| In Sankaracharya's Vivekachudamani we can see | | | | mouse we take them up to lion. It's a very small |
| how a disciple after doing everything and by burning in | | | | thought which comes but we feed them and we grow |
| the fire of this world comes to a master with folded | | | | them until it becomes lion. We can't make again into a |
| hands and says "Oh master, I have been bewildered | | | | mouse and that is why this lion comes and eats us. |
| by this realms of the world. Please take me to that | | | | Why does it come to eat us? Because we don't |
| peaceful state, to that calm state. I want to rest in | | | | know that we are the saint. We have given this power |
| peace. I want to liberate from this burnings. I want to | | | | to this thought to become like this to think that it's |
| liberate from the fire of this world." The first thing that | | | | greater than me. The thought when it comes, it comes |
| the master tells is "Don't worry. Fear not". The first | | | | in a very subtle way and we feed it and make it |
| word of the Vedas, Upanishads, of the scriptures is | | | | stronger and stronger and at one time it becomes so |
| this "Fear not". Whatever happens to us we should | | | | strong we get covered by its weight and we tend to |
| know 'fear not, fear not whatever happens, just hold it | | | | die. In India we say "Chintha chita samaan hai". 'Chintha' |
| till you realize the self confirmly". Upnaishads means | | | | means thought. 'Chita' means the oven where the |
| the knowledge by which we always stay near the self | | | | dead bodies are burnt. |
| with full confirmation. | | | | These thoughts are like that oven which burns us. The |
| When a person realizes the self with this confirmation | | | | thought always burns. What to do? Know that you are |
| he knows that this is the place where the self, the | | | | the saint. Only by knowing this then only you can make |
| oneness, unity, bliss, joy, happiness of freedom, of | | | | that into action. You can transform that lion into mouse. |
| knowledge, of truth, of infinity, of divinity, of eternity, this | | | | We have to know that we are that Brahman, we are |
| is the place. We are all moving towards that state. But | | | | not thoughts, we are not mind, we are not the ego, we |
| the negative thoughts are coming and distracting us. | | | | are not the body, we are not this world. There is |
| So we have to know why these thoughts are coming | | | | nobody in this world who can disturb me. Nobody can |
| and from where they are coming. When we know | | | | kill me because I am one without second. Even the |
| that where do we stand then only we see that from | | | | body dies but the Atman cannot be killed. This birth |
| tomorrow, today, this moment itself it will not come. It | | | | and death is only but imagination. The self or the soul is |
| comes because of our weakness. This comes | | | | birthless and deathless. Only the body takes birth and |
| because we are always used to think in this way. We | | | | dies. Death is only a fear. The first thing that a master |
| have been told that we cannot do anything. Nothing will | | | | or Guru or the scriptures says is "Fear not". In Gita |
| happen with us. Study, get a job, marry, have two or | | | | Krishna explains the twenty four divine qualities of man. |
| three kids, that's it. You cannot do anything more. This | | | | The first word is 'Abhi, fear not'. So if you want to |
| is the common dialogue everybody of us has heard. | | | | become divine you have to be always very fearless. |
| And by hearing this dialogue we grew up. | | | | Every time you have to face. |
| People like Swami Vivekananda, Shankaracharya, all | | | | One day Swami Vivekananda went to Vrindavan. |
| the great people said "no. You have infinite capability | | | | There was one sacred lake and he took bath there. |
| within you. You have infinite strength within you. Believe | | | | When he was bathing some monkeys has taken his |
| in this. You are the sun of the bliss, you are the sun of | | | | clothes. After coming back out of the lake he asked |
| the immortal. You don't have any death. Fear not. Go | | | | monkeys to give his clothes and the monkeys become |
| beyond death". Only by knowing that person, which | | | | very furious. They attacked Swami. Swami when he |
| person? In the Vedas it has been said that person, that | | | | saw that the monkeys were attacking him, he started |
| man, that existence who is bright like the sun thousand | | | | running. When he started running the monkeys were |
| suns. You know this. I have known that Purusha. I have | | | | also behind him. Suddenly he heard a voice "Don't run. |
| known that person who is referred in the Vedas as a | | | | Face it". He immediately stopped and turned around. |
| person who is brighter than thousand suns. By knowing | | | | When he turned around the monkeys got frightened. |
| this man itself I can go beyond the truth. While knowing | | | | They left his clothes and ran away. This is the science |
| self there are many things which will come on our way | | | | by which we have to lead our life. Don't run away, |
| and we have to go beyond that. Just by surpassing it | | | | stop and face it. See what is this. You will see there is |
| we will see that we go to that place. Swami | | | | nothing. It is only you that is standing. There is nothing |
| Vivekananada in one of his poems called the 'song of | | | | that can ever scare you, harm you. |
| monks' in every stanza he put one word 'leave the | | | | Only one that harms you is you, yourself. We see |
| rope which is binding you towards the world'. There is | | | | ghosts, evil spirits. If you are always Brahman, how can |
| an undefined attachment with this world. | | | | a evil spirit catch you? If you are always divine can |
| We feel that if we leave this what will happen to me. | | | | catch you? It catches you if you are weak. Now |
| No, nothing will happen. When these ropes of thoughts | | | | everywhere there are germs of many, many |
| try to take you with them to some unseen dark forest | | | | diseases. Why are we not getting all those diseases? |
| tell them just leave those ropes and say leave it and | | | | Because, our body has all that power to resist all those |
| say 'Hari Om Tat Sat', 'You are truth'. These thoughts | | | | diseases. The moment this body looses that power to |
| have no power. They gain power because you are | | | | resist at that moment all kind of disease will catch us. |
| attaching with them. There is a famous story of a | | | | The problem is not because the disease has caught |
| saint and mouse. A mouse used to live in the ashram | | | | you. It's because you have become weak. You have |
| of a saint. The saint used to love it very much. One | | | | given a chance to them to act. Don't give chance. |
| day the saint saw that the mouse is very frightened | | | | Always be like a warrior and fight. Swami |
| and moving here and there and the saint asked "what | | | | Vivekananda said always keep the sword of |
| happened". Mouse said "there is a cat came to eat | | | | discrimination with your pillow when you sleep, not only |
| me". The saint by his power turned the mouse into | | | | throughout your day. Even in the sleeping state no fear |
| bigger cat and that cat which came to eat it got | | | | should come to you. |
| frightened and ran away. Now this bigger cat is very | | | | You have to cut the roots of fear, illusions, all |
| happy as it's no more a mouse it's a cat and nobody | | | | weaknesses. Always keep the discrimination with you |
| will come to it and eat. | | | | that "I am that Brahman". The scriptures which are |
| After some days the saint saw that this cat is again | | | | eternal tell me this. The scriptures are also divine |
| frightened. He saw that there was a big dog standing | | | | because they talk about that divinity. The scriptures |
| on the door steps. Then the saint transformed the cat | | | | are nothing but the practical words of the enlightened |
| into a bigger dog. The dog which was standing ran | | | | soul. I should not have fear of anything because I am |
| away. One day this saint saw that this dog is again | | | | the son of the immortal. The son of a lion doesn't fear, |
| frightened. The saint saw that at the door step there is | | | | it knows that it is a lion but the son of a deer will fear. It |
| a lion standing. Then the saint turned that dog into | | | | is trained to be fearful from the child hood. The first |
| bigger lion and the lion which came ran away. Now this | | | | thing that his mother teaches is to how to run. The |
| bigger lion became the king of that forest. One day | | | | mother of a lion will teach how to hunt. Learn this how |
| that lion was sitting near the saint and the saint told the | | | | to make people run. Stand still in your place. Don't run |
| lion to do something. Because now it's a lion the king of | | | | away my dear. Whatever thoughts come to you are |
| the forest, it has ego and its ego got hurt and it came | | | | thoughts of ignorance, these are not yours. This is |
| to eat the saint. | | | | Maya. You have to know that this is also within the |
| When it came to eat the saint, the saint said "become | | | | system. |
| mouse again". This is how we treat our thoughts. From | | | | |