Recorded on 10 August 2024 with worldwide participants.

0:00 Intro
0:10 What is the technology by which the mind perceives the object matter in the world via the brain and the sensory organs?
3:43 Is a judgement when we take something as real instead of just an imagination?
14:25 How can objects in the world which appear so solid be an imagination in the mind?
19:52 How do the imprints evaporate from the mind?
32:18 When we are watching in meditation, are we restraining ourselves from judging what we are seeing?
33:27 Is the only way a thought can disappear when we are not affected by the thought?
38:11 What is the difference between imprints and memories?
40:30 How a Yogi acts in the world – is it like acting out a role in a movie?
44:35 “Who does good, never comes to grief” – quote from the Bhagavad Gita.
48:23 In daily life what can we do to fight the temptations of this world?
52:03 What is the significance of the physical form of the Guru?
53:17 What does Babaji mean by “Swamiji is always with me”
54:43 Position of the central focus in between the eyebrows in meditation.
56:33 The mind’s imprints can last a lifetime – how to overcome them?
58:08 Humans are emotional beings, how to overcome imprints in everyday life?
59:54 What is meant by ‘mastering the senses’ in Yoga Vasistha?
1:01:28 Why does anger and frustration crop up after being in a longer peaceful state from sadhana?
1:03:33 Is it the mind or brain which attaches an emotion to every object?
1:05:21 Scared of meditating due to strain on the brain which might be causing seizures due to a neurological condition.
1:07:38 Is mind space itself?
1:09:33 Not able to feel senses and body, feeling of dying and dizziness in meditation.
1:11:47 Position of concentration in between eyebrows and using a sensation of breath to help achieve this.

The mind and its imprints | In Quest of Truth – Q&A with Babaji, No. 211

YouTube link: https://youtu.be/iGM24DGEQhw

Recorded on 10 August 2024 with worldwide participants

Questioner:

So, first question, Babaji. Could Babaji explain the technology of how the mind perceives an object matter in this world via the brain and the sensory organs? Babaji, you’ve explained before the sensory organs pass information to the brain and then the brain reflects this to the mind. What happens then, Babaji?

Shri Babaji:

After that means that point in quick succession, mind recognizes and then instantly analyzes also. Means anything it recognizes, it wants to know what it is. Like “This is apple, this is table, this is a fan.” Like that all objects for sake of understanding and communication a name is given and thus it makes a judgment also. “Yes, this is fan, this is an apple, this is the pillar, this is the house, and this is earth, and this is mine, and this is not mine.” Like that it makes a judgment. When it makes a judgment, it absorbs an imprint. Imprint means it absorbs that as an acquired habit for itself. Means whenever it comes across that object, instantly it will recognize as an apple, “Oh, this is apple only.” It will not think about it in any other way. That’s what we call it as the mind absorbing imprints. And that would be sitting in the subconscious state all the time. So whenever that object comes in front of you, your mind will recognize, “Oh, this is apple.” If somebody else tells, you know this is God, it might appear funny because your mind is used to that object as an apple.

In the same way space is all pervading, you see? But whatever definition that one would have heard about the space; ‘a void place’, so that would be sitting. That’s why we don’t know anything further about the space. We just think that space is a void place where it has given place for existence of the object – object is in the space. But that is also our imagination. To call the space as space is nothing but an imagination. That’s what we communicate with each other. Through that we have absorbed an imprint. This is what are the imprints taken by the mind. And then further we call it as acquired habits of the mind. Mind acquires all such habits and it becomes habitual to recognize objects in that way, objects or space, everything in that way only. Like we give names to ourselves, our friends and our children, everything. So, that name is taken, and that person becomes that until he doesn’t change, or prove that he is not this, he is that. That will be sitting for everyone. So that is the imprints that the mind absorbs thoroughly.

Questioner:

Thank you, Babaji. So Babaji, the judgments when we take something to be real rather than an imagination, is that what a judgment is in effect?

Shri Babaji:

Yes. See, we never bothered to think or we seldom try to understand that what we call an object in a particular name, it need not be that. It can be anything else. See, the nature is there simply, a creation has happened. It is all there. If a tree comes, in that tree the fruit comes. But we have named it. So, we don’t know what the truth is. It appears to be apple because we have imagined it to be apple. A hundred people might call it as apple. That’s a coincidence, no problem. But yet, all the hundred people have imagined, people of this world. One has picked up from the other, one has picked up from the other. If there is a teacher in the school, we would have picked up such terminologies, whatever the teacher taught us. So that’s why it is ‘apple’. But suddenly, if somebody questions, “Why should it be ‘apple’? Why not something else?”, we will start considering that person is arrogant. But he might be intelligent, he might be asking why. But we have to accept we really don’t know. We have accepted it as ‘apple’ because everybody calls it around us and we want to communicate in that way for our understanding.

See, a lot of astronomical research keep happening. Every now and then, a planet has appeared. And then they will give a name because they would need it for further communication or any such thing. Either planet number so and so or with somebody’s name, they name that planet as something, then that becomes [that]. Like a gravitational pull has become by the name of ‘Newton’s law’. The world, we all know it as a ‘Newton’s law’, because a person called Newton’s, Isaac Newton, he discovered “Why the apple fell on my head, it did not go up. That means there is some gravitational pull in the earth. So that is why it came down.” So then that name was given to that gravity, ‘Newton’s law’, like that it has happened. Now our mind will not accept anything else. Our mind is conditioned to that point of acceptance. Like that for everything we have imagined.

So this is what the imprints that are taken. This is what the thing that which needs to be erased in the mind to know what the mind itself is. The mind is totally so much preoccupied. It is into imaginations. Whereas the mind was meant, means we have the ability to be creative, we have the ability to think. But what is needed to have happened is, when needed we should have been able to think, when not needed we should have been able to keep quiet and be in the reality of our own existence. Whereas it has not happened so. All creatures perhaps and all human beings, everybody are preoccupied with their own mind’s imagination. So they are unable to be aware of themselves, actual themselves. So that’s what we try to talk. You are much beyond the birth and death of your physical body. You need to know about yourself. That is what is known as Self-realization. What Buddha, Adi Shankara, they all taught, our own great Master Shiva Balayogi taught, “Meditate and know yourself”.

So now you meditate so that whatever wrong thing that had happened, that needs to be corrected, rectified. For that purpose you meditate. First, what impressions that your mind has taken, that needs to be erased. Then it becomes totally silent. Then its attention turns to itself. So that is how Self-realization happens to a person when he does Tapas. These words of Tapas and meditation has happened; meditation means to begin with, you ‘pay attention to’. That’s what you practice when we tell, “Just concentrate your mind and sight in between eyebrows and just keep watching there.” That means in other words, ‘pay attention to’. More than that we don’t tell where you are supposed to pay attention to. First we tell practice concentration, that’s what watch in between eyebrows means; first make it single pointed. Let it give up all thoughts and visions that are in the mind. Let it give up all imaginations that are in the mind.

Then because that mind is made up of consciousness and energy – as I have told consciousness means wherever you apply your consciousness, you become aware of that. When I am talking, if all of you have applied your consciousness to me, or in other words, your mind to me, then you can become aware of what I am trying to convey. Otherwise if your mind is not fully concentrated to me, that means mind is not applied. That means your consciousness is preoccupied somewhere else. It is running somewhere else. You are unable to concentrate and understand what I am trying to convey.

So, all these things are so much important. For that purpose only meditation; means ‘pay attention to’, you meditate upon this point, means you keep quiet and just watch. When that is successful, that can become successful, you are able to increase. You do Tapas, means now you are determined and you want to burn out all habits of the mind. You understand “All habits of the mind are my own imagination. It need not be the truth. Truth could be something else.” So if you are interested in knowing the truth, that truth; when in science also, Einstein people, like great scientists, they called it. “If you need to reach that truth, you need to cross the barrier of time and space.” And he also said “The universe expands. And along with that, the truth also expands.” But nobody tried to explain what that truth is. It is really not possible to explain the truth as it is, impossible. It is simply all pervaded. But a little bit of clue that we can try to understand by watching our own mind.

Our own mind also is infinite in form, means it appears to be there and it is not there, type of thing. Only thoughts appear. Only the visions appear. But the mind itself doesn’t appear. Means it is there, but we are unable to see it by naked eyes. Thus, we don’t know what it is. When we are unable to see anything, how will we observe? For that only the master teaches, “First cleanse your mind, clear your mind of all thoughts and visions. Not only the present, not only the future that you don’t think anything; all the past that has been recorded in the mind. That’s what sometimes in our teachings we try to call, ‘mind has absorbed imprints since time immemorial.’ So many lives would have passed by.

As we were discussing in the previous question, whenever the mind comes across an object, and then it recognizes that object, analyzes and makes a judgment. That is what is happening. Then that is absorbed as an imprint, means the mind absorbs as an acquired habit. The mind is habitual to call it ‘apple’. Whenever it sees that object, it calls it ‘apple’. It doesn’t give a second thought, what it is; “Is it something else? Is it really this apple or why it is so?” We have understood it is ‘apple’, that definition has been given. It is a fruit. So, all these things we have accepted. We have accepted in good faith without trying to bother whether it is true or not.

Today many people ask us questions; “Does God exist or not? Why is he not appearing to me?” Means their one definition is “If there is God, He should appear in front of me. I should be able to see with the naked eyes.” There could be other reasons why He is not appearing to the naked eyes of any person. There could be something, some reason why it is so. Nobody wants to think even. They become atheists. I tell, after a certain stage when you come to know about the truth, both atheism and theism loses its significance. Because both simply depend on a belief system and both of them don’t know what the truth is. When you know the truth, you become quiet. You are no more confused at least. That is what the meditation and Tapas can give. That is what the ‘Tapas’ word is used, so that you need to burn out all the habits of the mind. Burning out is what is ‘Tap’, is like ripening the mind.

Questioner:

Thank you so much, Babaji, Baba has covered so much there. So Babaji, you have said before that when you imagine a picture and then you get attracted to that picture, and you make that picture more and more solid. Because Babaji, you have talked about how objects in this world; we judge “This as an apple,” but it does seem so solid, and everyone is agreeing that that thing is this apple. How to make it less solid? I mean, how can we simply realize that that is a judgment?

Shri Babaji:

I understand. Just now, let us not bother about the existence of the apple in this world. It may appear solid because our body is also solid, the dream also is solid. That cannot be proved just now. But the apple that is in our mind – the apple that is in this world is different, the apple that is in our mind is different. There is an apple in our mind. That is why this apple appears to be an apple. There is a Shiva Rudra Balayogi Babaji in your mind. That is why this body appears as a Shiva Rudra Balayogi Babaji. In this world, this body is there. But in your mind also there is a Shiva Rudra Balayogi Babaji. That’s what we need to attend. We need to attend the apple that is in the mind. Because your mind is holding that as an apple, its attention is on that apple only. And that apple appears to be so solid within the mind. We are not bothering about the apple that is in this world at this moment, because we are only a micro-speck watching things. Just now it is not possible to understand. Only when one achieves the nirvikalpa samadhi, this merger and this erasing, all these things happens when you reach the higher consciousness. So, just now we need not bother about this world or this universe, whether it exists or not, that is afterwards.

But we are trying to bother about the world that is in the mind. That is what is the ‘acquired habits’ I am calling. That needs to be attended through the practice of meditation, so that your consciousness can become purified and mergers and reaches its higher consciousness. Then other experiences come. If you are just a two, three-year-old baby, I cannot explain to you what space is. I have to tell, “This void place in between these two walls is space.” But when you grow up, you come to the university level, then if I explain to you how the space is all-pervadedness, I can explain, then you will understand. So, that is what a master always tries to bring up the student to a higher level, higher level, in every class trying to explain, explain, explain. Once when you are able to understand the higher level answers, at that time if I explain, then you will be able to understand or you will understand on your own when you are meditating. Your observation will become so strong that you will observe. Strong and matured, in fact. More matured, you will become a better matured observationist.

Just now when you observe this world and when you watch others calling by a name, you simply accept in good faith and you also maintain the same definitions. You will go mad if you try to think what I am talking about these things. It appears to be so, but that is what the truth is. Even when great scientists or the Stephen Hawkings or anybody were talking, some people, they thought him to be mad, then some people accepted him to be a great genius. That’s how our great yogis, our ancient masters were great geniuses. Simply the spirituality term was used. They were also like giants of science, giants of spirituality. They observed the truth and they realized, that is how they went for the Self-realization. Because Self-realization is called – this is important to understand – that is from where you are continuously getting the consciousness of your own existence, “I exist”. So that’s why ancient scientists used the word ‘Self-realization’, ‘Atma Satshatkar’. Anyway, if further more questions come I can answer. Otherwise I will go on talking unnecessarily. So, this is the thing and we can discuss further depending on your question.

Questioner:

Thank you Babaji. It’s all incredibly fascinating, Baba. Baba, when we close our eyes in meditation, we sit down to meditate, immediately the mind fills with thoughts and imaginations. And Babaji has said that the imprints start evaporating automatically. So, how do these imprints evaporate from the mind Babaji? It’s just an automatic process that it just comes up and we have to make sure we don’t reabsorb it?

Shri Babaji:

One important thing that we seldom do not notice is, when we think, then a thought appears in the mind. Watching that thought, our own mind or we forget this thought is there because of our own imagination. Instead, often we consider that thought to be a reality and accept that result of the thought. “Yes, this is a foe. This is a friend. This is not mine and this is mine. Yes, this is apple.” The thought is there in our mind. That is why we are accepting that also as an apple. So, if a thought is there in you… that’s why faith is taught in bhakti marga on this spiritual path also. We keep telling often sometimes, in this body I may not be important, but your faith – if you have the faith, that means in your mind a solid thing that “This is a Self-realized Guru”, then that will work for you. That is why it is taught. You don’t have to believe me as a Self-realized master, but do not lose that faith that is in your mind. That is why repeatedly Swamiji also used to teach, “You can lose anything but do not lose faith. That will work for you.”

This is what we learned. “Swamiji is mine. He is my Guru, He is my father, He is my mother, He is mine. So then He is within me.” So then the mind gets purified and it goes to a higher consciousness. Like that it becomes single pointed also. This is what is important. That’s why faith and devotion is all taught. That thought in the mind is important. So, if a wrong thought is there; so when you close the eyes to practice meditation the thoughts all appear. They are all in the subconscious state in the background as acquired habits. But they are all there because you are holding them. [inaudible] So this process is constantly going on. Constantly going on in your mind. You are unable to notice or understand even. Simply you feel the stress. You want some peace. For that you search somewhere in some place where I can get peace, but you do not know any place, anywhere if your mind becomes quiet you get the peace. That is the technique. But mind depends; a certain circumstance or situation, atmosphere, a place has to appeal to the mind, then it becomes quiet. Otherwise it doesn’t become quiet.

So when you have a faith in the Guru, when you come in front of the Guru, then your mind becomes quiet. Then you enjoy happiness and peace. Then you think “Sitting with Babaji meditation becomes so easy for me. When Babaji is not there it becomes so difficult,” that many people tell. So we try to help them, such people. So gradually you try to see Babaji in your heart. Like in the Vrindavan, Gopikas were with Shri Krishna since childhood. And Krishna went back to Mathura and never returned to Vrindavan. This story Swamiji used to tell, such a significant scientific idea this is. And His attendant, Uddhava also tells, “Krishna, You never went back to Gopikas. They were so loving and they must be missing you. You didn’t even ask them to come to you or you didn’t go to them. What a wrong thing you are doing.” But Krishna knew. Their devotion was so true and purified. So He tells Uddhava, “Okay, you take the chariot, go to Vrindavan and bring them here if they want to come. They are welcome.” But when he goes with the chariot there to Vrindavan, Gokulam and when he tells that Krishna is calling, “I have brought the chariot, come,” they are surprised. “Which Krishna you are talking? Our Krishna is here, He never went away from here. He is within me. I can see Krishna all the time. He is within me and with me. And He has not gone at all and what nonsense you are talking that Krishna is calling? Where is this Krishna? We don’t know that Krishna. We know the Krishna who is in us.”

So, this is what is the apple I am talking that is in the mind. In the same way, meditation means when thoughts come, if you don’t hold on to that by analyzing, recognizing or making any judgment – mind has a habitual tendency. It has become habitual. The moment it gets to see a thought, it starts thinking unknown to you. That’s when your meditation gets disturbed. You start thinking about it and your mind also runs away with further imaginations. Everything gets messed up. Your mind says “Why this thought is here? Why not something else, something, that thing needed to happen. Meditation is not coming.” Because ‘meditation is not coming’ – we don’t know what meditation is, then how can we know whether meditation is coming or not coming? That is why when come into the picture and tell… .

Yeah, hope I’m back with my voice? Sorry, I had to disappear because the internet trouble happened. So that’s when it got cut off and disconnected. It came back again. This keeps happening. What to do.

So, we were talking of the thoughts appearing and the mind analyzing and the holding on to the thoughts and the example of a person holding the pillar. Then the master says, “You are holding the pillar. Pillar is not holding you.” Many people tell that “This world is holding me. It’s not allowing me to meditate properly.” You are holding the world. The time is there for you all the time. Twenty-four hours is there. Just you can take out one hour. So that one hour will not come from anywhere. You have to take out. That’s what is priority, dedication. Otherwise, you spent the whole life telling, “I couldn’t find time. I am unable to meditate. I couldn’t find time. So much our busy lives, so much our responsibility is there.” Everything you have adopted. Now, as a master, if I come and tell… I cannot tell that “You give up this, you give up this” because it’s not my business. You can tell it’s not your business. You have to think; in the twenty-four hours that the nature has given. When the earth is rotating on its own axis, that takes twenty-four hours for now. That’s what we all know.

In that twenty-four hours, time is there for you to select one hour. Make yourself free to sit down, close the eyes, understanding the technique, just to watch in between eyebrows. Then thoughts and visions will disappear. Don’t get carried away with any of the visions or thoughts, even if God appears, anything appears. That is the reality of meditation. Initially, visions are encouraged so that you get attracted to sit down everyday thinking “We will get into more visions and we will get into more thoughts.” That is all the secret. More than that, those visions have no meaning at all for you. It will not take you to the reality, the truth of the Ultimate Truth. It can take you to the Ultimate Truth only when it becomes quiet, when the mind becomes quiet. That is what is ‘samadhi’, known as by the word of ‘samadhi’. Everybody talks, “Samadhi is coming and samadhi is not coming”, but they don’t practice just watching. If you practice just watching, a samadhi can come to you. If you don’t practice, samadhi will not come.

You practice for fifty years, hundred years, life after life you practice, it will not come. This point is what one needs to understand in meditation. Very, very important. Today many of you might think, “Oh, Babaji outright rejected all visions and all colors.” Everything, yes, that is what my Master taught me eventually. When He thought that I was ready for that, then He told this secret. Otherwise He also encourages; if you get any vision, you keep watching that vision. First He taught me, if any such vision comes, just watch. In Tapas also, if any manifestation happens, any divine figure comes or any dreaded figure comes, just watch, do not react. Don’t talk to that personality if a manifestation happens. If they talk also, you watch, no problem. But if you get carried away with that one, that’s gone. That needs to merge within you. Then it will take you to Self-realization; like that the Master taught when the time was ripe for me.

So that’s what we try to teach, just watch, just watch. Then what we talk of, the thoughts evaporating as the question you asked, how the thoughts will evaporate; the thoughts will all dissolve, disappear or evaporate, any terminology is all right. Otherwise, thoughts will keep coming, thoughts will keep coming, one thought will go away, another thought will come, when you analyze, when you cannot keep quiet. I have told, cleared always, clarified, this thinking, analyzing, making judgment are important in this world. But not to the truth, not to meditate. There is a difference. When you practice meditation, whenever there is a need, you can think and analyze or make a judgment, but you will not absorb it as a habit. Your mind will become quiet once its job is done. That you can achieve only through practice of meditation and more Tapas. Just now you don’t have to bother it. So, we can go for your next question.

Questioner:

Thank you, Baba. So, Babaji, just to clarify, when we’re watching in meditation, we’re actually restraining our mind from going into a judgment about anything? We might be attracted to things, but we just simply have to restrain and not judge about what we’re seeing?

Shri Babaji:

Exactly. Exactly. You are trying to restrain yourself not to go into any imagination, not to go into any judgment, not to go into any analyzation. That’s what we keep telling, “Just to watch in between eyebrows.” Even if you are unable to see the location, don’t bother for a while, just watch the front portion. Eyeballs will come on its own to the central location in due course of time if you just watch. Your job is to just watch. That is what is “Watch; observe from where the ‘I’ is coming.” Just have to observe, not to think about the ‘I’. Here also; watch. That’s what you need to understand.

Questioner:

Thank you, Babaji. Baba, in meditation a thought comes. If we are completely unaffected by that thought, is that the only way it can disappear?

Shri Babaji:

Exactly. This is another important point. Whatever when we imagine, by that imagination we get affected. That means our mind either becomes corrupted or a casualty. So, that is what, often in our talks and answers we have explained, the six enemies of human mind; arishadvarga, known as the extreme greediness, extreme anger, and extreme attachment to materialistic non-existent world, moha, kama, krodha, lobha, is stinginess, extreme stinginess. Wanting all the twelve bananas, not wanting to give anything to anybody. And lobha, moha; moha is too much depending on this impermanent world. Something like that we can try to understand more clearly. Mada is false pride; unnecessarily we keep moving our moustache, “Oh, I know. I have already come to know about the truth. I have meditated very well. I have heard this master talking so much. I have come to know everything. He has told me everything.” He has not told you everything at all. Still there can be so much. I might have told so much, but still there is so much. Like that it is there. So never get into any false pride, that you know. And jealousy is the last one.

Means the mind keeps taking these shapes. Meditation also, as you were asking, any visions or thoughts coming, that thought will be belonging to any one of these headings always. And that’s why it will attract our attention, our attachment also. We become attached to that thought. And we become habitual with that thought, in the same way we become habitual. So we want to show our own intelligence very often. Before somebody even asks us we want to keep talking, keep talking our intelligence, exhibit it to each and every one. Once Yogi understand what the truth is, He becomes quiet. Only when asked a particular question, that much He answers. It is only for guidance for education of the students. Not to boast, because this is not the final knowledge. Ultimate Truth is much beyond these things.

Now as we are talking, watching that thought mind gets affected. So thus, this is how it gets affected. Means you become habitual. Means when a thought comes, if it is an agonizing thought, you will experience that agony within you. You feel that stress, you hold your head, you want peace, you want to run away somewhere and have that peace. That is troubling. The troubling thing is your own imagination, that is what is troubling you. You keep imagining that “This person is my enemy.” You keep thinking about that person all the time, you are unable to forget about that person. Then it is not that person who is troubling you, it is your own imagination which is troubling you. We are unable to get rid of the imagination of that person. And that is why that person appears to be troubling us.

This is what happens in the mind. When we become attached to the thought that is in the mind. We cannot give up and we are so troubled. This is what is troubling the whole world. All humanity is in so much of trouble. That is what is the arishadvarga; six enemies of human mind. We always tell, whoever has got these in their mind, their mind is the first casualty. Before they become harmful to anybody else. So that is how it becomes harmful to us when we entertain, when we are unable to get rid of such thoughts.

Questioner:

Thank you very much, Babaji for clarifying that. Babaji, there has been a couple of questions coming about memory. And someone has asked, Guruji, if we stop holding to all thoughts, won’t we lose all of our memory? And someone else has asked, what is the difference between an imprint and a memory?

Shri Babaji:

No. Memory is in the brain. It will be there. Simply you need to purify your mind. And if necessary, for any action in this world, outside world that you need to undertake, you can apply your brain and remember what happened ten years ago, what happened fifty years ago in your life. Even a yogi like us, we can remember, because it is recorded in the brain. But we have purified the mind, means we do not allow such memory to be troubling us all the time. Suppose if a person misbehaved and ill-behaved, is a wrong person. But we don’t allow that person’s memory to trouble us all the time. We keep it purified. But the memory is in the brain. Whenever necessary, when we come across that person, we will be alert and careful. “Now we need to be careful about this person. This person cheated me before, and he is troublesome. He can be harmful again. We should keep this person away.” So these type of things are quite possible.

So if you practice meditation, you will not lose anything. It is in the folder of the brain. You can apply and you will remember, your memory will increase. Simply you will not be troubled all the time; the thoughts will not come on its own. If you try to remember, it will come. This skill, you will practice automatically when you practice meditation. It will come to you. So, memory will not be lost. You will remember everything. We also remember whatever happened ten years ago, forty years ago, thirty years ago, thirteen years ago, like that we remember. But all the time I don’t keep remembering in our mind to get troubled. So, this difference you must understand.

Questioner:

Thank you very much, Babaji. For a yogi, Babaji has said it is like acting out a role. So Babaji is aware that you are just acting like almost like a character in the movie. It is not really happening to you. Babaji, could you talk about that? And should we try to be as if we are acting out a role in our life?

Shri Babaji:

Exactly. Very often people in this world misunderstand. A yogi means, or a saint means… Say, I am looking after the ashram of my Guru, that means I am the soldier of the ashram. If anybody attacks, troubles, we will take action. We will face that challenge. We won’t keep quiet, “Oh, I am a sadhu, I am a saint. Let him take the ashram.” All evil people will take over; so, instead of meditating there, they will start having drugs and alcohols. What will happen then? So we must prevent such a thing. So, like that, every one of you have a right to defend yourself. If anybody is wrongly attacking you or your property or your people, anything. Simply by practicing meditation, you will not allow that thing to trouble you all the time. You will be free, you are at peace. I am at peace. Evil people are still there, who are ready to attack ashram, but we do remember them. “This person is evil. He will not come here to meditate. He will come here to trouble. And try to brainwash others also, “Oh, no need to meditate. Let us have some cigarettes, let us have some alcohol,” that type of people. We need to send them away.”

So, all these things are possible, that you can behave like a normal person. So that’s what we are trying to always advise; you have to differentiate. A certain thing that is troubling your mind all that time giving you stress and unhappiness is different. A certain thing that you take care whenever it is necessary – that’s what is acting upon. You are a soldier and you will act upon like a soldier only. You will not bother about anybody else. “I am the soldier of ashram. I will defend that.” A soldier of a country, his job is to defend the country because a larger area contains different people of different races, different culture, different languages. Everything is dear to them, properties, their lives, their peace. Everything depends on the independence of that country. Otherwise another country might come and destroy the independence in every way. “You must not do this thing. You must not remember. You must not own this property. You cannot travel in the train in this class.” Like that some other country comes and declares. That is why one needs to defend the country. That’s what the soldier knows, “I need to defend the country. In that process, if I get killed, that’s it no problem. As long as I am alive, I have defended. Anybody can kill me.” So, like that, he will act upon, play his role. But he need not be holding his head, “Oh God, that person is going to attack now. What will I do?” Nothing. Take a weapon and defend, whatever is necessary. So that’s what has to happen. So these things are totally different. You will understand when you practice more and more meditation. You should not combine all the times.

Questioner:

Thank you very much, Babaji. Baba, I’m aware that there’s quite a few people who have already put their hands up to ask. But before we do so, could I just ask one more question that’s been sent in, Babaji? Henry has sent in a question, it’s a section from the Bhagavad Gita, I believe, where Krishna is saying, “The blessed Lord said, ‘Oh Arjuna, neither in this world nor in the next is their destruction for him. None, verily, who does good, my son, ever comes to grief.” So, in his commentary on this verse, Sri Shankara does not explain either what is meant by doing good, or how anyone can avoid coming to grief. We all seem to face grief and difficulties in daily life and from our experience it seems too good to be true. Could Babaji explain what was meant there, “Who does good never comes to grief”?

Shri Babaji:

‘Doing good’ means, we can try to understand this way. Like you practice to keep your mind healthier, means under control, restrained. That is ‘doing good’ to yourself, that is the first important thing. Then your mind becomes mature, it won’t be brooding, it won’t be becoming anxious, and it does not have any greed, it doesn’t want to rob anybody else. All these things, it avoids. This is the first good to do. So, when the mind is purified and matured, then you won’t like to do anything bad, means you don’t want to rob anybody else, you don’t want to hurt unnecessarily. Only if you want to defend yourself, you will defend. So, like that you will live a life of purity. You don’t have any greed. You don’t have any eyes against another’s property, you don’t have any eyes against another country. That is like that one. Like that you will go. This is what ‘doing good’ means.

That’s what is trying to understand religion. The religion’s very idea is to control and keep your physical health, mental health and then try to uphold moral values. If you are able to do these things, understand, then you are ‘doing good’, then you will never have any grief. When you die also, you will die thinking that “I did my duty. I needed to defend the ashram. I needed to defend my kingdom, I needed to defend my country. I’m getting killed. No problem. I’ll do it or die.” So then there is no grief at all.

So, this is what in a single one point we need to understand. Many people might give so many definitions; not necessary. Simple, basic definition we need to understand for being good. And what; there is no destruction because we are that Atman. We are that Supreme Consciousness. There cannot be any destruction. The body will get destroyed, somebody can kill this body, but they cannot kill me or you. In the next life also, anywhere also, until we don’t achieve the total liberation by totally cleansing – that’s what is ‘doing good’. Sometimes interpreting some people who have edited the book, it may differ from person to person. So, we need to understand in which context that was told, ‘doing good’.

Questioner:

Pranam Babaji. My question is about tapas and temptation. In many of the Puranas, the scriptures, both east and west, yogis on the path are tempted. I think of Shakuntala’s father, who was doing tapas and maya appears as a beautiful woman and then he succumbs to the temptation and Shakuntala was born. And then Jesus also on the meditating, doing tapas in the desert, he was tempted. Maya appeared as a Satan, but he resisted. We’ve heard how, during meditation, we focus on between our eyebrows and focus there. But in daily life, Baba, what can we do to fight the temptations of this world?

Shri Babaji:

When you are active doing, try to remember your Guru or God as much as possible. The balance needs to be shifted. Just now, the mind might be too preoccupied with the world, too much of “Happening, not happening, mine and not mine.” So, we go on reducing that by trying to divert the attention. If the road is on repairs, they will put a board, ‘diversion’, ‘take a diversion’. So, the mind is not happy in this world, it is troublesome. So, we don’t have to remember each and everything. Slowly reduce. Remember only that much that is necessary to earn a livelihood and to live a peaceful life. The rest, most of the time, take help of the… like if possible, a devotional music. Remember the divine, within your mind also you can repeat the name of your Guru or God, whichever appeals to you.

If that appeals, why I talk this ‘appealing’, if that appeals to you, then your mind accepts very quickly. If you love that, you would love to do it. That is a simple formula. So, you adopt these methods, then you will see the difference; within six months so much you would have reduced, your tension would have reduced, your attention would have turned more. In twenty four hours, how much you can remember the divinity? Take that challenge and put a timetable. So, “I remembered this, I remembered this,” make it a habit like that one. That will be helpful.

So, whenever possible you practice meditation. While meditating, try to understand the technique and adopt just watching. Then your mind will shift its attention towards the divinity. It is less attentive wherever not necessary. You will notice unnecessarily so much of percentage it is getting involved wherever it was not necessary.

Questioner:

Baba, this is the meaning of ‘tatva masyadi lakshyam’.

Shri Babaji:

Exactly, that’s what a Yogi’s lakshya is; attention is always on the Tatva. Even if he is walking. When Shuka Maharishi went to Mithila, King Janaka asked, “What did you see of my town?” Shuka Maharishi, he says, “What to say, O King, I went around your town, but hardly saw anything because my attention was on the light that it should not fall down.” Then Janaka says, “In the same way, I am able to look after my kingdom also and keep my attention on to the Self, maximum.”

Questioner:

Babaji, I have two questions. First, what is the significance of the physical form of the Guru who has already become one with the truth?

Shri Babaji:

You see, if a physical form is available, if that person is Self-realized, it’s like a great bonus. Such a Guru can guide you onto the right path with perfect technique. Exactly clarify all your doubts; like a torchbearer he can take you – if he himself has been liberated, he can take you towards liberation. So that is like a bonus, that’s what we have always told, if it’s available. That is the significance.

So that is where, if a physical Guru is there, he can communicate the way that you physically understand. You are able to absorb. Like we are physically with each other just now. Even though online, we are live, you are able to ask a question and you are able to listen to my explanation. If I am Self-realized, I will be able to talk on that level. Otherwise, I won’t be. So that is the benefit.

Questioner:

Babaji keeps saying that “Swamiji is always with me”. So, what does that mean?

Shri Babaji:

Yeah, you see, slowly, we became mature. Swamiji taught us. We used to miss him. “Don’t keep missing me physically, because all the time one physical body cannot be everywhere, but I am everywhere. Know that I am in your heart. Everything that is happening is coming from Swamiji, remember that. If you face a failure, it is Swamiji’s blessings for a larger cause, He wants to teach you a lesson. If there is a success, it is Swamiji’s grace, He is giving you something to go ahead,” like that. Always be positive in thinking. Then you will start feeling, “Yes, my Guru is with me, He is guiding me everywhere.” Then you are thinking will become more mature, your visualization, taking decisions, everything becomes more mature. So like that, you practice. We also teach when anybody tells that they are missing me, “Don’t miss. I am in your heart. Look for me in your heart.” That means remember me. Mentally, if you remember the Guru, you will feel the Guru is with you always.

Questioner:

Second question, Babaji. When I start meditating, I try to focus here, but then within a few seconds, it seems like that point goes somewhere in the middle, not exactly in the front. On the surface point of view, it seems a little bit going behind somewhere in the middle of the head. Is that right or should I be pushing consciously forward?

Shri Babaji:

What I would advise, it is definitely troublesome in the beginning, because eyeballs move parallelly, it doesn’t come to one direction easily. You will be struggling and trying to locate the central position so that you can focus, and it keeps moving. When it gives a movement, it gives a jerk to the mind also, mind becomes more confused. So we advise, even do not bother about the central location also. Closing the eyes, try to see the front portion. Instead of getting other confusions, try to steady your eyeballs as much as possible. For that you need patience, slow and steady type; slow and steady wins the race. Patience, just keep it. Then keep watching the front portion without bothering whether there is darkness or light or anything. Then in due course of time, maybe five, six months, then it will come closer in one direction, then you will find more peace, like that you practice this skillfully.

Yeah, just watch the front portion. Don’t even bother about the central place. Don’t try to search anywhere, simple.

Questioner:

Namaste Babaji. The mind’s imprints last a long time, sometimes even a lifetime too, and beyond the life, I’m not sure. At the same time, compared to physical injury, physical injury can last only for a certain time, and even a scar can be treated with plastic surgery also. But not mind’s imprints. So how do we work on these mind’s imprints?

Shri Babaji:

That’s what, for the mind’s imprints, through the practice of meditation you just practice to watch and keep quiet, that means. When you do not analyze, then the mind’s imprints get washed away, evaporated, dissolves. So that is what is the surgery you have to do on yourself. Means you do not become bothered about the thought’s nature; whether it is good or bad, whether it is troublesome or not. At least you think, “During this meditation I don’t need this remembrance. We can deal with this later on” – like that you assure yourself and just go on watching. Just become a witness. You are not to get involved, just a witness. Like that you can get rid of the thoughts, it will be possible. That is the only way. You have to become quiet means you do not analyze or make any judgments when thoughts appear.

Questioner:

Beyond this meditation, in a normal life, because the human being is an emotional being, how is it handled?

Shri Babaji:

Acceptance, accept the things as it comes. Accept the situation as it is. You try your best to change if you need to change. Then when it goes beyond your capability… like a soldier will try to handle the situation to defend his country as long as he is alive and as long as there is a weapon in his hand. But once he gets killed, he is about to be killed, then he dies with satisfaction that he tried his best till the last moment to defend the country. Like that, we keep trying to keep quiet. Our mind, keep quiet, our mind; not to bother about anything till the last breath.

So when you are active also, accept the situation. You try, you want to do this; if it doesn’t happen, it’s okay. You want to earn some million dollars. You are unable to earn it, you are able to earn one thousand dollars, it’s okay. At the end of the day, you will go with “Okay”, you will not brood anything, such things. So we need an ashram. At the end of the day, if we don’t get an ashram, we will go under the tree, quietly, without any brooding, that type of practice. Slowly, slowly for smaller things if you practice, then bigger challenges also will be acceptable in life.

Questioner:

In Yoga Vasistha, Vasistha talks about having the senses under control and mastering the senses. I’m wondering what’s meant by that?

Shri Babaji:

Ah, here the mind is the main switch. What our Guru taught, “If you control the mind, that will control everything”. If the mind is under control, it won’t become a victim of any senses, any reflections, anything. It is all coming to you, sensory organs’ reflections, of the brain’s reflections. The mind catches and registers, then it becomes a victim. So, if you are controlling the mind – meditation is one thorough exercise. Any spiritual exercises at other times; if you are unable to sit for meditation all the time, you sit for one hour, two hour, whatever is possible. Other times, whenever possible, try to listen to devotional music or you try to sing. If you are working also, while working you try to repeat the Divine’s name. Try to keep it positively single pointed and engaged, so that it doesn’t become corrupted with wrong thoughts. So, these types of things can be helpful to keep the mind purified always. So that’s what Yoga Vasistha means. So, you try to keep it purified, not to become a victim of its own imaginations, is what is being advocated.

Questioner:

Namaste Babaji, two questions. The longer and intense I remain in the true stillness, through meditation or karma yoga, afterwards anger and frustration crop up. Why is this happening and what we can do about this?

Shri Babaji:

We should be satisfied with whatever effort that we put, and according to our capacity, that thing comes. Without getting frustrated, if necessary, as long as the body is there, you try again. If the thing is not happening, you should develop the attitude, “Till the last breath of life, I am not going to give up.” Then you remain enthusiastic till the last breath. Then that frustration has no place to come in between. Because you are enthusiastic, you are putting an effort. Continuously you are working out, you are working out.

Like a mission work we keep doing. So many things, negative things keep happening, enemies keep happening, evils come, they try to disturb our place in the ashram, they try to drive away us, they don’t allow us to work properly. You will be wondering, surprised if you see the life of a yogi also; it’s not a bed of roses in the ashram also. However, we don’t take anything to the mind. All the time I keep planning, some help comes, one help comes and that help goes away abusing us. Then we wait, another help comes, we take it, if no help is there, we keep working. Something we keep working; try, try, try, something happens. No place for frustration then.

So that’s how if you are positive always, putting an effort, enjoying and putting an effort, like playing a tennis match; you have not had won the match, but you are enjoying playing, hitting the ball. Keep hitting, that’s what putting an effort – you will never feel frustrated at all.

Questioner:

Thank you and I understand. It seems to be that every object, there’s an emotion attached. So it’s the mind or the brain attaching this emotion?

Shri Babaji:

Mind in touch with the brain’s reflections; if it refuses to accept the results, then it can become emotional. If it accepts the result, it calms down. So ultimately it is the mind which is getting into emotions, getting carried away with the emotion, “Why this is not happening?” Then it can come in the form of anger, in the form of frustration, in the form of worry, in the form of disappointment, it can take shape of anything, these are all the emotions.

But if the mind is okay, “It’s okay, no problem, it’s not coming, no problem.” Doctor tells, “No, you cannot live anymore, sorry, I have tried my best to give medicine.” Tell the doctor, “It’s okay, no problem, you have tried your best. If the body goes, let it go.” That will come one day, that is the highest. But if you accept in the small, small things, that also will come one day. This body has to go after all, it’s becoming seventy years old, now some problems are occurring. This naturally will occur, no frustration or no disappointment. Like that, if you go on working with enthusiasm, then the efforts will beat fruits, it will come.

Questioner:

Namaste, Babaji. So, I wanted to ask you, I have a neurological problem, I get seizures at night. So, I feel a little scared to meditate too much because I feel it’s creating strain on my brain when I focus too much here. Once when I was meditating, then after one or two hours, I got a seizure. So, I don’t know if it’s related to the meditation, but I don’t know if you can help me out.

Shri Babaji:

What you can do is sit down, cool down, relax, mentally relax. Just close the eyes, do not bother about the central portion also. Try to feel yourself. Try to feel yourself, like that. So then other thoughts can vanish. Then peace descends, then you will not feel that stress or the load. Because when the mind is in a rush to concentrate here in between eyebrows, so you are trying to force it unknown to you, then this stress can happen. So instead of that, whenever you sit down, relax, take a long inhale and exhale whenever necessary. It can bring down the restlessness of the mind, and then try to feel yourself, simply. Try to sit as long as possible. After ten, fifteen minutes if you feel the stress, again, open the eyes if necessary, take a long inhale and exhale again, and cool down again. Then again close the eyes and try to feel like that. Then you can increase the time. You will feel relaxed. The load will not be there. And you don’t have to worry. In fact, meditation will help you to overcome those seizures or any such thing. Slowly, when the mind cools down, it gets detached from its load on the brain. So that will be helpful to the brain also. If necessary, pray to God also; like that your mind can cool down.

Questioner:

Pranams Babaji. You have said the mind is made up of consciousness and energy. And mind is also infinite. None of us have seen and we cannot show it to anybody. So in other words, is mind part of space itself, when you say mind is consciousness?

Shri Babaji:

Exactly, yes. Mind’s Ultimate Truth is the space. Because just now, we know it as space because we don’t know much about it. We have accepted it as a void place. But when you practice meditation and eventually achieve the samadhi, then you will be able to see the all-pervadedness of the consciousness or the mind, which would have become pure consciousness; that is nothing but the space.

Because based on this only, particularly for anybody who had read Yoga Vasistha, he repeatedly talks “That truth exists in itself.” Other terminologies like omnipresent, it’s all-pervaded, many scriptures might talk, but this Yoga Vasistha, it talks, “That thing that exists in itself.” Only space has this quality which exists in itself. It doesn’t need anything else. You remove the entire universe, the space is there. It exists. It doesn’t need anything for its existence. Whereas the rest of everything, all universe needs space.

Questioner:

In the past I’ve meditated in my own methods. And I’ve done as you have said. And I’ve reached the point in that first time the meditation happened, where I could not feel my senses. I could not feel my body. And my body temperature was very high. And I was at the point that I could feel myself dying in the state. But I was very dizzy, very dizzy. And I had to stop because of the fear.

Shri Babaji:

You see, a simple meditation will not make [that]. For example, you told that you are not aware of the body, yet you are aware that body temperature was very high. That means the consciousness was on the body. Maybe due to some other reason; when the mind becomes concentrated, body warms up. It is likely to be warm, body. This happens. So, at that time, if you experience such giddiness, then open your eyes, get up and wash your face, take a long inhale and exhale after breath, taking out slowly for 2-3 minutes, then cool down and sit again. And slowly, skillfully watch again by closing the eyes, slowly. So, it will be alright.

Questioner:

What about the sensation of death or dizziness? Or is it just because of the ego?

Shri Babaji:

The sensation of death is only an imagination of the mind; that ‘I am dying’. Actual death, there is no sensation. You become unconscious totally. That’s what the truth is. When death happens, an unconsciousness happens to the consciousness, before it goes into next incarnation.

Questioner:

This is the first time I could sit for one hour in meditation. I am a beginner and to just help me get to this point, I am trying every sense to get there. But like you rightly said, it is very difficult to get to this place. So, right now I am using the top of the nostril to sense the inward breath. Is this the right spot? [points to in between eyebrows]

Shri Babaji:

Yeah, this is the right spot, in between eyebrows, here. Yeah, where you are putting the finger.

Questioner:

But I am using a sense to get there, a sensation of the breath to get there. Otherwise, it is very difficult to get a sensation of this place. As you rightly said…

Shri Babaji:

If you are able to do it easily, you can do like that, it is no problem. Take the help of the breath and then concentrate, and try to continue as comfortably as it’s possible for you.

Questioner:

Yes, thank you very much. I know the answer is the practice. With your blessings I will be able to do that, and thank you very much for coming in the form of a blessing. Thank you Guruji.

End of Session