Recorded on 12 July 2025 with worldwide participants

0:00 Intro
0:07 People today have an expectation of instant results, what is the importance of patience?
6:14 Do we first need to realise that peace in the mind is what we need?
7:48 If the peace is not coming, is it because our efforts are not concentrated enough?
8:56 Is there a balance between having patience and putting in strong efforts to achieve peace?
12:31 Is the ability to accept and to have patience linked to fate?
13:37 “Until the last breath of life, put in efforts”
14:18 How do we avoid comparing ourselves to others?
15:37 Do we judge others in a wrong way due to our mental habits? Do we need to restrain ourselves to avoid further indulging these thoughts?
20:34 Is patience still necessary for a Yogi or is it effortlessly there?
22:12 Is every action of a Yogi for the benefit for the student?
24:05 So anger is sometimes necessary only if it is under your control?
25:06 With the love for Swamiji, Babaji was ready to accept and face any challenge at the Ashram.
26:30 Is life itself a teaching for us to accept?
39:30 How to deal with a person who makes lots of problems in a family or community?
42:44 During the invasion of Kuwait in 1990 Swamiji was unable to fly back too India and was held in transit for a few weeks. How was Babaji able to practice patience that Swamiji would be safe?
44:29 A family member is suffering from health problems. Can Babaji speak about the acceptance of destiny in this regard?
46:09 In terms of not expecting results from our efforts, can this be connected to Sage Vasistha’s theory of the crow alighting on the coconut tree and the coconut falling as mere coincidence?
48:38 If there is a mind will we never see the Truth?
50:41 The position of focusing in-between the eyebrows in meditation.
52:26 If you keep chanting the Hare Krishna Mantra and at the time of death you remember the Lord, will you reach his abode?

Acceptance and Patience | In Quest of Truth – Q&A with Babaji, No.234

Recorded on 12 July 2025 with worldwide participants.

Question:   The first question, the world that we live in can be quite fast and busy, and people can expect things to come quickly, like instant coffee, as Babaji says. So, the importance of having patience may not be emphasized very much, but could Babaji talk about the importance of this patience? And also, what may happen if you don’t have patience?

Shri Babaji:   Patience is, of course, a great virtue. It’s very essential. One thing is that it enables us to remain calm and not to lose mental stability. Peace will be there, of course. And we’ll be able to reason out, understand the facts as it is. When a certain thing is fact, if we do not accept, that will be our stupidness and illusion believing, and we lose peace and happiness. So, when a certain thing happens, when we understand it’s inevitable.

So now, when you put an effort in this world while alive, moving around, you want and you have a desire, so, then you have the authority to put in efforts. At that time, you have to remain focused and use your best willpower, strength, “I must do it. Do or die, I’m not going to give up under any circumstances” – having such type of attitude, visualize the target, and then put in efforts. While putting in efforts, be mindful. Means, apply the mind. Your mind has to be there on to your efforts. You are putting efforts; it should not be running anywhere else, then the effect of one hundred percent concentration gets weakened. So that’s when this patience can be very helpful.

Now the next stage. When result comes, you will realize if you think and understand that the result is not in your hands. Means, effort is there when you put an effort, but actually, technically, the result is not your effort. It just happens. Because always it doesn’t happen according to our efforts. There is no universal guarantee we have told always. You might put in best efforts, you might put in best concentration, remain dedicated, yet the desired results may not come. So, before the result comes also, you need to have patience, that you don’t have to become anxious. Whatever happens, it happens. That’s what is the acceptance. So, we have to accept when it comes. When it’s not in our hands, “It’s okay, fine, no problem. It doesn’t makes any difference.” So, like that, we have to accept it, an understanding. Then the peace is not disturbed in the mind. We remain composed and we do not become confused also. We are clear. One thing is clear, “I put in my efforts to the best possible ability of mind. So thus, I did my duty. Now, the results is up to whatever it is, to the Ultimate Truth, to Divinity, or luck favouring, anything you want to call. It is thus, I cannot [change it]. So, I just have to wait and accept as it comes.”

So, like this, you have to exercise patience, and then when the result comes, accept. If you do not accept, you lose peace. And when you lose peace, you lose the stability, mental stability, and then you lose hope also. You become frustrated. Instead, you try again, no problem, “This thing has not happened. Again, I will try.” So, like that, we keep trying, we keep trying. We never give up. So, this is what is important, that patience and acceptance both are needed in anything. Reality must be understood. When it is not in our hands, so we cannot do anything. We leave it to the nature.

When all the Yadavas were fighting and killing each other, there was nothing to do. Shri Krishna said, “It is their prarabdha. Oh, brother, let us go to meditation now before our own bodies are claimed by death. It’s time that we practice as quietening as possible.” You see, such a mighty soul whom we consider as incarnation of the Divine – then He went into meditation deeply. He practiced to the last days of his life, more deeply, more deeply, more deeply, amazingly. He was in such great samadhi, that when an arrow was shot to His legs, He was totally unaware of that situation and excessive bleeding made the body to perish. So, what we have to understand is patience and acceptance, acceptance of the reality, “Yeah, this is the truth. We have to accept it.” And have patience for that one. Don’t lose patience. What has to happen, it happens, “I have put in my effort.” When you have a right to put in effort, don’t give up, that karma must be done. So, you must not sit idly in a corner. You must put in efforts.

Same Questioner:   Thank you, Babaji. So Babaji, do we first need to realise that it is the peace in the mind that we need? And then once we understand that, then we can restrain ourselves from indulging in unnecessary imaginations?

Shri Babaji:   Yeah, so one thing important I have told, peace is your existence right. Your true existence is the very nature of peace, that is composed and at peace. And that peace is enjoyable, is what everybody is looking for. Don’t want unhappiness, tension or fear. Everybody is looking for that one. So, that your nature itself is. So simply you need to understand, you need to keep quiet. Understand once you have put in effort, wait for the results to happen. So that’s where patience helps you to remain calm. Be calm. Wait for some time. It will come. Whatever has to happen, it will happen. So, you put in efforts. Don’t give up efforts. So, like that we have to think. So that’s how it will be helpful. Patience is very, very helpful. And the peace is needed in the mind. Whatever happens, anything comes or anything goes, we cannot afford to lose our peace.

Same Questioner:   So Babaji, if we don’t have peace in the mind –we still put in efforts, but that means our efforts are not really concentrated enough. Is that why the peace is not coming?

Shri Babaji:   Yeah, when we lose peace means, actually what happens, we become confused. We become frustrated, disappointed. So, thus mind loses its stability. It becomes totally confused. It might go into an anger mood, terribly banging like onto the head, our head onto the wall. You feel like breaking up everybody’s head if a certain thing is not happening according to your expectations. You lose patience and you go on shouting at everyone. You feel like banging your head and bang others’ head, break up other heads, all these things keep happening. So that’s where patience and peace are very necessary. This comes if there is acceptance. Acceptance of the reality, truth.

Same Questioner:   Babaji, when we sit down for meditation, it might appear tough sometimes when the mind is quite restless and full of thoughts. So, is there a balance between having patience and also putting in strong efforts? Is that a balance?

Shri Babaji:   Yeah, you see mind is restless because of its habits. It is habitual. Since time immemorial, consistently thinking, thinking, thinking, thinking, thinking. It wants story after story, story after story, it keeps imagining. It cannot keep quiet. So, this is what happens. So that is the thing. Now also, when there is any such result which is very disappointing, you would have expected something else, then mind goes into further spinning of disappointment and frustration. All this thing happened; makes you to lose your peace. Whereas, if we think the reality, truth, this is what had to happen, inevitable, so, we have to accept it. That is the truth that which is in front of us. No point in brooding, “Why did this happen? Why did this happen? Why me? Why it happened with me?” So, this is how people go into brooding and lose their peace. There is no need to lose such peace. And we have to understand this point. It happened, whether due to somebody else’s thinking, somebody else’s efforts, even if you wouldn’t have put, certain circumstances keep happening.

Around us also, it happens. Even if we haven’t done anything wrong, if others had behaved wrongly, a situation deteriorates. If some people become selfish, narrow-minded, and greedy, and become corrupted and want to make others also lose peace. So, with their high ambition of greed; like if they want to encroach upon the property of their Guru when they are in the ashram, they start telling, “This is ours.” They don’t want to see any reason because they are simply arrogant and ego. So, when such a situation happens, what to do? We try our best. Even after that trying, if the situation doesn’t change, we have to accept it, then only we will have peace. Already a certain thing has gone. So, then we lose our peace also. A certain thing that has gone may not be in our hands. We may not be able to do anything, we don’t have the capacity. But there is no need for us to lose the peace – peace is ours, our own nature, “I have to remain stable, maintain my mental equilibrium.” So that is very important. That’s all. So that comes with acceptance, “Okay, this had to happen. What to do?” When there is acceptance like this, then the mind cools down. It doesn’t go into frustration or disappointment, “This is it, this is it.”

Same Questioner:   Babaji, that ability to accept, and also to have patience, is that connected to faith as well?

Shri Babaji:  We can try to think it as the fate at that time, that’s why destiny has been taught. So that destiny had to work like this, that’s why it has happened like this. So, means it gives you a consolation that you are not the reason. It is the destiny which worked. So many people surrounding you worked out for this situation. The wrong has happened. But accept it and be patient. Have that peace in the mind, what to do? We keep trying. We won’t give up our efforts. We won’t be withdrawn. That is always there. But in this process, we would not lose our peace because we will have that patience to accept it.

Same Questioner:   Babaji has mentioned, “Till the last breath of life put in efforts.” Could Babaji talk about that please?

Shri Babaji:   So that’s how our Guru spoke, “Put in effort till the last breath of life. Don’t give up.” When we die, at least we will have the satisfaction, “I tried my best to save this situation, to help the situation, to overcome this situation. It didn’t happen. So, what to do? It’s not my fault.” You will have the satisfaction that you had tried your best. You had put in efforts.

Same Questioner:   Babaji, many of us may have the habit of comparing our situation to other people, and thus it creates more unhappiness. How can we avoid comparing ourselves, and to accept and be patient?

Shri Babaji:   We should work for our need and remain satisfied. If we go on comparing to others, everybody will have their shortcomings. Everybody will have tension and fear. Their ambitions will be there. Whatever has happened, it may not be acceptable to them. But when others see, it appears, “Oh, they are moving in big cars. They are such rich people. Why it has not happened to me.” So, thus thinking, when we compare to other, we lose our peace and stability. Mental stability will lose. No need. Whatever we are, we are happy. To be happy, you don’t have to be an emperor, you don’t have to be a rich person. You can be anybody and be happy. Simply, you need to remain satisfied with acceptance. So, that’s what you have to understand, and accept the situation.

Same Questioner:   Babaji, is it true that through our own mental habits, we could be judging someone or something in a wrong way? And therefore, we should restrain ourselves not to further indulge these thoughts. Is that necessary?

Shri Babaji:   Yeah, you see, many times it is said, even when we see something in the eyes, that itself may not be true. Because our understanding might be something else. The truth might be different. Whether it is scientifically or in the day-to-day happenings surrounding us, or what the nature is. About the nature also, we would have imagined so many things. So, that need not be the truth. Like, for example, what we would have imagined about the space is a void place. That means casual, and just nothing; “It is just a void place, that’s all. Nothing else is there.” But who knows, the truth may be something else. This may not be simply a void place. Like, when you achieve samadhi, you experience this space that is void that we are thinking is the Supreme Consciousness of existence. That is the Divinity. So, like that, very often, what we see and what we think need not be the truth. We make judgment.

In today’s world, I have seen, everybody is in a rush to boast and claim that they can understand others easily. In no time they can make out what it is. But very often they fail miserably. They would not have understood properly at all. They would have simply ended up misunderstanding, and mis-explaining about them, misjudging. The person may not be actually a bad person, but “Oh, he is very bad person, because I was calling him, he did not look back.” So, that is our judgment. If a person is not looking back when we called him, he becomes a bad person for us. It is not necessary that person is to be bad. He is bad because we are thinking so. You know? These two are two different things. A person actually bad, and a person is bad because we are thinking. These two situations are totally different. That’s how whatever we think we make judgment, things would appear to us like that. But the truth may be something else. We need to think about this. We need to apply wisdom properly about everything that we are thinking and we have identified. The actual truth may be something else. What we are thinking might be something else. That’s when we have to closely observe every truth, then we understand what the truth is.

In introverted, when you observe this space closely, that means to understand in other words, when you are able to silence your mind totally, that mind is a Pure Consciousness and it is just like the space. Just like; I am not telling it is the space. Students must not misunderstand. It looks like, just like a space. Means, it looks like a void place, infinite, within the mind also when we look into that. But deep in that mind, in that consciousness, there is a Consciousness of Existence that is emanating, that is coming up, that is arising. Based on this only, we determine that the space is not simply an empty, void place. It is Supreme Consciousness. It is conscious of its existence. So, that cannot be an ordinary thing. It is not an inert object. It is fully conscious of its existence. That’s how we have to understand. Through the practice of meditation only, we will be able to experience. It is an individual experience. It cannot be demonstrated. See, nobody can demonstrate their mind, “This is my mind. See, I am demonstrating, it is here.” Only I can wave the hand, but not the mind. So, that’s what we have to understand.

Same Questioner:   Babaji, one who has achieved merging with that space or the Real Self in the Self-Realization, is patience still necessary, or is the patience just effortlessly there for a Yogi?

Shri Babaji:   For a Yogi, patience is effortlessly there. Occasionally, if there is a need to show an anger to defend a thing or to point out a wrong thing, injustice, or pull up a student that, “You are not doing right, your behaviour is also not nice. So, you are lazy, when others are working you keep sitting”, like that, any such situation. For that, I have to put in efforts to get into a little bit of angry mood, to show it. Very quickly that dissolves and goes back, the mind goes back. Mind remains composed, at peace naturally, effortlessly. But if I have to show anger, I have to put in effort. It may take some time sometimes for me to register in my mind, and then if I have to show the anger, “This is very wrong thing. Your behaviour is very bad. This is not the way that you are going to behave.” That takes time. Only for such purpose only, we bring out the anger in the mood. Otherwise, effortlessly, naturally, the mind is at peace.

Same Questioner:   So, any action of the Yogi is really for the benefit of anyone, to guide that person?

Shri Babaji:   Yeah, you see, if a mother pulls up the child, it is for the benefit of the child only. She wants the child to be on the right path, right track, not pick up wrong corrupted habits, then she would like to pull the child up. “This is not proper. Your behaviour is not good. What you are behaving is not at all good manners. Don’t talk so rudely to elders. Show them respect.” Like this, mother keeps pulling. That doesn’t mean that the mother doesn’t like the child. The child is her diamond, her precious thing. That’s why she wants her precious thing to be perfect and right. In the same way Guru also, He used to pull us up, scold us because He loved us. We are like His children even now also. So, that’s when He wanted us to be on the right path, discipline, doing sadhana always, not waste our time by going here and there, by gossiping here and there unnecessarily. He used to be very annoyed. And He used to tell, “You are wasting your time like this, nonsense”, He used to pull us up. So, that is how a Yogi has to put in effort to get into an angry mood to pull up the student. Like a soldier has to become angry to go to the battlefield. When an enemy is attacking our country, his blood has to boil and then he will go with all the inspiration to fight the battle.

Same Questioner:   So, sometimes anger is necessary, Babaji, but only if it’s controlled?

Shri Babaji:   Yeah, anger is necessary, but you need to be under control, you need to have the mind under control. You see, nobody can say that being a Yogi or a saint, I should not exercise anger. It becomes necessary sometimes. That is like making a hissing noise. If somebody is not behaving properly, they are trying to sit on our head and they are taking things casually, they are lazy, then you have to pull up, pull them up and set right, “This is not right, this is not the way of behaving. Why are you talking like this?” Like that, a Yogi gets into an angry mood. But He has to put an effort. Effortlessly He is at peace and His mind is totally quiet, simple.

Same Questioner:   Babaji has said that from the love that He had for Swamiji, He was ready to accept and face any challenge at the ashram willingly. Could Babaji talk about this please?

Shri Babaji:   Yeah, because naturally I had fallen in love with Swamiji, so once I fell in love, means He was my Guru, He was my mother, my father, my God, everything. So, whatever He wanted me to do, I used to simply do. And whatever He did to me, like if He humiliated me, if He pulled me up, keep scolding, that was all simply acceptable. No problem at all. I enjoyed inside. I kept quiet. I loved Him more. I became more dedicated to Him. I never thought of running away. If at all in my life I had gone only for a short period, it was like a withdrawal strategy, I needed to recoup again and come back to serve Swamiji. Like that only I would have behaved, otherwise there was never any idea of running away. I didn’t have any other life at all. The life was only with Swamiji, my Guru.

Same Questioner:   Babaji, just also, is life itself a teaching for us to accept, because life is impermanent. Is that a teaching for us, maybe?

Shri Babaji:   Yeah, you see, in my opinion, life is one of the best teachers. Every moment there will be something to learn; to learn a patience, to understand about others, not to have any expectations, expect trouble from the world, don’t have too much of expectations unnecessarily. So, like this, so many things are there. If we have too much of expectations, it might end up a disappointment for us. There is no need. Expect troubles, then you will not be disappointed at all. You will know, “Oh, I already thought this. This happening like this is nothing strange or a surprise for me. It is expected. It happens like this in life. This thing can happen like that. It always happens.” So, every moment it can be teaching us. Teaching us to have patience, and not to talk too much like a chatterbox. Talk only that is necessary. You see, you ask a question and I open my mouth just to answer that question. I don’t have anything else to gossip. Instead, if we go on gossiping unnecessarily, all the participants in the Zoom will become bored. They will start thinking, “What is this nonsense they are talking. There is no question, no answer, no teaching. This person should allow Baba to answer and the teaching should come.” So that’s what, we just mind our business. We do that, then nobody is bored. So, like that, you should know the limitations and you should have the patience to restrain yourself, behave accordingly. In this world can be… it teaches us every time.

When we watch human beings behave, like during Swamiji’s time, we got to learn so much. We saw people behaving. VIP devotees came and they used to sit and gossip with Swamiji. But they were not really dedicated. They did not show any such interest towards the mission, ashram, or any such things. They just wanted to be in the proximity of Swamiji, sit and talk to Him and then go away. When a test came, when Swamiji pulled them up one day, they could not take it. They abused Swamiji and went away. They never came back. That means they could not learn anything from the life. So, these things were a lesson for us, teaching for us. Nature was teaching us. You should not be like that. You must not go like a VIP to the Guru. Just be humble like a student. That’s what Swamiji always used to tell, “Come to me as a devotee. Don’t come to me as an army officer, as a businessman, as a royal person, as anything else. Then you will be able to learn something. Otherwise, you will not learn anything. You will be egoistic always. If you don’t get that VIP treatment, then you will abuse me and run away.” So, when Swamiji pulled them up, they abused Swamiji. So that’s what happened.

But if you want to learn, it is a teaching for us, lesson we have to learn. People are going to be like that. Not everybody will come and love you or appreciate you or understand you. You might be doing your best efforts in the ashram. You might be doing a very good job. But everybody will not be there to appreciate or understand even. They will try to criticize. They will try to poke their fingers. What you are doing, the best job, they won’t be able to see it because their attitude is like that. We have seen in the Ashram also many times. They come for two, three days. So, they talk some nonsense to Ambaji and go away. They don’t understand what the Truth is. They don’t see anything like that. This is a practical lesson of life that we learn when we watch these things. Means, when we get to see this in life, is not this life a teacher?

So, like this, everybody will have so much to learn around them. But if we don’t learn, we are wasting our energies and time. Many people don’t learn. There is no transformation in them. No patience has come. They have the same ego. They have the same losing of the patience. And thus, their meditation is not successful. And they do lot of chants, they do lot of pujas, lot of rituals, everything. They go to gurus. They go to retreats. They do everything. But there is no transformation at all. They don’t change because they don’t see the life from the viewpoint of a student wanting to learn. That’s what Swamiji said, “Do not stop learning process ever. You never know from where you get something to learn.” You have to learn when that opportunity comes. If you learn, then you will not repeat that mistake again. You will be perfect next time when you behave. You will not talk nonsense. You will keep quiet. You will talk only in a measured way, whatever is necessary, you talk only that much. And then you will keep quiet after that. See, when I answer your question, there is beauty in that. All the participants will appreciate, “Oh there is something to learn from Babaji, He is teaching us.” Instead, I go on talking all sorts of nonsense to you, gossiping, gossiping, gossiping. Everybody will be bored, “Oh we thought the Zoom classes are for teachings, for a question answer. But what is this Babaji doing? He is only gossiping. He is talking all nonsense things. So let us go away. There is nothing to learn from Him.”

So, like that you have to be careful in talking, in your behaviour. These things, life taught us. Life in the ashram, life with Swamiji. We learned everything. We observed others. We knew what they were doing was wrong. We thought, if we were there, we wouldn’t have done this. This ashram belonged to Swamiji. If the trustees want us to go out of this ashram, we will happily go away, giving up this property. This property is not important. Even if I sit under a tree, those people who want to learn from me will come to me there also. They are not simply coming because of the ashram. They are coming for Babaji. So, they will come wherever Babaji sits. So, this type of lessons we learned. So, we are not attached to any such things. We won’t do such mistakes. We won’t stick to this property, “Oh this ashram is now mine. I am not going to give up under any circumstances.” It will not be like that. We will not fight for this property. We only fight for a self-respect.

So, all these things we learned from observing in the life. If a person is forty years, fifty years, seventy years, eighty years, we expect some maturity in that person, right? We expect that that person would have learned some lessons in the life. But if he doesn’t, such a person does not show maturity and behaves in a selfish, narrow-minded way, behaves against his Guru, then what do you conclude? That person has not learned anything in life. He has not anything in life because he was always egoistic and arrogant. That is ego. Ego was there, so he did not learn. An opportunity was there, immediately we learned, “Oh, we have to be careful. I should not talk like that. I might be hurting somebody. I should try not to hurt anybody. As much as possible, let me keep smiling.” It requires a little bit of patience, that is all, to smile at others. “Let me not hurt anyone,” I used to pray to God. I used to pray to Swamiji, “When I become guru, let me not hurt anyone. When I live on this earth as a human being, let me not hurt anyone.”

If my existence itself is a problem to somebody, then I cannot help. I am at peace. If I am at peace is a problem to somebody, then I cannot help if somebody is jealous. I am a Yogi. Me being a Yogi is problem to somebody, then I cannot help. But I don’t mean to hurt anybody by becoming a Yogi. I don’t mean to hurt anybody by having this peace of mind to myself, my smile. So, like this, if my presence itself gives jealousy to others, so what can I do? I am helpless. We cannot… that is that person’s attitude and buddhi, what Swamiji used to tell, “Oh, that person’s buddhi, that is their wisdom, that is all that person’s wisdom. He cannot understand anything.” Yeah, people become jealous and annoyed that I am like this, because they expected me to be washing their utensils. Practical lessons, because that is the question that you have asked, “How to learn in life?”

So, this is what we learn. This is how one can learn. Anyone of you can learn in life. So much of things keep happening. If something wrong happens with you, don’t keep sitting in a corner and keep crying. Don’t feel disappointed. Keep working. Keep trying to develop yourself all the time. When people criticized us, when people humiliated us – Swamiji for a test is different – His other devotees humiliated us, rich devotees. They didn’t bother about us. But I never bothered much about it because we went on meditating. Whenever there was time, I used to meditate. Evening comes, one hour meditation, one hour singing of Swamiji’s glory, whether there was anybody there or not. Take the harmonium, just go on singing. I enjoyed even when there was nobody, because I knew Swamiji was always here. And all the gods and goddesses were here always. That faith was there and that’s why I enjoyed. And I learned. Thus, I learned not to become a victim of their criticizing, their humiliating. I was never a victim. I went on developing. I went on doing my things. So, like that, we have learned in life. Even now also I am open to learning. Anywhere, from anything if I get to learn something I am happy to learn. I keep watching everybody. Anything that is good we try to learn from them. And we can always learn. That learning will transform us into more matured human being, a better personality. It will elevate us to go towards Divinity, to the Ultimate Truth. So, this is finally what we have to understand from the life as a teacher.

Same Questioner:   Thank you, Babaji. Babaji, that’s the end of the questions for the topic, but there have been some also that have been sent in.

Shri Babaji:   Okay. I’ll first take the question that has been sent to you.

Same Questioner:   The first question is, how to deal with a person who hurts and makes lots of problems in a community or family, and one has to work or live with such people. I forgive many times their actions, but sometimes I lose my patience. If one speaks, it is wrong. If one doesn’t speak, it is also wrong. What to do in such a situation, Babaji?

Shri Babaji:   See, depending on the situation and circumstances only, you have to take an action. Say, if you are totally helpless, you cannot go away anything and you cannot scold that person and you have to keep quiet, then also don’t allow yourself to get affected. Remember the Divine’s name always. Ignore whatever that person is behaving, don’t notice at all. Don’t show your emotions to that person at all. Just keep yourself busy somewhere. But in other circumstances, if it is possible for you to leave that place and go to a solitude, go inside the room and sit quietly at peace. You don’t have to be forcibly listening to that person if there is a choice for you, is possible. Or if you are the commander, if you have a choice, ask that person to stay away from your home.

In Mahabharata, Vidura advising Dhritarashtra – Dhritarashtra was the father of Duryodhana, who was the primary reason for the Mahabharata war because of his greed, wanting to usurp Pandavas’ kingdom also, not willing to give back their piece of land. He was adamant, all these things were happening. Everybody else wanted peace, except himself, probably. And there were others, some sycophants, who were siding with them. Shri Krishna also came and tried. Everybody tried. Vidura also tried. Then Vidura advises. Vidura: “Dhrtarastra, if you need to save a tree, you have to sacrifice the branch that has become ill and corrupted. If you don’t do that, this illness will spread all over the tree.”

So, like that we have to understand. So, whatever is possible, do it. Under any circumstances, you do not become a victim of that situation. You do not have to lose your peace. Either ignore mentally, keep your peace to yourself. If that person is behaving nonsense, ignore just, don’t see to him if possible. If nothing is possible, go to your solitude, sit inside the room quietly. That is all.

Same Questioner:   Another question that came in from Priyesh, who says, during the invasion of Kuwait in 1990, Shri Shivabalayogi was unable to fly back to India and was held in transit for a few weeks. How was Babaji feeling during this situation? How was Babaji able to practice patience that Swamiji would be safe and return home? How can devotees accept situations?

Shri Babaji:   Yeah, it was a bit worrisome, but we spent time praying, praying to the Divine, praying to Swamiji Himself. And we were trying to get in touch with people, “Is there anything that can be done?” When other elders who were in power, a couple of Swamiji’s devotees were there, but they were not acting sincerely, seriously. That was when Swamiji was hurt. We were all juniors and we just were in charge of the ashram. We didn’t have any powers, any means to do anything, but we spent our time praying. I thought, if we cannot do anything, we can pray to God at least. For that we don’t need any power. We don’t need any money. We don’t need anything else. We just need to sit in prayer. We spent our time praying. But Swamiji came back safely. Collectively, there would have been hundreds and hundreds and hundreds, thousands of devotees of Swamiji all over the world were praying for his safe return. They all were praying. Perhaps the Divine listened to everybody’s prayer and Swamiji came back safely.

Same Questioner:   Thank you, Babaji. A question from Saranya and Kumar, a family member is undergoing challenges in their health. For example, she is handicapped with suffering from stroke and he is suffering from cancer. Can Babaji please speak about the acceptance and destiny in this regard.

Shri Babaji:   You see, I fully understand the situation, that it is not as easy as we might be talking. When there is such a pain in the body, that can be so agonizing for anybody. And to keep that mental stability at that time is the most challenging thing. But still, some effort they need to put, or people surrounding them also, try to give them some consolation, some solace by praying, by talking some nice things about the Divine, about God. And pray for them, sitting with them also. Spend some time with them. Try to give them courage, be courageous, “It will be all right.” Talk positively always. So, like this, we can try to help them. But then they also have to try something. Though it might be very, very difficult for them, we understand. We sympathize with them how much pain, agonizing for them. For anyone, for any one of us such a thing can be very painful. But still, if it is possible, they should try to remember God. They should try to remember the Divine Guru.

Question:   Babaji, about this topic at the start of the Zoom when the topic was results, that we should put all the effort and not worry about the results, and Babaji was explaining that sometimes and many a time results might not come as expected even when we put efforts. Can this be translated or interpreted through Sage Vasistha’s theory of a crow alighting on the coconut tree and coconut falling are mere coincidence? Can we relate this theory with the efforts and the results are mere coincidence?

Shri Babaji:   Very true. Different teachers have given their viewpoint. We also understand. Whatever it is, any such thing that can give you peace is very important. For many emotional people, if we just tell ‘coincidence’, it may not be acceptable. For such people, we have to explain it as a destiny. “You are destined to undergo, a little bit of karma was there”, something, so that the mind doesn’t get troubled. But technically trying to understand, it can be simply a coincidence that we tried our best but the result came something else. So that means, there also, what maturity we need to exercise is, let us not blame anybody. Let us not blame God. Let us not blame Guru, “Why this happened to me?” There are many times with people, it happens, there is illness and if the illness is not cured, then they abuse the Guru, “Oh is this the reason why we came? We were coming to you and you should have cured our child’s illness. And this is a very bad thing. Oh, you are not a guru, you are not fit to be a guru.” They abuse and go away. Instead, if we show the grace, if we can be gracious, “Oh it’s only a coincidence this has happened, what to do? We have to accept.” So, whatever it is, in either of the situation, acceptance is what is important, that which wins.

Same Questioner:   And the second one was, when Babaji was talking about fact, that not everybody sees the fact, or truth is different in situations. Somebody behaved this way, did not look back and it is only one’s imagination. Like somebody’s perception that they are rude. Same thing like a branch looks like a snake and otherwise it is just a tree branch or a rope. My question to that was, Babaji, if the mind is an imagination, so if there is a mind, then we will never be able to see the truth?

Shri Babaji:   Definitely, mind gives only what it imagines. The truth is the single Self that exists when you go beyond all these things. So, because we are talking of emotions, you see, somebody is a friend, but not that close, is a friend. That friend behaves badly, rudely, you can be upset. You will be very bad, you feel it. But if somebody very dear to you, very close to you behaves a little bit rudely, loses their temper, then you will brush aside, you will think, “Oh, it’s okay, it’s no problem.” You won’t mind that much to lose the relationship at all. In a family, this type of things might happen, but we don’t lose the relationship. But if it is an outsider, we don’t want to see that person’s face. So, you try, it all depends on the mental attitude, how we develop this thing to the world. So thus, a yogi has become universal to everything because He gets to see only the Self. For everybody He can forgive and let go things simply, mentally.

Same Questioner:   Got it. Thank you, Babaji.

Question:   Koti Pranams to your Lotus Feet, Babaji, and very grateful for you to answer my question in mail. So Babaji, there are two questions. Last Saturday is the first time I attended this Jangama Dhyana class, I was initiated. So Babaji, the doubt, first, I have two questions. The first doubt i, when you say to focus between the eyebrows, is it exactly between the eyes, this part, or is it on top here? That is the first question, Babaji.

Shri Babaji:   No need to go above. Just in between eyebrows here. Whatever you feel comfortable, because you should not be in a rush to force it. Gently try to watch the front portion, because eyeballs move parallelly. It doesn’t come into one direction easily. It will take some time. So that’s when we try to teach: dedication, discipline, and patience are the mantras you have to learn. Dedication means you set a priority; “we need this and we have to do it, come what may be.” Then if you are disciplined, every day without fail you practice, you sit for practicing. Then some amount of improvement definitely happens. Then have patience. Mind has gone out of control since time immemorial. It will come. You keep trying. You keep just watching in between eyebrows. Then steadily watch. Let the eyeballs get fixed. Do not allow it to move very fast and be rash. Then slowly it will come into one direction. Then it can strongly withhold the mind also. So, this is the answer for first question. Next one.

Same Questioner:   Thank you, Babaji. Very grateful. Second question is Babaji, I’ve also been associated with Iskcon, not in the public sense, but I’ve been chanting the Hare Krishna Maha-mantra and stuff like that. So, what I heard from them is that if you keep chanting the Hare Krishna Maha-mantra and at the time of death, if you remember the Lord, you will reach His place. Is there any truth to this Babaji? Could you confirm it?

Shri Babaji:   You see, one thing, God is not a human type of personality who is sitting in space in any loka as has been emphasized. It’s an all-pervaded Divinity. Right? This is one thing. When you chant this mantra, any mantra that appeals to you, not necessarily only this mantra, anything that appeals, if you chant, it is expected to keep your mind single pointed instead of getting scattered into millions of thoughts. At the time of death, what happens, when the brain dies, the mind gets detached from the brain’s clutches. But if whatever the mind is holding, either violent thought, or non-violent thought, or something about Divinity, or if it can achieve total silence. A total silence of the mind only liberates you not to reincarnate again, not to be reborn again. So, based on the thoughts that are in the mind, that Atman assumes the next birth, next incarnation.

 So, that way it is beneficial to chant, definitely. But not with the idea of going to the loka where Shri Krishna is there. Krishna is an all-pervaded Divinity. Have that idea. That same Shiva, Krishna, all are same. One God and different names. Like that, if you chant, that will be beneficial. Same God will help you to achieve the silence of the mind also. That is what is finally needed. If you read Ramakrishna Paramahansa’s life also, He was a great devotee of Mother Kali, but He did great tapas also. When Totapuri came, He taught Him the Nirvikalpa Samadhi. And by telling that “Your mother Kali is dead, I have killed her,” so then He pierced with a glass piece here [inbetween eyebrows], then Ramakrishna went into Nirvikalpa Samadhi. So, that is what is finally needed. But for a while you can chant now also. It will be helpful.

Same Questioner:   Thank you, Babaji, Koti Pranams to Your Lotus Feet.

Shri Babaji:   Ah wonderful, nice.

End of Session