Let
there be peace and love among all beings of the universe. OM
Shanti, Shanti, Shanti.
"When
you bring the mind face to face with this present
moment,
you will attain eternal
rest."
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OU
must
have come here for freedom, to get rid of sorrow,
to get rid of suffering. Life is a repeating cycle
of death, disease, and old age; but you can abandon
this by simply listening. Listen to me, listen to
what I am saying and all is over.
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I don't give you
any task or any work to do. This is not the
Olympics; you don't have to run. This is satsang.
No exertion is needed here. Without even needing to
think a single thought you can be liberated this
moment. If you are not ready in this life you might
as well wait a thousand lives. You simply need to
listen very carefully. It is very easy for those
who are serious, sincere, and devoted to
themselves. People who come for tamasa
[transactions between physical bodies] will
not get the point.
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You
have to simply become aware of the movement of the
mind, which begins this endless trouble. That
something is actually arising out of consciousness
is only a concept, and it is this which gives rise
to the myth of an individual identity. How much
time does it take for the mind to arise or for it
to be stopped? One movement of thought causes this
endless creation to appear, complete with its
creators, preservers, and destroyers. If the mind
is checked it is all over. But it is not going to
end on its own. If it were real it could end, but
because it is only a notion it will end only if you
see the Source of the notion as it is arising. The
idea that, "I am so-and-so" and "You are so-and-so"
is the movement of the mind. "I am" is the first
movement of the mind; and from here arises the
trouble.
When you get up in the morning you feel rested and
happy. There is a movement in consciousness and you
call this the waking state. The world appears to
you with its mountains, rivers, forests, people,
birds and animals, and you call it waking up. The
same thing happens at night in dreams. There are no
objects to experience, but even in sleep the mind
is not quiet; it creates another world. Who is
responsible for that creation? Who? You cannot say
God, or the creator, or any other person. It is you
who are sleeping comfortably, but you cannot rest
even in sleep and so you create another world
within yourself. You see mountains, rivers,
elephants, tigers, although they are not there in
your apartment – you are alone. Neither are
there objects nor is there any subject. Only the
ego is projecting its own world.
Just like the chicks return in the evening under
the wings of the mother hen the ego says, "Keep
quiet." Because of ego, darkness, next morning they
will jump out of the wings of again the same thing,
you see. The mind is exhausted from the
transactions of subject-object relationship. Give
it a little rest.
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Transcending
these three states you will find another state
where you have peace. Few people know this peaceful
state of consciousness, of happiness, of bliss, of
existence. Even beyond this Turiya there is yet
another state which a few rare ones reach and
return to speak about it. In this discovery
everything ends – from here all also starts.
This is the substratum which has always been
concealed by thoughts, from where they arise. This
Supreme state of consciousness is concealed by
conceptual understanding itself.
If I show you a handkerchief you will see its form,
its length, width, thickness, its uses, and its
name – "handkerchief". You will not see the
cotton from which it is made; you will not call it
"cotton". If I show you this kerchief even –
this is a kerchief – length, width, height,
its uses, name is "kerchief". Form is this you see,
but you know the cotton you can't see. Cotton is
not seen. No one can
say it's cotton… kerchief! If you remove the
name and form you will see the cotton.
If you remove the name and form, all that you see
here and now – whatever you see – remove
the name and form. You are in that state beyond the
Fourth which I described, you see. It will appear
itself. It is here. That's not to be gained, it is
already here. Because you are already otherwise
engaged in your fantasies you have no time to look.
What is concealed? You only give importance to what
is seen. Importance to form and your notions, you
see.
So, if you check your notion – one word –
if you check your notion and intention simply for
that reason. Don't allow any notion to arise or any
intention in the mind, you see, for just this
instant of time. What's going to happen? So this is
one word. How to do it? Not to give rise to any
thought. You must ask the question, "How not to
give rise to this movement at all."
So this can be done when you make the enquiry into
this process of movement. What is the movement
going on? That's all you have got to do it. And
this enquiry is enough instruction from someone.
This instruction is enough. That's all you have to
do as a student, find out what this movement is and
where is its Source. This instruction from the
teacher is sufficient, and there's nothing beyond
this to say or listen to. What else can you read in
any book if you don't listen to this? That I have
to enquire into the movement of the mind itself
– strike at the root of the mind. If you see a
mango tree in the seed you don't see leaves nor the
fruits but in the seed, in the small seed of a tree
there are leaves, branches, flowers and fruits that
you can't see. So to see this you have to enquire.
This is the minutest of the minute; may it take a
millionth part of the tip of a hair. That's what is
said. The millionth part of the tip of a hair; so
minute, so subtle it is. So how will you reach It?
You can't see It with your eyes, you can't touch It
with your hands. Only by enquiry you are going to
reach the most subtle place and It is reaching you
there. Enquire.
This enquiry is not going to end. This enquiry is
not going to end unless this subject who is
enquiring is itself consumed into the enquiry.
First let the enquirer consume itself into the
enquiry, and then the enquiry will be consumed into
That which has not yet been described – and
you are That. Not that you are going to become
something else at some other time. No, you are
already That. You're not going to gain anything,
not going to achieve anything, not going to learn
anything. If you get rid of all that you have
learned till now, heard till now, read till now,
seen till now, what's left? All what you've
acquired is only hearsay. You have borrowed all
this from someone else. It's not your nature; it's
not your true Self. You will return to your own
Self and nobody knows what the Self is. You
attribute Self to some particular form or name that
can be seen, smelt, touched or heard about, and not
to That which cannot be seen or touched. So, how to
do it? Simply enquire into the nature of what is
seen, what this universe is, and what is its
origin.
The origin of the universe is not other than your
own notion. You first have become "I am so and so,"
and then the world appears. And then there are
relations in this world. It's only your notion. Now
you should find out the substratum of the notion,
the Source of the notion, So how to do it? By
simply enquiring, "What is the Source of the
notion?" Simply look down – there's no other
way. You don't need do anything. Simply keep quiet
and don't think. That's all. You have not to do
anything.
You have not seen this moment of quietness for the
last millions of years – you have never been
quiet. We are speakingof this quietness which is
your nature and which is the substratum of
everything that is seen. Without knowing this, we
cannot have rest. This is what is called freedom,
enlightenment, wisdom,
existence-consciousness-bliss,
satyam-shivam-sundarama, whatsoever you call It
– and yet It has no name – not even
consciousness. It is so empty that even "Emptiness"
does not describe It?
When you see a star, you can see a star because of
the skies. You can't see a star without the
background of the sky. When you see the universe,
there must be something – consciousness –
which compels you to see the universe. When you see
your own body, there must be consciousness through
which you have the experience of your body. What is
this consciousness? You have never before thought
of It. What is the basis that you see? Even to
start with your body, how is this body seen? There
must be some basis through which you are aware.
There must be some substratum, some Source through
which you are experiencing the body itself. What is
That?
If you keep quiet, then only you will know It; not
with the movement of the mind. If you move the mind
there is body, and if you move the mind to know the
cause, the Source of the body, you multiply it. So,
how to do it? By not doing anything; not thinking
anything. Just imagine if you do not think –
just to see the Source of the body you have not to
think. What is the Source now? You are multiplying
only. So if you understand this thing, even if you
understand you miss it. You have not to understand
It. If you understand, you are thinking, still you
are thinking. So be free. You have to be so free
that there is no activity to even try to understand
– so free. No one has seen this freedom
before.
When you discover freedom, you will really enjoy
whatever you do in the world. You may be active,
but whatever you are doing will be 200% better than
what other people are doing. Other people will be
suffering.
You have to pay absolute attention to this moment.
Some say, "I'll just find out what has been spoken.
I'll just go back to the hotel and find out." That
will not do, you see. What's the use of the rain
when the crop is dried up. It's no use. This moment
is very important. Only one instant, this instant,
is needed; and if in this instant you can't be
quiet, then what's the use of coming here? You have
to get only one word today, now. Everyday, I am
saying the same thing to you, because eventually,
in this instant now, you have to get one word. It
will ignite like an explosive. It will ignite. But
because you are not listening, not paying attention
therefore it's not working. It has to work, it has
to work. How much time does it take to burn?
Instantly, instantly it has to burn. Like that you
have to be ready. In satsang you must be very
ready.
Come, come – be ignited like camphor! This
word, this instruction is fire – let it ignite
your heart like camphor and destroy your darkness!
If a room has been shut up for twenty or thirty
years and you switch on the light, the darkness in
the room will not say, "I will depart slowly. I
have been here for thirty years." When you switch
the light on there is light immediately; the
darkness will not linger simply because she has
been there for thirty years. You may have lived in
darkness for thirty five million years, but one
click of the switch can switch on the light and
instantly destroy the whole forest of ignorance.
This is the power of the teacher: to remove
ignorance instantly. If the fire does not burn the
camphor, then something is wrong somewhere. Either
the fire is not fire or the camphor is a stone. If
it does not react instantly something is wrong
somewhere. You will feel the presence of a true
teacher – he will ignite your heart.
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What are the
conditions or requirements that are needed for
freedom or enlightenment? Truly speaking, there are
no hard and fast rules or conditions that you have
to be fulfilled to be free. But I will cite one
example of a king.
When the question of enlightenment comes I do not
know why kings are always mentioned. We have heard
that in ancient times enlightenment was won only by
kings and not by workers. Vaishista was a king,
Vishwamitra was a king, Yagnavalka was a king,
Gyanasruti was a king, Buddha was a prince. There
may be something in this because they have
fulfilled their vasanas and desires. Perhaps those
who have not done enough to fulfill their vasanas
cannot renounce; they are addicted to vasanas.
Therefore we always hear that kings have won
freedom: Janaka was a king, Dasaratha was a king,
Rama was a king, Krishna was a king. It can be won
by everyone but the story goes in favor of the
kings.
There was a king who spoke to his wife, "My hairs
are getting gray now." In ancient times, when
people were seeing gray hairs on their head they
rejected everything and went to the forest or to
some rishi's ashram to sit with him and to be free.
This king was very much attached to his wife, she
to him. But on this morning he said, "My dear
queen, I will leave you now." "Why are you going to
leave me?" She asked, "You told me that there is
nothing else more beautiful than me. Didn't you say
that?" "Yes I did," the king replied. "Then why
should you leave me now?"
And he said, "My dear queen, my beloved one, my
dear one, there is something else that I cannot
attain here with you on the throne. So I leave you
and I go." He did not listen to the queen's
beseeching.
The queen said, "I can teach you knowledge. I know
that which you want to learn and I can teach you. I
did not speak on this matter until now because the
time was not ripe. You were young, you had vasanas,
and the time had not come; but now I can teach
you."
Still the king did not listen. He said, "What can
you teach? What is a woman going to teach me? I am
going now. Here are the ministers who are very
able. They will help you in government. Here are
the treasures. I am giving you everything. I will
go now." This queen had been going to satsang since
childhood in her parents house, and she was
enlightened. But the king was not in a suitable
condition to listen to her instruction. It is most
important that you be in very good shape to be
benefited by satsang. He didn't listen. He walked
out and went away and disappeared into the forest.
The queen had also learned Yoga, so she sat in
samadhi and her subtle body went all over the place
to find out where the king was sitting in
meditation looking for freedom. And she saw him
living and meditating in a thatched hut. So the
queen thought, "This is the right time for me to
teach."
She disappeared in the night and went in the
disguise of a young sadhu – dressed up as a
sadhu, as a man. She declared that she belonged to
Vaikunth Loka. "I have come because you have
rejected everything," she said. "I have come
because you are a very serious seeker of Truth and
I will teach you." He was very happy. He prostrated
before the sadhu and welcomed him, saying that this
was the time he needed a teacher. So every night
she would disappear from the palace and go and
teach. The sadhu told a whole story to him, how he
was the king of a certain country, he had a queen
and everything but he rejected everything.
The sadhu told the king, "Your renunciation is not
yet complete because what has to be renounced is
not yet renounced. You renounced your palace but
instead here is a thatched hut. There's no
difference between a palace and a thatched hut. You
have the same attachment now with the thatched hut.
Instead of your royal robes you are now wearing
this soiled robe of a renunciate." The king left
the hut and threw off his robe, so he was standing
nude.
"Now is my renunciation complete?" "Not yet, not
yet. Still you are attached to something, and with
attachment, freedom is not possible." "Only the
body is left," said the king. "Only my body is
there, so I am going to throw my body into the
fire." "Wait", said the sadhu. "Wait. What harm has
this poor body done to you? You do not need to
throw it away. Perhaps through this body you can
attain freedom. This body is inert. Why do you want
to throw it away? This is a beautiful chance for
you to work through this body. Something else has
to be renounced, not the body. Even in your sleep
you have no body, still you are not enlightened and
you are not free. During sleep you do not see
anybody, yet you are not free. Even at death your
body is cremated, yet you are not free. You have to
renounce that which has to be renounced."
The king did not understand what has to be
renounced. "You have to renounce that through which
you are renouncing everything, and through which
you think that you are going to have emancipation
and wisdom. That has to be renounced. What is that?
Mind. The mind has to be renounced. You did not do
it when you were in the palace and also here you
cannot do without it. You have not won freedom
living in the palace and also here you are still
bound. Until you renounce mind you cannot be
free."
The king agreed to do this, but how to do it? How
is it possible to renounce the mind? He did not
know how to renounce the mind. So the sadhu taught
him. Every night this young sadhu appeared before
him, spent the whole night, and then flew back to
the palace in the morning to attend to the affairs
of the court and the king. She had a very active
day and also a very active night. At night she was
a Guru; in the day she was a queen.
She told him what has to be done. She told him to
sit quiet and she told him how to get rid of this
mind. "The mind is a vasana – a desire. Whose
desire? My desire. This mind is just a thought. The
prime thought, the first thought, is only the
"I"-thought. There is no difference between "I" and
mind. "I", ego, and mind are all the same thing. So
how is it possible to get rid of this "I"? The king
said, "How could I get rid of this "I"?"
In everything – in anything that you do –
the "I" is always maintained. Therefore there is no
possibility of success. No one can win freedom,
whether he be in an ashram or working by himself
alone on the heights of the Himalayan mountains.
The "I" is still maintained. "I am meditating. I am
performing pilgrimages. I am doing all these
things. I am chanting such-and-such a formula." The
"I" is still there. Unless this "I" is killed there
is no use of any sadana that you do."
This young sadhu now told this yogi, "I will tell
you a way how to get rid of this mind in the shape
of "I". Find out where this "I" is rising from. Ask
yourself, "Where is this "I" rising from?"" "It is
very difficult to find," said the king. "It is very
difficult because I have never heard about this
before. No one ever told me about it. No one ever
asked me to question where this "I" is rising
from."
We are working with this question here every day.
Some say that it is very difficult, that they don't
get it, they don't understand. A few are able to do
it for some time, and I am glad. But again, after a
week or so they say that the old tendencies come
back. The whole-hearted jignasa – the fire of
desire for freedom that is needed – is not
there. It's only for fun's sake, reading some books
and hearing from so-called teachers, going to
so-called centers in the world which teach freedom.
People are attracted there and sit with a teacher
who doesn't know himself – he is not free
himself. He doesn't belong to the tradition of
Gurus; neither did he have a Guru, so he has no
right to speak on jnana – knowledge. You have
to see the lineage of the Guru, to which lineage
does the teacher belong? Otherwise you are misled,
misguided and lost forever.
Do not waste your life this time, this human
incarnation. It is very difficult to maintain the
desire for freedom in human life. Most human beings
are just two-legged animals, two-legged beasts
interested only in sex, food and sleep. This is
what animals and man have in common: food, sex and
sleep. The only difference between animals and man
is that we have the option, we have discrimination,
to utilize this blessed human temple of God for the
sake of freedom. We have had better sex as a pig.
We have had better food as a wolf. If you overeat
you have to go to the doctor in the evening. We
don't even have the stamina to eat that a wolf
does. And animals sleep much better that we do. Man
has to use sleeping pills and other drugs to be
able to sleep.
Coming back to the story, the king was slowly
learned from the young sadhu and he came to know
the Truth. He said, "Respected Guru, I prostrate
before for you. I searched, I have found the place
where this "I" is rising from, and I don't see
anything there."
This is the experience of everyone who comes and
sits in front at satsang. Yesterday I received a
letter from a girl was here and has now gone back
to Holland. She wanted some clarification. "I
learned, and I am practicing here also, but I don't
find anything. I don't find anything. I don't see
anything. I just see that I am very happy in this
moment. Is this the right state or is there any
mistake in this?"
Those who have this experience have to stay a
little longer so that they do not forget it. Why
not finish up the whole thing here and now? It
doesn't take time. You have come for this purpose
and I am very happy that we are here to share our
experiences with each other. We have to make sure
that we are all happy so that we can go back home
and help our friends also. In this way this will
spread through the whole world like a wild fire.
This is the right time. I am seeing the result. One
single person who goes from here is quite
enough.
This king told the sadhu, "I am very happy about
what has occurred, but what is freedom? What was
this idea of freedom?" The sadhu replied, "You have
entertained a concept that you were bound. You were
bound so you wanted to be free. This is the direct
path to freedom where this concept of bondage has
now vanished. When the concept of bondage has
vanished the concept of freedom also goes. While
walking barefoot in the forest we may be pricked by
a thorn in the foot. So we try to take another
thorn to take the first thorn out, and then we
throw both of them away. In the same way, bondage
is only a concept. To remove this thorn we need
another concept of freedom. When the time comes
that both the thorns are thrown away we do not know
anything, we do not know what happened. Now you
will have to put all your strength to not be
recalled by habits which are millions of years old.
These old habits are also a concept. Where do the
habits go when you sleep? Then there are no old
habits and no new habits either. There is no
bondage and also there is no freedom."
The king was staying in this state and the sadhu
was still waiting with him. One week passed in this
state and he was absolutely blissful, in a
stateless state. So the sadhu came and asked him,
"What more do you want? What more do you need? This
is freedom. Remain as this wherever you are, even
sitting in the palace with your queen. Isn't this
possible?"
"I was very attached to my queen, and these
attachments could not have helped me," the king
replied. "Therefore I had to reject them all. I do
not know if she could have taught me. She was a
stupid woman and said she could teach me knowledge.
It's a good thing that it was my good karma to be
blessed by you, my Satguru." Then he prostrated
again and again; he went around the sadhu many
times. The queen said to herself, "He's all right
now." and removed her disguise. She removed the
appearance of sadhu and became his queen and
prostrated before the king. "Let us return to our
palace," she said. The king wondered to himself,
"Why I didn't listen to you then?" He decided it
didn't matter. The king and queen were both
enlightened and in constant satsang.
Yesterday someone asked about harmonious life. A
question arose in my house about the harmonious
life between a wife and husband, and we had a
discussion about this over lunch. Everyone is
living in great fear. A harmonious life means
living together in wisdom, understanding our
relationship with our partners, with our friends,
with our relations. This can be called a harmonious
life. We are here from all over the world. Could
there be any better bond of love between all of us?
People are living here as more than brothers with
brothers, and sister with sisters, and parents with
parents. What better harmonious life could there be
than satsang? A harmonious life is only when both
of… when all of us have the same enterprise,
the same thing, the same path, the same goal. When
we are always speaking about that: This is going to
be a harmonious life. There can be no other
harmonious life in the world than sitting in
satsang, in great love with each other.
To be prepared for satsang we have to be willing to
reject all our past vasanas. We know that our
vasanas are finished because this desire for
freedom will come only once in a cycle. Not once in
a life, once in a cycle; which means 35 million
years. Only then will this desire for freedom
arise; and whenever it comes make the best of it.
Sit down wherever you are so that this moment is
not gone. Immediately, this is the right time to
win freedom. Do not postpone for the next moment or
for the next day. This is the right time –
when this desire arises – not that you read it
in a book, not that you were told to come, not that
someone said, "I will give you enlightenment." not
that it was imposed on you. It has to come on its
own. It has to come from within. The wave has to
rise from the ocean, not from the desert. If it
does come from the desert it is something else and
not actually the wave. Whenever this desire for
freedom comes, sit down where you are and keep
quiet. This is the right time.
How can freedom be won? Close association with a
saint is quite enough; you will resolve your doubts
and your mind will be purified to receive. If your
mind is not pure, even if God gives you
instruction, you will not be able to get it. You
have first to purify your mind. Your mind must be
purified. Not in one janma, many janmas, you have
to be born, reborn, and then the mind will be
purified. So in the last janma, in the last
incarnation, there will be the desire to be free
and this is going to work. You will be asking, you
will be wanting the company of a holy person.
Somehow you will be led to him, you will be led to
him, somehow you will reach him and stay with him.
That is on your part, you have fulfilled your part.
The rest depends upon your teacher.
The knowledge is Supreme, and if you cannot
assimilate it, you cannot get it, then you have to
take up your austerities for a long time, not for
one age, many incarnations you will have to take,
you see, to fulfill your austerities and purify
your mind and get ready to receive knowledge. As
all rivers enter the ocean, so all the austerities,
practices, will lead you to knowledge. That’s
how it’s described in the sutras. So those who
follow the knowledge or understand the freedom, its
not for the first time that they have been
successful, because we see some people who say,
“We came here this morning and we have
finished our job with you. We go back to our
home.” It’s not for this. Some people
take a week, and some a month. They don’t see
their roots. So whatever time we are spending here,
it will not go waste. Surely you will be rewarded
by this thing. So best of all is going to be to
remove your impediments, hindrances. Only you are
going to remove your hindrances and not to achieve
freedom – freedom is already here. Freedom is
already here.
Only you have to remove what stands between you and
the freedom in front of you. Some veil is in front
of you and that veil is ego. Ego. If you remove the
ego by your own self, or someone who can do it,
surrender to that person and he will do it. Only
you have to remove this ego. When ego is gone, then
the mind is gone and when the mind goes, you are
placed in a state of no-mind and this no-mind is
very close to freedom, very close to freedom.
So this is what has been told and what has been
done previously by all those people who got
enlightened. No need of leaving the kingdoms and
going to the forest now. Again and again we speak
of this thing: only get rid of your impediments,
and simply stay quiet, that’s all. With the
very burning desire, like somebody who is burning,
and will run to a well, or a river, or a stream,
only for water. Someone who is burning must go to
the water; he will not go anywhere else. Like this,
if you have the burning desire, “I want to be
free, in this life, before the end of this
life”, this must be a longing always in your
mind, then you will be successful. You will have
won the game and you will be very happy always
because freedom and happiness and bliss go
together. All kinds of other pleasures that we seek
fade away immediately with their contact itself. As
soon as you contact any touch, any pleasure, it
will bite like a serpent. Any pleasure, any rose
that you pick, you will have a thorn underneath the
rose. That’s how it is described by one
Persian poet: when you pick up a rose you’ll
have a thorn also near the rose. Like this, when
you enjoy any sense pleasure it will bite you, you
see. Therefore we have to search for very pure
freedom, where there is no unhappiness. Otherwise
in the world there is sometimes happiness,
sometimes unhappiness. They go on alternating and
this is called the world, and this is the
experience of the ignorant ones. When there is
unhappiness, they don’t like it; when there is
happiness they like it. So in the case of wisdom,
there will be only serenity. There will be no
unhappiness, and no happiness either, you see.
There will be total peace. Peace is something else.
It has got nothing to do with pleasures and
displeasures that belong to the contact of the
senses. Bliss has got nothing to do with the senses
or the mind or the intellect or even the
personality, or the jiva or individual soul. This
is a very Transcendental Fourth state. Not waking,
not dreaming, not sleeping. That Fourth state is
called "Turiya" in Yoga terminology. This state is
always available to everyone, you see.
You know that you sleep, you know that you dream,
you know that this is the waking state, so when
these states are projected in front of you, you
must be somewhere other then these states,
witnessing these states, you see. If we give
thought to this, we are experiencing, we are seeing
this is the waking state. We see it, we witness the
waking state. Dream also. We had a dream last
night: it means we had witnessed the dream. When we
are in deep sleep, we enjoy the bliss of deep
sleep. All these three sates we witness, projected
in front of us. We do not question who has been
witnessing all these three states, who must be out
of these three states. Who is it, that was out of
these three states and has projected these three
states in front of him? So if he turns his head to
this state he will be in the transcendental
position and he is in the Fourth state. So this is
to reject the three states. This Fourth state is
called "the Fourth" state because there is no name
for it, yet it is connected with the three states,
so it is called "the Fourth".
So to win complete, perfect freedom is yet beyond
it, you see. That has no name. Witness these
states, saying that "I am not these three states. I
am the enjoyer of all these three states." So
staying here for a long time, you will find that
you are the Absolute substratum, the Absolute
essence which exists prior to all creation. That is
peace and quietness itself. That is Emptiness, from
where everything rises like ripples, like waves. It
is all silence you see. That is who we all already
are. But we are otherwise engaged, and therefore we
do not know who we truly are – due to some
reason we forgot. So this is the matter. This
satsang is association – all of us belonging
to the same thought, the same longing, is only for
this, just to remind ourselves that we all are
living in that peaceful, in that blissful, in that
conscious state of Emptiness, which cannot be
described by anyone. No one has ever been able to
described It. You are That.
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Who feels that we
are bound? Let us examine this important subject.
When objectivity arises in consciousness it becomes
conditioned, limited. This is bondage. When it is
abandoned, when you become without objectivity,
when there is no object in the mind, you can call
this "no-mind". No-mind is liberation, freedom,
emancipation. There is no difference between
no-mind and consciousness.
How is it possible to avoid this object? What is
this object? This object arises in our
consciousness. Just as a beast, an ox or bull is
driven by a herdsman from behind; so craving is
driving everybody. When you say, "I enjoy this, I
enjoy that", it is not that you are enjoying, but
you are driven like a beast by craving. You are
driven by this craving from behind and you go to
meet the object like a beast. You become a beast of
this craving. You say, "I am enjoying, this is my
desire", but this is not so. You have been driven
and compelled by the object, by your craving. This
craving is your herdsmen from behind. You are
driven by any kind of desire. Almost all beings
belong to this category: men, dogs, all are driven
by cravings of this world and also of the next
world. They are driven by this craving and
therefore they suffer endlessly.
How is it possible to avoid this craving? You have
been driven by this object, by this craving, by
this desire since time immemorial; you do not
remember. You have spent millions of years with
this craving but each time you forget. You have
spent millions of lifetimes. Where are the
cravings, where are the objects, where are those
relations of your incarnations prior to this one?
You have been behaving in this way many times
before. Now this will also disappear and you will
begin another manifestation like this one. It is a
never ending process.
This world cycle is a never ending. How is it
possible to end it? Just by no longer giving rise
to this craving. It is the easiest thing and the
most difficult also. I say it is the most difficult
because we see very few who have been able to do
it, therefore there must be some difficulty. I say
it is also the most easy, because if a man of
reason chooses to be free he has to just get rid of
this craving and it will end. So some say it is
easy and some say it is difficult. It is difficult
for those who are beasts of craving, for those who
have attachments, for them it is difficult. But in
their final incarnation or in the company of some
good person, in contact with a sage, they will
understand how to get rid of this craving. Staying
near a sage they will come to know. This can be
difficult; this can be very easy.
I remember a story. There was a king who learned
from his Guru how to be free, and he became free.
As a king he was free. His wife, the queen, also
used to go to the sage and she was also free. They
had two sons. The elder also became free but the
younger was too young. He had been hearing about
the same subject but he could not do it. He was not
very much attached. He had lost about fifty percent
of his ego but yet he was somewhat attached. One
brother was in difficulty, the other had done his
work, and both parents had done it.
The king, the father of these two boys, died. The
queen was very fond of her husband. She said, "Why
should I live here now? We have lived together, why
don't I go to this king? I'll give him company."
She knew how to dispose of the elements. Our bodies
are composed of five elements: earth, water, fire,
air, and akash, or space. That is what our body is
made of, and that is what is outside of us. Earth,
water, fire, air and space [akash] are all
outside of us. Just as we borrow some money from
our friends and return it, so we have borrowed
these elements to fulfill our place. We borrow
earth from earth, water from water, fire from fire.
This queen knew the art of disposing of her body
and she turned back the loan. That which had been
taken from the earth, the earth part of the body,
is returned to the earth; the liquid of the body is
returned to water, fire to fire, the air that we
breath in and out is returned to air, and space to
space. So she also disappeared.
This is an art. It belongs to Yoga but everybody
can practice it; it is not very difficult. Kabir
did it recently in his lifetime, and many other
people who prefer to disappear in this way have
done it. At Kabir's death the hindus claimed he was
a hindu and wanted to cremate him, and the muslims
said he was a muslim and wanted to bury him. So
they were having a dispute. His body was covered
and they went near the body to drag it away and
there were only two flowers! His samadhi is near
here in UP near Gorakpur; he lived nearby in Magar.
So one flower was cremated, the other flower was
buried!
Like this the queen departed. The eldest son
performed the ceremony which has to be performed
for departed parents with great honor and respect.
He did not feel any kind of sorrow. "My parents
were enlightened. I am also enlightened by my
enlightened parents. They are happy. They have gone
to the region beyond this concept and I can see
where they are." The younger brother was crying and
sobbing. His brother was asking, "My dear brother,
why are you sobbing? Why? What’s the matter
with you?" But he didn't listen. He said, "Your
parents were enlightened people. They are not to be
born again. You should be happy." The younger
brother didn't listen. He said, "You are crying for
those who are very happy at this time. And you have
had many parents like these your recent parents.
You must cry for them also. You have been a tiger,
what about your tiger parents? You have been a
fish, what about your fish parents? You have been a
mosquito, what about your mosquito parents? You
have been a tree, what about your tree parents? You
must cry for them also. Why don't you cry? I can
show you all your millions of parents now, you can
see them. I can also show you your recent parents
now. I can see them and you don't because you are
not an enlightened person. Therefore, you are
crying, you are suffering. You will have to
suffer."
This boy understood his brother. We can also end
bondage if we give up craving for objects. How is
it possible to stop this craving? How did this boy
do it? How did his parents do it? When the craving
arises in consciousness it has to arise from
somewhere. "I want this. I want that." is all
in-between. When you become an experiencer you want
to enjoy objects of experience. To have enjoyment
of any object you must first become the experiencer
and create an object of experience. These two
things must be there: The seer and the seen.
Between the experiencer and the experienced there
is experiencing. You are that experiencing alone.
You are neither the experiencer nor the object of
experience. This is missed. "I am experiencing both
the seer and the seen. I am seeing." This you
forget. You think, "I am the seer and this is the
object of sight." We miss what is in between. If
you stay between them in experiencing – this
is consciousness. Everyone is having this
experience of consciousness always. You will have
to question this experience, between experiencer
and experienced. What is this which is experiencing
which is neither subject nor object? You will have
to inquire into this. Or directly ask yourself,
"Who am I? Who am I? Who am I?"
Many people have difficulty in understanding this.
Every day I receive letters from people who find it
difficult to follow this. Not everyone is capable
of arriving at this understanding or making this
inquiry. It needs some discipline, some ground that
has not been fulfilled. It is not possible to be
engaged and busy with enjoyment of the senses and
fulfilling your cravings on the one hand; and also
wanting to be free, wanting to attend satsang,
wanting to make this quest for Self-knowledge on
the other hand. This difficulty exists for those
who are not free of running after desires and
cravings. It is not possible to have both things at
the same time. If you want to enjoy the world
nobody is stopping you. The world is there to
enjoy, so enjoy it! And if you are already
satisfied then return now to your own Self for
enjoyment, having enjoyed your own beauty, your own
consciousness, your own bliss, you have enjoyed
everything. Either this is the time of satisfaction
or you run after things. Nobody has ever been
satisfied running after these objects. As one
object is fulfilled in the mind there are thousands
waiting in queue. You have spent millions of years
picking up one object after another.
Those people who have found that these cravings
cannot be fulfilled are fit for the instruction of
the teacher. They come, saying, "Now let me have
knowledge." They have come for instruction and it
will work. A dull mind which is engaged somewhere
else is not listening to the instruction of the
teacher and will not get the teaching although the
teaching is the same. It is said that those who
listen to the teaching, those who come to the
teacher, those who have satsang are in their last
incarnation. They have tried everything else
without finding satisfaction. They could not find
it last time so they have returned with only this
desire for freedom. When there is only the desire
for freedom they will attain freedom. Whatever age
they may be they will set off one day to find the
teacher, and sitting with the teacher this
instruction will drive deep into their heart. They
will see that here is wisdom and here is light.
Trouble comes for those who are engaged elsewhere
and still say, "We want to be free". This is not
going to pay them at all. If you have amritam and
cyanide in the same cup it will not work. If you
have to take cyanide, take it cleanly and see the
result. That is the result that you have always
been seeing. Now is the time to taste a drop of
amritam, of nectar, of bliss. What is this nectar?
It is bliss, it is consciousness, it is existence.
Nectar is that which, having tasted it, you get
complete satisfaction with no more searching, with
no more coming and going. The only trouble is this:
You cannot at the same time have enjoyment of the
senses and freedom. You will have to decide. Or use
up your life and have another life; there is no
problem. Each one of us has already lived 8.4
million incarnations to be here today. If this is
enough then let us now aspire for freedom and for
freedom alone, and let us see what happens.
We are not speaking of any method anymore –
you have had enough methods. Certainly no method is
going to give you freedom because every method will
need body, mind and senses. Whatever you do –
whether you travel to holy shrines, to holy rivers,
to temples, practice rituals or Yoga – you
need a body, you need a mind, you need senses. This
mind is the root of the problem itself; this mind
is samsara. It is a demon 35 million
years old . You
are walking hand in hand with this friend since
time immemorial and you do not know who this fellow
is. Still you do not know. Why don't you part
company with him just for five minutes and see
– see how free you are without mind! We have
seen that when all objects are abandoned from
consciousness you have no mind. When there is no
objectification in consciousness you are
immediately free.
For some this is very easy; listening to the
instruction of the teacher alone is enough. For
some dispassion and effort is advised, dispassion
and sadhana is advised. This sadhana is: If you
forget yourself, again and again return to This.
Again return to This. You will get rid of this
mind.
What is the mind? Just one thought is mind. This
one thought is manifestation, is 35 million years.
Abandonment of this one thought is freedom. So this
is very easy or very difficult. When you utter the
word "I" it takes you back 35 million years: just
the thought of "I". As far back as you go you will
find an endless past in this one "I". You will find
the future and the present also contained in this
"I"-thought. This one "I"-thought has created
millions of people. It has created heaven and
hell.
This one thought is also the key to ending past,
present and future. It can also liberate you. To
abandon this one "I"-thought is liberation; to
cling to it is bondage. One is easy, other one is
difficult. This is your choice and you have to make
your choice this instant. You are free from the
beginning. Who told you that you are bound? You
have chosen to be bound because of craving to
enjoy, and you are not satisfied so far. Now let us
sit together and help each other to get rid of just
this one "I"-thought. How can this be called
difficult, just to get rid of this "I"-thought?
Where does it exist? When you search for it or try
to see it or touch it or feel it or even
conceptualize it, it does not appear. We never look
for this "I"-thought; we like to be chased by it
like a beast.
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Who are you?
Where do you come from? Many times you came and
many times you returned. You have never attempted
to ask yourself who you are. If you had done so,
you would never have returned to this miserable
samsara. When you have known, this karma ceases to
function, samsara ceases to exist. You return to
your original fundamental nature – to being,
to existence, to bliss. That is what you are. That
is what you have been. That is what you are going
to be.
So here is how to do it – it is very easy. Let
me introduce you to what is going on here. To begin
with, find out who is the one who sees. Ask
yourself the question: "Who is the seer?" Find out
what is seen. That which is seen is the object and
the seer is the subject. The seer – subject
– must be separate from the object, different
from the object. It is that which is seeing the
object. The object is that which is seen. The seer
is looking at the object – you are not the
object. You may see anything: a horse, a cow, a
car, a building, or anything. You are not that. You
are the seer.
When you experience your own body you may think
that you are the body, but you are not the body.
You experience, "I see the body." so you are the
seer of the body. It is here that you make the
mistake: You become the body and you forget that
you are the seer. You have become an object when
you say, "I am doing. I am seeing. I am tasting. I
am touching. I am smelling. I am hearing." You have
lost your bearings and become the body – the
seer is no longer separated from the body. Whatever
is seen is an object, so when the body is
objectified who is the seer? When you see the body
it becomes an object. Whatever you see is an
object. If you see your eyes they are objects; if
you see your hands they are objects.
What about the mind? You know very well that if
your mind is suffering it is not at peace. You know
the activities of the mind also. You know, "Now my
mind is thinking or not thinking." This means that
you are also aware of the activities of the mind.
You are something other than the mind. You are not
the mind. You are neither the mind nor the
body.
The same is true of the working of the senses. When
you are working, walking, or talking, you know very
well, "I am at work, my hands are working." You
know very well that you are not the hand; something
else is commanding the hands to work. You are
something other than the movement of physical
activities. You are not even that.
Now consider the intellect. You decide, "I have to
do this. I have to go to Lucknow." You decided and
you are here. You guided the intellect to make the
decision, "Let's go to Lucknow." then you followed
the intellect. So you are guiding even the
intellect and you know very well that the intellect
is something other than you.
Find out who you are – here and now. You are
not the mind. You are not even the prana – the
breathing. You know very well that breathing is in
and out, inhaling and exhaling. You can feel, "I am
inhaling, I am exhaling." You know this activity
also. Who is watching the inhaling and exhaling?
This is all that the body is.
So who are you? You are not all these functions.
You will have to ask the question, "Who am I?" This
is what we have come here to understand, and we
have not done this at any time before. This
question must be solved but we have postponed it.
Everyone has postponed it for millions of years. We
will not postpone this here. There is no method to
practice. Simply find out, "Who am I?" This is not
a method or practice or sadhana.
This can be done here and now – in this
instant – because the Self is here.
Enlightenment means to know thy Self – to
know, "Who am I." This is
Enlightenment.
This is wisdom. This is bliss. This is existence.
This is being. This is Truth. This Truth is not
located at a distance – It is your own Self
through which you are searching for Truth and
freedom. It is not any distance from here. It is
within you, nearer than your own breath. It is
behind the retina of your eyes, which you cannot
see. You need not look outside. It is behind the
retina; it is that through which the retina sees.
You need no effort to see it.
When you still all activities, without doing
anything, without thinking any thought – when
you do not stir any thought from the mind ground,
without moving, without moving the mind, without
starting a single thought – in an instant of
time you are free. When you give rise to any
sadhana or practice, when you go to any center or
ashram, when you go to any teacher or pilgrimage or
church, when you make any prayer, you have
postponed it. This you have done.
Be free of all these things right now. Because free
you have been, free you are. You cannot achieve
anything other than what you are. Anything gained
afresh or achieved for the first time –
anything which is new to you – you will
certainly lose because it was not there at all. All
that is natural to you is already there. Do not try
to achieve anything or gain anything or attain
anything which is not already there. This is not a
fresh gain. People think, "At the end of this
sadhana I am going to be free." But it is not like
that. You have been looking for something else, not
freedom. Freedom is already here.
When you exert effort or practice sadhana you will
camouflage and cover the Truth. You will have to
remove this covering because it is you who put it
there. This covering will be removed through your
effort. And when all efforts are done away with
– when all attempts, all intents and
intentions, all ideas and notions are rejected
– at that time ask yourself, "Who am I?" You
will certainly find the answer.
This is how freedom is already attained: You are
already free! If you can hear this once from a
teacher you are free. If you cannot hear this, then
practice. If you can listen to a teacher who is not
a liar, who is speaking the Truth, and if you are
honestly longing for freedom then listen once and
you are free. If you are not honest and if the
teacher is not authentic it will not work. You will
have to take up a practice if something is false
somewhere. What is that practice? At all times,
walking, sleeping, dreaming, on waking, while
standing, sitting, lying, go on chanting the
mantra. I can recommend mantras also, as a second
best. If you can repeat this mantra from now till
your last breath I guarantee you will not appear
again in a next birth; you will not fall into any
womb. What is the mantra? "I am free!" Take up this
practice if you do not believe me.
If you can listen, if you long for freedom, and you
feel that I am honest when I tell you that you are
free, then accept it! Hear this only once and you
are free.
If you do not accept what I am saying then I will
give you a practice as a second best. You will have
to continue practicing on every breath – every
breath of the waking state, of the dream state, of
the sleeping state up to the last breath. Then I
guarantee that you will not appear again in this
miserable samsara.
To hear this once is enough. It is no problem to be
free in this life. You have lived 8.4 million times
as different kinds of species. This cycle has taken
about 35 million years, and each of us has gone
though many such cycles. So let us now decide not
to return again.
Those who are here represent 6 billion people in
the world today, without counting all the animals,
birds, worms and germs. Out of 6 billion human
beings there are very few of us here. Throughout
the world they do not allow you to even utter the
words, "I want to be free." If you say, "I am
free." or "I am God." you are put on a cross or
stoned to death. Those few who have said, "I am
free." have been stoned to death or crucified. I am
happy that you have freedom of expression; you are
lucky. You are born of a lucky family, of a lucky
land that has allowed you to come to some other
country and search for freedom. You are twice
lucky. And I trust that all those who are here will
not return home as they came. I am having good
results. This is the first time in history. I see
people every day come in front and say, "I am free.
I am free." They come from every country and see me
saying, "I am in peace. I have seen peace. I am
very happy!" They express it in many ways.
This has never happened before. In distant
centuries people were performing tapas continuously
for thousands of years, but we have very few
examples of enlightenment – only a finger
count. We have to go back thousands of years to
find some sage or saint we can quote about freedom,
like Jagnavalka, Vaishista or Buddha. But here I am
very happy to see many buddhas appearing. Without
sitting under any bodhi tree they are becoming
buddhas. This is happening in this century because
now we have no time to go to the mountains. The
mountains are all polluted now. In Kashmir at
22,000 feet, armies are standing abreast with their
weapons with intention of killing each other. How
can you meditate between two armies?
It is best that wherever you find time, even in
your own apartment – close your eyes and
meditate. Search within yourself. There is no need
to go anywhere because there is no peace anywhere.
Everything is polluted – we cannot even have
fresh air. The ocean is polluted, the rivers are
polluted, mountains are polluted, the land is
polluted, food is polluted. What is there to do
about it? You cannot even do Yoga. For Yoga you
need very sattvic food, which is not available. The
human lifespan is becoming shorter so it is better
to hurry up! No one has seen tomorrow. Today is the
best day. You can win freedom right now. I do not
advise any practice. I do not tell you to practice
even for one minute. Just now, this instant, one
second, half a second, half of half a second is
enough. Anytime today, but today – but now
– you are free.
Simply listen to me. Simply have trust in what I
say when I tell you that you are free. Do not
doubt. If you need to doubt then you will need
practice. It is your choice.
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I will tell you
the secret of sitting meditation, standing
meditation, walking meditation, sleeping
meditation, dreaming meditation, and active
meditation in the battle field as a soldier. Let me
speak from my own experience, as I never speak from
what I have heard or read. It is better first to
experience and then to speak.
In 1953 I was loading a ship in Mangalore at a time
when I was dealing in manganese ore. I stayed there
the whole day for the loading, and once the hatches
were closed I got a bank draft from the captain to
certify that the ship had been loaded with 10,000
tons of manganese ore for Rotterdam. I wanted to
cash the draft immediately at the bank in
Bangalore, which was about 500 miles away. It was
already about 9 PM, and I had to reach the bank by
morning. I was exhausted as I had been working
offshore for the whole day from early in the
morning until late in the night. I was not near the
wharf where I could easily get out of the ship and
it was very hot. I decided that I should rest
before beginning my journey and then start early in
the morning. But then I realised that the banks
would be closed, and it would be better to cross
the mountain pass and have a coffee and a nap on
the other side, and then go to Bangalore. The road
over the hill climbed from the town at sea level up
to five thousand feet making eleven hairpin
bends.
I don't know what happened. I could not stop on the
mountain road because there were wild elephants
which had lifted cars up in the air and thrown them
in the valley, one mile below. It was better to
keep going and then to rest.
When I arrived on the other side of the hill my
head was resting on the steering wheel. I woke up
from a deep sleep feeling very fresh, no longer
even needing a cup of coffee. I continued the
journey to Bangalore having had a complete sound,
deep sleep. My head was resting on the steering
wheel. I was feeling so fresh that I no longer
needed a rest or a coffee, as though I had slept
for eight hours. Who drove the car? This is a
problem I have never been able to solve. Even in
the waking state drivers have accidents but I was
fast asleep. The road was narrow, no more than
fifteen feet. On one side was a high mountain, on
the other side was a very steep valley, and I cut
eleven hairpin bends. Who drove the car? I have
never been able to find the answer to this.
The other incident I want to describe to you
happened in Lucknow. I was walking to the GPO
[General Post Office] from Kaiserbagh, in
front of what is now Janpath market. I always kept
a very safe distance, walking on the left side of
the road, because sometimes I could never get out
of meditation at all! I was neither troubling
anyone else nor was I troubled by anyone. An old
model Ford car came down the street, a 1934 or
‘36 model with footrests hanging on the side.
These days cars no longer have footrests. The car
hit me so hard that the footrest fell off onto the
ground. People gathered around me saying they had
noted down the number. The car had sped away
leaving only the footrest. They wanted to know if I
was hurt and to go to the police. My pants were
torn and when I pulled them up, the car had struck
me from behind. There was a little bloodstain on
the back of the knee but nothing more. I told them
I was perfectly alright.
When you are in meditation you do not need to look
after yourself. A power will rise which is moving
the earth, which is causing the sun to shine, which
is giving the moon its brilliance, and which is
allowing all these jivas to function as they want
to. If you are attuned to that power you will have
nothing to do, everything will be beautiful. That
power will look after you in a way which you cannot
manage. A man operating from his senses gets into
many accidents. But I did not fall into the valley,
I slept. Who took care of me? This is the greatest
mistake, to fall asleep at the steering wheel. One
is advised to be well rested before driving. Who
cared for me?
That Power is there but you are not looking at It.
It is so compassionate that it will look after you.
You have been denying It and depending on your own
ego. Even this ego is getting its power from
somewhere else, to become ego, to become mind, to
think, to become the senses and to allow you to
function. When you turn your face towards it, it
will arise to help you; otherwise you cannot save
yourself. How long can you be aware and
careful?
Meditation means, no meditator and no object of
meditation. Then you can do whatever you like. When
the meditator is there it is ego. This is not
something to be decided intellectually; it has to
be directly experienced. There is no end to
argument and logic. That has nothing to do with it.
This is your own mother, your own Supreme power,
which is here and now.
If you close your eyes you will see who is
responsible. You do not have to travel even a yard
out of your own Self – you do not have to take
one step. You do not need to think or even to
meditate. You do not have to do anything, just keep
quiet as you are and you have got it. If you try to
search you have lost it. There is nothing to search
for – it is that through which the search is
taking place. It is that which is found after
searching has ceased.
If you know this it is enough. If you don't you
will never find rest in millions of years. You have
already passed through 8.4 million species. If you
are fatigued then you will see this. If you want to
hitchhike some more the goal will not be attained;
you can continue as you like and it will never end.
If you want to end everything is ended now. If you
want to continue it will continue. As you think so
you become – this is a formula. You think, "I
am in trouble" and you are in trouble. You think,
"I am free," and you are free. If you are attached
to any object you are in trouble, you are in
suffering, there is manifestation. If you want to
end this it is seized immediately in the
recognition, "I am free." That is all there is to
it. What time do you need?
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During the
lifetime of some enlightened beings worship began.
Even during the time of Lord Buddha people
worshipped stupas, worshipped statues of the
Buddha. Some people don't believe in worship
through statues. Those who invaded India at the
time when Buddhist dharma was strong, demolished
most of the statues and Buddhist monasteries were
burnt. But during the time of Buddha himself he
accepted dharma and sangha. Monasteries were
established during the time of Ashoka; statues and
stupas were built. Even today in many countries
statues of Buddha are being built. Recently a
statue 60 feet high was built in Bodhgaya by the
Japanese.
Worship has been advised from time immemorial. Here
we generally speak about consciousness, which is
omniscient, omnipresent, in everything, every atom.
There is no place where there is no consciousness.
So what does worship mean? Many people get
confused. Those who have been enlightened, free,
they have worshipped through stupas, through
statues, and that is how dharma has been living
till today and it will live. I do not know of any
religion which has not included worship. Buddhism
is already 2,600 years old. Vedic Dharma is 25,000
years old. In Peru they have found a Shiva lingam
25,000 years old.
We are dealing with consciousness only, but it's
very important to consider this matter. Many people
write to me from The States and Europe. They say
they are all right here, but when they return they
forget it they lose peace and consciousness. I
advise them to playfully worship whatever comes
into their day-to-day life. Whatever they see has
to be worshipped as the same consciousness –
it cannot be other than consciousness. Eating food,
whatever you do. Listening to music, worship
through the ears. Whatever you see, it has to be
worshipped, adored, honored. Like this, you will
not forget consciousness. When you see that
consciousness is everywhere this cosmic being has
to be adored and worshipped in every being, every
non-being, in every situation; when you are happy,
in happiness; when you are not happy, in
unhappiness. In all situations engage yourself.
People say, "Sometimes I am happy; sometimes I lose
it." Beyond both is consciousness, their own Self.
The Self reveals itself to itself. This cosmic
being which resides in all beings, in human beings,
and animals, and birds, in everything – is
conscious within you. In the cave of your heart is
the conscious Being that directs you to see, smell,
hear, activate your activities. This has to be
worshipped, adored, honored wherever you go,
whatever you do, whatever you hear, whatever you
see. Then how can you forget? Wherever you are you
are in consciousness and consciousness is within
you. Worship this purusha – this cosmic being
within you.
I do not know how this cosmic being has become an
individual being. If it has become an individual
being then the cosmic being is residing within it.
This knowledge that, "I am individual being", must
be in the cosmos. This cosmic being has entered the
cavity of your heart. Somehow you feel separated.
You feel that, "I am an individual being, a
different personality." Where does this knowledge
that, "I am an individual being" come from? This
knowledge is quite enough to be worshipped. If you
can't agree that "I am cosmic", then worship this
knowledge at least, that "I am this individual
being."
Many times I've made an attempt to express It
[Reality]. I have failed. It is said the
mind cannot reach It, the senses cannot describe
It. Somehow I have to do it.
This longing will arise – it is not enough.
You will have to go and see a teacher and listen to
the teacher. First you choose, "I have to return to
effortlessness, I want to be free." This longing is
not enough. This longing rises from ignorance only;
it's not wisdom. Any choice is from ignorance; any
longing is from ignorance. Good longing also is
ignorance, but it takes you to a teacher who tells
you whatever he tells you, and that is also
ignorance. It is ignorance because it cannot be
conveyed through words. Your mind can listen. This
experience cannot be had by the mind or senses.
When the mind and senses admit their defeat, then
you will have this experience.
Let the individual dissolve and adore the Supreme
being. Let it merge into the Supreme being from
where it arose. Individuality must come from
somewhere; a wave arises from somewhere. The
individuality rises when you say, "this
individual." You have returned with this thought.
Now, this moment, where did this thought rise from?
Individuality. This moment go back and see. Don't
make any effort – it will drop by itself.
Don't make any effort, don't think; it will drop by
itself. Your longing will cease. My instruction
will cease.
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When you are out
walking and you become tired, you stop, you sit
down, you relax. So when you get tired of trying to
find solutions to your problems, when you find no
solution, sit down. By "sit down" I mean,
don’t try to solve the problem at all –
the problem is in the past, it is not now. Don't
think about past problems, just leave them alone
and sit down. In this moment you are relaxed.
Listen to this moment and don't try do anything.
Just listen. The past is a problem, the past is
mind. When you go to the past, all will be
problems. So don't go to the past. The mind is the
past and the past is a graveyard. Don't go to the
graveyard. All problems are dead, so return to this
moment without trying to solve the problem. Trying
has put you in trouble, so don't touch this
"trying" any more.
Simply sit down, keep quiet. Keep quiet for one
moment. This is the moment you need, this is the
moment of rest. Keep quiet for a moment without
going to the past and you will find relaxation.
There is no other way – simply do not think of
the past. First help yourself – which means to
not think – and then if you still need to you
can ask me for help.
Just for this moment do not think, but direct your
mind to its Source. Bring the mind which is
thinking – which is going to the past –
to face this present moment, and this will give you
eternal rest. Help yourself not to look to past
moments and do you find any problems? In this
moment, without going to the past, where is the
problem? Has it gone away? Then you have helped
yourself. This is truly Self help.
You cannot buy this in the market, you cannot
acquire it, you cannot purchase it. It is not
something to be had. It is something that is
already here. Do not try to get things, to achieve
things, to attain things which are not already
here, because whatever is absent – once you
get it – will also be lost. Instead of
reaching out after anything which is absent
discover that which is already here, which you do
not need to try and attain. This will be something
fresh, something which is here, which is now. Give
up your desire to get something tomorrow, do not
allow this desire to stir, to rise up form the
ground of mind. Abandon all your desires to get
something which you do not already have. No desire
is needed for that which you already have here.
Instead of trying to get it offer yourself up so it
can get you. Be so beautiful that this will be
attracted by your beauty. It will come and get you
instead of you getting it. Who are you to get it,
anyway? Allow yourself to be taken by it –
that's the only way. You must be immaculate, which
means to be without desire. Your own nature is
immaculate so sooner or later you will know this.
When there is no desire there is beauty, there is
love. You cannot disturb this beauty even by giving
rise to a thought to get it. This thought will only
be an impurity. Make sure that no desire arises and
you will be so immaculately beautiful – so
perfectly pure and spotless – that everything
will be instantaneously unfolded before you. Then
this beauty will hug beauty itself.
Simply keep quiet. Do not do anything and it will
happen. Abandon even the intention to get something
in the next moment. Do not even make the
distinction between "this moment" and "the next
moment". Then something will happen
instantaneously.
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How can you
meditate without knowing "Who I am"? When know who
you are, then it will be possible for you to
meditate on the Self, Atman, or the Truth, Reality.
Everybody says, "I am so-and-so." No one questions,
"Who am I?" What is this "I am"? Where does it come
from? Where does it go? Where does it stay? Several
times it comes, several times it went, and this
will continue for time immemorial. So you will have
to find out Who am I? Without this peace, bliss,
existence and enlightenment is not possible. Unless
you know your own Self how will you know the Self?
So you have to find out Who am I.
So first of all, some are here for the first time
from several backgrounds. That’s what I hear,
they have never heard of it. Some from the Buddhist
background, some from the yoga background, some
from devotional practices and various other centres
existing in the world. I don’t think this
process, this way is being followed any where in
the world, but only one ashram is there and that is
only in India. And that ashram is the ashram of my
own master. I have gone round length and breadth of
India and I have also traveled around the world.
All are practices, yoga practices, practices for
worldly pursuits and the rest. All with the mind,
for the mind, and within the mind.
So directly this question, none has asked in any of
the ashrams. Therefore, there is no result. From
any ashram there is no result. I have never heard
the product of any ashram who is free. Some people
returned from here and declared, "I won freedom in
a week, in a couple of days, in a couple of hours,
in just two minutes also." From here there was a
fire in the world and they want to have interview
of these people. What has happened? And no one knew
what is this thing. And it is possible for everyone
and it is possible if you devote yourself to find
out who you are. It’s not a difficult question
to ask. You can instantly be enlightened. No
postponement. Self is here and your desire for
freedom is also present here. Self is not away. It
is here and now. And you are aspiring for freedom.
What could be the impediment? Very serious student
and perfect teacher, they have to work together.
And the result is going to be instant
enlightenment.
Now question, "Who am I?" First of all, when you
put this question at least your time is cut off,
ask yourself and find out. With the rise of this
question your time is cut off, mind is cut off, and
your past is cut out. So this is going to be the
instant I speak about. Enlightenment in this
instant. During the question you can just see. Do
it here. Ask this question, Who am I? and see where
is the mind. And if there is no mind this is called
light. This is called realization. No mind. No mind
is called freedom. And this wave arises when there
is a vasana. Look at the miracle as soon as this
vasana arises, "I want this." That’s all and
see past, present, future, universes instantly
arise, endlessly they are in front of you and you
are in terrible suffering instantly it arises.
Instantly it arises because actually it is your
notion.
"I am bound" is a notion so to get rid of this
notion. "I want to be free" is also a notion. All
these are notions and they can be done away with
instantly if you are really fatigued of hitchhiking
for time immemorial. And those who are still
comfortable, this teaching is of no good for them.
Let them enjoy the universe as best as they can.
And those who have seen this is not the place for
happiness, love, and bliss, for those few people
who can discriminate, wisdom is for them.
Because we have seen in the case of one prince
– he decided two thousand years ago. On the
bed he was, with his wife. He decided, "I want to
be free." He rises. He rises and gets off. He won
freedom. And another was another king. He also was
in the embrace of two queens on either side. He
also had a thought at that time: "I want to be
free." And within that situation instantly he freed
himself. Maximum worldliness. Kingdom, queens,
their diamonds, elephants, ministers. In this
situation he got free and he appears in the books
of wisdom also. So, quite a few people, Janaka was
there, Bharata was there, Dushratha was there. Very
few among six billion people may be finger count of
wise men. Enough. One wise man in a century is
quite enough to give us this message of peace. One
lion is quite enough in the forest. Instead of
million of sheep. So, it is for those who really
want peace, love, beauty, bliss and they are the
people who will have it. Not the billions of people
who are crowding in the world. So very few of us
are here from the world. And I’m very happy.
This is excellent, excellent show because I hear in
the forest then used to be one Guru one student,
one Guru two students, one Guru three students. So
they say the twentieth century is the worst because
we have seen much turmoil in this century but I
don’t blame this century.
Then is all the good in this century also because
still so many people want to be free. So, this is
excellent century. Let us not blame the time. So
the time has come now. We have been waiting for
this century which has brought us here this morning
with the sole desire of freedom. And we are going
to be it and not postpone it till next life. We
have been postponing, this universe means
postponing. Mind means postponement, mind always
lives in postponement. I will do it later,
I’ll do it tomorrow, I will do it when I get
retired from my job. Or after that enjoyment I am
free. Never that time comes. So, forget everything.
Devote yourself for the Self. All at once,
constantly, always here, there everywhere. Meditate
on the Self constantly and you are going to be
successful.
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