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So today, if you want to ask any questions, you can ask questions, not to hesitate. Okay, does anybody have any questions?

Yes, yes.

Q: I’ve been taught that the Vedic understanding of the evolution of consciousness…first we have to understand who we are, the unbounded Awareness, and then the perception over time refines to perceive finer and finer levels of creation until one perceives the Infinite. In all of creation (inaudible) sees that, is no different than that which I am. Is this a sequence that happens over time, or can it happen all at once?

Maharaj: Nothing is happening. This is the Spontaneous Projection of your Ultimate Truth. Nothing has happened, and nothing’s going to happen. You are not the doer, there’s no deed at all. So, not to measure yourself in body-form. So far we are measuring ourselves in body-form, and that is illusion. So many questions are raised, appear upon your Presence. Try to identify that Invisible Presence within you. You are not the body, there’s no shape, there’s no nothing…You’re formless, you’re unborn! How were you prior to beingness? After leaving the body, any question remains? No. What is the value of this knowledge? Knowledge means just to identify oneself in a real sense. We’re identifying ourself in body-form and that is illusion, it’s a simple thing.

There are so many books on spirituality, and so many Masters also. We’re not here to analyze the words of the Masters, the spiritual words. What was the message they gave, that is most important, the conclusion of all spiritual knowledge. This one sentence: except your Selfless Self there is no God, no Brahman, no Atman, no Paramatman, no Master. This is the one message given in all spirituality.

To have Conviction, to absorb this knowledge, you have to undergo the basics of meditation. There isn’t any other source. Question, counter-question, analyzation, it’s okay.

Yes?

Q2: Is there any specific way to do meditation?

Maharaj: Meditation just means concentration and involvement. Not sitting like this: ‘Ram, Ram, Ram, Ram…’, not like this. Try to identify who is acting within this body. Just sit, calm and quiet, to see what’s happening. Who is witnessing the thoughts? Who is watching the dream? Who is that? It’s not the body at all. It’s called Brahman, Atman, Paramatman, God, the name given to the Supernatural Power.

Q2: So, meditating…

Maharaj: Meditation means just to identify yourself. Invite the attention of the Invisible Meditator within you that you are Brahman! Except your Self, nothing is there.

Whatever knowledge we’re having is body-based knowledge. This is a food-body, it’s not going to remain constant. There are stages: you’re a child, then grown up as young man, then you become an old man, and some or other day, willingly or unwillingly you have to leave the body! What remains? After leaving the body, what remains? Nothing. So everything came out of nothing and dissolves back into nothing. What remains? How were you prior to beingness? “I don’t know”. After leaving the body? “I don’t know”. ‘I don’t know’ means that in a negative thought, a positive concept, a positive Reality is there. “I’m not in any form, I’m formless, I’m shapeless. My Presence is there, just like sky or space: everywhere”.

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You can ask any question. If you’ve got any doubts, ask about the doubts. (Inaudible) Yes?

Q: In the book (Selfless Self), Maharaj, you say “Be how you were prior to beingness”. In the practical world, how do you do that?

Maharaj: Just think intellectually:  how were you prior to beingness, and after leaving the body? Is this body Reality? This body is Reality? After some time we have to leave this body, so what is the use of knowledge? Knowledge means just to identify oneself in a real sense. We’re measuring ourselves all the time in body-form. You’re formless, you’re shapeless, it’s fact. The moment the Presence clicked with the body you say ‘I’. So many illusory concepts are wrapped up on us. We’ve accepted these concepts blindly. And for which, again I’m repeating, only the meditation.

Through meditation everything will be clear within you. When I say meditation is the anti-virus software, it means all the viruses will be cleared. And again I’m repeating: nothing is impossible. You need not depend upon anybody else, even me also. Therefore Nisargadatta Maharaj says: “I’m not making you a disciple, I’m making you a Master”, because that Masterly essence is within you. Master is not separate from you. Some confusion is there because of the body-based knowledge. This is a food-body. For which strong devotion is required in the beginning: “I can do it! I know the Reality. I am the Source of this world, the entire world is projected out of me.” This is not an egoistic thought, it’s a fact. If there’s no Presence who will talk about the world, who will talk about the God? And with this all illusory concepts will be dissolved and the six symptoms will appear within you. ‘Shama’, ‘Dama’, means: complete silence, peacefulness, whatever happens, whatever you do, “It’s okay”. Since you are holding the body some things will happen against you also. There will be unpleasant atmospheres, just like clouds are coming, coming and going. You are there and there only.

Yes?

Q: Sometimes in the meditation, I have this fear. I don’t what fear it is, but I have some kind of fear. Why is that?

Maharaj: Because of the pressure of concepts, illusory concepts. Directly or indirectly we’ve accepted the body as our identity. Directly or indirectly we’ve accepted body as our identity, therefore fear is there. Where was that fear prior to beingness? After leaving the body, any fear is there? Is a dead body having any fear? No fear is there.

See, the Spirit would like to survive for a longer time because of the body only. Spirit does not know ‘I am Presence’, and Presence does not know ‘I am Spirit’ or ‘Presence’,just like sky does not know ‘I am sky’.

Yes?

Q: Dear Maharaj, first of all I’d like to show my respect for you, I was coming here a little bit late, so apologies. But I want to say that I no longer have any more questions. I want to thank you for helping me develop the conviction with the identification with Presence.

Maharaj: So, nothing is impossible, I repeat: nothing is impossible for you. Just a lack of courage is there: “how can it happen?”. Siddharameshwar Maharaj says: “You come step forward, and I’ll lift you another step. Put your step ahead, and I’ll lift you another step.” It means: be (move) forward, come. Okay, what has happened, forget it. Now you know the Reality, why not to accept the Reality? Reality is not separate from you.

Q: Sri Ramakant, there’s a seeing that’s very peaceful and there’s a seeing where things lose their substance, but it’s so peaceful, so peaceful. But sometimes underlying that there’s a fear of losing the attachments, the emotional attachments that we have, when people around you are saying “you don’t care about me if you’re not worried about me”, you know? You know, the way love is being taught, and somehow there’s a little part there that’s afraid of losing that attachment. But like you said, Selfless Self feels peace, and it’s seeing is peace. Does it take time to kind of like, move out of that fear where you loosen that old way of seeing things?

Maharaj: What happens is that concepts are taking possession of your body. When there’s no alertness, no awareness, then concepts are taking possession of your body and fear will be there. And therefore meditation and reciting the Mantra, etc., etc.,and meditation are required, because all the time you are reminding yourself. So no fear will be there.

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Anybody having any questions? Yes?

Q: In your book you said “Be yourself and everything is okay”. How do you be yourself?

Maharaj: Yes, it’s fact! Because you’ve accepted body-knowledge. Yourself means Selfless Self, through which you are talking just now, you are identifying some concepts. Self is not separate from you. Name is given :’yourself’, ‘myself’, ‘yourself’, these are names given. It is Selfless Self. These are only words. There are so many Masters saying things in different ways. Instead of analyzing the words of all the Masters, what did they want to convey, that is most important. What did they want to convey? After reading so many books, what message were they giving? They’re giving the message: except your Selfless Self there is no God, no Brahman, no Atman, no Paramatman, no Master. That’s the gist of spirituality. Remember this: except your Selfless Self there is no God, no Brahman, no Atman, no Paramatman, no Master! It is a fact! Be bold, have some courage to accept the Reality! And you’ll find a dramatic change will take place, just like I told you all the six symptoms will appear within you. When you are getting some irritation, some violence, there will be complete silence, complete silence, peacefulness. You’ll have some tolerance also. No attraction of the world – why(be attracted to the world)? This can happen. The only thing you have to do is devote some time for you, not for any Brahman, Atman, Paramatman, God, or Master. You spend some time, you’re not required to pay a single penny for that. This is free of charge, knowledge is free of charge. But things which you are getting free of charge have no value. If someone is charging five thousand dollars or something you say “Oh, he’s a great Master”.

One person came to me who had a Hatha Yogi Master. His Master charged him five lakhs rupees in foreign currency – why? He cut his ear and something, something. Why is this required? Some different clothes are there, some garlands are there, so many things are there. They are decorating the body. Why are they decorating the body? When you came across this world, did you come with a decorated body? I’m not criticizing, this happens. Because we depend upon somebody else. We’re not trying to know ourself: “Who am I?”, the main question. That question will be solved within you only, because you are the source of this identity. Therefore I define it as ‘Unidentified’, ‘Invisible’, ‘Anonymous’ Identity. There’s no name, you can’t guess. Say I’m talking about something, that Invisible Listener is listening, some flow of thoughts are there. You’re witnessing that thought – who is that? And therefore I told you: be with you. Because your Presence is Ultimate Truth.

Don’t accept illusory thoughts. Thoughts are flowing, why to struggle with the thoughts? We are struggling with the thoughts: “Why this, why this?”. Okay, it’s the nature of the body.

Q: But that’s difficult…

Maharaj: Why difficult? You can identify thoughts. The things which we do not accept, forget it. If dishes are given to you, so many things are there, you say “I don’t want this, I don’t want this, I want this food only”, correct? Not to flow along with the thoughts. This can happen through meditation. Give some time for you. Only reading books, listening from anybody else, no. Listen to your own voice, inner voice. This will happen if we’re calm and quiet.

Who is witnessing the thoughts inside?

Q: But how do you know the inner voice that you sit there and hear, the inner voice, how do you know it’s not from your body though?

Maharaj: The body is only the media. You’re witnessing thoughts, you know? You’re witnessing the dream, you’re watching the dream, you know? Who is watching the dream? You are asleep, the body can’t watch. Who has created the dream world? Have you decided “today I’ll see this dream, tomorrow I’ll see that dream”?. You see the sky, the oceans, so many things, you see the Gods, so many things. Who has created the dream world? Similarly, the Presence clicked with the body and you see the dream-world. The body is not creating any dream. The combination of Presence and the body, just like the combination of the matchbox and the stick: they click each other and you see the fire. Fire is everywhere. Just like the five elements are everywhere. American water is not separate from the Indian water, hm? The sky is different from American sky and Indian sky? Because there are different bodies we see ‘this one’, ‘this one’. Presence is one.

After having this Conviction, all concepts will dissolve. There are so many concepts engraved upon us: ‘there’s a God’, ‘you’re going to die’, ‘last birth’, ‘future birth’, ‘hell’, ‘heaven’, what are these things? Who knows ‘hell’ and ‘heaven’? We don’t about this present birth, why are we talking about an earlier birth? We’re talking about ‘sin’, ‘virtue’ and all these things.

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Q4: What next?

Maharaj: No next is there. No next is there, nothing is there. Does sky have any nature of ‘earlier’? Think about it. You’re Presence is just like sky or space. Like the five elements, it’s everywhere. Mind, ego, intellect, these concepts appeared upon your Presence. I’m inviting the attention of that Presence through which you are saying “My mind, my ego, my intellect”, all relations, all requirements, needs –  who wants all these things? Prior to beingness where is that mind? No ego, no intellect prior to beingness. How were you prior to beingness? You say “I don’t know”. ‘I don’t know’ is the correct answer.

So in various ways, I’m placing before you some words in various way. Try to identify the principle behind that. This is not dry spiritual knowledge, it is the Listener’s Truth. The Listener is Ultimate, it’s the last destination, the last terminal. You’re not required to go any where or do any excercise, not to torture your body. Be simple, be normal, the Absolute is within you.

Not to make any deliberate effort. What you have been told, try to absorb, try to digest it. We’re having so many questions, body-based questions. Directly or indirectly we’re having the conviction: ‘I am somebody else’ – that ‘somebody else’ is supposed to dissolve. You’re everybody, not somebody. Your Presence is everywhere, just like space or sky. You’re not limited to the body. The body is an external cover. You can use your body, just like these clothes: we’re cleaning clothes, we’re taking care of the clothes.

It’s open fact. Your sadhana is in the beginning stage only. No sadhana is required after having Conviction. Sadhana, meditation: it’s okay in the beginning. Just like a small baby wants something artificial, an artificial cart to help him walk because he can’t stand on his feet. If now you are given some artificial (walker) you’ll not need it, you’ll say “I’m grown up”. So likewise you have to convince, you have to have a dialogue within your Selfless Self. Your inner Master is very strong. As a matter of fact, there’s no ‘inner Master’, but for understanding we say ‘inner Master’, through which you are identifying the world, through which you see the world, through which you are watching the dreams and all, through which you are experiencing all the thoughts. That hidden secret will be open through meditation only. 

This is a magic box (Maharaj points to his body), this is a magic box, so many things are inside. But all the time we’re neglecting it. We’re having some concept: “Oh, some God is there, He’s administering all the world and all.”, “With His grace I am living on this…” okay. Have some faith within your Selfless Self. Be calm and quiet. Just see what is there! Just glimpses of ‘I’, without any shape or form.

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I never said neglect your food-body. This is the media through which you can identify yourself. There are so many concepts from childhood till today: ‘I am born’, ‘I am a man or woman’, so many concepts are there, social concepts, religious concepts. And within this circle we are living our life. After perfectly identifying (yourself) there will be dramatic changes within you, called signs of Realization. Spiritual science says there are six symptoms of Realization. There is the question: ‘How can I identify whether I’m Realized or not? What is the sign of Realization, what is the sign of Enlightenment?’ After having Conviction, after absorbing the knowledge of Reality, some changes are taking place. ‘Shama’ means to forgive and forget. (inaudible) petty matters are giving irritation. After having the Conviction you’ll be calm and quiet, just like Gautama Buddha or Jesus Christ, you know them? There’s no irritation. ‘Shama’ means forgive and forget. If anything happens against your mind, you’re not getting irritated, no anger is there. And ‘Dama’ means tolerance or patience. Tolerance comes spontaneously within you. Where petty matters would irritate us, there may be some violence inside, patience will appear. You will feel it. If any incidents happen against your mind, you’re not getting irritation. There’s tolerance, patience, ‘Shama’, ‘Dama’. ‘Titiksha’ means just to know the Reality, anxious to know the Reality: who am I? And then ‘Uparati’ means there is no attraction of the world. There are so many attractions to the world: publicity, money, sex, there are so many attractions to the world. No greediness, no attraction to the world. You’re living in the world, but there’s complete calm and quiet. And then ‘Bhakti’ means devotion, total devotion. After knowing the Reality there is total devotion. And ‘Shraddha’ means full trust and faith. These are the six symptoms given in spiritual science. You can measure yourself. And after having the Spontaneous Conviction about the Reality, these changes are taking place. What you are prior to beingness, how you will be after leaving the body, at that time there was no anger, nothing is there. And these symptoms will appear spontaneously within you. You’ll be calm and quiet.

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Q: In ‘I Am That’, Nisargadatta says “A quiet mind is all you need. When the mind is quiet, all else happens as it should.” Does it matter, therefore, how one quiets one’s mind?

Maharaj: It happens, but after knowing your Selfless Self the mind will not remain. The existence of mind appeared upon your Presence. The existence of mind, ego, intellect appeared upon your Presence.  Presence does not have any mind, ego, intellect. And therefore, try to identify  yourself in a real sense. These are the words, through words I am conveying. After having Conviction, mind, ego, intellect never remains. Where was the mind prior to beingness and after leaving the body? Mind does not have it’s own identity. You have given birth to the mind, ego, intellect. Without your Presence, how can you identify ego, intellect, mind?  It was not there prior to beingness, and not after leaving the body also. And therefore I am insisting on meditation. Through meditation you can control your mind, mind will be controlled spontaneously. Mind means flow of thoughts, continuous thoughts are there, which you define as ‘the mind’. Thoughts are entering the mind, they go to the intellect and make a decision, and through ego you are implementing that decision. It’s a process, functioning. You are separate from that.

So all questions will be solved within you. You do not need to go anywhere or to any Master also, I’ll tell you. Because the Masterly essence is within you. My Master said: “I’m not making you a disciple, I’m making you a Master”. Nisargadatta Maharaj says that “I’m not making you a disciple, I’m making you a Master”. You’re already Master, but you forgot your identity.

You know the story of the lion? Famous story, spiritual story. One lion got brought up with the goats and sheep and started considering: “I am a goat or sheep” and was afraid of the dogs and foxes, etc., etc. It’s a famous story, you know? So far we have association with this body, even though body is not our identity, and therefore we are considering ourself in body-form. You are formless. There’s no shape, no form, it’s fact. And to absorb this fact, you are to undergo the meditation, again I am repeating the same thing. You may read books, you may listen to the various Masters, but not to neglect your Inner Master.