1 00:00:03,080 --> 00:00:07,360 Hello everyone. Today I'm speaking to you from 2 00:00:08,280 --> 00:00:11,920 sunny Zurich. We're in Switzerland as part of 3 00:00:11,920 --> 00:00:18,040 our European leg of this tour, and the topic that we're going 4 00:00:18,040 --> 00:00:24,480 to be covering is objectivity. And it's a follow on from how we 5 00:00:24,480 --> 00:00:28,960 started last session, which was the vital role of the intellect. 6 00:00:29,280 --> 00:00:35,520 And how when it comes to faith, even in an aspect where there is 7 00:00:35,520 --> 00:00:40,280 belief, even in an aspect where it's based on feeling, it needs 8 00:00:40,280 --> 00:00:43,600 to be backed by the intellect and followed through by the 9 00:00:43,600 --> 00:00:46,240 intellect to become meaningful in our lives. 10 00:00:49,040 --> 00:00:54,080 To start objectivity, such a useful tool. 11 00:00:54,680 --> 00:01:00,440 It brings about both clarity in decision making, so it increases 12 00:01:00,440 --> 00:01:04,080 our productivity, but also our peace. 13 00:01:05,080 --> 00:01:09,600 So it is the one aspect that the intellect brings to life that 14 00:01:09,600 --> 00:01:12,840 adds so much in terms of exactly what we're looking for. 15 00:01:13,040 --> 00:01:16,800 We're all looking for professional success, excellence 16 00:01:16,800 --> 00:01:26,440 in action, but also Peace of Mind in order to grasp the 17 00:01:26,440 --> 00:01:31,120 importance in order to apply objectivity in life. 18 00:01:31,360 --> 00:01:36,080 Like everything we do in Vedanta, it starts with defining 19 00:01:36,080 --> 00:01:43,560 it. What is objectivity, anybody? 20 00:01:44,560 --> 00:01:48,440 What is objectivity? We use this word often. 21 00:01:52,280 --> 00:01:54,720 Without bias. Without bias. 22 00:01:54,920 --> 00:01:59,840 OK, great. To to examine and then analyze, 23 00:02:00,560 --> 00:02:06,440 examine and analyze. Without bias, to view things in 24 00:02:06,480 --> 00:02:08,600 the proper perspective and context. 25 00:02:09,400 --> 00:02:12,160 View things in the proper perspective and context. 26 00:02:12,160 --> 00:02:23,400 OK, great. Not allow your mind to take over 27 00:02:23,400 --> 00:02:28,520 your emotions. Well, the mind has all the 28 00:02:28,520 --> 00:02:33,240 emotions, so it's not allowing the mind's emotions to overwhelm 29 00:02:33,240 --> 00:02:38,160 the intellect. Simply put, objectivity is 30 00:02:38,240 --> 00:02:43,680 intellect over the mind. So when we make a decision, when 31 00:02:43,680 --> 00:02:47,960 we perform an action, is our intellect leading the charge or 32 00:02:47,960 --> 00:02:50,840 is it the mind? And there are three aspects of 33 00:02:50,840 --> 00:02:55,160 objectivity that we're going to cover today, which encompasses 34 00:02:55,320 --> 00:02:56,680 the points that you've mentioned. 35 00:02:58,640 --> 00:03:02,320 The three points are if we are going to be objective. 36 00:03:02,840 --> 00:03:09,840 The first aspect is, are we able to think, analyze, and reason 37 00:03:10,440 --> 00:03:14,880 independent of the mind's feelings, independent of our 38 00:03:14,880 --> 00:03:17,600 likes and dislikes? But going deeper now, 39 00:03:17,960 --> 00:03:22,320 independent of beliefs, prejudices, biases, 40 00:03:22,480 --> 00:03:26,480 conditionings that we have been brought up with, to the extent 41 00:03:26,480 --> 00:03:30,440 we are able to analyze independent of the mind's 42 00:03:30,440 --> 00:03:35,920 influence, are we objective? This is an interesting one 43 00:03:35,920 --> 00:03:43,520 because what it means is the more emotional we are, the more 44 00:03:43,680 --> 00:03:46,320 aggravated our mind is in a particular area. 45 00:03:46,520 --> 00:03:52,040 We can be suspicious of our objectivity because the greater 46 00:03:52,120 --> 00:03:55,640 the agitation of the mind or the greater the involvement of the 47 00:03:55,640 --> 00:03:59,600 mind, so our objectivity will be compromised. 48 00:04:00,800 --> 00:04:07,520 So if we want to be objective, analyze clearly without the bias 49 00:04:07,520 --> 00:04:16,600 of the mind, analyze when we are calm, analyze when the mind is 50 00:04:16,600 --> 00:04:18,920 quiet. But when we try to think and 51 00:04:18,920 --> 00:04:23,360 analyze when we are agitated or involved or desire ridden or too 52 00:04:23,360 --> 00:04:27,120 excited or anxious, our thinking is going to be compromised. 53 00:04:27,480 --> 00:04:35,360 So to the extent the mind is quiet, calm, the intellect can 54 00:04:35,440 --> 00:04:38,400 analyze without its interference and influence. 55 00:04:38,720 --> 00:04:43,520 Easier, better. Now this doesn't mean that we 56 00:04:43,520 --> 00:04:47,400 neglect the mind. One could take the information 57 00:04:47,400 --> 00:04:52,000 that we get from the mind, aspects such as empathy, feeling 58 00:04:52,160 --> 00:04:55,800 the feelings of another person. We could take that into the 59 00:04:55,800 --> 00:05:02,160 consideration but not to the extent it colours and prejudices 60 00:05:02,240 --> 00:05:05,960 our analysis. So the first one and why it's 61 00:05:05,960 --> 00:05:11,480 important and related to last week's topic about faith, is we 62 00:05:11,480 --> 00:05:16,800 get so many influences, particularly religious but also 63 00:05:16,800 --> 00:05:19,360 cultural as we're brought into this world. 64 00:05:20,680 --> 00:05:28,360 So imagine by the time a child is 6 or 7, it starts pronouncing 65 00:05:28,960 --> 00:05:32,560 what religion they're in. I'm a Christian, I'm a Muslim, 66 00:05:32,880 --> 00:05:40,360 I'm a Hindu, I am Buddhist. But on what basis have you 67 00:05:40,360 --> 00:05:43,880 studied any of the texts? Do you know the teachings? 68 00:05:43,880 --> 00:05:46,680 Do you know the life of the different founders? 69 00:05:46,680 --> 00:05:47,920 Do you know the principles of it? 70 00:05:48,120 --> 00:05:50,400 On what basis do you make such a declaration? 71 00:05:51,080 --> 00:05:56,120 So there are so many aspects that we've absorbed without 72 00:05:56,200 --> 00:06:00,040 analysis, without being objective, and then consciously 73 00:06:00,040 --> 00:06:05,360 deciding, deliberately owning that particular aspect of life. 74 00:06:07,000 --> 00:06:14,280 There is a beautiful quotation by Lord Buddha which gives us an 75 00:06:14,280 --> 00:06:18,840 idea of how we should approach religion. 76 00:06:18,920 --> 00:06:23,800 But any aspect of life, any ideology, it says that when we 77 00:06:23,800 --> 00:06:32,800 analyze, when we have faith, he says do not believe what you 78 00:06:32,800 --> 00:06:39,320 have heard, do not believe in tradition because it is handed 79 00:06:39,320 --> 00:06:44,400 down many generations, do not believe in anything that has 80 00:06:44,400 --> 00:06:49,560 been spoken of many Times Now. This is especially relevant in 81 00:06:49,560 --> 00:06:53,800 this age of social media where the algorithm gets to know you 82 00:06:54,080 --> 00:07:00,160 and keeps on purporting and supporting an idea that you 83 00:07:00,160 --> 00:07:03,240 agree with, that you align with, so it feeds you that. 84 00:07:04,120 --> 00:07:07,560 And because it goes viral or because it gets repeated often, 85 00:07:07,720 --> 00:07:10,400 that's what we believe it says. Do not believe because it has 86 00:07:10,400 --> 00:07:13,800 been spoken of many times. Do not believe because the 87 00:07:13,800 --> 00:07:19,000 written statements come from some old sages, including 88 00:07:19,000 --> 00:07:23,360 Vedanta, 5000 years old. Do not believe in conjecture. 89 00:07:25,080 --> 00:07:27,760 There's no logic, just I guess a conjecture. 90 00:07:28,840 --> 00:07:34,560 Do not believe in authority or teachers or elders. 91 00:07:36,720 --> 00:07:41,760 But, and here's the the explanation, then how do we 92 00:07:41,760 --> 00:07:43,320 believe? How do we reason? 93 00:07:43,320 --> 00:07:47,760 How do we analyze? But after careful observation 94 00:07:47,760 --> 00:07:53,280 and analysis, when it agrees with the reason and it will 95 00:07:53,280 --> 00:07:58,600 benefit one and all, then accept it and live by it. 96 00:08:00,160 --> 00:08:04,160 This is objectivity. Objectivity is taking the idea, 97 00:08:05,160 --> 00:08:09,200 analyzing it on its own merit, seeing if it's beneficial for 98 00:08:09,200 --> 00:08:14,240 one and all, and then accepting it, living by it. 99 00:08:16,320 --> 00:08:22,040 Which means to take an idea and analyze it independently. 100 00:08:22,440 --> 00:08:29,120 We are being objective, but when we talk about the intellect over 101 00:08:29,120 --> 00:08:32,640 the mind, there are different aspects to objectivity. 102 00:08:32,640 --> 00:08:38,039 SO1 aspect is the reasoning aspect, the analysis aspect what 103 00:08:38,039 --> 00:08:42,280 about and that's the second reason that we go to. 104 00:08:42,720 --> 00:08:48,320 The second aspect of objectivity is what about the affectation 105 00:08:48,320 --> 00:08:52,240 aspect? And the affectation aspect is 106 00:08:54,760 --> 00:09:01,720 when something happens in life, does it overwhelm you that you 107 00:09:01,720 --> 00:09:05,400 can no longer think clearly? And here's the interesting part. 108 00:09:05,680 --> 00:09:08,480 It could be something positive. So it could be an excitement, 109 00:09:08,680 --> 00:09:13,640 but you're so excited we make mistakes or we do something 110 00:09:13,640 --> 00:09:19,160 reckless. For instance, in cricket there 111 00:09:19,160 --> 00:09:25,120 have been cases where the player gets so excited after getting 112 00:09:25,120 --> 00:09:28,000 another person out, getting the wicket, they jump in 113 00:09:28,000 --> 00:09:31,800 celebration. And in jumping in celebration, 114 00:09:31,800 --> 00:09:35,520 when they land, they sprain their ankle and the next 115 00:09:35,520 --> 00:09:37,520 delivery they have to be taken off the field. 116 00:09:38,840 --> 00:09:43,920 In celebration. So joyous they do a reckless 117 00:09:43,920 --> 00:09:46,680 action. So even in something positive, 118 00:09:46,960 --> 00:09:53,680 in negative, it is so clear how when there is grief or when 119 00:09:53,680 --> 00:09:59,200 there is worry or when there is illness, our mind goes into 120 00:09:59,320 --> 00:10:05,040 anxiety OverDrive. It incapacitates us to function. 121 00:10:05,160 --> 00:10:08,440 It incapacitates us to concentrate on what needs to be 122 00:10:08,440 --> 00:10:13,400 done. And one way of looking if we're 123 00:10:13,400 --> 00:10:17,360 affected or not, are we able to do what needs to be done? 124 00:10:18,040 --> 00:10:23,120 Or does the emotion, positive or negative, overtake us in that 125 00:10:23,120 --> 00:10:27,680 particular moment? So objectivity in this context 126 00:10:28,520 --> 00:10:34,840 is the ability to be unaffected by both the positive and 127 00:10:34,840 --> 00:10:41,760 negative happenings in life. What makes something positive or 128 00:10:41,760 --> 00:10:51,720 negative? Your reaction, your reaction. 129 00:10:51,920 --> 00:11:03,290 OK, and how would we react to an event based on emotions? 130 00:11:03,970 --> 00:11:05,530 Based on emotions. That's the one. 131 00:11:06,250 --> 00:11:13,530 The other is based on the minds likes and dislikes. 132 00:11:15,490 --> 00:11:19,090 And we return to our BMI diagram. 133 00:11:19,250 --> 00:11:23,440 The body, mind and intellect. The mind is the seat of 134 00:11:23,440 --> 00:11:27,400 emotions, yes, but where does the emotion come from? 135 00:11:28,200 --> 00:11:33,120 It comes from Raga dwesha is the Sanskrit word likes. 136 00:11:33,120 --> 00:11:37,360 Raga dwesha dislikes our likes and dislikes. 137 00:11:37,840 --> 00:11:42,520 So if an event is aligned to our like, we smile. 138 00:11:42,600 --> 00:11:45,640 Positive emotion. If an event is something that we 139 00:11:45,640 --> 00:11:49,640 dislike, we frown. We're unhappy and depending on 140 00:11:49,640 --> 00:11:54,120 how strong the like or dislike is, how strong the attachment is 141 00:11:54,120 --> 00:11:57,320 to the like or the dislike. So our reaction. 142 00:11:57,800 --> 00:12:01,960 So we call it positive if it aligns, negative if it does not 143 00:12:01,960 --> 00:12:06,160 align. So the likes and dislikes are 144 00:12:06,400 --> 00:12:10,640 creating the pairs of opposites in this world. 145 00:12:13,360 --> 00:12:21,160 In fact, a definition for this world is 1 was Dwandwas is a 146 00:12:21,160 --> 00:12:25,600 Sanskrit word. It means pairs of opposites 147 00:12:26,120 --> 00:12:32,880 because if we analyse the world, it's nothing but either side. 148 00:12:33,400 --> 00:12:45,040 Hot, cold, tall, short, slim, wide, dark, bright, day, night. 149 00:12:45,480 --> 00:12:49,360 And we go deeper. Joy, sorrow, honor, dishonor. 150 00:12:49,960 --> 00:12:51,960 These are the pairs of opposites in the world. 151 00:12:53,920 --> 00:12:58,280 When the mind relates to these pairs of opposites, what the 152 00:12:58,280 --> 00:13:00,880 mind does is it picks one of the pairs. 153 00:13:01,200 --> 00:13:04,840 So it picks honor, it picks birthday. 154 00:13:05,920 --> 00:13:10,200 But what that means is it denounces it, ignores it, pushes 155 00:13:10,200 --> 00:13:12,960 to one side because we don't like it, we don't want it. 156 00:13:13,440 --> 00:13:15,920 The other pair of opposite. But the world is both. 157 00:13:16,440 --> 00:13:20,760 You don't get a world which has only health and joy. 158 00:13:21,520 --> 00:13:23,120 There is no such world like that. 159 00:13:23,200 --> 00:13:25,760 It's an illusion, it's a fantasy, it's a dream. 160 00:13:26,640 --> 00:13:31,160 There is no such world. So if we get attached, if we 161 00:13:31,160 --> 00:13:35,680 like only one of the pairs, we are setting ourselves up for 162 00:13:35,680 --> 00:13:41,880 potential sorrow, disaster, disappointment, because we don't 163 00:13:41,880 --> 00:13:45,240 want the other side. But life has to give the other 164 00:13:45,240 --> 00:13:48,440 side. And all we need to do is, by the 165 00:13:48,440 --> 00:13:58,120 simple definition of Dwandwas, accept that life means birth and 166 00:13:58,120 --> 00:14:07,680 death, health and ill health. Now what this does is, and this 167 00:14:07,680 --> 00:14:13,280 education should have started from when we were children, but 168 00:14:13,280 --> 00:14:16,880 look at the way we parent and look at today's generation of 169 00:14:16,880 --> 00:14:20,920 parents. We try and protect our children 170 00:14:21,480 --> 00:14:23,920 from particular exposures of the world. 171 00:14:24,080 --> 00:14:27,720 We try to not let them see the other aspect of the other side 172 00:14:27,720 --> 00:14:36,200 of the world. Often when we travel and I asked 173 00:14:36,200 --> 00:14:40,600 people about their interest, they're so interested in the 174 00:14:40,600 --> 00:14:42,440 subject, but they've not made the trip to India. 175 00:14:42,720 --> 00:14:45,120 They've not brought their families to the Academy. 176 00:14:45,240 --> 00:14:47,600 And when I asked them about it, they said no, no, we don't want 177 00:14:47,600 --> 00:14:50,600 to expose our children to poverty. 178 00:14:53,440 --> 00:15:00,240 I said poverty is part of the world, and how can you know 179 00:15:00,240 --> 00:15:02,320 wealth if you don't know poverty? 180 00:15:03,800 --> 00:15:08,520 And when the child has to at some point in life be exposed to 181 00:15:08,520 --> 00:15:11,120 it, it's a shock to the system. They don't know that it exists. 182 00:15:11,280 --> 00:15:14,680 But when you know that both exist, you can be objective to 183 00:15:14,680 --> 00:15:16,480 both. You can be prepared for the 184 00:15:16,480 --> 00:15:20,480 other side. It is said that Lord Buddha, 185 00:15:20,920 --> 00:15:27,560 before he was a sannyasi, he was a great Prince, but he was 186 00:15:27,560 --> 00:15:30,280 sheltered. He never saw aging, he never saw 187 00:15:30,520 --> 00:15:35,040 ill health, he never saw death. So when he saw it for the first 188 00:15:35,040 --> 00:15:40,000 time, it provoked him to such an extent, but he did not get 189 00:15:40,000 --> 00:15:42,800 overwhelmed. He went searching for the truth 190 00:15:42,800 --> 00:15:44,920 behind it, behind both the pairs. 191 00:15:47,440 --> 00:15:52,120 Now we can also be provoked by seeing both sides, accepting it 192 00:15:52,120 --> 00:15:55,880 instead of neglecting it, instead of being ignorant of the 193 00:15:55,880 --> 00:15:59,640 other side and preparing, preparing for the other side. 194 00:15:59,880 --> 00:16:01,400 And this is what makes this objective. 195 00:16:03,960 --> 00:16:10,520 In fact, one easy way to remember this is the reminder of 196 00:16:10,520 --> 00:16:17,920 the phrase even this shall pass away if you just take the 197 00:16:18,200 --> 00:16:23,480 initials of each of the words Even E, this T shall pass away. 198 00:16:23,680 --> 00:16:31,720 SPA, it's etzipa. Etzipa even this shall pass away 199 00:16:32,560 --> 00:16:36,280 and it has given so many people comfort. 200 00:16:38,280 --> 00:16:43,800 I know colleagues, friends who were temporarily paralysed by an 201 00:16:43,800 --> 00:16:49,520 illness or by a stroke and the thought that kept them going and 202 00:16:49,520 --> 00:16:51,800 they made full recoveries, but the thought that gave them 203 00:16:51,800 --> 00:16:54,400 solace was this. Even this shall pass away. 204 00:16:55,360 --> 00:16:59,840 Every experience in this world is impermanent. 205 00:17:02,080 --> 00:17:04,599 But when we hold onto an experience thinking it's going 206 00:17:04,599 --> 00:17:08,319 to be permanent, we're setting ourselves up for that 207 00:17:08,319 --> 00:17:11,359 disappointment. Because the world must change. 208 00:17:11,599 --> 00:17:15,880 Nothing remains the same. And if we can have that memory 209 00:17:16,079 --> 00:17:21,920 and retain that awareness of its passing, of it being ephemeral 210 00:17:21,920 --> 00:17:26,160 in nature as we go through it and enjoy it, that is 211 00:17:26,160 --> 00:17:29,560 objectivity. And the poem Even This Shall 212 00:17:29,560 --> 00:17:35,440 pass Away talks about a king with all the enjoyments when 213 00:17:35,440 --> 00:17:41,120 everything is going well. He reminds himself, ET SPA, Even 214 00:17:41,120 --> 00:17:45,640 this shall pass away. And the poem is quoted in the 215 00:17:45,640 --> 00:17:49,200 book. So I'm not deviating by bringing 216 00:17:49,200 --> 00:17:54,040 the poem into our discussion today, but giving you more 217 00:17:54,040 --> 00:17:58,800 context on why it's covered because it shows both sides. 218 00:17:59,360 --> 00:18:01,840 It's not just being philosophical when there's loss, 219 00:18:02,040 --> 00:18:06,000 it's being philosophical when there's gain, when there is joy, 220 00:18:06,000 --> 00:18:08,440 when there is a party. That's the time to be 221 00:18:08,440 --> 00:18:10,840 philosophical. Because if you can be 222 00:18:10,840 --> 00:18:15,440 philosophical at the peak, you will be OK in the valley. 223 00:18:17,840 --> 00:18:21,920 And this is the poem. So I'll put it up so you can 224 00:18:22,240 --> 00:18:28,760 follow along as I read and make a note the different scenarios 225 00:18:29,120 --> 00:18:32,600 that this king of Persia goes through and as he goes through 226 00:18:32,600 --> 00:18:38,840 each one that reminder even this shall pass away. 227 00:18:41,120 --> 00:18:46,360 Once in Persia reigned the king who upon his cygnet ring. 228 00:18:47,480 --> 00:18:52,680 So he got a ring, and on this ring he engraved an inscription 229 00:18:53,480 --> 00:18:58,360 that says grave de maxim, true and wise, which if held before 230 00:18:58,360 --> 00:19:03,760 his eyes, gave him counsel at a glance fit for every change in 231 00:19:03,760 --> 00:19:05,600 chance. Solemn words. 232 00:19:05,600 --> 00:19:09,320 And these are they even this shall pass away. 233 00:19:12,080 --> 00:19:16,320 This poem was discovered by Swamiji, our mentor and teacher. 234 00:19:17,080 --> 00:19:20,800 And Swamiji was so inspired by this poem that when he started 235 00:19:20,800 --> 00:19:30,480 the Academy 1988, one of the considerations was as part of 236 00:19:30,480 --> 00:19:34,280 the uniform as we have the mala and the kurta, one of the 237 00:19:34,280 --> 00:19:40,080 considerations was why don't we have a ring with the 238 00:19:40,080 --> 00:19:42,960 inscription? Even this shall pass away. 239 00:19:43,520 --> 00:19:47,480 So all the students can time to time remember the femoral nature 240 00:19:47,480 --> 00:19:50,800 of this world and to seek the eternity, seek the spirit. 241 00:19:52,360 --> 00:19:57,280 But then Swamiji decided not to go ahead with the idea because 242 00:19:57,280 --> 00:20:01,080 he thought some of the students might use it for other purposes. 243 00:20:02,200 --> 00:20:04,800 Proposals will start happening on campus. 244 00:20:06,400 --> 00:20:10,280 Suddenly you will see beautiful campus by the canal. 245 00:20:10,280 --> 00:20:14,880 One person on bended knee is a no, no, OK, no rings. 246 00:20:16,400 --> 00:20:21,320 But the idea is that how can we take this message? 247 00:20:23,760 --> 00:20:27,480 And have it as a constant reminder, maybe a ring if that 248 00:20:27,480 --> 00:20:31,080 works for you, maybe a notification on your on your 249 00:20:31,080 --> 00:20:33,400 watch that comes up every few hours. 250 00:20:33,920 --> 00:20:40,080 Remember, it'll pass away. Now the first aspect that the 251 00:20:40,080 --> 00:20:44,720 king remembers this is in the pinnacle of wealth. 252 00:20:44,720 --> 00:20:49,160 He's enjoying wealth more than comfortable. 253 00:20:50,040 --> 00:20:53,440 Trains of camels through the sand brought in gems from 254 00:20:53,440 --> 00:20:57,800 summer, canned fleets of galleys through the seas brought in 255 00:20:57,800 --> 00:21:01,920 pearls to match with these. But he counted not his gain 256 00:21:02,160 --> 00:21:06,360 treasures of the mine or men. What is wealth? 257 00:21:06,600 --> 00:21:10,280 The king would say, even this shall pass away. 258 00:21:13,560 --> 00:21:16,960 We find some of the most philosophical communities are 259 00:21:16,960 --> 00:21:22,880 those who have had great wealth and overnight it was taken from 260 00:21:22,880 --> 00:21:26,960 them. If we look at India's partition, 261 00:21:27,560 --> 00:21:33,800 people who stayed in present day Pakistan and they had to move to 262 00:21:33,800 --> 00:21:35,960 India and they left their businesses overnight. 263 00:21:36,360 --> 00:21:38,680 But the same thing, people who lived in India and had to move 264 00:21:38,680 --> 00:21:43,120 to Pakistan overnight started from scratch. 265 00:21:44,280 --> 00:21:47,160 Great mansions, great properties, industrial 266 00:21:47,320 --> 00:21:49,680 industries and factories left overnight. 267 00:21:49,800 --> 00:21:54,640 We saw it in Africa when certain communities were thrown out 268 00:21:56,040 --> 00:22:05,040 overnight, no wealth. We saw it in Europe, and those 269 00:22:05,040 --> 00:22:07,800 are the communities that understand the impermanence of 270 00:22:07,800 --> 00:22:12,360 wealth, despite our best abilities to manage it, despite 271 00:22:12,360 --> 00:22:15,360 diversifying 1's portfolio. You can take all these 272 00:22:15,360 --> 00:22:19,080 precautions, but wealth must pass. 273 00:22:19,840 --> 00:22:23,680 Even if you're extremely prudent, it must pass Why? 274 00:22:23,960 --> 00:22:27,520 Because you cannot take it with you into the next life. 275 00:22:28,880 --> 00:22:32,720 In fact, those who have a massed wealth understand actually 276 00:22:32,720 --> 00:22:35,000 they're just a guardian of the wealth. 277 00:22:35,520 --> 00:22:37,880 Money must pass. It cannot stay with you. 278 00:22:39,720 --> 00:22:44,080 So you look at it as something that you can take care of and 279 00:22:44,080 --> 00:22:47,840 perhaps just pass on to the next generation responsibly. 280 00:22:50,160 --> 00:22:52,320 This king is very clear. What is wealth? 281 00:22:52,320 --> 00:22:56,480 The king would say, we've seen empires and kingdoms come and 282 00:22:56,480 --> 00:23:03,160 go, don't get attached. When you get attached, it's when 283 00:23:03,160 --> 00:23:07,160 the mind wants it to stay forever, when the mind has not 284 00:23:07,160 --> 00:23:10,080 accepted its impermanent, changing nature. 285 00:23:10,520 --> 00:23:14,440 And when that change comes, we lose our objectivity. 286 00:23:14,760 --> 00:23:19,680 So the objectivity is that if there is a change, you remain 287 00:23:19,760 --> 00:23:23,000 unaffected because you have already understood the nature of 288 00:23:23,000 --> 00:23:25,120 it. You saw it coming. 289 00:23:25,600 --> 00:23:28,120 It's not a surprise to you. You had assessed it. 290 00:23:28,120 --> 00:23:30,240 You had seen it. No problem. 291 00:23:31,640 --> 00:23:36,080 You don't get affected. The next aspect the king moves 292 00:23:36,080 --> 00:23:40,960 to is pleasures. We all enjoy socializing. 293 00:23:40,960 --> 00:23:47,640 We all enjoy good company. And here the king mid the rebels 294 00:23:47,640 --> 00:23:53,320 of his court, at the zenith of his sport, When the palm of all 295 00:23:53,320 --> 00:23:59,000 his guests burned with clapping at his juice, he amid his figs 296 00:23:59,000 --> 00:24:02,480 and whine, cried. Oh, loving friends of mine, 297 00:24:03,680 --> 00:24:11,160 pleasures come, but not to stay. Even this shall pass away to 298 00:24:11,160 --> 00:24:14,800 have that objectivity at the height of pleasure. 299 00:24:14,960 --> 00:24:19,440 You're having such a great time. The trouble is the next morning, 300 00:24:20,320 --> 00:24:26,360 the next morning, when you're all alone, can you handle not 301 00:24:26,640 --> 00:24:29,560 being in the party? Can you handle the solitude? 302 00:24:29,560 --> 00:24:32,240 Can you handle that time alone? You may enjoy it. 303 00:24:32,240 --> 00:24:40,440 You may revel in it. And I remember in high school, I 304 00:24:40,440 --> 00:24:48,760 used to act in musicals in high school days, and it was quite a 305 00:24:49,040 --> 00:24:52,880 high end production. So there was a band, there was 306 00:24:53,080 --> 00:24:56,840 lights, there was a cast of 60 people. 307 00:24:58,400 --> 00:25:04,760 And the final scene where the song reaches A crescendo and 308 00:25:04,760 --> 00:25:08,040 everybody bows and you have the connection with the audience, 309 00:25:08,080 --> 00:25:11,560 and the audience stands up and they're clapping. 310 00:25:14,120 --> 00:25:17,360 And I remember the adrenaline. You're just, you're, you're 311 00:25:17,360 --> 00:25:19,480 feeling it. You're, you're soaring. 312 00:25:21,480 --> 00:25:25,560 And then the next day, we have to go to assembly in the same 313 00:25:25,560 --> 00:25:29,760 hall. And it is such a drop in energy. 314 00:25:30,680 --> 00:25:36,040 The contrast is so stark. But to understand at that time 315 00:25:36,160 --> 00:25:39,040 when you're soaring that life is not always like this. 316 00:25:39,040 --> 00:25:41,880 It's a moment. Enjoy the moment fully. 317 00:25:41,880 --> 00:25:43,440 And that's the beauty of objectivity. 318 00:25:43,800 --> 00:25:51,080 Objectivity does not take away from the joy, nor does it also 319 00:25:51,080 --> 00:25:52,880 take away your appreciation of sorrow. 320 00:25:53,200 --> 00:25:56,040 So you go through joy, you go through sorrow because it's 321 00:25:56,040 --> 00:26:04,080 another pair of opposites, but the affectation, you can 322 00:26:04,080 --> 00:26:09,040 appreciate both, but you don't make your identity that joy, you 323 00:26:09,040 --> 00:26:10,960 don't make that identity that sorrow. 324 00:26:11,360 --> 00:26:17,480 So if you make your identity the high that you get from the last 325 00:26:17,480 --> 00:26:21,640 final act on stage, what is your identity otherwise? 326 00:26:23,080 --> 00:26:28,600 Even as a speaker, we're travelling around the world and 327 00:26:29,000 --> 00:26:31,880 the connection between the speaker and the audience, if 328 00:26:31,880 --> 00:26:35,640 done well, if you feel the pulse of the audience and you feel 329 00:26:35,640 --> 00:26:38,160 that the audience is with you, they're there, they're hanging 330 00:26:38,160 --> 00:26:41,320 on to your every word. And that connection is so 331 00:26:41,320 --> 00:26:46,360 fulfilling but so momentary. Don't place the identity on 332 00:26:46,360 --> 00:26:49,280 that. And that's what objectivity is. 333 00:26:49,640 --> 00:26:55,560 It is the ability to detach. It's the ability to look at that 334 00:26:55,560 --> 00:27:02,440 feeling or that thought as an object, and that stops the 335 00:27:02,440 --> 00:27:05,840 affectation. But if you allow the mind to get 336 00:27:05,840 --> 00:27:10,400 attached and bind its identity to that experience, object or 337 00:27:10,400 --> 00:27:18,760 moment, you are setting yourself up for heartache because that's 338 00:27:18,760 --> 00:27:23,720 not your identity. And when the world gives you the 339 00:27:23,720 --> 00:27:26,960 knocks and shocks because you've placed your identity in a 340 00:27:26,960 --> 00:27:30,040 mistaken place, and the only place you can place your 341 00:27:30,040 --> 00:27:37,360 identity is in the permanence and bliss of the self within, we 342 00:27:37,360 --> 00:27:42,400 experience the heartache because that is not ourselves. 343 00:27:42,480 --> 00:27:48,320 That is not us. We covered parenting. 344 00:27:49,520 --> 00:27:51,840 A parent is not your absolute role. 345 00:27:54,000 --> 00:27:57,840 We cannot get involved in that role by itself. 346 00:27:58,760 --> 00:28:03,280 It is one of many roles and the objectivity is understanding how 347 00:28:03,280 --> 00:28:05,360 each role has a beginning and an end. 348 00:28:08,560 --> 00:28:13,000 Now we move on again, considering or moving on to the 349 00:28:13,000 --> 00:28:19,680 next theme in the poem. And here he says he's gone, 350 00:28:19,720 --> 00:28:22,760 still positive. So all pleasures now he talks 351 00:28:22,760 --> 00:28:25,960 about the highest pleasure, intimacy. 352 00:28:27,000 --> 00:28:31,080 And here he's on the marriage bed. 353 00:28:31,120 --> 00:28:36,080 Marriage bed means the first night with lady fairest ever 354 00:28:36,080 --> 00:28:44,680 seen Miss Universe was the bride he crowned his queen pillowed on 355 00:28:44,680 --> 00:28:50,120 his marriage bed. All right, so so it's it's it's 356 00:28:50,120 --> 00:28:52,720 new. It is the most beautiful person. 357 00:28:52,720 --> 00:28:56,360 So you can imagine the excitement, you can imagine the 358 00:28:56,360 --> 00:28:59,880 thrill of it. But this king is objective, 359 00:29:00,520 --> 00:29:04,240 pillared on his marriage bed softly to his soul, he said. 360 00:29:04,960 --> 00:29:08,000 Now he had to say it softly because if he had said it 361 00:29:08,000 --> 00:29:10,600 loudly, that would have really killed the mood. 362 00:29:11,560 --> 00:29:16,360 So softly to his soul, he said, though no bridegroom ever 363 00:29:16,360 --> 00:29:19,920 pressed fairer bosom to his breast. 364 00:29:20,680 --> 00:29:25,720 Mortal flesh must come to clay. Even this shall pass away. 365 00:29:27,000 --> 00:29:30,680 That objectivity in understanding that even this is 366 00:29:30,680 --> 00:29:34,840 not permanent. So important, so in the height 367 00:29:35,080 --> 00:29:39,400 of pleasures where it could be on stage with an audience, it 368 00:29:39,400 --> 00:29:42,480 could be at a party where people are laughing at your jokes, it 369 00:29:42,480 --> 00:29:45,600 could be just a gathering with friends where you're enjoying 370 00:29:45,600 --> 00:29:48,760 each other's company so much. Understanding that it's not 371 00:29:48,960 --> 00:29:51,360 permanent makes all the difference. 372 00:29:54,160 --> 00:29:57,760 Now we move to the other aspect of life, the other side. 373 00:29:58,680 --> 00:30:02,440 Fighting on a furious field. Once a javelin pierced his 374 00:30:02,440 --> 00:30:06,040 shield. Soldiers with a loud lament bore 375 00:30:06,040 --> 00:30:14,600 him bleeding through his tent. Next slide, groaning from his 376 00:30:14,600 --> 00:30:17,880 tortured side. Pain is hard to bear, he cried. 377 00:30:18,520 --> 00:30:23,800 But with patience, day by day, even this shall pass away. 378 00:30:25,520 --> 00:30:30,600 And I gave you the example of those colleagues in hospital in 379 00:30:30,600 --> 00:30:33,280 pain. And here the king reminds 380 00:30:33,280 --> 00:30:36,120 himself as well. Pain is hard to bear. 381 00:30:36,120 --> 00:30:38,960 He cried. So it is not deluding yourself 382 00:30:38,960 --> 00:30:42,120 that it's not there, that there is no sorrow, that there is no 383 00:30:42,120 --> 00:30:44,720 pain. It is seeing the pain it's 384 00:30:44,720 --> 00:30:46,320 experiencing, accepting the pain. 385 00:30:46,320 --> 00:30:48,680 It's accepting the other opposite of life. 386 00:30:48,800 --> 00:30:50,360 And that's the beauty of the subject. 387 00:30:50,680 --> 00:30:57,120 It sees truth, it sees it. And then you choose with your 388 00:30:57,120 --> 00:31:00,080 intellect because you have objectivity. 389 00:31:00,080 --> 00:31:04,160 You see the situation, you see the thought, the pain, the 390 00:31:04,160 --> 00:31:07,640 sorrow, and now you decide. How do I want to relate to it? 391 00:31:08,560 --> 00:31:12,600 You are not permanent. I'm going to be OK. 392 00:31:13,200 --> 00:31:15,960 The body is in pain. I will be OK. 393 00:31:16,480 --> 00:31:24,200 It will pass away. Now he switches to fame. 394 00:31:26,080 --> 00:31:31,760 Towering in the public square, 20 cubits in the air, rosy 395 00:31:31,760 --> 00:31:35,640 statue carved in stone. Then the king, disguised 396 00:31:35,640 --> 00:31:40,320 unknown, stood before his sculpture name, musing meekly. 397 00:31:40,960 --> 00:31:46,480 What is fame? Fame is but a slow decay. 398 00:31:46,880 --> 00:31:53,280 Even this shall pass away. It's interesting when we look at 399 00:31:53,280 --> 00:31:57,800 celebrities who go through this fame, If we look at sports stars 400 00:31:57,960 --> 00:32:03,480 who have experienced this height of fame and we remember those 401 00:32:03,480 --> 00:32:06,800 superstars. Now, if you ask the next 402 00:32:06,800 --> 00:32:08,960 generation, they don't know who they are. 403 00:32:09,600 --> 00:32:11,320 They don't know the actors of the past. 404 00:32:11,320 --> 00:32:13,160 They don't know the sports people of the past. 405 00:32:15,200 --> 00:32:19,520 Very few transcend. But it's a matter of time. 406 00:32:20,240 --> 00:32:23,920 After a matter of time, everybody's forgotten. 407 00:32:24,760 --> 00:32:29,080 And yet at that time, how we cling to it, Just the mention in 408 00:32:29,080 --> 00:32:34,240 a newspaper, in a magazine, we get so thrilled, appear on TV 409 00:32:34,240 --> 00:32:40,360 for a little while. Wow, Everything disappears over 410 00:32:40,360 --> 00:32:47,520 time. The last one the other opposite. 411 00:32:48,680 --> 00:32:52,880 Birthdays we celebrate, death, days we mourn. 412 00:32:55,200 --> 00:32:58,280 But there is no birth without death. 413 00:32:58,520 --> 00:33:04,320 There is no death without birth. Why don't we accept both? 414 00:33:04,320 --> 00:33:08,120 Why are we not ready for both? Nobody discusses death, and 415 00:33:08,120 --> 00:33:11,920 naturally we are grief stricken when it happens because we never 416 00:33:11,920 --> 00:33:16,600 want it to happen. But death has its own purpose in 417 00:33:16,600 --> 00:33:22,560 life, has its own beauty. Struck with palsy, sore and old, 418 00:33:22,960 --> 00:33:27,600 waiting at the gates of gold, Said he with his dying breath. 419 00:33:29,080 --> 00:33:31,360 Life is done. But what is death? 420 00:33:32,040 --> 00:33:35,920 Then in answer to the king fell a sunbeam on his ring, showing 421 00:33:35,920 --> 00:33:39,760 by a heavenly ray. Even this shall pass away. 422 00:33:41,320 --> 00:33:48,040 In fact, to truly live is to understand death, that we become 423 00:33:48,040 --> 00:33:52,840 very clear about the importance of every moment, about 424 00:33:52,840 --> 00:33:58,760 prioritizing what's important and being prepared for whenever 425 00:33:58,760 --> 00:34:03,680 death decides to visit either those around us or even 426 00:34:03,680 --> 00:34:08,320 ourselves. And that preparation removes the 427 00:34:08,320 --> 00:34:11,760 grief. So here's the king. 428 00:34:12,080 --> 00:34:17,520 He's on his deathbed, but that consolation comes again when he 429 00:34:17,520 --> 00:34:21,000 reminds himself that even this shall pass away. 430 00:34:21,000 --> 00:34:26,960 He gets a sunbeam from above. Even death just another 431 00:34:26,960 --> 00:34:28,840 experience. Why the fear? 432 00:34:29,080 --> 00:34:31,080 When it comes, it comes. We don't know when it's going to 433 00:34:31,080 --> 00:34:33,280 happen. When it happens, OK, grieve 434 00:34:33,280 --> 00:34:38,639 once. This was the advice from from 435 00:34:38,639 --> 00:34:47,360 Somuji because he has seen over 99 years so many different 436 00:34:47,360 --> 00:34:50,360 aspects in the world. So he's seen covert and he's 437 00:34:50,360 --> 00:34:52,920 seen SARS and he's seen AIDS, etcetera. 438 00:34:53,320 --> 00:34:55,440 So he's seen all these different illnesses. 439 00:34:55,440 --> 00:34:59,040 And when that illness comes, everybody is so anxious. 440 00:35:00,400 --> 00:35:02,800 What's going to happen? What's going to happen now we're 441 00:35:02,800 --> 00:35:08,240 on the verge of it seems any moment that wars can escalate 442 00:35:09,200 --> 00:35:14,560 and people lose their sleep over it, people lose their Peace of 443 00:35:14,560 --> 00:35:17,360 Mind. And naturally if it's within 444 00:35:17,360 --> 00:35:21,360 your vicinity, it's, it's understandable. 445 00:35:21,680 --> 00:35:25,440 But in either case, wherever you are and whatever's happening to 446 00:35:25,440 --> 00:35:29,960 you, when it happens, it happens. 447 00:35:30,720 --> 00:35:35,480 You're gone. And when you're gone, you're not 448 00:35:35,480 --> 00:35:39,560 there anymore. So whilst you're alive, why 449 00:35:39,560 --> 00:35:42,200 worry about it? And that's the idea. 450 00:35:43,280 --> 00:35:48,920 This birth must pass, this life must pass, but death too must 451 00:35:48,920 --> 00:35:53,280 also pass. So when it comes, accept it. 452 00:35:54,240 --> 00:35:58,280 And before it comes, be prepared for it. 453 00:35:58,640 --> 00:36:01,680 And the preparation removes the worry. 454 00:36:02,040 --> 00:36:07,360 Otherwise we die every day. We die with that anxiety, and 455 00:36:07,360 --> 00:36:10,120 maybe directly the anxiety causes the death. 456 00:36:11,240 --> 00:36:14,800 It's not necessary. So let us take up the stance of 457 00:36:16,040 --> 00:36:21,360 the King of Persia to be detached, to be objective. 458 00:36:23,680 --> 00:36:29,320 How do we get this state to become detached? 459 00:36:29,720 --> 00:36:35,280 To become objective? We need to raise ourselves with 460 00:36:35,280 --> 00:36:39,280 knowledge or a higher goal. Either way, we need to raise 461 00:36:39,280 --> 00:36:41,280 ourselves. Now what that higher goal and 462 00:36:41,280 --> 00:36:47,520 knowledge does is it takes you above the hills and the veils of 463 00:36:47,720 --> 00:36:57,710 the world that you're in. If a person is involved in 464 00:36:57,710 --> 00:37:01,430 business, so when there's profit, he goes up. 465 00:37:01,790 --> 00:37:05,390 When there's a loss goes down South, you're involved in the 466 00:37:05,390 --> 00:37:07,790 world of business, in the roller coaster of business. 467 00:37:08,960 --> 00:37:12,640 But suppose you approach business as one aspect of your 468 00:37:12,640 --> 00:37:16,920 life, to take care of a particular aspect, but it's not 469 00:37:16,920 --> 00:37:19,520 the whole of your life. You've got a larger goal than 470 00:37:19,520 --> 00:37:22,920 that of what you want the business for, of how it plays a 471 00:37:22,920 --> 00:37:25,040 role in your life. So it's one aspect of life. 472 00:37:26,560 --> 00:37:29,560 It could be to provide for a comfortable family life. 473 00:37:29,960 --> 00:37:36,640 So since the family life is your higher goal, you've raised it to 474 00:37:36,640 --> 00:37:39,960 a bigger canvas, a bigger context beyond the business. 475 00:37:40,040 --> 00:37:45,280 So even when the business is going down, because you've got a 476 00:37:45,280 --> 00:37:48,680 higher goal where the family is doing well, the family is 477 00:37:48,680 --> 00:37:54,440 comfortable, you are objective, but without that higher goal, 478 00:37:54,600 --> 00:37:57,640 you're on the roller coaster. So you will go up, you will go 479 00:37:57,640 --> 00:38:01,360 down South. The idea is, in life, raise 480 00:38:01,360 --> 00:38:10,280 ourselves, there's a beautiful metaphor where now and then a 481 00:38:10,280 --> 00:38:16,880 crow will go and bother an eagle and will start picking on the 482 00:38:16,880 --> 00:38:22,760 eagle. And fascinatingly, the eagle 483 00:38:23,720 --> 00:38:30,120 does not ward off the crow. The the eagle's got such talents 484 00:38:30,120 --> 00:38:33,840 that it can. It can attack the crow, but it 485 00:38:33,840 --> 00:38:35,920 does not do that. Does anyone know what the eagle 486 00:38:35,920 --> 00:38:38,760 does? Yes, Lydia. 487 00:38:40,960 --> 00:38:46,080 It raises. It raises itself, so it just 488 00:38:46,080 --> 00:38:50,040 flies higher and higher. And by going higher and higher, 489 00:38:50,200 --> 00:38:54,520 it goes to an altitude that the crow can no longer fly it and 490 00:38:54,520 --> 00:38:59,200 the crow just drops off. So now what are we doing? 491 00:38:59,280 --> 00:39:02,800 We are forcing and fighting against nature. 492 00:39:03,040 --> 00:39:05,080 We're fighting against these challenges. 493 00:39:05,080 --> 00:39:08,880 And we're, we're putting all our effort into, into the, the 494 00:39:08,880 --> 00:39:10,800 challenge, into the ups and downs. 495 00:39:10,800 --> 00:39:12,880 And we're trying to get out of the down and we're trying to 496 00:39:12,880 --> 00:39:17,280 stay up. Change the rules of the game. 497 00:39:19,640 --> 00:39:24,920 Raise yourself. Instead of going into business, 498 00:39:24,920 --> 00:39:29,920 going into sport, going into life, battling, battling, 499 00:39:29,920 --> 00:39:35,560 battling, just elevate yourself and you get to a particular 500 00:39:35,560 --> 00:39:40,040 height and then you find some incredible different peak comes 501 00:39:40,200 --> 00:39:45,640 and knocks you off something you didn't expect, your family, 502 00:39:45,640 --> 00:39:48,120 there's an illness, you didn't expect it. 503 00:39:48,480 --> 00:39:51,040 And because you didn't expect it, what do you do then? 504 00:39:51,240 --> 00:39:53,760 Elevate yourself, Keep elevating yourself. 505 00:39:54,000 --> 00:39:57,920 No doubt you have to deal with the challenge at present, but 506 00:39:58,080 --> 00:40:05,120 side by side, elevate yourself because if we remain attached, 507 00:40:05,440 --> 00:40:10,960 identified with that particular experience of life, we're on the 508 00:40:10,960 --> 00:40:14,040 roller coaster. We'll go up and down. 509 00:40:14,520 --> 00:40:17,040 We're not objective. And when we're not objective, 510 00:40:17,320 --> 00:40:20,840 and the opposite of objectivity is involvement, When we are 511 00:40:20,840 --> 00:40:23,920 involved, our mind is caught up to that experience. 512 00:40:24,160 --> 00:40:27,520 It incapacitates us to think clearly. 513 00:40:28,120 --> 00:40:32,240 We lose our objectivity. We don't know how to handle that 514 00:40:32,240 --> 00:40:36,360 situation effectively. It's so unfortunate. 515 00:40:36,680 --> 00:40:40,560 The time when we need objectivity is when there is 516 00:40:40,560 --> 00:40:51,000 maximum involvement. Now the third aspect is when we 517 00:40:51,000 --> 00:40:56,800 talk about objectivity. Are we prepared for challenges? 518 00:40:57,360 --> 00:41:03,400 So the one aspect, the second reason was not being affected, 519 00:41:03,400 --> 00:41:07,480 remaining unaffected by the dwan dwas, the pairs of opposites, 520 00:41:07,720 --> 00:41:10,800 meaning that you can continue, you can experience sorrow, but 521 00:41:10,800 --> 00:41:13,000 you can continue doing what needs to be done. 522 00:41:13,600 --> 00:41:19,160 Now this aspect is interesting. Being prepared for challenges is 523 00:41:21,600 --> 00:41:30,200 when we measure the intellect. How do we decide where our 524 00:41:30,200 --> 00:41:32,840 intellect is? Like how do we know the strength 525 00:41:32,960 --> 00:41:36,520 of our objectivity? How do we know the strength of 526 00:41:36,520 --> 00:41:39,080 our intellect? So if we have been following the 527 00:41:39,080 --> 00:41:45,480 definition of objectivity, is the intellect governing the 528 00:41:45,480 --> 00:41:49,000 mind? So when do we lose our 529 00:41:49,000 --> 00:41:53,080 objectivity? When the mind displaces the 530 00:41:53,080 --> 00:41:57,800 intellect. So let us look at the different 531 00:41:57,800 --> 00:42:03,440 aspects of life, not just the ones we know, but also the ones 532 00:42:03,440 --> 00:42:09,760 we've not thought about. In those particular scenarios, 533 00:42:10,280 --> 00:42:20,320 where does our mind take over? Where do we break? 534 00:42:21,160 --> 00:42:23,480 Where does the intellect give way? 535 00:42:24,840 --> 00:42:32,000 And the example given in the book is you go to a retreat, 536 00:42:32,000 --> 00:42:35,840 maybe we're all together in a retreat, and at the retreat they 537 00:42:35,840 --> 00:42:40,640 give some ball pens. And at the retreat venue, you 538 00:42:40,640 --> 00:42:43,240 leave your ball pen and you return to your country. 539 00:42:43,720 --> 00:42:45,440 Will you worry about your ball pen? 540 00:42:46,560 --> 00:42:48,200 Nothing special about this ball pen. 541 00:42:48,200 --> 00:42:50,920 OK, Normal ball pen. Will you worry about the ball 542 00:42:50,920 --> 00:42:52,680 pen? No. 543 00:42:53,960 --> 00:42:56,720 So ball pen no problem. Does not affect us. 544 00:42:59,480 --> 00:43:02,480 Then you leave your phone behind. 545 00:43:04,720 --> 00:43:08,880 Will the phone affect you? The loss of a phone, will it 546 00:43:08,880 --> 00:43:09,840 affect you? Maybe. 547 00:43:09,840 --> 00:43:12,320 You might make some calls. Maybe You might check with the 548 00:43:12,320 --> 00:43:13,960 organizers. Have you seen my phone? 549 00:43:14,480 --> 00:43:17,520 And if they're not able to find the phone, are you affected? 550 00:43:19,280 --> 00:43:20,800 No. I backed up my data. 551 00:43:20,800 --> 00:43:24,360 It's OK. I I can deal with it no problem. 552 00:43:24,640 --> 00:43:29,040 I'm not affected. OK, so pen phone check. 553 00:43:29,360 --> 00:43:33,120 What about you leave your watch behind? 554 00:43:33,760 --> 00:43:37,920 Depends what watch, but still watch is OK. 555 00:43:38,120 --> 00:43:41,560 Well, look, I hardly use my watch for time anyway. 556 00:43:41,560 --> 00:43:43,960 I use my my phone. I'm OK. 557 00:43:44,080 --> 00:43:45,480 I'm OK. I'm not affected. 558 00:43:46,080 --> 00:43:48,640 It might be a sentimental might have been a gift from somebody. 559 00:43:49,560 --> 00:43:53,400 Are you OK? But this is the exercise to do 560 00:43:53,680 --> 00:43:58,120 because even if it is a gift of sentiment, if you were to lose 561 00:43:58,120 --> 00:44:01,680 it, would you be OK? Or have you tied your identity, 562 00:44:01,680 --> 00:44:07,120 your Peace of Mind to that event, which is a probability? 563 00:44:08,640 --> 00:44:12,000 In certain countries, it's more of a probability than others. 564 00:44:12,640 --> 00:44:18,440 So when we travel in some countries, because of what 565 00:44:18,440 --> 00:44:22,360 people from that city or country tell me, they say put your watch 566 00:44:22,360 --> 00:44:28,080 away, don't wear your watch. So OK, the watch stays in the 567 00:44:28,080 --> 00:44:33,720 suitcase in some cities. This time we were surprised in 568 00:44:33,920 --> 00:44:39,480 in London, they say be vigilant with your phone and they have it 569 00:44:39,480 --> 00:44:42,960 on some of the pavements. They said this is a phone 570 00:44:42,960 --> 00:44:47,280 snatching area. So you're prepared for it. 571 00:44:47,600 --> 00:44:50,080 So it's actually painted on the pavement. 572 00:44:50,080 --> 00:44:53,600 This is a highly prone phone snatching area. 573 00:44:55,880 --> 00:44:58,440 Are you attached to your phone? Are you attached to your watch? 574 00:44:58,880 --> 00:45:02,160 Are you attached to your car? If something was to happen to 575 00:45:02,160 --> 00:45:07,480 your car, would you be OK? I say all of this is fine. 576 00:45:07,600 --> 00:45:08,840 OK. What about your home? 577 00:45:10,760 --> 00:45:14,720 Are you attached to your home? A flood? 578 00:45:15,240 --> 00:45:17,880 A fire. How attached to your home are 579 00:45:17,880 --> 00:45:21,400 you and if you're OK with all these levels? 580 00:45:21,400 --> 00:45:25,520 We find usually the breaking point is that the loss or 581 00:45:25,520 --> 00:45:29,720 illness of a family member. Are you able to deal with the 582 00:45:29,720 --> 00:45:34,680 loss of that family member? Somewhere between pen and family 583 00:45:34,680 --> 00:45:40,520 member, we break. The idea is to examine those 584 00:45:40,520 --> 00:45:43,480 areas wherever it is Now, if we're at the level of the pen, 585 00:45:43,720 --> 00:45:48,560 oh, oh, we're in trouble, let us strengthen ourselves. 586 00:45:48,800 --> 00:45:52,720 And the way to strengthen ourselves is to prepare for that 587 00:45:52,720 --> 00:45:55,480 eventuality. Just as we insure our car for an 588 00:45:55,480 --> 00:46:01,360 accident, just as we insure our life for the loss of life, just 589 00:46:01,360 --> 00:46:05,800 so that we don't experience the shock and grief as much because 590 00:46:05,800 --> 00:46:10,760 we've thought about it. And one way we can do it is this 591 00:46:10,760 --> 00:46:14,800 exercise. Look at under which conditions 592 00:46:14,800 --> 00:46:23,000 will I feel challenged? Will I feel shock, grief, 593 00:46:23,400 --> 00:46:28,520 overwhelmed and address it. So instead of not thinking about 594 00:46:28,520 --> 00:46:30,800 it, let's think about it actively. 595 00:46:31,120 --> 00:46:34,800 Not that we keep on thinking about it, but think what would I 596 00:46:34,800 --> 00:46:40,880 do if this happens? And by pre living it as it were, 597 00:46:41,680 --> 00:46:45,200 by preparing for that possibility, for that 598 00:46:45,200 --> 00:46:48,560 eventuality, it actually removes the fear of it. 599 00:46:48,560 --> 00:46:52,680 Because I know what I'll do. And because you know or you've 600 00:46:52,680 --> 00:46:55,360 thought about it, your mind doesn't agitate you as much. 601 00:46:55,360 --> 00:46:58,320 You're not as anxious. You are prepared for the 602 00:46:58,320 --> 00:47:03,360 challenge. This preparation is the third 603 00:47:03,400 --> 00:47:07,520 aspect of objectivity so that when the challenge comes, you 604 00:47:07,520 --> 00:47:12,120 remain objective. I would say we can even pre live 605 00:47:12,120 --> 00:47:15,320 in the sense to expect challenge in life. 606 00:47:15,520 --> 00:47:17,280 There is no life without challenge. 607 00:47:17,520 --> 00:47:19,520 The body will give its own challenges. 608 00:47:19,680 --> 00:47:24,120 Family gives its own challenges. People come with challenges, 609 00:47:24,880 --> 00:47:28,480 they are their own. There is no company, no 610 00:47:28,480 --> 00:47:33,640 organization, spiritual, commercial that does not have 611 00:47:35,120 --> 00:47:40,520 their own personal challenges, their own people challenges. 612 00:47:41,480 --> 00:47:44,720 The world comes with challenges. So as long as you're living, 613 00:47:44,720 --> 00:47:47,920 there's going to be challenge. But instead of actively trying 614 00:47:47,920 --> 00:47:53,960 to avoid them, prepare for them and improve our ability to meet 615 00:47:53,960 --> 00:47:56,320 the challenge and raise ourselves. 616 00:47:59,120 --> 00:48:02,360 Robert Browning, he says, raise ourselves. 617 00:48:02,360 --> 00:48:04,240 We should be prepared for the challenge. 618 00:48:04,440 --> 00:48:09,680 He says. When temptation comes, why come 619 00:48:09,680 --> 00:48:17,560 temptation but to meet and master and make Crouch beneath 620 00:48:17,560 --> 00:48:20,400 his feet, and so be pedestaled in triumph? 621 00:48:21,640 --> 00:48:27,880 Why come temptation for man to meet and master and make Crouch 622 00:48:27,880 --> 00:48:30,680 beneath his feet and so be pedestaled in triumph? 623 00:48:31,320 --> 00:48:35,240 So let us look at temptation as an opportunity to develop our 624 00:48:35,240 --> 00:48:38,680 intellect, to develop our objectivity and raise ourselves. 625 00:48:42,200 --> 00:48:45,800 And there are 4 levels of intellect. 626 00:48:47,120 --> 00:48:50,480 And let's see where we are having done the exercise. 627 00:48:51,840 --> 00:48:57,640 Are we at the level of intellect where a challenge happens, where 628 00:48:57,640 --> 00:49:00,760 we're overwhelmed and we're not even aware of it? 629 00:49:02,720 --> 00:49:04,280 So the grades of intellect are this. 630 00:49:05,080 --> 00:49:13,480 The first aspect is you're unaware of the challenge, so you 631 00:49:13,480 --> 00:49:15,680 suffer. If you don't even know what the 632 00:49:15,680 --> 00:49:18,240 cause is, you don't know what's happening, you suffer. 633 00:49:18,240 --> 00:49:22,160 No intellect at all, just the mind going through its emotions. 634 00:49:22,840 --> 00:49:26,120 The second is now we're aware there's a problem, but we're not 635 00:49:26,160 --> 00:49:29,600 able to handle it. This is where most of the world 636 00:49:29,600 --> 00:49:31,560 is. We're aware of it, but we don't 637 00:49:31,560 --> 00:49:35,600 know what to do about it. The third is the intellect is 638 00:49:35,600 --> 00:49:40,560 strong enough. It is able to be aware of the 639 00:49:40,560 --> 00:49:45,360 challenge, but it has the ability to govern and handle the 640 00:49:45,360 --> 00:49:48,480 mind's emotions. It remains unaffected. 641 00:49:48,680 --> 00:49:54,240 It remains objective, but the highest level of intellect is 642 00:49:54,240 --> 00:49:57,400 when you are prepared for the challenge, that the challenge is 643 00:49:57,400 --> 00:50:03,000 not a challenge at all. You have the foresight to have 644 00:50:03,000 --> 00:50:04,800 gone through that particular challenge. 645 00:50:04,960 --> 00:50:08,520 You have seen it, you have prepared for it, that when it 646 00:50:08,520 --> 00:50:12,560 comes no issue. That's next level intellect. 647 00:50:16,320 --> 00:50:19,840 So in the book, The Fall of the Human Intellect, and you might 648 00:50:19,840 --> 00:50:23,400 find it in different parts of the Vedanta e-learning course, 649 00:50:23,800 --> 00:50:28,080 which I hope each of you get an opportunity to to go through at 650 00:50:28,080 --> 00:50:32,840 some point. It talks about what kind of 651 00:50:32,840 --> 00:50:35,920 intellect do we have? Do we have the chicken 652 00:50:35,920 --> 00:50:39,000 intellect? Chicken intellect means what 653 00:50:39,000 --> 00:50:42,480 kind of flight are you? So the chicken, you know it, it 654 00:50:42,480 --> 00:50:44,440 flutters a bit. Great effort, flutters, 655 00:50:44,440 --> 00:50:48,880 flutters, flutters, comes down, you can't really fly and it says 656 00:50:49,200 --> 00:50:51,440 you got the pigeon. A great effort. 657 00:50:51,680 --> 00:50:56,680 It does fly at a particular height it flies, but the highest 658 00:50:56,680 --> 00:51:03,360 intellect is the eagle. The eagle soars, effortless. 659 00:51:04,160 --> 00:51:08,120 It's gone so high, and I'm glad it matches with our analogy 660 00:51:08,120 --> 00:51:11,120 earlier. It's gone so high that all these 661 00:51:11,120 --> 00:51:14,040 ups and downs that the world brings, all these pairs of 662 00:51:14,040 --> 00:51:19,080 opposites that come with life, do not trouble one at all 663 00:51:19,440 --> 00:51:23,080 because of 1's higher knowledge, one's higher goal, one's 664 00:51:23,080 --> 00:51:25,840 preparation. No problem. 665 00:51:26,600 --> 00:51:29,000 What a state. And that's a state all of us can 666 00:51:29,000 --> 00:51:32,760 experience, even short of realization, short of 667 00:51:32,760 --> 00:51:36,720 enlightenment. Having been in the subject and 668 00:51:36,720 --> 00:51:40,720 absorbed some of these principles, I've not met a 669 00:51:40,720 --> 00:51:45,560 challenge that has affected my objectivity. 670 00:51:46,800 --> 00:51:49,920 And I'm saying this is all something that's achievable for 671 00:51:49,920 --> 00:51:53,560 every one of us, depending on our consistency and dedication 672 00:51:53,840 --> 00:51:58,200 to absorbing the knowledge. But I'm going to add one more 673 00:51:58,200 --> 00:52:03,800 dimension because I think the categorization is not complete 674 00:52:03,800 --> 00:52:06,920 without it. There is also the Penguin 675 00:52:06,920 --> 00:52:13,640 intellect. The Penguin intellect is no 676 00:52:13,640 --> 00:52:18,400 flight, and this is the intellect that is not even aware 677 00:52:18,400 --> 00:52:22,280 of the challenge of the problem. Chicken intellect, it tries to 678 00:52:22,280 --> 00:52:25,400 fly, it's aware of the problem but can't handle it. 679 00:52:26,320 --> 00:52:29,160 Pigeon intellect struggles, struggles, struggles, handles 680 00:52:29,160 --> 00:52:33,720 the situation, the problem, but the eagle is prepared, it's 681 00:52:33,720 --> 00:52:36,680 assessed and accepted life and its source. 682 00:52:38,440 --> 00:52:44,160 This is objectivity in life, and this is a vital role that the 683 00:52:44,160 --> 00:52:50,160 intellect plays in both the quality and the productivity of 684 00:52:50,160 --> 00:52:55,920 the life We lead. Now we take up questions. 685 00:52:59,280 --> 00:53:05,000 The first question how do I know if I'm being objective, not 686 00:53:05,080 --> 00:53:17,160 indifferent or giving up? Through analysis. 687 00:53:18,040 --> 00:53:25,920 So objectivity is seeing the challenge, going through the 688 00:53:25,920 --> 00:53:31,960 pros and cons and coming to a decision not because it's 689 00:53:31,960 --> 00:53:38,680 difficult, not because it's painful, and deciding what needs 690 00:53:38,680 --> 00:53:41,200 to be done. So you may decide not to do 691 00:53:41,200 --> 00:53:47,200 anything, but it's not because of the pain that's involved or 692 00:53:47,200 --> 00:53:49,640 the effort that would be giving up. 693 00:53:52,120 --> 00:53:55,720 You've gone through the analysis and for the goals that you want 694 00:53:55,720 --> 00:53:58,040 to achieve. It's not aligned. 695 00:54:00,920 --> 00:54:04,640 When you are indifferent is when you don't do the analysis. 696 00:54:05,800 --> 00:54:11,040 There is no feeling, there is no effort, there is no analysis. 697 00:54:12,800 --> 00:54:20,400 Giving up is you are not able to match the challenge. 698 00:54:21,080 --> 00:54:24,320 You're not able to meet the challenge because the 699 00:54:24,320 --> 00:54:25,800 intellect's not developed enough. 700 00:54:27,520 --> 00:54:35,520 So at that level, the idea is to take help, borrow a intellect to 701 00:54:35,520 --> 00:54:40,240 give our intellect some strength, and then build our own 702 00:54:40,240 --> 00:54:42,200 intellect to meet and match the challenge. 703 00:54:44,720 --> 00:54:51,800 So we are giving up. It is when it is too painful or 704 00:54:51,800 --> 00:54:58,040 too much effort. The other is when there is no 705 00:54:58,040 --> 00:55:06,400 effort here, it's about putting the right effort to overcome, 706 00:55:07,360 --> 00:55:11,120 meet and master the challenge or problem. 707 00:55:13,320 --> 00:55:18,040 Next question. In areas where we have strong 708 00:55:18,040 --> 00:55:21,560 attachment, when something negative happens, it is very 709 00:55:21,560 --> 00:55:25,880 hard to remain objective, for example when a loved one is 710 00:55:25,880 --> 00:55:31,120 hospitalized or is in danger. In such moments, what can we do 711 00:55:31,240 --> 00:55:35,680 to either return back to objectivity or minimize the 712 00:55:35,680 --> 00:55:39,080 damage caused by our lack of objectivity? 713 00:55:42,160 --> 00:55:47,480 At the time, if one has not prepared for that challenge or 714 00:55:47,480 --> 00:55:52,840 for that eventuality, then it is very difficult at that time to 715 00:55:52,840 --> 00:55:55,760 bring the intellect in. We are going to go through the 716 00:55:55,760 --> 00:56:00,000 emotions of the mind and to do something then is difficult. 717 00:56:00,000 --> 00:56:03,040 It depends what level of intellect is available to us 718 00:56:03,040 --> 00:56:06,160 then. So what could we do if there is 719 00:56:06,160 --> 00:56:07,840 some intellect? If there is no intellect, 720 00:56:08,600 --> 00:56:14,080 unfortunately it is suffering. If there is some intellect 721 00:56:14,080 --> 00:56:17,720 available at the time, but we haven't prepared for it fully, 722 00:56:17,960 --> 00:56:24,680 what we could do is immediately at that time or as soon as you 723 00:56:24,680 --> 00:56:31,040 get an opportunity, reach out to somebody that can lend you 724 00:56:31,320 --> 00:56:38,440 perspective, can lend you an intellect, can give you a view 725 00:56:38,760 --> 00:56:47,360 to see the situation, that can calm your mind now at that time 726 00:56:47,560 --> 00:56:49,400 to think about who that person is. 727 00:56:49,640 --> 00:56:53,240 Again, not easy and that's why it has to be done before. 728 00:56:53,840 --> 00:56:57,000 Who would I reach out to if the situation happens? 729 00:56:58,120 --> 00:57:03,240 And that pre living, that pre thinking that preparation is so 730 00:57:03,240 --> 00:57:09,600 helpful. So the time to do insurance is 731 00:57:09,600 --> 00:57:14,120 not when your factory is on fire, when your house is on 732 00:57:14,120 --> 00:57:20,480 fire, it's earlier. The best we can do at that time 733 00:57:21,040 --> 00:57:30,720 is seek help, seek the right environment, the right person 734 00:57:31,120 --> 00:57:36,000 that can bring the objectivity to the situation that can help 735 00:57:36,000 --> 00:57:49,040 us with that next question. The last submitted question is, 736 00:57:50,400 --> 00:57:54,520 would the disarray in the world be because there are too many 737 00:57:54,560 --> 00:58:02,480 objective people or not enough? The disarray in the world. 738 00:58:04,040 --> 00:58:08,160 The disarray in the world is because of the fall of the human 739 00:58:08,160 --> 00:58:12,080 intellect. Objectivity is a sign of a 740 00:58:12,080 --> 00:58:15,120 resurrected intellect. It's a sign of a an active 741 00:58:15,120 --> 00:58:19,240 intellect. If we have objectivity, and 742 00:58:19,240 --> 00:58:22,800 that's how we started with Lord Buddha right in the beginning, 743 00:58:23,360 --> 00:58:27,880 it would be analysing and thinking and doing what makes 744 00:58:27,880 --> 00:58:30,800 sense for the benefit of 1 and all. 745 00:58:33,920 --> 00:58:37,280 Would that kind of decision making lead to disarray? 746 00:58:39,000 --> 00:58:44,920 It is the lack of higher values, the lack of thinking, the lack 747 00:58:44,960 --> 00:58:50,280 of unselfishness that has led the world to where it is now. 748 00:58:52,040 --> 00:58:57,200 And hopefully if we revive the intellect, we can undo some of 749 00:58:57,200 --> 00:59:01,040 this damage and prevent it for the next generation. 750 00:59:04,920 --> 00:59:08,720 I want to share 1 aspect with the group before we leave and 751 00:59:08,720 --> 00:59:17,000 that is this perspectives and it's about the different 752 00:59:17,480 --> 00:59:19,520 planets. Because sometimes when we think 753 00:59:19,520 --> 00:59:25,800 our problems are so large and it seems all consuming and the 754 00:59:25,800 --> 00:59:29,120 problems become so large because we personalize it. 755 00:59:31,400 --> 00:59:34,520 But if you think of our problem in context, it's so 756 00:59:34,520 --> 00:59:42,720 infinitesimal. We are just a spot on the globe. 757 00:59:43,400 --> 00:59:47,120 Even if you look at if you're one person in India and you look 758 00:59:47,120 --> 00:59:50,520 at India and your city, and then you zoom out from the city and 759 00:59:50,520 --> 00:59:52,640 you look at the country and then you zoom out and you look at the 760 00:59:52,640 --> 00:59:55,840 continent, Asia, and you zoom out and you look at the globe. 761 00:59:56,440 --> 01:00:03,880 So small. And here's a few images of that. 762 01:00:04,440 --> 01:00:07,280 So the one is with Earth and other planets. 763 01:00:08,960 --> 01:00:12,200 And one of the classes, Swamiji, shared this with us. 764 01:00:12,640 --> 01:00:15,560 So imagine there's India there, you can see it on the left, so 765 01:00:15,560 --> 01:00:17,280 small. And you could be US, South 766 01:00:17,280 --> 01:00:21,120 Africa, wherever your respective countries, Switzerland, Kenya 767 01:00:21,800 --> 01:00:27,160 and so small such a dot, right? And you're a dot on the world, 768 01:00:27,200 --> 01:00:30,000 and you can see the world with respect to some of the planets 769 01:00:30,000 --> 01:00:32,800 there, Venus, Mars, Mercury, Pluto. 770 01:00:33,320 --> 01:00:36,760 But when you look at it with respect to the bigger planets, 771 01:00:37,760 --> 01:00:41,920 Earth becomes very small. So when you look at it with 772 01:00:41,920 --> 01:00:46,480 regards to the solar system, compared to Jupiter and Saturn, 773 01:00:46,480 --> 01:00:49,000 Uranus and Neptune, can you still see Earth? 774 01:00:49,560 --> 01:00:51,000 Everybody, can you see Earth there? 775 01:00:51,040 --> 01:00:55,760 The bottom left is there, right? You can't see your continent at 776 01:00:55,760 --> 01:00:57,320 this point. You definitely cannot see your 777 01:00:57,320 --> 01:01:00,440 country, your city. You're less than a pixel, but if 778 01:01:00,440 --> 01:01:04,080 you go to the next one it shows with reference to the sun. 779 01:01:05,760 --> 01:01:09,640 The sun that we see looks like a small disk. 780 01:01:10,920 --> 01:01:15,320 Look at the size of Earth and you can just make out at the 781 01:01:15,320 --> 01:01:18,720 bottom there in the middle A dot with reference to the sun. 782 01:01:19,720 --> 01:01:26,240 But the sun is 1 star in our Galaxy and it's not even a very 783 01:01:26,240 --> 01:01:28,760 big *. And the next one shows that as 784 01:01:28,760 --> 01:01:32,680 well. When you compare our sun to the 785 01:01:32,680 --> 01:01:36,560 nearby stars, it also becomes dwarfish. 786 01:01:37,320 --> 01:01:43,280 It's so small at this point you cannot see Jupiter, let alone 787 01:01:43,280 --> 01:01:45,720 Earth. Earth is invisible, you can't 788 01:01:45,720 --> 01:01:47,160 see it. It's less than a pixel. 789 01:01:47,440 --> 01:01:50,520 So just with nearby stars, there's two or three stars that 790 01:01:50,520 --> 01:01:54,160 you can see close by shining. The brightest Sun is tiny. 791 01:01:55,160 --> 01:01:59,680 And if you go even further and you look at some of the really 792 01:01:59,680 --> 01:02:05,440 big stars, our own sun becomes a pixel. 793 01:02:06,920 --> 01:02:12,000 It is all relative. And when we put it in context, 794 01:02:12,000 --> 01:02:16,080 when we put it in perspective, what does it do to that problem? 795 01:02:17,040 --> 01:02:22,520 It deflates it like a balloon getting deflated. 796 01:02:23,360 --> 01:02:26,680 And when you start seeing that problem in context of 797 01:02:26,720 --> 01:02:29,720 everything, in context of the whole universe, and you see it 798 01:02:29,720 --> 01:02:35,240 in perspective of your whole entire life, your intellect 799 01:02:35,240 --> 01:02:40,000 returns. Yeah, this is not, this is not 800 01:02:40,000 --> 01:02:43,840 that crucial. This is not that huge. 801 01:02:46,840 --> 01:02:48,680 And that's what we are doing with the knowledge. 802 01:02:49,400 --> 01:02:52,160 And this is one way to do it. There are some other techniques 803 01:02:52,160 --> 01:02:56,320 as well, but the whole idea is to use your intellect, maybe 804 01:02:56,320 --> 01:03:02,200 with those perspectives of the cosmos to deflate the problem, 805 01:03:03,040 --> 01:03:08,000 to bring them into a manageable size to move ahead. 806 01:03:09,720 --> 01:03:14,320 So that is objectivity. And next week, we take up 807 01:03:15,040 --> 01:03:19,200 another very relevant and practical topic about how to 808 01:03:19,200 --> 01:03:23,000 relate to the world. Again, intellect is essential. 809 01:03:23,840 --> 01:03:26,120 So thank you everybody for joining us this week. 810 01:03:27,040 --> 01:03:33,400 We see you next Sunday. Before we leave, just a few 811 01:03:33,400 --> 01:03:38,600 upcoming events. The 1st is the youth camp that 812 01:03:38,600 --> 01:03:42,640 is coming up in June at the Vedanta Academy, so we'll put it 813 01:03:42,640 --> 01:03:46,520 up on the screen for you. It's from the 3rd to the 7th of 814 01:03:46,520 --> 01:03:49,400 June. So for those of you who have 815 01:03:49,400 --> 01:03:55,320 teenagers who are on holiday, there is the youth camp and then 816 01:03:55,320 --> 01:03:58,560 following that we have a week at the Academy. 817 01:03:58,760 --> 01:04:02,320 So this is ideal for you. This is in July from the 3rd to 818 01:04:02,320 --> 01:04:06,000 the 8th of July. The Vedanta Academy was founded 819 01:04:06,000 --> 01:04:11,280 in 1988 by Swami Parthasarathy. It's a place that's a resource 820 01:04:11,320 --> 01:04:16,640 for everyone around the world to come and learn Vedanta, the 821 01:04:16,640 --> 01:04:19,600 technique, the art, the skill of living. 822 01:04:20,480 --> 01:04:24,520 I completed my three-year course in Vedanta at the Academy and 823 01:04:24,520 --> 01:04:28,120 got so absorbed in the subject. Now it's been 25 years. 824 01:04:28,640 --> 01:04:33,080 If you would like to find out more about the Academy, here's a 825 01:04:33,080 --> 01:04:36,520 video and further details are online. 826 01:04:39,120 --> 01:04:44,760 Nestled in the serene hills of Malavli, India, 108 kilometers 827 01:04:44,760 --> 01:04:48,720 from Mumbai lies a campus which draws seekers of self 828 01:04:48,720 --> 01:04:54,000 development. Founded in 1988 by world 829 01:04:54,000 --> 01:04:58,000 renowned philosopher Swami A Parthasarathi, the Vedanta 830 01:04:58,000 --> 01:05:01,960 Academy is created to develop the whole personality of young 831 01:05:01,960 --> 01:05:05,040 individuals through a three-year residential course. 832 01:05:06,280 --> 01:05:10,480 The course curriculum is based on Swami A Parthasarathy's 65 833 01:05:10,480 --> 01:05:14,720 years of scientific research and writing on Vedanta, India's 834 01:05:14,720 --> 01:05:17,080 timeless philosophy on life and living. 835 01:05:18,080 --> 01:05:21,200 The program enables you to strengthen your intellect and 836 01:05:21,200 --> 01:05:25,480 gain clarity of thinking. With reflection and focused 837 01:05:25,480 --> 01:05:29,000 discussions, you find answers to all of life's questions. 838 01:05:30,520 --> 01:05:33,800 The intellectual development is accompanied with devotional 839 01:05:33,800 --> 01:05:36,640 practices to elevate your mind's emotions. 840 01:05:39,040 --> 01:05:42,120 The campus provides you with facilities to discipline your 841 01:05:42,120 --> 01:05:51,160 body through yoga, various sporting activities, jogging and 842 01:05:51,160 --> 01:05:54,160 gym. There are also opportunities to 843 01:05:54,160 --> 01:05:58,280 engage in service for a higher cause in various areas of your 844 01:05:58,280 --> 01:06:01,760 interests. A carefully designed daily 845 01:06:01,760 --> 01:06:06,120 schedule nurtures spiritual growth and is supported by the 846 01:06:06,120 --> 01:06:09,440 company of like minded seekers from diverse backgrounds. 847 01:06:10,800 --> 01:06:14,120 You can also experience the Vedanta Academy through shorter 848 01:06:14,120 --> 01:06:18,640 visits, corporate leadership programs, and customized 849 01:06:18,640 --> 01:06:22,200 retreats such as the Vedanta International Retreat for Adults 850 01:06:22,480 --> 01:06:26,960 and Life Decoded Youth Retreat. Learn techniques to improve 851 01:06:26,960 --> 01:06:30,360 yourself and your relationship with the present day world and 852 01:06:30,360 --> 01:06:33,920 gain a taste of simple living and higher thinking. 853 01:06:34,960 --> 01:06:39,040 The Vedanta Academy is a place to find the ultimate purpose of 854 01:06:39,040 --> 01:06:44,120 life and uplift your personality to command success and peace. 855 01:06:48,720 --> 01:06:52,280 And for those of you who would like to join us in Europe, we 856 01:06:52,280 --> 01:06:56,960 have a few places left for our Vedanta Prague retreat, and that 857 01:06:56,960 --> 01:07:02,440 is from the 22nd to the 24th of May Thank you everybody. 858 01:07:02,680 --> 01:07:04,680 Have a good week, hurry on.