Recorded on 9 August 2025 with worldwide participants

0:00 Intro
0:06 The mind is continually jumping from one thought to another – how has it become like this?
5:25 “The desire for experience arises as a thought in consciousness and by the repetition of this thought it gains strength.”
7:57 When we think it is a problem it becomes a problem.
8:35 If we can silence the mind whenever we wish to, then we can be free of any problems in the mind.
13:25 The watching process of meditation.
27:17 Atman and Anatman
32:14 Silence is the source from which everything arises – mind, world and ego are all one, when we wake up all three arise and when we sleep all three dissolve?
36:34 In daily life is it possible to have a silent mind?
40:28 Take a decision for the sake of taking a decision, then work. Once you have worked, then keep quiet. What has to happen will happen, that is all.
44:19 Should peace be dearer to you than things of the world.
47:15 Is the mind dual or multidimensional – it watches, thinks, analyses and creates.
48:24 We have to use the mind against the mind?
50:51 How to know what is a right or wrong decision.
53:11 What is the technology in watching where slowly the observer and the object starts splitting?
55:20 In the world where the brain is functioning, can we apply this ‘watching’?
56:20 To Babaji, what is more important, the love for Swamiji or the silence of the mind?
57:07 What do I do to silence the negative wave of thoughts when waking up in the morning?
58:40 The scriptures say the mind is active in all the three states, waking state, dream state and deep sleep – is the mind when there are thoughts and is the ego there because of the thoughts?
1:02:29 What is the relationship between the brain and the mind when the brain is not functioning – what happens to the Self?
1:03:26 Does Jangama Dhyana restrain the life force or just silence the mind?

Silencing the Mind | In Quest of Truth – Q&A with Babaji, No. 241

Recorded on 9 August 2025 with worldwide participants

Question:  Babaji, for most of us our mind is continuously jumping from one thought to another. And Babaji, you’ve mentioned before that not even for a fraction of a second does it seem to stop, continually one thought after another. Can Babaji explain how the mind has become like this?

Shri Babaji:  This is a habit that has been acquired since time immemorial. We have left it unattended, not taking care. Anything when we start, we need to have a stop button also. Otherwise it can go out of our control and give us either stress or can even be disastrous or dangerous, anything. Just like a car, a vehicle you are driving, you switch it on, you drive, you accelerate and drive, but you need to have a brake also. Switch off and bring it to a halt also must happen. Like the old saying is there, in an aircraft, before taking off you have a choice. But once you take off, you have no choice, you have to land also, that type.

So that’s what has happened long time negligence, I would say. You have not bothered to take control of the mind or notice that it’s continuously jumping and jumping. So that’s why it has happened. Well, conclusively do not know when it started, how and why. Perhaps the presence of energy in the consciousness has made it to spin and go into imagination and become creative. A creativeness is always considered a good quality, a sattvic quality, because that is helpful to imagine, to be creative and achieve things or create things, run the world, like that. But if that goes out of control it is not good. And here, particularly in case of the mind, we need to understand; when we are creative means, when we are imagining in the mind, whatever the mind is thinking, that it is imagining – this we have to understand.

When it imagines, thoughts arise, when it imagines, thoughts arise. So when it has become habitual and it’s going so fast, we don’t even notice that this process is happening. We imagine, thought arises, we imagine, thought arises. That’s how thought after thought, thought after thought keep arising – continuously we go on imagining story after story, character after character, incident after incident, things after things, like that; we have become habitual and now we don’t know how to stop. The problem arises when we feel the stress. If it gives unhappiness, if these thoughts could have stayed only in the happiness, then a problem wouldn’t have arisen and we wouldn’t have bothered at all. But always it is not possible. This consciousness’s thoughts, mind is made up of dualities. If it thinks good, it will definitely think bad also. So, if it is giving stress, it will give happiness.

So that is how this mind has gone out of control since time immemorial. This is the thing. In spirituality, a master teaches, as soon as possible get rid of these thoughts which have been stored in the subconscious state, which we call it as the acquired habits of the mind. And this is what is causing you unhappiness, tension, fear, stress, everything. Any engagement with any other thing temporarily only can work like a tranquilizer, a temporary effect. You might be able to divert the attention, but you will not be able to completely overcome this chronic illness of the mind. Unless you meditate and achieve total silence, bring it to a close of all thoughts and visions. That doesn’t mean that you will lose any ability to imagine, or you will lose the mind. Mind is eternal, it’s going to be there, that we can understand later when we go on discussing these things.

Same Questioner:   Thank you, Babaji. Baba, on this topic of the thoughts arising in the mind, in the Yoga Vasishtha I read a passage – I could share actually the slide with the sentence from the Yoga Vasishtha. If Babaji could comment on “The desire for experience arises as a thought in consciousness; and by the repetition of this thought it gains strength.” Could Babaji comment on that passage?

Shri Babaji:   Yeah. First, I have told, when you think, a thought appears. Watching the thought, mind forgets that this thought is there because simply I have imagined. It has no other stay. But first instant itself, we get involved with that thought considering that thought to be a truth. Thus we get obsessed with that thought. So many times we might repeat unknown to us. The more that we repeat, then that thought gains strength, means it becomes more and more appearing as a reality to us. Many times I have told, say if you become obsessed with a particular thought and then go on thinking about it, whether it is a problem, whether it is pain giving, you start thinking “We have a problem, this is a problem, this is a problem”, then the problem starts getting magnified. More solid it becomes. The more that we think, we start thinking it to be a more real, then we will refuse to believe that it was only our own imagination. Instead we tell “No, a problem is there. That is why it is coming to the mind.” It has taken a U-turn, you see? We don’t think that a problem is there because I have imagined, that is all; instead we tell the problem is there, that is why it is coming to the mind. We forget that we are imagining. So that is what this paragraph of Yoga Vasishtha tells. The more you think about it, it gains more strength in its stress remaining in the mind.

Same Questioner:   Thank you, Babaji. Yes Babaji’s spoken before about when we think about a problem, it becomes a problem, like Babaji just mentioned.

Shri Babaji:    Yes, exactly.

Same Questioner:   It becomes a problem because it’s in our mind.

Shri Babaji:  Yeah, so we go on thinking, “Yes, it is a problem, it is a problem”, then it becomes more and more solid and it gains strength and it starts threatening us. It grows beyond like a huge tree, magnifies. And then we feel ourselves so threatened and so belittled in front of that problem. That is simply like a ghost we have imagined, that’s all.

Same Questioner:   Thank you, Babaji. So if we can silence the mind, whenever we want to, we wish to silence it, then we simply can be free of any mental problems, any agitations in the mind instantly?

Shri Babaji:   Exactly. One important point here I would like to say. If you have noticed, you gain a peace or a best happiness when you are totally unconscious of this world or unconscious of any thoughts arising, nothing arises. When no thoughts arise. Like in a deep sleep; the deep sleep happens because if the brain goes into such strong sleep, very minimum might be active for it to keep alive, but no thoughts are coming. That’s when no dream also is not there. It’s a sound sleep what we call it. So then you as the mind have nothing to catch, because mind simply catches whatever the brain reflects. When there is nothing, it becomes quiet, then mind also temporarily stops thinking. But one thing, it has not given up its habit to think consistently. That is the problem. Otherwise, everybody sleeping could have become a yogi, could have become merged with the Self. That doesn’t happen. Temporarily happiness happens because temporarily mind is unable to think anything without the help of the brain, and it appears to be unconscious for anything. It doesn’t know anything. Thus it is happy. When it comes out also, it starts thinking, “Oh, I wish I could have slept more.” If you are given a choice to sleep, when you are feeling so sleepy, even a million dollars will not be that tasteful for you. You’d like to sleep, go on sleeping for some more time, “Maybe a couple of hours more we can sleep if there is no office work.”

So that’s what we start thinking. That is why. That is how, in meditation, the basic teaching that we try to tell is to achieve silence of the mind. When you achieve silence of the mind, you gain control over your mind. Means after that, when you want to think you can think, when you don’t need to think, if you have no work, you need to relax and sit down, at that time you don’t have to think anything. Just relax. That will become possible when you practice this meditation that we teach. That you practice in such a way that you try to keep quiet. That’s what the watching in between eyebrows means. In other words, simply I can tell, just practice to remain quiet. But that will sound very funny. People won’t understand. If I just tell instead of this watching, concentrate your mind and sight in between eyebrows, and practice to remain quiet like that, then also it can be confusing. “When I am watching in between eyebrows, how can I be keeping quiet?” Then thoughts are coming again.

That’s why we use the word ‘watch’. That’s why the technique since very, very ancient times of rigvedic era that was evolved and practiced, which Lord Shiva gave to our master Shiva Balayogi; He gave this technique. ‘Just watch’ means, unknown to you, watching means you are practicing to keep quiet, not getting involved with the thought, not trying to create any further thoughts, just watching. Then you gain the peace also and you become the master of your mind. You gain control. That’s what Swamiji used to tell. Mind control, meditation for mind control, mind control, means this is what it is. You control your mind. No other power has to control. It is not like that. Some people misunderstand, “Will some ghost, somebody else or the Guru control our minds?” No, we don’t talk about such hypnotizing effects. It has nothing to do with spirituality. Spirituality is that a Guru teaches you to practice having control over your mind’s imaginations. When you don’t need, you don’t have to imagine. When you need, you become creative and live in the world, work out.

Same Questioner:   Thank you, Babaji. Could Baba talk a bit more about how watching gives the ability to stay in silence. Babaji said at the beginning when giving the instructions, “Don’t engage with thoughts.” So, watching is actually ignoring thoughts?

Shri Babaji:   Yeah, as I told in the beginning, one thing, since time immemorial, this mind has picked up thinking like that, being creative. Thought after thought that’s why they are coming and coming because the mind is imagining. And it has become habitual to imagine now, that’s what we call. If a person eats once in a day, twice a day, thrice a day to sustain his physical body, everybody will understand. But all the 24 hours he’s eating only, eating only and he doesn’t know anything else, then we call it, “Look at this man. He is so habitual to eating. He keeps eating and doesn’t stop at all.” That is how now, look at him. He keeps thinking all that time. He has become so habitual to thinking. He doesn’t keep quiet even for a moment. He has become a chatterbox. He keeps talking. He has become so habitual, talking, talking, talking. Doesn’t keep quiet even for a moment. Anywhere, anybody comes, goes or nobody, even if he’s alone or nobody, he keeps talking, in the same way he keeps thinking.

So now the watching. Mind has two aspects, both aspects in fact. One is watching, one is thinking. It has the ability to think and be creative. It has the ability to watch. Watch means, like when I’m talking, if my picture is in front of you, through your eyes, applying your mind also; it is your mind which is watching me through your eyes. Eyes are watching, but eyes are watching because behind the eyes you are there as the mind. That mind also is on me. Thus you are watching, so then you are able to understand what I am trying to convey. So that means mind has this ability. It is able to watch. Means it is able to concentratedly pay attention. That’s the meaning. Is able to concentrate and pay attention. That’s what watching is. So here, the same technique is used. Otherwise, when you close the eyes, because of its habit, a thought appears. You cannot make out whether the thought appeared from the brain or you are thinking, that’s why a thought appeared. You will be confused.

But mind also has a tendency. When one thought appears – in whatever way, when you imagine a thought appeared; watching that thought, your mind has a tendency to analyze that thought also. “This is good, this is bad, why this, why not something else?” Like that it gets involved with that thought, thus creating another thought. That is how thought after thought, thought after thought, then it goes into one, two, hundred, thousand, millions and billions and millions and millions and it goes on. No ending. It appears it’s impossible to stop this mind, it has no ending, the mind keeps going. Nobody, hardly people would bother how to stop this mind. They don’t know what is it that is not stopping. It is they who are not stopping. They think that my mind is not stopping. But the mind is you only. Mind is that Self only. Means you have become habitually to keep thinking, that’s why thought after thought, thought after thought is appearing within you. You are imagining and thinking. You get to see something and you imagine about that. Like you get to see something of this world. Then you imagine about that one. So like that it continues. It never becomes quiet. This gives rise to unhappiness, stress, fear. If there is a fear, it magnifies a fear. And it magnifies a problem by sheer imagination.

That is how it is unable to be silent. And here, when we tell “Watch”, means if you steadily just watch and don’t think about any thought that might appear. Let us not bother from where it is appearing. It appears because it is all there as a habit within the mind only. That’s what generally we call it as in the subconscious state it is there, as a habit is there. Usually every habit in the mind is in the subconscious state. A person may not notice, he says “No, I am not like that”, he might argue. But he has picked up that habit and he is there. When he behaves, then he gives up his secret; he behaves according to his habit. When we watch him behaving, then we tell, “See, you have behaved again.” But he says “No, no, I don’t think like this. I don’t know why I behaved.” Many people say this also, “I don’t know why I behaved”. You behaved because you have maintained this habit. You don’t want to give up. And that’s why you have behaved, thus you have lost control over yourself.

So that’s why we tell, now when thoughts appear in meditation, instead of getting involved with the thought or don’t get engaged with the thoughts, means don’t try to analyze them good or bad, right or wrong. Don’t bother. It is garbage being thrown out. It is just going away. If you just allow it to happen, it will disappear. It will evaporate. And it will dissolve into the mind. And then you will see that it was not there at all, as if never anything had happened. So that is how the mind can become quiet if you understand this technique of watching. That’s what is the watching technique.  We tell “Watch”, means don’t think – that is the order. If anybody wants to consider when we instruct just watch in between eyebrows, they should consider “This is the master wants us just to watch, order, it’s an order that’s said”, so then they do it. Then they will see that all thoughts are disappearing because they have stopped thinking.

When they are watching, the thoughts all vanish because they have stopped thinking. If they do not stop thinking, then the thoughts and visions will continue. They get engaged with the visions, they get engaged with thoughts considering them to be a valuable experience. It has no value when you go for Self-Realization because you have to go beyond sound and sight and everything, time and space, everything, go beyond. That’s where the Ultimate Truth, the Parabrahman is there. For that if you are interested, in that Self-Realization, that which can give you liberation totally from birth and death, from all calamities, from all unhappiness, tension, fear, everything, can help you to know yourself as that Immortal Soul, can give you the awareness of what you are really, then you have to stop thinking, stop all the thoughts. This is the Ultimate, this is the wonderest of the wonders when you achieve this, when you understand this, when you are able to visualize, “Yes this is what I have to do. I have to just watch, I have to become quiet.” You have to become quiet, otherwise you get agitated – so much of habits are there in the mind.

And everybody considers those habits as so important and vital; they don’t want to give up. Somebody tells me something, “Oh, I have to react.” Mentally they keep reacting. Sometimes they are unable to react outside, but in the mind they are agitated. They keep reacting in the mind itself. They keep kicking the other person if they are unable to kick from outside. So thus they are mentally active still. And their mind is the casualty. I try to tell them, by thinking like that you are making yourself a casualty. You are losing your peace. You are tense because you continue that imagining that that person told you something and you are imagining what you are supposed to do. And your actions also you imagine, thus you will see your own action in your mind, in your imagination as a visual effect. All these things are troubling. It’s not allowing you to remain peaceful. It is not allowing you to sit quietly on the sofa and enjoy the peace. It will be thinking.

So, this is the secret of watching and all the effects of the mind, how the mind can become casualty when you take things seriously if somebody tells. If it’s possible then and there itself you tell something and then forget about it. Don’t carry it in your mind. Then also you can have peace. You tell something, also you will be carrying. “Did I do the right thing or shouldn’t I have told anything?” “Why did I allow that person to tell me like that, why is that?” Now when somebody talks nonsense about us, it gets erased in our mind and I cannot keep it anything. It’s finished. It’s over. It’s done. Time to forget about these things. It’s all gone. But that person has gone, that’s gone, he’s gone, that’s it. Why should I keep carrying in my mind that “He’s gone, he’s gone, he’s gone”? No need, it’s over.

So, like that you practice long-term meditation regularly. One day when you’re able to do tapas, this is what you can achieve. That’s how at peace all the time you enjoy that Supreme Peace. And in addition to this peace, you are aware of yourself as that infinite soul. That amazing… So that’s what I keep talking. In your mind, in the midst of millions of thoughts — listen all of you — in your mind, in the midst of millions of thoughts, there is one thing that is the consciousness of your own existence. That is not a thought. That is a reality. The rest, all millions and millions are all only imagined thoughts, which has no existence value at all. But this Consciousness of Existence, you cannot remove it. You keep quiet, you achieve the best of silence, you are there. You are there and you are the one who has become silent. That cannot disappear. See the amazing thing. Now you appear to be nothing, but you are there. That’s how in Yoga Vasishtha, Vasishtha tells, “It is there and it is not there.” Now when you have achieved silence, you appear to be nothing, but you are there. You are aware that you are peaceful.

That is how gradually, you cross the barrier of time and space and enter the other dimension to go to the Truth. But first thing you need to understand, you just need to watch if possible in between eyebrows or just in the front when you close the eyes, even if you are unable to find the central location of in between eyebrows, don’t struggle too much. Just watch the front portion when you close the eyes. Just be gentle. Cool down. Cool down. Relax. Let the thoughts come down first and the eyeballs will come on its own to one direction. That is afterwards, the first thing important is you to cool down. Then see you are there and you are peaceful. But you are invisible to yourself. [Babaji laughs] You are invisible to yourself. But you are there.

Same Questioner:   Thank you, Babaji. It’s hard to rationally think about, but as Babaji says, that experience is important, to experience the mind calming down itself. Could Babaji talk a little bit about the “You exist and you don’t exist”, or “It is there and it’s not there”? The Atman and Anatman; Atman as the Self, and Buddha talked about Anatman, the absence of Self. Could Babaji explain the difference?

Shri Babaji:   Yes, exactly. Both are equally right. What Buddha said also equally right. That’s what Vasishtha also telling, “It is there and it is not there. It appears to be there and it doesn’t appear to be there.” Both are imaginations. Atman also imagination, Anatman also imagination. It is there, also imagination. It is not there, also imagination. You go beyond that. You simply become silent. That’s it. That’s how all the Self-Realized masters became quiet. Buddha also became quiet. Anatman; you can call it Anatman. Just like the same Atman and Anatman, I tell in a simple way, “You can call this room is filled with space or this room is void with space.” So thus you call it Atman or you call it Anatman, there is no need to argue. Or you stop calling anything. Finished. Silent. So that is what is needed.

Then you experience. People keep asking, “How do we know that we are progressing in meditation?” And they consider any thought or any vision, any sound when it comes, that to be the real experience. That is not the real experience. That is only the beginning, like the kindergarten things. To give you some encouragement. To give you some excitement, “Ah, this sound is coming.” Okay, sound is coming. Concentrate on that sound, the master says. No problem. Let the sound come. But you remain focused on the sound. Don’t start thinking about that sound. Any vision is coming. Okay, no problem. Let the vision come. You just keep watching the vision, but don’t get involved with the vision. That’s what the master teaches. Then you will see that vision also disappears. And you are there. This ‘you are there’ is the real experience. When you get this, you are there. Then you have got the real experience in meditation. That means you have progressed. Not till then. Till then you are simply playing with imaginations of sound and sight and visions and thoughts. And you are playing the same game. Just a game. Dream after dream. One dream you are getting up and you are dreaming again. From that dream you are getting up and you are dreaming again. You get up from that dream, you are dreaming again. So thus once you simply get out, all dreams stop.

So that’s what is the real experience; you are there and you are not there. When you gain this, when you totally become quiet, silenced, this is what you are experiencing. That is why silencing the mind is essential for a spiritual seeker if he is going for Self-Realization. Beyond the form and formlessness. Many people may argue their own way, but this is the truth. One who wants to go there, you have to go beyond the existence and non-existence. That is the experience. You will see that you are there, but you are not visible to yourself or anybody because you are alone. There is no relative existence there to see. If there is anything else other than you there, then you have to see that. When there is nothing else other than you, there is nothing that you have to see.

Same Questioner:   Thank you, Babaji. It’s amazing. As soon as we start thinking we are away from that oneness…

Shri Babaji:   The moment you think, you come away. You stop thinking, you go to your Self.

Same Questioner:   Thank you, Babaji. On this topic, a question was sent in. I wanted to share this, because it’s quite a long question, Babaji, but it is on this topic. So if I could share and I will read out the question. So, “My understanding of silence is that it is not limited to a state nor is it the absence of sound or activity of the mind, but the source from which all sound vibration and activity arises and subsides. Always present, the eternal subject, the witness of the stillness and the activity of the mind. The mind is always silent in deep sleep and samadhi, and when it is not in conflict and at peace in the waking world… just like at the bottom of the ocean has a steady flow of current, but at its surface the ocean appears as waves… the mind and all of existence appears out of silence and dissolves as silence. The mind, world and ego are all one. When we wake up, all three arise and when we sleep, all three dissolve. In this context, what does it mean to silence the mind?” Could Baba comment?

Shri Babaji:   When you wake up also, you will need to have this – not simply when you sleep all the three dissolve, when you wake up all the three comes. But when you silence the mind through the practice of meditation and eventual tapas, when you are awake also, in your language, all the three are silent. The ‘I’ also is not there and the mind also is not there. Total silence is there, simply quietness. And that imagination is not there at all, the quietness also disappears. That’s what the yogi experiences after coming out of samadhi. I have told, like when I am talking through this body or somebody else is talking to me, in my consciousness total silence is there. Neither that ego of ‘I-ness’ is also there. That is why I tell, when a question is asked, it is not me who imagines or who has to prepare for an answer; simply spontaneously that comes. And I don’t consider it an answer coming from me or a question that was put to me. No such things are there. No such imaginations occur to me at all. Simply I hear the question and the answer spontaneously comes.

So that’s what silencing the mind means; you achieve mastery. You think only when you want. If you don’t want, at all stages when you are awake also, you are quiet. That is the silencing of the mind. Not that simply when you go to sleep, because when you go to sleep, actually the mind is not totally silent. It is holding its habits. But unable to experience its own thoughts, because in the absence of the brain’s awakening; the brain is sleeping, it is actually brain is sleeping. Thus, mind also becomes unconscious of its habits or anything other than its habits, anything it becomes. So then one starts thinking everything has become quiet. But actually, things have not become quiet. The moment the body wakes up, everything comes into action. That means a total silence has not happened. Mind has not given up its habits. Temporarily it has become quiet. But the moment that state is given up, you awake from the sleep, then it picks up its habitual [nature], it cannot keep quiet. But when you get up also, it should keep quiet. It is no more habitual to keep thinking all the time. It is in its nature of quietness. That is the Supreme. That’s what is the Ultimate Truth.

Question:   Thank you, Babaji. Babaji, in daily life, can we have a silent mind mostly, but whenever we need to think we think? So we can be going about our daily activities all the time quiet? Babaji just made a statement about a yogi would be completely silent at all times, even in activity. Does Babaji mean predominantly there is no analysation or judgment, only just that time when it is necessary, and then it goes back? Is that how it would work Babaji?

Shri Babaji:   Yeah, you see, what we saw, it takes a bit long time to totally quieten the mind and settle into the Self. That is the sadhana of meditation and tapas we call. It takes time to totally achieve that one. Then once you have achieved, when you come out of samadhi, instantly you won’t be that skilled to deal with the worldly things. It could be dazed for you for a while. Slowly and slowly you pick up. When you pick up, you try to do it only to the minimum required but don’t get further involved. You are not going to create anything for yourself. Anything that comes, this body has to do, mechanically it does. You are here as Zen and you have prepared a question, the answer comes. Otherwise I can keep sitting for another one hour. If you just want to watch me sitting, one hour you meditate from five to six o ‘clock India time. Another one hour six to seven you just want to watch me, I can also keep sitting quietly. But if you want to hear me, you ask a question and answer comes.

So these things I can see mechanically happening but the mind doesn’t come into activation. It doesn’t go into recognizing anything, analyzing anything or making any judgment. Thus it has lost the doership also. It doesn’t make any judgment. There is no such thinking or analyzing that that ‘I’ is there, that ‘I’ has done some great job, this thing doesn’t occur at all. Even if you are the emperor of the world, it doesn’t occur to you that you are the emperor of the world. I would like to say here, it may sound funny; for the divine, it would never occur to the divine that it is divine. Just simply in the Mahasamadhi, that’s it. This may sound funny. In this world, for anybody to be active, an ego of recognition is necessary. A person has to think, “Ah, I am the chairman now, everybody has to call me a chairman and listen to me.” This ego has to be there. Then they start working. But in Self-Realization, all these disappear. Because you have got that thing which after getting you don’t need anything else. You don’t need the chairmanship. You don’t need the emperorship. Nobody can give you happiness. You are already happy. No power, no status can give you happiness.

Question:  Thank you, Babaji. I just saw a quote from Babaji, which is really, I thought, very inspiring. Babaji said, “Take a decision for the sake of taking a decision, then work. Once you have worked, then keep quiet. What has to happen will happen, that’s all.”

Shri Babaji:   Yes. That’s what I’ve said. When you take a decision, just take a decision, don’t keep worrying whether this decision is going to be right or wrong. People tell “How to take a right decision? How to make a right judgment?” I have started telling, frankly, there is no such thing called a right judgment or a right decision. Because in your definition in this world, when you take a decision, if that decision for which you have taken a decision, if that works according to your decision, then you start thinking your decision was great. Otherwise, you will be disappointed, “Oh, my decision was a mistake.” All these work one after another. If the decision was taken and it didn’t work, the decision why it was taken also doesn’t occur. Whether it works or it doesn’t work is also no problem. It didn’t work. I initiated him into sanyas. He gave up the sanyas and went away – that I don’t have to be worrying. “Why did I initiate him into sanyas? Why did he give up the sanyas and go away?” Why would I be thinking all this? Why would I lose my peace? Just keep quiet, and nothing to regret that I gave him sanyas. I just gave him sanyas, he wanted. Then he wanted to go away, he went away. Like that, decision means.

But people regret, they start holding their head. “Oh, God, I did this one, but he did this to me, they ran away and they did all this, they criticized me, they have accused me, they have abused me.” So much of worries they keep… these things do not occur to me. Nothing is there in my mind at all. I’m carrying on my work. Same early morning I have to get up. This body has to do yoga. I’m attending the emails and having a bath. some chants, some breakfast. Go on working. The same thing has to happen. For which do I need your criticism or your praise? Either way, it doesn’t make any difference for me. I’ll be doing. Whether you praise me, I will be doing. You criticize me, I will be doing. You don’t do anything, you remain in your peace, I’ll be doing.

So this status to understand is not easy. So that’s how this practice has come. One practice was that long time we practiced meditation seven to eight hours, twenty years, and then five years, 18 to 20 hours. And everybody called that he has become a yogi. Some beard has come. Some matted hair has come. That’s when they started calling me a yogi. Before also what it was there nobody knew. Nobody saw. That’s why they didn’t call anything. They saw the beard and they called me a swamiji. Afterwards, 25 years we have been traveling. Then learning is happening. Carefully, just mechanically do everything. Wherever necessary to say no also, say no. But just that’s it. Further no thoughts, don’t get involved.

Same Questioner:    Thank you, Babaji. So for us, Babaji, the peace should be, as Babaji I think has said before, peace should be dearer to you than the things of the world. Should we desire to go back to that peaceful state more than be attracted to the events and the happenings?

Shri Babaji:  Just for sake of philosophy I am telling, nobody should misunderstand that I’m asking anybody to leave the world. You be in the world. But just because this question has come. You are in the world because you want happiness. If you didn’t want the happiness, you wouldn’t have been in the world. You’re looking for happiness. That’s why you want to be. So now if you want peace, if you go permanent to the Self, then you get the peace. So you are looking in a particular shop where only some vegetables are sold, but you want to buy gold. You are wondering, where is the gold? I don’t see any gold. I’m seeing only vegetables, I’m seeing this, I’m seeing that. Somebody comes, “Come on. Gold is available here. Here only vegetables are available.” They take you to the gold shop and you wanted gold and you buy gold and that ends. Your buying ends. Means you wanted peace, you found the peace and your quest ends. That’s it. Something like that.

Remaining in the world also, you can achieve this peace. Means continue the way of life. Simply I have got a beard and you don’t have a beard, that’s all. You can also have the same peace that I have by practicing meditation. You can have the Self-awareness by practicing meditation. You don’t have to grow a beard at all. Simply this is my Guru’s tradition, we teach like this and we sit like this. That’s all. This is the way of life I had adopted. You have adopted your way of life; you remain there and still you achieve peace. Whether you are in the wakened state, whether you’re in the sleep state, anywhere, it is always there. That’s what the previous question came; when you get up, they all come up. Mind comes up. But you get up and the mind doesn’t come up unless you want it to for a thinking. Otherwise the mind keeps quiet. You are quiet. Mind is not different from you. It is you. You are quiet.

Same Questioner:   Thank you so much Babaji. That’s the end of my questions and I can see some have raised their hands. Baba, would it be okay?

Shri Babaji:   Okay, we will take a few questions.

Questioner:    Namaste Babaji. To silence the mind, mind is only to be used.

Shri Babaji:    Yes.

Same Questioner:   Firstly, my question is whether mind is dual or multi-dimensional. Because it is said, right now also, it watches things, analyzes and creates.

Shri Babaji:   It keeps quiet also.

Same Questioner:  Is it real or multi-dimensional?

Shri Babaji:    No, it is real, one thing.

Same Questioner:   It’s dual.

Shri Babaji:    It’s not dual. It has the multi-dimensional. It has all qualities. It can think. It can be creative. It can make you unhappy. It can make you happy. If it is active. If all these multi-dimensional things are stopped into oneness, only one single Self what we talk, then the mind regains the form of consciousness. Then the Supreme Peace. It can give you peace.

Same Questioner:   Okay. How easy it is then, see, we have to use mind against the mind. And it is likeBhasmasura which has to be used again to burn itself. Of course, there at least there is an external force which made it to work like that.

Shri Babaji:    You don’t have to make the mind go against itself. When it is into imaginations and into stress, it is against itself by becoming habitual. And you have to realize you are that mind. You simply have to become quiet. There is no second thing to go against, one against another. Mind is one thing. It has to become quiet simply. And you will realize in the process that that mind is you yourself. You don’t have to go. You have gone against yourself when you have lost peace. Now you become quiet, you are your friend. That’s what, remember in Bhagavad Gita, Sri Krishna says “Atman is the atman’s best friend and atman is atman’s worst enemy.” You are your best friend when you become quiet. When you are unable to remain quiet, you are your worst enemy. It’s like that. No dual things are there, one to go one against another.

Same Questioner:   So handling that is a not such an easy thing, right?

Shri Babaji:   Though it is not easy, it is not impossible. It has become habitual –  that habit needs to be stopped, that’s it. So once you understand the technique and just watch like this. Now are you watching my picture on your screen?

Same Questioner:   Yes.

Shri Babaji:    For a moment, just watch and try not to think anything.

Same Questioner:   Yes.

Shri Babaji:     Yeah, that’s the same practice in meditation. You continue make it longer, longer, longer. So thus the practice of remaining quiet for longer would be possible. A moment that you experience that you are just watching and not thinking anything, the same thing if you do it, you achieve. That’s it.

Same Questioner:    Thank you Baba.

Questioner:   Pranams Babaji. In understanding there’s no right or wrong decision, I understand it in terms of if my measure is whether it goes how I want or not, is how I decide whether it was a right or wrong decision. I understand if that’s the measure and then that’s not really sound. But would it be a right decision in… you tell us that our responsibility is taking care of our body, our mind and each other. So if I’m making a decision to take care of my body, my mind or each other, would that be a right decision? Like if I’m deciding to meditate each day for an hour or two, would that be considered a right decision?

Shri Babaji:   You see, here, every decision cannot be analyzed, this is a right decision, this is not a right decision. When you ask, simply a guru can give his opinion. But what it can be helpful to you is, if your mind is not confused, it is more clear and more concentrated through the spiritual practices, you will definitely be able to take a better decision. You’ll be able to see a larger cause, a longer benefit. You won’t go for a shorter win of the battle, you will go to win the war. That type of old sayings are there, ney? You will gain that ability, and you will see, “Oh, priority, this is first necessary, then I can attend to that one.” These things will automatically come. In the process, if there is any failure, any wrong thing, if it doesn’t happen according to your expectation, you will not have any regret. You will have a satisfaction you tried your best, you took the decision and you did it, that’s it. That is how we try to teach.

Same Questioner:   I think I understand. So less thinking about whether I’m doing the right or wrong thing and more just practicing and then the right thing will just come and I don’t need to be…

Shri Babaji:   Exactly. Yes, that’s what I mean to say.

Questioner:   Pranams Babaji, Babaji can you explain what is this technology in watching that slowly the observer and the object starts splitting?

Shri Babaji:   You see, the first thing itself when we ask you to watch in between eyebrows, we are just telling watch at one place. But not asking what is it that you have to watch. These two things are difference. This is the finest point of this meditation technique. We are asking you to watch in between eyebrows, not telling that you have to watch only the in-between eyebrows. So you just watch there. So when the mind starts watching, slowly it understands it is trying to watch itself. It has nothing else to watch. Because in between eyebrows, there is nothing for you to watch, unless you imagine that you want to watch a certain personality, a certain thing, there is nothing there. This is the real secret one has to understand. So thus when you try to watch in between eyebrows, it means the mind is trying to watch itself. Another point, as I had told, this mind is made up of consciousness and energy. Consciousness; wherever you apply your consciousness, you can become aware of that. Just now this consciousness has been applied to its own imaginations, thus making it to become mind instead of remaining as a Pure Consciousness. Now, if it just watches, if it gives up thinking, then all the thoughts and visions disappear, then its attention turns to itself. Introvert, what you call it.

Same Questioner:   Babaji, and even with eyes opened, even in the world when the brain is functioning, wakeful state, can we apply this watching?

Shri Babaji:   You need to be careful not to absorb other imprints. First you practice by closing the eyes, then gradually you will be able to pick up this habit wherever you are active. Still, you will be able to feel that yourself, thus means watching means you should not misunderstand. People should not misunderstand. They have to watch through the eyes all the time. If they have opened eyes and they are active, they have to simply watch through the mind. The mind, watching through the mind means mind needs to be aware of itself. That will be possible once you have obtained expertise in meditation of silencing the mind. It will be more easily possible in the world.

Same Questioner:    One more question, Babaji. Babaji, to you what is more important, the love for Swamiji when your heart is filled with the love for Swamiji or the silence of your mind?

Shri Babaji:   The love for Swamiji has given me the silence of the mind. So, that silence of the mind I have understood is the real love for Swamiji. Love for Swamiji does not come with any language of this world. It is beyond all the languages of this world. So thus, both silence and love for Swamiji go together. They are one and the same.

Same Questioner:    Got it, thank you Babaji.

Questioner:    I am really grateful for these weekly classes. You are really inspiring and I learn a lot from this community. So, thank you so much. My question is, what do I do to silence the wave of negative thoughts that I experience when I wake up in the morning? It feels like a tsunami. I hate waking up because of these thoughts, like they are particularly dreadful, frustrating and overwhelming thoughts about my life situation. Mostly around my hardships around my health. So, what do I do about this Babaji?

Shri Babaji:    You see, other than meditation that you practice one hour, when you get up in the morning, if negative thoughts are coming, you need to try to divert the attention. Try to chant the name of God or a guru, whichever is dearer to you. Swamiji’s name you chant so that you can direct the mental attention on the negative thoughts towards Swamiji’s name. Then the negative thoughts will lose its effect to be there and it disappears. So, like this, you can take help of any such chant, devotional songs, music can be a very good therapy to divert the attention. So, chants, they are all very good, chanting also is very good. Learn them. Keep yourself busy when you are awake, when you are not meditating. Try to chant, keep chanting anything. Remember the name of God and try to listen or sing that devotional songs. That will be helpful.

Same Questioner:   Thank you so much Babaji.

Ma Ambaji:   Yeah, Babaji, I just wanted to go back to that question which was very, very beautiful intellectually. Just wanted to ask you that according to our scriptures, it says that the mind is active in all the three states. Jagrat, which means a wakeful state, and mind is active when we are in deep sleep and the mind is active during the time of dreaming also. So, it means it is always active. It never is in the silence. But only the potency; through our brain we experience the different potency of the activity of the mind. And if I am understanding you, the mind means, what you refer to is our thoughts.

Shri Babaji:   Yes, when there are thoughts, the consciousness comes to be known as mind.

Ma Ambaji:    Yes. So, the consciousness, when it is in its purest form, when there are a no vibrations of the thoughts in the pure state of being, is the state of a gnani? Am I understanding?

Shri Babaji:   Yeah, it will be totally quiet in itself.

Ma Ambaji:     In itself, when there are no vibrations of the thoughts, that state is the state of a pure being, which is the awareness in itself.

Shri Babaji:    Yes, yes, exactly.

Ma Ambaji:    So, it speaks very loudly that the ego, if there is an ego, and when there is a duality, when I recognize myself, the mind will be active.

Shri Babaji:     Yes, if the mind stops, the ‘I’ also stops.

Ma Ambaji:    Yes, Baba.

Shri Babaji:    The ‘I’ is there because the mind is there.

Ma Ambaji:   So, there is no difference in your thoughts and in your ego.

Shri Babaji:     Yes. Every thought is considered an ego in spiritual terms.

Ma Ambaji:    Yes, Baba. Thank you, Baba. That was my question. So, that means all my thoughts are reflection of my ego. And as I go back and become one with the Self, my ego also disappears.

Shri Babaji:   Yes, because one realizes when the ego is there, a thought is there, that thought is considered as an ego, because you consider that thought to be a reality.

Ma Ambaji:   Yes, Baba.

Shri Babaji:   That is the ego, it gives an ego. That ego is coming because the ‘I’ is there in the back door, that is holding the thought. ‘Me and mine’, ‘I and my thought’, that is how the ego comes. For a gnani, these both disappear. When the ‘I’ is not there, I keep telling the Hindi,“Na rahega baans, na bajegi bansuri“. If the bamboo is not there, there is no flute to make sounds.

Ma Ambaji:   So, as long as there is a duality, you are not as your pure being. You are in the duality of your thoughts, and you are unable to recognize yourself as your Pure Consciousness.

 Shri Babaji:   Yes.

Ma Ambaji:   And Baba, that’s the biggest secret. When the mind is concentrated, we put our best effort. And when the mind is in overthinking, we just lose the battle. Am I understanding correctly?

Shri Babaji:   That is what happens. That is what happens. That’s what needs to be given up.

Ma Ambaji:   Yes, Baba. Thank you. Thank you so much, Babaji. Pranams to you.

Questioner:   Yes. So, “Please ask Babaji the relationship between brain and mind. Because in one answer, he told us when brain is sleeping, mind becomes unconscious. So, if the brain isn’t functioning, what happens to the Self, or Consciousness of Existence?”

Shri Babaji:    What I tell, when the brain is sleeping, the mind becomes unconscious of the surroundings and the world. But it is holding its habits. That’s why it will be there as the mind. It has not yet regained the form of Pure Consciousness, the ‘I’ and the thoughts, habits are all there. Minds habits are all there. That’s why I tell, during sleep a person cannot become a yogi. The brain has to be alert and the mind needs to be cleared totally.

Questioner:   Thank you, Babaji. And one more question. “Yoga Vasishtha talks about two methods of liberation. One is via Self-knowledge, restraint of mind, silence of thoughts, and another is a restraint of life force. Does jangama dhyana also restrain the life force or just silence the mind?”

Shri Babaji:   Just silence the mind is good enough. It will take care of everything.

Same Questioner:   Thank you, Baba.

Shri Babaji:   So, wonderful, some very lovely questions came up today, giving me an opportunity to express my opinion or my experience or whatever it is; it has come out. Hope you all will have the best understanding to silence the mind, and one day achieve the Self-Realization.

End of Session