Posts in Category: OneCircle Talks
Spiritual Knowledge
Video Download Link
We are here to identity oneself in a real sense. Spiritual knowledge is just to identity oneself in a real sense. We are identifying ourselves in body-form, and that is illusion. And everybody knows it, the body is not your identity at all. The body was not your identity, the body’s not going to remain your identity. Just glimpses of ‘I’ is there, that appears upon your Spontaneous Presence. If Presence is not there, where is ‘I’? So, ‘I’ appears upon your Presence. It is called God or Master, Brahman, Atman, Paramatman, name is given to that Unidentified Identity within you.
See, what happens is from childhood till today we are measuring ourselves in body-form, and as you know body is not our identity at all. What is the purpose behind spiritual knowledge? We are reading so many books, we approach so many Masters. What is the purpose, what do we want exactly? The basic thing is we want happiness, peacefulness, tension-free life, fearless life. Because human body is not tolerable. We’ve accepted the human body as ‘I am’. The ‘I am’ appeared upon your Presence. Presence does not know ‘I am Presence’. It is subtler than sky, space. If there is no Presence what is the value of this body?
Through the human body we can identity ourself in a real sense. What is knowledge, spiritual knowledge? It means just to identify oneself in a real sense. It does not mean neglect your body, neglect your family responsibility. It is practical spirituality, it is not a dry spirituality, not a dry discussion on spirituality. Be practical. It’s not difficult at all. I’ve already told you: except your Selfless Self there is no God, no Brahman, no Atman, no Paramatman, no Master. But all the time we are measuring ourselves in body form, and that is illusion. And that illusory concept is supposed to be dissolved. ‘I am somebody else’, mind, ego, intellect, appeared along with the body. We are living within the circle of the mind, ego, intellect. Where was the mind, ego, intellect prior to beingness? Prior to beingness we were not having any happiness or peacefulness. After leaving the body, who wants happiness, who wants peacefulness? These are the words. Body-knowledge is not tolerable, ‘I am somebody else’ is not tolerable. So once it is identified perfectly, it means ‘I’m not the body, I was not the body, I’m not going to remain the body’.
Basically you are unborn. There is no birth and death. Birth and death are connected with the body-knowledge only. I’m not saying to neglect your body. Body is the media through which you can identity. If Presence is not there, what is the value of this body? So be practical, it’s not impossible.
What is practical? To identify oneself in a real sense you are to undergo the discipline of meditation, it is most important. We are insisting Nama Mantra, mantra, these are the words. ‘Soham’ is a word, ‘Aham Brahmasmi’, ‘Sivoham’, these are the words through which you can identify, through which you are hammering yourself all the time.
So, that is the only source. I’m telling you that meditation is also illusion at the advanced stage. But, to dissolve all body-based concepts, meditation is most important, the foundation. In other words, I am saying it is the anti-virus software, meditation is the anti-virus software. You have to go through this, without which you can’t identity. Only dry spiritual knowledge, “I’ve read so many books”, these are temporary reliefs, they’re painkillers. So this is a golden opportunity. Your Presence is invaluable Presence. Presence does not know ‘I am Presence’. I have given the name ‘Presence’, ‘Spirit’, or ‘Energy’, you can say anything. It’s just like space: space does not know ‘I am space’ or sky does not know ‘I am sky’. Then what to do? Try to identify yourself in a real sense. “I am somebody else” is supposed to be dissolved. You’re everybody. You’re beyond sky. Sky is everywhere. You go anywhere in the world, sky is there. But sky does not know ‘I am sky’. Likewise, your Anonymous, Invisible Presence, the Invisible Listener within you is everywhere just like sky – not limited to the body. The body is having some limitations, some stages. You’re a child, then grown up as young man, then old man, and some or other day, willingly or unwillingly, we have to leave this body.
There’ll be always silence, no violence.
Video Download Link
How you are living, under the force of violence, that violence disappears spontaneously. It can happen. There’ll be always silence, no violence. And you’ll feel it, after having Conviction, you’ll feel it. That’s the principle of spirituality. Only listening, only talking and approaching so many Masters will not help you. Some changes are required. Then you’ll get realistic silence, peacefulness, no tension will be there – why tension is there? We’re having some expectations, and if something happens against your expectations you’re getting irritated. Everybody has so many expectations, from anybody, from family, from friends, from society, so many expectations are there, it’s the nature of the mind.
All expectations, needs, came along with the body only. Because body-knowledge is not tolerable, it’s a food-body. So far you’re supplying food, water, the body survives. It is an open fact, this (body) is not going to remain constant. Spirit, Presence, likes to continue the life, it’s it’s nature. Even an ant: if you pour some water (on it), he’s running here and there for survival. It’s the nature of the Spirit or Presence. Your Presence knows itself through body only. And for which, again I am repeating, the only source is meditation. Only through meditation can you identify yourself, have Conviction. Knowledge will be absorbed totally. And therefore I am repeating: dry knowledge, dry discussion on spirituality, if I talk hours together, years together with you, it is meaningless. It is your identity, not the identity of Brahman, Atman, Paramatman, God, Master.
What is the sign of Realization?
Video Download Link
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.
Q: Does it matter how one quiets one’s mind?
Video Download Link
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.
How do you practice devotion?
Video Download Link
Anybody want to ask any questions, you can ask it. Yes? Okay, welcome.
Q: Maharaj, what is devotion, how do you practice devotion?
Maharaj: Yes, good question.
You have to involve yourself. After knowing the Reality, you have to involve yourself, you have to concentrate. Concentrate on the Concentrator, the Invisible Concentrator within you, the Invisible Listener within you.
Through words we are trying to identify ourself. We have created language, and through this language we are trying to identify ourself. Through devotion you can identify the Deity within you. Your Spontaneous Presence is a Deity, it is God, Ultimate Truth, Brahman, Atman, Paramatman, God, not separate from you. This happens because we are all the time measuring: ‘I am somebody else’, ‘I am man or woman’, or something else. You are not man or woman you are Brahman, Atman, Paramatman, God, Master. It’s fact, but you are not accepting the facts.
So many questions appear upon your Presence, body-based questions. So all questions will be solved the moment you identify yourself in a real sense. It’s open fact, forget about spirituality. Even if you think intellectually, body is not your identity at all. After leaving the body what remains? What is knowledge? Who requires knowledge? Who wants knowledge? Who wants peacefulness? What is peacefulness, what is happiness? Body-knowledge is not tolerable, therefore we want happiness.
There are three concepts for happiness: publicity, money, and sex. We are trying to extract happiness through these three elements. These things are not there prior to beingness. After leaving the body, who wants all these things?
There are so many concepts! ‘Karma’, ‘dharma’, ‘religion’, so many things. ‘Destiny’, ‘earlier birth’, ‘future birth’ – nothing is there, absolutely it is illusion. But since childhood, because of long association with the body we’ve accepted so many concepts, body-related concepts. “I am somebody else”. That ‘I am somebody else’ is supposed to be dissolved.
You’re nobody, you’re everybody. You’re Presence is everywhere just like space or sky. After having Spontaneous Conviction, all concepts will be dissolved, all questions will be solved within you. I said to you: You’re not a beggar, you’re a multimillionaire. We’re begging “Oh God bless me, Oh, somebody bless me”, “Put your hand on my head”, why? Because you’re always neglecting your Selfless Self. Accepting some happiness or blessing from somebody else. Okay, you respect everybody. But there should be Spontaneous Conviction: I was not the body, I’m not the body, I’m not going to remain the body. It’s Reality, but you’re not accepting that Reality because ego is there, so-called mind is there, intellect is there. These are functional organs. Where was that mind prior to beingness? After leaving the body mind remains? Nothing. Any ego is there? No. Any intellect? No. Mind, ego, intellect, needs, requirements came along with the body only, and dissolve along with the body.
Q: Why Spirit forgot himself?
Video Download Link
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
Video Download Link
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
Video Download Link
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
Video Download Link
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
Video Download Link
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.