This lecture today, it is titled Quenching the Firebrand, which seems to be a very strange

and interesting title.

It's actually the fourth in a series of four lectures based on the Mandukya Karika.

The first one was called the essence of all Vedant.

And then the second one was called the Ultimate Truth.

The third one was last week.

It was called No Mind.

By the way, I'm feeling some of that no mind.

I came back at 12.30 from San Diego last night.

And I finally went to sleep at 2 a.m. or 2.30 a.m. I think.

And of course, we had to be up and about by 5.30 in the morning.

So I'm feeling a bit of the no mind now.

So all of what I say today, don't take it as the gospel truth or non-duality. It just might be jet lag.

So the third one was called no mind and the first one, two, three are based on the first three chapters of the Mandukya Kharkarika.

Manduqya Karika is four chapters.

And the fourth one, which I'm going to talk about today, the name of the chapter is Alata Shanti Prakarana, the chapter on quenching the firebrand.

And that's why I have given this name, Quenching the Firebrand.

Now this chapter is a bit of a miscellany.

There are different things in this chapter.

I am principally going to be talking about three things here. The first one is no less

then why does the universe exist? That's the question. The second one is a controversy. I'll get

down to it. But the whole of the Mandukya Karika and especially the fourth chapter, there

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