A Commentary of Bhakti Sutras
Vol. 2 Divine Love Is Beyond Desires
By H.H. Sri Sri Ravi Shankar
At St. Mathicu du Pare Canadian Ashram on July 20th, 2002
There is a rumour – an Indian gentleman in Singapore has made a doll and it will fulfill the desire of anybody, whoever whatever one asks the doll. So an American CEO went there, he saw it and said yes, this doll seems to do something. He somehow got the blue print of it and went to Korea. (laughter) And got whole of the intellegent Korean men said “You make a doll which is double.” So, he got the doll ready and what the doll would do is anything you ask, it will say “Why?” If you ask one million, it will say “Why one million, ask for 2 million.” Then you say “Alright. Give me 2 million.” The doll will say “Why 2 million? Ask for 4 million.” (laughter) So, anything you ask, it will double that. The doll will say “Why are you asking for 2 million? And then ask for 4 million.” You say “Okay, give me 4 million.” “Why you’re asking for 4 million, ask for 8 million.” (laughter) Like the shares in America. (laughter) The CEO found it simply double, it just makes an empty promise, doesn’t deliver anything. (laughter) This is the case with our desire. Our desire promises us fulfillment but the moment a desire is fuifulled, it gives rise to 10 other desires. And your energy, your whole life is spent in fulfilling those 10 desires. By the time they multiply. Desire keeps multiply in life. They never bring the fulfillment. Trying to fulfill one’s all desires is like drawing water with a bottomless pot. Does desire bring fulfillment? It brings us greed. Once a desire fulfilled it doesn’t bring you contentment, it brings you more greed and more greed. That’s how people become workerholic. People who are failure won’t become workerholic. People who are successful become workerholic. (laughter) When you become a workerholic, you become a nervous rat. You don’t even enjoy that you have created.
The next sutra says:
Yat prapya na kinchid vanchati, na shochati, na dweshti, na ramate notsahi bhavati
Having attain that, there is no desire left. na vanchati, na shochati You don’t greed for anything. na dweshti You do not hate anything. na ramate You don’t get lost in anything. notsahi bhavati You don’t beome over-excited about anything. All desires aim at fulfillment and fulfillment doesn’t come to you without love. If it happens, it’s a great misfortune. The greatest misfortune in this planet is when you feel satisfied when there is no love in life. And when you have experienced some love in life, that is fulfilling. A sign of divine love is contentment. The sign that you have had food is you are not hungry as simple as that. If you say “I am thirsty but I have had enough drink that means something wrong.” The sign of contentment is when you have had that silence, that love. When you desire something, if you get it, you are happy. If you don’t get it, you are unhappy. Sometime whether you whether your desire get fulfilled or it doesn’t get fulfilled, you remain unhappy.
There is a story of Mullah Nashudin. (laughter) Mullah was a farmer. And there was drought for several years, 4,5 years. So, every year he was so depressed so unhappy. Because of the drought, there is no crop, there is no rain. He was so depressed. He would always complain. But this particular year there was good rain, timely rain and the crop was very good but still he looked very depressed. So, his friends asked him “Mullah, why are you unhappy this year? You must be happy. See, you have such a good crop!” Mullah replied “Yes, yes, so much work to do! (laughter) I am used now not working. Now, this crop is bothering me. (laughter) I have to work now.” So, he is upset because he has to work now.
A desire fulfilled makes you unhappy, unfulfilled also makes you unhappy. I remember a devotee in England asked me “Guruji, I want a big car.” Well, his prayer got answered, he got a car next time I went. It was 6 months later. He said “Guruji, now I want to sell this car, it is too big car (laughter) and there is no buyer for this. The lane in Birmingham is very small (laughter) you can’t drive anywhere with the same car. It’s too big to park, too big to handle. Nobody to buy, guruji do something please. Bless me also... (laughter) my car get sold, I am in deep trouble.” See, a desire fulfilled becomes a problem. A desire gives rise to misery. Buddha said these thousands of years ago – misery is because of desire. When Buddha said these he experienced that. It came from that level of understanding, being very rich, rich people can agree with it, poor can not understand – the desire brings misery. Only one whose all desired get fulfilled they understand desire brings misery. When Buddha said that he had seen the richest there, the affluent society what it is undergoing. He said it is no end to it. It is no end to desire. Whether fulfilled or unfulfilled bring misery. The supreme court judge in India once told me “Guruji, I have only one desire (he is the chief justice of India, he has attained the highest post.) I only one desire, please bless me, I want one desire to be fulfilled.” “What?” “I want to be in the international court of justice in Hague, I only have one desire, nothing more!” (laughter) There must be a limit to your desire. If you are frustrated having attained the highest post in the country, think about those municipal court, the small little court judges and lawyers those are working there how much they must be frustrated. Don’t think only poor and weak people are frustrated even the rich, affluent, powerful, they also frustrated. Frustration goes from top to bottom (laughter) everywhere. Lack of knowledge. This is because lack of knowledge. Here, you are trying to find fulfilled where it doesn’t exist.
Another Mullah Nashudin story. Mullah was searching for his key outside of the dark with his torch. Couple of friends came and joined him “Okay, let me also search for it. Where is it?” So, everybody started searching at the street. “Mullah, where did you lose it?” Mullah said “Inside.” (laughter) “Why are you searching here?” “Because there is light here so I am searching.” (laughter)
We don’t look for contentment where it comes from, look for where it is not. Shochati na shochati If you have had contentment, you don’t crave for anything. If you are fulfilled, if you are eaten well, you are not hungry. There is a contentment. If you are slept well, you are not drowsy. If you say “I am so tired and drowsy...” means you have not had enough. na kinchid vanchati, na shochati, you don’t greed for anything. Desire brings grief. And grief brings hatred. Sometime, you know, you love something, you love somebody, some situation, that which give you comfort and joy become a bondage for you and you start hating it because you don’t like the bondage. Hatred comes out. Just look at what you really hate that which you have loved something, you have desired something. See, what you really hate is that for which you have craving or desire, you start hating. Frustration brings hatred. You want things to be in certain way and when things don’t turn out that way bring great frustration then you start hating. The hatred eats your whole system, your mind, your consciousness. It burns you alive. na ramate You don’t get lost in it. One who is fulfilled, one who has attained the divine love, understood even a little bit of it will not get lost. Will not go... you know, carry away by any events or instance, happening. notsahi bhavati Doesn’t get excited. You know when someone get Amy Award or ( Amy Award?) Oscar Award, is an Amy Award also? (Audience: yes) Same. Oscar award, what happen is they are so excited that will take many times, you know, they have to take deep breath, crying, sometime they collapsed on the stage. (laughter) Out of joy, they collapsed, they said “Oh, my god! Oh, my god! I can’t handle this any more.” Unable to handle. They may lose couples of nights of sleep because of anxiety. Hmm...
Another story? (laughter) Yes! A gentleman won a lottery 10 million dollars. His wife got worried because he is already a heart patient. First she discovered because it came in the mail and he was out somewhere. She got so worried – 10 million dollars, if he heard this, he will have heart attack, a second attack. He will survive through this or not? She seized and she went to the priest, nearby church and told the priest. This is my problem. When you have some problems, you go to a priest. “This is my problem, do you have any solution for it?” He said “Don’t worry I will come.” She came back home with the priest. By the time husband was there and he said “Where were you? I was looking for you.” “The priest has come and he is going to give you some good news. He comes to give you some good news.” He first said “Let’s pray together.” (laughter) Hands together “May god be with us on this occassion and let him fulfill all our desire.” (laughter) and then the priest said “Suppose god is pleased by today’s prayer and he grants you a million dollars what will you do?” The gentleman said “50,000 I will give it to you to the church.” It is said that the priest got a heart attack. (laughter)
Excitement makes you go crazy. Hmm... I remember once I was to go Switzland for a meeting there, for a satsang. A lady who was preparing was so excited, for 3 days she didn’t sleep. She was cleaning her house, cleaning and cleaning and cleaning. Making her house ready. So, when I arrived at the airport, she came there to pick me up. She put all the luggage and put me in, she sat in the car to drive and she fell into sleep there (laughter) so in the parking lot, she was apologizing and waking up, suddenly she realised she still didn’t start the car. (laughter) I knew what was she state, I just let her take her time. Luckyly, another devotee came and he took over and she was sleeping at the back so exhausted. She woke up and thought she was in a dream and said “Oh, guruji! You have come, really?” (laughter) Excitement throws you off balance.
Divine love brings such fulfillment. And it is good that fulfillment doesn’t come to you by any other means. Otherwise, it makes you dull. It sets in inertia. If you are happy just because of massy wealth and you are contented just because of a massy wealth, if you are contented with a massy position, prestige, fame, you are dead. Lucky those who do not get contented with material things. The yearning for truth, the yearning for something higher keep life moving upward, is a driving force for revolution. But one who has reach home has these signs na kinchid vanchati, na shochati, na dweshti, na ramate notsahi bhavati
Sri Radhe Radhe Radhe Sham Govinde Radhe
Sri Radhe Radhe Radhe Sham Govinde Radhe Sri Radhe
Govinde Radhe Radhe Sham Gopale Radhe Radhe Sham
Govinde Radhe Radhe Sham Gopale Radhe Radhe Sham
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