Disciple:
Pranam, Gurudev. Pranam.
Guru:
Pranam, my son. Speak.
Disciple:
Gurudev, nowadays we often hear a phrase: "Stealing in the house of sentiments" (Bhaber ghore churi). I would like to hear your thoughts on this.
Guru:
Well, that's not my phrase; it was spoken by Sri Ramakrishna himself. He said, "Do not steal in the house of sentiments." You see, we all have a specific 'sentiment' or 'nature.' Within us is our Swabhav (nature). Do you know what Swabhav means? Swa means self. So, the sentiment that belongs to you is your Swabhav. If you break down the word, it is Swa-Bhab (Self-Sentiment).
Guru:
Suppose I feel like I have nothing within me, but I put on a string of beads and colorful robes—whether white, black, green, or blue, it doesn't matter. I wear the attire, but inside, I have nothing. This is exactly what "stealing in the house of sentiments" means. I am projecting a sentiment of being something great just because of the clothes I wear, while inside, I am thinking of something else.
Guru:
The general public often doesn't understand much; they simply believe in what they see. When they are deceived, they feel cheated, but initially, they believe deeply that "this person is the real deal." However, in practice, it often turns out that the clothes and the beads are all there is. When that happens, people lose faith. This is why Ramakrishna repeatedly warned against "stealing in the house of sentiments."
Disciple:
Gurudev, we also see people getting addicted to various things.
Guru:
People are very prone to addiction these days. Just look at what happened recently—two people committed suicide because they couldn't get alcohol. They felt there was no way out if they couldn't drink. This, too, is a type of 'sentiment' or 'state of mind.'
Guru:
Every man has some sort of addiction or passion. Even our great writers and leaders had them. Take Saratchandra Chattopadhyay, for example. Once, Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose went to Saratchandra's house to invite him to a domestic function. Saratchandra agreed immediately. Now, Saratchandra had a passion for the Gorgora (hookah), which everyone knew. Arrangements were made for his hookah, and he sat there leaning against a bolster (takia), as was the fashion of the elites in those days.
Guru:
He waited for the function to start, but no one was arriving. After about an hour and a half, a stout man in a dhoti-panjabi arrived and set up a harmonium. Saratchandra thought, "Alright, the harmonium is here, surely the tabla will follow." Soon, the tabla arrived. Saratchandra was puffing on his hookah, waiting for the music to begin.
Guru:
But for another hour, they just tuned the instruments—tong-tong on the tabla, matching the harmonium's notes. He became very irritated. Eventually, they began the song: "Saiya tu kahan gaiya" (Beloved, where have you gone?). They repeated this one line over and over in different tunes. Finally, Saratchandra lost his patience. He threw down the hookah pipe and said, "Saiya tu Kashi Mitrer Ghat-me gaiya!" (Your beloved has gone to the Kashi Mitra cremation grounds!). Then he just walked out.
Guru:
The point is, passions vary. Even Sri Ramakrishna smoked a hookah; Vivekananda used to smoke it too. Vivekananda used to "steal" his father's hookah to smoke in secret when he was young. Addiction or passion is part of a man's heritage. Some are addicted to tobacco, some to alcohol, some to other things.
Disciple:
Gurudev, I have a question regarding this. We often see in middle-class homes, children and adults alike playing with the idea of God—almost like a game.
Guru:
I have said this many times. People don't understand God, so they play games. This is also "stealing in the house of sentiments." Someone places an idol in front of them, puts on fine clothes, and people believe them because 90% of people are believers. They go to these "saints" for holy water, flowers, or oils. If it works for one person out of a hundred, that person becomes a walking advertisement for the "saint." But the person sitting there is just pretending; they think they are something great while deceiving others.
Guru:
Regarding addictions, the worst are addictions to lust and alcohol. There is a saying: "Pitta, Pitta, Punorpitta, Punoruthita Na Bhavo"—which roughly means "Drink, drink, and drink again, until you fall and cannot get up." But the danger is when the addiction consumes you. If I consume the addiction, it's one thing; but if the addiction consumes me, then it's over. Every man has some passion, but one must not let it become their ruin.
Disciple:
Gurudev, people often say you don't know anything or that what you say is wrong, but later those same people come back to you.
Guru:
Yes, many have come back. Let me tell you a story. I was sitting with four or five friends once—we were all like brothers. One suggested we have tea. I asked what kind, and he said "Ro-Cha" (liquor tea). So, we were all drinking red liquor tea.
Guru:
At that time, two ladies came to a nearby paan shop. They had heard someone "special" lived nearby who dressed simply. The shopkeeper pointed towards us. When the ladies saw us all with glasses of red liquid (the tea), they were shocked! They thought we were sitting there drinking alcohol in broad daylight. They went back to the shopkeeper and scolded him, "Where did you send us? They are all drunkards!" This is a true story. Later, when they found out it was just tea and that I don't touch alcohol, they came back and apologized.
Disciple:
Gurudev, can you tell us more about "stealing in the house of sentiments" in the context of work?
Guru:
Vivekananda said, "Work like a hero." Don't worry about who recognizes you or who doesn't. Don't listen to praise or criticism. Just focus on your goal.
Guru:
I'll tell you another personal story. A man once came to me and tried to show off his wealth. He asked, "How much money do you want to get this work done?" I told him, "Go and bring me 1,080 ten-rupee notes." He believed in me and brought exactly 1,080 ten-rupee notes.
Guru:
I was performing a Hom (sacrificial fire) that day. As the fire grew, I started offering those currency notes into the fire. I had already burned about 10 or 15 notes when an elderly, high-ranking officer from the IB department caught my hand. He said, "Don't take offense, but you are destroying government property. You could go to jail for this. I am a high-ranking officer, and I'm telling you, you don't have the right to do this."
Guru:
I realized then that I was acting out of a certain impulse because that man had tried to show off his money to me. I apologized to the officer and removed the money. My life's experiences are what I write about; I don't write fiction.
Guru:
You must not drift from your goal. Remember the story of Dronacharya from the Mahabharata. Before the Kurukshetra war, he was teaching the Pandavas and Kauravas archery. He placed a wooden bird in a tree and asked his pupils what they saw. Duryodhana said, "I see a tree and a bird." Dronacharya told him to step aside. One by one, he asked others—Bhim, Nakul, Sahadev. They all said they saw the tree, the branches, and the bird.
Guru:
Finally, he asked Arjuna. Arjuna said, "Gurudev, I see only the eye of the bird." Dronacharya said, "You are correct. Your focus is where it needs to be."
Guru:
That is Swabhav—your true nature and focus. It doesn't change easily. Like a dog's tail, if you pull it straight, it stays straight as long as you hold it, but the moment you let go, it curls back.
Guru:
Some people become hypocrites out of poverty. They take on the garb of a priest or a sadhu just to survive. I don't consider that a great sin because they are doing it out of a struggle for food. The problem is when people don't know where to stop. You must know your "commas and periods" (limits). You must know where to draw the line.
Guru:
People often offer me money, and I tell them, "You are trying to make me addicted to money." Whether it's Tarapith or Kalighat, religion has become all about money. But if you just pray to God with a sincere heart, you don't need money. Don't let others make you addicted to greed.
Disciple:
We have heard a detailed explanation of "stealing in the house of sentiments" from Gurudev today.
Guru:
It's not just about one episode. People need to understand the difference between Bhab (sentiment) and Swabhav (true nature). We are living in a very difficult time in the world, facing many crises. If humanity doesn't change its nature, we won't survive.
Disciple:
Please subscribe to Gurudev's YouTube channel, Guptasadhok Shyama Khepa. Like, share, and watch more of Gurudev's videos. Pranam, Gurudev.
Guru:
Pranam, my son. Pranam.