Recorded on 12th December 2024 with Malaysian participants.

0:00 Intro
0:20 Viveka Choodamani Chapter 4, Verse 17
2:55 With constant meditation, will the mind slowly recede and start detaching from the worldly illusion, and start longing for Liberation?
13:04 When in Babaji’s presence, the mind is peaceful and the longing for Liberation grows but when we are back to our daily lives, we get consumed by our responsibilities and the longing for Liberation lessens.
20:32 In ancient scriptures there are instances when Self Realized masters lost control of their mental desires and emotions. How is this possible?
26:36 Viveka Choodamani Chapter 11, Verse 56
27:52 How to stay sustained in our daily sadhana and eventually attain Liberation?
35:23 What is the concept of Advaita and how to gradually move from duality to non-duality?
41:32 What is the analogy of the earthen pots as individuals within the space?
45:32 Viveka Choodamani Chapter 11, Verse 57 & 58
46:49 We know how crucial our daily sadhana is yet we sometimes slip – why is this?
54:26 Why is the Truth bitter? Is it because we are always looking for quick solutions or an easy way out?

‘Viveka Choodamani, Crest Jewel of Discrimination’ by Adi Shankara and with commentary by Shri Babaji is available both as a physical copy and digital copy.

Eligibility of the Disciple | In Quest of Truth – Q&A with Babaji, No. 207

YouTube link: https://youtu.be/9_SkqOInVhQ
Recorded on 12 December 2024 with Malaysian participants

Questioner:

Today’s question, Babaji, is also a continuation from the book, ‘Viveka Choodamani’. Can I proceed to read the question, Babaji?

Shri Babaji:

Yes, yes, now it’s better.

Questioner:

Verse 17, chapter 4 – ‘Eligibility of the disciple’.

Meaning: That one alone is qualified to seek Liberation who has discrimination, whose mind has turned away from the unreal things of the world, who possesses tranquility and the other kindred virtues and longs for Liberation from the illusion of worldliness.

Babaji, your comment.
“The really wise shall not waste their energies in petty politics and quarrels of this world. They shall not indulge in wasting their mental energies but conserve them for sadhana. Their efforts would always be to keep the attention on the Self that is Reality. They do not seek false pride, do not feel humiliated, and do not indulge in arrogant arguments. They are wise for they shall not indulge in sensory pleasure attachments. They are wise for they shall not indulge in destructive activities like cheating, boasting and petty politics. They are wise for they pay total attention to the Guru’s teachings and adopt them to do sadhana. They are wise for they shall not waste their mental energies in telling petty lies. Such ones only can apply right wisdom and keep their minds quietly absorbed in sadhana.”

A continuation of the comment.
 “Gurudev used to tell, “Come to me as a devotee and disciple, forget that you are a business person, forget that you are royal and rich, forget that you are an officer and powerful – then you shall be benefited for you would be able to pay attention to my teachings.” They are wise for they should not feel insecure and should not behave like animals with greed, anger, false pride and jealousy. They can become fit for Liberation. They are wise for they shall surrender at the Lotus Feet of the Guru and learn everything that the Guru wants to teach. They are wise for they shall not be excitable and impatient; they shall be composed, kind and forgiving. They are wise for they shall be longing for Liberation always.”

Question one, Babaji, does this mean with constant meditation, the mind will slowly recede and will start detaching itself from these worldly illusions and only when you start longing for Liberation, you are on the right path of spirituality?

Shri Babaji:

Yeah, definitely. That’s what, though whatever in the comment that we have mentioned might appear a bit harsh for the people of this world, well, Swamiji Himself never expected that anybody would run away to forest or caves. He advocated remaining in your way of life. Say for example, if you are a householder or anyone, no need to feel disappointed. Slowly, within the mind, if at all there are cravings, let the cravings be for Liberation so that you don’t get involved into the birth and death sphere of illusions. For that, what are the methods you have to adopt? Even by being a householder, one can be observing all those conditions that we have told. A general ‘arishadwarga’ is explained always, the ‘six common enemies of human mind’. If one can understand these six things, the rest all comes under that heading only, whatever long in the comments that I have written. ‘Extreme greediness, ‘kama’, and ‘extreme anger’ is the ‘krodha’. ‘Lobha’ is ‘extreme stinginess’ and ‘extreme attachment to the impermanent, unreal world and false pride’, and ‘jealousy’. These are the six shapes of human mind that the great sages always explain; whoever have got these in their mind, their mind will be the first casualty. They will not be able to progress in the spiritual path.

However, one need not lose heart or hope. Whatever, you start beginning. That’s why Swamiji first said, “First at least try to practice one hour of meditation. When you are doing meditation, you have to do it sincerely. Just watch in between eyebrows and don’t allow the mind to imagine unnecessary unwanted things. Think, reassure yourself, “These things can be attended after we come out of the meditation. No need to be thinking about or worrying about, craving about these things during meditation”. That much simple also, if you understand, and slowly you become devoted to the Guru, to the Divinity, to Liberation, these things that you fall in love. Mean as you go on living in the world, you will notice many places, many, many places, your involvement might be too much more than that is necessary. That’s what amounts to a greed and anger, extreme anger, or extreme materialistic attachment.

See, to live in this world, everybody needs a livelihood. That is understandable. So, to be in this modern time, we won’t tell anybody to run away from homes and become a monk. “Even after becoming a monk also, if the mind is greedy, what is the use?” That’s what Swamiji used to tell. So, slowly, slowly, little by little, wherever you need, go for that need only; take care that your mind does not become greedy. For that Swamiji’s beautiful example, I have time and again been telling of, having twelve bananas. “You eat two, you eat four, you eat six bananas. How much are you going to eat? At least, other six you distribute to others.” In such a simple way, all these comments, what I have written, Swamiji used to tell in this one sentence. That also if people understand will be good enough.

Just meditate and live your normal life, eat whatever you want. Slowly, as your mind progresses in meditation, you will understand what are your needs, where you have been a greedy person that you can always reduce, and cultivate more yearning for Liberation. Means, in other words, sincerity. When you tell, “I want to progress on the spirituality, I want Liberation”. Sincerity; there must be sincerity in you, that you mean business, you really want to do it. You really want to meditate every day. You really want to take the master’s guidance, master’s satsanga, company of the master, to be in that satsanga. That much if you do, that will slowly help you to progress. Overnight you don’t have to give up anything.

Like, in primary school, your examination strength will be much less, a little bit if you read and you pass. Then as you come to middle school, high school and college, university, the strength of the examination increases. Means, the amount of test that you have to face, the amount of preparation in reading to pass in a college, in a university, in a specialization, how much dedicate you have to. You cannot simply afford that whole day, eight hours, ten hours you are with the mobile phone and just try to sit for half an hour, and then say, “I could not prepare anything properly.” That means you were not interested. You need to be interested. If you are interested, you will do it. So, for the last five years, we are doing these Zoom classes. Before that, twenty years, I have been teaching meditation wherever I have gone. I have conducted meditation class, then we started conducting retreats, participating in all this. And you get one hour, like in this Zoom class also, you are given one hour totally now. In that one hour, how much sincerely you are just watching is what matters. Then you will get.

Somebody had written a question that in one of Swamiji’s books it is written that Swamiji guaranteed samadhi in this lifetime if you meditate. So, that person said “Is it really guaranteed samadhi if I meditate?” He said, “Yes.” Definitely He meant it. It was true what He said, but meditate means what? Not simply sitting for one hour, and then you claim that “I have meditated one hour, I should get to samadhi.” But if you are not watching, if you are not meditating at all, if you are thinking, chatterbox,  how do you expect that you will get into samadhi? You must practice by the way that Swamiji had taught. The instructions are given like a command every time. Today, also, I said, “Gently sitting in any comfortable posture, gently close your eyes, keep your back and neck straight and just keep watching in between eyebrows. Relax, and do not repeat any mantra. Do not imagine about anything.” Time and again, I have explained, “If I hold some substance in my hand and ask you just watch this, just watch. Don’t think whether it is black or red, what it is, or to whom it belongs, don’t think all those things, just watch it. Use it to watch. That’s what the watching means, then your mind becomes quiet, all thoughts will dissolve, then samadhi can be guaranteed.”

Many students think they are very clever, they think, “If I meditate, is samadhi guaranteed?” They ask rudely with the master. Yes, it is guaranteed, provided you meditate. That’s what Janaka said to Ashtavakra, “Is samadhi, is the Self-Realization guaranteed by the time I sit on the horseback?” “Yes, it is guaranteed, provided you lose your arrogance that you are a king. Come down the throne”, He asked. “Then when I teach, you have to pay up attention.”

When I am answering, this question is not just for Monisha. It is for all the sixty, seventy, how many participants are there; for all of them, and for all those who get a chance to see this on the video, in YouTube, or anywhere that this will be posted eventually. It is for all of them. If they all pay attention what I am trying to convey, so then they will all succeed in meditating. That’s what is needed. And then obey the command. “If I tell just watch, you watch. If you are unable to watch, it is not my problem, it is your problem.” Ashtavakra told Janaka, “Don’t think that you are king and you can do anything with me. First, you are not a king, I am the king now. You must obey me.” That is what a master does. So, students think they are very clever, but they should understand what is needed, then samadhi is guaranteed. That’s some of the points of these commentaries that we have been discussing.

Questioner:

Thank you, Babaji. Babaji, can I proceed with the next question for the same verse? Question two, Babaji. When we are in your divine presence during prayers or during yatras, the mind is more peaceful and the longing for Liberation grows within. However, when we are back to our materialistic reality, we get consumed with our daily lives and responsibilities. The longing for Liberation is lesser. Why is this so Babaji?

Shri Babaji:

Ramakrishna Paramahamsa used to tell beautifully, “You go with the dirty clothes, you have not washed your dirty clothes for months together. It is bad, foul smelling. You take out the coat and put it on a tree, go to river Ganga, the holy river and have a bath. Then you consider that you have become purified, come back and then you wear the same dirty old coat. Then all the dirt engulfs your body. How do you think that you would have become purified?” In the same way, when you sit with the Master, when the Master is talking, that talking is upadesha, teaching, simply not talking. It is the teachings that the Master is giving based on the experiences, what his Master has taught. So, then you have to pay apt attention that it enters the innermost layers of the mind, that you shall not forget forever.

Today Swamiji has left his physical body; it was more than thirty years ago. But whatever one-one sentence also He told, it keeps ringing in our ears all the time. I remember every moment because we paid apt attention. There was hardly anything that I had to tell Swamiji or ask Swamiji. I just used to wait; “What is it that Swamiji wants to convey, my Guru?” When He uttered one sentence, my mind used to take, click and it used to put into the folder. It is there, it never goes away, Swamiji’s teaching. So, that’s what is needed to every student when the master is teaching. So many times we repeat the teaching.

So, if you observe, you will not forget even after going back from my presence also, you will feel my presence if you are really devoted. That devotion if you had, you will feel that I am in your heart and whatever I have been talking, it comes to your mind. “Oh, this is what the master was teaching.” And that atmosphere will not go. That yearning will not go. All the time you will be yearning. “When will the next chance to see the master come? When will the next chance to sit with Him in the Zoom come?” Those people who live at a long distance, they don’t get chance to see me physically every now and then. They are yearning and longing will be more. Those people who might be very close to me physically, they take it very lightly. “Oh, Baba is here in Dehradun only. We can go any day. Whole month is here. Some other day I’ll just go and I’ll sit with him for one hour and then come back.” Then you forget about Him, because you take it granted that Babaji is in the town. But when Babaji goes away and you are unable to see Babaji. It will be two years I have not been able to come to Malaysia.

Those people who have not been able to come to India to see me, if they really love Babaji, imagine their yearning. They would be longing, “Oh, God, it’s so disappointing. Babaji could not come. Why Babaji did not come? What happened?” Speculations. So many things keep happening. Destiny works sometimes, it’s like that. Not always there this physical body, we keep telling. When today I am here and when I’m talking, pay your attention, absorb the truth, then you can win. So that is what is needed.

So, if you wear the same old mind, allow it to run away to the shopping complex after going away from Babaji, it will roam in the shopping complex. It won’t absorb the teachings of Babaji. “Oh, God, when will this old man chant a shloka to wake us up?” It’s very torturesome thoughts in the mind if you keep thinking. If you just keep watching, it will be so pleasurable. You won’t like to get up from the meditation at all. So that is what is needed. Then, “Look for me in your heart,” I tell everyone. “I am always with you. Don’t forget that it is not this physical form only –  always with you”. Then if you feel, then your yearning will be there, your wanting of liberation, your wanting of spirituality, everything will be there.

Even if you go in the midst of shopping complex. Sometimes when you go to airport, you are forced to walk to the gates in between the shopping complex only. They try to tempt you. You see here, you see here and you get attracted, you want to buy some shopping, you want to do some shopping. But if your only idea is to go to the gate and catch the plane, you will simply go, you won’t look, you won’t have time to look here and there. Like that, this world is like that. The divine, to test your eligibility, to test that really you want Liberation, to test it has made you to walk through this world.

And you have built all the illusory shops everywhere in the world. Anything that you see, you want to possess. If your friend is wearing something, you want to wear it. We don’t go according to our requirement. We go according to the other people, “Oh, they are also having this car now. I also must own that type of car. I must show,” a show of ego and arrogance. We don’t go according to our requirement.

So, this makes us forget the Guru and the Guru’s teachings and the practice of meditation. “Until one more week, Babaji is not here to see me. Whether I will be listening to unnecessary music or not music or wasting my time, where will Babaji be?” That’s why every time we come to Zoom also, without imposing, we try to tell, “Please keep your video on so that when you sit for meditation, I can see you. If there is anything wrong, I can tell you.” Maybe some of the people at least, either some technical problem, internet is not working. And the moment the meditation starts, they switch off the video. They don’t want me to see them. Well, we cannot force anybody. We just tell in every class, keep your video open so that I can see you when I move during meditation. Also, I keep moving in the gallery, try to see you how sincerely, how straight you are sitting. So, if you allow the master to do his job, then you will win.

Questioner:

Thank you, Babaji. Question three, Babaji. Babaji, in our ancient scriptures, we have seen ancient gurus like Rishi Vishwamitra who was in deep tapas, was later distracted by Menaka which led to the birth of his daughter Shakuntalam, or Rishi Durvasa who could not control his anger and cursed many others. How is this possible when these ancient gurus are Self-Realized yogis, i.e. one who has conquered the mind, but are not able to control their mental desires and emotions? Can you explain further on this, Babaji?

Shri Babaji:

This is a very tricky thing one needs to understand. On the positive side, when a person is Realized, even for a while, if the mind drops, quickly such a person recovers. But, personally, in my opinion, one needs to keep oneself restrained. Not show so much of anger unless it is really warranted. If a person is really wicked and is trying to harm the mission, trying to harm a larger cause, then if necessary to control, then use such an anger. Such a yogi will not lose temper or control over the mind. Very quickly he will recover and come back, this is what happens.

In other probability, like Vishwamitra was a king. So, because he was a king, for long time he had entertained a ‘rajasika swabhava’, means an arrogance of a king. “What I want, it must happen. If it doesn’t happen, I get annoyed;” would not accept the nature. So, that’s what perhaps would have happened. Different answers might be giving, but just observing in my personal opinion. So, because of that, though eventually he was Self-Realized, we accept, but for a while it slipped. When, for a moment also, if you get slipped, a great mistake can happen. But then, that might serve as a something good for the world sometimes, and may not be. So, answer may not be conclusive, always it may be debatable, but in my own opinion, we should not lose temper so quickly, unless it is really needed, if it involves a larger cause.

See, ashram is an institution established by our Guru, where people of all walks can come and sit and meditate and do. If that setup is disturbed by someone, if some… you see, you are getting distracted, Monisha, it’s quietly visible on the screen, you should be watching me. Even if somebody dies, let the body be waiting and must not do this, that’s what Swamiji has taught. Otherwise, everybody will be seeing you. Because on the screen, I appear to be talking to you only, others may also be seeing me, that’s important. So, that is what is very important, what the master taught, and we need to be very careful not to lose such temper. Quickly; I was telling, if it is only a larger cause, like the ashram. Ashram is a larger cause, not my personal property, like I am here only as a caretaker, as a servant of my master. It’s my job, my duty to look after this ashram’s peace and tranquility, that devotees, spiritual seekers are able to come and do not get disturbed, and are able to sit into sadhana. For that only, we have to work. If anybody disturbs that one, if somebody tries to grab this property, so then we show annoyance, and that too, not on the personal enmity. We just show that annoyance, because that person’s work is wrong, unfair, must not do that one. We discriminate like that one.

We are not annoyed with the person, we have nothing to do, but what the work he did is wrong. He forgot this belongs to his Guru and he misbehaved. That’s what we were pained, and we had to take action. So, unless for that, there is no need to lose temper for every small personal thing. Somebody would have humiliated me. There is no reason, no need to lose temper unnecessarily to curse. Why should we lose our energy? This is a small trivial thing, because that person doesn’t have proper samskara. Samskara means proper manners, proper character. He doesn’t know how to respect a yogi. He has humiliated, he has spoken rudely. It’s okay. It’s okay. As long as they don’t harm us physically. That’s what Swamiji used to teach. If anybody is harming you physically, you need to defend yourself. You have a right, because this body can be useful for many people, many spiritual seekers. So, these are all my opinion. We need to restrain ourselves when we practice meditation. Only we use it, if necessary; if it’s a larger cause. Anybody troubling our society, troubling our country, then a soldier’s duty to get annoyed and defend the country. On that lane only we have to go.

Questioner:

Thank you, Babaji. Next question is from a different verse, Babaji.

Meaning: Liberation is not attained by the practice of hatha yoga, or by the study of Sankhya philosophy, or by good works, or by scriptural learning – Liberation is only attained by the Realization that the True Self, the Aatman, and the Ultimate Reality Brahman are one. Not by any other way.

Babaji, your comment:

“Adi Shankara gave the philosophy of Advaita, non-duality. In fact, when first you begin to practice meditation, you set a target – you as the droplet of the ocean, and the ocean as the target. As you progress deeper in meditation, when the mind becomes totally calm and quiet, then it starts going introvert by getting de-linked from the clutches of the brain’s reflections. You feel as if you’re in the top of the head region, and then, as the mind starts getting more introverted towards the Self, one experiences as if an inner energy, consciousness is drawing you towards it. Then you realize that you are part of the Truth.”

Question one, how do we help ourselves to stay sustained in our daily sadhana and meditation so that we can eventually achieve Liberation?

Shri Babaji:

See, to achieve Liberation, the criteria simply to understand is, the mind needs to be cleared of all its imagination, all thoughts and visions that are in the mind. The mind’s habits, becoming a chatterbox must come to an end. For this, all those other things, what Adi Shankara says, simply if we are a good person –  it is good, nice, necessary in this world to be a good person – itself is not good enough to achieve Self-Realization, Liberation, because the mind will not get cleared. Anytime the mind can get into an ego, or any such thing can happen. So that’s what he advises. So, the Liberation comes only when you know the truth, means, know that truth about yourself means you become aware of what you are.

Just now, your awareness can be on the physical body. That’s what, as a child, I used to think, “As the scriptures talk that we are the Aatman, if at all we are that Aatman, why is that I am not aware of it? I am aware of the body as myself; if anybody addresses my name, I am aware of the body, but I should be aware of my real Self.” So, when the droplet becomes one with the ocean, both the droplet and ocean loses its identity. Only one thing remains. Because the ocean is ocean as long as the droplet calls it an ocean. It is a droplet because it is not the ocean. Once this merger happens, both the identities disappear and only one single Self exists. This is what Ramana also puts it, and that’s what Swamiji used to tell. That Realization, awareness has to come, which can come only when you clear your mind. For that, sadhana.

So, other things, like we might tell karma yoga, we keep talking. You might be busy acting upon, action. So, karma yoga also is not easy. Very often people can misunderstand. “Not to have any expectation is almost impossible,” people are unable to understand. “Without having any expectation, how can we put in efforts to achieve something?” That’s a very thin edge of difference that you have to de-link. Means, you are not anxious about the results, but you set a target and work for that. For that you have to be focused in the present. But when the result comes, come what may you will not feel disappointed. “It’s okay, it’s not happening.” There were four boys attending to me, it’s fine. Suddenly two goes away and the third one has to go away. No problem. Then what happens? My mind recedes and keeps quiet. It doesn’t get agitated. Doesn’t lose temper. Doesn’t lose its hope or doesn’t feel disappointed. That is Yoga. Then the mind can remain in the awareness of the Self all the time.

Then we have to set the priority, “Oh, this awareness is much more important than anything else, than even four attendants to me. This awareness is more important. Even if this body has to be alone is no problem. But this awareness must not be lost.” Such a priority needs to be set. We need to live in this world. That is karma yoga. That is also not easy. To understand how it can happen itself is very difficult. People get confused – so many times I tell, so many times they ask, so many hundred times I explain, but yet their mind doesn’t grasp the actual meaning.

You set a target and you work. Expectation means no need to become anxious. Because the mind is either brooding about the past or is anxious about the future; that again you try to understand. The past is over. It will not come back. There is no point in brooding. Only if there was any mistake you had committed, learn that you don’t repeat. That’s it. More than that don’t keep thinking about the past. It’s over. Otherwise it will suck your mental energy so much. Future also you can plan, you can set a target, but no need to be anxious. If it happens, it happens. If it doesn’t happen, it doesn’t happen. So, like that if you go, then you can focus in the present. That which will shape your future in a better way.

So then when this acceptance is there – finally, ‘acceptance’ is the one word that we all need to understand. Acceptance is there, mind recedes and remains quiet. So, this is why theDhyana is also taught. This is what Adi Shankara tells; when this happens only Self-awareness, knowledge of the Self. “Oh, I am this. I am that,” this thing comes. Only then there is Liberation. Simply many people ask, as the question also – “Babaji, if I try to remain as a good person in this world, is it enough? Do I still need to meditate?”

A difference needs to be understood. Remaining good means what? What is your definition for being good? Many places you may misunderstand. Many places you may not be able to execute properly. Bhishma was a great Mahatma, was a very good person. He was a great spiritual knower of the truth also, yet he failed to protect Draupadi. There he could not think of the right, what was good and what was bad. The King was actually behaving bad; deliberately he kept quiet, Dhritarashtra. And his sons, they all behaved badly. They all kept quiet. Even Draupadi’s husbands kept quiet. They didn’t protect her. According to the story, we are trying to understand the philosophy, means Tatva. That’s what we are trying. We are not going into what happened, what did not happen. This is what happened. It was all wrong.

So, that is how even to understand what good means is not easy. Many times, people think “I am a good person.” How do you know that you are a good person? What are all the bad things you might be doing? You never know. So, this is not easy. So, that is why you need to get rid of all thoughts and visions that in the mind there. You need to silence the mind. Then you get the Liberation. Not until then.

Questioner:

Thank you, Babaji. Question two, Babaji. Babaji, in your commentary you mentioned the philosophy of Advaita, non-duality. Can Babaji please explain the concept of Advaita to us and how we gradually move from duality concept to non-duality? Babaji, in duality concept, I see God as separate from myself, and it gives me a sense of comfort that God is watching over and protecting me. How would this feeling change in Advaita?

Shri Babaji:

You see, it’s very important, in the duality, dvaita, what you are talking. When you see your God is there, along with that you and your God, you must start feeling that you belong to God, and the God belongs to you. Slowly that oneness has to come. Even if your God is your father. So, like I told, you are the droplet and the ocean is your God. But the droplet belongs to the ocean ultimately. It has to go and merge with that one. It is from there only it has risen as a droplet. And it has to fall back to the ocean. Like the waves, also example is given by many teachers, waves arise, but they are one with the ocean only. For a moment they arise. When they rise, we call it as waves, but it goes back and it is ocean again.

So, like this, but importantly, these Advaita is not easy to understand by theory, by explanation, by trying to practice, by reading books; people often make mistakes. That like Ramakrishna said, you considered the elephant as God, but forgot that the elephant rider was also God, he was asking you to give way. Instead of giving way, you thought “The elephant, if it is God, it should not harm me.” Why not harm? Physical body will harm. Because the brain has made the mind to become a different entity in illusion. Until it doesn’t realize, so it can harm, you have to be careful.

So, if you have to consider, everywhere you have to consider. That is what happens. One guru, he had a devotee. He thought, “God is everywhere and God should not harm him,” and he [devotee] became a thief and tried to rob. And then he got arrested and sentenced to jail by the judge. Then the guru was informed. “He believed in you that you are making him to do everything.” “Yes, I only made him to rob. I only sent him to jail. I only gave a judgment that he did the wrong thing. So, he forgot to see God in the judge. He forgot to see God in the police who arrested him. He tried to see God only in robbing, that he himself is the God.” People who try to practice Advaita by reading theories, they think that in this body only God is there and in your body there is no God. That is not Advaita.

That’s why Swamiji never mentioned of any name for His philosophy. He did not call it Advaita, Dvaita or anything. He said, it is up to you, you can practice in any way. But meditate. After meditating, then you will understand exactly what the truth is. Means also you have to realize, as long as there is a droplet, there is a ocean. Finally, when the droplet merges with the ocean, only the ocean remains and there is nobody there to call the ocean as ocean, and the ocean doesn’t need anybody to recognize it as an ocean. It is the ocean. Here, the droplet did not become ocean. The ocean already existed. So, it simply became one with the main. So, nobody must get into any ego or arrogance that “I am God.” That is wrong thing. That type of mistakes are done in Advaita thinking; ‘Aham Brahmasmi’. ‘Brahmasmi’ is one word, sentence used by Adi Shankara, means, “I am That”. That doesn’t mean… what you have to think is, “What I am thinking about me is not the truth. It is only false. That ‘I’ is not me, but that Divine.”

That’s what Hanumanji also told about Advaita– “In Advaita, only Rama is there, I do not exist at all. In Dvaita, I am His servant and He is my master.” In the worldly manner, that’s why we told, Swamiji is our Guru, Babaji is Swamiji’s disciple. And Swamiji also told the beautiful always example that will give you the beautiful meaning of all Dvaita, Advaita, everything. He used to say, “There is a father. He has a son. And that son also gets married when he grows up, and he will get a son. But now, that son has become father to his son. To his father, he is always a son only. He cannot become a father to his father.” So, there is no question of any ego, arrogance in Advaita also. When you achieve it, all identities, every idea will fall down, finish. So, that is why you must never try to understand by reading in theory, or listening to talks. Practice meditation, then the real thing will be understood by you, how one single Self exists.

Questioner:

Thank you, Babaji. Babaji, the third question.
Babaji’s comments: “Finally, when the mind is withdrawn and absorbed into the Self, there is nothing more to experience and the one who needs to experience is not there. One simple That is there in Supreme Peace, contented effortlessly. Through this experience one realizes the Oneness of the Truth. Just like if you keep several earthen pots, all the space inside them appear to be different pieces of space, but in reality, there is only one space. That is why it is said, ‘One God, many names.’”

Babaji, following your explanation above, we need to break the earthen pots in order for us to recognize that one space. What do the earthen pots signify in our current lives? Is it referring to all our beliefs, conditions and past experiences?

Shri Babaji:

Yeah, because the mind coming in touch with the brain, it has become in illusion that it is an individual existence. And it has assumed the body as itself. That needs to be broken. You don’t have to break the body, don’t misunderstand. Through meditation, the mind has to be withdrawn from the brain and then only it realizes itself when it becomes silent. In other words, now it is preoccupied with its own imaginations – mind, I am talking. That mind has to become pure consciousness. Then its attention goes to itself and it becomes aware of itself, understands, “This is the real Self,” and all ego, everything disappears there. All arrogance, everything disappears, all ideas disappear, finished, everything; only one single Self.

So, that is how it is achieved, through the practice. Practice, that’s what Swamiji always emphasized.‘Sadhana’ is important. Because if you get confused, you will not do sadhana, you have to do sadhana. Get into the sadhana. That one hour of meditation is much more important than anything else. In that one hour if you can just keep quiet, that’s it what you have to learn. So, that is when you will realize that barrier is broken; that which is in the mind only, nothing else. Even if you are in the body, you will be a jivanmukta when you realize that truth. You will see that Oneness.

You see, in knowledge only you have to see. You see the universe, you see the matter, you see the world, everything. But in knowledge, in your awareness, if you are aware that it is one single space, a hundred thousand spaces are not there in reality. In only one single space, all universe, milky ways, galaxies, everything exists, whatever matter is there, whatever matter already got created exists, whatever matter is there now exists, whatever matter that might get created in future also will exist in only one single space. This is the knowledge and wisdom one has to apply and become aware of. For this, you don’t have to break anybody’s head, you don’t have to make the universe disappear, let it be there. But in your understanding, we have to understand there is one space and we all belong to one space. No conflict; let all of us live in peace and happiness.

Questioner:

Thank you Babaji. This is the next verse, verse fifty-seven and fifty-eight.

Meaning: The beauty of the musical instrument, the veena, or the music from tantri’s playing of the instrument – all can please the ears and entertain people, but it is not going to give the empire to anyone. In the same way, great oratory skills of the learned, a fluent flow of clever words, or the logic and presentation skills of the argumentative scholar, can also please people, but they can never give Liberation.

Babaji’s comment: “Many fake gurus are simply storytellers. After reading different scriptures, they develop logic skills to keep the audience entertained. To such places thousands go to listen. Such things which people consider as if great knowledge had been imparted to them, can just bring some pleasure, but not Liberation. Only sadhana can bring liberation. Self-efforts are sadhana. The practice of meditation is sadhana. Only such a thing can bring Liberation.”

Babaji, your question. We know how crucial our daily sadhana is, yet at times we slip. Why does this happen, Babaji?

Shri Babaji:

Because of lack of proper yearning. That yearning should be there. You must not give up. You must set a priority, “This is what we want. Rest of all the things can happen.” Like you must feel as if you are pushed to the wall. That pushing to the wall; what Shri Krishna said to Arjuna, “Before death shall claim thee…” – this sentence is so important. This death is inevitable for everybody. Before death happens to your physical body, once in a life-cycle opportunity is there. You are able to discriminate., and there is a chance that you can become aware of your real Self. So, you have to go for that. When you realize, then only, it will be, “My God, there is no other choice. No other options, no plan B. This has to happen. Only this thing can give us Liberation.” Then you go for it. If there are options, “Oh, until the age of eighty, I can enjoy the world. After eighty, let me try to meditate.” So, by the time you come to eighty, your joints are paining, your neck is not standing erect, you are unable to meditate, you are unable to do this, you are unable to sit down in the ground, you are unable to sit on the chair; all sorts of problems come. So, that’s when you will give up. “Oh, meditation is not possible. I am very late. Maybe in my next life.” Like that, one keeps postponing, postponing. “Let us see next, let us see next.”

Once today’s session is over, many people tend to think, “My God, until the next fifteen days this old man will not be troubling us. We are on holiday. Relax, enjoy. We forget about meditation, don’t have to bother much. Otherwise, this old man keeps talking ‘meditate, meditate, meditate,’ he doesn’t seem to know anything else. About Swamiji he talks, about Self-Realization he talks. He doesn’t seem to know anything else.” Yes, we don’t know anything else. But if you set a priority, “In these fifteen days, what if death comes? What if anything happens? I will lose control over myself. What will happen to me? Nobody knows whether I will be born or not be born. Nobody has come back to tell what happened to them.” This is what Nachiketa tells Yamaraja. “Nobody has come back after death to tell us what happened to them. What really happens? What the truth is? Tell me.” So then, he tells, that’s what is theKathopanishad.

And then you have to get into sadhana, is important. That’s what Swamiji always emphasized. It’s like, you keep reading how to bake a bread, how to bake a bread, how to bake a bread. The bread will not come into existence. You have to prepare the batter and bake the bread. You must know what it is. Then only you have the bread to eat. Otherwise, half an hour you read this book on how to bake the bread, you will get bread. That’s not the thing. “Do one hour meditation, your samadhi is guaranteed.” One hour, what was that person doing? Who knows? He was just closing the eyes. But was he always becoming a chatterbox, thinking within, scolding somebody, “Oh, this is happening. Why did this not happen? I didn’t get from them. That person was not good at me,” so you are feeling jealousy, “Why is he having this?” So, like this, where is the meditation? Were you watching in between eyebrows? So, that is important. Sadhana. If that happens, then you can get liberated. If that’s what you really want. So, that’s what you have to practice.

So, we, with all the patience, we try to help everybody to practice, as many times they want we are ready to answer the question. But what Adi Shankara alerts is true. Simply by listening to what I have to say, you will not get liberated. You have to practice. Sadhana is important. That technique that has been given is the greatest gift by the master, the greatest donation, knowledge, wisdom. To encourage, to inspire only we keep talking, we keep answering this, that, so many things. But more than this, your sitting and practicing is more important. The world did not see. For twenty years – many times, whichever day we got time when Swamiji was not here physically, we used to make chapatis in morning and go behind under the tree and practice seven hours, sometimes eight hours; at least seven hours we used to keep quiet. All the time we assured ourselves and remained quiet. So, “Little bit, you read Yoga Vasistha.” This was all fifty years ago, I am telling. Like that, we practiced. And then the five years tapas came very easy, simple.

And we were not much exposed to the world also. Even today also, we might have a PC, or we might have a cell phone, but our job is only to look into WhatsApp messages. More than that, we don’t know. Or some emails that too connected to spirituality – spiritual seekers when they write questions, when they need counseling, when they need our prayers, our blessings, that’s all we do. More than that we don’t have any work with them. There might be hundreds of good works there, but that is our job; this is all specialized things. We attend to that one. More than that, I don’t know anything in this world. I am not very good for this world.

So, like that, you have to set a priority and do sadhana. If you don’t do sadhana after we go away, every time we tell “Thursday, today’s class is over, you will have another fortnight, fifteen days till we come back to this Thursday session again.” But in these fifteen days, every day you sit for one hour and practice. Remember what all I have taught you, what the instructions to meditate I have given you, don’t get confused, just keep watching first. And all the answers that I have given you, have you really heard, keeping your mind here, or was your mind running away on the road somewhere else? You are just sitting, or you had switched off your video, so that I cannot see who is sitting there. What that person is doing, we won’t know anything. Maybe some technical problem also, we agree. But however, on your own, I hope you will not switch off the video, so that I don’t get to see you. I would like to see you all sometimes when you are meditating, particularly. Allow me, then I can point out the fault, otherwise you will never learn.

Questioner:

Second question for same verse. Babaji, in your commentary, you mentioned, “Though bitter, that’s the Truth.” Babaji, why is the Truth bitter? Is it because we as human beings are always looking for quick solutions or an easy way out?

Shri Babaji:

Bitter in the sense, not the truth itself bitter. Going for that truth might be appearing very difficult, complex. That’s what we have made. Trying for that, trying to do sadhana might appear very bitter. Thousands of thoughts come in the mind and they torture. It could be, “Oh…” – many people may simply give up, “Meditation is not for me. I am unable to proceed, something is troubling me.” Not something, it is your own negative attitude troubling you. That is as simple as that one. That only we spoke it as bitter, but once you pick up, then slowly as the mind becomes quiet, then you understand that is the most enjoyable, Supreme Peace. That’s why it is said as Supreme Peace, because there is no need of anything else that which you will enjoy. You would not like to come out of that status. That’s what you practice.

Slowly, when a yogi, even if he has to talk, he tries to talk in such a way that his attention is always on the Self. It doesn’t go anywhere else, unnecessarily. Even if he has to watch whether Monisha is listening properly or not, his mind will not get sucked into the world. I’m just joking, Monisha. You have done a very good job of asking the questions today. And this is what is necessary for everybody. Important to listen, understand and do sadhana. The practice or the effort may appear as bitter for a while, but the result is the most wondrous thing. You yourself is the greatest wonder of existence. That you must know this. Do not give up. Do not lose hope. You all can do it. Practice. Simply practice. Simply follow my commands. That’s all. You don’t have to worry. You don’t have to bake any bread at all. You just have to watch in between eyebrows, or the front portion if it is difficult to watch in between eyebrows, because eyeballs move parallelly, it doesn’t come easily into one direction. Just keep watching. That’s what you keep trying. Watch the front portion. If it is dark, don’t ever try to call it dark. Don’t try to call it any light. Don’t get attracted to any visions at all, “What does this mean?” We don’t need the meaning of any vision at all. We don’t need. What we need is we have to become quiet and we have to become aware of our real Self. That’s what your target is, Liberation. Knowing the Self. Self-Realization. Knowing the Divinity. becoming one with the Divine.

Wonderful. Monisha, you helped and thank you so much. And some beautiful questions came, giving me an opportunity to share my experiences, what my Master taught. And we will just go for a while to the gallery and say bye-bye to all of you.


End of Session