0:00 Intro
0:07 Will the lost Upanishads ever be revealed again by a Saint or Self Realised Yogi?
2:57 What is the difference between the Upanishads and the Vedas?
4:20 Do all the great Masters’ teachings merge and agree in the end?
5:48 No matter where the teachings are from, has there always been a technology taught to train the mind to be quiet?
8:53 Could the Yoga Vasistha be considered an Upanishad?
12:28 Is there any mention in the Vedas or the Upanishads about other forms of life or other worlds?
13:27 Why does the space have the ability to imagine in the first place?
15:01 So the creation will always exist?
15:58 Babaji also says that nothing really exists.
16:19 Yoga Vasistha also said towards the end that whatever I have said is also nothing.
18:49 So it’s only because I think there is a problem then there is a problem?
19:46 What is the value of the notion of birth and death and reincarnation?
21:07 Is the notion of birth, death and reincarnation a motivation to go back to the Self?
21:30 For renunciation, if you will it to happen then is it counter to achieving it?
27:18 How does a Yogi come back to the world after Self Realization?
29:51 How does the progression to slowly come back to the world happen?
30:19 What does one do when previous agitations come up in meditation?
32:42 Is that what is vairagya?
33:02 Should we bother about everything that happens in the world?
34:56 While being detached, you can be aware of what’s happening but don’t get involved in it?
43:29 What is the origin of the expression, ‘cry when people cry, laugh when people laugh
but stay on the banks of the river’?
44:19 Is it important just to be a good person?
45:01 Aren’t animals and plants better births than human beings?
46:28 If we depend on artificial intelligence, is there a danger we will lose our natural intelligence?
47:31 How young can children be to start meditation?

Discourse: In Quest of Truth – DSM Meditation Retreat
Day 6, Morning Q&A
Recorded: February 2024

Start of Questions and Answers

Question:   Will the lost Upanishads ever be revealed again by a Saint or Self-realized yogi?

Babaji Maharaj:   No, you see, these Upanishads are the teachings of a particular saint who would have got Self-realized.  Like in olden days also, several of them who would be practicing deep samadhi, sometimes they all used to sit in one place and then discuss their experiences and express their own opinions.  “This is my opinion.  This is the truth; these are the things.”  Most of the time when it all tallied, different Upanishads they all wrote down, their disciples used to take down.  So, whatever then they were discussing, so “This is the Guru, this is Katha Upanishad…”, such teachings, it was all done.  This is what the history talks.  When Adi Shankaracharya came to Central part of India – Omkareshwar is the place – He met His Guru, Govinda Bhagavad Paada, who gave Him the sanyas name of Shankara Bhagavad Paada to Adi Shankaracharya.  He showed in the cave a big mountainous thing.  “Look, all these are the ancient scriptures, ancient, beautiful knowledge of the Self and Ultimate Truth, which is an individual experience everyone has told. And most of them have been eaten by white ants.  You are the one capable person who can try to take out, read them, and see which are the closest to the truth, and then simplifying that language, write your own commentaries on that.”  That is what His Guru commanded. 

So, from them – it was a very arduous task, such a mountainous thing – so to take it out, whichever, whatever was available, little, little He went on reading.  So, from them, some of them He selected as the nearest to the truth; when He saw the teaching of a particular Master, when a Master would have spoken the truth.  Say for example, if anybody would have read about Ramana Maharishi’s teaching, so if they listened to me also, they can tell, “O, Baba also talks almost just like Ramana Maharishi.”  So, like that, He thought they were very much resembling each other, the teachings.  Such things He took out, and then He wrote a commentary on them.  So, all other things, they disappeared; that was all.

Question:   What is the difference between the Upanishads and the Vedas?

Babaji Maharaj:   Mostly, Vedas are the human duties  they have laid down. What are the duties of a king, what are the duties of this person, this is like this, the subjects have to be like this, what are the moral values – these types of things have been discussed.  In the midst of that only, whichever has these…  Upanishads are where directly they have spoken about the Self only.  Maybe they have used different terminologies of Atman, Parabrahma, Tatvam Asi.  Most of the places, Tatvam Asi.  Tattva, that’s what it is, ‘That’, and that is a truth. And Atman they would have used, probably nearest meaning is an existence which has substantial existence value.  It is not simply an appearance which will disappear.  To tell that one they have used the word of Atman, Paramatman, the substantial existence which is Supreme.  Like that they have used.  Total philosophy Upanishads are – spiritual knowledge, totally; that is the difference.

Question:   Do all the great Masters’ teachings merge and agree in the end? 

Babaji Maharaj:   Yeah, they all have spoken one particular type of language – when you are able to purify your mind, or regain the consciousness form of your mind, and when it is not into any imagination, when you feel yourself, know that as the truth of existence and that is the final.  There is nothing beyond that; there cannot be anything.  If it was there you could have visualized it, but when you visualize you will simply imagine, so that is why there is no chance of anything else existing.  Like that they concluded.  So, this type of language they all have used.  Finally, they all agree, the mind has to become totally silent, quiet. Some have used the language, “Mind has to turn its attention to itself from its attention to the material that it has imagined.”  That type of language is also used.  It is the same thing though.  It has to turn; if it stops imagining, it will automatically turn to itself.  So, this is a common thing – everybody has used it. 

Question:   No matter where the teachings are from, has there always been a technology taught to train the mind to be quiet?

Babaji Maharaj:   This one technique which resembles the ‘watching’.  Some have spoken, “When you close the eyes, you must know how to keep quiet in your consciousness, then the secret will be revealed.”  So, today if we talk that language, it could be slightly complicated.  If simply I tell “You must know how to keep quiet, then the secret of yourself is revealed”, then you would again ask the question “How to keep quiet?”  So, one of the sages talked, “When you are able to simply watch, then you are not thinking.  When you are not thinking, you are silent.  So, then your own existence is revealed to you.”  Like this they talked.  And one talks, “You are watching, but now watch who is the one who is watching.”  Like that one saint talks, “You are watching all your imaginations.  Enough of that and now start watching the one who is watching those thoughts.”  These are a bit complicated for today’s generation.  Those days, to the disciples they would have taught like that one.  For the present-day generation it could be a little bit complicated if we directly talk. 

So, the easiest is the watching when we repeatedly, elaborately…  See, even after talking of watching, so many times, many, many times I have to explain again, “This is what it means, this is what it means”, means simplify more elaborately.  So, that is what happens.  Otherwise, the mind doesn’t grasp what has to happen.  Like one among them, the rarest is the Yoga Vashista.  It is the only scripture which, as far as I know, talks “That truth exists in itself”.  The rest of the scriptures all talk, “It is omnipresent, it is omnipotent, means all-powerful, because of that only all creation has happened.  When that becomes quiet, all creation will be withdrawn.”  So, this type of language has been used, but Vashista only talks, “Hey Rama, it exists in itself, just like that.”  Means without any reason, without any other exercise, without any need, without any cause, without any dream, without anything, any attributions, simply it is in itself, and it doesn’t need anything else, for this reason.

Question:   Could the Yoga Vashista be considered an Upanishad?

Babaji Maharaj:   It is an Upanishad actually.  Because it talks very directly about the Ultimate Truth, after the medieval times it has not become very popular, because people are scared.  It is scary for them – you would give up the world, so people would have discouraged it, “You read any other teachings, but not this one.”  It directly hits.  Means it breaks all your assumptions, all definitions, all concepts, everything is broken once for all, collapsed, finished, nothing; you will be bewildered.  Whatever you are imagining, it all simply falls, it cannot be true.  So, when you stop, when you are able to stop all your imaginations, further there is nothing to tell, not even to tell that is the truth, or that is not the truth; such is the truth, it is beyond both.  Like that Vashista talks at one place.  

So, it can be confusing, maddening for people.  Probably for these reasons.  Slowly, of late people do talk, they give discourse also on Yoga Vashista.  They talk, but not very much in detail, nobody talks like this, they talk in other ways.  In that, finally when nirvikalpa samadhi happened, Sri Rama realized Himself to be Maha Vishnu, but actual meaning in Sanskrit is, Sri Rama realized the ‘I’ is not the ‘I’ I was imagining.  The ‘I’ is the one which is simply pervaded and is in itself – that is the meaning of Maha Vishnu – widely, which sustains its own existence.  It does not need anything else for its existence.  So, that type of thing.  But whereas the priest class tell that Sri Rama realized that He was the incarnation of Lord Vishnu from Vaikuntha.  They modify that sentence to tell, “Thus, that is how Sri Rama was reminded by Vashishta that “You are that, Vishnu.””  If Vashishta was here, He would tell all of you also, “You are that truth.”  Means “You are that Vishnu.”  That is what He told Sri Rama also, simply.

Question:   Could the Ashtavakra Samhita be considered an Upanishad?

Babaji Maharaj:   I think so.  Though this is inside the Upanishad, this is the experience of a saint,  I am not sure about this theoretical knowledge; it isn’t mentioned in the book as an Upanishad.  But generally, Upanishad is the philosophical teaching.  You want to consider, you can consider it as an Upanishad, no problem.  

Question:   Is there any mention in the Vedas or the Upanishads about other forms of life or other worlds?

Babaji Maharaj:   Nowhere of such a mention [in those] who have visualized the need to know of the Self.  All scriptures talk of the human birth as the highest and the rarest of rare, because it is in the middle.  It can elevate itself on the ladder and it can go down the snake also.  It experiences all the unhappiness, tension, fear, everything, and it gets to experience happiness also.  It is the one which can discriminate what is the permanent and what is the impermanent, so they talk that only humans have this edge of capacity to understand the permanent and impermanent. 

Question:   Why does the space have the ability to imagine in the first place?

Babaji Maharaj:   Because this is not a quality that somebody gave to the space or it came into existence – it has always been there. The Ultimate Truth’s existence is like that, so nobody made it like that; it has been like that all the time.  And that is why it is Ultimate Truth. Because for all the things that are in your mind, mind itself is the ultimate truth for those characters.  Mind has that capacity.  If all those characters start thinking, “Why and how did the mind get this capacity?” It is there – like that. Human beings might be telling, “How did you become a photographer?”  You might tell, “Like this I learned from a master.  I learned and I got to know.  Before that I did not know.”  But here that is not the case.  There was no such thing that before there was no capacity to imagine and then the capacity to imagine came.  It was always there.  So, that’s why these things, there is no cause, no reason, why, how – attributeless this these things are.  It is simply there.  It has the capacity, it can imagine.

Question:   So, the creation will always exist?

Babaji Maharaj:   But a true Master teaches, “Never try to imagine that the creation will always be there, because then you will have to watch that one.  You will get involved as a watcher.”  When you imagine your mind resolves and revolves, then the scene appears and you will go on watching, you won’t be able to get liberated.  So, these definitions must not be bothered.  Simply, as soon as possible, get rid of the imaginations.  It’s not your headache whether these imaginations are always going to be there or not going to be there.  If you believe it’s not going to be there, it will not be there for you.

Question:   Babaji also says that nothing really exists. 

Babaji Maharaj:   That’s why Master teaches that nothing really exists.  If this can sit in your mind, nothing will really exist for you, and there is no problem.  

Question:   Yoga Vashista also said towards the end that whatever I have said is also nothing. 

Babaji Maharaj:   Yeah, the reason is, otherwise He won’t work in the world. When He went into nirvikalpa samadhi…  you see, two, three things are important – we would like to do anything if it is useful either for me or for others.  If nothing is useful, there is no point in doing anything.  Just like if a dead body is there, we don’t try to revive it, because it’s not useful, it will not happen, then we give up.  So, like that it would have happened.  We do it only when it’s useful.  That’s why now we have to imagine, there is unhappiness, and we need to get rid of that unhappiness, and there is a problem with the imagination, we need to get rid of that imagination.  Because of this imagination, it is not giving us the consciousness that we are an eternal existence, so that is why we need to get rid of the imagination and go for the eternal existence.  This is what the Master teaches.  If I teach, that sits in your mind, and you will go for that.  Otherwise, nothing occurs to you; you are simply roaming in the world, happiness, unhappiness.  

If the duality is there, then one might be a stumbling block for you, either of the two.  Either because of the worldly happiness, you reach a saturated point.  Even though there is happiness, means money gives you happiness, you are very rich; for a long time you are happy.  One day sitting like that also, then you are unhappy suddenly, for no reason.  That’s the mental instability that happens, so then only you look for that one, otherwise you won’t try to look also.  So, that also we have to imagine that you need to look for that.  Finally, when you realize there is nothing, but that should be acceptable, then you heave a sigh of relief, “Ah, there are no swords and no more fighting, finished.”

Question:   So, it’s only because I think there is a problem then there is a problem?

Babaji Maharaj:   So, if possible, you think there is no problem, then there is no problem, but that doesn’t happen easily.  Things appear as problem, because the world is made up of characters.  We have created millions of things, each character is not like the other, one differs from the other.  If one gives you happiness, another gives you unhappiness.  So, like that it happens always.  If one sweet gives you happiness, ten sweets give you unhappiness.  It is the same thing, you see?  That is what is the maaya, illusion that has happened.  So, that’s when we will look for that one.  So, that’s when it is not possible for you to think there is no problem at all.  There is a problem.  You will come back with a problem.  It comes into the mind.  

Question:   What is the value of the notion of birth and death and reincarnation?

Babaji Maharaj:   See, only one value is, you always understand – if all of you think – the value of a thing only when you lose that.  When it is with you, you take it lightly.  As long as the Master is sitting with you physically, you are likely to take it lightly.  “Babaji is sitting here for a few months, any day we can go and see Him.  No problem, we don’t have to rush, He is there.”  But He is going to die tomorrow, then everybody rushes, “Let us have a last look at Babaji, He is going to die, He is going to give up the body.”  So, when we understand we are going to lose that, then the value is understood.  So, like this, now when you come into this duality, you understand the value of peace and when that peace is found, you understand the value of your real Self, consciousness about your real Self and also in duality only you can make out that you are an eternal entity.  Other than this, on its own single-handedly it can never make out that it is eternal.  

Question:   Is the notion of birth, death and reincarnation a motivation to go back to the Self?

Babaji Maharaj:   You struggle, you try to live, you try to live, you try to live.  Somewhere – like in this life it happened to us and any one of the lives it will happen to all of you also, if not in this life – it will definitely happen.  

Question:   For renunciation, if you will it to happen then is it counter to achieving it?

Babaji Maharaj:   Very true it is.  There are two things about renunciation.  One is renunciation is a way of life; another is the actual renunciation when the mind gives up everything.  “Anything is all right in its own way.  I have nothing to bother.  I have no objection.  If the world needs to go like this, I have no objection.  I am quiet.”  Then also you have renounced.  You are not bothering, you are not troubling the Divine that “This has to happen like this, this has to happen like this”, you have just left the Divine to itself. “It is up to You.  I have no objection.”  That is the renunciation. That happens inside, what you are talking.

 Other renunciation, when one takes monkhood; this is a way of life taught because suppose I have a wife and a couple of children, my first attention will always go for them.  I would not be able to work widely for the society.  Hundred obstacles will come, tensions will happen.  I will be thinking about my kids and my wife and my husband.  These types of things keep happening.  So, this was recommended mostly by Adi Shankaracharya.  Like this, Buddha, they all recommended.  If I am alone, that means I am not wedded to one family, I can bother about everyone.  Now I can sit with you all and talk to you all.  I have no wife who will come and bash me, “Enough of talking to all these people.  Let’s go for a movie.  Come.”  There is nobody to force me like that.  That is one of the ways of life, that is what it is.  But this has given us a choice not to be imposed.  A person has to take up on his or her own choice.  

In our society, four types of ashrams have been prescribed.  One is during getting educated, you have to observe celibacy, brahmacharya.  Brahmacharya’s other meaning also is your mind needs to be connected to Divinity and learn all the spiritual values with the Guru during that time.  After learning thoroughly, now either you enter as a householder’s ashram or you become a monk.  It’s up to you.  These two branches are different.  So, historically, legendary people have been householders also, have achieved Self-realization also, but their minds had been very restrained.  They never got attracted too greedily towards the world.  They always lived only for the need.  Whatever was needed, a little bit, and they were totally contented, always satisfied.  The rest of the time they spent in sadhana.  Thus, they achieved Self-realization in spite of being a householder also.  People like Vashishta and all these have been recommended.  

Others are like monks.  Monkhood has come after Buddha’s time and Adi Shankara’s time.  He recommended this.  He even argued with one of the householders and then he won in the argument, and that person became a disciple of Adi Shankara, came to be known as Sri Totakacharya, one of the famous disciples of Adi Shankara, who carried on through the next generation.  Like this, Adi Shankara was always recommending to take to monkhood.  So, these are the ways of life.  If a person was householder in the olden days, once they were old and they were enough to beget grandchildren, they were to sacrifice the home and vaanaprasta ashrama has been recommended, means you retire to somewhere in a forest quietly in the solitude and spend your rest of the time in sadhana.  But now the times have changed, ages have changed.  Those things may not be possible.  The tendencies are also not there.  That much of energy is also not there, and circumstances, situations are also not conducive to go for that one.  

So, these are some of the points about sanyasi, renunciation.  This type of renouncing is for this purpose only, but actual renunciation happens, “Tyagat shantira anantharam” as Lord Krishna tells… From the mind when you are able to sacrifice everything, that is the real sacrifice which can give you Supreme Peace.   That’s what it is.  It’s a different thing, if you try to survey, even after taking to sannyasa also people will get involved into politics and fights, even in the ashrams also for supremacy, for properties, for this and that.  It is the human mind.  That’s why sometimes Ramana Maharishi also has told, “If you go to forests and caves, beware, you are taking your mind also.  It will trouble you.  It won’t allow you to sit peacefully.”  So you have to sacrifice that ego.  That’s what you were talking. 

Question:   How does a yogi come back to the world after Self-realization?

Babaji Maharaj:   Certain things – one thing, generally we call it a Divine ordainment, if you have a mission; this is one thing.  So, from inside the consciousness itself, it brings you.   Like Swamiji used to teach me, “If you ever go to deeper meditation, keep a glass of water with you, and think before going to meditation that you need to have a glass of water.”  If at all any deep meditation happens, that one thought will bring you out, and then you have a glass of water, like that.  So that type of thing happens.  Finally, one time, like when you go to deep sleep also, it’s not even a dream also, there is something that will bring you out.  Many times, you’re needed to get up early morning at three o’clock; you think firmly, “I need to get up at three o’clock.”  The brain wakes you up.  Brain has such powers; it turns on like an alarm. 

Like with this practice for me, I have never had to keep any special alarm of a clock or anything.  At that time automatically we are woken up, even if it’s a deep sleep also, when the time is there.  Even if I have to travel early in the morning somewhere, I never have kept any alarm.  Well on time that I am up and ready.  So, it comes like that by practice.  So, if you want to go to deeper meditation, keep a glass of tea, and think that “I need to have this tea, it’s very nice”, then go – you will come back.  So, if you have the mission, if you have that zeal for missionary work, you want to help others, live for others, want to create this awareness, if it makes sense, then your brain, your prarabdha will bring you out.  So, this is a rare thing that happens – not everybody can come out like that or come to public.  To remain in public and be able to teach the truth, answer every question is not an easy thing actually.  You should know that subject thoroughly, you should have digested very well, observed during your sadhana also.  Then if you had that inclination, you will be brought out by the Divine. 

Question:   How does progression to slowly come back to the world happen?

Babaji Maharaj:   It’s a long process.  In one go, when you sit, I will teach you, don’t worry.  Later.  This is difficult and you will get confused if I talk too much on this subject.  You will start imagining that, and it will revolve in your mind.  You will learn it.  I will teach you in due course of time. 

Question:   What does one do when previous agitations come up in meditation?

Babaji Maharaj:   You see, the same technique you should have understood well, means just watch.  In the beginning also we teach – when you close the eyes, just watch and do not react to any thoughts or visions that may occur in the mind.  That’s important.  Say tomorrow, if your mind becomes more concentrated, and instead of simply images or imagination, a mental projection; it might appear more realistic for you, or a manifestation happens; that is as physical as like this, by then your mind would have learned just to remain watching and not react for anything. 

Always these visions or manifestations or any such thing will be of two types of things.  Either they are threatening to panic and make you give up the sadhana, or it could be too tempting to suck you so that you give up the sadhana, get involved into it.  So, these two things are the dualities which are troublesome.  Either way, you must not get attracted, must not react.  This practice comes as you slowly practice just to watch your thoughts, and you give up any ego or you don’t bother for anything, “Why these thoughts are coming, why they were there, why somebody behaved with me like that?”  Nothing.  It’s all an illusion.  That’s what a firm conviction that “This is illusion” helped me also.  It was always not a pleasant life, pleasant, unpleasantness, good, bad, wicked people came, their behaving in humiliating, everything is there.  But firmly we were convinced that they were all illusions created by the consciousness through the imagination technology.  Nothing really happened to me, the one who is the attributeless atman, like that.  We had a firm conviction – that helped to keep quiet, remain quiet, not to react mentally. So that’s the practice. 

Question:   Is that what is vairagya?

Babaji Maharaj:   That is what is known as vairagya.  It doesn’t make any difference.  In this world if somebody praises me or somebody criticizes me, it doesn’t make any difference; it’s okay. 

Question:   Should we bother about everything that happens in the world?

Babaji Maharaj:   The world is into conflict, there are so many sufferings there.  What I try to teach is, sitting here, simply worrying about that, you will not be helpful to anybody, instead you are becoming a casualty to yourself.  If you do not worry, you are most welcome to gather the news, try to help whatever you can; it is a part of spirituality.  That’s what is the ‘upholding moral values’ I keep talking.  Apart from looking after the health of the physical body and health of the mind and upholding moral values; this is the right religion.  If you are practicing all three, that is the right religious practice, definitely.  Nobody stops that you should not bother about anybody or help anybody; worry is the problem.  Simply by sitting… People ask the question “Why the war like this is happening?”  It is happening.  If you can stop, you stop, or you want to create awareness, you create awareness.  You work for that.  Nobody stops you, but you don’t become a victim mentally.  Does that make sense, what I am talking?  

[The devotee who asked this question understood but was trying to perhaps ask something else.  He responded to Gurudeva that he would frame his thoughts and ask again, later.]

So, gathering information or updating the news is not a wrong thing, but you should be able to restrain yourself that you don’t become a victim, carefully – that’s important. 

Question:   While being detached, you can be aware of what is happening but don’t get involved in it?

Babaji Maharaj:   Yeah, that’s what the teaching is, what we are trying to teach is – so that you don’t become a victim unnecessarily.  Like if a doctor, while attending to so many hundreds of patients, if he starts worrying about each patient, he will also become a patient.  He won’t be able to attend to any patient.  We go around the world.  Not that we simply teach philosophy and don’t bother about anything.  Thirty-five to forty mails I attend to.  Many of them are all something that is bothering them, some trouble, some unhappiness in life, some psychological problems, some troubled childhood, such things come.  I attend to them, but at all times I need to keep myself purified and not get affected by them.  If I get affected, I cannot help them. 

So, I am updated about the world news.  What is happening in Ukraine also we know, what is happening in Gaza also we know.  Why is this happening?   One single sentence I will tell you when people have asked, “Why the conflicts are happening?”   A small history that we used to read in high school.  The first world war happened.  Afterwards, to stop the war, the League of Nations was formed.  You all would have read in schools.  That was overruled and overpowered by Hitler and the second world war happened, all countries.  Second world war happened; there is one sentence, “No country has gone into a war without its selfish interests.”  No country has tried to help others.  That is an article written by a philosophical thinker that I read in a newspaper that I am telling.  That’s how the second world war also happened.  In Europe also, some countries were silent spectators when Hitler invaded other two countries.  They even agreed that “We will turn our face, you do whatever you want.”  But once that was done, he was greedy and he became mad and he came to this, then they got alerted. 

Well, the war happened, and war finished finally.  My mother used to tell “Sometimes people used to tell the world is going to come to an end.  Hitler is going mad, and everybody is going to die.  England will be destroyed; Europe will be destroyed.  Nothing.”  But finally, the war ended, Allied forces won.  The United Nations organization was founded – everybody heaved a sigh of relief.  They sincerely believed there is not going to be any more wars.  United Nations will not allow.  But cold wars continued, wars continued, conflicts are continuing, why?  The very people who form United Nations want the wars to continue for their own economy.  If both of you do not fight, how will I sell my weapons that I am producing? So, I need wars to go on between you both.  I will work for that one. 

So, this is how humanity is cheating itself.  Though what you are feeling is the right thing; it is unfortunate.  I also dreamt as a child, “Why is that humanity is always against each other?  Why can’t they live for each other?”  All humanity can live for each other.  It is possible, and science has told in a span magazine only, “The Earth always has had and will have enough resources to meet the need of humanity but not its greed.”  So much is there on the earth that God has given, but we wasted it.  Spilling the oils and so many things.  And always wars have been fought for oil, gasoline, anything. So these things are all happening, happening.  

I spoke from the beginning years itself, how the consciousness expands into universal brotherhood, what we call as harmony for all humanity.  The first year itself, in 2001 itself, in my talk I gave this ‘expanse’ example.  You belong to Washington.  if somebody asks you “Where are you from?”  You will tell your house number and street name.  You go out of Washington; somebody will ask you “Where are you from?”  You won’t tell your house number or street name.  You will tell “I am from Washington.”  That state; you belong to the entire state, from a small house. You come out of America, if I ask you where are you from, you will tell me “I am from America.”  You won’t remember that small street name or a house name or a state also; you belong to a larger area, America, a country, all fellow countrymen are like your brothers, like your own family.  If another American comes, “Are you from America?” “Yeah, yeah, I am also American.”  You become so happy.  If you go to another planet, then meet another person from this planet, when he asks “Where are you from?”, “I am from Earth.”  See, you have forgotten the house name and street, everything, now you belong to the whole Earth.  Consciousness has expanded; all people on the Earth appear to be your own when you meet another person.  

The day when you realize we all belong to one space… there are no two spaces that “I belong to this space, you belong to that space.”  Though air space divided by countries is a different thing, scientifically only one space is there; we all live in that one space.  If humanity realizes this, that day all conflicts can end!  Adi Shankaracharya’s story also comes.  In the story it says unknown to Him a small ego had occurred to Him.  He was going towards Ganga River to have a bath.  Beautiful, it mesmerized us; that’s how we all learned.  Then, the story says Lord Shiva came as an untouchable person with country-made alcohol just in front of Adi Shankara.  Shankara says “Dooram gaccha!”, “Give way, get out of here.  You are stopping me.”  Then that person says “If there is anything beyond Brahmanda” – Brahmanda means this absolute space – “If there is anything beyond this space in which you and me both have to live, show me that place, I will go away.  You can live in your space peacefully.  I won’t bother you anymore.  I will go there but show me.”  Then Adi Shankara, suddenly He realizes, “What had happened to me, why did I say this one?  When this person has such a knowledge and wisdom, He cannot be an ordinary person.”  He prostrates with all his body.  The story says that He disappeared.  It was none other than Lord Shiva who had come to teach Him.  So, this is the ‘consciousness expansion’ what we are talking.  Bothering about the world, updating the news, we have to.  So, that is definitely needed.  We all are bothered about that one, but simply we tell “Just by bothering, you won’t be helpful.”  First, update yourself, purify yourself, practice meditation, try to become a yogi.  Then all of you, if you all can become a yogi and dedicate your lives for humanity, travel like me, everybody go on traveling and spread this message, “This is what our Guru Babaji taught me.  I want you also to meditate.”  Can you all teach?  That day you will be so helpful to humanity if this is possible. 

Question:   What is the origin of the expression ‘Cry when people cry, laugh when people laugh, but stay on the banks of the river’?

Babaji Maharaj:   I don’t know, I heard Swamiji telling.  “This world is like a river, pond.  You are standing here, cry with the people who are crying, laugh with the people who are laughing.”  It means internally do not get affected, means don’t fall into the river, you have to stand on the banks, then you can help others.  In the aeroplane also if the cabin pressure drops and the oxygen mask will come, if you have a child, first attend to yourself and then you can help the child better; if you are unable to take the oxygen you cannot help the child also, they tell, right?  That’s what is the meaning of this thing. 

Question:   Is it important just to be a good person?

Babaji Maharaj:   That’s what is needed.  My Guru also used to tell “First try to become a good human being.  Becoming gods and angels comes afterwards.”  That’s how He used to tell.  “If you are more positive, you can generate a positiveness around you and in you also, a destiny for yourself also will be more positive.”  So, if you meditate sincerely every day after going back also, you will be more positive in approach, in thinking, more mature and in understanding also; everything happens. 

Question:   Aren’t animals and plants better births than human beings?

Babaji Maharaj:   Better in a sense, they don’t have the sword, so they have nothing to fight, means they don’t have that wisdom to think.  So, when we have the wisdom, whether you become a crook or you become a good person, it makes a difference whether you go on the ladder or go down the snake.  One thinks when you have money, whether you will drink alcohol or you would like to share it with others and eat some proper food; it makes so much a difference.  That is the problem with human beings always.  We always use our things for wrong things.  Computers have come into existence; that’s wonderful.  But probably majority of us, people waste our energy into games and chit-chatting and nonsense things, not useful at all; time waste.  Mobile also, many youngsters have lost manners also.  They don’t even think that “In front of the Guru, we should not be doing this one.”  The ring comes and suddenly they get up and go away.  They don’t keep it in silent or flight mode or any such things.  So many times, jokingly I have told, “Many times God has come, and you were busy with your cell phone.  He went back disappointed.”  So, that type of things have happened, lost proper manners, culture, everything.

Question:   If we depend on artificial intelligence, is there a danger we will lose our natural intelligence?

Babaji Maharaj:   That’s what some of the thinkers are telling now that with artificial intelligence, the world can be more dangerous.  We saw Google, wondrous thing happened – it can even tell you “This road has a lot of traffic jams, and we will show you a shortcut.”  That is such a wondrous thing.  But when it’s too much, too much of a thing, it can make you a totally disabled person.  Now still now also when I work for accounting in the ashram, even when I do it with the calculator, afterwards I have to calculate manually.  Until then I’m not satisfied that the calculator is right.  I cannot take it granted.  Used to that.  But present-day children don’t want to use their brains at all.  Any small thing you tell, “Internet, online, it is there.  Babaji, it is online, I will tell you in two minutes.” 

Question:   How young can children be to start meditation?

Babaji Maharaj:   As soon as they are able to sit even for five minutes, at least five minutes, then we slowly have to prepare them.  First thing is to let them sit and pray, “Pray to God, God is always with you.  He will protect you.”  Like that, you induce confidence and faith in them.  Then slowly we can teach them as they are able to sit down silently, “Silently watch.  God will come one day.”  That’s how we have to teach them.  You can teach your child, “Just keep watching here and God will come.”  That’s what Swamiji used to tell.  When He was initiated as a fourteen-year-old by the Jangama Sage; “Just keep watching here” – He didn’t know why He was told to just keep watching.  “I thought Shankara Bhagavan will come someday and will talk to me here.  That’s when I went on watching, but I became quiet and samadhi came.”  Like that, He used to talk sometimes.

End of Session