissful, if we enter into bliss consciousness, all three automatically happen to us. Automatically, these three powers: integrity, authenticity and responsibility happen to us. Then wealth will be created around us and it will also stay with us to enrich us and others. It is not that we should be showered only by a lottery. Wealth can come simply by creating a blissful inner space and such wealth stays with us, it is everlasting.

Please listen, whomsoever wins through a lottery never preserves it! Without knowing the value of it, they simply blow it away. Wealth comes by intelligence. When it comes by intelligence, it stays with you. When we take care of our inner space, automatically, the outer space showers on us. We become a blessing for planet Earth and it blesses us by showering on us.

Existence responds to our inner bliss and blesses us. Never think that Existence is not alive. Never think that the Universe is mere matter. It is live intelligence. People ask me, '*Swamiji,* I am searching for a Guru. I feel inspired to do spiritual practice. But I need a Guru.'

I tell them, 'If your search is intense, God sends you the Guru. He never misses His responsibility. If you do not have the right Guru, the right Master, it means, something is seriously wrong with your seeking.' If our seeking is authentic, straightaway the Master happens in our life. He never delays. He has a much faster system than UPS or any other overnight delivery service. He can deliver in seconds. He never delays. The Divine never delays.

Please listen! All we need to do is transform our inner space to the space of completion, the space of eternal bliss. The first thing is to understand this secret. Whether we believe it or not, it is the truth: a basic secret. Once we enter spiritual life, once we decide we want to lead a spiritual life, all our worldly things are taken care of by the Divine. It responds to whatever we need and it takes care of whatever we have.

We may ask funny questions, '*Swamiji*, from today onwards if I

stop working, will I have everything?' If we enter the spiritual mood, if we enter the meditative life, we will never think of dropping our work. Why would we think of dropping our work? We will only drop our worries about work. Then we will work in a much better way to our peak capability. Automatically we will work out of completion. We will have tremendous confidence, 'The whole of Existence protects me. The whole of Existence is my friend. I am not an enemy of this Whole. I am a friend of this Whole.'

When we understand that we are a friend of the whole of Existence, even after death we will not disappear because we know we will be there in the Universe in some form; that there is nothing to worry about.

I tell you this from experience: It is practical. From experience I tell you, we never perish. We continue to exist, in some form, somewhere. Even if we become enlightened, we become a pure conscious energy. We will be there, everywhere. We never die when we understand that Existence is intelligence.

# Life After Life

*9.25 Those who worship the deities will take birth among the deities; those who worship ghosts and spirits will take birth among such beings; those who worship ancestors go to the ancestors Those who worship Me will live with Me.*

*9.26 Whoever offers Me with love and devotion a leaf, a flower, fruit or water, I will accept and consume what is offered by the pure-hearted.*

*9.27 O Kaunteya (son of Kuntī), all that you do, all that you eat, all that you offer and give away, as well as all austerities that you may perform, give them as an offering to Me.*

*9.28 You will be freed from the bondage of work and its auspicious and inauspicious results. With your mind fixed on Me in this state of renunciation, you will be liberated and come to Me.*

We should study and understand these verses very deeply. Kṛṣṇa talks about the life that we lead now. He talks about the birth that we will take next. Understand that our present life is a result of our previous life. Whether we believe it or not, accept it or not, this is the truth. There is life after death as long as we are not enlightened.

Once we are enlightened, we merge into Universal Consciousness. Until then we take birth and go through the process of life and death.

Kṛṣṇa talks about the kind of life that we lead now. The last thought that we have at the time of death determines our next birth, next life. Please listen, our next life is completely dependent upon our last thought at the time of our death. If we think of money, we will be reborn as a rich man or as a dissatisfied man who always thinks about money. If we think of food, we will be reborn as a glutton or as a pig. If we think of lazily elaxing, we will be reborn as a buffalo.

This is the truth. Our last thought determines our first thought in our next life. Actually we need not go to the extent of life and death. We see this in daily life itself. Our last thought affects our first thought. Every night we die and every morning we take birth. During the day, when we are in the waking state, we use our gross physical body or *sthūla śarīra* to carry on with our activities. When we sleep, if we have dreams, we use the subtle body or *sūkṣma śarīra* to travel to the places that we see in our dreams. When we are in deep sleep, when we have no dreams, then we are in our causal body or *kāraṇa śarīra*.

When we sleep at night, we actually change bodies. We are not aware that this happens. When we dream, we see ourselves doing various things in the dream. We run, talk, eat, and do everything in the dream. In our dream, we have created a world in which we live. If our body is on the bed, then who is this body in the dream? Our gross body is on the bed, while our subtle body is active in the dream. In the same way, the causal body is active during the deep sleep state.


*patraṁ puṣpaṁ phalaṁ toyaṁ yo me bhaktyā prayacchati I
tadahaṁ bhaktyupahṛtam aśnāmi prayatātmanaḥ II 9.26*


Let me tell you about Triveni Sangam, what is called Prayag in Bharat. It is a confluence of three sacred rivers—Gaṅgā, Yamunā and Sarasvatī, near the city of Allahabad. While Gaṅgā and Yamunā are visible, the third, Sarasvatī flows underground and becomes visible only at the point of merging. Gaṅgā is the river of Lord Śiva and stands for knowledge or *jñāna*. All Śiva temples are on the banks of river Gaṅgā. Yamunā is the river of Lord Kṛṣṇa and stands for devotion or *bhakti.* All Kṛṣṇa temples are on the banks of river Yamunā. When Gaṅgā and Yamuna merge, when knowledge and devotion merge, Sarasvatī or wisdom automatically happens! Unless this merging happens, we cannot see or experience wisdom. That is why Sarasvatī remains hidden until the point of merging!

The last two verses can be misunderstood if misinterpreted. Kṛṣṇa says, 'Anyone can reach Me through devotion, whether they are women, traders or workers, or even sinners.' He makes a point that there is no pre-qualification. Even in the age of Kṛṣṇa, there was a distinction between various trades as well as between men and women.

Kṛṣṇa is pragmatic in acknowledging this fact and is not trying to justify the distinction. Someone asked Ramaṇa Mahaṛṣi whether he was qualified to enter a spiritual path. Ramaṇa asked him, 'Are you still breathing?' Taken aback the man said, 'Yes.' Ramaṇa said that was qualification enough; if he was alive, he was qualified. Kṛṣṇa's message is the same. All one needs is devotion to attain Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Nothing else is needed.

In the Vedic system, the caste system was a scientific practice to enable each one's potential to radiate. The *varṇa* or caste system practiced by Hindus from time immemorial had its roots in the *gurukul* education. Actually *varṇa* meant vocation, which was determined by the Master for each child. It was not based upon birth as birthright, rather it was based upon aptitude. Unfortunately, over time this practice became a birthright. This corruption of such a scientific practice has led to many social inequalities and injustices. The son of a *brāhmaṇa* has no right to call himself a *brāhmaṇa*, unless he has the aptitude. In our ashram, we have brahmacāri priests, who are of faiths other than Hindu. In no way are these young priests inferior to any *brāhmaṇa*.

The point Kṛṣṇa makes here is that irrespective of caste, a person who has faith and devotion to Him can attain Him. Even if a person does not lead the life of a *brāhmaṇa*, he can reach and experience the ultimate consciousness. A person may follow any profession; however, if his inner space is cleansed, he can attain and experience Kṛṣṇa consciousness.

Now, a *brāhmaṇa* is exposed to the scriptures and is trained to attain the knowledge of the ultimate Truth. He is exposed to the atmosphere that is conducive for meditation and other spiritual practices in the ashram. How much easier it is for a *brāhmaṇa*! See, if Kṛṣṇa is so accessible for anybody, then imagine how much more accessible He is for a person constantly engaged in His thoughts!

All practices, like meditation and rituals, cleanse the inner space and allow the space of completion to flower. When this space is cleansed, transformation automatically happens. Many times people tell me, *'Swamiji*, I have been meditating for twenty five years.' They tell me this proudly. I tell them, 'What a shame, if even after twenty five years of meditation, this remains your state!'

# Always Think Of Me

In the last verse of this chapter Kṛṣṇa says, 'Engage your mind, always thinking of Me.' Please understand that the whole Universe, the whole Cosmos is intelligence and it responds to our thoughts, it responds to our consciousness, to our very being.

> *man-manā bhava mad-bhakto mad-yājī māṁ namaskuru I
> mām evaiṣyasi yuktvaivam ātmānaṁ mat-parāyaṇaḥ II 9.34*

Let me narrate an incident from my life:

Some time after Enlightenment, I was sitting in a forest in Tamil Nadu. There was a big snake lying just next to me. I had my eyes open but was resting in the universal consciousness, in a meditative mood of restful awareness. Several hours must have passed before I came out of my meditative state and the first thought that came to my mind was, 'Oh, it is a snake.' As long as I was in the meditative state, I did not think of the snake. You will be surprised that as soon as the thought of the snake came to my mind, the snake began to realize that I was a man! It looked up, put down its hood and moved away. The fear in me triggered the fear in the snake.

The entire Universe responds to each and every thought that we have. It is pure intelligence. So we must be careful and integrated to what we think. When you start listening to you, integrity happens in you.

We are careful when we talk to others to make sure nobody is hurt. However when it comes to ourselves, we treat our inside worse than a garbage can. Almost all the time, you use very loose words inside you and outside you. A continuous stream of random thoughts, worries, fantasy, etc. goes on all the time. It is like a continuous television going on inside and we have misplaced the remote control to stop it!

Please listen! Integrity does not mean only fulfilling the word you utter in front of people. Integrity is honoring the words and thoughts that happen inside you, even when you are in your bedroom or bathroom. For example, suppose you utter a word, 'I commit with me that I will do morning yoga properly.' Then, you should give your life to fulfill it. Listen, the commitment you make to others is *word*, the commitment you make to yourself is *thought*.

Whenever some people come and tell me, 'I surrender to you,' I laugh at them. We use loose words; we speak so casually. Each word you utter and honor integrates you, strengthens you. Each time you don't respect or honor your word, you are weakened. Understand, each time you honor the words you give to others, *their* confidence in you grows. Each time you honor the word you give to yourself, *your* confidence in you grows. Success is nothing but *you* having confidence in you and *others* having confidence in you. That is all. Life is complete.

See, our inner space reflects the outer incidents. The entire Universe responds beautifully to each and every thought. That is why it is so important to keep our inner space cleansed and complete. The thought patterns that happen inside can be cleansed with integrity and kept in the space of positivity. When the thought patterns are positive, only positive incidents are attracted.

Listen! Take the words you utter in your inner space very seriously. The most powerful being in your life is telling you, '*tathāstu! tathāstu (so be it)!*' to whatever words you utter. Who is that being? YOU! He is sitting inside you as the *antaryāmi* (inner being) and saying '*tathāstu! tathāstu! tathāstu!*' to whatever you utter.

If you utter the words, 'I am the most healthiest person, I am going to live until Swamiji lives in the body,' the inner most being says, '*tathāstu!* *tathāstu!*' If you think, 'I am sick, I have back pain. I cannot do this, I cannot do that. I am broke. I am really having tiredness. And if I can do the work, they will exploit me.' Then, your being inside says, *'tathāstu! tathāstu!'*

See, it is like this. If we are constantly worried and fear that we will fall ill, we attract incidents that make us fall ill again and again. Similarly, if we are constantly happy and blissful, we attract blissful events and happy people in our lives.

When Kṛṣṇa says, 'Engage your mind in always thinking of Me,' He speaks about cleansing the inner space. When our mind is engaged in thinking of the Divine, we become Divine. The moment we understand this, we relax into eternal bliss.

The moment we relax into eternal bliss, the Divine takes care of us. Whatever we lack is brought to us and whatever we have is preserved for us. Naturally, we will experience, enjoy and enrich both the inner space and the outer space. This is the ultimate secret that Kṛṣṇa reveals to Arjuna.

Let us pray to the *Parabrahma* Kṛṣṇa, the Divine consciousness, the Cosmic intelligence to make us understand this secret of all secrets and experience the outer space and the inner space with eternal bliss, *Nityānanda.*

Thank you!

*Thus ends the ninth chapter named Rājavidyā Rājaguhya Yogaḥ, 'The Yoga of Supreme Knowledge and Supreme Secret,' of the Bhagavad Gītā Upaniṣad, Brahmavidyā Yogaśāstra, the scripture of yoga dealing with the science of the Absolute in the form of Śrī Kṛṣṇārjuna saṃvād, dialogue between Śrī Kṛṣṇa and Arjuna.*

# You Are The Ultimate

I am the Creator, the Created and the Creation. I Am the beginning, the middle and the end. All else is illusion. He who knows this glory and power of mine, is fully united in Me. Know Me and be liberated.

# You Are The Ultimate

This chapter, the tenth chapter of the *Bhagavad Gītā*, is called *Vibhūti Yogaḥ*, the yoga of Divine manifestations. In this chapter, Kṛṣṇa explains His glories.

In the last chapter, Kṛṣṇa gave the technique or the understanding of feeling deeply connected with the Whole, with Existence. He told Arjuna that He is revealing the greatest of all secrets to him because Arjuna is His dear friend. Now He explains the next step. He goes on at length and in great detail explaining how He is the ultimate and how He expresses Himself.

People often see me observing and appreciating my own photographs. They see me listening to songs in my praise and enjoying them. They see me dressed in finery at times and think I am admiring myself. To me, this body, 'I,' is not reality. My skin is foreign to me, leave alone what I wear on top of my skin.

An enlightened being has no identity. His only identity is the merged identity with the Universe. When Kṛṣṇa, the ultimate Master, talks about Himself in this chapter, He talks from the perspective of *Parabrahma* Kṛṣṇa, the cosmic Kṛṣṇa and not Vāsudeva Kṛṣṇa, son of Vāsudeva, the embodied Kṛṣṇa. The entire *Gītā* is delivered from Kṛṣṇa's Cosmic consciousness. In this chapter especially, He is at the peak of His Cosmic consciousness, before He reveals Himself as that consciousness to Arjuna in the next chapter.

Every word that the great *Jagadguru*, the universal Master utters here, is a gift to Arjuna and to humanity. The verses in this chapter are the authority on which the *Bhagavad Gītā* rests. It is these verses that make the *Gītā,* a sacred scripture.

# Because You Are My Dear Friend

*10.1 Bhagavān Kṛṣṇa says:*

*Listen carefully again, Oh mighty-armed Arjuna! Because you are My dear friend, I shall speak further on the Supreme knowledge for your welfare.*

*śri bhagavān uvāca*

*bhūya eva mahā-bāho śṛṇu me paramaṁ vacaḥ I
yat te 'haṁ prīyamāṇāya vakṣyami hita-kāmayā II 10.1*

A Master's relationship with his disciple is in many forms. Usually it is described in five forms.

The most basic relationship between a Master and disciple is that of a Master and a servant, *dāsa bhāva.* The relationship of Hanumān with Rāma represents this type. Another is the relationship of a mother with her child, *vātsalya bhāva*, as in the case of Yaśodā to infant Kṛṣṇa. The third is the relationship of a child with the mother, *mātru bhāva*, like the relation of Rāmakṛṣṇa to Ma Kālī.

The fourth relationship is that of friendship, *sakha bhāva*, feeling that the Master is the closest friend. The fifth is that of the beloved, *madhura bhāva*, like the relationship of Radhā to Kṛṣṇa.

Here, Kṛṣṇa refers to the fourth relationship, *sakha bhāva*, as exemplified by His friendship with Arjuna. He is the Master to His disciple Arjuna as well as Arjuna's friend.

Usually, as an individual ego, we see the Whole as our enemy. We are like small waves in a big ocean. However, suddenly, the wave starts thinking that the ocean is its enemy. When it is created, while it exists or when it drops, the wave is connected to the ocean. However, the wave thinks that it is in some way different from the ocean. Not only that, the wave starts fighting with the ocean. For the wave to realize that it is fully connected to the ocean, it must be consumed by the ocean. The ego must dissolve. The individual identity of the wave must disappear. This is the first step to Enlightenment.

We live in the illusion of our self-created identities. Each wave relates to another wave but not to the ocean. It adopts another wave as its father, mother, wife or child and relates with them. However, ultimately, each one of these related waves disappears into the ocean just like the wave itself.

If we look at the human body, we can see this *oneness* so beautifully exemplified. The human body consists of trillions of cells living in total harmony. The individual cell, though it has intelligence by itself, can survive even if its center, the nucleus, which is considered the central intelligence of the cell, is removed. However, when it is a part of the whole body, it is not the intelligence of the individual cell alone that is at work, but the collective intelligence of the body-mind system that governs. This collective intelligence ensures that this remarkable system of the human body-mind works smoothly.

Listen. Enlightened people think they are ordinary. And unenlightened people think they are extraordinary! When we feel that we have undergone maximum suffering, our ego feels good; we feel we are extraordinary. Only when our enemy is big, we feel big. When our enemy is small, we feel small. For the same reason, if our suffering is big, we feel good and our ego is satisfied. We measure life by the amount of our suffering. That is why we constantly torture others as well as ourselves.

Because of our ego, we think that we are extraordinary and that a lot of things happen in this world because of us. We are all unique creations of Existence but we are not responsible for the world. The wave cannot attribute to itself the power of the ocean. It must realize that it is a part of the ocean. Instead, if it tries to separate itself from the ocean, it is a futile effort. Please be very clear that the world does not run because of us. It runs in spite of us! Fifty years before our birth, don't you think the world was running as it is now? Fifty years hence, do you think the world will stop because you are not here?

A proverb says that if the cat closes its eyes, it thinks the whole world has become dark! It thinks because it can't see the world for those few moments, no one can see it either!

Rāmaṇa Mahaṛṣi describes a beautiful story:

A man was traveling on a train carrying his luggage on his head. A fellow passenger asked, 'Why are you carrying your luggage on your head? You can put it down and sit peacefully.'

The man replied, 'It would be too heavy for the train!'


When you truly surrender to the Divine, surrender can work miracles on you. When you offer yourself at the feet of the Master, your ego disintegrates. The mind is just your collection of all thoughts and habit that you have formed. For example, if you get up in the morning, your mind instinctively tells you that you need your morning coffee since that is a habit. Similarly, if you are constantly worried, it becomes a habit and you worry in every situation without realizing it. When someone praises you, you choose to get flattered. If someone criticizes you, you choose to get disturbed. The mental pattern has been etched so deeply that you don't realize that it is *you*, who is making the choice of how to react. When you surrender, you cannot choose.

A small story:

One day, Lord Viṣṇu and goddess Lakṣmī were chatting in a relaxed mood in their abode, Vaikunṭa. Suddenly, Viṣṇu jumped up from His seat and ran a few yards. Then he made a U-turn and returned to His seat.

Lakṣmī was perplexed and asked, 'Lord, why did You run in the first place? Then, why did You return immediately after running only a few yards?'

Viṣṇu replied, 'I saw a man in the process of stoning one of My devotees. I ran to help. Then I saw him pick up stones to retaliate. Seeing that, I decided that he did not need My help.'

When you surrender, you cannot choose to react. When you surrender, the egocentric 'I' totally disintegrates. Please understand: The egocentric 'I' is eccentric.

When you surrender, you will be bubbling with joy and bliss. You will be like a kid. Have you seen an ugly child? Even in the poorest country, the kids are beautiful. On the same count, have you seen a single adult who is beautiful? Enlightened people are like children, bubbling with bliss. They are called *dvijā* (born again). After the death of the ego, it is a new birth. The father and mother give us our first birth. The second birth is given by God and the Guru.

If you understand that Existence is your friend and it deeply cares for you, you will not feel the need to live according to a script for life. Instead, you will have tremendous courage and trust in yourself to live life spontaneously. Then, instead of re-living life and reacting to life based upon past memories and experiences, you live life with spontaneous responses to situations. If you live in a simple way, you don't need a script.

Please understand, Existence constantly cares for you. Trust the intelligence in you. Be complete and welcome life as it flows.

Kṛṣṇa says, 'If you continuously merge in Me, I will take care of all your needs and necessities. You will be My responsibility.' In the last chapter Kṛṣṇa promises: *yogakṣemaṁ vahāṁyahaṁ:* My responsibility is *Yoga*—to get the things that you need and *kṣema*—to take care that they remain with you. *Yogakṣemaṁ*: He makes this promise. He says, 'I will take care of you spiritually and materially. You shall not lack anything. You will always be in bliss.' You may wonder how this is possible. When you surrender to the Divine, your higher consciousness will be activated and you will have the intelligence and courage to live everything.

The ultimate intelligence is first understanding that Existence cares for us, and secondly, surrendering to that Existence. Realizing that Existence is not a brute force or power but an intelligent energy, is the key to a life of bliss.

When we surrender the mind, we go from 'mind' to 'no-mind' state. The mind actually arises from possessiveness. Tantra says that the ego is based upon possessions. Look deeply and we will see that the origin of our mind lies in whatever we think of as ours. Our idea of 'mine' creates the sense of 'I'. Most of us think that from 'I,' the 'mine' arises. No! It is from the sense of 'mine' that 'I' arises. The root of the tree of 'I' is 'mine'.

We think that if we have more possessions, we have more freedom. Yes, we will have more freedom, but only the freedom to choose between one suffering and another suffering. We can never choose between suffering and joy through possessiveness. How can we enjoy something with the feeling of possessiveness? We will be in constant fear of losing our possessions. The feeling of 'mine' never lets us enjoy anything.

Just understand. When we surrender ourselves to Existence, it carries us in its very arms. We won't feel the pain of life. But if we try to calculate things after saying that we have surrendered, we project our mind onto the idea of what will happen after surrender. When we say that we have surrendered, how can we say that nothing has happened in spite of our surrender? If we have truly surrendered, we have no right to expect something to happen after we have surrendered.

A Master was asked, 'How do I know that I have really surrendered?' The Master replied, 'If you have really surrendered, this question itself will disappear. There will be a feeling of utter bliss and relaxation.'

Just surrender everything, not only your pain and suffering but also your responsibility. This does not mean that you stop doing household work or going to office. You continue to do so but with the mood of utter relaxation. Surrendering yourself is a clear, conscious decision.

**Listen! Total surrender with total responsibility is Living Enlightenment.** If we look into our lives, we see that our relating with God is never true surrender. Most of the time, we beg God to give us what we want. The next stage is when we bargain: If you give me this, I will give you that. The third stage is blaming God: I went to this temple so many times; yet, God has not listened to me. Understand, we don't have the intelligence to know what we want. If God were to listen to our requests and desires, this world would have perished a long time ago! This game of begging, bargaining and blaming in the name of praying has nothing to do with true devotion.

There is a beautiful story in the Mahābhārat:

Before the war started, Duryodhana and Arjuna went to Kṛṣṇa's palace to seek help from Kṛṣṇa for the war. Both of them were relatives of Kṛṣṇa and wanted Kṛṣṇa's help. Kṛṣṇa was sleeping. Arjuna, the Pāṇḍavas' representative, sat at the feet of Kṛṣṇa. Duryodhana, the Kauravas' representative, sat near the head of Kṛṣṇa.

The moment Kṛṣṇa opened His eyes, He saw Arjuna sitting at His feet. He asked him, 'How are you, Arjuna? When did you come?

Arjuna said, 'I have come to seek your help.'

Kṛṣṇa smiled and assured him, 'Surely I will help, don't worry.'

Duryodhana, who was sitting at the head of the bed, demanded from Kṛṣṇa, 'I came before Arjuna. You should help me first.'

Kṛṣṇa turned and saw Duryodhana.

Kṛṣṇa replied, 'Surely I will help, don't worry.' He added, 'I will be on one side and My powers will be on the other side. And I will not raise weapons in this war. As Arjuna first came in front of Me, he gets to choose, first. Which one do you want, Arjuna?'

Arjuna thought, 'Let us have *buddhi* (intelligence).' He was happy to have just Kṛṣṇa, *Nārāyaṇa* on his side.

Duryodhana thought, 'Let us have *śakti* (power).' He replied, 'I will have your powers and weapons, *Nārāyaṇi senā*.'

Obviously, the Pāṇḍavas were the ones who won the war.

If you have a Master like Kṛṣṇa with you, you can conquer even Duryodhana's *sena* (army)! You can win any number of warriors. All the warriors of the Kauravas' side are your sufferings, your root thought patterns, your 'mine' and 'I'. Kṛṣṇa alone is enough! He will finish them off. But, when you don't have Kṛṣṇa on your side, any struggle you try to do, any plan you try to do, it will be failure.

There are only two possibilities: either you choose *Nārāyaṇa* or you choose *Nārāyaṇi senā*, either you are in peace or in piece-piece. You can bring peace to you or piece-piece to you.

The man who chose intelligence, the man who trusted God, had intelligence, had peace and won the war. Arjuna won the game of life. He had Nārāyaṇa, God Himself who is the source of all the powers, the source of *Nārāyaṇi senā*. The man who chose just the power was in piecepiece. Duryodhana neither remained with power nor with God.

If we look deeply into what kind of a relationship we have with God, we will see that when we pray, we think that God has the power, *śakti* to give but He does not have the intelligence or wisdom, *buddhi* to know what to give. This is what we believe when we insist that He gives us what we want right now.

**If we trust God has only power,** *śakti***, we never win in life. When we trust He also has intelligence,** *buddhi,* **we surrender.** Only then things can start happening. When we surrender, we believe that God has power and intelligence. When we believe God has only power, religion starts. When we believe He has wisdom, spirituality starts.

When we believe He has only power, we do rituals and pamper Him. We start doing all possible things to continuously bribe Him to give us what we want. We go to the temple and tell the priest not only our name but our father's name, our forefathers' names, and so on. Do we think God doesn't know where we are from and who we are?

#### **Understand, your whole life is nothing but Mahābhārat.**

In your life of Mahābhārat, victory or failure, who is going to win or lose is going to be decided only based on which side you are going to side; whether you are going to side your Consciousness or your unconsciousness, your Completion or incompletion. Listen, whichever side Kṛṣṇa sided would have won the game. Kṛṣṇa is Consciousness! Kṛṣṇa is Completion!

Please listen. Decide consciously that from this moment, you will surrender everything at the feet of God, to the energy that runs this whole world. We don't need to believe in any name or form. Trust the energy pervading the Universe and trust it to run your life.

Now, even after we surrender, at some time, a doubt will naturally arise in us whether we have totally, actually surrendered. Understand that the divine intelligence gave us the intelligence to surrender in the first place and that same divine intelligence has given us this doubt to doubt our surrender. Surrender the doubt also at the feet of the divine energy. So, do not wait to change and become perfect before surrendering. No! Surrender yourself as you are, consciously, totally. Surrender deeply and your whole being will be flooded with new bliss.

# **True Love Is Divinity**

Kṛṣṇa says, Because you are My dear friend, you are deeply connected to Me, I am revealing this truth to you.

> *bhūya eva mahā-bāho śṛṇu me paramaṁ vacaḥ I yat te 'haṁ prīyamāṇāya vakṣyami hita-kāmayā II 10.1*

Let me explain a few basic things. Actually, when we feel deeply connected to some person, the person will almost look like God. Whether it is our spouse, kids, parents or our Master, he will look like God. Whatever he does, we will feel that he is divine.

When we feel deeply connected, when we are in love with another being, that other being will look almost like God. Look at the great Mīrābāi. She was so much in love with Kṛṣṇa who was not even physically in front of her. Yet, she felt so deeply connected to Him. She talked to Him, sang His praises and became totally immersed in Him. When Mirābāi was given poison, she even drank that, totally surrendering herself to Kṛṣṇa. The power of her love and devotion was such that even a deadly poison had no effect on her!

We have forgotten how to connect through the heart. All our relationships have become superficial. Now, the wife is no more a wife. In the modern day society, the husband is no more a husband. He is just a boyfriend.

Be very clear: In Saṃskṛit, we don't have an equivalent word for divorce. The idea never existed! In Hindu marriage, no divorce is allowed. Both take an oath in front of *agni* (fire), 'As long as you are alive, as long as I am alive, I will support and enrich you.' With the cultural invasion of the so-called developed cultures, the materialistic cultures, changing the wife, house and car has now become a fashion. Once in three months, the house, car and wife become outdated.

The outer world is a projection of the inner world and the eye projects it. Whatever is visible as the outer world is a mere projection. We try without success to change things in the outer world. Our frustration and depression are due to our attempt to manipulate the screen rather than the projector.

We fantasize about a holiday on a beautiful beach in Hawaii as ultimate bliss. However, when it happens, our thoughts are not of the beach but of our office and deadlines! I tell people that if we sit in the house and worry, it is homework. If we sit in the office and worry, it is work and if we sit on the beach and worry, it is vacation! The mind is the same incomplete mind, only the location is different. How can we change the incomplete mental state by changing the place?

In Saṃskṛit, we have two beautiful words: *pravṛitti* and *nivṛitti.*

**Pravṛitti means the incompletions that you carry, leading you to more and more incompletions. The incompletion you carry makes you do many actions, which lead you to do more and more incompletions. That is pravṛitti.**

**Nivṛitti means the completion that you carry, leading you to more and more completion.Your actions should be nivṛitti based not pravṛitti based.**

You need to change the state of incompletion to completion. When you begin to change the state, you work directly with the projector and make progress from completion to more completion, *nivṛitti.* Working with the projector is the process of completion.

But changing your status is like working with the screen and associating with your incompletions that lead to more incompletions, *pravṛitti.* Changing your wife, your house or car is like working with the screen and it does not enrich you. Changing your mind by completing with your patterns, your relationships and therefore your fantasies is the only way. Your actions should be *nivṛitti* based not *pravṛitti* based.

When we don't pass judgment on life, on others and on us, we reach the state of non-resistance, the state of completion, the state of compassion. When intelligence happens, we reach the stage of non-resistance leading to completion. When we welcome people and situations from the space of completion, compassion happens. Beloved means being loved, not 'body love.'

What is the difference between intellect and intelligence? Intellect is always prejudiced. Intelligence is always fresh. When we pass judgment and collect evidence to substantiate our decision, it is intellect. When we first collect evidence and pass judgment without bias or prejudice, it is intelligence.


Look into your life and see how your mind works out of incompletions and creates conflicting images about you, about others, and about life! How do you act in your daily life? The vast majority of the time, your judgment is ready. For example, after living with your wife for a few months, you create a concept, an inadequate *life image* or *svānyakāra* about her. Then, whatever she does, you pick only those arguments that are necessary for your already formed judgment.

Whenever we think too much of ourselves, we believe only in our judgments and lay the blame on others. When we start completing with ourselves and others, we create a new *inner image* about ourselves, a new *mamakāra*. We understand that we are simple, complete beings, we start seeing the arguments clearly before passing judgment and restore our integrity and authenticity.

Actually, we have forgotten how to relate through the heart, the intense way of relating. Our relationships have become superficial. We don't really know the meaning of the term, 'falling in love.'

Whenever Rāmakṛṣṇa worshipped, did *pūjā*, he felt that Devi was present. He never felt that the statue was a stone. He spoke to Kāli Devi directly. When we deeply fall in love, even a stone can become God and guide us. When we don't feel connected, even if God comes down, we will ask for His business card!

Let me tell you a beautiful happening from Śrī Rāmakṛṣṇa's life:

Śrī Rāmakṛṣṇa was the priest in the Devi temple. He used to taste the food before offering it to Devi. All the temple authorities told him, 'No! You cannot do this. That is sacrilegious.'

Rāmakṛṣṇa said, 'I don't know all these things. I feel that She is my Mother. How can I offer the food unless I know that it tastes good? And if you don't want me to offer, I will stand outside and offer. But, I will offer.'

They agreed, 'Alright, do whatever you want.' Not only that, when he decorated the idol of Devi, he placed a small thread near Her nose to see whether She was breathing or not, alive or not. And the history says, the thread moved due to Devi's breath. He felt Devi everywhere.

When we feel deeply connected, when we know how to surrender, then even a stone can become God and guide us.

# **Feel Deeply Connected to KṚṢṆa**

Now, all we need is the mood of being deeply in love with Kṛṣṇa, deeply connected to Kṛṣṇa, deeply related to Kṛṣṇa. If we can open ourselves to Kṛṣṇa when He describes His glories, His *vibḥūti*, it will not be words. We will feel it.

First, Kṛṣṇa removed the enmity between *jivātma* (Self) and *paramātma* (supreme Self). Arjuna is the *jivātma.* Kṛṣṇa is the *paramātma*.

We may not be aware but we continuously maintain enmity with *paramātma*, Existence. That is why we suspect life. We have fear about what will happen in the next moment. We are afraid of life because we don't believe what is going to happen the next moment will enrich us. We don't trust Existence.

All life insurance policies are only because we don't trust Existence. Understand that life insurance is not *life* insurance. It is death insurance. Real life insurance is devotion to the Ultimate. Understanding that Existence is taking care of us is the only real life insurance. All other things are death insurance that goes to our families who are waiting for it!

A small story:

A young child was playing on the beach. He wanted to wade into the ocean. His mother ran after him and said, 'Don't go into the ocean. Play in the sand. Don't go into the water.'

The boy asked, 'Why? Daddy is going into the water. Why are you not stopping him? You are stopping me.'

The mother said, 'He is insured!'

So please be very clear: All our insurance is death insurance. It is not life insurance. Understanding that Existence is taking care of us and that it is not our enemy is the only life insurance we need.

One more thing: When we have the deep love—the connection with Existence, even when we die, we know that He knows where to keep us. We will be utterly relaxed as we know He will protect and guide us. So now itself, our mind should be prepared to fall in tune with this energy; to obey, to surrender to the ultimate will. Now itself, our body and mind should be prepared.

If we live life fighting with Existence, our life will be hell. Nothing else can be done. All we need to do is know how to feel connected.

First, Kṛṣṇa removes the enmity between the individual Self and Existence. Now, He explains the glory of Existence. Next, He gives the experience that the individual Self and the supreme Self are the same.

Step-by-step, He leads Arjuna from *viśiṣiṭādvaita* (a school of thought which says that the individual self is a *part* of Existence, with its own attributes) to *dvaita* (duality, a school of thought which says that the individual self is separate from Existence), to *advaita* (non-duality, truth that the individual self is Existence), to beyond *advaita* into *anubhūti*, experience. He leads Arjuna to a spiritual experience step-by-step. I spoke earlier about the three essential identities in our lives. These are:

*jīva*—individual Self; *jagat*—the world in which this self lives, and *Iśvara*—creator of *jīva* and *jagat*, or in other words God.

Initially, we see these three as separate entities, just as the water drop sees itself as separate from the ocean. There are different approaches in Hindu philosophy as to how the individual Self can reach the Creator, the Divine. The concepts of *viśiṣiṭādvaita* and *dvaita* are based on a separation between the Self and the Creator, with deep devotion connecting the two. Devotion leads the Self to the Divine and an understanding of the Divine. Yet they remain separate. It is like the water drop realizing it is part of the ocean and yet separate.

Advaita philosophy integrates the Self and the Creator into one non-dual entity, of which *jagat*, the world, forms a part. So the three seemingly separate entities merge into oneness. *Advaita* says that separation is an illusion, *māyā*, and that true realization of the non-dual aspect of the Self and the Divine leads to liberation and Enlightenment. These are different ways of looking at the same truth. None of them is wrong.

Kṛṣṇa leads Arjuna from the concept of separation into the understanding of integration. Kṛṣṇa makes Arjuna understand that nothing stands between him and Kṛṣṇa, except his level of understanding of the space of completion.

Please be very clear: These are not contradictory. Many people ask me, '*Swamiji*, is *dvaita* or *advaita* right? Is *viśiṣiṭādvaita* or *dvaita* right?' They are not contradictory. They complement each other. They lead us step-by-step to more and more understanding of completion. They lead us step-by-step to the ultimate spiritual experience.

Listen! Completion makes us understand that we are connected with the whole Universe – this is the essence of *viśiṣṭādvaita*. Completion makes us understand that we are deeply connected to the *paramātma* (supreme Self)—this is the essence of *dvaita.* Completion makes us understand that we are not one, but we are the ultimate *infinity* with each one infinitely powerful, which is the essence of *advaita*.

In Bharat, this clash between *advaita* and *dvaita* is a big fight. Is the

## Bhagavad Gita Decoded_English_part_17.md

Śankara bhāṣya (Śankara's commentary) big or is Rāmanuja bhāṣya big? Śankara was the founder of *advaita* philosophy and Rāmanuja founded the *dvaita* philosophy.

All Enlightened Masters speak the same thing in different ways. If we surrender, we will have the same experience of *advaita-anubhav,* non-duality experience. If we achieve the non-duality experience, we will have deep surrender. The man who has achieved *advaita-anubhava* has tremendous devotion. For example, the verse of Śankara says:

### *bhaja govindaṁ bhaja govindaṁ govindaṁ bhaja mūḍhamate samprāpte sannihite kāle nahi nahi rakṣati ḍukṛñkaraṇe*

Śankara says, 'Oh Fool! May you start meditating on Govinda (Kṛṣṇa's name) now. May you start remembering Govinda now. *Nahi nahi rakṣati ḍukṛñkaraṇe* means: When Yamadharma, the Lord of death comes, intellectual knowledge will not help you or protect you.

A great *advaita-jñāni*, sage of non-duality experience, will be a great devotee. And a great devotee will be an *advaita-jñāni*! Both are one and the same. Only those who have not realized the experience argue.

If you go inside *dvaita* and *advaita* philosophies, both show the same knowledge, wisdom and experience. All we need to know is how to open ourselves and surrender to this Existence. Then we will experience at the level of our being that Existence is taking care of us. Please be very clear: If Existence doesn't want us here, we cannot be here even for a single moment. There is no reason for Existence to keep us alive. If it is keeping us alive, we are wanted in this form, in this way, in this place. That is why we are still alive.

God continuously cleans all the garbage. He never waits. Everyday He clears away all the old things. He is the perfect energy that maintains cleanliness. They say that cleanliness is next to Godliness. I say that cleanliness is Godliness. It is not next to Godliness.

### **Trust Existence and Radiate Divine Grace**

Unless we are needed, we will not be kept alive. Just by being alive, He proves that we are needed. We are wanted. We are not an accident; we are an incident. Don't think that we are alive as an accident. We are an incident. When we understand that we are an incident, we feel deeply connected. We open ourselves to Existence.

I tell people: Trust, even if you are exploited. You may say, 'What is this, *Swamiji?* What kind of teaching are you giving? You are asking us to trust even if we are exploited.'

Be very clear: There are two kinds of lives. One is living completely with trust and the other is living completely with an insecure feeling. The person who lives in insecurity may have more wealth. He may have two or three more beds, a little bigger house, yet he can never rest. The person who lives with the insecure consciousness may have more comfort but he will never be blissful.

On the other hand, the person who lives with deep trust in Existence may have less comfort but he never misses that comfort. People who trust Existence are always showered with blessings. They will live like God on planet earth. They will be a blessing for the whole planet. The Earth is alive because of a few people who live radiating this trust, who live radiating the divine grace.

We should trust, even if we are exploited. After all, we are going to live on this earth for a maximum of seventy to eighty years. In those years, why should we continuously suffer? If we defend ourselves because of our insecurity, we will not only offend others but we will also miss the joy of living on planet Earth.

According to the Hindu purāṇic histories, Śrī Veda Vyāsa lived longer than any other man. Someone asked why he didn't build a house. Vyāsa replied, 'After all, I am only going to live for a few years. Why should I build a house? Why waste my time?'

If we can, let us live with the completely relaxed mood of deep trust. Our presence will be a blessing. Our existence will save planet Earth. No matter what crosses our path, we will just be living, enjoying, and enriching everything. It is a blessing.

What have we brought here to lose? Our insecure consciousness is nothing but ignorance of the truth. What are we going to carry with us after death? Nothing! A simple truth: Neither have we brought anything nor are we going to take back anything.

While we are here we can relax and trust that Existence will provide for us. If the energy moving inside our body can convert bread into blood, can't it bring bread to us? The big problem is that we don't trust our energy. We don't trust the cosmic energy. When it can convert bread into blood, can't it help us with our small things? Can't it give us the intelligence to bring bread, sustenance into our lives? It *can* guide us. It *can* give us enough intelligence to bring bread for our life. When the energy can move planets and run the whole Universe, can't it take care of us?

Let me narrate to you a real incident:

Śāradā Devi, the consort of Rāmakṛṣṇa, opened a charitable hospital in Calcutta. There were two counters: one counter where medicines were given free for the poor and another for people who could afford to buy medicines.

One employee of the hospital complained to Śāradā Devi, 'Mother, even rich people stand in the counter for the poor and take advantage of the free medicines. What should we do about this?'

Śāradā Devi replied, 'Don't be concerned. When a rich man stands in the line for the poor, be assured that he is also poor, and give him medicines. Even if he has money, he is a poor man. He has come here as a beggar.'

She makes a beautiful statement, 'Outer wealth doesn't make one rich or poor. It is the inner space that matters. If you live with trust, even if you are exploited, even if you lose your comforts of the outer world, you will live like God on this planet Earth. You will simply float. You will become a divine person.'

**I am asking you to trust Existence, not based upon my intellectual knowledge but from my personal experience.** If you trust my words, when you trust Existence and relax from your tensions, headaches, worries and problems, be sure that you will be taken care of. Miracles will happen in your life. When you put your energy totally on trust, an alchemy takes place in you.

Understand, when you surrender, there is utter relaxation in you and your responsibilities are shifted to a higher authority. This is surrender. Do your duty and leave all of the responsibility to Existence. She will take care!

So we have two choices: We can live offending and defending continuously. Even if we have comfort, our being will carry a wound. Or we can lead a totally relaxed life with utter freedom and complete trust in Existence. We can have physical, mental, emotional and psychological freedom. We can have liberation *here* and *now.*

The moment we live with trust, we are liberated. Nothing hurts us anymore. If we live with the truth, we beautifully live even our death because we trust that Existence will take care of us even then. If we live without trust, we will be killed by the fear of death. Every moment, we will be dying. With trust, even in our death, we will be living, celebrating!

Here, if we can relax and feel deeply connected to what Kṛṣṇa says, we will experience the state that Kṛṣṇa is now going to express about His glories in Yoga of His Divine Manifestations, *Vibhūti Yogaḥ.*

### I Am The Source

*10.2 Neither the hosts of deities nor the great sages know My origin, My opulence. I am the source of the deities and the sages.*