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“Divine Whispers”

OM…OM…OM…Sai Ram With Pranams at the Lotus Feet of Bhagavan,

Dear Brothers and Sisters,
Anil Kumar had prepared a talk for today. However, as Swami returned quite late to the Poornachandra Auditorium after bhajans, many devotees arrived late to Mr. Kumar’s talk. Hence, while waiting for more devotees to arrive, Anil Kumar started an informal question and answer session, which ended up continuing for the whole hour.

Apparently contradictory -- Actually complimentary
Q. It seems to me that initially you are required to make a judgement, but then at other times, we are told not to judge. What is correct?

They appear to be contradictory, but actually speaking, they are complimentary. Why? Initially, we must discriminate - judge between good and bad. In the beginning, to avoid bad company and join good company, we should have that judgement, discretion and discrimination. That’s correct.

Then later, we go to a higher level where we all are alike. A simple example: Bhagavan’s mercy is on everybody, good and bad alike. The rays of the sun are on everybody, good and bad alike. Jesus Christ’s love was on everybody, good and bad alike. That is the higher level.

So, at a functional, day-to-day life level, we need to have discrimination; but at the spiritual level, all beings are the same. Although judging and non-judging appear to be contradictory, in spirit, they are complimentary. Am I clear, sir? It is a good question.

Significance of ‘three’
Q. What is the significance of the number ‘3’?

There are six Divine qualities and three human qualities. Six plus three is nine, so nine is the Divine number. Nine includes the six Divine qualities and the three human qualities.

Now your question was about the number three. What are the three fundamental qualities of human beings, the three attributes? Thamasic (animalistic), rajasic (emotional and passionate), sathwic (balance, poise and composure) are the three gunas (qualities).

The number three has another interpretation. It represents the three periods - past, present and future.

‘Three’ represents gross, subtle and causal
The number three has more significance. The body that we see is bhutha akasha; the five elements that we see are bhutha akasha; the five senses that we have is all bhuta or the gross structure.

However, all that I see at the gross level can be visualised on a mental plane, in the psychic domain. The moment I think of the U.S., I can picture the place; I do not have to go there. So the whole gross, vast world got itself embossed, engraved within the framework of the mind, chitta akasha.

First, bhutha akasha is the physical plane or the gross. Second, chitta akasha is the subtle, intellectual, mental, psychological domain. Third, chida akasha or Atman, Para Brahman is the Supreme Consciousness. So, three also means bhutha akasha -- gross, physical; chitta akasha -- mental, psychological; and chida akasha -- the source or awareness or Consciousness.

‘Three’ represents dualism, qualified non-dualism and
non-dualism
Number three, as Bhagavan interprets, is important in terms of different levels of achievement, as we find in the life of Jesus Christ. First, He declared Himself to be the Messenger of God, indicating that He was different from God. That is what we call the doctrine of dualism or Dwaitha.

At a later stage, Jesus Christ declared Himself to be not merely a Messenger, but the Son of God, a special claim indicating proximity or nearness. This is called qualified non-dualism or Vishishta Adwaitha. At the third level, on the cross, Jesus Christ declared, “I and My Father in heaven are One.” That is called non-dualism or Adwaitha.

So, number three also means Dwaitha (dualism), Vishishta Adwaitha (qualified non-dualism) and Adwaitha (non-dualism): Messenger of God, Son of God, My Father and I are One.

OTHER INTERPRETATIONS OF THREE
Number three also refers to a Persian interpretation, as given by Bhagavan Baba. I have to thank you as you have helped me to go back into my memory. Of course, I am not as sharp as a computer but still, being a teacher, I should necessarily be in touch with these things.

“I am in the Light. The Light is in me. I am the Light.” The same number three also means: I have the Awareness in me (Prajnaanam Brahma); I am That (Thath Thwam Asi); and, I am God (Aham Brahmaasmi). There are three levels of consciousness, three levels of experience. That Divinity is in me - Prajnaanam Brahma. Which Divinity is in me? That Divinity - Thath Thwam Asi. Then, I am Divine - Aham Brahmaasmi.

‘Waking, dreaming and deep sleep states
Q. What about the three states of waking, dreaming and deep sleep stage?

What a resourceful man he is! The three states that he mentioned, the waking state (jagrat), the dreaming state (swapna) and deep sleep state (sushupthi) are the three states, what Adi Shankara called the Avastha trayaa.

In the waking state, I see you, you see me; I talk to you, you talk to me. We are in this world, interacting with each other with the senses of action (karmendriya) and the senses of perception (jnaanendriya). Our interacting in this world is called the waking state (jagrat). This jagrat or waking state is functional with these components: body, mind, intellect, senses and Atma (consciousness). All these five are active, operative or functional in the waking state. Am I clear?

Once I go to sleep, I start dreaming. In the dream state, the body is on the bed, the senses are at rest and the intellect does not reveal itself. The Atma functions through the mind. So in dream state, only two exist -- mind and Atma. The mind goes on creating everything as a sort of reaction, a reflection of the waking state. When I cannot fight with you in the waking state, I can nicely fight with you in a dream! Unfulfilled desires can find their fulfilment in dreamland. We can settle our scores in dreamland, if not Disneyland. (Laughter) Therefore in the dream state, two are functional - consciousness and mind.

In the third state, sushupthi, the mind is also silenced. Only the consciousness remains.

So, in the waking state, the consciousness, the body and the mind are present. In the dream state, mind and consciousness exist. In the deep sleep-state, there is only consciousness. the ultimate is beyond waking, dreaming and
deep sleep states Then there is something beyond these three, which we call thuriya or the ultimate. There is jagrat, swapna, sushupthi and thuriya.

What is thuriya? Thuriya means that the consciousness in me is very much the same as the consciousness all around. That cognisance, that understanding, that experience is thuriya, the ultimate, meaning the individual consciousness is the same as the universal consciousness.

To give an example of Baba’s, suppose I am an actor -- I play three roles. In the first scene, I act the role of a peon. In the second scene, I play the role of a minister. In the third role, I play the part of a king. I change my dress and deliver the dialogue according to the role that I take on myself. Yet, as a peon, as a minister and as a king, ‘I’ am the same. Only the actions, the role and the dialogues change. Similarly, the reality of ‘I’ the actor is the ultimate or thuriya.

The first role I play is that of an ordinary peon, the waking state or jagrat. In the second scene, I play the role of a minister, what we call swapna or dream state. In the third scene, I take upon myself the role of a king. We can say that it is sushupthi or deep sleep. There are three roles, but I am the same. This is ultimate or thuriya. Names are given based on levels of consciousness.

This universe, the whole world, is called vishwa. The term vishwa means ‘the universe’. Years ago, Sri Kasturi was the translator. Once he said, “In this world,” and Bhagavan said, “No! No! No! Universe! Universe!”

Bhagavan is very particular about certain words. He expects correct translation. Of course, most of the time, to your entertainment and delight, we fumble and we can not help it. The word He expects, we can not say, because Sanskrit is complex language; it has many aspects. When we fumble, He corrects us immediately. He does not want the Divine Message to be diluted or misinterpreted at any cost. Divinity will never take a chance or run into a risk.

Here is the point: In Sanskrit, this world is called vishwa. I experience the waking state in this vishwa or universe. My name now is viswudu. In vishwa, the experiencer is now called viswudu. The one who does is the doer. Am I clear? Likewise, the one in this vishwa, the experiencer in the waking state, is viswudu. Am I clear?

The second state, in the dream-state or swapna state, no body and no senses are active. Only the mind and consciousness act together. That is only the psychological level of experience. The dreamer is called prajna.

In the third state, even the mind does not exist; only consciousness exists as the witness; that state is called tejata. Tejas means effulgence, radiance and brilliance. Am I clear?

So I play the role of viswudu in the waking state with the body, mind and consciousness. I am the dreamer in the swapna state as the experiencer. When I function with the mind and consciousness, my name is prajna. In the third level, only the consciousness, the witness remains, without the body and mind. In that state, I am called tejata. Am I clear?

Then ‘I’, the experiencer that remains in all three levels, is called vaiswanara. The turiya state is called vaiswanara. Tejata, prajna and vaiswanara all mean the same, ultimate reality but at different levels of consciousness.

the mind experiences the dual
Q. In our deep sleep, we don’t realise the consciousness. That means we are not conscious about consciousness; the mind is not aware. If we learn to be conscious about consciousness, is that called Thuriya?

That’s correct. Thank you for your question. I want to add more to what I have said. In deep sleep or sushupthi, where the body is not functional as it lies on the bed, the mind is subdued; only consciousness remains as a witness. This is a natural experience without any effort. That is the reason why Adi Shankara has taken up this Avastha trayaa for his interpretation of Adwaitha or the theory of non-dualism.

Coming to this point, let me be very clear. It is our everyday experience. We enjoy good sleep, without any dreams. That’s why when someone asks, “How did you sleep last night? How was your sleep last night?” you say, “Oh fantastic! Wonderful!”

What is this deep sleep without any dreams? In deep sleep, there are no ups and downs, no bumps and jumps, neither misery nor happiness, nothing. My friends, where there is experience, where there is duality -- good and bad, tall and short, happiness and misery -- where these twin dualities are experienced, it means mind is there. Yes, it is the mind that experiences that something is good or bad.

Deep sleep is beyond the body and mind
A simple example: The North Indian canteen is known for its sweets. It is very popular. You can say, “Their gulab jamun is a very good sweet; I tasted it.” Or on the other hand, you can say, “It is Mysore pak that is very nice.”

In deep sleep, is the experience similar to that of eating a sweet? No, no, no! Or is it bitter? No, no, no, no! Is it beautiful? No, no, no! Is it ugly? No, no, no! Keep quiet!

So, what is the experience in deep sleep? Fine sleep! That’s all. How fine? Very, very fine! Why? The experience in deep sleep cannot be put within the framework of the mind. It is beyond the body and beyond the mind. If it is within the body, I feel comfort or pain. If it is within the body, I feel happy or unhappy. But deep sleep, sushupthi tejata, is beyond the body and the mind. Yet, I know the experience. “Ah! What a good sleep I had! I feel relaxed.”

Samadhi is the experience of deep sleep in the waking state
Coming to your point, that experience which we get naturally in deep sleep is experienced by every one of us everyday. If that is brought into the waking state by putting in effort, we call that experience samadhi. Samadhi is the same experience that we had in deep sleep; only by effort, it is realised in the waking state.

Whatever is experienced in deep sleep, if experienced when awake, it is samadhi. The process of attaining samadhi in the waking state is quite similar to the process of deep sleep. The process awake is called ‘meditation’.

When I say, “I slept,” I do not say, “I meditated.” Sleep is not meditation. (Laughter) However, some people will say, “Sai Ram, Sai Ram,” and then go to sleep and call it meditation. Of course, it started as a meditation, but ended in sleep! (Laughter) Because meditators do not snore, do they? (Laughter)

When the mind is functional, it starts projecting. When the body is functional, it starts expressing. Projection is the mind; expression is the body; while the witness is consciousness.

Q. Can yoga give this experience of samadhi?


Oh yes! That’s right. Yoga is another process that can give the experience of samadhi, similar to deep sleep. Like meditation, we should do it in the waking state in order to experience the same samadhi as that found in deep sleep.

Q. Is purity of mind necessary?


Purity of mind, to quote Swami…
I do not have any knowledge of my own to speak of. No. As a teacher, I can only quote from Swami’s discourses, relevant to the questions you put to me. Let me not overestimate myself in front of you, something which I do not do.

Actually, I wanted to speak on some other topic today, but Baba decided on this. Good! This is satsang, an interacting session. You have helped me to go deeper into the subject and try to explain to the extent possible. Any questions that I cannot answer due to lack of information or grasping, lack of understanding or ability to explain, whatever may be, I can seek clarity from Swami. That way you are also helping me. I should be grateful to you.

Now, what was your question? Yes, yes, yes…

In its natural state, the mind is pure
Q. Is purity of mind necessary?

He is referring to two points: one is pure Love; the other is the mind that reflects this pure Love. Now let me say what Swami says. Mind is always pure like a clean mirror, not full of dust. A simple example: Swami says, “If you stand with folded hands in front of a mirror, you will receive a salutation. ‘Sai Ram! Sai Ram.’ In front of a mirror, if you point a finger, you will get it back.”

Similarly, like a mirror, the mind reflection is clear. Pure Love is always pristine, unpolluted, unadulterated, concentrated Love. However, when it is directed to the world, then it becomes an attachment and polluted.

Pure love becomes impure when used for worldly purposes
When love is diverted towards family members, it becomes what we call affection or infatuation. It is an attachment. Love, when diverted among equals, is what we call friendship. So, friendship, affection, infatuation and respect are all different angles of love.

Essentially Love is pure; but in relationships, it is misdirected, flowing in different channels. Pure Love is towards the Divine. That is why Bhagavan often says: “Love is God. God is Love.” That is pure! Love is pure, but it becomes impure as we make use of it for physical, mundane, worldly, momentary purposes. Yet, when it is kept as it is, it is Divine, pure and pristine.

This purity is necessary in order to experience the state of samadhi. Though this mirror is capable of reflecting your image, reflecting your own form, you should keep the mirror clean. If the mirror is full of dust, you cannot see your face. So you should wipe it off.

Therefore, ‘the mind is pure’ means in its originally designed state. What do I mean by ‘originally designed’? The child has a mind; I have a mind. The mind of the child is pure, like a mirror. If I shout, the child goes on crying. If I praise, the child immediately goes on jumping. The child either cries or immediately starts jumping because the mind is pure like a mirror. When you shout, the response is crying; when you praise, the response is dancing and jumping.

In my case, if you praise me, ah-ha-ha! If you say, “Something is wrong with you, Mr. Anil Kumar.” Oh, I see! Then I think someday we will meet again and I will certainly give it back to you! Even if on the third day you praise me, I will still not be happy because on the second day you criticised me. I go on thinking of the past.

the clear mirror of mind collects dust through
worldly attachment
My friends, what is it that pollutes the mind? This is a very interesting question. The study of the functioning of the mind is philosophy. Without the study of the mind, it is ‘full loss’ not ‘philosophy’. Philosophy – ‘fill the loss’ or else it is ‘full loss’, a total loss. How can you fill the loss? By studying the mind!

To begin with, the mind is pure; the mind is clean; the mind is like a mirror; the mind is like a white kerchief. When a kerchief is white and I frequently use it, it becomes dirty. Dirt is not the quality of the kerchief. Over a period of time, it has become dirty because of use. My job is to clean it, wash it and make it white again.


Now if you say, “Sir, the kerchief is white,” it does not mean that I have put white paint on it. No! It was white, but now it is dirty. By washing it, I again make it bright white as it was originally made. It is not going to become white. No, it is already white. It has become dirty because of use.

Point one: The mind is pure. Point two: The mind is like a mirror. Point three: The dust collected on the mirror is worldly attachment, sensual pleasure, and momentary pleasure. They make the mirror dusty. Cleaning and wiping off, mopping or removing the dust on the mirror is sadhana or spiritual practise. That makes it clean.

time is the cause for heaviness of the mind
What is it that makes the mind dirty? Why is the mind so heavy now? The mind is not light. If the mind is light, you should see smiling faces. How many smiling faces do you see? Very few people smile because the mind is heavy, burdensome. Why is it burdensome? Why is it heavy?


It is the time factor. Time is the cause for the heaviness of the mind. Time is mind and mind is time. A mad man does not know the time. A man who is in deep sleep is beyond the mind, has no knowledge of the time. A drunken mind, whose mind is not fully aware or awake, is not mindful of the time.

So an intoxicated man, a child, a mad man and an unconscious man are not aware of time. They will say, “Time…oho! Never mind!” They are not conscious of time because the mind is time. This time pollutes the mind. What is time? Time means the past, present and future. These constitute time.

the thought of the future steals our present happiness
“Are you happy?”

“No sir, I am not happy.”

“Why?”

“I doubt whether I will be happy next year either.” (Laughter)

“Sir, have you retired from service?”

“Yes!”

“Are you happy?”

“No!”

“Why not?”

“After ten years, I may not have enough money to undergo heart surgery in the United States. I may not be able to afford that.” He is thinking of heart disease. He is sure of survival for ten years. (Laughter) How can he be sure? He might die right now!

How can you say that you will survive for ten years and why do you think that you will need heart surgery? When the future is not known, why should you think badly about it? That is most unfortunate. This is a geriatric problem, meaning people who are in the age group above sixty. Children have pediatric problems; people above sixty have geriatric problems. Both are idiotic. (Laughter)

Senior citizens or adults, whatever you want to call us, are more worried about the future: ‘If I fall from the bed, will my daughter take care of me, or will my son take care of me? So, let me write the will this way. (Laughter) The one who serves me will get a major portion of my property. The one who never cared to see me lying in bed will have to get out immediately. Oh! He was gone already, so who am I going to say get out to?!’ Concern with the future is meaningless. We should just forget the future because it is not in our hands. We are not certain of anything.

This morning a gentleman was telling me that his mother had been to North India on a tour of all the pilgrim centres. She went to one place by the name of Chitrakoot. It was a holy place, visited by Rama, Lakshmana and Sita. After she went around all the pilgrim centres, she had dinner and, Hari Om, she breathed her last. See that!

I told him, “I am so sorry you lost your mother. But your mother is to be envied.” Having gone to the pilgrim centres, having had a good lunch, Hari Om Tat Sat, she just shifted from one room to another room, nothing to worry about. Because the future is not known, why should we think that it is going to be bad!

There are other classes of people who think about the future. Somebody said, “The horoscope and the palmist said that I am going to win a lottery next year, some ten lakhs of rupees and that I am going to win some widow’s property somewhere. I am going to be rich. So let’s go to the Holiday Inn or a-seven-star hotel now.” This is equally foolish.

To think that the future is going to be bright, to think that the future is going to be miserable, both are expressions of total stupidity. We are never sure. Thoughts of the future will make us confused and worried, which will rob or steal from us the present happiness. Thoughts of the future are why some cannot smile.

Memories of the past also steal our present happiness
Some people are not happy because of thoughts of the past.

“Sir, are you happy?”

“No!”

“Why?”

“Five years ago I underwent an operation, you know.”

“Hey, five years ago! Why do you go into history? Are you a student of history or what? Why do you think of it?”

“Are you happy?”

“No!”

“Why?”



“Two years ago I should have gotten a promotion.”



“You got it now. Why do you worry about it?” Regrets and repentances are foolish

.

Some people say, “I was rich. Now I am not, so I am crying.” You were rich. Okay, isn’t that enough? You are not rich now, so why do you think of your riches of the past, which are not there now?



“I was a minister in the previous government.” So what? Now you are not. (Laughter)



Some people say, “I am an ex-minister.” Then some people say, “I am ex-film star.” Oh ho! Today you are just a star. Bright or not, thoughts of the past will also deprive us of the present state of happiness.



So, who is God? The definition is very simple: God is here now. What is life? The present is life. The present is life and God is here now.



My friends, this is what Baba says: “Mind gets polluted because of the time factor.“


Attachment pollutes the mind
The mind is polluted for a second reason. Mind has the property of attaching to individuals, objects, places and professions. It gets attached; it gets stuck. It takes a lot of time to take away an attachment because the mind is there.



I can give you my own example. Yes, because we learn out of our own experience. It lasts longer than any theoretical example. For two and a half decades, I was a staff member in a Christian college. When Bhagavan asked me to go to Bangalore as the principal, I was not prepared to leave my native place where I had served. It was a long, long association. Believe me, I cried shamelessly and openly on the dais before five thousand students. (Laughter) I did this because of my association with the college, as a student for four years and as a staff member for twenty-six years -- thirty years of association with that college.



It was so painful to leave that college, so agonising and so excruciating. I cried openly. Of course, some other genuine friends joined in chorus! (Laughter) Others might have celebrated because they could get my job! I could have been blocking a way for their promotion. Both pains were bad. The love (attachment) towards that place made me cry like that, that’s all.



I served for six years in Bangalore as a principal. Then during His 70th Birthday Celebration, Swami transferred me to Prashanti Nilayam. Well, all four hundred students of the Brindavan campus came to my residence. I started crying, and all four hundred chaps excellently joined me in chorus -- of course, without instruments. (Laughter)



The peons and attendants also started crying. Even the shop people in front of the Brindavan campus started crying. “Anil Kumar, you are going!” All of this because I say, “How are you?” to everybody.



We live for a short time, so we can smile, we can share and we can be friendly. Somebody should miss us later. It is not a question of celebration. “Hey, what happened to that man?” Everybody should feel like that. Because I happened to smile and talk to everyone, they were all sad when I left Brindavan. So, the farewell party was nothing but an expression of tears, a tearful farewell. Okay!



Then the first year after coming to Prasanthi Nilayam, I continued to cry within myself, but appeared to be happy outside. We are hypocritical. Quite intelligently, we manage to hide all complaints and grudges. I kept smiling outside, making everybody think, ‘This man is happy.’ So I was a successful actor indeed.



The first year was like that. During the second year, I started enquiring within myself. ‘Why should I cry?’ Then I understood that I cried because I had had to leave Bangalore. I saw this. Good! Then, why did I cry when I had to leave my native place earlier?



This is the game, the mischief of the mind, which had become attached to my native place. When I had to leave, the mind reacted and made me cry. When I got attached to Bangalore, well, I had to cry again. So, it is nothing but attachment of the mind.



Therefore, this mind is polluted because of attachment. It gets stuck to a particular individual, a place or a profession. So, the first factor that pollutes the mind is time, while the second factor is attachment. I should thank you for bringing up these questions. My friends, these thoughts are very necessary.


Mind is always directed outward
The third point: The mind is always turned outward. It is something like a camera, not like an X-ray. A camera can click anything that is outside. Mind is like a camera, which is set outward, which goes on taking pictures of what is available outside. All that we see outside is dual - good and bad, profit and loss, win and lose, day and night, success and failure.



The whole world is dual. The mind is outward. Experiencing the dual world will give us dualistic experiences. When people praise you outwardly, ah, you are happy. When people condemn you outwardly, let us see -- you are revengeful. It is all because of your reactions.



Mind has three properties, reaction, reflection and resound, due to its interaction with the external world. This is the property of the mind. The mind is capable of recalling and recollecting, something like a computer memory. Your business is only to log on, switch on; then everything will appear on the computer.



Mind is full of sankalpa and vikalpa, thoughts and counter-thoughts. The mind is full of thoughts and counter-thoughts like, ‘Shall I go now? Better that I don’t go.’ ‘Shall I go for darshan now? Better I continue to sleep.’ ‘Shall I see Swami if I go there? I already saw Him this morning, so it is not necessary.’



Thought and counter-thoughts really spoil the balanced state of the mind. The time factor and the mind bring about reaction, reflection and resound. All these are due to interaction with the external world. These thoughts and counter-thoughts make the mind polluted and dirty.


Purpose of meditation is to turn the mind inward
In the state of meditation, you turn the mind inward. In the world, you turn the mind outward. Baba gives this example: If you go on fanning like this, you get the breeze. Right! (He uses a fan to show what he means.) It is like the mind, which is external, fanning the world. But turn (fan) inward to get the inner breeze. Turning the mind inward is the purpose of meditation.



If I am thinking how clean I am, how nicely I am sitting, how many people are noticing my meditations every day, it is only an exhibition, not meditation. Turning the mind inward will make the mirror of the mind clean and clear.



Turned inward, the mind is clean and clear. When it is turned outward, it reflects the world. That gives you dualistic experiences. When it is turned inward, it reflects the non-dual Self or the spirit of Consciousness, which gives you bliss. That gives you samadhi, and is the purpose of meditation. Am I clear?


Response of the brain after the experience of bliss
Q. When you experience the state of bliss, how does the brain function later?



I think all of you could follow the question. When you experience the state of bliss, how does the brain function later? The answer is simple.



By simple, I mean, suppose my attachment to the world is deep and strong. This state of bliss that I experience unconsciously in deep sleep or consciously in meditation gets dropped because of the attachment towards the world. That’s the reason why many people stay here for a long time and then suddenly they leave. For some time, people are highly ritualistic and religious. Suddenly, they turn in the reverse direction. Why? They are more attached to the outer world.



It depends upon our Love. If our Love towards God is deep and intense, the state of bliss will continue unaffected by the ways, whims and fancies of the world. If these affect me, it only means that I am still more attached to the world. It is something like perfume: even if I clean the shirt, I still smell of the perfume. Or try garlic tonight. Next morning you will smell garlic. It is like that. Attachments go on showing up. They show what you love the most. The brain turns outward because you are attached there more than inwardly, where you experienced the bliss.



A simple example: Here in Prashanti Nilayam, we are in a state of bliss. Ah! We get up at 5 o’clock in the morning. Then we circle around Ganesha eight times. Then we participate in Nagarsankirtan. Then we sit silently with closed eyes, watching and waiting for the arrival of Bhagavan. We enjoy His beautiful, Divine form. We bask in His Divinity and we enjoy the bhajans fully. The whole place is blissful!



On the last day, when we are supposed to go, the moment we board the bus at the bus stand, the brain turns outward. ‘Ah, what about my job? What about my increments? What about my bank accounts? What about my enemies? What about my friends?’ All these things crop up. Why? The attachment is still there.



Ego, intellect and mind are different facets
Q. Is the mind intelligent on its own? Is there intelligence on its own?



Ah! This man is full of awareness. He has gone through all these courses, advanced higher learning. (Laughter) Thank you, thank you! This is the purpose of satsang, really I tell you. Yes!



Is the mind intelligent on its own? The mind seems like it is making decisions on its own. Is the mind intelligent on its own? This is the question. What does Baba say about it?



In the classroom, I am the teacher. At home, I am the master of the family. In society, I am a friend of everybody. In front of my boss, I am a subordinate. I have so many titles, but I am the same. Similarly, that which is passionate, that which is emotional and full of sentiments is called mind (manas). That which starts discriminating, starts judging, starts discerning and starts deciding is called intellect (buddhi).



The mind starts introducing itself: “I am so-and-so. My degree is so-and-so. I come from the U.S.” or wherever it may be. When one refers to oneself in relation to one’s qualifications, one’s geographical location, birthplace, and so on, it is called ego. In Sanskrit, the words for ego, mind and intellect are ahamkara, manas, and buddhi.



It is very clear: When you start feeling emotional and sentimental, it is the mind. Then when you start judging and deciding, it is the intellect. When you start introducing yourself to others in terms of nativity, nationality, gender, status, class and caste, it is ego.



Manas, buddhi and ahamkara are different facets of the same thing, which we call inner senses or antakarana -- anta (inner) and karana (instruments). The same thing is given different names depending on its function.


Intelligence and intellect
The second part of the question: Is there intelligence on its own? Ah, a beautiful question! ‘Intelligence’ is really an intelligent word. Intelligence is different from intellect. Intellect decides; intellect judges; intellect directs; intellect discriminates. We are born with intelligence, which we call prajna (awareness). Intelligence is awareness; intellect is medhak.



Someone may be a great intellectual, but without intelligence. Or he may be intelligent and may not be an intellectual. Am I clear? All intellectuals need not be intelligent. All intelligent people need not be intellectuals. Actually, most intellectuals are dunces, without intelligence. Many intelligent people are not intellectuals, missing qualifications due to lack of exposure or because of poor communication skills or association with the rest of society.



I am born with intelligence (prajna or awareness). The whole cosmos is full of this prajna or awareness. It is the root that grows downwards. It is the shoot that goes upwards. It is the ant that moves towards the sugar particle wherever it is available. BBC does not announce, “Look here, ant! There is jaggery there, so please go there between 8 AM and 10 AM.” There is no announcement, no broadcast, no telecast, no notification, nothing. Yet, ants know where the sugar particle is. That is prajna (intelligence).


Intelligence is awareness
Take for example the honeybee. It does not fall on my head. No! There is no honey there. It does not fall on a plastic flower either. Some plastic flowers are more beautiful than the real flowers. Yet, the honeybee knows what is artificial and what is not.



Sometimes we fail to know what something is. That is the purpose of intelligence. The calf runs towards the udder of the cow to suck the milk. The calf does not go towards the tail to suck the milk. It does not go to the legs to suck the milk. It goes to the udder to draw the milk. That is intelligence. The child knows how to be fed by the mother. This is intelligence. So my friends, intelligence is awareness.



A simple example: I go to sleep at 8 PM and get up in the morning at 6 AM or 4:40 AM. Okay! I do this, though in deep sleep I lost my memory and my mind is non-functional. The intellect is totally gone in deep sleep. The body is unconscious on the bed.



Yet the moment I get up, I begin to know I am Anil Kumar. Nobody tells me, “You are Anil Kumar, do you know that?” I am awake, with full awareness of my identity. Yet, in bed, while in deep-sleep, anyone could kill me and I would not know it! Suppose I am lying on my bed snoring. What if somebody conveniently stabs me? Nowadays that’s what we find in newspapers.



That which is totally forgotten in deep sleep is remembered once we are awake. This does not happen through an external agency -- not by a daily newspaper or the ‘Voice of America’ or ‘All India Radio’ or television. It comes from some vaani or inner voice: ‘Hey fellow, you are Anil Kumar. Don’t think that you are someone else.’ I know my identity and that is intelligence.


We are born with intelligence, acquiring intellect later
Man is born with intelligence. By the acquisition of knowledge, he becomes an intellectual. Intellect is acquired, but we are born with intelligence. By effort, you acquire the intellect, as the intellect is a collection of information.



Intelligence is not a claim, but a birthright. By birth, you are gifted by God with intelligence. It comes unsolicited, without paying any fees. The intellect, on the other hand, is acquired and will produce an argument.



Whatever you say, an intellectual will not accept anything. Suppose you tell him, “What a good darshan I had this morning.”



The intellectual will say, “You do not know! Yesterday was a better darshan.”



If you tell him, “This evening was such a good music program”, the intellectual will say, “No, no, no! Last year’s program by the same group was much better.”



So, intellectuality leads to ego. The intellect expresses itself in the form of pride, ego, exhibitionism, self-praise, selfishness, attachment and arrogance. On the other hand, intelligence is innocent, soft, tender, delicate, receptive, sensitive and reciprocating. It is beautiful, Divine and spiritual. We are born with intelligence; later, we acquire the intellect.



That brings us to a close of this morning’s session. This is how Baba works. I was planning to talk on some other subject. Because Swami was still there in the Mandir, as He has not retired, only a few of us were initially present. We wanted to wait for the arrival of the rest of our friends for this morning’s session. Yet, somehow instead of keeping quiet, (I am not justified to keep people waiting like that!) I wanted to engage you.



We started with a beautiful conversation. It has takes us to intellectual and intelligent heights. (Laughter) You have to decide: Intellect is of the mind; intelligence is of the heart. How intelligently I spoke or how intellectually I spoke it is for your intellect to decide! (Laughter) Thank you so much. Sai Ram.







OM…OM…OM…



Asato Maa Sad Gamaya

Tamaso Maa Jyotir Gamaya

Mrtyormaa Amrtam Gamaya



Om Loka Samastha Sukhino Bhavantu

Loka Samastha Sukhino Bhavantu

Loka Samastha Sukhino Bhavantu



Om Shanti Shanti Shanti

Source: anil kumar sunday talk given on July 25th, 2004

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