0:00 Introduction from Babaji
1:13 Krishna’s teaching on not defining your dharma
11:30 How do we know we are doing the right thing, in reaction to what others are doing?
18:26 How do we know when to accept the results or when to keep putting in efforts to achieve something?
22:50 Are we able to achieve Self Realisation by doing the minimum practice?
26:36 What is the difference between mental and physical attachments?
32:43 Were the teachings in the Bhagavad Gita simplified for humankind?
38:49 Why is the ego present in someone even if they have been meditating for years/decades?
43:32 Why is there is so much suffering and so few who reach Self Realization?
46:09 Is it the will of god that we either take a Master’s teachings positively or negatively?

Renunciation | Thus Spake Babaji – online Q&A, No.142

Recorded on 27 July 2023 with Malaysian participants

Babaji: An issue is not an issue.  That must be your attitude. When you want to quieten your mind, that is when the mind will become silent.  Otherwise it might be hurt, it will become agitated – unnecessary, that is not needed. You need to become quiet so that you settle down in your real Self. That is what is enlightenment. Your Atmasatshatkara, Self-Realization. Your ability to remain quiet effortlessly at all times. Practice, aim for that one. So, that is the goal, target.

Question:  Thank you Babaji. Babaji, we will continue on with the topic on renunciation. The first question for today. One of Krishna’s teachings in the Bhagavad Gita which states that you achieve peace only after you have sacrificed. Babaji on this point, and on the point of impermanence, Krishna during the Great Kurukshetra War has guided Arjuna to fight and kill, if necessary, all those that were against him. There were tricks, manipulations used by Krishna that gave Arjuna and the Pandavas an added advantage to succeed in the war. For instance, killing Karna when he was unarmed and was in the midst of repairing his chariot. Babaji, can you share with us the deeper significance of this story and why Krishna acted as such? How do we determine what is right and wrong when the person and the situation varies?

Babaji: Important is that often in this world people adopt double-standard, total cunningness. When they do wrong things, they do it. And afterwards, they try to suppress it. And when it comes, the same thing hits them, then they try to talk of justice, Dharma, all these things. So what Shri Krishna taught here was, first thing, “Thiagath Shantinirantharam”. That means in the mind you sacrifice, then only you will have peace, right? But if anything has done wrong, when it is your opportunity, if necessary, you adopt the same thing. That was why when Bhima had to hit on the thighs of Duryodhana to defeat him, to kill him, that was against the rules. To this, Balarama comes and objects. He is very furious. “Bhima went out of way and tried to kill Duryodhana. Injustice”, he says. To that Shri Krishna advises. See, Duryodhana himself did not follow the rules of Dharma properly. At every stage of his life, he behaved in a very cunning, double-standard, telling lies, and Karna also sided with him. The same Karna, where was he when Draupathi was about to be disrobed? He encouraged that, even asked Draupathi to come and sit on the laps of Duryodhana. Such things he had done. When they had done all those things, they were fit to be killed in any way that is possible. That’s what Shri Krishna exhorted, advised Arjuna. Here means, purpose is more important; to protect the larger cause of Dharma. Not that Arjuna wanted to win to gain the throne for him or his brother or any such thing. But if they had come to rule, what Krishna thought was the country, continent, the subjects, all will have peace. They will be looked after by Dharma.

Krishna had watched people’s nature. By that only he dreamt and he helped and he wanted Pandavas to rule the subcontinent. He had seen generally by nature Pandavas were very noble, they will never entertain hatred. Only because their wife was about to be disrobed, Bhima had taken such a vow. But after taking vow also, Bhima had forgotten – Shri Krishna had to remind him. “Bhima, remember your vow, that you will kill Duryodhana like this, you will kill Dhushasana like this”; that He had to remind him. So then only it came to the mind. Otherwise, they were not entertaining any such hatred all the time in the mind. That is important to be noted. This is what people of this world, we need to learn today also. In our lives, we may have to defend things. While defending, we don’t have to entertain hatred in the mind. But if somebody misbehaves, behaves in a cunning way, double standards, unnecessarily try to blame us and try to take our ashram, try to break the ashram, we have a right to defend, because it is a larger cause. See, ashram is not that I am defending my personal property for my personal stay of comfort. I could have gone anywhere and stayed comfortably. But why we try to defend the ashram? It is for a larger cause. Swamiji established that ashram with the idea that devotional people, spiritual seekers may be able to come sit peacefully and do meditation, Sadhana, practice Bhakti Marga. So that was why it became necessary to defend. So that was what Sri Krishna was teaching all the time. Not that He had any hatred towards Duryodhana, Kauravas or Karna. Karna, on one side we all read his beautiful story that he was a great sacrificer and he always was ready to donate anything that was asked of him. Whether it was for his own defence he had the Kundalas and the Kavacha on the chest, all these things were there, but he gave it readily. Such a nobility was there, but Sri Krishna tells when Karna objects, “Karna, it was true that you are subjected to injustice. When they told that you are a Suthabhatra, you are the son of a charioteer, you are not fit to have this weapon, not fit to compete with the Ksatriyas,  it was wrong, but instead of standing against that, you could have established your own kingdom with the power that you had and then you could have helped all your own people from that injustice. Instead you sided with Duryodhana. Because Duryodhana gave you the kingdom, you became indebted  to him, and went on putting up for all the injustice that Duryodhana did, and you sided with Duryodhana, supported Duryodhan, endorsed whatever Duryodhana was doing. Where was the Dharma for you then? Where was the Dharma when you also kept quiet when Draupadi was about to be disrobed, when Shakuni was doing all injustice to win over the game, where was your Dharma? At that time you did not bother to look into justice, you played all cunningness, you worked out your own strategies. Today you are trying to teach me Dharma Karna; you are fit to be killed in that state”. Like that, Shri Krishna taught and He spoke the Dharma, He answered Karna, He answered for Duryodhana, He answered to Balarama also. Every stage, every time, even during the war also after Bhisma falling down, they never followed any rule. The rules were set for war, you see, morning we will start like after breakfast, just like office work and in the evening when it was just before sunset, conch was to be blown and everybody had to stop the war.  And if one person was tired, he must not be attacked, only an equivalent if you are on the chariot, you must attack only a charioteer, inviting for a combat, not that from behind you will attack. When Abhimanyu was killed, all the warriors of Kaurava clan, they killed Abhimanyu from behind, together, so many people, Abhimanyu was all alone. It was Karna who shot the first arrow from behind, it was becoming very difficult to handle Abhimanyu, Abhimanyu was such an enthusiastic fighter, warrior, so they couldn’t kill, then all of us killed him together. Dronacharya was also there. So then Krishna said “Where was Dharma, Karna, when you were all doing, when you were not following any Dharma, any duties?” So that was what Shri Krishna was trying to teach.

Many people even today misunderstand Shri Krishna, that He was cunning and He was doing politics. No He was just handling politics, He was just handling the cunningness of the Kauravas and helped Pandavas, because Pandavas were innocent, they were trying to follow the rules when the opponent was not following the rules at all. So they had to be given that reply. So that was what was Shri Krishna’s teachings to Arjuna. Which implies to everybody in the world; when they do it, they do double standards, they do workout strategies. When they cut the tree, they tell “It is valid”, because they wanted it, they wanted to build a generator room by cutting their Guru’s properties, one tree, but when we objected they were furious.  They said that “We are telling a lie, that tree was dead”. See the same thing, many of you might have faced in the life, it comes. You would have faced in the society, somebody misbehaving with you, somebody playing double standard and telling lies, but when you do that one, they would have objected, “Oh you are doing a wrong thing, you are telling a lie.”

Question: Babaji, can I ask a follow-up question relating to this topic? Shri Krishna was, He was God, so He could see the bigger picture, and we are just normal people living our normal lives, we may not be able to see the bigger picture. We may know that people are making use of us or playing tricks on us, but we may not know what is really justified in our action. Should we play tricks back? should we apply the double standard or something like that? So is it fair to say that it is no matter what others are doing, we should always do the right thing?

Babaji:  You see doing the right thing is different, not allowing the mind to get corrupted is totally different. Keep your mind that it does not become corrupted. See, as long as you are not attacked, if somebody wants to rob your home and throw you to the roads, what will you do? You will keep quiet thinking that, “Oh we should be acting right, let him take my property.” That too if it is yours you can do – if you are protecting a public property, if you are protecting your Gurus property, if you are protecting your country and somebody invades, what will you do? Will you allow them to invade and do it? That is not possible, right? Do you understand? This is important for people to think about this thing. The teaching was not only for Arjuna – anybody who is facing such things. If a double standard is being worked out, you have to be careful. When you employ the same tricks, it is to defend yourself – you are not becoming corrupted, you are not applying that masala against each and everyone in the society. That’s what Duryodhana did.  All the time he was doing against Pandavas. Pandavas were trying to be righteous, they were trying to follow the rules, and they forgot the Dharma. Imagine, you all think all of you. In the court, Draupati was about to be disrobed. Pandavas kept quiet, Dronacharya kept quiet, Bhishma kept quiet. Why? Because they defined the Dharma in a different way, on the personal glory. They didn’t even protest.  If Yudhistira had lost Draupati in the game of dice, that’s fine, but he could have protested; “You cannot disrobe a woman like this, if she is not my wife anymore, if she is your dasi, your servant, you can make her work, she can dust and mop your place, that is no problem, but you have no right to disrobe another woman. We will protect her as a woman, not necessarily be my wife” – at least they could have protested in that way. That was what Shri Krishna was teaching, setting a priority.

Bhishma could have said, “Okay, I had taken a vow that I will follow the order of the king, I will see my father’s shadow in the king”, but he could have told the king, “This is not proper. Disrobing a woman in front of so many people is not a righteous thing, is not a Dharma, I will not allow that one, even if people are going to blame me that I did not follow the oath I had taken”.  So that they could have protested. They all kept quiet. Only Shri Krishna, imagine – today it is so relevant that we all think, all of you think over this – only Shri Krishna set a priority; protecting that woman at that moment should be set as a priority.  And in the war again Shri Krishna showed, “Arjuna, you need to fight against all these people, even Bhishma, Dronacharya, even if it is your Guru, even if it is your grand sire, your Pithamaha, no problem because they all have sided with the wicked. They have justified all the wrong things that Duryodhana did, and they have sided with them. They should have sacrificed him, instead they are fighting with them, so Bhishma is fit to be killed.” But when Arjuna refused, Shri Krishna said, “I will kill Bhishma.” Krishna had taken a vow, “In the war, I will not take up any weapons, I will just be on one side, all the Yadava army will be on the other side.” Duryodhana was very happy having Yadava army – he did not bother to have Shri Krishna. Then Arjuna reminds, “Krishna, you must not take up any weapons, you have taken a vow.” Krishna simply tells, “No problem. The world will blame me – I don’t have to have any personal glory, at least I will die one day with the satisfaction that I upheld the Dharma. This person has sided [against] the Dharma. Though he is a Mahatma, he is a noble person, fit to be worshipped, but he is fit to be killed also, he is doing injustice.” So that was how Shri Krishna taught, that’s what we need to learn. If we practice meditation, if our mind becomes clear, it is not corrupted, it is not selfish,  then we are able to uphold this Dharma. Many people blame us, even today they blame us. We were doing just to be faithful to our Guru, we were trying to defend the property that our Guru established as an ashram, as a monastery so that public can come and sit and do meditation, it is open for all. But people blame us. So like that, we have to take the blame, but we have to act upon. So this is what we learned from Shri Krishna, from our Swamiji also. He taught this one. He spoke to me about Shri Krishna how he taught the Dharma, He used to talk like this. This is my opinion. Of course, at this point I would always try to clarify, my opinions, my teachings, whatever my Guru taught, it is not directed against any individual or group of individuals. Only for educational purpose, whatever I learned, I would like to talk and comment on these things, please.

Question: Thank you, Babaji. We will go to the next question.

When it is beyond our capability, we accept it. Babaji from this statement, does it mean that we need to accept whatever results that happen? How do we know when to give up or work harder based on the results? Is it wrong then to not accept a certain result simply because you are not satisfied with it and intend to work harder?

Babaji: This is again very important. We need to try till the last breath of life. Like Swamiji, after two, three months, He was made to sit for tapas. So, He was sitting on the ground, it was rainy season. His thighs’ skin all had become decayed. Scorpions, even snake also bit Him. So, one day He came out of Samadhi, it was so painful and it waws becoming difficult to sit into Samadhi. He thought, “Why should I do like this as a dead man? I did not pray to anybody, I don’t know who the Jangama Sage is who came and made me to sit for tapas. Let me go back home and do help for my family people, my mother and my siblings. Let me do some business.” When He was walking, at the gate of the graveyard the Jangama Sage stood there;  he commanded, “You are supposed to do this tapas for twelve years. Your destiny has enabled us to manifest like this, and I am not going to allow you to go anywhere until you finish the twelve years. Then Swamiji became determined. “Okay then, I will finish the twelve year tapas and I will not go anywhere. But, if death happens to the body, I cannot help anymore. Till then, I will not give up my trying to finish this tapas.” That was the determination He came to. So, that was how we all have to decide, till the last moment we will try. But, in spite of that, if we lose a battle, if we lose a property, if something happens, then we accept it and we die with the satisfaction that we tried our best, till the last breath of life. Nobody can blame us that we did not try. We defended.

That is what it has to be – like in the battlefield, in a war zone, a soldier dies, he gets killed, but he is happy. With all the satisfaction he would have fought for his country and he would have died for his country. He would be called as a martyr. Not simply getting killed, he is a martyr, you see? That was how they die. Till the last moment, they try to defend their country, all soldiers. So, that’s what Shri Krishna taught, defending till the last moment of life. Means, accept the results. Means, when it is beyond our capacity, we are helpless. “No problem, death is the only thing that they can…” That’s how we were taught also in our schools, primary schools our teacher used to tell, “In your life, after all think, if anything happens, my head is going to be cut.” That’s it. More than that who can trouble us? As long as we are alive, people keep troubling us, they’re blaming us, they try to trap us, they try to make us run away. But once they kill us, that is the end, it’s fine, that’s acceptable. No problem. So, afterwards, what can they trouble us? On the dead body, what can they do? So, that’s what is the thing that we were taught, till the last breath of life. That’s what Swamiji also always showed. Told me, “You come out as a dead body or as a yogi.” Never give up, never give up the things. That’s what Shri Krishna taught Arjuna. “Nobody knows the result of this war, but you must put an effort, you must fight till the last breath of your life, until you don’t get killed, you must not run away. You must not give up this fight. Do it.” That’s what Shri Krishna taught.

Question: Thank you, Babaji. Next question.

Babaji has said previously, “Whatever you are, you remain in the world, remain in your way of life, and you do a little bit of meditation and you can restrain yourself so that you can go according to your needs, you will not be greedy.” Babaji, by doing so, what will be the end results? Are we still able to achieve Self-Realization by doing the minimum practice, or is this merely preparing us for a better after life?

Babaji: You see, when you are living in the world, in a life, and if it is not possible for you to sit for so many hours, like ten hours, fifteen hours into meditation; you have to earn your livelihood, you have adopted a way of life, all these things, so here what one needs to understand is, whenever you find time, at least one hour, two hours, try to meditate properly with the proper technical application. When you are watching, just watch and you are not doing anything. Remember this point, never give up. Don’t allow the mind to get agitated. I told in the beginning, an issue must not be an issue for you in the mind. Then you are not agitated, you are not hurt, you are at peace. Otherwise, you will be agitated all the time. This is important. So, adopt the same attitude entire whole day. When you have to be working, you work, you put an effort with full enthusiasm and inspiration. So in spite of that, then when the results come, mentally accept so that your mind recedes and becomes quiet. So like this, your capability to remain mentally quiet increases, you have to increase your abilities like this. So when you do that one, slowly you will go closer, you will race towards Self-Realization, that becomes possible.

So every moment you have to adopt the right technique, is important, whether you sit down, close your eyes or you are dealing with somebody in your family, in your society, in the school, in the workplace, in the country, in this world, anywhere. It might be just your own partner, your own wife or your own husband or your own son or your own father, your own something. Do not get hurt and get agitated all the time. Be cool, even if the other person wins, you don’t want to argue much, you become quiet, but you don’t have to give up your beliefs, your meditation. So that is important. This is all you have to work out, so that your mind remains quiet and recedes.  If necessary, we have to fight to defend the institution established by our Guru, but we don’t have to lose our peace. All the time our mind is quiet because we don’t entertain any hatred, any dislike. Just for sake of defending only as a soldier, we do that one. So there is nothing else. Like that you adopt the whole day’s life, then you can go towards Divinity, towards the Self-Realization. This is important. Looking after the mind is what is the important teaching through these points.

Question: Thank you, Babaji. The next question.

“When one proceeds for Self-Realization, one has to give up the attachments mentally. Simply by giving up physical attachments will not be enough.” Babaji, can you please elaborate further on what is the difference between mental attachments and physical attachments? How do we train our mind and body to give up these attachments?

Babaji: I would like to remind all of you that Swamiji said, “You don’t have to run to forests and caves to meditate because you are carrying your mind also there. That same mind can be troublesome for you. You won’t allow you to meditate. Be in your home. You can be. Once you have adopted a way of life.  Before adopting a way of life, you have a right of choice, which way you want to adopt. You can be a householder. You can do a business. You can take up a job, or you can become a monk, you can go to a monastery, ashram. You can live independently on your own in whichever way possible. But once you have adopted, fulfilling that responsibility is important. With that one, you can take out time. You don’t work all the twenty-four hours for your livelihood. It’s not possible. You need to sustain your physical body. You need to take out time for a cup of tea, for a meal, for a dinner, for a lunch, for your breakfast; like that you take out.  Wherever you are, in the midst of cricket field, in the midst of football field, tennis match, any sports, in the midst of any business. Some people are so mad of earning, earning, earning money after money. They are never satisfied. They don’t take out peacefully to eat also. They will be talking on a phone and eating. They are foolish people. It’s up to them. But everybody need not be like that. You have to take out time. When eating, you need to eat peacefully so that you take out some time to eat. What is the point of earning when you don’t even have time to eat your meal properly? So like that, you have to think. In the same way, in those twenty-four hours, one hour must not be difficult at all to take out every day. That’s what Swamiji emphasized, insisted. “If you cannot take out one hour in the twenty-four hours, you are an idiot”, He used to tell. It’s His words, not mine, please. I don’t call anybody idiot. Swamiji used to affectionately scold all of us like that one. It was such a wonderful love and grace that came from Swamiji. “If you cannot take out this one hour also, what to say. That is what is important”, He used to tell.

If we take out this much and practice meditation, then throughout the day we practice accepting the results as they come. We don’t have to give up our efforts. Keep on putting in effort. “Today, the meditation did not come properly. No problem.” Have an attitude of “No problem.” Be at peace. Tomorrow again you sit, no problem. Be at peace. Then you will see your meditation is happening. The moment you decide “No problem, no issue, no agitation”, keep quiet mentally, you are happy, so then that’s meditation. That’s where we fail to understand. During meditation also we are agitated. We keep thinking, “Why this happened? Why that happened? Why somebody attacked? Why somebody did this?” It happened. It’s a bad dream, that’s all. It’s over. You don’t have to bother about it once it has happened. It has happened. Let us not bother mentally, but let us take care of the situation. Like that, if you go, it will be helpful for you and you can definitely do it. This is what is the sacrifice mentally that is needed always that we have been discussing all these things. Simply physically by sacrificing we will not achieve until we don’t mentally sacrifice. If one wants to go to solitude before adopting any way of life,  that is their choice. If their temperament is suitable. Like for example, many people might have adopted as a householder, married and they meditate. They all meditate. So for me, it was suitable that I knew that I cannot marry and live a householder’s life. So I wanted to come to monastery, ashram of my Guru and serve there. I did the same things, all the same things; bringing groceries, bringing vegetables, going in the city bus, standing in the queue, everything. Once or twice some people used to ask me whoever found me in the bus in a bramachari dress, “Don’t you think that you have come out of the home and you are doing the same thing?” I used to tell, “I did not come to the ashram to escape work or responsibilities. Simply I loved this way of life. I wanted to be at the lotus feet of my Guru and obey His orders. So that’s why. I don’t mind bringing groceries or working in the garden, working in the kitchen, dusting or mopping anything. There is no problem. We will meditate whenever possible.” But throughout twenty years or more than that, now also we keep working. Now also I keep working. Mornings, I work office work, for three, four, five hours I keep working. I attend emails. I take care of the WhatsApp messages, every two hours I try to see if anybody has an important message, they need some blessing, they need some counselling, they need my prayers. We give time to everybody. We are working, we are working. But mentally, at ease and at peace, quietness.

Question: Thank you Babaji. The next question.

 “It is not possible to understand Krishna. He was one of the greatest assets of the creation.” Babaji, Lord Krishna gave mankind the Bhagavad Gita. Is it correct to assume that the Bhagavad Gita is the simpler teaching and understanding of the ancient knowledge and Vedas? Were the teachings simplified in Bhagavad Gita simply because the world was entering the final phase, Kaliyuga, where many humans have completely forgotten the Truth?

Babaji: Ah, in this question, we need to use ‘humankind’ instead of ‘mankind’ because the culture is changing. About four, five decades ago, they used ‘mankind’. This time also somebody raised this topic while I was teaching in America. “Now, why not ‘womankind’, why only ‘mankind’?”, they object. So, nowadays, we have started using ‘humankind’ instead of just ‘mankind’. Though it was synonymous for all humans, whether it was male or female, this was the world used, ‘mankind’, but some people do object now. So, that is one thing out of this question’s thing. Other than this, the question, you see, “difficult to understand Krishna” means, if we try to understand… Swamiji used to talk very beautifully, He used to tell, “Shri Krishna worked so much. Many people do not understand.” They remember His playfulness in the gokulam and that He was very cunning, He was a politician. See, when a person gives back the cunningness to the other, they are called as a politician. Shri Krishna was not a politician. He was the wisest person. One of the most wisest in the creation that we can tell.  It is to be used in a positive terminology. He was highly intelligent. He was a genius. And He was a great Self-Realized Master. He could teach that truth of Vedanta in a simpler way. In Bhagavad Gita, that is why Bhagavad Gita is considered the highest Upanishad. Because He has given all paths suitable to everybody; you can take up any path that is suitable to you. Bhakti Marga, Gyana Marga,  Dhyana Marga, like this, so many methods have been explained. But in all parts, mental application is important. Karma Yoga you have to understand mentally you have to accept the results, then only the mind becomes peaceful. That’s what is “Tyagath Shantira Nantaram”. “Only when you sacrifice, then you will have the peace”. What is it that you have to sacrifice? You don’t have to sacrifice your money, your home, your job, nothing. Your way of life, nothing. Simply, mentally you have to sacrifice. That is what you need to understand.

Many people don’t understand even Bhagavad Gita also. They misunderstand. But Shri Krishna has taught, given choice. Through every path: you don’t have to tell only the Dhyana will take you to Self-Realization, sitting and closing the eyes. If you can keep your mind quiet, it is in the awareness of the Self. It can take you to the Self. You settle down to yourself. So that’s what is very important, understanding that is needed to understand Shri Krishna. That’s what Shri Krishna taught through Bhagavad Gita. That’s why Bhagavad Gita is the highest Upanishad. It gives a choice to people in every way. He doesn’t teach in one doctrine. That’s why our Swamiji also taught like Bhagavad Gita, in fact. He never emphasized “Only sitting and closing the eyes and Dhyana is the one way.” Though He said, “Meditate and know yourself”, it’s a different message He gave. But whenever He used to talk to people, He used to ask, “Are you doing sadhana?” Like one time I have told before also, when I was interpreting Swamiji, so then I asked the person when Swamiji wanted me to, “Are you meditating?” Then Swamiji immediately pulled me and corrected me. “Don’t tell ‘Are you meditating?’, tell ‘Are you doing Sadhana?’” Sadhana is a common word. Are you putting in efforts to achieve? That is the real meaning of Sadhana. So He used to tell, “One might be interested in Bhakti Marga. One might be interested in Dhyana Marga.” But one more thing Swamiji also used to tell, “Dhyana is important in every path.” In Bhakti Marga, your Dhyana means your attention should be on the deity that you worship all the time. In Karma Yoga also, your attention shall be on the Self all the time. You might be working physically. So at all times, that awareness of the Self, that meditation is necessary. So for that you practice. That’s why He said “You can adopt any way of life. You practice one hour this meditation also and then try.” He used to tell, “If you have been initiated from any other Guru also, there is no conflict. Don’t worry. You practice that sadhana also. In addition, you try to do this. If this appeals to you, then you will pick up automatically.” Like that, He was a unique master. He was also like teaching the Bhagavad Gita Swamiji’s way.

Question: Thank you, Babaji. The last question under this topic.
 “What is the use of doing meditation for forty years if you want to usurp the land from the Ashram? The ego is still there.” Babaji meditation is the best practice to quieten the mind. Why is the ego still present even if one has been meditating for years or decades? Does this mean our technique or purpose is incorrect? Is it correct to assume that one can use meditation for negative or selfish purposes like when Ravan completed tapas, he asked to be invincible? How should we avoid this Babaji?

Babaji: See, that’s what Swamiji always told, “Even if God comes in front of you and offers you anything that He can give, anything that you want, do not ask for anything, ask only for God.” That we should not forget – that is the highest. See in this world, hundreds and millions of things can be beautiful, can be lovely, can be entertaining, can be enjoyable, can give us happiness, so many things. But remember, the source of all this, how beautiful that itself can be. Why don’t we ask for that ultimate truth? So that’s what we have to aim. Purpose is important when we sit for meditation. Like Swamiji sat very innocently. When the divine came as Jangama Sage and initiated Him, asked Him to watch in between eyebrows, keeping the eyes closed, Swamiji used to tell, “I just went on watching” and He didn’t think of anything else, didn’t bother when He watched.  That was the determination He had, courage He had, understanding He used to have. “I have been asked to watch, let me watch.” That’s how He achieved Self-Realization in twelve years, amazingly. So that is what right application of the technique is very important when you meditate, when you are spiritual, when you are in the Bhakti Marga; when you are in any of the Marga it’s no problem, but adopting the right technology, then the transformation comes. That means after so many years of practice if a transformation has not come, if you are unable to see the justice, if you do wrong things, that means you never meditated properly at all. So this is what happens. So for many people this happened. That’s what Swamiji always told. You have to adopt the right technique when asked him, “How for some people many years also doesn’t bring any transformation?”, He said, “The right adoption of the technique”. If you keep the rice at a height of sixty feet and keep the flame sixty feet below, how will the rice cook? It won’t get cooked properly. That’s what is the Birbal’s kichadi story we always use to hear. So that’s what – it won’t get cooked properly. The flame needs to be closer, then it will cook the rice. So if you don’t adopt the meditation technique properly, we will be dealing with the same world, “Oh, this is good, this is bad, oh, that person is wrong, this person tells lies, this is happening, why did this happen to me? How dare he commented on me? How dare he blame me?” Like this only we are thinking for one hour, what’s the use of that one hour? It simply goes by. Others will be thinking, “Oh, he is seriously meditating”, and you are not actually meditating – you are thinking. The whole day passes by; mind getting agitated, trying to analyze, trying to find fault with others, “Oh, they are telling lies, they are doing this thing”, but we forget that we also tell lies. That’s why Swamiji said, “Always try to look for your mistakes. The one who can recognize their own faults, they become great people. Those who cannot recognize their faults, they cannot become great people, they will be selfish”. So this is what Swamiji tried to teach always. It is important to adopt the right technique. When we ask you just watching between eyebrows it means just watch, that is all important.

 Same questioner: Thank you Babaji. That’s the questions that I have today for the topic ‘Renunciation’.

There is a question from one of the participants Babaji, can we take a question?

Question: Babaji, I have a question – I see in people there is immense suffering, even on the spiritual path, material where everyone is suffering very immensely, mentally, physically, in many ways. So, everything comes from God Babaji. And even like it is said, out of millions who walk on the path of spirituality, very rarely someone has attained God-Realization, Self-Realization. So Babaji, God has written such things like enlightenment in the destiny of few and so much suffering, immense, infinite suffering in the majority of these beings, or is it that God’s plan has gone wrong? Babaji, what is your view?

Babaji: It is important to understand, God is not one person who has written that ‘only let few people get enlightened and not everybody’. It is the human beings who do not want to put in an effort. In spite of so many masters came to this world and always have advised human beings to put an effort to practice meditation, to practice spirituality, to practice love and honor. That is the very idea of teaching a religion also. We have misunderstood the religion. Means you take care of your physical body and you take care of your mind and you take care of the moral values, then you are a religious person. These things need to be understood and proper exercise need to be taken care and mind needs to be purified. Everybody needs to hold themselves as responsible, not try to find a scapegoat as a God or somebody else. God has given everything. He has simply given you every resource. He has given you every moment. He has given you every idea. It is you who need to put an effort and achieve the truth to yourself. Pray and draw inspiration from the Divinity. For Grace, you pray, but you should not simply sit and pray that everything should happen like mechanically or miraculously. This is what. So people of this world have forgotten spirituality in the right sense. They want easily like an instant coffee. They don’t want to put an effort and they don’t adopt the right technique also. That is the reason they are mentally suffering.

Question: Okay, Babaji, just one small thing Babaji, isn’t it sincerity if the master is giving sermon? See if somebody is acting positively on that advice and somebody is acting negatively on that advice, do both these things come from the will of God? Because everything is coming from Him only, you know, that inspiration.

Babaji: God has not willed. You have willed that you will undergo this. Please understand this. When you meditate, one day you will know the truth. You have to take responsibility for yourself. Like Sun, whichever object comes in front of the Sun, that gets light. Sun has no such discrimination or no such wishes that its light should go only to few people and not to others, only to this country and not to the other country. There is no such wishes. God also, He is in Mahasamadhi. He is there. The world is happening due to God but not according to God’s wishes. These things need to understand. He has no wishes that let my blessings go only to Rohit and not to another person. There is no such thing. We have to have faith and devotion. That is why faith and devotion in the Guru, in the Divinity, is always recommended. Every teacher teaches this faith. Swamiji also taught “Have faith, faith in the name of Guru can work wonders. Even the Guru will have to bless you. If you do tapas, God will have to bless you.” This is what happens. You have read in Puranas also, then when they did tapas, God had to come. But they did tapas with a different idea. Purpose is important. You earn money. It’s not a wrong thing. It’s not a sin. But if you earn money to drink alcohol, that is a wrong idea. Purpose is wrong. That’s why you cannot blame God. We must hold responsible to ourselves, we have to work. Like a Guru has come in front of you in your life – is it not a God’s Grace? You have to utilize that, have faith. Believe that one, trust God. God is sending opportunity. Everything is that one. There is impermanence in this world. We need to understand. Challenge is there. We have to live our life. And in addition, we have to learn the spirituality, try to understand spirituality in its right sense. Grace is needed. But the Grace comes only when you put in efforts. Always we should not sit in a corner, “The Grace has to come, that’s why I’m not realized.” Instead you think, “I’m not putting efforts properly. That is why Self-Realization is not coming. Where am I wrong?” Try to think about this. “Is my faith not complete? Is my trust in my Guru or God not complete? Something is wrong in me, that’s why things are not happening.” This is what every person has to think. Your question was very sensible. Thanks for giving me an opportunity to enlighten everyone there about these things.

Questioner: Thank you, Babaji for the satsang today. It was very enlightening.

Babaji:

So I will just go into everybody and greet them. And before I disappear, I come to gallery. It’s very nice. Thank you for giving me an opportunity to give my opinions. What my Guru taught me, what I experienced in tapas. Please once again know that none of our teachings are directed against any individual or group of individuals. Only for educational purpose, anything that comes out comes out spontaneously from the source of my Master’s Blessings and Grace. May you all be blessed by Shiva Balayogi. Practice, understand the technique. May you all be blessed for Self-Realization.