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Transcript September 18, 2016 Closing Talk

Ramakant Maharaj USA Talks at OneCircle Closing Talk September 18, 2016

Ramakant Maharaj: So for two days we’ve discussed some things about spirituality, and you’ve got the basic knowledge. I don’t want to repeat the same thing again and again. Just, you have to absorb the knowledge, try to know Reality. You know better what to do and what not to do. Just to identify oneself. It is easy to discuss about Spirituality. It’s a little bit difficult, but not impossible (to absorb the knowledge).

See, this human body (inaudible). We’re having so many concepts, illusory concepts. And since childhood till today we’ve embraced all the concepts and are living within the circle of the concepts. You are to cross the circle of all the concepts. The mind is there, the ego is there, the intellect is also there, they are the functioning parts, they’re not bad. But we are giving so much importance to the mind, ego, intellect. So, not to become a victim of the flow of thoughts.  Thoughts are flowing, it’s they’re nature. And therefore, just to identify yourself. It’s open fact that you’re not the body at all, the body is not your identity at all. Though we are knowing all these things, again and again we are repeating the same thing: we’re trying to extract happiness from this body-knowledge, and unless body-knowledge dissolves you’re not able to identify yourself in a real sense, it’s a fact.

You are not required to go anywhere, don’t expect anybody’s blessings. You are Ultimate Truth, you are Final Truth, except your Self, nothing is there. Brahman, Atman, Paramatman, God, Master is the name given to the Ultimate Truth which is already within you. The Invisible Listener within you is Master, Ultimate Truth. And just to identify yourself in a real sense, you are to undergo the discipline of meditation, in the beginning only. It’s the only source. You go anywhere in the world, if you approach so many Masters, if you read so many books, nothing. It will give temporary relief, pain-killers, temporary intoxication.

So what do we want exactly? If we’re not knowing what we want, we’re roaming here and there. We’re giving trouble to the body, torture to the body.  And therefore, today’s concluding lecture is that: try to identify the Invisible Listener within you which is Ultimate Truth. The master-key is meditation. As I’ve told you, it is the anti-virus software. All illusory concepts are supposed to be dissolved totally. Until you’ve got the Conviction that ‘I am not the body, I was not the body, I’m not going to remain the body’, that Reality will not be clear.

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

Yes, yes.

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

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

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

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

Yes?

Q2: Is there any specific way to do meditation?

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

Q2: So, meditating…

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

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

Q2: And the same question about the bhajans…

Maharaj: Yes, yes, prayers, bhajans, which are required, because this is the weak point (sensitive point) of the Spirit, of spirituality. It creates an atmosphere. We’re playing with the various instruments, it’s creating an atmosphere. It’s ‘sattva guna’, three gunas are there: ‘sattva guna’, ‘raja guna’, ‘tamo guna’, you know? Spiritual science says this.

Q2: Is it a specific kind of bhajan, or any general bhajan?

Maharaj: Any bhajan through which you are getting happiness, peacefulness, not a specific bhajan.. In our lineage we have bhajans. The purpose behind that: you should be one with your Selfless Self. There will be spontaneous peacefulness, not artificial peacefulness, not a material cause of peacefulness. Peacefulness is there, happiness is there, a tension-free life is there. And therefore I am insisting not to measure yourself in body-form, not to underestimate your Selfless Self. That grand secret is within you. We’re ignoring ourself. We’ve got so many expectations, so many concepts. We like to live within the circle of concepts – you have to break the circle.

And this courage you’ll get out of meditation only. And I’ve repeatedly told you, meditation is not only sitting like this (Maharaj pretends to meditate), it is involvement. This body is called ‘man’, this body is called ‘woman’, and we accepted it,  we’re acting as a woman or a man. You’re watching the dream as a woman or man, we’re totally absorbed. Your parents told you this body is called ‘man’ or ‘woman’ and we totally accepted it. Master says you are not woman, you are not man, you are Brahman! But we don’t accept it. You are the Supernatural Power. You’ve got tremendous power, hidden power, which you’re ignoring all the way. Then you will be fearless, no tension will be there.

What is the purpose behind spirituality? To live a tension-free life, peaceful life, happy life, fearless life. Everybody is having fear of the death: “What will happen?”. After knowing the Reality:“I’m not going to die, there’s no birth and death to me. It’s connected to the body only, and I’m not the body at all and I’m not going to remain the body at all!”, it’s fact.

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 ‘bhakit’ 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?

Q3: 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.

Yes, anybody else?

Q4: Maharaj, over the last couple of years my sadhana has progressed quite a bit.

Maharaj: Good.

Q4: More, actually just sitting in dhyan and, you know, see the seer, know the knower. Just being able to basically pivot the mind backwards, just sort of, you know, in that state of awareness. Maharaj’s statement: “Patience and perseverance are the most important at that stage”. So, you know, for the last couple of years, and now I can do it for about two hours a day.

Maharaj: Good…

Q4: What next?

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

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

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

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

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

So in the beginning stage sadhana is required, meditation is required, until you’ve got Conviction, Spontaneous Conviction.

Anybody having any questions? Yes, yes.

Q5: Sri Ramakant, I want to thank you so much for the teaching. This is the first time that peacefulness has remained with me.

Maharaj: Good.

Q5: When I leave here it’s still with me, when I fall asleep it’s still with me, when I wake up it’s still with me. There might be a temporary moment, of maybe three to four minutes of stress or tension, but stress and tension seem so foreign, the peacefulness is…

Maharaj: Good, very good.

Q5: And you’ve kept my intellect from using scripture as a prison. I’d be trying to find more and more, more and more, I need more and more, I need to get to a higher and higher state, after this what state next, and after this…you know, just continuous agony. And so, thanks for freeing me.

Maharaj: Good, very good. 

Any questions for anyone else?

Q6: I have no questions, Maharaj, my mind is quiet, peaceful. No questions arise.

Maharaj: Good, very nice. 

Yes?

Q7: The more I did the mantra and the meditation, the more I could sleep, I got more and more awake.

Maharaj: Good! It’s a good sign. Your Inner Master is awakening. 

Yes?

Q8: Maharaj, will anyone carry on the lineage after you?

Maharaj: Not like that. Lineage is spontaneous lineage, there’s no specific…we say ‘lineage’. There’s no individuality. No specific personality. This Master, that Master, that Master, that Master, it’s okay. So far we are living in this body we are having that concept, it’s also a concept.

Siddharameshwar Maharaj, the spiritual Grand-Master of mine says ‘ If you’re realized, make others Realized. If you’re peaceful, make others peaceful.’ There are no hard and fast road. If you’re Realized, spread your carpet and start talking. But not to make a business out of spirituality. This is free knowledge.

I was told that one of the devotees said “We’ll have some foundation in the name of Ramakant Maharaj” – I am against all that. I don’t want any foundation in my name, I don’t want to raise any fame in my name or in the name of spiritual knowledge.

We’re not expecting any money from anybody else for personal use. We are both retired (Maharaj and his wife) persons getting sufficient pensions, and both my sons are very well off, so I’m not expecting anything from anybody else. It’s free knowledge.

We’re having an Ashram also. And those who are giving a spontaneous contribution, and only spontaneous contributions are accepted, otherwise not. There’s no specific demand, not from the back door: “Oh, give some donation for my Ashram”, no. It is the discipline of our lineage, it strictly says not to demand any penny from any person or any devotee, for personal use or any purpose. And not from the back door :”Oh, I’m running an Ashram, give me something”, no. Then the question: “Then how are you maintaining the Ashram?” – from spontaneous contributions given by local devotees. There’s no donation box in our Ashram. Why money is required? What is the use of that money? Okay, for maintenance you’ll need it. But not in the name of spirituality.

So if you’re Realized, make others Realized, but not to have any commercial views. There’s no hard and fast road, there are no restrictions, no bondage.

Yes? Yes, yes.

Q9: If one is no longer identified with the body, and knows what they are, will they no longer feel the pain and the fear about the world?

Maharaj: Therefore you are to undergo the meditation. Fear because we are developing body-concepts. What is the fear?

Q9: I mean, responsibility for acting in the world…

Maharaj: Okay. Yes, yes, of course. You’ll get courage out of spirituality. After having Identification, you’ll get the courage how to live your family life, your routine life. For which spirituality is there. Because directly or indirectly, our mind is pricking from the backside. The mind, ego, intellect is pricking from the backside. When you’re getting very close, closer and closer to the Selfless Self, the mind and ego are pricking from the backside, trying to distract you from the Reality. You have to be alert. Particularly in meditation, some negative concepts are appearing, some negative atmosphere appears. Be firm with you, you know the Reality. It’s the nature of the mind. Mind, ego, intellect appeared upon your Presence. Your Spontaneous Invisible Presence is supplying power to the mind, ego, intellect. Not to become a victim of the mind, ego, intellect, you can use them. You’re no longer a slave of the mind, ego, intellect, you’re Master of the mind, ego, intellect, you can control it. You know good thoughts and bad thoughts are appearing, it’s their nature. Thoughts which are to be accepted, thoughts which are not to be accepted is up to you, you’re Master of thoughts. Not to give cognisance to any egoistic thoughts or illusory thoughts. Thoughts are appearing, it’s their nature. Good thoughts appearing, bad thoughts appearing. They are clouds, coming and going. You are there and there only.

Have the Conviction that the body is not your identity at all. Where were the depressions prior to beingness? After leaving the body, any depression is there? It’s a fact, some day or other, willingly or unwillingly, we have to leave this body. It’s a dead body. What is the value of this body? Because of your Spontaneous Presence you say ‘I’. To say ‘I’ your Presence is required. Without Presence, what is the value of the body? – “take it away, take it away”. To see this world the seer is required.

So, you are the central point. You are the source of all this world. To say ‘this world’, to say ‘God’, the identification given by the Presence is required. If there’s no Presence who will talk about the world, who will talk about all relations?

Yes?

Q10: When I go doctor, pretty soon I’m going to have an operation. And I’m going to get a pain shot. I’m not going to try to meditate…I will meditate too, and recognize that I’m not the one feeling the pain because I’m spaceless, timeless, not an object that can be touched, but I would like you to comment on that. I’ll get the pain shot, the little issue. But I used to try to meditate and not use the pain shot. Now I say “Heck with it, what’s the difference?” you know, I’ll just take the pain shot, if the headaches there I’ll take the aspirin, what’s the difference? It’s just the way the Knowledge is happening so it’s no big deal, but I would like to hear your comment on that.

Maharaj: See, these are physical problems. If there are physical problems you can take the help of the doctors. But I’ll tell you that meditation gives a lot of courage to bear all these experiences, diseases, all these intolerable things. Previously these intolerable things, unbearable things, can be bearable after having the Conviction. This is the body-base: since we’re holding the body headaches are bound to be there, (inaudible) are bound to be there, take the help of the doctor. “Oh, I’m a spiritual man, how can I take the help of the doctor?” – not like that.

The body is the media to identify yourself, not to neglect your body. I’m requesting everybody: not to neglect your body, take the help of the doctor as and when it’s required. This is a food-body, you have to supply food, water, and everything. But there should not be attachment: “I’m not the body, I was not the body, I’m not going to remain the body”. It’s an open fact, but we’re not accepting it and therefore painfulness is there. Directly or indirectly we are giving some importance to the body. It’s okay, you can use the body just like clothes. You are the holder of the body.

Yes, anybody have any questions? Yes, be free, don’t hesitate.