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seng tsan | faith mind | gaudapada | mandukya karika | katha upanishad | death as teacher | yoga vasistha | dispassion | seeker's behaviour | essence
ramakant maharaj | reality has nothing to do with words | lama guendune rinpoché | free and easy | ellam ondre | all is one | william samuel | now

H. W. L.  POONJA

WISDOM



Let there be peace and love among all beings of the universe. OM Shanti, Shanti, Shanti.

no effort | conditions for freedom | desire | who are you? | existence takes care | worship | abandon the past | meditate on self

"When you bring the mind face to face with this present moment,
you will attain eternal rest."



NO  EFFORT




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.

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.

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.




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.


CONDITIONS  FOR  FREEDOM


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.


DESIRES


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.


WHO  ARE  YOU ?


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.


EXISTENCE  TAKES  CARE


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?


WORSHIP


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.


ABANDON  THE  PAST


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.


MEDITATE  ON  SELF


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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