“subject is, bliss is choice.”

subject is, bliss is choice. I can say when you choose choicelessness, you choose bliss. When you make any choice, you choose suffering. I am making completely contradictory statement! I say bliss is choice is subject. Second statement I’m making, if you choose choicelessness, you choose bliss. If you do any choice, you choose suffering. What do I mean? Bliss is choice, is a topic. If you choose choicelessness, you choose… you choose bliss, is technique.

[00:01:53] Yesterday I said, there can be no bliss, just hopeless. Just be hopeless that’s all nothing can be done. There is no bliss. There is no joy. Just be hopeless. But so many people had blissful experience. When a right person says you are hopeless, even that word creates bliss in you. When the wrong person even if he praises you, he only inflicts suffering in you. You know, when you go out, you know, “eh this fella is playing games.”

[00:02:40] Bliss is almost like a… most talked about subject around the world, much more than how many people you need to fix a bulb. Today I was reading, a one liner. How many Vedantians, philosophers, does it take, to fix a bulb. Three. One, to fix. Two to argue whether it really exists or not! Bliss is a subject, discussed much more than how many people it takes to fix a bulb, in the world. Each one gives their own interpretation, technique, technology, method. Bliss is choice, when you choose choicelessness. When you choose choicelessness, you choose bliss. Whenever you choose anything you choose suffering, understand.

Any choice, you choose suffering. When you relax in choicelessness, those few moments you experience bliss. Any choice you make, it leads you to suffering. Yesterday we saw very clearly how Patanjali explains, whatever may be the experience, whether it is joy or suffering, pain or pleasure, it always ends in pain. If there is a joy it creates fear, or greed. See the fear this joy may be lost. The greed it should be forever. Naturally leads to pain. If there is a pain, again, the fear it may be there forever, or greed, it should go away immediately. Again leads to pain.

So how to be? The only way is, understand, simply human beings have no hope. You are hopeless. You may think, “what is this? I thought you will teach some positive thinking? You are teaching negativity.” When you understand the end ultimate negativity even your breathing will become positive.

[00:06:07] Let’s enter into the sutra. I’ll try to explain some more deeper meanings on the same sutra which we were working yesterday. \<Sanskrit at 06:21\>

To the wise man, Patanjali is a very intelligent guy, he says, to the wise man, it means if you are not feeling the hopelessness, or everything ends in pain, he says you are not wise. To the wise man, all is as it were painful, because everything brings pain, either as consequence or as anticipation of loss of happiness, or as a fresh craving arising from the impressions of happiness, and also because the gunas counteract one another. The last part only I did not complete yesterday in elaborate way. Today I am going to touch that last part.

[00:07:30] Also because the gunas counteract one another. It's a beautiful Truth. Guna vruddhi virodhaat – you can neither be in fear nor be in greed forever. Understand, worst, biggest, enemy, for bliss is, your effort to be in bliss always. Drop it. Stop it. Don’t try to be blissful all the time. There is nothing wrong in being depressed. No really. Why should so much bliss be promoted? Come on! No need. You can have sometime the depressed moments. Nothing wrong. Little salt is okay in the life. You don’t need to be so continuously sweety, sweety, sweeties. You may get... get diabetes. Little salt is okay. Too much greed to be in bliss 24 hours. These guys will come and ask me, “how can I be 24 hours in bliss like you Swamiji?” I tell them, “As long as you have this thought you are caught.” Relax. No need. That’s the worst enemy.

[00:09:25] By nature, innate intelligence gunas counteract each other. See these 4 thing which is happening, like a fear of losing pleasure, greed for more pleasure, fear of staying pain and greed for losing pain immediately. These 4 are the gunas. Understand? Usually you are taught gunas as 3, because in these two they merge 2 things in one. Fear of losing pleasure, and fear of having continuous pain, both comes under rajo guna, sorry tamo guna \<Sanskrit at 10:11\>. Both comes under Tamo guna.

[00:10:19] And greed of, greed to have more pleasure, greed to drop get rid of pain immediately comes under rajo guna. Being choiceless is satva guna. These 3 are the gunas we usually learn so here I am trying to create, the clear understanding. This rajo guna has 2 part, this satva... tamo guna has 2 part. These 4, plus the satva guna one part, being choiceless these 5, continuously happens in you again & again & again & different way different forms they counteract each other. If you have suffered with fear for few minutes, the greed wants to possess you now. Come on, he tells, “hey get out, let me have few minutes”. If you have suffered with greed, the fear of pain comes, “hey! Come on, you are having him all for yourself, give me few minutes”. And then comes greed for pain. “Eh, eh! Come on, get out, get out, get out, few minutes, just I’ll enjoy”.

[00:11:35] This gunas comes up and down, they counteract each other. Because they counteract each other, just by their presence they create suffering. So everything internally or externally ends in pain. Then how can bliss be choice? If you choose choicelessness bliss can be choice. As I said bliss is the most talked about subject, much more than lightbulbs.

[00:12:47] \<Sanskrit\> Everything is painful for wise man. So the next sutra, the 16th sutra, \< Heyam Dukham Anagatam Sanskrit at 13:05\>. Very beautiful sutra. Let’s see how Vivekananda, translates this sutra- the misery which is not yet come, is to be avoided. Swami Prabhananda’s translates as – the pain which is yet to come, may be avoided. Swami Sachitananda translates as – pain that is not yet come is avoidable. Same sutra, how so many people translate in so many ways. Vivekananda says, is to be avoided. Clear. Prabhananda says, yet to come may be avoided. Sachitananda says, it is avoidable. Again almost like a light bulb theory. May be avoided. May be avoidable. To be avoided. May be avoided. Let me give you what exactly, Patanjali wants to convey.

[00:14:33] Heyam, dukham, anagatam.

I’ll translate as, the pain not yet occurred should be ended. Not even should be ended. Pain not yet occurred, ended. Should be, may be, will be, can be, you can add anything you want. Ended. Heyam.

[00:5:10] How to avoid the pain which is yet to come? Just be clear, the pain may come, it’ll be ended. You may think, “how can that be, Swamiji?” Pain is a pain, when you don’t know, it is going to happen. The surprise which brings pain. The pain itself is not pain when you know, and be prepared. Understand. Patanjali is not giving advice, moral advice in this sutra. Heyam, dukham, anagatam. Everybody, every archarya is translating this as a advice. Of course I have a lot of... with a lot of respect. I differ from their translation.

[00:16:12] In Hinduism we have a freedom to differ from, even your own guru’s commentary. So because of that freedom, I differ, from the earlier archaryas commentaries. See, that is why in the Hindu tradition sutra is there. If your Guru, writes bashya, commentary, you can write vartika on it, commentary on commentary, and your disciple can write teeka on it- commentary on commentary on commentary. So your Guru will be called as, bashyakara \<16:49\>. You can be called as vartikakara \<16:51\>, and your disciple can be called as teekakara \<16:54\>. So the commentary, commentary on commentary, and commentary on commentary on commentary, is allowed in Hindu tradition. But you have no right to distort your guru’s commentary. The words has to be retained in italics. You can interpret, this is what my guru meant, but the word itself can’t be altered. That is what is the sacredness of Vedas. We tell very clear. You have right to update, don’t edit. You have right to comment, don’t interpol... interpolate. Vedic tradition very clearly, we say, you have right for updation, interpretation, commentary, but don’t interpolate. Because if the sutra, and bashya is preserved somebody else in the future generation, may directly read that and understand as it is. So we have no right to stop that future R\&D.

[00:18:00] So with all my respect, I’ll try to give my translation. Even though they all say that, should be avoided, may be avoided, to be avoided, is avoidable, I say ended is the right word I feel. End. Because Patanjali is not giving here any advice. He is not the guy who gives advice. The largest thing which is given and never taken in the world is advice. Everybody gives, but nobody takes. Patanjali is not that kind of a guy he is a very technical guy. He’s very clear. How many Patanjali’s does it take to fix a bulb? None, because he is enlightened. He is always shining. Understand. He is a very clear straight guy. He’s not a guy who goes on giving you advice. He’s a guy who gives you technique. He just says, “Heyam, dukham, anagatam.” He will never mean, it is avoidable, advice, it is, it can be avoided, it may be avoided. No!

[00:19:29] Maybe, Buddha will talk in that language. Because he had 40 years to talk. Go on and on and on. Maybe, Krishna would have spoken because he had lot of time, and people to listen. See. Buddha had only the people who will listen to his satsang. Krishna had people who will see his satsangs. Means Krishna was visual pleasure, so people will sit and whatever he talks they will listen. So Krishna had that kind of audience. So he can go on and on and on. He can use this kind of long advices. No. But never Patanjali.

He’s a sharp person, neither had too much, neither wasted too much time in talking unnecessary things, nor had the audience who will listen to whatever he talks. I wanted to bring to your notice important thing. All acharyas from South Bharat had high intellectual disciples. Means, they will only listen. See, in any satsang you will have 2 kind of people, one, who is listening to your discourses, second who is seeing your discourses. Means, if the person who is uttering the words is... is more charismatic, than the words uttered, people will be lost in the person not in the words. Means, they have became devotees. So with devotees you can go on talking anything.

[00:21:37] But all major south Bharatn acharyas, whether it is a Ramanuja or Shankara or till Jai Krishnamurthi \<21:46\> , they were never able to have people who will see their discourses. They had people only who listen to their discourses, including Patanjali, Shankara, Ramanuja, Madhva, Patanjali. Ramanuja was promoting bhakti tradition, but never had bhaktas who are lost in him, where you can go on talking anything he wants, and they will be sitting and listening. But Patanjali neither had the aud... the people who were seeing him, nor had too much time like Buddha -he can go on telling whatever he wants. He has to finish in time. First thing. Second, he has all intellectual disciples around him. South Bharatn acharyas suffered too much with intellectual disciples. Maybe we will be creating a record, a first South Bharatn acharya who has people who will see his discourses. Of course people listen also, but listen also.

[00:23:10] So Patanjali is not giving you advice. He is giving you technique. Heyam, dukham, anagatam. Knowing the future suffering ends, the future suffering. Heyam. Dukham. Anagatam. Understand, being hopeless. This sutra is almost like a practicing hopelessness. Last sutra is like a introduction to hopelessness. This is practicing hopelessness. Just be hopeless there is no suffering. I am not saying suffering can be ended, it should be avoided, it can be avoided, it could be avoided, then I have to give you the technique in the next sutra. He is not going for the technique. The next sutra is not giving you any technique. So this sutra is the technique. Understand, next sutra is taking us to deeper level.

[00:24:27] Knowing the suffering, knowing that there is going to be pain, ends pain. Just know that there is going to be death, there will not be pain in death. Simply accept what more can be painful than pain - death. Sit and make a list. Maybe losing your name. Just know, “losing my name it may be painful”, so you will not have the pain. That’s all. Losing this may be painful, then you will not have pain. That’s all. Losing that may be painful, then, you will not have the pain. That’s all.[..] Knowing[..] all possible happenings, and being prepared for the impossible interventions ends suffering. Understand, Heyam Dukham Anagatam. Just know as long as you are breathing the possibility of your breathing stopping is there. As long as you are walking, the possibility of becoming handicap is there. As long as you are standing, possibility of falling is there. As long as you have head, the possibility of headache is there. Heyam Dukham Anagatam. When the possibility is known suffering ends.

[00:26:40] It is like a being prepared for any possibility, any situation, anything. I tell you, when you take up a situation, and look at it from different angle and dimension, the non-mechanical parts of your brain gets awakened. When the non-mechanical parts gets awakened, there is no suffering. That is what exactly will be the effect of this sutra on you. When you understand all possibilities of suffering, the non-mechanical parts of your brain will be awakened. I can share with you how one thing can be looked in many angles.

[00:28:07] I have a [...] one story to tell you guys. Maybe I will not call it as a story. The light bulb theory. How one thing can be looked from many angle. So if you look at this, and understand there is a possibility you can look at your pains, and understand, and the non-mechanical parts of the brain can be awakened. Here, I have something to share with you guys.

[00:28:52] How many sardarjis does it take to change a light bulb? 300. One to hold the bulb, and 299 to turn the room around. How many Bollywood stars does it take to change a light bulb? Only one, because they don’t like to share the spotlight. How many divorced women does it take to change a light bulb? 4. One, to change the bulb, and the other 3 to form a support group. How many Bharatn husbands does it take to change a light bulb? None. She can easily do it when she finish the housework. How many pessimists does it take to change a light bulb? What is the point asking, it will never happen anyway. How many poets does it take to change a light bulb? None. Because they light candles. How many Nithyanandites does it take to change a light bulb? They don’t need lights. They are already enlightened!

[00:30:40] So the light bulb can be understood in so many ways. Understand. Pick up, any one thing from your life. I tell you just pick up breathing, that’s enough. And just look around all possibility which can happen around breathing. I tell you all sufferings related to breathing will disappear, end in you. On anything you put awareness, the suffering because of that will disappear. Understand? On anything if you put awareness the suffering through that will disappear. Heyam, Dukham, Anagatam. Put your awareness on breathing, and see what all suffering can come. That’s enough, all sufferings through breathing will disappear. Put your awareness on your life, and try to remember all sufferings which can happen through life. All sufferings through life which will, it will disappear.

[00:31:55] Put your suffering, put your awareness on anything. Just look around. All possible sufferings which can come out of it. For example, take it money. All possible sufferings can happen because of money. You will just be out of it. You may think, “how can that be Swamiji?” It is possible. Awareness melts pain. Awareness destroys pain. The pain is not destroyed, awareness has not been put. If a... awareness is directed, Heyam has to happen. If the Heyam has not happened, the awareness is not put on it. Heyam, Dukham, Anagatam.

[00:33:01] Know the possibilities, the pain disappears. I can give you exact practice. When you pick up a subject money relate with it mooladhara. How my mooladhara is getting fulfilled by money, greed. How, my swadhisthana is connected to money. Means, keeping myself out of fears, or my fear about losing money. Worry. How my manipuraka, relates with money. How my anahata gets fulfilled, or unfulfilled by money. How my vishuddhi gets, blocked or opened by money. How my ajna gets touched or untouched by money. How my sahasrara gets disturbed by money. Look from all angle. The suffering from money ends for you. For example, if you know very clearly you want money by the end of this analysis you will just work for it, and you will not have suffering when you work, before you achieve. Because you know it, what you are. That’s all. Clarity, destroys suffering. Analyse, analyse from all angle, look from all angle. You see, most of your sufferings are based on not understanding, the geo-politico, socio-conditionings which exist in you. Understand, geographical, social, political, conditionings, which are in you.

[00:35:21] See the society, whatever it wants you to do, puts that ideas into your head, as your duty. 4 letter word. And, how you are expected to be is put as conditioning in you. And, the subtle way to control you is put as a religion in you. Understand? Anything which has not become experience is socio-political part of religion. That is why I was telling, the other day, iron out all your actions with right reasoning. Take care that even Guru does not steal your time. See. If you are not having a complete logical conviction about something which you are doing, but doing, it’s almost like I’m stealing your time which I don’t want to do. Only if you are convinced about completely, what you are doing, and happy doing it, do it. Then, it is no more me doing. You doing on your own, with your understanding. I am not stealing your time. Then it’s perfect. It’s not no more conditioning, no more religion, it’s a spirituality.

[00:37:00] Geographical, social, political, conditioning. See social conditioning, you understand. Political conditioning, you understand. How can be geographical conditioning? You don’t know even the geography you live, conditions you. Not only socio-political ideas are in the air, it is in the land also. A kind of a special energy field is created in all geography. It’s true. I have seen, in US even if you breathe deeply you’ll put on weight. You may think, what am I talking? No, I am not disrespecting US air. I am telling you my observation. It is a kind of an energy field. Each energy creates a kind of an energy field.

[00:38:09] I’ll tell you a story, how in different geography different things happen. Why the chicken crosses the road? In Darwin -maybe it is not directly related to geography. It’s related to philosophers- but you can understand, if you understand this, you’ll understand, the geography thing. Why did the chicken cross the road? Different philosophers are answering. Darwin - it was the logical next step after coming down from the trees. Robert Frost - to cross the road less travelled by. Just like each philosopher has his own energy field, each geography has energy field.

[00:39:13] I tell you. I tell you from my experience, any friendships started in Gurukshetra ends in suffering. Not only that. Even if you go as a friend in that energy field, you come out as enemy. Where the war happened, Gurukshetra war happened. so much of enmity, intense enmity. It always puts enmity inside you. That is the science of energy field, whether it is, geographical, political, or social. The conditionings which put inside creates suffering, creates dukha. When you look from all these 3 angle, about each subject - Heyam, Dukham, Anagatam, means knowing the future suffering, suffering ends.

[00:40:20] Maybe, now we will sit with this one sutra. Now know, all possible sufferings of life. ‘Life’ means what is happening in you as you. You will see, suffering completely ends. All ideas about life, if life is in the front, suffering will not be there. If suffering is in the front, life will not be there. I don’t know how many of you are able to catch. If life is in the front, suffering will not be there. If suffering is in the front, life will not be there. Know, all possible sufferings of life, suddenly sufferings will not be there. Just suffering won’t be there. It is not like a process. It is more like a manana, contemplation. Try this contemplation today, you will be out of suffering.

[00:41:53] Let you all experience, and radiate the eternal bliss. Nithyananda! Thank you.