Posts in Category: OneCircle Talks
Q: Why Spirit forgot himself?
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Q: Why Spirit forgot Himself?
Maharaj: There’s no reason at all – Spirit does not know ‘I am Spirit’. Spirit does not know ‘I am Spirit’. Spirit is the name given to the Presence, Invisible Presence, Power, Energy. Does electricity know that ‘I am lighting all these things’? There’s no reason ‘why Spirit’. Because we are trying to guess with the intellect. Your Presence in the world is Spontaneous Presence. Everyday you see dreams, you know? Are you planning ‘I will see this dream today, this dream tomorrow’? And who is acting in that dream? Who is watching that dream? And you are acting in that dream as somebody else. You see the sun, moon, and everything, you see narrating. How is that dream world projected? You are sleeping. And who is taking the video-shooting of all the dreams? Likewise, this is a long dream: ‘I am somebody else”.
Through All Angles You Have to Identify Yourself
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So far Presence is there, your body is there. The moment the Presence disappears, what is the value of the body? But we’re ignoring this fact. I’m not restricting your activities, you do your duties. If you have a family, take care of your family, take care of your health also. Not to neglect your health. The body is the base, just to identify your Selfless Self. But we’ve got a lot of attraction to the world. Publicity, money, and sex, through which you want to extract happiness. It’s a temporary relief that came along with the body. Where were these prior to beingness? Nothing.
Through all angles you have identify yourself, and you’ll get Spontaneous Conviction. As I told you yesterday: “how to know whether I’m realized or not?”. After having Conviction there will be dramatic changes within you. Spiritual science says there are six measures, again I am repeating. Whether I’m realized or not, how to measure it. Certain dramatic changes, miraculous changes will appear within you. ‘Shama’ means a ‘forgive and forget’ nature. From small things you were getting irritation, that irritation will be stopped. You know Jesus Christ? At the time of nailing, he says, “Oh God, what these people are doing they do not know. Forgive them.” Forgive and forget these things. And ‘Dama’ means: tolerance and patience, no excitement. ‘Titiksha’ means: just to know the Reality. ‘Uparati’ means: no attraction to the world. Though you are living in the body, you are using your body, but there’s no attraction to the world. No money, no nothing, no greediness, not becoming a victim of your mind, ego, intellect. It happens spontaneously. And ‘bhakti’ means devotion, total devotion:“Yes”. Then ‘Shaddah’ means complete faith: ‘Yes, so that I’. There won’t be any struggle, no violence, complete silence is there.
So, every being wants a peaceful life, happy life, fearless life, tension-free life, it’s a fact. You can have it, you’ll get courage out of this spiritual knowledge.
Anybody having any questions regarding this? Be free, don’t worry. Ask a question. Yes?
Q: My mind keeps asking: Why am I here? To be of service or to (inaudible) hold my connection, or…Why, why am I here in the physical body if I already am Brahman?
Maharaj: To say ‘my mind’, you’re different from the mind at all? To say ‘my mind’ you’re different from mind. You’re not mind at all. You’re watching your mind, you identify your mind, you experience your mind, it is separate from you. You’re supplying energy to your mind, you can control your mind. It happens, it’s the nature of the mind, the flow of thoughts. You’re separate from the thoughts, you’re thoughtless.
There’s No Difference Between You and I
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Q: Excuse me for the way I’m talking. When you feel pain, you yourself, and in great pleasures, and in confusion, you probably…it’s of little consequence, is that correct? Or, how would you say it? When there’s pain in the body for you, or pleasures, or temptations, or…
Maharaj: There’s no difference between you and I. We are not different, bodies are different, Presence is one. You’re measuring yourself in body-form. I’m not measuring myself in body-form, so there’s no difference between you and me. These are the words: ‘you’, ‘I’, ‘he’, ‘she’, these are the words.
Q: Yeah. I’ve seen it where you can meditate beyond pain.
Maharaj: And therefore meditation is required because all illusory concepts will dissolve. All illusory concepts are supposed to be dissolved, that’s the most important thing. Only dry talking, dry discussion will not help you. Even if you go to thousands of Masters, it will not help you. You approach your own Master, give importance to your own Master. We’re trying to find so many Masters, and you’re neglecting your own Master.
Everything is within you, it’s fact. God, Brahman, Atman are not separate from you, I’m repeatedly telling you. And to dissolve all illusory concepts you are to undergo meditation. It’s the only source, there’s no other source. If you see thousands of Masters, if you go anywhere, if you torture your body, nothing will happen. These are temporary pain-killers. You’ve got to solve your problem within yourself only. There’s no problem. And for which, again I am repeating: the only source is meditation. Through meditation you’re inviting the attention of the Invisible Meditator within you that you are Ultimate Truth, you’re hammering all the time. You know! Suppose a criminal is there at the police station – “You are a criminal! This is evidence against you! You are a criminal.” Same thing happens: “You are Brahman, I know you are Brahman!”, and all concepts will disappear. It’s not difficult, it’s not difficult. You’ve are to devote some time, have strong faith within you. Because all the time we are dependent upon somebody else. “God will help me”, or “Some Master will help me”. You have to please your own Master within you!
So have some courage! Spirituality is giving you the courage to identify yourself. We’re having a lack of courage. Everybody wants some artificial limbs. You can stand on your own feet! Nothing is wrong with you. You can fly on your own, without wings.
Okay, in the beginning it’s okay. Like a child who depends upon it’s parents and all things, but now you’re grown up.
That Burning Should Be Stopped
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Q: In your book you said that meditation is like a spiritual broom? It’s a nice image.
Maharaj: Yes, correct, correct. It’s the anti-virus software. Because the files are very corrupt, so many concepts are there. Though we know our identity, though we know the Reality, some concepts are there. And because some weakness is there, they’re flowing, exploiting.
See, basically, what do we want after spiritual knowledge, what is the principle? You want peacefulness, but no peacefulness is there. Always negative thoughts are coming, inside violence is there. We say “Oh, I’m okay, okay”, but something is there inside, burning inside. That burning should be stopped.
All the time we’re posing ourself as a man or woman or something in body-form. We’ve totally accepted ‘I am the body’ but you’re not the body at all, you were not the body, you’re not going to remain the body. How are you prior to beingness? Just question yourself: “How am I prior to beingness”. How are you after leaving the body? We’ve got a lot of knowledge, but what is the use of that knowledge, spiritual knowledge? Who wants spiritual knowledge? What do you mean by spiritual knowledge? Just to identitfy.
Knowledge is meaningless. There’s no knowledge prior to beingness, there’s no use of knowledge after leaving the body. Knowledge means just to identify oneself in a real sense. We’re identifying ourself in body-form and that is illusion. And again I am repeating, that without meditation it’s not possible. At the advanced stage meditation is also illusion, but it’s necessary (in the beginning). To remove one illusion you have to take the help of another illusion. You know a thorn? To remove one thorn we’re taking the help of another thorn, then throwing away both thorns.
Anybody having any questions? Yes?
Q: So, you do the bhajans, you do the meditation, you do the practice, and eventually it occurs that you know who you are. You know you’re not the body and you know the world isn’t even existing. And then you don’t care, is that right? You don’t even care what happens? So if the body hurts, or if the body has great pleasures, or the body’s angry, the mind’s angry, it has nothing to do with who I am. And that’s the end, that’s the finality.
Maharaj: Because we’re not identifying ourself, therefore all these actions/reactions are there. The moment you identify yourself nothing will be there. Body is not getting angry. If there’s no Presence, is a dead body going to get angry? Prior to beingess did you know about anger or anything? Prior to beingness did you know if anything like anger was there? After leaving the body is any anger there?
Q: Is it like, for me sometimes, quite often, if there’s the anger in the mind it has nothing to do with me, because I’m the ocean, not the individual. And so I see things I take the touch of, like….
Maharaj: Thoughts are flowing inside and you’re taking the help of the ego, the flowing of the thoughts. You’re witnessing the thoughts, good thoughts, bad thoughts. Who is the Witnesser?
Q: Be the witnesser of the best and the worst.
Maharaj: Your Spontaneous Presence is the Witnesser, Invisible Witnesser. Your Spontaneous Invisible Presence is the Witnesser witnessing all these things. All this appears upon your Presence. Presence does not have any anger.
Q: I guess what I’m trying to say is: pain and anger – they don’t seem to be of any concern.
Maharaj: Of course. There’s no concern with your Selfless Self. You’re totally different. This came along with the body only. Prior to body-knowledge nothing was there. We were not knowing what is anger, what is anxiety, nothing was known to us. Who wants peacefulness? Who wants happiness? Who wants a fearless life? Does the body want a fearless life?
Practical Knowledge
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Yesterday we were talking about the principle of spirituality, the purpose of spirituality. And you know that spirituality is just to identify oneself in a real sense. What is the reason behind identifying ourself in a real sense? We are identifying our self as the food-body and that is not Reality. This is not our Reality (Maharaj indicates his body).
There is some glimpses of ‘I’. This is called Brahman, Atman, Paramatman, God, Master. Why is this required? Because we are wrapped in illusory concepts: ‘I am somebody else’. And because of that there is no peace, no happiness, always tension is there, fear is there. So unless we identify ourself in a real sense we are not able to identify Reality. And as I told you, literally we are knowing that ‘I am Brahman’ or ‘I am not the body’. Even if you think intellectually, it is fact: the body is not our identity at all. It’s open fact. Who is acting in this body, who is talking, who is listening? The Invisible Listener within you is called Brahman, Atman, Paramatman, God, Master, Ultimate Truth. And for which there is no birth, no death, nothing is there. You are unborn, realize that you’re unborn, it’s fact. But we must have practical knowledge. Practical knowledge means: literally we are knowing ‘I am Brahman, Atman, Paramatman, God, Master, I am not the body, the food-body’ but that Reality is supposed to be absorbed totally. Directly or indirectly we depend upon this food-body. We have a lot attachment to the food-body.
You Are There and There Only
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Q: I’m confused about when the best time to activate the inner Master and do the self-enquiry. Should that…
Maharaj: See, I said that ‘inner Master’ and ‘outer Master’ are concepts. There’s no difference between the internal Master and the external Master. Just for understanding we are saying ‘internal Master’, ‘external Master’, there’s no difference between any ‘internal Master’ and ‘external Master’. It’s just for understanding. Master is Master, there’s no inner and no outer, no external.
Q: Thank you.
Maharaj: Yes?
Q: Who is eligible to have the Naam Mantra?
Maharaj: Everybody!
Q: (inaudible)..requirement for that?
Maharaj: Yes, yes, I told John. If you are willing to have the Naam Mantra, spare some time for Naam Mantra. But it should be sincere. I’m not accepting anything from you, but you should be sincere to accept it, your involvement is most important. Because what happens, is that things we get free of charge have no value. I’m not expecting anything from you except your involvement, which is most important, not anything else. To give the Naam Mantra is not difficult for me. But there should not be some ill-faith or something. Be serious about the Naam Mantra.
Q: How to practice it?
Maharaj: (Inaudible), (I’ll guide you). You are to recite the Mantra according to the breathing. At the initial stage we are giving some discipline, just like when you are learning some language, how to write a-b-c-d and all these things.
Q7: Because sometimes it feels we are torturing ourself.
Maharaj: It’s not necessary to torture yourself. It’s a very simple thing. No torturing, no special exercise. Why to torture the body? It’s a simple thing, it’s your knowledge, not the knowledge of ‘Brahman’, ‘Atman’, ‘Paramatman’. The Invisible Listener within you is Ultimate Truth, it is called Ultimate Truth. But you are neglecting it, you are underestimating yourself. You say “God is great”, “Oh God bless me”, okay, it’s not bad. But if your Presence is not there, how can you identify God?
To say ‘God’ your Presence is required. If there’s no Presence in the body, who will talk about the God? Who will talk about this world? At the initial stage I’m insisting on meditation because we forgot our identity. You might have read so many books, you might have listened to so many Masters. But you’re not reading, not listening as if it’s the listener’s story, the readers story, “It’s my story”. If somebody writes your biography, you“It’s my biography”.
Yes?
Q: You can also recite with an ‘Om Nama Sivaya’ or (other) mantra also?
Maharaj: You can recite one mantra, any one mantra. Not to take one mantra from one Master, go to another Master for some other mantra. Have some loyalty or faith with your mantra, any mantra will do. Not to encourage wavering mind: “Today one Master gives this mantra then that Master gives a different Mantra”.
Q: No, in the morning you have a habit of (inaudible), ten minutes…
Maharaj: Okay, no problem. With full faith, full involvement. Any mantra will do: ‘Aham Brahmasmi’ is okay, ‘Sivoham’, any mantra. But be faithful with full trust.
Q: I’m kind of confused. When you say something comes…nothing comes from something, and then something becomes nothing?
Maharaj: I said that ‘everything came out of nothing, and everything dissolves back into nothing’. Everything came out of nothing and everything dissolves within nothing.
Q: But how can something become nothing? And nothing become something, I mean…
Maharaj: We are playing with the words. Try to identify yourself so this question will not arise in your mind. These are the words, I repeat, this is language through which you are conveying yourself. We have created language: ‘something’, ‘nothing’, ‘everything’, these are words. The basic principle behind that is that you have to try to identify yourself, try to identify the Invisible Listener within you. Instead of analyzing so many words, spiritual words, try to identify: who is the analyzer? Who wants this knowledge? What is the purpose of this knowledge? To what extent is this knowledge helpful? Suppose somebody has lots of knowledge. Will that knowledge help at the time of leaving the body? Lots of knowledge, so many books you are reading, fifty years of sadhana, seventy years of sadhana, or something. Just question yourself: “After reading so many books, after having approached so many Masters, after having a lot of knowledge, will this knowledge help me at the time of leaving the body?” You should be fearless. That fearless life should be there. That moment should be a happy moment: “I am not dying, no death is there. I am unborn.”
You’ll get spontaneous courage out of spirituality to approach any problem. Thoughts are coming and going, negative thoughts are coming and going, depressions are there. But after having Conviction you’ll neglect all these depressive thoughts. It is momentary, just like clouds, black clouds coming and going. You are there and there only.
Is Love a Concept?
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Q: Is love a concept as well?
Maharaj: Of course, when did you come across the ‘love’? ‘Love’, ‘affection’, these are concepts which appeared upon your Presence. When the Spirit clicked with the body, the love, affection, appeared before you. What is the love? Prior to beingness no love is there. After leaving the body any love is there? So far we’re measuring ourselves in body-form, ‘love’, ‘affection’, so many things are there, so many relations are there: ‘my father’, ‘my sister’, ‘my brother’, ‘my Master’, ‘my God’, thousands of concepts are there. The moment the body dissolves nothing is there, no relations. All relations are body-based relations, and you are not the body at all, you were not the body at all, you’re not going to remain the body at all, because you’re Ultimate Truth, you’re Final Truth, Final Reality.
And to absorb this Reality, again I am repeating, you are to undergo the meditation, it’s the only source. Only reading, only talking, only listening, no. And you can do it! Nothing is impossible. Because except your Selfless Self nothing is there.
Be practical. Not to neglect your family life. If you’re doing a job, do your job, you’re doing duties, do your duties. So “I’m Brahman”, or “I’m spiritual man, how can I do all these things”, no restrictions at all. What you’re reading, what you’re doing, has nothing to do with it. There’s no deed, there’s no doer! Because we are measuring ourself in body-form therefore we are saying “I did something, bad thing, good thing”. What is a ‘good thing’ what is a ‘bad thing’? That which is tolerable is a ‘good thing’, that which is not tolerable is a ‘bad thing’.
Yes?
Q: I think of bliss, and then I think of impersonal love as sort of the same, and to me, when I’m there, it’s a fact to me. Then other times, I forget that fact. So is the bliss, the bliss and love…
Maharaj: Not to measure yourself in body-form. What blessing is there?
Q: Bliss, bliss…
Maharaj: Ah, acha, acha (I understand), blissfulness.
Q: So,when I experience that it’s a fact for me…
Maharaj: It’s okay, it’s okay…
Q: …but then I forget it, and then it’s no longer a fact.
Maharaj: Don’t underestimate you. Nothing forgotten, nothing remembered. That so-called ‘I’ is supposed to dissolve.
Q: When you meditate do you have to repeat a certain Mantra?
Maharaj: Yes, of course, of course. Therefore I told you, our lineage is having a different mantra. ‘Aham Brahmasmi’ is one, ‘Soham’ mantra is there, ‘Sivoham’ mantra is there, ‘I am Brahman, Brahman I am’. Various mantra’s, various words are there. It is an indication, some key-words. Through those words you are to identify, you are hammering yourself. You’re not only sitting for one hour, two hours. You can sit for meditation, but all the time involvement is required.
Yes?
Q: When I do the meditation I can’t help but have thoughts coming through. What do I have to do to stop the thoughts?
Maharaj: It’s the nature of the mind. Mind means flow of thoughts. You are witnessing thoughts, you are different from thoughts. You are witnessing thoughts, good thoughts, bad thoughts, you are witnessing. Not to try to control the thoughts, let them be there. Suppose you are sitting here and outside something happens, you’re neglecting it. Thoughts are flowing all the time. Which thoughts to be accepted and which thoughts not to be accepted is up to you.
Easy to Discuss
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Maharaj: So for two days we’ve discussed some things about spirituality, and you’ve got the basic knowledge. I don’t want to repeat the same thing again and again. Just, you have to absorb the knowledge, try to know Reality. You know better what to do and what not to do. Just to identify oneself. It is easy to discuss about Spirituality. It’s a little bit difficult, but not impossible (to absorb the knowledge).
See, this human body (inaudible). We’re having so many concepts, illusory concepts. And since childhood till today we’ve embraced all the concepts and are living within the circle of the concepts. You are to cross the circle of all the concepts. The mind is there, the ego is there, the intellect is also there, they are the functioning parts, they’re not bad. But we are giving so much importance to the mind, ego, intellect. So, not to become a victim of the flow of thoughts. Thoughts are flowing, it’s they’re nature. And therefore, just to identify yourself. It’s open fact that you’re not the body at all, the body is not your identity at all. Though we are knowing all these things, again and again we are repeating the same thing: we’re trying to extract happiness from this body-knowledge, and unless body-knowledge dissolves you’re not able to identify yourself in a real sense, it’s a fact.
You are not required to go anywhere, don’t expect anybody’s blessings. You are Ultimate Truth, you are Final Truth, except your Self, nothing is there. Brahman, Atman, Paramatman, God, Master is the name given to the Ultimate Truth which is already within you. The Invisible Listener within you is Master, Ultimate Truth. And just to identify yourself in a real sense, you are to undergo the discipline of meditation, in the beginning only. It’s the only source. You go anywhere in the world, if you approach so many Masters, if you read so many books, nothing. It will give temporary relief, pain-killers, temporary intoxication.
So what do we want exactly? If we’re not knowing what we want, we’re roaming here and there. We’re giving trouble to the body, torture to the body. And therefore, today’s concluding lecture is that: try to identify the Invisible Listener within you which is Ultimate Truth. The master-key is meditation. As I’ve told you, it is the anti-virus software. All illusory concepts are supposed to be dissolved totally. Until you’ve got the Conviction that ‘I am not the body, I was not the body, I’m not going to remain the body’, that Reality will not be clear.
Try to Absorb the Reality
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You’re self-sufficient. But we are always underestimating ourself, thinking something is there, some supernatural power is there regulating all this world. As I said, do not underestimate yourself. Your Selfless Self is very strong. There’s no birth, no death, these are concepts. Nobody knows ‘I am born’, nobody knows ‘I am dying’. Death and birth are connected with the body-knowledge only. You’re never the body, you’re not the body at all, it’s a fact. You’re unborn. The sky is having birth and death? The sky knows hell or heaven? Good deed, bad deed, bad energy, good energy, what is... We’ve made a circle and within that circle we are trying to live. Break the circle. For which again I am repeating: meditation is the base at the beginning stage. Only discussion, dry discussion on spirituality, playing with the various spiritual words is meaningless. You can do it! You’ve got tremendous power! You’re not separate from God, Brahman, Atman, Paramatman. The Invisible Listener is having tremendous power, it is called Brahman, Atman, Paramatman. Be with you all the time. You do your job, you do your duties, not to neglect your health also, not to neglect your family life. Be practical. But at the same time try to identify yourself in a real sense.
Yes? Anybody having any question? Be free, don’t worry about it! Okay.
Q: Maharaj?
Maharaj: Yes?
Q: How do you practice self-enquiry? How is the process?
Maharaj: Self-enquiry just means we are unaware of our identity. “Who am I?” Self-enquiry starts because “Who am I”? Though it is called ‘Brahman, Atman, Paramatman, God’, we are not knowing what is Brahman, Atman, Paramatman, God, Master. Because so many concepts are engraved upon us from childhood till today we have accepted and are acting within that circle of concepts. The questioner itself is Ultimate Truth, you just forgot your identity.
You can do it! It’s not impossible, not difficult, you just have you to devote some time. It is free of charge, no charge is there. It’s your knowledge, the Listener’s knowledge, not the knowledge of Brahman, Atman, Paramatman, God, Master. The Listener, Invisible Listener is not knowing ‘I am somebody else’, ‘Brahman’, ‘Atman’. Through meditation you hammering all the time ‘I am Brahman’, ‘Soham’, ‘Aham Brahmasmi’ these are the words. Considering the sensitivity of the Spirit, words are given. Spirit is very sensitive. If anyone says “You are donkey”, you are slapping him, insulting him. If anyone says “You are Brahman”— “Oh, how can I be Brahman?” For which you are not required to…You just have to involve yourself, try to absorb the Reality.
Golden Opportunity
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Q: What type of meditation is (inaudible), whether ask the self ‘Who am I?’ or meditate on the ‘Brahman’ (mantra)?
Maharaj: You are to recite some mantra, ‘Aham Brahmasmi’, ‘I am Brahman, I am Brahman’, like that, or ‘Soham’, there are so many. Every lineage is having some different words. The principle behind it is that through those words you are identifying yourself. ‘I am Brahman’, ‘Aham Brahmasmi’, ‘Soham’, ‘Sivoham’, these are the words. They are key-words, through which you are hammering your Selfless Self. All the time I am living as a man or woman, limitations, body limitations are there. Your Presence is beyond that, beyond sky. The entire world is projected out of your Presence. If there is no Presence who will talk about the world, who will talk about the God? To say ‘God’, your Presence is required. To identify God your Presence is required. When did you come across with the God? Be free (to reply). If there is no Presence in the body can I identify ‘Brahman, Atman, Paramatman, Master’? Any relations are there?
Nothing is impossible.
Yes?
Q: So why is the realization of Ultimate Truth so scarce and rare…
Maharaj: See, ‘Realization’ means Conviction. Realization means Spontaneous Conviction. At present we are saying “I am somebody else”, “I am man or woman”, that is illusion. So I’m talking about that Realization, Spontaneous Conviction: ‘I am Brahman, Atman, Paramatman, God, Master, I am nothing to do with the world’.
This is an illusory world. The moment Presence clicked with the body you see the world. Where is the world prior to beingness? That means the entire world is projected out of your Presence. Therefore I define it as ‘Unidentified’ Identity, ‘Invisible’ Identity, ‘Anonymous’ Identity which cannot be defined, cannot be guessed, cannot be imagined. This Reality is supposed to be absorbed totally. Only dry discussion on spirituality will not help you. And the human body is a golden opportunity to identify yourself.