0:00 Introduction
0:14 Babaji explains the quote “You are more than you imagine, know your true Self”
2:00 When consciousness come in contact with the brain, does that create the ‘I am’ sense?
3:10 Is the spiritual journey simply a shifting of our consciousness of what is in the mind to the watcher?
4:08 What can we do during the day, besides meditation, to bring our attention to the Self?
6:08 What is happening in the ‘now’ moment?
7:18 Why do imaginations seem to spring up automatically?
7:55 Can hearing the truth take away all doubts?
10:52 How to break the myths in the mind
12:32 Lust and greed
17:46 How to dissolve the samskaras
22:05 How to figure out what to do next in life
23:25 Can working intensely in our everyday lives be like a tapas for us?
25:22 How to get back to single-pointed focus in meditation
27:52 Is it possible to achieve total celibacy in meditation?
29:00 Is the world happening at random?
34:30 Is purification of the mind in meditation the same as balancing karma?
36:41 Is 1 hour a day enough meditation?

Thus Spake Babaji, Online Q&A – No.57

Recorded on 18 July 2021 with US Participants

Questioner:

Earlier we had a picture of You up, and it had the saying, ‘You are more than you imagine, know your true Self.’ Would you explain what you mean by ‘You are more than you imagine, know your true Self?’

Babaji:

Generally, the consciousness of the Soul is stuck into the body by being attached to the brain. So thus it would have given everybody a consciousness of themselves as this physical body. Now if we see to this physical body, it is limited, its existence period is also limited, its total health also is limited. Though we might try to keep it as healthy as possible, but it is limited. So that is when we try to tell, ‘Beyond the birth and death of this physical body, you are that Immortal Soul.’

So thus, also I have used the sentence, ‘You are more than what you might be imagining, or you are imagining.’ So, that is that first thing to tell, that you are that Soul – or ‘That’ to be more precise – the Ultimate Truth.

Same Questioner:

So Baba, when the consciousness comes in contact with the brain, is that what creates the ‘I am’ sense?

Babaji:

Yes. That sense, and also not only it creates the ‘I am’ sense, it also fools the one not showing that ‘consciousness of existence’ exactly, instead a form is shown. 

Just like on a blackboard something is written, so I try to brainwash, “Can you look at this blackboard, this is what you are”, whereas you are having a human body, you are sitting at a distance and watching the blackboard. Like that, the consciousness also gets fooled by the brain’s reflections about the Self, itself. It starts considering physical body as the Self. So it limits itself in a narrow minded way.

Same Questioner:

So, essentially Baba the spiritual journey is simply shifting our consciousness from what appears in the mind onto the watcher?

Babaji:

Yeah, the attention shifting, from the physical body to the Real Self. That’s the return journey as we like to call also.

Same Questioner:

So last week, or last call, I mentioned something that I kind of realized, that sadhana was simply managing our attention. And so the whole spiritual practice is really about putting your attention back on yourself as the consciousness of existence.

Babaji:

Yes, exactly.

Same Questioner:

So besides meditation what can we do during our waking day to get our attention to be on the Self?

Babaji:

Other techniques are when you practice acceptance.

As I have told if you are going to be active during the whole day, so you plan and you work out, you plan to achieve something and then you start working for that. But when the result comes – so before that, don’t go into any type of imaginations about the result – just remain quiet and accept the results as it comes. Then the mind becomes quiet and recedes.

So this makes automatically the attention to shift off the mind from being on the thoughts and visions that it had been imagining, to itself.

Same Questioner:

So essentially that’s just another way of saying of staying in the moment, staying present?

Babaji:

Exactly. It is.

Same questioner:

Just working and watching, without getting caught in all the thinking.

Babaji:

Yeah, this is what we also tell, the mind is either brooding about the past or is anxious about the future, but the meditation neutralizes the mind and brings it to the now, present. So the future and past, they both disappear – they are only in the memory of the mind, in the visualization of the mind.

Same Questioner:

So most of us are living in either a memory or an imagination of the future. 

Babaji:

Yes. [chuckling and giving a thumbs-up]

Same questioner:

Okay, [chuckling] thank You, Baba.

Same Questioner:

So Baba, I wanted to continue with that. I was thinking about this too this week, of memory is in the mind and imagination is in the mind, and this this ‘now’ moment. So what is happening in the ‘now’ moment? Are we still in the mind? Where is the now moment?

Babaji:

We just exist, we just exist. When just exist – not doing anything – you have that peace, Supreme Peace. So as long as you are trying to do something through the mind with the future or past, it cannot remain in the present. So giving up this when you come to present, peace descends. 

So naturally, automatically, any anxiousness – the imagination about the future brings in anxiousness, and brooding about the past brings in unwanted pain, or any such thing – so all these gets stopped and you are there, and you just have peace.

Same Questioner:

It seems like memory is a choice, to remember something, but imagination seems like it springs up automatically. Like when you say, “Don’t imagine anything,” it doesn’t sometimes feel like a choice, it feels like it just springs up.

Babaji:

Yeah, that’s what the mind has become habitual into, so it springs up. That is what one needs to stop. That is why the technique of ‘just watch.’

Same Questioner:

So I have one other question Baba, You’ve said in the past to ask questions so that you don’t have any doubts. I’m assuming that the doubts that we are stuck in the brain thinking that we’re a body, but my question to You is what are these doubts, and can hearing the truth actually take away all doubts?

Babaji:

Yes. That is the reason after we completed our Tapas as ordained by the Guru, we decided that we will take the Mission into this direction  – apart from teaching the meditation we will give sufficient time substantially for people to ask questions, and with all affection and care we’ll start answering. 

Because, when you close the eyes and try to meditate, when any thoughts and visions come, mind is unable to keep quiet. It keeps on, “Why this, why not this, what if it doesn’t happen, what if it happens?” Like the past brooding happens, “Why did it happen so? Why didn’t something else not happen? Why did I allow it to happen, or somebody made it to happen?” Like this, it gets involved into millions of thoughts. But future, “What if it happens like this? What if it doesn’t happen like this, then what will happen?” So thus it jumps into anxiousness. That is the basic thing. 

So to stop this only, we try to answer about the truth based on our experience using the nearest imagination to reduce such doubts and fill the seeker with more confidence – just keep going, to give that understanding – all you have to do is just watch. Don’t bother about anything, rest is all settled, it is all done. Like that. Like I try to remind, when making you all to sit for meditation – relax, forget about the world, everything can be attended after the meditation is over, not in the midst of meditation. That’s what the thoughts come.

Same Questioner:

Thank you Baba. The first meditation my mind was very active, and I could see when You said, on the second meditation you said, “Don’t even worry about it, just relax. It doesn’t matter if your minds thinking,” and the second meditation was really peaceful and settled. So thank You for that, Thank You.

Questioner:

Okay Baba, the more I meditate, the more I realize that I’m living a myth. And that all stories and plays, everything is a myth, and in my mind. So are we creating a myth, or should we never have a myth? I know we’re energy, and atoms and music. So my question is, I just feel like I’m breaking myths. And I don’t know what myth is going to happen next.

Babaji:

When you go on breaking the myths means all illusions which never existed is given up. That is what happens, myths breaking means. So then you would not create any further myths if you continue meditation. Once for all, one day the meditation finishes all myths, and brings you face-to-face to the Truth. So when it becomes totally silent, when there are no more myths means, no more imaginations. As long as there is an imagination, so there is a myth always. 

Now, remember, you stick to one myth – there is a Guru called Baba and He’s telling you the Truth and you just follow that. So you stick to this one myth so that you can break all other myths. And finally I will help you to break this myth also, don’t worry. [Chuckling]

Same Questioner:

Okay, thank You. [Chuckling]

Baba, thank You for being with us, it’s always a great gift and a pleasure, it’s wonderful. When You talk about simply watching, and then if you just watch, eventually those thoughts will disappear. It’s a little contrary to this other thing that I’ve experienced, so let me give you an example. 

In the in the realm of lust, there’s lust for power, there’s lust for prestige, there’s lust for money, and then there’s also sexual lust. So if I’m thinking about something material, that I want to have like a boat, and I just watch, chances are that those thoughts will eventually disappear and just consciousness remains. 

But in the realm of lust, sexual lust, my experience has been the opposite. Maybe it’s because there’s such a physical charge involved, you know, so when I’m thinking about a sexual thought, what I tend to do is just push it away rather than just watch because it doesn’t seem like I have that same effectiveness of just watching, it just makes it gets bigger. So could you speak about that, please?

Babaji:

I’ll try to explain one thing about this lust and greed that happens. You know, it is the Soul which is in the form of mind which imagines and induces the physical body to get into such an action. Whereas, whatever the body gets due to its imagination or actions, whether there’s any worldly objects, any bodily enjoyment or anything, scientifically if one day you all observe through deeper meditation, the mind or the Soul in other words, that which is the Real Self – can never really enjoy actually any object matter of this world or the physical body. 

Because it is there with imagination and its enjoyment is also only with imagination. It feels as if that enjoyment is happening to it, whereas nothing is happening to that. So thus, in imagination when the consciousness is sucked. 

Just like suppose you enjoy a movie. You have nothing to do with the movie, even as the Soul or the mind also, you are not at all touching anything of the movie. It is simply an illusion that is being projected and that is being played on the screen. Watching that the mind, consciousness tries to enjoy in imagination. So this is the truth. 

You eat a piece of cake that you are holding in the hand, and the mouth eats and it goes to the body. At the most it may sustain the body. But it doesn’t help the Soul at all – the Soul doesn’t need it for its enjoyment. It has temporarily lost the peace and acquired this lust and greed, because of only continuous habitual imaginations about such things. 

So this is what is My opinion, and this can be stopped only by strong, regular, consistent practice of meditation. Wherein, apart from you shifting the attention, you are taking control of yourself also. You can restrain, you can Realize the Truth – because you already are contented, you already are very happy, and you already are at peace, Supreme Peace – then you don’t need anything else to give such Peace. Unnecessarily you are wasting an energy. 

So when this Realization comes, then you will go for the need, you won’t be greedy anymore. You will give that necessary food to sustain the physical body in this world, and you won’t become greedy to eat hundred pieces of cake. Like that. 

That can be achieved through the practice of meditation. This is what the advice and my comment on these lust and greed things.

Same questioner:

Alright. Thank You Baba, I’ll work on it.

Questioner:

I understand the larger picture of the meditation and consciousness and all You’re telling Me and how to stay in the present – but these samskaras… Can You talk more about how to dissolve these samskaras? The ones that are thick are so thick and so powerful, so what else can I do?

Babaji:

Yeah, I understand. Now I will try to comment on this. 

So well, before commenting I would appeal to all participants; I am not against anybody living in this world – that’s very important. What one needs to understand is only the temporary phase of this world – that is what our teachings is. We don’t blame the world, we don’t blame anybody if they want to live in the world. 

Well now, mind, while remaining ignorant of the Real Self and the capabilities of the Real Self, have forgotten long time, had got attracted to this world, life after life since time immemorial. 

Just like, an example is the emperors son, the prince. But temporarily, son forgets that he is emperor’s son and gets attracted to the gate watchman, and goes on wanting to become a gate watchman. And then he imagines, ‘My enjoyment is in this watchman, becoming a watchman’. Whereas he could have enjoyed being the son of an emperor. That is what the connection of you with the Soul, and you with the world happens. 

The moment, or one day when your mind’s inner layers realizes that you belong to the Divine, you are One with the Divine, you are not the worm that has been created to suffer in this world. To be happy, to be at Supreme Peace is your existence right. Not even for a moment that you have to suffer, if only you Realize the Truth about yourself. 

After this, means now you meditate, you practice, you achieve one day Self Realization, so forth, then you can continue to live the same normal life that you are living now. Then also, whether it happens or not you will always be happy, at peace, because you have Realized the Self. It doesn’t matter whether you become a gate watchman or not, because you have realized you are the son of an emperor. So that’s what happens.

So nobody will blame if you still want to be a gate watchman, but you know that you are just playing a role of a gate watchman but actually you are the son of the emperor. That will give you enormous peace, Supreme Peace at all times, and anything happening as the gate watchman will not disturb your peace for any time. It will not give you, it will only be temporary. 

So thus, you catch hold of Baba – and that is your faith. Not as this physical body I’m talking – that Baba which is your total faith – don’t give up that faith. That will take you out of this illusion of the fog and all such things.

Questioner:

Hey Baba, thanks for taking my question. So I have a question, and it is what’s the best way to figure out what’s the next thing you should do in your life, and in general what you should do with the rest of your life?

Babaji:

As the things come, you just learn to face. Because you don’t have to visualize, you don’t know what’s going to happen next. But you don’t have any confusion, you will be ready to face whatever comes. Just like a soldier is in the battlefield. Next moment he doesn’t know whether the other’s sword will pierce him or whether he will pierce the other enemy. But he has no confusion, he doesn’t bother; whatever happens he’s just ready to face it. 

So this world is also like that – battlefield. Whatever comes you just face it, you will learn – when you meditate you will never be confused, you will never be afraid, you are not scared anymore –  you have your peace and contentment, you’ll just go on doing whatever comes your way. 

Same Questioner:

Thank you.

Questioner:

Thank you very much for all Your profound guidance and wisdom to us. The last session You talked about Tapas and sadhana, and it’s my, or is our understanding correct, that Tapas in a way is next highest – while we are doing the sadhana we must also have Tapas as the means to Self Realization? 

And when You gave Your example, or You were asked if the service to your Guru was the Tapas, and You said it was. And then my question is, we who are living in this world, New York, California, Washington, wherever it is with our busy lives, if we are doing our work with full commitment to the Divine, to the Self, being conscious of that and working very intensely in our day to day activities, be it university or whatever, then is that also, can that become a Tapas for us?

Babaji:

Yes, provided you just remember these couple of points. You do every work total dedicatedly whether anybody appreciates or not. Do not expect anything from anybody from this world, you just do it for the sake of doing it, that is all, you don’t have any other expectations. Then your mind will remain at peace, and the Divine will Grace upon you to get the Self Realization eventually.

Questioner:

I had a question about watching the mind during meditation. I find that every day the meditation is not the same. Some days, it comes easier than other days, and certain days the mind may be peaceful and very focused, and if I look there, I can look there and I can connect. But there are many days where that does not happen. Mind seems disturbed for various external reasons. So my question was, I know that You said that you get up for some time, you know, take a break, drink some water, come back. That may not work very well for me, I may get distracted and may not come back and sit though I want to sit. Is there any other way I could get back to focus? And just by sitting, what is the most effective way, should I talk to the mind, or should I just pray to the Guru? I just want to connect back to the one-pointedness, I’m looking for that.

Babaji:

One idea is, even if you need to get up to have a glass of water, but during that time remember that your Guru is standing there with a cane, if you don’t come back and sit He is going to cane you. [questioner laughing]  Then you will become serious, come back and run back, “Oh my God, Swamiji is going to kill me if I don’t sit, I will have to!” You will give up everything and then sit down. 

So something like that will be helpful. Like to whichever figure, like you are devoted to Swamiji, so you always remember that He is there to slap you all the time, so then you won’t dare give up the meditation. 

So then continue with the same technique, just watch, let it happen. Then think to yourself, ‘We can attend to any work after the meditation is over, just now I have to relax during meditation, not to bother about this world, we can bother afterwards, there is so much of time is there we can do.’ 

Like that you think and convince yourself, assure yourself, then you will be able to continue the meditation.

Same Questioner:

We need your grace Babaji.

Babaji:

Definitely, we’ll pray for you.

Questioner:

So my question is, is it possible to achieve total celibacy with meditation?

Babaji:

Yes, it is possible. Because through the practice of meditation you will take control of yourself, you will gain that self-restraint practice. So that willpower increases, “This is not the thing, this is not needed, so this is needed, so we’ll take up more meditation, more and more meditation.” 

So thus it will be possible if you continue meditation, you will become more stronger and stronger. That is the important thing. You might be able to stop the whole world, but if you are unable to stop yourself, you cannot stop anything – that’s what the Teaching is. So you will gain, you will be able to stop yourself. So you continue to practice meditation more vigorously.

Same questioner:

Thank you, I seek Your blessings.

Babaji:

We’ll pray for you.

Questioner:

Baba pranam, thank You so much. I hope it’s not too late, but my question is quick. I was thinking Baba, in this world a lot of things that sound like following rules, like Earth is rotating, perfectly it takes 24 hours around the sun. There are other scientific laws that work no matter what. And there are other things that sound very random, like you know, all of a sudden flood happens, some people die in an accident, or some people always tend to have some problems. 

My question is, is there some kind of scientific rules that govern this world, or is it very random? In other words, what we are trying to achieve and do every day, if we follow certain principles and guidelines, everybody can achieve or be what they want to be? Or there are external forces that can prevent some people from becoming or doing things that others can achieve quickly. I hope I’m clear.

Babaji:

Yes, yes, and now pay attention. The entire creation is running at random. Why? It is impermanent. 

Today, it might appear to us that Earth is rotating on its axis for 24 hours and 365 days. Some time ago I read an article, scientist telling some several billions of years ago the Earth was rotating more faster than what it is today, it was rotating at 22 hours per day, in now what it is rotating 24 hours. And then it used to rotate for more than 400 days to come one round around the Sun. Slowly it has decreased-decreased-decreased and at random now it is running at 24 hours. Not necessary that tomorrow and the next billion years it has to be running like this only. 

Thus it is impermanent. We can call it at random only, it is just running, as long as it goes on. Everything in this world. Nothing is governed that it has to happen like this only.

What is possible is the mind’s power. When you develop your willpower, when you do not give up doing a certain thing, that happens, that is the reality – that will not be at random. When you decide, ‘I must meditate,’ when you decide, ‘I must go and join Babaji’s zoom classes,’ that you will make it possible. It’s your willpower, and it induces you to act upon, so you will do it. 

So that is how this Universe is running. The law is a law – it is neither scientific nor spiritual. Terminologies we have used. When we become used to science, everything we want to call, ‘Oh, it is more scientific,’ means our criteria is to tell it is more realistic. Whether it we use the terminology spiritual or scientific, actually the more realistic is the word, or the criteria that has to come. So that is what really happened. ‘More scientific class’, we keep talking. 

So all laws are there, not that it is a scientific law. Like for example, nearly 120 years ago, the flying machine was invented. Only the flying machine was invented, but the flying theory itself was always there – it was discovered that we can fly. So it is neither spiritual nor scientific. It is simply there. 

Like this world is there. If a scientist looks into this world he may use his own terminologies based on his own cultural background. If a poet sees this world he may compose a poetry based on his own culture and background. So if it’s a spiritual Saint or a poet, a devotional poet, he will use his own terminologies. That’s how the truth happens. 

So finally, this Universe is impermanent, it is happening at random. Like our heart itself is beating at random, it can stop any moment. There is no such rule that it’s not going to stop for the next 100,000 years, who knows? But – mind, the soul’s power is there, that willpower can work – that is realistic. Then when you practice meditation, you gain that power, that will power, as we were discussing for the previous question of self-restraint: this becomes possible, you gain that willpower. 

So this is my opinion, after practicing the meditation and Tapas. 

Same questioner:

Thank You Baba.

Babaji:

My blessings.

Questioner:

Baba..

Babaji:

Yeah.

Same Questioner:

Baba, thank You so much for this class. I really appreciate Your assistance always. My question is, meditation purifies the mind, and I feel that I have had effects of that, but I’m wondering how that links up with balancing karma. And is that the same thing, or is that a different topic? In other words, if the mind is purified there could still be karma to balance?

Babaji:

See, balancing karma means whatever the mind had acquired karma it had visualized and induced. Just before you were born, in the previous life itself you had visualized, and that had taken shape of the desires in the mind. So that is happening. 

Now, when you practice meditation you stop the future, the mind stops visualizing, it stops acquiring any further karmas. Simply it will undergo whatever had been done previously. So that also the mind will not notice or bother – it will overlook and ignore, it will simply keep going. 

Like for example, so I’m going on this earth teaching this Awareness. So in the midst if I fall ill or if any suffering comes, if any trouble comes, no problem, I will continue my work. So that was karma of the previous. Like a Yogi has stopped the future karmas, the previous ones will all go even for a Yogi also, for a divine also, anybody who is born. 

So we are scared and fearful of facing the world. That’s why this karma we are confused. Otherwise, there is no such thing that we have to stop. If we meditate, we can definitely balance the karma and stop the future.

Same Questioner:

Okay. I also had a feeling that an hour a day isn’t enough meditation, and I wasn’t sure. It seems like, gee, when You were doing Your extended period of meditation, and You were doing say 20 hours a day, that’s like us meditating one hour a day for a month. And it just seems so pathetically small.

Babaji:

You don’t have to feel like that. If you are active in the world, if you are able to do only one hour meditation, all other times you adopt the method that your mind simply accepts the thing as it happens, acceptance also can give a beautiful meditation. 

You go on working – whatever desire is there, whatever you want to achieve – you just go on working. If the result doesn’t happen according to your expectation also, simply accept that. So, ‘I was destined to have this, let me not bother too much.’ Because if thoughts arise, the thoughts become obstacles. So if you don’t allow the thoughts to arise, there is no obstacle for the mind to become quiet and be meditative all the time, so your meditation can automatically increase. Like this, when acceptance comes it gets converted into meditation.

Same Questioner:

Thank you, thank you, that’s very helpful. I appreciate that. Thank you.

Babaji:

You are welcome, My blessings.

Host:

Thank You Babaji, times up for this meeting.

Babaji:

Wonderful. Thank you and Victoria for helping me to conduct these classes. And I appreciate deeply all your participation, taking out your precious time, and I hope you enjoyed the Q&A sessions and meditations also. I enjoyed being with you all. All my love and blessings.

End of Session