0:00 Introduction from Babaji
1:18 What does Babaji mean by ‘watching’ in meditation?
5:29 In the instructions Babaji directs us to ‘concentrate the mind and sight between the eyebrows’ and then ‘keep watching there by focusing the attention’ – are these two different steps?
9:50 The position to concentrate in between the eyebrows
11:17 If you steadily watch, will the position take care of itself in time?
12:14 What do we do when sound effects come up in meditation?
13:53 How does meditation compare to watching a photo of guru or the divine?
17:11 Can we employ the technique of ‘watching’ when we are moving around in the world?
19:24 Why does it seem like a black void when all visions go, but feeling of existence is still there?
20:37 Do impressions register with the ‘watcher’ or is the ‘watcher’ free of all such samskars and is it just awareness?
22:06 How to heal ourselves of painful memories and what is the meaning of true forgiveness?
24:21 What does it mean to ‘watch the thought’?
28:37 Is the gap between the thoughts the consciousness of existence?
30:08 Steadiness of eyeballs
33:14 Anxiety from letting go of things you previously thought were true, when on the spiritual path
37:04 How to stay focused on watching in meditation
39:25 If one is watching, will the thoughts not form?
41:37 Is it ok to concentrate on the peace between the thoughts?
43:29 When experiencing difficulty with watching, can one revert to a different technique?
45:38 What to do when breath almost stops in meditation?
46:47 It takes effort to stop the mind and when there are no thoughts a sleepy state comes.

Discourse: Thus Spake Babaji – online Q and A No. 151
Watching
Recorded: 07 October 2023 with worldwide participants

Start of Session

   Babaji Maharaj commences:

   All of you are privileged that you have the grace of the Divine Guru and you have taken out your time.  You have been inspired by His grace.  You have the opportunity; for that you are lucky, very lucky to practice once again, to quieten your mind.  So, just you have to watch.  Even if it doesn’t come in between eyebrows, do not worry.  If the eyeballs are moving parallelly and troublesome, just watch the front portion.  But all you have to do is don’t think whether it is dark or bright or what it is.  You have to just watch whatever it is without bothering what it is.  That is very, very important for you all. 

Start of Questions and Answers

Question:   Pranaams Babaji.  Again, thanks to Babaji for taking time out of His very busy schedule to share with all of us.  We have 125 people here in the program waiting to hear Babaji’s answers.  Thank You Babaji.  Last week, Babaji was speaking a little bit about watching.  We thought we would take the opportunity to delve into that subject a little bit more; it’s such an important part of Babaji’s technique.  So when Babaji speaks of watching, what does He mean?  What is watching?

Babaji Maharaj:   Well again, I have told that you have been asked to watch, but have never told what you are supposed to watch.  Because it is the mind as the consciousness and energy.  And in fact, eventually you will realize the mind is nothing but you as the pure soul, which is made up of consciousness and energy.  That is the nearest imagined terminologies we can tell.  So, it is trying to watch itself.  To watch itself, that consciousness which is applied and preoccupied to its own imaginations, thus consistently generating thoughts and visions that to which it has become habitual – that is how I would like to call it as the acquired habits of the mind –  so, this thing must come to an end.  It is very, very vital, important if you want to go for supreme peace, a Self-realization of the atmasaakshatkara, how you exist as the soul, as the aatman, much beyond the birth and death of the physical body.  So, first step is to watch, means you are trying to silence your mind from its thinking habits.  Next one will happen automatically.  Means, once it becomes silent, its attention turns to itself.  So thus it is that you are trying to watch yourself.  You must achieve that, that you are able to watch yourself.  Here, watch means then once you stop thinking, then when the attention goes towards the Self, there, nothing else to watch.  Watching always happens in duality only.  When there is no relative existence, one single Self, simply you become aware of yourself – how you exist.  So, that is what is the idea of watching technology.  One of the highest technologies practiced in ancient India by the great sages, by the divine manifestation of Lord Shiva who came as a Jangama Sage to my Master, Shivabalayogi.  Shivabalayogi obtained this amazing technique, this is the rarest of rare techniques.  So, you just have to follow watching to quieten your mind, it’s important as a first step. 

Question:   Thank You Babaji.  Babaji, in Your instructions, Babaji first directs us to concentrate our mind and sight in between the eyebrows.  And then keep watching there by focusing the attention.  Are those two separate steps? 

Babaji Maharaj:   So, first step is that you bring your eyeballs.  And thereby, you will be able to bring your mind also, yourself also.  Steadily, if you watch through your eyes, it is actually you who is watching.  Apart from the ‘I,’ not the body as a personality, it is you as the soul who is watching – just like when I am answering if you are watching me.  So, that is why as a first step, it is advised that you bring your mind and sight.  Or in other words, your sight and mind, bring the eyeballs and fix it.  Then further, I have been advising when people have complained that they haven’t been able to concentrate totally in between eyebrows and it’s very difficult to locate the central point.  For that also I have been advising not to worry at the moment.  What is important is try and not allow the eyeballs to keep moving.  It can give a jerk to the mind to go into spinning.  So, steadily if you watch, watch the front portion.  When you close the eyes, whatever is visible, you just watch.  But you do not try to imagine any particular thing so that you have to watch that.  There is no such thing that you have to watch.  So, if you steadily fix the eyeballs, if you become successful fixing the eyeballs, your mind will also come there automatically. 

Eyeballs are one of the strongest sensory organs.  When you fix the eyeballs, through that you also or your mind also can be fixed over there. Wherever those eyeballs are watching, you can also be watching there.  Once you start watching, slowly your mind gives up its thinking habit.  Mind has both watching and thinking aspects.  It keeps doing both – when you try to watch, one hundred percent it does not allow you to watch because already there is a habit to keep thinking.  By thinking, you keep imagining things.  So thus, thoughts and visions keep appearing.  There is already a pattern of thinking in the subconscious state which is hidden there as an acquired habit.  When you try to watch, that is stirred and all the thoughts and visions are brought up; it needs to get filtered here.  Filtered; there is no other filter machine.  Within itself it will automatically dissolve and disappear if you just watch.  Otherwise, you will notice your mind has a tendency – when it comes across a thought and a vision, it further tries to analyze – “This is a good thought.  This is a bad thought.  Why is this happening?  Why not something else?”  Like that it gets involved into a whirlpool of hen out of the egg, egg out of the hen type of things.  Thought disappears, another thought is absorbed.  Thought disappears, another thought is absorbed.  It goes on.  You will not notice that the thoughts are all disappearing, but you are absorbing more and more thoughts because of your analyzing tendencies.  So, all just you have to do is watch.  That is the important thing.  Once you understand this, then you just watch.  Then meditation becomes successful and goes very smoothly. 

Question:   Thank You Babaji.  Babaji, in some instructions or in some ways when people are depicting the third eye or the mind being concentrated, they depict a site half way up the forehead or somewhere else.  But Babaji seems to imply that it is somewhere lower than that, in between the eyes and eyebrows themselves. 

Babaji Maharaj:   It can be anywhere.  Mind has no particular location that it exists here or exists here or exists here [Babaji points to different locations on His forehead].  Our Guru said at this level of the eyebrows only [points to the space inbetween the eyes], where the eyebrows come and end here, at that point.  So, that is what we try to impart in the same way.  But sometimes when people have found it very difficult, I have also allowed people to watch a little downwards towards the tip of the nose.  It will be a little easier.  In due course of time, the eyeballs will get raised to this level and you will be able to watch.  So, that is what is important.  So, that is why we always advocate in between eyebrows, where the eyebrows comes and ends here.  Like an arch, it is coming here and ends here, and you just watch there. 

Question:   And Babaji suggested if we simply watch, the position will take care of itself in time. 

Babaji Maharaj:   Exactly.  If you steadily watch means you are fixing the eyeballs.  You will not allow the eyeballs to move.  How that can happen?  You just have to steadily watch.  Don’t be nervous or don’t get confused, then the eyeballs keep moving like this.  Don’t allow that.  Slowly, skillfully, with all the patience, just watch with the eyeballs getting fixed there.  Then you will see your mind also is busy watching there, slowly.  When it becomes busy watching there, slowly it gives up its thinking. 

Question:   Thank You, Baba.  Babaji, when we are watching, visual effects will come up.  But sometimes also sound effects come up.  What do we do then when sound effects get involved?  

Babaji Maharaj:   Anything comes… see, if a vision or a thought comes, you watch through the eyes.  If a sound effect comes, that is also in the imagination only.  There is no real sound that you have to hear through the ears.  Simply it is in imagination.  No such sound is there.  It appears to be some sound effect.  If you have experienced the total serenity, total quietness also, there also a peculiar sound sometimes comes.  So, any such sound can come here in imagination.  So just watch this sound. 

Question:   Thank You Baba.  Babaji, how does this compare to somebody watching a photo of a Guru or a photo of something Divine?

Babaji Maharaj:   You see, even if you watch a photo of the Guru or a Divine, if you just watch then your practice will pick up. Just watch.  I did as a youngster after meeting my Guru. Many times during the daytime if I was leaving the room, I just used to watch and never bothered to analyze anything, what it was, what it was not.  I just used to watch.  I loved that watching.  Like, when I used to sit in front of Swamiji also, somehow this came a little bit naturally.  I simply loved to watch Him.  So, that gave a serenity within me, total peace.  That peace – I wanted to maintain that one.  In fact, even when Swamiji used to keep talking something else, within my mind I used to pray to Him a little bit, mischievously, naughtiness. “Can’t You just keep quiet for a few moments, my Lord Swamiji?  I just want to watch You.  I don’t want to listen to You at this moment.  Just want to watch You.”   So this also, and during nighttime also, when I had to switch off the light in the room, I used to just watch at the photo of Swamiji, just watch; never thought about it anything, and then switch off the light.  So thus, it absorbed that watching, watching effects got absorbed, that practice got picked up.  So eventually, in meditation also it was quite easy for me to watch.  I just went on watching, never analyzed anything.  So, like that also, if people, if they have a habit, they love it, love to watch, they must use it only to watch.  The same way I have also advised, if any vision comes, good or bad, it might be your Guru, it might be your Divine, it might be anything, but just use it to watch.  Don’t talk to that figure.  Don’t try to analyze that figure.  Don’t try to think anything else about that figure.  In your mind, don’t allow that figure to talk to you also.  Just watch.  If you just watch, that figure will also watch.  And eventually you will see, it will disappear.  Like that, you can use for some time.  But during meditation, on your own do not try to imagine of any picture.  If it comes on its own, you just watch. 

Question:   Thank You Babaji.  Can we employ that technique of watching when we’re moving around in the world?  Or is that not possible?

Babaji Maharaj:   It is possible.  It requires a higher-level practice.  After a long time meditation practice only an amusing thing can happen.  Sometimes the world could appear as a still picture.  This I have experienced.  So, that is when your mind totally one hundred percent stops.  But if you are active in the world, you tend to think a little bit, then the world also moves.  But that moving also, you will be totally aware.  Just like on a screen, the movie, the car is chasing another car.  But you are just watching the frame.  And you are aware that within that frame only it is appearing as if it is going.  Many times, but the actual thing is that the relative existence can be going backward.  And that would appear as if it is going forward.  So, these types of optical illusions are also created.  Like for an aeroplane, when you get to see clouds, then you feel your aeroplane is moving.  Otherwise, it would appear as if it is still.  If you look in the window at the wings or at the things, it appears it is simply still standing there. 

Question:   Thank You, Baba.  Babaji, we’ve had some questions sent in.  And before we open up to people to ask questions which we’re hoping they might have because it’s such an important part of the technique of the meditation, one question has been sent in by Suchetana.  Why does it seem like a black void when all visions go?  But I haven’t lost the feeling of existence.  Is there something wrong in the way I’m practicing?

Babaji Maharaj:   Yeah, the mind still has an imagination of the me and mine, that’s why the darkness is visible.  Actually, there is no such thing called darkness also.  When it gains its awareness, so however, if all thoughts are gone and the darkness is visible, without thinking that to be a darkness, just watch, then the darkness will disappear.  Darkness is in your mind; that must go, then you will improve further.  It is good thing that other thoughts and visions have gone, but just watch this darkness also.  You will see this darkness will also disappear. 

Question:   Thank You Baba.  And then Nara has sent in a question.  Do impressions register with the watcher?  Or is the watcher free of all such samskaars? And is it just awareness?

Babaji Maharaj:   Watcher gets into an illusion, hallucination, as if the thoughts have been generated within itself.  That’s what happened.  That’s why you get to see thoughts and visions.  And that absorbs it as an impression – that stays in the subconscious state. On and off it comes up as a thought, as a vision.  Sometimes it could be troublesome, sometimes stressful, sometimes pleasurable also.  Either way this happens.  So, it is the watcher in imagination only absorbs.  Actually, there is no thought, no impression, nothing except the Self is there.  Yet in picturizing, the same watcher feels as if he has acquired that habit.  It’s just like a 3D movie, as if the figure is jumping on you when such a huge picture is shown to you.  That type of hallucination gets created and impressions appears to be coming to you as the watcher. 

Facilitator:   Thank You Babaji. 

Question:   Pranaams Babaji.  Babaji, how do we heal ourselves of painful memories that come up again and again of the past when somebody has done wrong to us?  And what is the meaning of true forgiveness?  Does forgiveness mean accepting and trusting again which is a risk that people can hurt us again also?

Babaji Maharaj:   You see, first thing, you were hurt  because mentally you were weak and absorbed such things which was done to you, your body or to your personality, hurting anything.  Now what has happened, that has passed.  So, now you need to think positively.  The past is not going to come back under any circumstances.  It’s over.  But mentally you are still suffering.  That thing in the past which gave you a hurt feeling, by that you suffered.  But you imagine; because of your imagination you are continuously suffering, still you are suffering simply in imagination.  Just like the optical illusion, the mental illusion has happened.  That you need to think positively again and again.  And by practicing sincere, firm, polite meditation, you can overcome eventually.  These two things are very necessary.  Strong practice of meditation regularly is very much necessary.  And then again think, again and again; “That is not there.  It is over.  It has gone to the past.  Yesterday is over.  That yesterday is not in today.  Today is different.  Future is there.”  Look for the future.  Instead of wasting your time in the mind, you can do sadhana for Self-realization.  You need to progress.  Otherwise, you will be stuck.  You think about this again and again.  Then you will be able to give it up. 

Same Questioner:   Thank You Babaji, Your blessings. 

Question:   Babaji advises us when a thought comes in meditation, just watch the thought.  Does the words ‘watch the thought’ imply an attention to the thought?  Because when you are watching here, you are trying to pay attention here.  If you watch the thought, you are paying attention to the thought.  Isn’t that contradictory?

Babaji Maharaj:   Actually, when the thought appears, because it is within the mind, it attracts your attention.  But when you just watch, the thought disappears, then the attention also is withdrawn, comes back to you.  So, like that, the technology works here.  You are not trying to pay attention to the thought.  You are just watching.  Because attention is already there onto the thought.  So, to remove that attention only, you are just watching.  When you are watching, the thought will disappear.  And the attention will also disappear. 

Same Questioner:   So, if I understand, first I still don’t know what really ‘watch the thought’ means.  I understand watch the screen here [pointing to spot in between eyebrows], but I don’t understand what ‘watch the thought’ means.  But isn’t that equal to be aware that there is it a thought and ignore it.  Does that mean this or something else?

Babaji Maharaj:   If you can ignore also, it is fine.  But however, as long as the thought is there, it is likely to attract your attention.  So, without thinking that there is a thought, “I have to watch,” just watch.  Then the thought will disappear.  That is one technology, a technical thing, what we try to teach.  Otherwise, if you can simply ignore means, you need to remain in yourself, then only you can ignore.  Means don’t think anything about the thought.  That also amounts to simply watching, when you are ignoring also.  By watching, you are actually ignoring the thought.  You must not think anything about the thought.  That is important. 

Same Questioner:   I’m sorry, Babaji? 

Babaji Maharaj:   You must not think anything about the thought.  Not even the thought that there is a thought.  But just watch.  Then you are ignoring that.  A thin edge of difference is there in this.  You need to understand this. 

Same Questioner:   Well, I try to try to make it happen in my next meditation.  But I still don’t understand what does it mean “Watch the thought.”  Because it means thought is something else.  I am here and I watch the thought.  But the thought is happening.  And I don’t know how to watch the thought, I still don’t know.  But I try to understand. 

Babaji Maharaj:   When the thought is happening, you don’t give rise to further thinking about the thought.  That’s what is ignoring the thought.  If you can understand, ignoring the thought is what is watching the thought.  You are trying to ignore actually by not thinking, but just watching.  Or you just think that you want to ignore it.  You don’t think anything about it, then only you can ignore the thought.  Got it?  I will repeat.  When a thought appears, do not think anything.  Only then you are ignoring the thought.  If you start thinking about the thought, you are unable to ignore the thought.  So that is what watching means.  You try.  You will understand. 

Question:   Pranaams Babaji.  You have mentioned during meditation, in between thoughts there is a gap.  And You said with practice, the gap, silence can be extended.  So, for the purpose of understanding, is the gap or the silence, can it be considered as consciousness of existence, just for understanding?

Babaji Maharaj:   Exactly.  That is where the source of consciousness of existence is there.  Not in the thought.  It is in the gap.  That gap is the silence.  That is the Infinity.  That is the consciousness of existence. 

Same Questioner:   And that’s what we need to achieve by increasing the gap of silence between the thoughts?

Babaji Maharaj:   Exactly.  More you watch that gap and more you get attracted and just watch, that gap increases, thoughts all disappear. 

Same Questioner:   We rarely get attracted to that silence, the gap; we usually are struck by other objects in the room. 

Babaji Maharaj:   Objects, matter, visions.  When you enter a room also, you seldom get attracted to space.  You get attracted to the pillar, fan, roof, wall, everything. 

Same Questioner:   Thanks, Babaji. 

Question:   Pranaams Babaji.   So, my question is, I just want to know whether I am doing it right.  So, one thing I’ve noticed is that when You have asked about the eyeballs to be steady, so I’ve noticed that the left eyeball is mostly calm, and it comes steady very easily.  But the right eyeball, it is as if there is a lot of energy going out from here to the outside world.  But when you close, then the energy starts coming in.  But the right side, right eyeball is very much unsteady.  And so it takes a long time for it to become steady.  

Babaji Maharaj:   When you steadily watch means, you try to watch through both eyes.  Do not give attention to one eye, then both eyes will become steady.  So, when you try to locate the center, this thing happens.  One eye comes there, another eye goes further.  So, it is not steady.  But instead of trying to locate the center, for now, for a while, just watch the front portion.  Then both eyes will become steady.  Once both eyes become steady, it will start coming towards one direction to the center.  So that’s what has to happen. 

Same Questioner:   So, it takes a long time for the right eye to become calm down a little bit. 

Babaji Maharaj:   It depends on your patience, your skillful patience, ability to remain calm without getting bothered that it is not coming.  Sometimes it’s likely to give you an irritation that it’s not coming.  Feel like banging sometimes.  For anybody it happens.  So, there you need to exercise patience, just skillfully watch.  From both eyes watch.   Sometimes when you have opened the eyes also, try to watch the photo of a Master or a God with both the eyes.  Practice that for two minutes.  Practice with open eyes to watch the photos through both the eyes.  Then when you close the eyes for meditation also you will be able to do that one. 

Same Questioner:   So Babaji, another suggestion by closing the eyes and then visualizing the Guru – is that also okay to calm down?

Babaji Maharaj:   For a while. For a while you can visualize until you become steady but don’t become habitual to always visualizing the photo itself.  You can be stuck there.  For some time you can use it. 

Question:   Pranaams Baba.  So, I had a question about just something I’ve been experiencing a little bit, recently.  I was wondering that as we progress in our understanding of the non-dual truth of existence, it can be a very… especially if we were raised in a family that has a religion or something that is totally different or something in it.  I find that as I progress more and more in my understanding of non-duality and the truth and impermanence and everything – and I couldn’t be more blessed for it and everything – but as I’m getting a little more advanced in the stage, I’m finding that as I go into meditation, I’m getting a little bit of anxiety.  Just about all this understanding flooding my mind at once – I feel like in a short period of time, especially the past few months I’ve really gained a little bit more of an understanding of it.  And it can be hard to let go of things that you always thought were true when you were a child and stuff.  And so, when I sit down to meditate, sometimes all those things really start flooding my mind anxiously and I’ve never had that experience.  I’ve always been able to peacefully just control myself in meditation.  And now I find that… I guess it’s just the progression of my mind that’s battling with what I learned as a child and now what I know to be the truth.  And how can I get rid of some of this anxiety when I meditate because it’s not a good thing, I know. 

Babaji Maharaj:   First thing, try not to analyze whatever you had learnt as a child.  It’s over.  And second thing, consider that as a primary education you obtained as a child.  There was nothing wrong in it.  The basic idea to give such lessons were so that your mind remains purified or concentrated, single-pointed.  With this idea only, many teachings, many type of exercises, such things are all given.  So, there was nothing wrong.  Simply, you are taking a further step, further leap, one more step ahead of that one and proceed with that one without bothering.  There was nothing wrong with whatever you had learnt as a child.  No need to be agitated.  No need to be worried or any such thing.  No need to discard.  Let it be in its own way.  Simply, you were in the primary school.  The subject you were learning was very little.  Now the same subject you have widened.  Your understanding has become widened, broadened.  So, that’s what you are simply advanced to your university.  That is all.  No need to be anxious. 

Same Questioner:   Okay.  Thank you, Baba.  So, it’s kind of like the first day of school before high school – you’re very worried and nervous about everything. I got You.  Thank You very much. 

Question:   Yes, Babaji, it is good to see You again.  I’ve been away for a while with an injury.  So, I’m just so happy to be back.  I met You about twenty years ago.  And since then, I have been practicing the meditation either one hour or two hours a day.  And there have been a lot of years where I’ve gone a whole year without missing two hours a day, every single day.  My problem is that I spend a lot of my time while I’m meditating thinking about my day and trying to resolve problems.  And I have a hard time just staying focused on the watching.  So, my question for You is, do You have any suggestions that would help me to keep that time just for watching?

Babaji Maharaj:   It’s time to slap yourself politely.  After twenty years you claim, and you have been just thinking and thinking.  Need to understand the technique that you need to just watch.  Think about that before sitting for meditation.  “I’m just supposed to watch and not think or plan during meditation.”  No planning, nothing.  After meditation, you can plan anything and you can think about anything.  You can execute.  You can be living in this world.  But during that one hour… You are cooking a vegetable for one hour.  During that one hour, you just keep watching that the vegetable cooks properly, not to plan about any other activity.  Like that, when you are meditating, you just have to watch, assure yourself firmly.  “This is what I am supposed to do and not to plan.”  Every time you try to think anything else, you imagine that you are slapping yourself.  Every time you try to think anything else, you slap yourself, remind you, “I just have to watch.” 

Same Questioner:    I appreciate it.  Thank You. 

Question:   Hi, Babaji.  This is such a helpful topic.  Thank You so much.  If I’m watching, then the thoughts won’t actually form.  The thoughts and visions, if I’m watching, they won’t even really turn into a thought. 

Babaji Maharaj:   Yes.  So, because some thoughts are likely to come, previously you had the habit since time immemorial.  So those things will come for some time.  But now if you have picked up just watching, they will also disappear.  No further thought will form.  New thoughts will not form.  All the old thoughts and visions, those habits, they will also dissolve and disappear.  So that is the exercise of meditation; long time patience is needed. 

Same Questioner:   The moment that it becomes a thought, I’m no longer watching. 

Babaji Maharaj:   Then also just watch.  If it becomes a thought, you are likely to keep thinking about the thought, “Why this has come?”  It’s okay, no problem.  If it has come, just watch.  Don’t even think why it has come.  Don’t ask the thought, “Why are you here?”  Just watch.  So, that is necessary to understand. 

Same Questioner:   It will go away if I don’t think about it or get involved with it, it will go away?

Babaji Maharaj:   Yes. 

Same Questioner:   Then I will be back to just watching?

Babaji Maharaj:   Yes.  Exactly. 

Same Questioner:   When I get involved in the thought, will my eyes move?  The eyes won’t then be steady anymore when I get involved in the thought?

Babaji Maharaj:   Yeah.  Eyeballs also will lose its steadiness and can get into a jerking moment.  Then it can give further jerk to the mind also to spin and run away. 

Same Questioner:   Thank You. 

Question:   Pranaams Babaji.  Babaji, today, just before meditation, my friend called me and brought me a whole lot of questions about some business they were involved in.  Then when I sat in meditation, all those questions were coming to my mind.  Then I kind of decided to think that “Will I actually be paying attention or needing that solution after I drop my body and I’m all going to be spinning around with my mind thinking about that?  No, I do not want that.  So, therefore stop thinking.”  So, that kind of worked because it kind of put it in perspective.  The fact that I do not want those things to be bothering me after I drop my body and go spinning around with my mind, thinking of those.  And that actually helped a whole lot.  And then I stopped thinking about those and then other thoughts would come over here and there.  But then I started trying to concentrate on the peace in between.  And then it was really helpful; I don’t know if I should concentrate on the peace in between the thoughts either, but…

Babaji Maharaj:   Yeah, good. Continue concentration on the peace in between.

Same Questioner:   Yeah, that’s good? Okay, because I thought that that could be another thought.

Babaji Maharaj:   Without thinking that, concentrate. Without thinking that you have to concentrate on the peace in between, just concentrate. Like without thinking that you have to shoot, just shoot. 

Same Questioner:   Okay, thank You, Baba. 

Babaji Maharaj:   Thank You.  Pranaams Babaji.  Since I’ve been practicing meditation for quite a long time, I had two teachers and different techniques for meditation.  But I got very attracted when You visited Ananda.  And so therefore I’m here and I’m trying this. Your approach, I feel the authenticity, I feel like it is real; it works.  But sometimes if my mind is not concentrated, then I say, “What about this?” –  I was always doing a different way of focusing in thought or… but what this previous person just mentioned that when there is a peace, and You say “It’s okay, fine, you can just go with that.”  Sometimes when I’m having difficulty just watching, then the other technique that I was previously practicing comes into my mind, then I feel a little dissipated.  My energy is not focused. 

Babaji Maharaj:   Well, for a while, it’s no problem, but it’s essential that you don’t get carried away into any conflict.  There is no conflict.  As long as you understand, the basic idea is mind control; mind needs to become quiet.  So as long as you can achieve, if you want to take help of the previous one also, for a while you take help, then you come back to this again.  If anything is not troubling, then you continue with this one silently.  So, then that will be helpful.  Your mind will become quiet and you will start ignoring the thoughts or visions that will come and you won’t bother to analyze or do any judgment.  This you’ll be able to pick up. 

Same Questioner:   Thank You.  Thank You very much. 

Question:   When we are focusing intensely, our breath almost stops to zero.  Again, we need to take the gulps of the breath. 

Babaji Maharaj:   Breath must not stop.  It should keep going smoothly.  You need to delink your attention.  The breath should go smoothly, just like if you’re driving a car, your attention is on a road in front, but gear and brake, accelerator, all this by a practice automatically you keep doing.  Like that, the breath also needs to keep going smoothly; don’t stop it.  If necessary you practice the pranayama before meditation.  That will be helpful not to stop the breath, then it will slowly and smoothly keep going.  As your mind becomes more concentrated and calm, then the breath will be more smooth and slowly keep going – it must be.  You should not starve yourself of oxygen; important. 

Same Questioner:   Thanks Baba. 

Question:   So, when I put my mind here and I watch the mind, it needs for me some effort, but when I have no mind, I feel sleepy, so I want to ask You how to not fall sleep, when there is no thought. 

Babaji Maharaj:   It is necessary that you do not fall asleep.  If necessary, you get up and wash your face and again come back and sit and try to watch yourself, then you must feel your existence is there; that is necessary.  Take care that you don’t sleep. 

Same Questioner:   But when I do that, thoughts come – they come more. 

Babaji Maharaj:   When thoughts come, you just watch the thought. Watch the thought, do not think about those thoughts, “Why it is coming, what is this thought?”  All do not think.  Just keep watching.  It will go away; important. 

Same Questioner:   Thank You. 

Babaji Maharaj:   Take care. 

End of Questions and Answers

Babaji Maharaj now concludes the session.

   There were such wonderful questions today.  Thank you for giving me an opportunity to express my opinion, share my experiences and what my Guru taught to me.

End of Session