Vishayapravalaha, the new tender leaves which are called shoots. They are shown here as shoots. The five sensory objects are the shoots, the leaves of this worldly tree. The tree stays alive and grows because of the shoots. In a tree, branches sprout from the trunk and shoots sprout from the branches. And through the shoots, the branches grow further. In this world, contemplation of sensory objects is the shoots. Maharaj has said that because of this, the entire world remains green. If a whole banyan tree has fallen, but if there is one root, it keeps sprouting shoots, it remains green. Shriji Maharaj also shows in the third Vachanamrut of Ahmedabad that, just as if a whole banyan tree has fallen, but if one small aerial root is stuck in the earth, the entire banyan tree remains green. Similarly, this jiva's contemplation of sensory objects is the very cause of birth and death. Contemplation is the cause. God has not said that accepting the sensory objects is the cause of birth and death. But after accepting them, he keeps remembering them, right? That becomes the cause of his birth and death. He cannot let go of it. He just keeps remembering it, keeps remembering it. The sensory object is already gone. Then, after it is gone, it is not even within his reach. Even then, his memory of it does not fade. And his attachment to it does not go away. Therefore, God said, 'Vishaya vinivartante niraharasya dehinaha| rasavarjam raso'pyasya param drishtva nivartate.' If he finds joy in God, then that other attachment goes away. If he finds joy in serving God, then the activities of the other gunas go away. But even if he performs seva, if he does not find joy in seva, if he is forced and pressured to join, like 'you have to do this.' Otherwise, this has just become a routine, right? Can one survive without doing it? We cannot manage like that. If everyone is doing it and we just sit, then we look bad and our reputation is ruined. Losing reputation is a big issue. That is why they do it, not out of joy. And without joy in God, that other attachment does not go away. The worldly attachment does not go away. 'Vishaya vinivartante niraharasya dehinaha| rasavarjam raso'pyasya param drishtva nivartate.' If he finds joy in God, if he finds joy in serving God, if he finds joy in God's devotee, in God's mission, then there is no problem. Contemplation is the very cause of birth and death. Contemplation of sensory objects is what keeps the worldly tree green and makes it grow. Its true root is contemplation of sensory objects. Not taking a body. Even a liberated soul can have a body. But there is contemplation of sensory objects, contemplation of sensory objects, and respect for sensory objects; Gunatitanand Swami said that this does not exist in four places. One, in Akshardham, in Shvetadvip, in Badrikashram, and here, in an ekantik devotee. Everywhere else, there is respect for sensory objects and 'bring it, bring it, bring it' is how it is. It is not in these four places. Contemplation of sensory objects is the new shoots of the tree. At the end of life, whatever sensory objects this jiva contemplates upon leaving the body, it attains that very state. 'Yam Yam Restraint. First step of ashtãng-yog, which involves moral living for purity of mind and unobstructed concentration. Tap to open in glossary → yam yam Restraint. First step of ashtãng-yog, which involves moral living for purity of mind and unobstructed concentration. Tap to open in glossary → smaran smaran Remembrance. To remember. Tap to open in glossary → So, whatever sensory object he is contemplating, he goes there. If he is contemplating some object, he goes there. At the end of life, whatever sensory objects this jiva contemplates upon leaving the body, it attains that very state. This is what is called sprouting shoots. The shoots of a tree, and especially the shoots of a peepal tree, are very beautiful in appearance. So that they keep attracting the human mind constantly. Compared to all other shoots, the peepal shoots are... there is a description of the peepal tree, right? So, peepal shoots are very good, very tender. Extremely pleasing to the eye. So, sensory objects are all like that. We get very attached. The shoots of a tree, and especially the shoots of a peepal tree, are very beautiful in appearance. So that they keep attracting the human mind constantly. They seem very sweet to the mind. Similarly, contemplation of sensory objects seems sweet to the jiva. Its fruit is very painful and bitter. Pondering over it seems very sweet to him. He just keeps pondering. Even if he has enjoyed a sensory object once, he keeps pondering, keeps pondering. As he ponders, he swallows gulps of pleasure. Even if it is not there. In contemplation, he swallows gulps of pleasure. It must feel good, no matter what. Similarly, contemplation of sensory objects seems sweet to the jiva. Its fruit is very painful and bitter. But contemplation seems extremely sweet. Therefore, the jiva, without caring about the fruit, becomes limitless and enjoys sensory objects. And during the rest of the time, he contemplates sensory objects. He cannot renounce the contemplation of sensory objects. If he puts wisdom first and thinks of the consequences, he can certainly renounce it. Beauty and attraction in sensory objects are perceived only because of one's own attachment. In reality, they are not beautiful; they are deadly and painful. Therefore, the renunciation of attachment to sensory objects is considered true renunciation. Therefore, it is said that, They give that example, right? A man man Mind. One of the four antah-karans, with the function of (pronounced mun) generating thoughts and desires, and governing all of the indriyas. Tap to open in glossary → Extremely liked them. So, he must have gone somewhere as a guest, and they made exactly churma laddoos for him. So, they gave him the first laddoo. So, with every single bite, nectar was dripping, so to speak. Then they gave him a second one, so it became a little less. Then they gave him a third one, so it became even less than that. They gave him a fourth one, so then, since they must have been very big, that dripping nectar became zero. Then the host thought, 'He likes them very much,' so with more insistence, he said, 'Please take, take two.' 'No, no brother, now it has reached here (up to the throat).' It has reached the throat. Now if you put more, I will vomit. So, where is the pleasure? In demand. In demand, in hunger. If there is equal pleasure in the sensory object itself, then as much pleasure as was felt in the first one should be felt in the last one. Both were made of the same material, so to speak. But that does not happen. So, when one is very hungry... this jiva has an eternal hunger. The hunger of the mind is such, that it always increases. Physical hunger is always satisfied. And the hunger of the mind always becomes more unfulfilled. If you pour five liters, then a ten-liter pit is formed. If you put five liters of sensory objects in this jiva, then a ten-liter pit is formed. And if you put ten, then a twenty-liter pit is formed. Such is the nature of the mind. The more it enjoys, the double the hunger it feels. The more it enjoys, the double the hunger it feels. So, initially there is only this much pleasure, but when that twenty-liter pit is formed, how much pleasure is there? And if a two-hundred-liter pit is formed, then? So, it is also written in the Upanishads, right? 'Nayam manushyo vittena tarpaniyo' vittena tarpaniyo. He is never satisfied at all. Satisfaction means contentment, so to speak. No matter how much... so it is not just about wealth alone. He is never satisfied by the five sensory objects. Their monks give an example in Jainism. That a king had a dream. He was the emperor of the entire earth. And he had a dream and felt such thirst, such thirst, that don't even ask, such thirst he felt. So, he drank the water of 999 rivers all by himself. In the dream. In a dream, one can drink, right? Even then, his thirst was not quenched. Then he drank the water of seven oceans. Even then, his thirst was not quenched. Then he finished all the wells and small ponds. Even then, his thirst was not quenched. Then there was a wet clod of earth, he was sucking it. Lying down. Now, does that work? Does thirst go away with a wet clod of earth? He swallowed the ocean, and he sucks a wet clod of earth. This jiva is like that. He has sucked so much, even then he sucks a wet clod of earth. Maharaj said that he has sucked mother's milk equal to the water of the ocean. It means that he has enjoyed sensory objects equal to seven oceans. Now he sucks wet clods of earth. Even then, it does not satisfy him. Thirst is not quenched. It became so much, because it doubles. If he drinks seven oceans, then how much thirst does he feel? Fourteen. He feels fourteen. Such is the nature of sensory objects. Such is the hunger of the mind. So, thirst is not quenched. It does not go away. Is it possible that after enjoying sensory objects, one contemplates them? What are you saying? Is it possible that one enjoys sensory objects and then contemplates them? If he does it just for livelihood, then it does not happen. If he does it just for the body's livelihood, then it does not happen. He must have the connection, the focus on livelihood, then it does not happen. What is called a sensory object? That which is done by crossing the limit. For a devotee of God, a sensory object is called a sensory object. If he stays within God's command, until then it is not a sensory object for him, until then it is a command. Until then, it is called a command. Maharaj said to eat once a day, even then if we eat, it is not considered enjoying a sensory object, it is considered obeying a command, otherwise what? Maharaj's command would fall, right? So we are considered those who catch it mid-air. That is why we eat. We have nothing at all, we don't even have a pit in our stomach. Why do we eat? Because Maharaj said so. Maharaj said so, and if Maharaj said so and we don't eat, then Maharaj's command is violated, the command falls. So, we eat to please Maharaj. So, if he stays within the command, then he does not contemplate it. Well, he might contemplate it, but he lets go of it now. But if he enjoyed it with pleasure, then how can he let go? So, if it is just for livelihood, just for the command, then if he wishes, he can let go of its contemplation. He must wish so, otherwise it does not happen. Therefore, the jiva, without caring about the fruit, becomes limitless and enjoys sensory objects. And during the rest of the time, he contemplates sensory objects. He cannot renounce the contemplation of sensory objects. If he puts wisdom first and thinks of the consequences, he can certainly renounce it. Enjoying sensory objects and contemplating sensory objects, there is a difference between the two. Enjoying sensory objects is sometimes a livelihood. Contemplation of sensory objects is never a livelihood. If a man man Mind. One of the four antah-karans, with the function of (pronounced mun) generating thoughts and desires, and governing all of the indriyas. Tap to open in glossary → But it is not that if he eats and then does not contemplate, he dies. If he did not contemplate the five sensory objects for one or two years, he would die, pass away immediately. Or if he does not remember it after eating, even then it is not that he lies there like a block. Contemplation is just purely a sensory object. And they are purely creators of birth and death. It is difficult to get free from that. Such is vishayapravala. That is why it is said. AI translation of the Gujarati transcript above, produced in the same pass that transcribed the audio, one English segment per Gujarati segment. Devotional and technical terms with no precise English equivalent (kirtan, satsang, vasana, samskara, and similar) are kept as their plain transliteration rather than force-translated. Not human-proofread., AI-translated, unverified · Source details