A powerful talk given by Sadguru Sri Ramakant Maharaj during the Guru Purnima celebration at Nashik Ashram July 7, 2018.
Maharaj: So, we are talking about spirituality. The importance of spirituality in human life. We are holding human life, human body. What is the importance of the spirituality in human life or human body? The basic concept is clear that body is not your identity at all. We are holding this body. What is there? Just glimpses of “I”, glimpses of “I”. Formless. There is no awareness, no unawareness. There is no experience, no experiencer. There is no witness, no witnesser. There is no seer, no seen. I am placing before you fact, your fact. What happened? When you are studying, listening spirituality, at that time we are having strong concept “I am somebody else”, form. The importance of spirituality is to dissolve this form. How to dissolve this form? For which basic thing, in our Lineage, we are giving Naam Mantra, called “Soham Sadhana”. What is the meaning of “Soham Sadhana”? Through that words indicates your Invisible Identity. It’s totally invisible, there is not any awareness, no witness, nothing is there. But, directly, indirectly, we are having some base “I am somebody else”, that should be melted. That is to be dissolved. It rarely happens, therefore first lesson in spirituality: follow Master, what He says. When Master says, “You are formless”, you are formless. It’s fact! How are you prior to beingness? No form is there. After leaving body no form is there. But you are not accepting this fact. This is the tragedy of human life. Master’s shouting, “You are formless! You are Ultimate Truth! You are Final Truth!”, but you are not accepting it. People says, “When will I realize? When will I get enlightenment?”, these are the words. As such there is no enlightenment, no realization. You are not single person, you are not individual. “Is X,Y,Z, realized?”, means what? That the form realized? Just like the Indian sky realized and American sky not realized? It’s not like that. What is the purpose behind that?
Through this meditation we are hammering our Self, we are hammering the Invisible Concentrator within you, “I am Brahman, Brahman I am. I am Brahman, Brahman I am”. Non-stop concentrating concentrator, then the entire thing will be melted. No layers of the illusory concepts remains. That’s what we want. Directly, indirectly we are counting our self in body form and that is illusion. It’s a fact! So just look at You! How you were prior to beingness? How you are after leaving the body? “I don’t know.” Your answer will be, “I don’t know”. “I don’t know” means that in a negative answer a positive reply is there. “I don’t know” means my Presence is there but I am not in any form. In that negative reply what it says, “I don’t know” means, I am there, invisible. So I am completely formless, the reply meaning, but it is very easy to understand literally. I am insisting practice. Do some practice. People having wrong impressions, “Oh I am realized, I know I am Brahman”. It is not so easy. You have to study it till that so called “I” dissolves, melts. Till that time you have to undergo meditation. I already told all of you meditation, bhajan also illusion, but to remove one illusion you have to take the help of another illusion. Just like I give the example, to remove one thorn you have to take the help of another thorn and throw it out.
But, our knowledge is having body-based concept, directly, indirectly we say, “I am somebody else”, either male or female. Male or female are external covers, it’s not your identity at all. So just try to identify yourself. The principle of spirituality in human life is try to identify yourself. How you were prior to beingness? How you are after leaving the body? No form is there, no concepts is there, no thoughts is there, no identity is there. That means everything came out of nothing, everything dissolves within nothing. Your Presence is Invisible, Unidentified, Anonymous, which cannot be guessed. You can use your body. Have your own responsibilities, take care of body, take care of your body, take care of your family, no harm. Spirituality is not a hindrance in the way of your family life, but at the same time try to identify yourself. “Who am I?” is the main question of everybody. “Who am I?” That question will be solved within you. Have the question, “Who am I?”, the reply is “I am That”, “So that I, I am”. That is “Soham Sadhana”. So it means, “I am Brahman, Brahman I am”. Brahman is also word, but it indicates Ultimate Truth that you are. How that Ultimate Truth is? No form, just like a space or sky. Space or sky does not have its own identity. Who says this is space, this is sky? Sky does not know “I am sky”. This reality is supposed to be absorbed totally within you. For which spirituality [help you]. Spirituality means not chanting Mantra, not saying “Ram, Ram, Ram, Ram”. Try to identify, “Who am I?”. Then the identifier itself will dissolve. No identity remains. No witness remains, no experience is there. That means where everything ends there you are. That reality is supposed to be absorbed. Therefore, I am insisting first lesson of spirituality is you have to undergo strictly meditation. Meditation is the most important. Without meditation theoretical knowledge will not help you. A lot of theoretical knowledge, I read this book.
So many persons are coming to me, “Last 50 years I’m doing some spirituality”, what are you doing spiritual? That means reading so many books and saying, “Ram, Ram, Ram, Ram” and doing some karma, some chakra is there, [another] chakra, this chakra, dharma, yoga… what is the use of all this, what is the use of this? Not to sit and torture your body. For identifying yourself not to sit and torture your body, because body is not your identity at all. Body is having death and birth, not you. The Holder of the body is totally free from all concepts. But our knowledge is within the circle of the concepts. You are to break that circle; and for which, after mediation you will get spontaneous courage to accept the Reality. We are having lack of confidence, no faith; no faith in yourself and no faith in Master. Whosoever your Master, have strong faith. My Master is Ultimate Truth and what my Master says is Ultimate Truth. Master says you are Ultimate Truth, I am Ultimate Truth. Master says you are Brahman, I am Brahman, no other thoughts. When this reality absorbs, this strong faith, nothing will remain.
So, therefore, try to identify yourself. I know that identifier and identifier, these are concepts, but we are talking something about spirituality we have to use of language. We have created language. We have given meaning to some words: this is “donkey”, this is “Brahman”, this is “Atman”. We have created words, given meaning, but through language we are trying to impress the Invisible Listener within you, that you are Ultimate Truth. So therefore, till you get Spontaneous Conviction, you have to undergo strictly meditation. Then meditation not sitting like this (Maharaj gestures “Jnana mudra”), meditation’s total involvement. When you are leaving this human body, when the Holder of the human body is leaving body, human body, Ultimate Truth for which is no specific identity. That reality. … are there, all relations, all desires, all concepts came along with the body and dissolve along with the body. Prior to beingness, no desire
is there, no karma is there; karma, dharma, all these concepts came afterwards; even mind, ego, intellect. My mind, my ego, my intellects, where are those prior to beingness? After leaving body mind is there, ego is there, intellect is there? Nothing is there. It’s not bad, but we are using excessively. Not to use excessive mind, ego, intellects. So far we are slave of our own mind, “Oh I don’t want to go against my own mind”. What is mind? Flow of thoughts. We are victim of our own thoughts. Try to go against, go against your mind. Intellects is not bad, ego also not bad, but we are using excessively; therefore, be alert.
Through human body you can identify, and you have got good capacity because of all the Lineage Masters. Focus: Except your Selfless Self there is no God, no Brahman, no Atman, no Paramatman, no Master. Nisargadatta Maharaj says, “Except your Selfless Self there is no God, no Brahman, no Atman, no Paramatman, no Master”. That reality is supposed to be absorbed. So, after knowing this reality why to go here and there to find out some Masters? Master is not separate from you. Not to count Master in any form, Master is formless. That reality is supposed to be absorbed; and therefore, spirituality is required.
Okay, any questions for anybody? I don’t think there will be any questions because it’s clear. So, don’t confuse it, “I want to realize, then I want enlightenment”, these are all concepts. No words are there, because entire world is illusionary world. [Inaudible] Shankaracharya, what he says, “To say ‘I’ it is an illusion, to say ‘You’ it is an illusion, to say ‘Brahman’ it is illusion; entire world is an illusion”. What more do you want? In an illusionary world God and Master also, illusion. It’s not bad, I am not blaming you, but except your Selfless Self nothing is there. Suppose, example is that in spirituality it is mentioned that if at all you want to compare, compare just like a space or sky. Space or sky does not have any specific identity. Which sky is realized, which sky is not realized? Sky does not know I am sky, space does not know I am space. Like that, your Invisible Anonymous Identity is beyond sky. Since we are counting our self in body form therefore we are separating our self.
So be with You all the time. You’ve got knowledge, but it should be implemented, it should be dissolved, it should be absorbed . [Unlayers?] supposed to be dissolved, [layers?] supposed to be absorbed. And to
absorb the reality you have to undergo strictly, in the beginning, meditation. You devote some half an hour, one hour, and all the time recite the Mantra. Then it is not necessary. Just like this body is called man, I am not saying, “I am man, I am man, I am man”. Like that the Holder of the body called “Brahman”. So you have to meditate “I am Brahman”, till you get Conviction. Then it is not necessary. You are living like a Brahman. Whatever happening, whatever not happening you are unconcerned, because all deeds and everything came along with the body. There is no deed, there is no doer. What karma is there? What is dharma? Dharma is nothing, it is also concept. In Bhagavad Gita Krishna says, “Discard all religions, religions imaginary. Through which you are identifying entire world, that Invisible Presence, bow down to Me”.
Various books, spiritual books it’s mentioned clearly, but only not to become bookish or literal knowledge, have practical knowledge. And human body is an golden opportunity for you. And then this Direct Knowledge I prepared for you, you have to accept it. Nothing in between, it’s not a theory. This is Listeners knowledge, Listeners reality. Invisible Listener is formless, that’s enough. After accepting this, nothing to do. There should not be any temptation to go anywhere to find out reality, because you are reality. But not to take the help of ego, human beings having ego, “I am somebody else”. That “somebody else” supposed to be dissolved. That’s enough for us. What more do you want?
Any questions for anybody else? Oh, Oh, good.
It is very simple. No complication, not to stress your mind, not to stress your brain. No intellects required, simple thing, but simple thing we make it complicated, because directly, indirectly we are counting ourself in body form. This concept supposed to be dissolved totally. And for which “Soham Sadhana”, meditation is the base to dissolve everything. Therefore in another language I say, “Soham Sadhana” , meditation is “anti-virus software”. Meditation means “anti-virus software”, you have to install it in your computer. All bugs will be dissolved.
Visitor : Maharaj.
M: Yes.
V: How is it possible to recite the Mantra while engaged in uh, activities that require attention, like studying or reading or speaking?
M: It happens spontaneously. So, this body called “Man”, are you saying “I am man, I am man, I am man”?
V: No
M: You are living as a man. The meaning of Mantra, “I am Brahman”. Till you get conviction, till that time you have to recite the Mantra. It become spontaneous. This body is given some name, we have accepted it, are you counting my name is “Jordan, Jordan”? No. So, some or other way you are counting yourself in body-form, therefore this question is there. You are not body, you were not body, you are not going to remain body. You do your job, do your duties, but when doing any duties, doing job are you repeating “I am man, woman”? That reality is there. Like that you are neither woman nor man, you are Brahman, Ultimate Truth. Why to remember it? In the beginning it is required. After having conviction nothing is required. So don’t separate yourself from the Ultimate Truth. You are Ultimate Truth. Now you are considering “I am somebody else, I am doing specific job, while doing this job how can I recite the Mantra”, it’s not like that.
V: But at the time when I, for example, when I am reading something I can not put my attention on the Mantra at the same time I am putting attention on the…
M: That “I am” is supposed to be dissolved! Your so called “I am” is the problem for you. There is no “I am”, “You are”, “He”, “She”, nothing is there. Just like you are not forgetting “I am a man”. While doing so are you forgetting “I am a man”?
V: No
M: Correct, then Master says, Master place Reality before you, that you are Brahman, why to forget it? I am doing something [what] so I will not have time, I find it difficult to accept this uh Mantra, meaning of the Mantra. It’s not like that. And Master says, “Except your Selfless Self nothing is there”. No Brahman is there. And therefore in the beginning I am insisting, no problem is there. So do your job, do your duties, but at the same time you can recite the Mantra inside, while traveling, the Mantra is going on inside spontaneously. In the beginning you will find it difficult, because long association with the body we are having so much attachment, so much close with our body identity. To dissolve body identity you have to undergo strictly meditation. Meditation means you are always hammering. You are hammering the Invisible Concentrator that “You are the Brahman, you are the Brahman”. Then I don’t need. It’s a fact. Because you forgot your identity this exercise is required in the beginning, not thereafter.
Correct. Don’t worry about it, Master will take care of all actions. Once Nisargadatta Maharaj said, “If you take drop of poison what are the consequences? You need not be thinking about the consequences.” Like that you have taken a drop of nectar: “You are Brahman”, it acts automatically inside. Don’t worry about it. All worries are because “I am somebody else”. You are not somebody, you are everybody. Because you are counting as individual therefore all this problem is there. I told you that body is not your identity at all. Prior to beinginess have you got any disturbance of thoughts? Just remember they’re thoughts. What are thoughts? They are flowing, it’s the nature of the mind. Let thoughts flow, don’t pay attention. In the beginning you’ll find it little bit difficult, I understand, but continue with the reciting Mantra.
V: So recite as much as, as I can remember?
M: Remember all the time. When the colored concept dissolves, at that time it will be spontaneous. So far some concept, body based concepts are there, some layers of body based concepts are there, this question will be arise. The moment that all layers dissolves, disappears, erased out of that Nama Mantra, no question will be there.
Nothing is there. I told you, everything came out of nothing everything dissolve within nothing. You are unknown to yourself. Prior to beingness you are not known to yourself. The unknown came into existence as known, then you say “I am”. Unknown came into existence as known, through body, then you say “I am”. Where was that “I am” prior to beingness? No “I am” is there, no “you are” is there. After leaving body any “I am” is there? Nothing. “I am”, “You are”, “He is”, “She is”, all these concepts came along with the body only. Prior to beingness there is any desire? Who want happiness? Who want peacefulness? Who want tension free life? Who want fearless life? So far you are considering body-form therefore all these concepts required. Prior to beingness nothing is required. You do not know what is happiness. After leaving body any happiness is there? All these are body-based concepts. This is a dead body. If there is no Spirit within the body what is the value of the body? Nothing. So have courage. To get courage meditation most important. I’m insisting, only dry discussions on spirituality are meaningless, be practical. In the beginning you have to do something; thereafter there is nothing to do. Because you are not doer, there is no deed.
In the beginning when you are learning any language, you are learning A, B, C, D, something, something, something, on purpose. Now it’s not required, purpose is known, because you are the master of that language, but start with the base for learning the language. Brahman is the base for learning language, after it is not necessary. So with various ways try to convince the Invisible Listener within you. Invisible Listener does not have any specific identity. It is vast just like a space or sky. Invisible Listener is not limited to the body, because it is formless. For which Spontaneous Conviction is most important. To get the Spontaneous Conviction you have to undergo strictly meditation. Don’t worry, all problems will be solved.
Okay yes, enough of it.
V: Thank you Master.
M: Take care, be happy, be realized, and make other realize. Siddharameshwar Maharaj says, “If you are realized make others realize. Place your carpet or mat and start teaching that you are Brahman yourself”. Accepting only Master is not so easy. When you are to become Master there is a lot responsibility. When anybody, devotees are coming to you having high expectations. No irritation is required. You know better about spirituality, how to place before this reality because the Invisible Listener is “I”, ask any question, you must have patience to convince them. For which you must have strong conviction. Any question maybe asked, you are able to reply that question, you are supposed to be able to convince to his satisfaction. Nothing difficult, and for which you need strong confidence with the Master and yourself. All these Lineage Masters, they’re not highly qualified. Nisargadatta Maharaj, Siddharameshwar Maharaj, Ranjit Maharaj, they’re not highly qualified, but whatever Master says they absorbed totally within them. They are not compromise with the devotion. Exceptional devotion they are having, “My Master is Ultimate Truth, my Master is Final Truth”. No other thoughts. People are saying, “I am to go to this master, to that master, to that master”. Why? This is adding confusion, confusion. When the Master says you are Ultimate Truth what more do you want? Number of people giving so many quotations, “This master says it like that, like that, like that. This master like…”, try to implement within you instead of giving quotations of the various Masters. Not to teach others, teach yourself. When you are giving some quotation of some other spiritual master it is not bad, it is also ego. I am giving lectures of this master, that master. Try to be Master with yourself. This very easy, giving quotations very easy.
Okay.
Sri Ramakant Maharaj
A powerful talk given by Sadguru Sri Ramakant Maharaj during the Guru Purnima celebration at Nashik Ashram July 7, 2018.
Q – How is it after dissolving all body knowledge, I will still be able to interact with human beings who believe themselves to be a body?
M – After dissolving the body knowledge, no identity remains, but since you are holding body, you are doing activities without any ego. At the final stage, though you are holding the body, and after realization, body-based concepts dissolve because you are not body, it is fact. When the fact is confirmed that I am not body at all, thereafter all your activities are just like a dream activity, as if you are acting in a drama.
So, there is no any ego, there is no any type of illusionary concept. You remain formless, all actions after realization are spontaneous. Where there is no ego, no intellect, no mind, because it is confirmed, it is convinced that “I am not body, I was not body”– so all activities are not having so much importance, egoistic importance, ok.
Q – Is true meditation the total negation or denial of any of all phenomena, including the Self? Will that lead to supreme wisdom? If yes, then its seems nothing needs to be done except deny everything.
M – After realization, no need of any meditation is required. Till you’ve got Conviction that – “I am not body”– till that time you have to undergo the meditation, number one. Second thing, as a matter of fact, human form is not your identity at all, that Conviction is supposed to appear.
So, all questions are related to the body-based questions. Basically, prior to Beingness, there were no questions, after leaving body, there won’t be questions, all our questions are guessing, guess questions, imaginary questions, illusory questions, so no questions remain after realization.
Realization means Conviction that I am not body at all, basically you are formless, human form is not your identity at all. So, all these questions: “what will happen after this human form after Realization?” nothing is going to happen because nothing has happened, nothing is going to happen. So, your birth and death this is also concept, illusionary concept, so not to accept this.
We are acting within the circle of the body knowledge, that is supposed to be broken-up. You are not body at all, that’s a fact, you have to accept it.
So, the basic principle of Spirituality, I repeatedly told you: that body form is not your identity at all, that Conviction is supposed to appear. This is Ultimate Truth: you were not body, you are not body, you are not going to remain body. So many questions are there, they are body related question.
So, after knowing the Reality, your actions or reactions, remain no value. Your actions are just like a spontaneous act because you are knowing that this is not, say, Ultimate Truth. Present body form is not Ultimate Truth, Ultimate Truth is beyond that where there is no experience, no experiencer, that is your Identity and for which you have to undergo meditation. Because if you don’t go under the meditation, illusionary concepts will not dissolve and then again and again the mind will play with you. It will create some problems, it will create some questions, it will create confusion within you.
So very simple thing: even if you think intellectually, body is not your identity at all. After leaving body what remains? Just think intellectually, forget about Spirituality. After leaving this body what remains? Any question remains? Any requirement is there? Any need of God is there? Any need of Master is there? You are not disciple, you are not Master, you are not God, you are not devotee, nothing is there. Nothing is there, prior to Beingness, what is there? Nothing is there.
So in between, that Spirit has taken form, human form and a number of questions, and through mind, ego, intellect, we are acting all the ways. All routine activities are going through the mind, ego, intellect, they are the functional organs during human form, so human form is not your identity at all, you are formless and since you are formless, there is no birth and death, it is very simple principle of Spirituality. You need not go to God and Master, Master is within you. External Master is inviting attention of the Invisible Master within you that except your Self nothing is there, it is fact.
But you are not accepting because of a long association with the body, you are acquainted with this body knowledge, so body knowledge is supposed to be dissolved, it is very simple thing. Spirituality is not complication, there is no complication. Because we have a lot of attachment to this body, we are thinking, considering body is our base and body is not your base at all. Some or other day you have to leave the body, prior to Beingness, prior to body knowledge, nothing was there. After leaving body what remains? No knowledge is there. Knowledge, Enlightenment, Realization, Conviction, God, Master, disciple, devotee, all this came along with the body.
Where are the Master and God prior to Beingness? Nothing was there, just simple, imagine it, prior to hundred years what is your status? Nothing. After leaving body, what is your status? Nothing is there. So everything came out of nothing, everything dissolves within nothing.
So, all questions are body related questions, intellectual questions, guess questions, logical questions. Where were all the questions prior to Beingness? Nothing is there.
And for which, again I am repeating, to know this Reality, to identify this Reality, you have to undergo meditation. Meditation will open all cards and you will yourself Self–Realize.
You will come to know, you are not to go anywhere, knowledge already within you, Reality already within you, Ultimate Truth is not separate from you, Master is not separate from you, God is not separate from you.
Since you are measuring yourself, counting yourself in body form, therefore you forgot all these memories. Master is reminding it, through meditation, through these words – “Aham Brahmasi, I am brahman”, reminding, hammering, “You Are Brahman, you are Brahman” – “I am Brahman, Brahman I am”. After having Conviction “Brahman I am”, then all body-based knowledge dissolves, nothing will remain.
What is there. Just you see, what is there? Blood is there, flesh is there, bones are there, what is there? And for which you say, “I am somebody else”. What is identification? Is body your identity? Not at all. Why there should be ego, why to struggle with the mind, why to struggle with the people? Okay, you can hold body, you can act from body, but have some Conviction, because everything is within you, everything starts from and everything end within you, you are central point of the world. Even Masters and everybody says, “Except your Selfless Self, nothing is there”. No God, no Master is there. Have some spontaneous Conviction. What is the purpose of Spirituality? Just to identify your Self in real sense. Ok.
Sri Ramakant Maharaj
Q: Maharaj what is strong meditation?
M: Strong meditation is, where you forget your total body identity. There is no individuality. There is not any experience, no experiencer, you have become one with the Selfless Self. There is no any awareness, absence of consciousness, so you forget all the world when you are having strong meditation. Because the words given to you, you become with the same with words, what is the meaning of that word – ‘I am Brahman, Brahman I am’– so Brahman means Ultimate Truth. That means: body is not your identity at all, all these efforts we are doing to forget our body identity.
We are holding human form and human form is not our identity, that you know. We are having some time limit, age limit, after certain time we have to leave this body. So who is speaking from this body? Who is listening from this body? It is separate from this body identity. It is called Brahman, Atman, Paramatman, God, Master. But still, we have got attachment with the body, we are having body-based questions, concepts, and because of that strong attachment with the body, we are not able to accept the Reality.
What is Reality? You are separate from the body. Human form is not your identity at all. But, the Presence holding, the Presence I call Ultimate Truth, the Presence or Spirit holding the human body. In human body we are having a lot of suffering, unpleasant atmosphere, but that Spirit, that Presence, does not know what is good thing, bad thing, does not know blissfulness or peacefulness or any unpleasant atmosphere. The Spirit is just like space or sky. So, you must have Conviction, body form, body identity is not my identity at all, then only, you will be fearless, there is no death, no birth, there is no form.
Prior to Beingness we are formless, at present we are formless though we are holding body form. I am talking about the Invisible Presence within the body, that to have Conviction, or Realization, you have to undergo meditation. Through meditation you are hammering all the time – ‘I am Brahman, Brahman I am’ – because it is the nature of the Spirit: what you impress, it reflects, it accepts. For example, when so-called birth is there, our parents say, “you are male or female”, we accepted “I am male or female”. At that time, we are not knowing what is male or female, but our parents said this body called male, this body called female, we accepted that. Along with that, so many concepts were impressed upon us by our parents, by society members and by other family members. We accepted each and every concept and our life style is according to that concept.
So, so many concepts we have engraved, we have protected, we have accepted, those concepts are supposed to be dissolved, that is the main purpose. Because unless that, dry talking, dry reading of the books, approaching so many Masters, it is meaningless. Because everything starts from you, everything ends within you. Stop measuring yourself in body form, stop measuring yourself with illusionary concepts.
So not to count yourself in body form, because you are not body at all, that Reality is supposed to be accepted. Because you are not accepting, since childhood till today, we have accepted so many illusionary concepts and we are not ready to go out of these concepts. We are under the pressure of that vicious circle of various concepts.
So it is clear even if you think logically or intellectually, it is fact: this body is not your identity at all. Who is talking from this body, who is listening from this body? It is separate from the body identity, there is no form, just like space or sky, but we are not accepting it.
When you accept that Reality, then at certain stage, you will be thoughtless. Body identity will not remain, that is called strong meditation, where everything is forgotten, including yourself, entire world. Because entire world is projected out of your Presence, if there is no Presence within the body, who will talk about the world.
So, entire world, this illusionary world has taken birth because of your Presence only. So, main focus is your invisible Presence, unidentified Presence within the body. That Conviction is supposed to appear, you can read books, you can listen, but at the same time, try to digest that speech or digest what you have learned and listened. Try to accept it, try to have Conviction. Then only what you read, what you listened will materialize. Otherwise only listening is not sufficient, along with the listening, you have to continue the meditation.
Meditation means not only sitting idle, it is continuous reciting of the Mantra, Soham sadhana is given. According to breathing. When you’re sitting for meditation, fifteen minutes, twenty minutes, half hour, one hour, sit with full concentration. If you are not getting time, it is not bad, okay, you can recite the Mantra wherever you are, while walking, while eating, every time, you can recite the Mantra. Only reciting Mantra is not technical reciting, try to accept the Reality.
What is the meaning of Mantra? ‘I am Brahman, Brahman I am’. That meaning is supposed to be absorbed within you, without which only reciting Mantra will not materialize. So be serious, it is very simple, you need not to go read so many books, you are not to go to so many Masters. Your own Master, Spiritual Master within you is Ultimate Truth.
So, after meditation entire Truth will be open within you because you are central point of this world. World does not have any existence. World’s existence came along with your Presence. So, this world does not have its own aspects. Therefore, we are talking about the world, we are talking about relations: my father, my sister, my Master, my God- so many relations are there. All relations, all requirements, all needs came along with the body only and then they will be dissolved along with the body, disappear along with the body.
So therefore, body identity is having some time, limit age limit, it is not your identity at all, you are beyond that, beyond that, because you are totally formless and since you are formless, no birth, no death, you are UNBORN.
So, accept the Reality that is the most important thing, otherwise only listening, only reading books is not serving your purpose, Ok?
Sri Ramakant Maharaj
Human life, after touching the spirit to the body, you forgot your identity. We started considering ourself in body form, which you are not. Prior to beingness your Presence was there but without form. Presence is called Brahman, Atman, Paramatman, God, Master that you are. But, to have spontaneous conviction we have to undergo certain process. That is called meditation. In our lineage, from Dattatreya, we are giving some secret Mantra, the meaning of Mantra is ‘I am Brahman, Brahman I am’. After reciting that Mantra, you will find some changes inside. So, we give that secret Mantra, you have to do nothing. If given some time, sufficient time sit alone for meditation and recite the Mantra while you are breathing. Then after some time, all the illusory concepts within your body will be cleaned, then you will get complete pure happiness without any material cause. There are three material causes for happiness. Money, publicity and desire of sex. So, human body knows all this happiness from all these three things. But, after having, reciting the Mantra, you will be completely changed inside. Then you will get spontaneous peacefulness very quiet. Everybody is afraid of death, something, something, say I am suffering from some treatment, some problem. So, though there is a problem, you remain unconcerned with the world, unconcerned with the body. Because it is a fact. Body is not your identity at all. Body is not going to remain identity at all. Some or other day, willingly or unwillingly, you have to leave this body. Because this is a material body, five elements body. Body is not your identity at all. Because, if there is no Presence, there is no value to the body. Invisible Presence within you. Invisible Presence is called Brahman, Atman, Paramatman, God, Master. That conviction is supposed to appear within you and for which meditation is the base. Because you have got a lot of theoretical knowledge, but you have to undergo the practical knowledge. After having meditation, the appearance of exceptional happiness within you, blissfulness, there won’t be any fear. Circumstances are coming and going, but you remain totally stable, no instability. For which, it is very simple, but priceless, only you have to devote some time for you. Half an hour, one hour, and it is not necessary to sit down. You can sit on chair meditate it, and all the time you have to recite the Mantra. It is a very simple thing, after doing all these things the Reality will be absorbed within you. That is the purpose behind it. Because, human body, so many concepts are there. ‘I am man, I am woman’ say, past birth, future birth, all these concepts. No chakra is required, this chakra, that chakra, no chakra is required. No Kundalini is required, it is material knowledge. So, it will be opened within you only because knowledge is not separate from you. You are the central point of this world. The moment that Presence clicked with the body, you see the world. If there is no Presence in the body, no world is there. So, world is projected out of your invisible Presence. World is projected out of your invisible Presence. So, therefore, nothing is there. No path, no Kundalini, nothing is there. No birth, no rebirth, no past birth, no future birth, nothing. So, you are totally free from all these things. No special liberation is required. People say ‘I want this Mukti, that Mukti’ no Mukti, you are already free. Why Mukti is required? That reality, that teaching, my Master Nisargadatta Maharaj I had taken Mantra from him in 1962, since then what he taught I am trying to share with all of you. Nothing is required, no garland is required, no money is required, nothing is required. You have to devote some time for you. Half an hour, one hour, ten minutes, fifteen minutes and all other times you recite the Mantra. Just like you say ‘Ram, Ram, Ram’ like that, so you recite the Mantra, the Guru Mantra all the time. Then it will take changes inside. You will feel it. Exceptional peace will be there, ok. In brief I tell you. Nothing to worry, no karma is required, no position, no nothing is required. Simple spirituality.
Sri Ramakant Maharaj
Only listening, hours together, years together, playing with the spiritual words. Brahman, Atman, Paramatman, God, Master, Maya, these are the words. Concentrate on the listener within you. Brahman, Atman, Paramatman, God is not separate from you. For which, only source is meditation. Beyond that nothing is there. If you approach so many masters it is meaningless. You read so many books it is meaningless. Now you are not required to read any book. You may read it, but now you have to be practicing it. Very shortcut method. Don’t ignore, practice meditation. Meditation is not sitting like this, I already told you. Meditation means involvement. Totally you are concentrating, my Master said simply. Somebody abuses you with very bad language, always you remember that person. ‘I will take revenge on that person, I will take revenge’. 24 hours you remain with that man. Similarly, Master is given abuse to you. ‘You are Brahman’. Accept, you have to accept like that. It is open fact. This dead body does not belong to you.
You got, I don’t say that you neglect it. But try to identify. The holder of the body, the listener in the body, is Ultimate Truth. Because why this is required. Because at the time of leaving the body there should not be any consideration ‘I am dying’. Then again, another dream may be put there. If you ignore it, then there is the possibility of another dream. So, don’t develop concepts. All masters are good. What they say: Brahman, Atman, Paramatman, God, Master, these are the words. Address to the listener. You are Ultimate Truth. Accept it. It is priceless. Not to have any ego or anything. Because direct or indirect we have a lot of attachment with this. Now we have got a lot of ego ‘I am somebody else.’ What is the use of ego? Ego, mind, intellect came afterwards along with the body. They are not prior to beingness. So, how were you prior to beingness, and how will you be after leaving the body? At that time everything is unknown. Unknown came into existence in known in the form of body, and unknown will be dissolved in unknown. That means bodies will be formless. Basically, you are formless. Because these clothes are there, therefore we say ‘Oh’. It is very simple. And therefore, I am insisting instead of playing with the spiritual words, be practical knowledge. This is a request to everybody because if I go on talking and talking it will be meaningless. You listen and ‘Oh, Maharaj has given a nice lecture.’ No. It is your information. It is your story, listener’s story. Try to concentrate meditation. If possible, sit alone. If you have got a small group, have a small group. If it is not possible to sit, you can recite the Mantra and remember the words of the Masters. You must have strong faith within you. You must have strong faith with your Master. That is the principle of spirituality.
So, no struggle with anybody else. No hatred. I told you the symptoms of the Realized person. Forgive and forget. Symptoms of the Realized person. Internally totally changed. After that knowledge is absorbed within you totally at that time, you will be completely changed from in and out. Feeling will be there. Forgive and forget, I have given a number of examples of Jesus Christ, example, when the soldiers are nailing him, what he says, ‘Oh God, forgive them, they do not know what they are doing.’ In that condition. That happens within you also. The moment knowledge, Reality, is absorbed. And tolerance, if anybody made any allegation. Nisargadatta Maharaj says ‘If anybody says you are a foolish Saint, no depression. If he says you are a very good Saint, no appreciation. Nothing for me, because whom they are addressing their abuses, I am not that.’ So likewise, tolerance is required. Ignore everything. Then, anxious to know the Reality. Third thing, no attachment to the world. No attraction of the world. It happens. Because whatever requirement is for body only, not to you. If there is no body, no requirement. Who wants peacefulness, happiness? Nothing is required. So, though you are living in this world, you remain untouched with the world. Then total devotion and trust. These are the qualities, symptoms of Realization. It is very easy, it is very difficult. Try to absorb what I have told you until today. That’s enough. Only playing with the words, spiritual words, meaningless. You can read books, what they want to convey that is most important. Suppose this master says like this, this master says like this, O.K. They talk about yourself. They are giving story of their own, the story of the listener or reader. O.K.
Sri Ramakant Maharaj
At that time, you are possessing the body, ‘I am somebody else’. That ‘somebody else’ is supposed to disappear. We are reading so many books. Everybody is reading so many books. But they are neglecting the invisible reader within them. I am pointing out, inviting attention of that invisible reader, or invisible listener within you. See, it is a simple thing, body is not your identity. It’s fact. We are doing all these things considering body is base. If there is no Presence within the body who will talk about the world and knowledge? Spiritual knowledge is just like a lighthouse. You know lighthouse? Lighthouse? Signaling, it’s signaling, it is not Ultimate Truth. Because the holder of the body is Ultimate Truth. It is invisible, anonymous, unidentified. That conviction is supposed to appear within you. For which we are reading so many books. After reading so many books, what is the gist, principle of the contents of the book? That content of the book says, ‘Except your Selfless Self there is no God, no Brahman, no Atman, no Paramatman, no Master.’ This is the principle of spirituality. So, only reading, reading books, you must have some stability. Have some stability.
It is not your fault. I am not blaming you. I am trying to convince the invisible listener within you except your Selfless Self nothing is there. The moment that invisible Presence disappears from the body you forget world. There is no world at all. You are coming across with the world the moment that Presence touched with the body. The moment that Presence disappears from the body everything disappears. That means the invisible Presence projected this entire world. This world is illusionary world. Nothing is true, including yourself, myself. Was this world prior to beingness? No. After leaving body any world is there? No. Any God is there? No. But we are not accepting this Reality. To accept this Reality totally, to have spontaneous conviction appear, you have to undergo in the beginning, meditation. Because going here and there this place, Rishikesh, Himalaya, O.K., enjoy tour, entertainment of spiritual tour. Be stable. Try to find out what is the Reality. After reading so many books, after visiting so many places, what is my achievement? What have I achieved? I am there and there only. That means something is missing. Try to find out that missing thing. When you are trying to find out that missing thing, the finder will disappear. Because your invisible Presence is Ultimate Truth, through which you are viewing and watching this world. That means you are the central point of the world. Correct.
So therefore, see what is there. What is there, just glimpses of ‘I’. Just glimpses of ‘I’. The moment that glimpses of ‘I’ disappears, world disappears, God disappears, Master disappears, everything disappears. So, you are central point of the world. Unconcerned with the world. Everybody is trying to have happiness, peacefulness, tension free life, fearless life. To whom is this required? So far as we are counting ourselves in body form, all these are required. The moment there is conviction ‘I am not body, I was not body’, nothing is required. But it is very easy and very difficult. Therefore, for which, you have to have strong faith within yourself and your Master, whosever it may be. If you have accepted some Master, you follow that Master. Follow yourself. Master is only giving guidelines. Inviting attention of the listener. Beyond that, nothing is there. So, you have to find out. And in finding out Selfless Self, the finder disappears, nothing remains. This is the principle of all spirituality. Today you take it, tomorrow we will discuss in detail, O.K. What you have is enough, given some heavy dose. It is very simple, I am trying to simplify spirituality. No conflicts. I can talk hours together this Buddha, this thing, Brahman, Maya, only playing with the words. Chakra, this Chakra, that Chakra, playing with the words. No Chakra is there. You have to come out from the vicious circle ‘I am somebody else’. O.K. Short. Short and sweet.
Sri Ramakant Maharaj
This type of spirituality will not help you. You will get some temporary relief. Not help you. If you want to see you have to be really involved. You do first, meditation, it is the base, foundation. And then it will be, the door of knowledge will be opened. You will see everything within you. Only, O.K. ‘Maharaj says like that very nice’, No. You do your job. I am not asking to neglect your job, neglect your duties. If you want to earn money, you can earn. But at the same time, 24 hours concentration is there. ‘Yes, I am Brahman’ Master says ‘You are Brahman’. That concentration, that involvement is most important in spiritual life. Only theory, this master says like that, words for the masters, it is meaningless. Language is created by us. Meaning is given by us. These are not Ultimate Truth. Your concentration with the concentrator is most important. You’re concentrating, but concentration remains on the concentrator within you. That is most important. Then everything will be opened for you.
What you are expecting, the knowledge, will be open for you. Knowledge is nothing. Just to identify yourself. Just to know yourself. Entire world is illusionary world. So far as the Presence is there, you say O.K., ‘this world is there.’ The moment that Presence disappears from the body, everything disappears. No God, no Master, nothing is there. Why is spirituality required? Because, our body, mind, ego, intellect, everything is wrapped with so many illusionary concepts. Now to come out, you have to come out of this vicious circle. To come out from the vicious circle you have to concentrate spontaneously with your Selfless Self. Master is there to help you at any moment. But, you must have strong faith in your Master. All these saintly people, having strong faith in their Master. There is no duality mind. ‘What my Master says is my Ultimate Truth’. They are not referring, after accepting Siddharameshwar Maharaj, Nisargadatta Maharaj they are not referring to a single book. Nor referring any masters.
He is respecting all the masters. But, ‘oh, this master says like that, that master says like that, that master says like that.’ No concept is there. All masters are good. But what he says, ‘approach your own master within you.’ You’re neglecting your master, referring to this master, that master, that master. This is spiritual entertainment. So, be cautious, it’s up to you. Now ball is in your court. The ball is in your court. How to handle that is up to you. Don’t neglect it. Do everything, but don’t take lightly. O.K.
Sri Ramakant Maharaj
No confusion is there. It is plain and direct knowledge. Plain and direct knowledge. Plain and direct knowledge. Trying to use ego, intellect, mind, therefore confusion is there. So this knowledge means it is your own story. Issue of confusion never arises. I don’t want you, I don’t want any doubts within you. Come with open heart.
Q: He feels his thoughts like a bee buzzing. Bee that produce honey, like a buzzing. Buzzzz.
Just watch it. See a kind of cleaning process has started. Tenants are going out. Tenants are going out. They’ll not go simply, they will abuse you. You wanted them to vacate the premises. They are giving trouble for you. Good symptoms. Don’t allow them re-entry inside. You don’t have any doubts?
Q: No I do not have.
Don’t make any deliberate effort to know yourself. Don’t struggle with the thoughts. Whatever is happening, whatever is not happening, just glance and just watch it. When you observe the confusion you are beyond the confusion. Just you are sitting here something is happening outside are you giving any attention? So, in body something is happening or not happening. Watch it and just clear it. It is nature.
Q: How can he know that it is him the one who watches, not his mind?
Therefore you have to see all these things. If you are not watching, how can you come with all these words. ‘How can I?’ See entire thing whatever is happening or not happening you are realizing, seeing. Because you are experiencing some confusion is there, some struggle is there, experiencer is totally different from that trouble or confusion.
Q: He can not understand whether he watches or not, and some part of him always requires to fix this knowledge.
Don’t make deliberate effort. Why you want? You are separating from the Reality. ‘I want this, I want that.’ That ‘I’ is supposed to be dissolved totally.
Q: Looks like he understands. He has found the root that strangled him.
Sri Ramakant Maharaj
Q: Yes. This morning it was quite a strange feeling. The ‘I’ somehow separated from what I used to think was my ‘I’. It lost it’s properties, and was without any properties. Without time, without, without any properties. This ‘I’ was forever and it will be. There was no fear of death at that time.
M: Something is going on inside. Just observe it. Don’t concentrate ‘I’, don’t concentrate on what is happening. Don’t concentrate ‘I’, don’t concentrate on what is happening. That means you have to make some deliberate effort. Just be silent. See the fun. Whatever is happening, not happening, is upon you only. Just like a screen.
Q: If we recognize ourself with the help of this body, what is he going to know after the death of his body? If he does not manage to know himself during his lifespan, what is going on afterwards?
M: These are body based questions. Because at Ultimate stage there is no identity. ‘I am’, ‘you are’, ‘we are’, ‘what will happen to body?’, ‘what will happen to experience?’, ‘what will happen to experiencer?’, these are body based questions.
Q: After the death of the body the process of knowing, how will that go on?
M: How you are knowing? You do not know death, you do not know birth. During this lifetime you are knowing the terminology of death and birth.
Q: But the search happens during the lifetime.
M: Who wants this search? Who is searching and what does he want to have after the search? Again you are taking the body ego. Ultimate stage, nothing is there. All thinking process dissolves totally. ‘What will happen after death?’, ‘What was I prior to birth?’ these are the terminologies during this body form only. You are not knowing how you were prior to body knowledge. The moment this body disappears, who is saying what will happen to body? So whatever knowledge you listen that will be automatically absorbed within yourself.
Q: What is the process, what is it? If all knowledge is related only to the body, what is the process of transmitting this knowledge?
M: This is not a process at all. When you forgot your identity, just to indicate your identity, Ultimate Truth, this process of words, process of knowledge, is required. When there is conviction, so all these process disappear. You have address to reach Nashik Ashram. You are searching here and there, Nashik Ashram, where is it? During this time you are blindly following, yes this is correct. When you arrive at Nashik Ashram, the process is already over. You are not knowing the location of the Ashram, therefore you are searching here and there. You are asking questions of so many persons ‘where is the Ashram, where is the Ashram?’ like that. After reaching the destination, you are throwing away that address. Similarly all this process, thinking, knowledge and discussion is inviting attention of the invisible listener that behind everything your spontaneous Presence is there. All process is over. Ask if he has any doubts. Come, come.
Q: So he is not alive and he is not dead.
M: Why this question is? Who says ‘I am not alive, I am not dead?’ ‘I’ does not have any individual identity. Remove all the concepts. Just like sky does not have any individuality, similarly you do not have any individual identity. But, since you are covered with the body, therefore we feel ‘I am somebody else.’ Our thinking process on the basis of mind, intellect and ego. So, when all this mind, ego, intellect dissolves then nothing remains. Even ‘I’ does not remain at that last step. For discussion purposes we are using ‘I’, ‘we’, ‘you’, all these terminologies we are using. But, in that perfect, after ultimate stage, nothing remains.
Q: As soon as I have found ‘I’ without properties, you end it also.
Sri Ramakant Maharaj
Therefore importance of Naam Mantra is there. People say ‘I have got knowledge, so why should I undergo Naam Mantra?’ Apparently it’s OK. But, if you want to know yourself perfectly, if you want to identify perfectly, the process of Naam Mantra is most, most important. Because you might be having a lot of knowledge about Brahman, Atman, Paramatman, etc. But, it is not practical, it is just what you say dry, dry knowledge.
Q: Some people claim that they have practical knowledge without Naam Mantra. Some people claim it is enough to read Nisargadatta Maharaj books, to follow his instructions, and without Naam Mantra they claim they have found Absolute knowledge, Absolute State.
It is not, it’s a question of foundation, finding out or attaining that Ultimate State. Because certain discipline you have to observe. Because on the background that body based knowledge is there, hidden, body based knowledge is hidden inside. Unless this dissolves, whatever you are building on that, the building will collapse. That is the basic. So therefore without Naam Mantra, ‘I attain spirituality, or I have got knowledge.’ It’s OK. But it is giving only temporary relief. One should undergo this process, then only. I will tell you one instance of Mr. Pagay a great philosopher and a great politician. He was at that time say 65 or 70 years in age. He used to discuss with Maharaj philosophy, everyday, for about six months. He read so many philosophy books including Veda’s, Janeshwar, Tukarum, etc. One day he told Maharaj ‘I know your knowledge very well, but it is not impressed inside.’ Then Maharaj gave an example that you know tree is there. Tree is there hangs on the side of building, tree is hanging on some walls, tree, seed plants the tree. How it is coming through some close, crevice. So it is rooted through that closed crevice. So like that spiritual knowledge should be rooted through Master’s only. If you put the seeds of the tree, it is not planted anywhere. Like that Guru Mantra process is a must for initial stage. It makes a perfect foundation of your spiritual knowledge. Everybody is having different opinion. Nisargadatta Maharaj never insisted anyone, he may be foreigner or anything, taking Naam Mantra and be my disciple, never, never. Then that man told Maharaj ‘I want to have Guru Mantra.’ Therefore the importance of Guru Mantra is most, see, is very, very essential. It’s not all the time. If you have got devotion just like Ekalavya, it is not impossible also. So, casual reading,casual enlightenment it is not so easy. But, if you have total involvement, ‘Yes, I want to know!’ If you totally surrender to the Master, whosoever is Master. It is not to say, his presence may not be there, he may not be in existence. But, if your involvement is strong, it is also possible. That type of devotion rarely happens. There should not be any type of wavering mind. Therefore, I am not insisting anybody, so many persons are coming to me, I am not insisting ‘Take my Guru Mantra, be my disciple.’ Nothing. I am discussing with them all spiritual secrets, I am not keeping aside any secret, I am putting out all secrets. How it is impressed to him, that is up to him.
Sri Ramakant Maharaj