AvadhootaDatta Peetham

Om Santissantissantihi

The third day of Upadesa commence. Yesterday we heard of the shuka vana in Ayodhya, that the parrots in the cages also remained still and silent during Sage Vasishtha's upadesa.

All the seekers of knowledge returned to the court and took their seats. King Dasaratha and Sage Viswamitra also were there.

Sri Rama asked: What is Mind?

Thus far, we learned about the Creator and Creation. Hiranyagarbha/Chaturmukha Brahma was mentioned and described, how He cannot even be affected by Death. He has no body. He is of the nature of mind only, of mere Sankalpas/ ideas or concepts. All the minds of all creatures merged to become Hiranyagarbha.

We have ascribed Him the status of Brahma, the Creator and have given Him the portfolio as Creator.
Mind is Jnana that is veiled by ignorance. This knowledge helps us to eradicate the mind. Without Mind, this perceivable universe cannot exist. Wiping out the mind from consciousness is liberation.
We have been learning this subject for over ten months. But now we begin studying the teaching given by Sage Vasishtha on the third day.

haareetha suka .. were mentioned. It means green parrots. They were perking up their ears to listen to the instruction given by Vasishtha.

Even the small bells did not ring, it is said. The small bell sounds are perhaps referring to the cell phones not ringing.

No one in the court spoke during the discourse. They all maintained perfect silence.

The guard came and alerted the king that it was time to conclude the program. What was pin drop silence up until then, suddenly turned to a commotion when everyone got up to disperse.

Even the bees that were asleep in the flowers worn by the women woke up with this sudden movement, and began to buzz.

After Satsang, one gets good sleep and refreshing rest. Everyone experienced peace of mind. Sadguru's words have that effect. Everyone completed the morning activities and prayers and assembled once again. With eagerness they waited to listen to Sadguru's words. Sri Rama was the main disciple. All the rishis were present also.

Sri Rama was perhaps pondering over the previous days' teaching. He is a genuine student. Constant yearning for Truth makes one a true seeker.

Vasishtha had declared that this world is a myth. But it is appearing before us as if it is real. The mind is projecting the world before us.

What is most essential today is knowledge of Vedanta. Non-duality is required to be known.

Sri Rama realized that mind is not real and what it creates in dreams is not real.

These days the terrorists harm innocent people. Perhaps one should teach them Vedanta. For whatever reason, they act like that. What is it they gain by their actions? This lion called Vedanta must roar and silence their attitude and their terrible actions. We must give up the sense of differences.

We remain in ignorance. The make-believe Creator is the culprit. Why did He have to create good and evil both? Why could he not have created only happiness, leaving out sorrow? Is He not capable of doing so? Would a parent ever leave a child to his karma when he jumps from a bridge into a river? Is not *** compassionate? Would He remain uncaring if we get into a disastrous situation?

We begin with the discussion of the Creator. He has laid a path, we say. Karma determines punishment and reward we say. *** is not like that. When even parents do not enforce like that, why would *** do that? This system was created by our mind. It was not created by the Creator.

We have created the Creator. 'I decide to see Him only as Siva. Otherwise, I will not accept Him', we say. This is our doing. We determine the name and shape of our gods by our own choice.

When even normal parents do not force mercilessly their children to act a certain way as decided by them, how can *** who is most compassionate behave like that and impose merciless punishments?

This is a Science of convenience that we have created. This is ridiculous. This is not reality. This type of creation is unacceptable to us.

*** will not create an unjust world.
We are urged to think about it. That is why the description of the Creator was given.

The mind itself is the doer. It is placed in the middle of the Creator and the creation. The mind has created both the creator and the creation and is blaming the unjust creation as the work of the creator, who has been created by the mind itself.

Therefore, what should be offered to *** is the mind. Along with other substances you should also give away your mind. If you drop something in a hundi, a change occurs in you, unknowingly. A positive transformation occurs.
Before taking a pill as a medicine, you may ask the doctor what it is. He answers. You do not understand the chemistry of the medicine. Yet, you swallow the pill and it acts on you to cure your disease. Even if you do not understand the medical science behind it, it still works.

Satkarma will work on your system, without fail. If you do this good deed, this will benefit you. This is a decision that has been made by you. Even unknowingly, if you perform a sacred deed, it will still benefit you.
Hunting is a good deed for the tiger. Getting hunted is a bad effect for man.

The entire creation must first dissolve, before the Creator may begin His deed of creation. While the creation lasts, there is no work for the Creator. What is left after the creation is destroyed, is only Pure Consciousness.
This impure creation cannot be equated with ***. It cannot be the Pure Consciousness. Truth is Truth. It has to be absolutely pure.

A drop of poison will spoil the nature of nectar/amrita. You cannot adulterate it with anything. If a feast is served on a plate and an unclean substance is also placed in a corner, would you accept that meal? No. you will reject it entirely.

How did creation take place again? Because of Chaturmukha Brahma, we say. It is like a children's story. It is not correct.

How can Pure Consciousness hide within itself some small part of ignorance? It is not possible.
What is easy for us to accept is not necessarily the truth. The imperfect mind cannot be equated to ***. Vedanta will not accept it.

It has to be explained as Truth hiding a bit of untruth inside its heart. How can that be? How can Paramatma be that way? No. It is not possible. One who is pure in thought, word, and deed alone represents Truth, like Sri Rama, Mother Sita, and Sadguru.

To make it easy for children, the concept of Chaturmukha Brahma was created by the mind. But that big delusion which mixes ignorance with truth is not acceptable.

Remove the big delusion. No one says that *** does not exist.
Call Paramatma as ***.

It is wrong to describe *** as one who grants our wishes and serves us by performing our tasks for us. Only at age twenty the desires begin to be addressed to ***, when a boy falls in love. Till then parents take care of your needs.

When *** is there to grant you the highest position of liberation, a place in Brahma Loka itself, what foolishness is it to ask him for petty desires for the balance of your eighty years?

A king should be approached for a large boon, not for small change or for one meal. When you approach ***, you should ask for liberation, not to marry the girl of your choice.

Your mind has fabricated this Creator and this creation. You got stuck in the system which you yourself have established.

You get drowned in delusion and harm yourself.

Mind is Brahma, the collective mind of all of us. He is Hiranyagarbha. Only a few are escaping the trouble. The truly pious and great souls are escaping falling into this trap.

He is ***. We should worship Him with one-pointed devotion and He will show us the way to perfect freedom. We have set up that premise at the very beginning. If we worship the Supreme Soul with unadulterated devotion, He will raise us to His exalted state.

The court dispenses justice. We have established the system of law and justice. We have to abide by it. We have set up the concept of ***. We have learned that devotion is for the purpose of attaining liberation, not for the satisfaction of desires.

*** makes you free from desires. You asked for the fulfillment of desires. He, out of compassion, has removed all desires from your heart.

He treated you for the root cause of the disease, instead of treating the symptoms. An Ayurveda doctor does that. Does anyone pray for only symptomatic relief? May be a doctor wishes that people should fall sick and that they should get cured by treatment given by him.

Even a doctor wishes that he should be free from diseases altogether.
This is what *** and devotion to *** do.

Do not prescribe and dictate to *** what should be given to you by Him.
Kuchela was happy. He was drowned in poverty. His wife persuaded him to go to Krishna to seek help. This story has no place in Vedanta.

I want to dispel the wrong idea that some people entertain here that I am denying the existence of ***.

Krishna showed Kuchela all His treasures. Kuchela knew that He is Paramatma and Lakshmi Herself is His consort. Kuchela felt regret that he did not seek Jnana from Krishna.

He walked back home from Krishna's kingdom. His poor hut magically got transformed into a mansion. But Kuchela's attitude remained unchanged. He prayed for the deepest devotion to remain with him throughout his existence.
No one prays that one should become sick and then get cured. We wish to avoid diseases altogether.

Sadguru reminds us of devotion. You have established the system that through devotion you will attain liberation.
You cannot cross the line that you have drawn yourself. You have to follow the track. If a train derails, it is a calamity. Only if the train remains on the tracks it will reach its destination. The derailed train may be placed on the tracks again to continue its journey. But the part of the train that falls from the track will be damaged.
We are given upadesa here as to how to remain on track.

We worry about our children and grandchildren. they will survive without you. You get yourself stuck in the trap. Understand that this entire world, and the creator are nothing but the mind.

Creator=mind. World=mind. Now we need to know what mind is. What is its address?

Swamiji is going to the Hanuman Temple. Where is is? In Dallas. Where is Dallas? In Texas. Where is Texas?
This is where the teaching begins today.

vadame...

You said that the mind is revealing this world to us. Sometimes our eyes are open but we do not see what is happening right in front of us. It is the mind that sees, not the eyes.

What is mind? asks Rama.

You have taught us many things thus far. Now please explain the nature of the mind. How from the mind this world emanates, the nature of this source called mind, I wish to know. Please explain.

raamaa ..

Mind has no form. It cannot be given a shape. Can you point out to where the mind is situated? For some, the mind is here listening to, and understanding this discourse. For some the mind is elsewhere. You cannot specify its weight. Everyone knows that mind has no form.

Mind in English is not exactly the same as Manassu.

In many contexts, mind is equated with thoughts and the intellect. But Manassu is different. It is not even the same as Will. An exact equivalent word does not exist in the English language for the Sanskrit word Manassu. Manassu is more subtle than thoughts.

Mind in English is not exactly the same as Manassu. The Advaita Sastra has many precise words without equivalent words in other languages.

Mind has no form.

Gurus have the special knack of giving us wonderful examples. Mind has only a name, no form. If a form exists, we keep looking at it.

We look at forms of *** to understand eventually that He is formless. We would be afraid to close the eyes if actually *** had a form that we could visualize. If we pictured *** with the same form as ours, then we would not recognize His supreme stature and uniqueness.

People see a strange form in this Kali Yuga and the foolish begin to ridicule. How can Mother Goddess have four arms? He thinks man is supreme and *** cannot have more limbs than he. An octopus has so many more limbs. Do we have its power?

A mosquito has how many, six legs or eight? You make fun. If it bites, with malaria you go to the hospital. Man is egotistical and arrogant without any justification.

Mind has only a name, no form. Sky has a name, but no form. It is endless. Now they are making experiments in Sriharikota. Rockets do not hit a boundary and return. It is up to our capacity how far we can send the rocket.
Like sky, mind also has only a name and no form. As far as space extends, mind also extends. The mind travels faster than our words. We are not realizing that the mind is traveling faster than the words we speak. We keep our mind at the farthest extent and speak about it. We think words came first. No. Mind came first and then words came into existence.

na baahye ..

If mind is a nest and the heart is kept in it, even there, it has no form. Inside that heart's core, it is only mind that exists. Nothing exists other than mind, either inside or outside. Everything that happens is the play of the mind.

What is inside that heart? Mind. There is nothing else in existence except mind.

navyaape

It is everywhere. Where it is not, it causes us trouble. A paralytic person's limbs become numb. There is no feeling there. Even if it is bleeding, there is no sensation. The mind is not present in that part of the body. If that paralyzed part is poked, there is no sensation. If mind is not there, even our body is not felt. A tooth that was a part of us and hurting us was a part of us. Once it is removed, it became separated from us, as just an object. It is not 'I' any more. No one keeps things ejected out of the body close to them with fondness.

idamasmat ..

This visible world has emerged only from the mind. Because without mind, the world and its affairs cannot exist.
Assume that all minds have simply vanished. What will happen then? Even if my mind is not there, the other man's mind and world are there, one may argue. Is that possible? Is it possible for you to have the awareness of his world through another person's mind? No. Unless your mind exists, you will not have any world in existence. It is still mind that creates the world.

You dispel your ignorance, your avidya.
Vedanta gives this great example always of the mirage.
You do not wish to accept that as an example.

To see the doneness of rice, just test one grain, that is enough - to show whether it is cooked or not. Mother knows that trick. You do not need to test every grain.

Like a mirage, this world assumes a form with an instant of imagination or intention.

We pay for insurance. We anticipate our life after 60 years. When it is mentioned that after retirement, this deposit will help us, the mind goes at fast forward for 60 whole years. Your mind travels at such a mighty speed.
On the day of the wedding, the elders bless: may you have a long married life. May you be blessed with children and grandchildren. Already, the mind has traveled into the future, for several generations.

This is all an imaginative world and imaginative life. Why feel sorrow and misery in this illusory life?
Yogis travel with minds. Their minds travel at lightning speed. This example has no place in Vedanta. But to help you understand I mention this.

When the eyes have cataracts, you see a second moon.

The mind creates two separate forms. It makes you deluded. It makes you forget Truth. It makes you trust the world to be real.

We will continue tomorrow.

Today during Adhika Ashadha month, this is Ekadasi. Very auspicious day. Please chant the Hanuman Chalisa during the Sri Chakra Puja.

Jaya Guru Datta
Sri Guru Datta

 

Om Santissantissantihi