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Transcript October 26, 2016 Part I

Ramakant Maharaj USA Talk of October 26th Part I

Ramakant Maharaj: See, you’re holding the human body, and some invisible Presence is there. What is the necessity of identifying ourself? Because there are so many concepts wrapped up upon us, so many concepts are there. We’re under the pressure of so many concepts. And what do we want exactly, we’re not able to know.

We’re reading so many books, approaching so many Masters, but there’s no conclusion. What is the Reality? We’re in search of God, in search of so many Masters. But you’re ignoring your own Master within you.

See, the Invisible Presence within you is Ultimate Truth, Final Truth. It is called Master, Brahman, Atman, Paramatman, God. You’re not required to go anywhere. How are you prior to beingness? Not thinking ‘realization’, ‘enlightenment’ – these are the words. Prior to beingness are there any words like ‘realization’, ‘enlightenment’? Nothing is there. After leaving the body, what is ‘realization’, what is ‘enlightenment’? What is ‘knowledge’, what is ‘philosophy’, what is ‘spirituality’? Nothing is there. As I told you, everything came out of nothing and everything dissolves within nothing.

Where do you stand? What is the place of spirituality in our human life? Because the human life is painful, there’s so much pain, no pleasure. And therefore, to tolerate this human body, we’re in search of so many material causes. Money is required, publicity is required, sex is required, desires are required. In spite of all these material causes, we’re not happy. There’s no happiness, there’s no peacefulness. Only temporary reliefs we’re getting. How to get permanent happiness? Is permanent peacefulness there or not? Yes? The moment you identify yourself in a real sense, happiness will be there. Happiness, unhappiness, pleasure, pain, came along with the body. And the body is not your identity, the body was not your identity, and the body is not going to remain your identity. This is a food-body, a human body.

I’m not discouraging you to do all these things. Spirituality is so many things: how to live happily, how to live peacefully. The moment we identify ourself, peace is there. As you know, the body is not your identity at all. Some or other day, willingly or unwillingly, you have to leave this body.

So basically, you are unborn. There’s no death and no birth to you.

We’re using so many words, just for communication. Language is created by us. So instead of defining the spiritual words, analyzing spiritual words, try to identify yourself in a real sense. When trying to identify yourself in a real sense, the identifier will disappear, nothing will remain. There’s no ‘I’, there’s no ‘he’, ‘she’, ‘it’, nothing is there. Complete silence. There’s no experience, no experiencer. There’s no witness, no witnesser.

Your Presence is there prior to beingness, and that Presence will remain, just like space or sky. But not to measure yourself in body-form, that’s the first thing. And how does it happen? The only source, I told you: meditation is the only source.

Through meditation you’re inviting the attention of the Invisible Meditator within you that you are Ultimate Truth, you’re hammering all the time. Some words are given: ‘I am Brahman’, ‘Soham’, so many words are there. Through these words you’re hammering yourself. You’re inviting the attention of the Meditator: you are Ultimate Truth, you are Final Truth. After Spontaneous Conviction, you’re not required to recite the Mantra, it will be spontaneous, it will be automatic. (So recite the Mantra) until you’ve got Spontaneous Conviction: I was not the body, I am not the body, I am not going to remain the body.  So, no concept will impress you or depress you.

Thousands of concepts are there. We’re a victim of our own concepts: ‘I’m somebody else’, ‘I’m a man or woman’, ‘I’ve got some knowledge’. Even ‘I am Brahman’ is also a concept.

Prior to beingness there’s no concept at all. After leaving the body, what remains? So for which, you must have Spontaneous Conviction. Then pain will turn into pleasure. Everybody is having problems, the human body is full of problems. Everybody says, “My problem is a major problem”. So come out from all these problems, come out from all the tension. You have to go through the meditation only.

See, the entire world is projected out of your Presence. If there’s no Presence in the body, who will talk about the world? Who will talk about the God? Who will talk about the Master? Master is not separate from you! This body is not Master (Maharaj indicates his body). The Invisible Speaker within this body and the Invisible Speaker within that body are one and the same. It is Master, you are Master. What special kind of Realization do you want? What do you mean by Realization? It is Spontaneous Conviction.

Through so many words, spiritual words, I’m trying to invite the attention of the Invisible Listener within you that you are Ultimate Truth. What is the conclusion of all this spiritual knowledge? As I told you, except your Selfless Self there is no God, Brahman, no Atman, no Paramatman, no Master. You’re not required to go to any Master, including myself. Stand on your own feet.

Master is shapeless, there’s no form, it is formless. It is invisible, it is unidentified, it is anonymous. With various words I’m trying to invite your attention that the Invisible Listener within you is Ultimate Truth. This is theory, but you must have practical knowledge. I’m not asking you to continuously say ‘Ram, Ram, Ram’, hours of reciting the Mantra. Try to have Conviction, accept the fact, the Reality within you. This body was a child, then it will become a young man, then it will become an old man. Is this your Reality?

Who is going and who is coming? Who is taking birth and who is dying? All these concepts are related to the body only. And as you know, you were not the body at all, you are not the body at all. How were you prior to beingness, and how will you be after leaving the body? Spiritual knowledge, spirituality – what is spiritual knowledge? Just to identify oneself in a real sense. Only reading so many books, listening from so many Masters, it is not enough. What were they giving as a message, that is most important. Therefore the indication of analyzing the words of the various Masters, defining the words of the spiritual Masters or spiritual knowledge, what they convey is most important.

There won’t be any criticism, this is not a debate, we’re not proving anything. But practical spirituality is most important. Practical spirituality means what? That knowledge, that Reality is supposed to be absorbed totally within you. At that moment you’ll forget the entire world, you’ll be untouched by the world. Though you are living in this world, you’re untouched with the world, you’re unconcerned with the world. All relations, all everything came along with the body only.

So everything will dissolve along with the body. That means everything came out of nothing, and everything dissolves within nothing. In between you feel that ‘I am something’. That ‘something’ is supposed to be dissolved.

It is very simple knowledge. You must have courage to accept the Reality, that is most important. Because a lack of courage is there, a lack of confidence is there, we’re under the influence of so many concepts. Fear is there, tension is there, no peace, no happiness. Why? Because we’re measuring ourself in body form. Literally we’re knowing ‘I am somebody’, ‘I am Atman, Paramatman, God, Master’, like that. But practically, the mind, ego, and intellect are pricking from the backside, rebelling against you.

So in the beginning you have to concentrate on the meditation, that is the basic thing. When you’re learning some language, we’re learning some alphabets, you know? A-b-c-d and all this. Now you’re not learning alphabets, you’re a master of that language. Similarly meditation is the basic foundation. Meditation is the base, meditation is the anti-virus software. So you have to absorb that in the beginning. Beyond that, nothing is there. The same thing I’m repeating again and again.

So after having this Conviction, you’ll be totally fearless. Problems will be there, but problems will be reduced, dissolved, taken lightly. You’ve got tremendous power, but you’re not aware of that. In-built tremendous power. You can overcome all difficulties. But all the time we’re ignoring ourself, we’re expecting some miracles to happen.

This is a miraculous box (Maharaj indicates his body). The human body is a miraculous box. This is not your identity at all. The Invisible Speaker and the Invisible Listener is your identity.

So be strong, have some courage to accept the Reality. Only Satsang is not sufficient. If you listen to so many Masters, Satsangs, (Maharaj shakes his head). Have Satsang with yourself! The great Saint is within you. There is no Saint except your Selfless Self. There is no Master except your Selfless Self. So stop measuring yourself in body-form. Beyond that, nothing is there. It’s the Reality. It’s Ultimate Truth, Final Truth. Try to absorb what you’ve listened to so far.

Don’t ignore any responsibilities. “Oh, I’m a spiritual man, how can I do this thing?” no. Because this is a human body, you have to live just like a human, not inhuman. Have love and affection for your family members, take care of your family members, take care of all responsibilities.

The moment the Spirit clicked with the body, we say ‘I’. Along with ‘I’, so many concepts appear. To have a peaceful ‘I’, you have to identify yourself. ‘I’ appeared upon your Spontaneous Presence. If Presence is not there, who will talk about the ‘I’? ‘I’, ‘you’, ‘she’, ‘it’, ‘he’….Prior to beingness who is there? There’s no ‘I’, nothing is there. And therefore I’m repeating that except your Selfless Self, there is no God, no Brahman, no Atman, no Paramatman, no Master. It is fact.

You may be having any position. Do your job, do your duties, no harm. This is a long dream. Everybody is seeing various dreams everyday. What happened to those people? What happened to that dream world? What happened to that peacefulness? Painfulness? Nothing is there.

Through the body we know ourself, ‘I’m somebody else’. The body is the media, not Ultimate Truth. It’s a food-body; so far as you’re supplying food and water, it is growing. So be loyal with you, be faithful with you and your Master.  But the Master is not in any form, He’s a formless Master.

Strong involvement is necessary. It is usually said that when we come into this world, we don’t bring anything, and that when leaving this world, we’re not taking anything. It’s a general statement. Why to become a victim of so many concepts? ‘Mind’, ‘ego’, ‘intellect’, so many ‘chakras are there, ‘kundalini’ is there, so many, so many words are there. What ‘chakra’, what ‘kundalini’, what ‘deed’, what ‘karma’ or ‘destiny’? We’re under the pressure of so many concepts. Where are those concepts prior to beingness? Who knows what is ‘karma’, who knows what is ‘religion’? Prior to beingness any religion is there? Prior to beingness, what religion did you belong to? Did you know about any God, any Goddesses? We’re unknown to ourself. After leaving the body what will happen? All the same questions get asked. “What is the birth after death?” What birth is there? Who knows? So not to become a slave of your own concepts.

Meditation and spiritual knowledge is giving you courage to live with pleasure. You can overcome all this pain and miserable life, if at all there.

You can ask any questions if you want. Only I am talking? This is chatting, spiritual chatting. I’m not giving dry lectures on spirituality. Through various words I’m trying to invite the attention of the Invisible Listener within you: except your Selfless Self, nothing is there. You are the source of this world. The entire world is projected out of your Invisible Presence.

Yes?

Q: Maharaj, for the last couple of years with my sadhana, nothing gives me more pleasure than just abiding as awareness or presence, and the positive benefits of the sadhana have been that lately it has become a lot easier. The synchronicities and coincidences, and there are no problems really, they are more just challenges and life’s just become a lot simpler. But on the flip side, my aim has been to try and extend the duration of my sadhana, so it used to be about an hour and a half, now two hours, and I’m trying to step up. But it takes my whole day to get that two hours, and I enjoy this more than anything else.

Maharaj: It’s not necessary to meditate for one or two hours. One minute is sufficient for you.

Q: That’s the Spontaneous Conviction which is…

Maharaj: Yes! Pleasure and pain are connected with the body. Because we’re measuring ourself in body form. Where was that pleasure and pain prior to beingness? After leaving the body, what pleasure and what pain? After leaving the body, who knows what is pleasure and what is pain? So far we’re holding this human body, we’re connected with the painfulness and pleasure. No pleasure is there, no painfulness.

Because body knowledge is not tolerable. Directly or indirectly we’re posing ourself in body-form. We’re having a lot of spiritual knowledge; we talk about ‘Atman’, ‘Paramatman’, ‘Brahman’, ‘God’, and everything. No sadhana is required. Why is sadhana required? Prior to beingness are you doing any sadhana? What do you mean by sadhana? I’m advising meditation. What is the purpose of meditation? You’re inviting the attention of the Invisible Meditator within you that you are Ultimate Truth. Except your Selfless Self, nothing is there. That Conviction is supposed to appear spontaneously. No special sadhana is required. Sitting one hour, two hours, ten hours, has no meaning. One moment is sufficient. That ‘I am’ is supposed to be dissolved! What you are doing, that deed, some base of ‘I am’ is there. ‘I am somebody else’, ‘I’m doing sadhana’, ‘I’m a devotee’.

Q: Maharaj, I call it sadhana, but it’s really…

Maharaj: Okay, I can understand. I’m not blaming you, it happens in every case, in our case also. But I say sadhana is not necessary. What you have learned, what you have listened to through various sources, try to absorb it totally. It’s open fact that except your Selfless Self there is no God. Why to find the Gods and Goddesses? What is the purpose of Sadhana? What is the purpose of devotion? What is the purpose of meditation? What do you want to achieve? What is the goal? What is Ultimate Truth, what is Final Truth? You are Final Truth, you are Ultimate Truth.

You have to please yourself. The Saint is not separate from you. The Master is not separate from you, this is not Master (Maharaj indicates his body). The bodies are different. The Invisible Listener within you is the Master, formless, shapeless. That sadhana is required: “Yes, so That I, I am That!” without any ego. How are you prior to beingness? You say, “I don’t know”. After leaving the body? “I don’t know”. In the negative answer, a positive meaning is there. ‘I don’t know’ means you’re not in any shape, you’re not in any form. There’s no experience, no experiencer! There’s no witness, there’s no witnesser! There’s no ‘I’, there’s no ‘you’, no language is there! No knowledge is there! It’s open fact.

 

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Transcript October 26, 2016 Part II

Ramakant Maharaj USA Talk of Oct 26 PartII

Ramakant Maharaj: Because of long association with the body, you’ve got so many impressions, so many concepts are wrapped upon us. We’ve got to break that circle. What does it mean, ‘Realization’? Realization means Conviction, Spontaneous Conviction: I’m not the body at all. It’s a fact. Even if you think intellectually, forget about spirituality, is the body your identity? Prior to beingness was any body there? After leaving the body, what remains? No guessing. Your Presence is there, just like space or sky.

No special efforts are required, no deliberate efforts are required. See, this body is called ‘man’, this body is called ‘woman’, do we say ‘I am man, I am man, I am man’? Your parents told you ‘this body is called man’, and you accepted it. You’re not making any sadhana to say ‘I am man, I am man’. Like that, the Master says ‘you are Brahman’, why don’t you accept that Brahman? Brahman means Ultimate Truth, Final Truth. Do your sadhana, no problem. Out of sadhana, what do we want to achieve? Why am I doing sadhana?

So all your actions are supposed to be spontaneous. And therefore I’m advising, meditation is most important. In the beginning you’ll find it difficult. Mind, ego, intellect are functioning elements. The moment Spirit clicked with the body, you say ‘I’. Along with ‘I’, the mind, ego, intellect, these functioning elements, appear. So many concepts appear upon your Presence. These are layers, various layers are there. Unless that body-based layer dissolves, you’re not able to identify yourself. Fire is there, but it is covered with ash. You have to remove the ash.

So like that, you have to convince yourself. See what is there. Just glimpses of ‘I’ is there. Who is watching the dream? Who is witnessing the thoughts? Now I am talking something, who is listening inside? Who is analyzing my words? It happens spontaneously within you. The body can’t do anything, this is a dead body. If there is no Presence, who will talk about this?

So unless body-based knowledge dissolves, you’re not able to identify yourself in a real sense. And therefore meditation is required. Through meditation, slowly, silently, and permanently, all concepts will be dissolved. Though you’re acting as a man or woman, male or female, you remain untouched with all this world. Do your job, do your duties, take care of your responsibilities. But while doing all these things, you remain unconcerned with all deeds, because you’re not the doer at all.

You’re talking ‘past karma’, ‘future karma’. What is ‘past karma’, ‘future karma’? Come out from all these illusory concepts. You can do it, it’s not impossible.

Yes? Anybody can ask questions.

Q: Maharaj, for me I find the Mantra itself is very easy, it’s something I can slip into and stay focussed with. I mean, I could do it all day, but what I’ve discovered is that very quickly the body becomes energetically unsettled and I don’t sleep well. How I sleep gets very restless, and eventually I just get too tired to function so I have to stop, take a break for a few days and let everything equalize. So what I’m trying to find – you call the Mantra the prescription – and what I’m trying to find is the right dosage for me. So, is it a half hour a day, and then I take a break, or is it an hour and then I find myself getting sucked in and find myself doing three hours and then I’m not sleeping well? So it’s…

Maharaj: Don’t count hours!

Q: Well I don’t specifically, but I kind of generally…

Maharaj: Out of that Mantra, that ‘I’ is supposed to be dissolved.

Q: I’m sorry?

Maharaj: Out of this Mantra, the words, that ‘I’, so called ‘I’, the egoistic ‘I’, is supposed to be dissolved, that’s the purpose behind the Mantra.

Q: Yeah, but right now the ‘I’ doesn’t like not sleeping.

Maharaj: Because you’re measuring yourself in body-form. There’s no awakening, there’s no sleeping. There’s no consciousness, there’s no unconsciousness. All concepts are related to the body only. Prior to beingness, any sleep was there? Any awakening was there? Any consciousness was there? No concept was there prior to beingness, and after leaving the body, where does that ‘I’ go?

So through the Mantra some vibrations are created inside. Through that vibration your body-based concepts dissolve. And therefore I said it is the anti-virus software. Since childhood till today, so many concepts are there. Because we’re a victim of our own concepts. So many concepts are there. What you have listened to, what you have read, you have to forget it. Try to find out where you stand.

Q: You talk about spiritual courage, and it seems like courage for me is putting up with a lack of sleep

Maharaj: Ah, you must have courage to accept the Reality. For which you must have strong faith within you, “Yes!”, and your Master also. Your Master says ‘You are Brahman’, you have to accept, ‘I am Brahman’. If somebody abuses you in bad language, you’re accepting immediately, you’re slapping him, correct? Because, you see, that bad word, meaning has been given to that word. Meaning is given to that bad word; you say this is ‘donkey’, “What are you calling me?” But if we say ‘You are Brahman’, you’re not accepting it.

Try to identify yourself, it’s not difficult at all. Not to define any word, not to criticise any word, not to analyze any word. So many words are there. Language is just for conversation, just for communication. Words are not Ultimate Truth. What they convey, that is most important. So be with you all the time.

So, all problems will be solved. And as I told you, tremendous power is within you. You can overcome all problems. There are so many examples, I’m not quoting the examples, but it’s Reality.

Q: When I take a break from the Mantra, I just kind of be with the ‘I am’…

Maharaj: Why to take a break from the Mantra, the Mantra is not giving any harm to you.

Q: It’s not giving any harm to me?

Maharaj: Yes. These are words, always alerting you from the illusory concepts. They’re reminding your Selfless Self.

Yes?

Q2: I’m just thinking out loud, I guess, just to elaborate a little more on what this gentleman here was talking about. When I sit for meditation, I sit deliberately to concentrate and to focus. And the rest of the day, with all the chaos and everything that’s going on, I try to just repeat the Naam in the background. And I feel like I’m making some progress with that, but like (Q) said, I want that courage to…You tell me I am Brahman, I believe you. What does my body need to do to convince itself to get the Conviction? Because I’m there, I’m ready, but letting go…It just seems like when I’m about ready to, somebody else comes at me with another problem, and I bounce back into the dream instead of focussing on…

Maharaj: Be normal. There are so many things around you. Whether to take the touch or not to take the touch is up to you. You are Master of your own. There are a lot of thoughts flowing inside, you’re watching all these thoughts. Thoughts which are useful, you can take, if they’re not useful, throw it out, neglect it. Not to respond to each and every thought. It’s the nature of the mind, the nature of the body, flowing thoughts. It’s the thoughtless stage. Where all thoughts end, there you are. Where everything ends, there you are. Where were all these thoughts prior to beingness? After leaving the body, will any thoughts be there? Any fighting is there? Any struggle is there? No struggle. Because directly or indirectly we’ve accepted ‘I am the body, somebody else’, ‘I’m doing this thing, I’m doing this’, ‘I’m a devotee’, ‘I’m a disciple’, ‘I’m a Master’, ‘I am Brahman’, and all these things. That ‘I am’ is supposed to be dissolved. That concept ‘I am’ appeared upon your Spontaneous, Invisible Presence. And Presence does not know ‘I am Presence’. It’s just space or sky, everywhere. The five elements are there, it does not know ‘I am the five elements’. Water does not know ‘I am water’, earth does not know ‘I am earth’, sky does not know ‘I am sky’. You are the Projector of the five elements. The moment the Spirit clicked with the body, the five elements are projected, the entire world is projected. You are the father of this world, or mother of this world. If there’s no Presence, who will talk about the world, who will talk about the concepts, who will talk about all this Gods and Goddesses? Even ‘Brahman’ is also a concept. Even meditation is also illusion.  But to remove one illusion, you have to take the help of another illusion. Because you forgot your identity, therefore meditation is required. You’re reminding through meditation, ‘you are Brahman, you are Brahman’.

Basically you are formless, there’s no shape. There’s no experience, no experiencer, no witness, no witnesser. All these concepts appear upon your Invisible Presence, where there is no pain and no pleasure. Because body-knowledge is not tolerable, therefore pain is there. This is a food-body. Prior to beingness and after leaving the body, there’s no pain and no pleasure. Is a dead body having any pleasure or pain? No. That means, you were not the body, you’re not the body, you’re not going to remain the body. Then who am I? It is called ‘Brahman’, ‘Atman’, ‘Paramatman’, ‘God’, ‘Master’, that you are, the Supernatural Power. These are the words.

Q2: Master, so I can do my duties, my family duties, and be the mom, the wife, and the glue, actually, that holds the family together and makes them all stand upright, and at the same time simultaneously, I can detach and watch this as a dream. In other words, do my duty, but pull-back and watch it more as a dream. And I guess it’s giving myself acceptance not to be the pillar for everyone around me, and I guess that’s where the lack of courage is. Letting go of that, I’m sure it will function by itself, but just convincing myself that I don’t have to be so active in participating and holding everyone up so they don’t fall down, because I need to go where I’m going.  And it’s just difficult to get pulled back into that dream when you really don’t want to be there. And just when you think…’Oh!’ somebody’s got another problem and something else for you to solve. And that’s where I find the difficulty for me comes. And with (Q), when you talked about the not sleeping, I went through that too, and I didn’t sleep and was exhausted. I just went through it, and now I go to sleep reciting the Naam, and I don’t have any more problems.

Q: So you eventually you just kind of work through it…

Maharaj: In the beginning it happens, in the beginning it happens. It’s a cleaning process. All concepts are eliminating. Your so-called mind, ego, intellect are pricking from the back side. That internal force is trying to distract you from the Reality, it happens in the beginning. Because we’re having, directly or indirectly, body-concepts. It will take some time.

But not to ignore your family responsibility. Because we’re human beings. Spirituality is not a restriction, bondage, blockage in your human duty. Do your duty. If you have responsibilities with your family members, take care of your family members. Not to say only ‘I am Brahman, I am Brahman, Brahman, Brahman’.  If you say ‘Brahman’, who will give you food? You have to do your job, do your duties, you have responsibilities, but at the same time there should be Conviction.

Yes?

Q3: Thank you, Master. So you mentioned fire and ash, you used that analogy. So ash, for me, has been automatic. It’s like there’s a constant narration happening. I look at a pizza, “Oh, it’s a good pizza, it’s a bad pizza”, it seems to be so automatic. And it keeps going and perpetuating on its own. I’ve had a few moments here and there where I didn’t have any relationships, because the relationship with my wife and children is only activated the moment it comes into thought. If I’m here there’s…Nothing is there, no worries are there, it’s just here. But these moments are so far in between, and then when I have them there’s this desire to capture that, to keep it. And then I read books, and that turns into a new form of thought, it’s just changed how it sounds. But then I’m just reading about spirituality, philosophy, and then it takes the place of practical thoughts. But it’s the same perpetuating thought, it just keeps going.

But then I heard that you said you recommend meditation and the Naam Mantra, and that’s what brought me here today.  I’ve gotten a taste of that and I want to hold onto it because its so much better than this constant narration of life, because there’s nothing else besides this narration.

Maharaj: See, one thing’s there, that the existence of Presence touched with the body, and you say ‘I’. Along with that ‘I’, along with the human body, all responsibilities are there. Pain is there, pleasure is there, relations are there, ‘my wife’, ‘my son’, ‘my father’, ‘my daughter’, ‘my Master’, and all relations appear. Give just due to all those relations, but at the same time, try to understand, ‘Where were all these relations prior to beingness?’ Not to neglect all these relations, give just due to all these relations, if you are a father, you’re a mother, or sister, or whatever position it may be. But, you have to know yourself. All these relations are body-based relations, but not to neglect all these responsibilities. There should not be so much attachment. I’m not asking you to neglect your family responsibilities. But all these relations are body-based relations. Prior to beingness, what relations were there? After leaving the body, what relations will remain?

So, while we’re holding this human body, whatever responsibilities we have with this human body, we have to observe them. We have to live like a human. But who is holding that human body? If there is no Presence for a moment, what relations are there? That Conviction is supposed to appear. I’m not asking you to neglect your family, neglect your body or neglect anything. Do you job, do your duties. Have practical spirituality, not theoretical spirituality.

Q3: And that’s the struggle when I meditate, I have so many distractions. I sit there and I don’t want to meditate…

Maharaj: Concentrate on meditation. Meditation is the only source through which all concepts will be dissolved. In the beginning there’s bound to be a struggle. As I’ve told you, mind, ego, intellect, so many concepts rebel against you.

There’s a nice example given by Nisargadatta Maharaj. Suppose you’re having your own building, and so many tenants are there, and you want to regain possession of the rooms and flats. While leaving the premises the tenants will abuse you, because so many years they’re staying there. If suddenly you say, ‘I want all possession of the premises’, they will abuse you.

Same thing. So many concepts are there from childhood. After having meditation, the bad elements or bad concepts, while leaving the body, rebel against you. This story is just for understanding.

So some things may happen, but it is a cleaning process. It doesn’t have any spiritual importance, but it happens in the beginning. When the devotee takes the Nama Mantra for meditation, some forces are there trying to distract you from the Reality. It may be your mind, it may be ego, it may be the intellect. They appear upon your Presence, they’re layers upon your Presence. The ego, mind, intellect are layers upon your Presence. They’re using your energy, they’ve made us slaves. “Don’t go against my mind”, you’re giving so much importance to the mind. Subtle ego is there, subtle intellect is there. Be the Master of ego, intellect, mind.

So whatever knowledge, spiritual knowledge you’re having, try to implement, try to absorb it. Not theoretically, be practical. So carry out your responsibilities, don’t struggle with your thoughts, don’t struggle with your mind. Mind means the flow of thoughts.

So meditation is the base, I’ll tell you.

Yes, yes?

Q4: When I get to this place of feeling presence, the concepts drop and I just feel this pure experiencing, where there’s this confusion, and a lost feeling. And there’s some resistance that comes, and I can be like that for maybe five minutes, ten minutes, some length of time where I feel like I can’t function in the world. The mind’s not there, so that if someone even said, “Do you want a pizza?” I wouldn’t even know what a pizza was, I would be confused. And then there’s some part of me that is scared, that it doesn’t want to lose it’s individuality or identity of who I am, because it can’t even fathom that. Like it’s going into nothingness and being nothing, and then suddenly I go, “Woah”, and I come back to, ‘I’ve just got to be this person and do my thing’. And I’ve felt like I’ve gotten to that place so many times, and then there’s this resistance. It’s almost like there wants to be some bargaining, “Can I just hold onto a little piece?”

Maharaj: You’re experiencing all these things. This is the struggle of your thoughts, concepts. And you are knowing what struggles are going on inside. All these struggles appear upon your Presence. Prior to beingness, no struggle was there. The struggle appears upon your Presence. Because, some or other way, that concept ‘I am somebody else’ is there. That concept is supposed to be dissolved. So don’t fight with the concepts, don’t fight with the mind, don’t struggle with the mind. Thoughts are coming and going.

Therefore meditation is most important. Meditation plays a very good part. In the beginning you have to undergo the meditation, then all your concepts will be dissolved. You’ll remain unconcerned with all thoughts, untouched with the whole world.

Yes?

Q4: I just…

Maharaj: Because, except your Selfless Self, nothing is there. All these concepts, body-based concepts, appear upon your Presence. These are layers. You’re experiencing all these concepts. “Why am I experiencing so many things here?” These are layers upon your Presence, they’re supposed to be cleared. And meditation is giving you courage to control all these things. It will happen spontaneously, nothing is impossible for you. Don’t become a victim of your own concepts.

Q4: Yeah, like even right now…

Maharaj: Be strong! Have some courage, “I can do it!” Don’t underestimate you! When Master says you are Brahman, you are Brahman, so live like Brahman, not like a man or woman. It’s open fact, it’s Reality. Forget everything and be with you. Master is not separate from you. God is not separate from you.

Q4: Almost right now, I can feel the resistance. I mean, I feel Presence and I feel resistance, and I just have this little awareness that this resistance is a game, just like it’s a game…

Maharaj: Stop all this thinking. Be totally blank.

Q: Yes, that’s the part that scares me.

Maharaj: How you are prior to beingness, are any thoughts there? Are you a woman or man? After leaving the body, do all these thoughts remain? Nothing. Why to struggle with the thoughts? Why to struggle with the concepts?

So try to absorb this Reality already within you. Be bold, have some courage. I’m placing before you your fact, your Reality, listener’s Reality, not the Reality of Brahman, Atman, Paramatman, God, or Master. Live like a Master, live like a God. It’s your identity. You’ve got supernatural power, tremendous power, miraculous power, but you’re not using it. With courage you can overcome all the problems. Even physical, mental problems, spiritual problems, all problems.

Yes?

Q5: I’m not sure if I understood (another devotee’s) terrible story about the mother monkey climbing the tree, with the water rising and the babies, and she held the babies up and finally she stood on top of the babies.

Maharaj: See, this is artificial love and real love. See, when the time comes, you forget your children, you forget all loved people. You become selfish. That is the principle behind that. That monkey is trying to protect the child until the water is here (Maharaj gestures up to his neck). Then it sees, ‘I’m going to die’, so she’s standing on the child and trying to save her body.

So everybody loves oneself.  “This is my father, my mother, my sister”, love is there.

Ramakant Maharaj USA Talk October 17, 2016 – Part 3 of 4

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Sri Ramakant Maharaj USA Talks October 17, 2016 Part III

Ramakant Maharaj: The bodies are different, Presence is one. And for which, spiritual courage is most important, ‘Yes, I can do it’. It’s not an egoistic statement. And for which, again, meditation is most important.

Whosoever Master it may be, have some strong faith within yourself and your Master, whosoever Master. But not to measure your Master in body-form, it is a formless Master.

You want to ask anything? Yes?

Q: The mind is quiet.

Maharaj: You may ask any question, no problem.

Q: I would like to say, Maharaj, that after…The moment I received your book ‘Selfless Self’, for me it rang…it was a truth what you were saying. I felt totally convinced. Your words rang very true for me, and my hope was to, after reading the first few pages, was simply to meet you and to see you. I understand what you say, that the Master is not in body-form, but it is very important to see you in body-form.

Maharaj: It’s okay.

Q: But my spirit, I felt like it clicked with you, and I’m very happy to be here and to see you now. You made everything so clear, clearer than it’s ever been for me before. And I’m most grateful to you.

Maharaj: So you are to undergo some meditation, that’s most important for you. Have you got any Master? Have you come across with any Master previously?

Q: I’ve been in the Presence of other teachers. When I was a teenager I was directed to go to the Vivekananda Vedanta Society, the temple of Sri Ramakrishna. Because, when I was sixteen years old I met a man, his name was (inaudible), and I started learning Tabla from him and he told me about Sri Ramakrishna. For a little while I lived with his family and he directed me there, but then after that I met other teachers too. Probably one of the most important was (inaudible), he was a teacher in the Sufi lineage, but also he was very much concerned with other lineages too. And then, of course, reading the works of Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj. But I feel that all of this has led me to you, and I believe with all my heart that when you say this is the final destination, I believe that emphatically. What you teach and what you are saying about who we are, it is the final destination. I feel I don’t need to go anywhere anymore. Even if I hadn’t had the opportunity to meet you, I still would feel that way.

Maharaj: It’s nice, very good.

Yes?

Q: (To Q2) I think you just expressed a lot of our feelings in here. Having had decades of searching, and then finally, ‘Here’s my Master’. It’s just such a blessing.

Maharaj: So constant meditation is most important. Any words, ‘Aham Brahmasmi’, ‘Sivoham’, through which you’re inviting the attention of the Invisible Concentrator within you. It’s in the beginning stage. The basic knowledge you’ve already got. You’ve read ‘I Am That’, you’ve read ‘Selfless Self’, through which you’ve got some spiritual understanding. After reading that you have to absorb that knowledge. It will happen spontaneously within you. Because you’re the source of this world. Your Spontaneous Invisible Presence is the projector of this world. If there’s no Seer, who will talk about the seen? It is very clear.

But you need courage to accept the Reality. You do your job, do your duties, have responsibilities, open a business, you can do all these things. But at the same time you remain unconcerned and untouched with the world. Where was this world prior to beingness? After leaving the body, what is the fate of this world? So be with you all the time.

Only reading books is not sufficient. It’s a waste of time. Not to torture the body. Try to identify yourself. When you are trying to identify yourself, the identifier will disappear.

Everybody in this world is struggling for peacefulness, happiness, a tension-free life and fearless life. Because all the time we are measuring ourself in body form, therefore all these concepts are required. Who wants a peaceful life, who knows it? What is Peace? What is tension? Where was that fear prior to beingness? Nothing was there. After leaving the body do you want any peace? Any tension will be there? No tension. Because we are counting ourself in body-form, all tensions are there, all desires are there. It is not bad. We’ve become a victim of mind, ego, intellect, why? You can use it, but not to become a slave of your mind. So have silence and violence will disappear.

When you’re reading books, read as if it’s your biography, it’s your story. And be loyal with you, have some strong faith within you. Don’t underestimate you. You are prime, you are the central point of all this world. ‘God’, ‘Brahman’, ‘Atman’, ‘Paramatman’, etc., these are the words indicating your Identity. It is Invisible Identity, it is Unidentified Identity, it is Anonymous Identity, it cannot be guessed. Where everything ends, there you are. So have some firmness, have some courage, ‘Yes, I can do it’. Nothing is impossible. You have to break all this circle of the various concepts. We’re acting within the circle of some concepts. Brahman is also another concept.

Q: And (Inaudible) understanding, you speak of how the Naam Mantra, the Guru Mantra helps us to do that.

Maharaj: Yes, yes.

Q: I’ve been thinking what question I would ask you when I saw you, but not many questions came. As I said before, your word is so clear in ‘Selfless Self’.  What came was that the only question would be to ask you, and I would be eternally grateful to receive the Naam Mantra from you to help dissolve the body-knowledge that you talk about, and to strengthen the conviction even more so.

Maharaj: I will give the Naam Mantra to you. But you have to follow it strictly. There should not be a wavering mind.

So any questions are there for you? Anybody else? You can ask questions, yes?

Q: Not so much of a question, but I would like to say that you exactly spoke what I needed to be heard. Because you spoke about…When being with a picture of Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj something happened, Spontaneous Conviction, but I had waves of fear. I felt like there was coming and going of feeling psychotic or something, and crazy. And now that you said I should be courageous, that was what I needed to hear. So thank you.

Ramakant Maharaj USA Talk October 17, 2016 – Part 4 of 4

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Sri Ramakant Maharaj USA Talks October 17, 2016 Part IV

Ramakant Maharaj: What you have listened to, what you have read so far, you have to absorb it, you have to digest it, number one. Second thing, you must have the Conviction, ‘I was not the body, I am not the body, I’m not going to remain the body’. That Conviction is supposed to appear spontaneously. And how will it appear? After having continuous meditation.

Meditation is not only chanting the Mantra. The meaning of the Mantra – ‘I am Brahman, Brahman I am’ – that is the meaning of the Mantra. But through the Mantra you are hammering yourself. The Mantra is only the cause, you are the consequence. These are the words. It is having some tremendous power. These are not simple words, they have tremendous power. It is creating some vibrations. You’ll feel some changes within you. With full faith, with strong faith, you recite that Mantra, spontaneously you’ll feel something else. Slowly, silently, all this illusion and desire will be dissolved. There will be the spontaneous feeling that my Presence is everywhere and in everyone. In every being my Presence is there. Just like Lord Krishna says, (Maharaj quotes a scripture in hindi), my Presence is everywhere, in every being.

Have you read Gita? The Bhagavad-Gita? My Spontaneous, Invisible Presence is within every being. It is formless, it is shapeless. There is no specific identity, there is no individuality, therefore there is no duality. If at all you want to compare (yourself), compare just like sky or space. You’re beyond that.

Though you are holding this body, you remain separate from the body, untouched with the body, untouched with all these activities.

Feelings are bound to be there, because relations are there. ‘My father’, ‘my mother’, ‘my husband’, ‘my child’, it’s okay, it happens. This is not bad, don’t feel bad, this happens. Because we are having long association with the body, if something happens to (inaudible) we feel sorry, very sorry. Because we have love and affection with the body. We’re loving ourself more than our relatives, you know? You know the story of that monkey?

Q: So there’s this parable of a monkey, a very terrible story. It illustrates, sort of, how much you prioritize yourself. There’s a flood, so the monkey tries to climb up. The water still keeps rising so the monkey tries to climb up further. And then she can’t climb any further, and her children are there. So she tries to lift the children up, but the water reaches up, up, up. Finally she just gets desperate, and she stands on the child. A terrible story.

The point it’s trying to make is that you have an instinct of self-preservation for your body that trumps other things.

Shall we wrap up? If there’s any more questions?

Maharaj: You can ask questions, be free.

Q: Maharaj, when you said in ‘Selfless Self’, that Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj taught you or showed you how to read the book ‘Dasbodh’. But you never said what he taught you, you never said how he taught you how to read. You just spoke about it but you never said…

Maharaj: Ah, yes, when I used to go every day to Nisargadatta Maharaj, during those days. The regular reader was not there, so he asked me to read the ‘Dasbodh’, and I was reading with a very low voice, no? So he said, “Your voice should go to ten thousand people!” So, like that, what I am today, I am because of him only. All my education, all everything. He gave practical advice. Once I was sitting in the corner, he said, “What are you doing?”, (I replied) “Nothing”. (He said), “What do you mean by spirituality? Pressing the feet of the Master? Putting garlands? Clapping? This is not spirituality. Do something in life. Why don’t you join college?” I was not in a position to join college because some financial problems were there. “Join college! Don’t come to me! Don’t bring any garlands! Don’t bring Prasad!” And coincidentally, one minister of the college was there. “Take this boy in your college.” He felt sorry because I got very low, marginal marks in my (inaudible). “Take this boy in your college”. And with great difficulty I joined college. He used to say, “Do something. You have to learn to the age of 40.” And so I was learning until the age of 40. My graduation, my (inaudible) graduation, my law graduation, all these degrees belong to Maharaj. He treated me just like his child.

And with the grace of Nisargadatta Maharaj, my Master, I am sharing this knowledge free of charge with everybody. And I told you, the same thing Siddharameshwar told, if you’re Realized, make others Realized. Place your carpet and start talking the knowledge, but not to make commercialization of the knowledge. Why? Why is money required? It’s free knowledge.

Ramakant Maharaj USA Talk October 17, 2016 – Part 1 of 4

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Sri Ramakant Maharaj USA Talk October 17, 2016 Part I

Ramakant Maharaj: ‘Shama’ means tolerance.  So all attributes…Forgive and forget, it appears. Previously, for small, small matters, you’re getting irritated. After having Realization, after having Spontaneous Conviction, nothing has happened, no irritation. Whatever happens, whatever small thing appears in your experience, you’ll be completely calm and quiet. Exceptional tolerance will be there, exceptional blissfulness is there. All desires will disappear. No desire, no mind, no ego, no intellect – it happens spontaneously, and it’s called Spontaneous Conviction.

You’ll become completely free. Even though you’re using this body, either male or female, you’ll remain unconcerned with the body-knowledge. You’re using the body as a temporary thing. Just like you’re using some thing, say, an instrument – like that. It happens spontaneously. That is the conviction, the Spontaneous Conviction. Understanding is quite… “Oh, I understand, I’m not the body”, it is not so easy. And for which, again I am repeating, meditation is the basic thing. You have to devote some time. Some time means at least one hour. If you consider 24 hours, at least one hour. What are you doing for one hour? Just to try to identify the Unidentified Identity within you. I was not the body, I am not the body, I’m not going to remain the body. That Reality will be absorbed totally within you.

So even though you’re living in this world as a male or female, you’re unconcerned with the body activities. It happens. Complete peacefulness will be there. And this is very simple. The Nama Mantra is playing a very, very good part. Through Nama Mantra you’re hammering yourself. Slowly, silently, and permanently, all these desires, all these expectations and needs, will be dissolved. You’ll be completely free, completely free, completely silent, silent, silent.

So understanding intellectually is not sufficient. Because everything is within you. Spirituality, Reality, is not separate from you. So far we’re measuring ourself in body-form, therefore we’re not able to identify ourself in a real sense. If we haven’t identified ourself in a real sense, whatever you’re doing, if you approach thousands of Masters, if you read thousands of books, it will not help you.

Some people come and say “50 years I’m doing spirituality”, “30 years I’m doing spirituality”, what are you doing? Subtle ego is there: “I’m doing something”.  You’re not the doer! There’s no deed! Nothing is there.

So, the first stage, body-identity is supposed to be dissolved totally, spontaneously. It happens. Nothing is impossible, you’re getting courage.

So, don’t play with the words, the spiritual words, we’re playing with the spiritual words: ‘Atman’, ‘Paramatman’, so many, so many, thousands of words. We’ve created language, we’ve given meaning to the language. Not to struggle with the language. Someone is saying “why this, why you”, these are the words! Just for conversation, just for sharing the Reality, knowledge.

See what was there prior to beingness. Any language was there? No ‘I’ was there, there was no ‘you’, no ‘he’, ‘she’, ‘it’, nothing was there. No concept of God, no Master, no disciple, no devotee, no deity. Nothing was there. After leaving the body, what remains? You’ve got a lot of knowledge, you’re master of knowledge, okay. Will that knowledge be helpful at the time of leaving the body? What is the use of that knowledge? What do you mean by knowledge? Just to identify oneself in a real sense. We’re identifying ourself in body-form and that is illusion, this is open fact.

So everything starts and ends within you. As I told you, everything came out of nothing and everything dissolves within nothing. Your Presence was there but not in any form. You’re formless Presence. After leaving the body your Presence will be there, but not in any form. Just like so many houses have collapsed, what is the fate of the sky, space? Sky is not dying, there’s no death, no birth.

So ‘death’ and ‘birth’ concepts are supposed to be dissolved. All desires will be dissolved. It happens! We’re having subtle, subtle desires. So instead of studying the spirituality, try to digest that spirituality within you. Spirituality is not separate from you. So far we’re measuring ourself in body-form, counting ourself in body-form, spirituality will be different. The moment spirituality is absorbed, at that stage there is no ‘I’, there is no ‘you’, ‘he’, ‘she’, nothing is there. No God is there, no Master is there, no disciple, no devotee, nothing is there! Therefore I’ve told you: except your Selfless Self there is no God, no Brahman, no Atman, no Paramatman.

All needs, requirements, desires came along with the body. Where were those desires prior to beingness? Everything dissolves along with the body. What remains? Nothing.

Q: Master, is it best to stop reading your book, or Nisargadatta’s books? Is it best to stop reading that at some point?

Maharaj: Not to stop reading! You read it! You can read books, but you’re reading your biography. When you’re reading certain books, suppose this a story given from birth to death, a biography, “Oh, it’s my biography! It is my story!” You read it in that way. Somebody wrote a biography on your life without your knowledge, when you come across with such a book, “Oh, it’s my biography!” Like that, when you’re reading any – Ramana Maharashi is there, Nisargadatta Maharaj is there, so many Masters are there. Their language is different, but what did they want to convey? So many spiritual books are there. Don’t “subtle body, this body, that body”, what to do with the bodies! Where are the bodies prior to beingness? “Four bodies are there, this body”, what to know, why to bother with these ‘bodies’!

See, the principle behind spiritual knowledge is that this body belongs to the five elements. You are the projector of these five elements. Where were these five elements prior to beingness?

Sky is there, earth is there, wind is there, sun and light is there. So all these five elements came along with the body. Where were the five elements prior to beingness? After leaving the body will you know any elements? Nothing will be there.

So all knowledge, whatever knowledge you have, will dissolve along with the body. So why to play with the words? All spiritual words are an indication inviting the attention… (of the Invisible Listener……… Video malfunction.)

Ramakant Maharaj USA Talk October 17, 2016 – Part 2 of 4

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Sri Ramakant Maharaj USA Talk October 17, 2016 Part II

Ramakant Maharaj: No form is there. Prior to beingness any form was there? We’re not knowing ‘Who am I?’ To say ‘I am’, some Presence is required. Where is that ‘I’ prior to beingness? That Conviction, I’m not just talking understanding, that Conviction is supposed to appear spontaneously. For which you have to undergo strictly meditation, it’s the only source. Not any exercise, no torturing of the body. You’re not required to go anywhere, to any temple. You’re not required to go to any Master also. Approach your own Master. You’re neglecting your own Master. You’re measuring yourself in body-form, that Master.

Knowledge is everywhere. That is called Realization. Because it is Unidentified, Invisible, Anonymous Identity. There’s no name. You can’t see, you’ll feel it. What you see is illusion, through which you see is Reality. The entire world is projected out of the Seer’s, the Invisible Seer within you. The entire world is projected out of the Invisible Seer within you.

You can’t guess. Mind, ego, intellect disappears. These are functioning elements, they’re not bad. If you use excessively, the mind, ego, intellect, it will be bad. We say that anything in excess will be poison.

So have all your responsibilities. Not to neglect you body, not to neglect your family. Do your job, do your duties. “Oh, I’m a spiritual man, how can I do those things?”, no. Because you’re Final Truth. Therefore Spontaneous Conviction is supposed to appear, with the result that you’ll remain unconcerned with the world, untouched with the world, untouched by all concepts. All desires will dissolve, no desires will be there.

Therefore spiritual courage is required to accept the Reality. The Reality is not separate from you. And therefore again I am repeating, meditation is the only source. With the intellect we can understand, it’s okay.

Why is knowledge required? Because we forgot our identity. What do you mean by knowledge? Just to identify oneself, a simple thing. After identifying ourself, the identifier disappears.

Through various words I am trying to convince the Invisible Listener within you, which is formless. Why to read so many books? Okay, you require so many books, but what they convey is most important. Only reading thousands of books is meaningless. Because you are the central point of this world. If for a moment the Presence is not there, what is the value ofthis body? And what is the value of the knowledge? Where was that knowledge prior to beingness? What is the use of that spiritual knowledge after leaving the body?

Thousands of questions are there. The answer is within you. There is only one answer: except your Selfless Self there is no God, no Brahman, no Atman, no Paramatman. They’re all concepts which appear upon your Presence. Even ‘I am Brahman’ is also a concept which appears upon your Presence. Presence does not know ‘I am Presence’.

And therefore, instead of studying spirituality, try to absorb what you’ve listened to. It’s the Listener’s story, the Listener’s Identity. Because this body is an opportunity for you. Don’t waste time. It is invaluable, your Presence is invaluable. Through the body you can identify ‘I’.

It’s a combination of Presence and the body. Presence touched with the body, and you say ‘I’. Just like a matchbox and stick. Fire is everywhere. The moment the matchbox and stick click each other, you see fire. Where will that fire go? Hell or heaven? The moment the Invisible Presence touches with the body you say ‘I’. Where was that ‘I’ prior to beingness?

So be practical. You’ve got a lot of theory. You’re not required to study any spiritual books. ‘The five elements are there’, ‘these bodies are there’, ‘four bodies are there’, why to use all this ‘four bodies’ and all these things? The ‘subtle body’, ‘this body’, ‘consciousness’, ‘unconsciousness’, ‘awareness’, this is only playing with the words. You’ll not get happiness out of that. It’s entertainment, momentary spiritual entertainment. What is the use of spiritual science?  It’s what it says, “You’re separate from all these five elements.” The moment your Presence appears, all this entire world is projected, including the five elements. You are the father of the five elements. Where was the sky prior to beingness?

I’m giving a simple example. In a dream you see everything, correct? You’re sleeping, you’re in deep sleep. You see the sky, you see the moon, you see the sun, you see the ocean, you see so many people. Until this day you might have seen thousands of dreams. What has happened to all those people you’ve seen in your dreams? How was that dream world projected? You’re there and there only. This is a long dream-world.

But what happens? A lot of desires are there. “I want this thing, that thing, that thing.” One devotee came to me talking about some thoughts, they mentioned facebook or something. The human being, in the beginning we’re not coming along with these pockets. After leaving the body, you’re not having any pockets. Why to fill the pockets in between?

That means, prior to beingness nothing was there. Now so much anxiety, now so much greed is there, “I want this, I want this, I want this”. Who wants all these things? For what? How long are you going to use all these things? Temporary reliefs. Money is there, sex is there, publicity is there, so many things are there, so many material causes are there.

So be firm, firmness is most important. And for which you must have strong faith within you and your Master, who so ever is your Master. But Master is not in any form, it’s a formless Master, not this form (Maharaj indicates his body).  The Invisible Identity within the Master and the Invisible Identity within the so-called disciple is not separate. They are one and the same, bodies are different. So Reality is not impossible.

Yes?

Q: Master, the Conviction, Spontaneous Conviction can happen at any time, it doesn’t necessarily happen during meditation, is that correct?

Maharaj: It happens spontaneously after having the Conviction. After having this Conviction, it dissolves all body-knowledge. The moment body-knowledge dissolves…This is a food-body, you know this is a food-body. So far we’re supplying food and water, it happens. Who is acting in this body? Who is talking from this body? Who is experiencing from this body? Who is listening from the body, who is thinking from the body?  Say I am talking something-something about spirituality. The invisible listener within you is analyzing the words, without your knowledge, and raising some questions. Who is that questioner?

It is very, very interesting. Go deep and deep and deep within Selfless Self and you’ll find peacefulness, ‘Oh, so That I’.

Q: Master, deeper and deeper into meditation, you’re talking deeper and…

Maharaj: After having meditation, through those meditation words (Mantra), all the concepts will be dissolved, melted. Body-identity will be dissolved.  And you’ll see within yourself, ‘my beingness is everywhere and in every being’. ‘My Presence is everywhere’ – that Spontaneous Conviction will appear within you.

Q: So during the course of the day, when all these family members are around…

Maharaj: Yes, yes, it’s okay. In a dream, so many family members are there.

Q: There not really there, right?

Maharaj: So, I’m not asking you to neglect your family members. Whatever job you’re doing, do your job. Do your duties, take care of all your responsibilities. But at the same time, there should be the Conviction, ‘I’m nothing to do with all these things’. As if you’re acting in some drama. I’m giving a simple example, you’re acting in a drama, your doing some role. You’re doing a very nice role, people are saying, “Oh!” At that time you are knowing that ‘I am nothing to do with this role. I have to act two or three hours only, or two and a half hours, or two hours.’

Like that you have to convince yourself. Knowledge is there, a lot of knowledge is there. In the light of that knowledge of Reality you have to convince yourself, ‘where do I stand?’ ‘What do I want exactly? I’m meditating, I’m doing bhajans, I’m doing all these things, I’m reading so many books, I’m approaching so many Masters. To what extent will this be useful for me? Where do I stand? Who wants all these things? What is the purpose behind that?’

Because, we are not peaceful, we are not happy. Everything is with us, no happiness is there, no peacefulness is there, always there is tension, and most of all fear of the death. Why this? Because we’re not identifying ourself in a real sense. We’re not having any experience of death and birth. And as you know, what is the time limit of this body? You are a small child, grown up as a young man or young woman, then you’re an old man, and some or other day, willingly or unwillingly we have to leave the body. It’s your Identity.

So be fearless. After having the Conviction, you’ll be fearless, ‘Oh, this is a dead body. Let anything happen’. Because I am unborn. These are allegations, you’ve taken birth and you’re going to die.

Therefore spiritual science says, if at all you want to compare (yourself), compare just like sky. Sky doesn’t know ‘I am sky’. So, your Invisible Presence does not know ‘I am Presence’.

We’re using ‘I’, ‘you’, ‘he’, ‘she’, ‘it’, it’s language, just for conversation. And therefore I told you, not to play with the spiritual words. “Who is ‘you’”, “Who is ‘I’”, it’s okay, just for understanding.

Really, it is very, very interesting.

Yes, do you want to ask a question? Please come here, sit, you can sit here.

Q2: I’ve noticed, Maharaj, since starting the Naam Mantra, that I have become more inward focused, much quieter. Able to take care of my duties but very detached, and much more efficient. But it seems like my energy is more inside (inaudible), much more at peace. So it’s been a good experience. I think I understand a little bit of what you’re talking about. I don’t know about Spontaneous Conviction, but there’s been a big switch, a big change since the Mantra…

Maharaj: See, so far we’re measuring ourself in body-form, whatever experience appears is illusion. If you feel ‘I am Brahman’, it is also illusion. Because whatever feeling, all feeling appears upon your Presence. Presence does not know…Name is given, ‘Brahman’, ‘Atman’, ‘Paramatman’, ‘God’, ‘Master’, a name is given to identify that Invisible Presence.

Q: It’s not even like a feeling, there’s just quiet…

Maharaj: It’s good.

(More visitors arrive) Please come, please sit.

So, what about your spiritual studies? Be free!

Q3: I came across the teachings of Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj ten years ago, and it had an impact on my beingness, and I wasn’t really able to handle that. So over the last ten years I’ve mainly practiced on the Sufi path. And the teacher (inaudible), he was familiar himself with the lineage of Sri Ramakrishna also, and last year I came back to reading Sri Nisargadatta, and your wonderful book.

Maharaj: See, after reading so many books, we have to absorb that knowledge. Knowledge is just Reality, your Reality, Listener’s Reality, Reader’s Reality. That ‘I’ is supposed to be dissolved.

That ‘I’ appeared upon your spontaneous Presence. If the Presence is not there, who will talk about the ‘I’? And as I told you, except your Selfless Self there is no God, no Brahman, no Atman, no Paramatman, no Master. The Invisible Listener within you is the Master. It does not have any special identity. To say ‘I’, your Presence is required. If Presence is not there, who will talk about the ‘I’ and who will talk about the God? To say ‘God’, your Presence is required. The body can’t say, ‘this is God’. If there is no Presence, the body can’t act, this is a dead body. The Invisible Presence, the Invisible Listener within you, through which you can identify the world, that means the entire world is projected out of your Invisible Presence. If the Presence is not in the body, who will talk about the world and God and everything? Who knows Krishna? Prior to beingness, do you know Krishna? Any God you know? Any Master you know? Any spiritual knowledge you’re having? Nothing. After leaving the body what is the use of that Krishna? All Gods and Goddesses are concepts.  Okay, it’s not bad, I’m not criticizing. I’m placing before you the Invisible Identity within you, which is called Brahman, Atman, Paramatman, God, Krishna, whatever names are given. To say ‘Lord Krishna’, your Presence is there. If your Presence is not there, who will talk about Lord Krishna? We know the picture, ‘Oh, this is Lord Krishna’. Somebody told us, or we’re reading from some books, ‘This is the God, Rama, this is Krishna, this is this thing’, okay. Prior to beingness, do you know anything about this? Be honest. After leaving the body do you know anything about this? Any Master? Any God, any Goddesses?

Through the body we are trying to identify, ‘Oh, this is the God’. And what is the use of this God? Just to have peacefulness, happiness, what we require. The body-knowledge is not tolerable, therefore all these Gods and Goddesses are required. Why is spiritual knowledge required? Body-knowledge is not tolerable, for which you are taking some material causes. So many desires are there. So all desires are supposed to be dissolved spontaneously.

You may read thousands of books. What is the use of reading the books? Try to identify the Invisible Reader within you. We’re collecting information through various books and playing with the words, ‘Atman’, ‘Paramatman’, ‘Brahman’, ‘God’, it’s okay, so many words are there. So many books are there, what do they convey? So many Masters are there, what do they convey? They say: except your Selfless Self there is no God, no Brahman, no Atman, no Paramatman, no Master. Why don’t you see that Master within you? Why don’t you see that Krishna within you? Because we’re measuring ourself in body-form. And that body-identity is supposed to be dissolved, for which you are to undergo the discipline of the meditation.

Why is meditation required? Through which you’re hammering yourself, you’re inviting the attention of the Invisible Meditator within you that you are Ultimate Truth, you are Final Truth. That is the base.

Meditation is also illusion, but it is necessary. To remove one illusion you have to take the help of another illusion. Be strong, not physically, spiritually. Have some courage to accept the Reality. We’re having pressures of so many concepts, spiritual concepts, ‘Oh, how can I do this. If I say something, it will do something.’ ‘This is called sin, this is called virtue’. What is ‘sin’, what is ‘virtue’? This is called ‘destiny’, this is ‘past birth’, ‘future birth’, who’s birth? This is ‘karma’, that is ‘karma’, what is ‘karma’? You’re not the doer, there’s no deed! Ultimate Truth is not separate from you. So far we’re measuring ourself in body-form, that Ultimate Truth will be separate.

As you know, the body is not your identity at all. The body was not your identity, and the body is not going to remain your identity at all, it’s open fact. Some or other day, willingly or unwillingly, you’ll have to leave this body.

And for which you must have Spontaneous Conviction. So read books, no problem. What do they convey, that is most important. Only adding spiritual words is meaningless. Will that spiritual knowledge be helpful at the time of leaving the body? No. Whatever you’re reading, whatever you’re listening to, it should be absorbed totally. If we go on talking hours together, it is meaningless.

I’m inviting the attention of the Invisible Listener within you all the time, that except your Selfless Self, nothing is there. Have some courage, spiritual courage, to accept the Reality which you are lacking. “I’m doing something, I’m doing…”, what are you doing? You can’t do anything! If there’s no Presence, what can you do with this body? If there’s no Presence for a moment in this body, what can you do, nothing. And therefor I’ve told you, this Presence is just like sky or space. It does not know ‘I am space’, also it does not know ‘I am Presence’. Try to identify the Invisible Identifier within you! It is unconcerned with the world, unconcerned with all activities. How you were prior to identifying yourself? “I  don’t know”. What does identification mean after leaving the body? “I don’t know”. ‘I don’t know’ means I am shapeless, I am formless. My Presence is there, but not in form.

We have a lack of confidence. We’re listening to everything, everybody knows ‘Atman’, ‘Paramatman’, ‘God’, ‘Brahman’, but a lack of confidence is there. Some impressions are there. We have to come out from this illusory circle. All our actions are within the illusory circles. So far desires are there, we’re under the pressure of mind, ego, intellect. What is mind? The flow of thoughts. Ego is there, “I’m doing something!”, what are you doing? Intellect is there. Where was the intellect, mind, ego prior to beingness?

Basically you are formless, no form is there, no shape is there. And therefore I am saying, everything came out of nothing and dissolves within nothing.

There are no restrictions. You’re not required to do any exercise, not to torture your body. Do your duties, have some responsibilities, be practical. “Oh, I’m a spiritual man, I’m a spiritual woman, how can I do this?” Not to do this. Be simple, be normal. Don’t underestimate yourself, “How can it happen?” Everything can happen, nothing is impossible. You’re not required to spend a single penny for this. It’s your knowledge!

Therefore my Master said, “I’m not making you a disciple, I’m making you a Master.” Because you are a Master. The moment you stop measuring yourself in body-form, the Master is not separate from you.