Perth, 29th April 2003
On the ninth evening of the public program, devotees as well as newcomers, greeted Baba with the sweet singing of Swamiji’s aarati. Baba paid all due reverence to His Guru at the altar, then sat down on the dais. He chanted Om and a short mantra which soothed the gathering and infused the room with peace and love. Baba then asked that He be blessed by the Great Divine Guru. He then turned His attention to the gathering re-assuring them that those who go towards God are blessed. They have been given the Grace to seek and, like the crops that are nourished by rain, seekers are like seeds ready for God’s Grace to nourish them.
Baba encouraged the aspirants to be focused and determined on their path. There are those who encourage the development of certain powers through meditation. Babaji recounted a question asked on His last Perth visit of whether He can levitate. Baba gave the playful response that one does not need to do intensive sadhana when, for the cost of a few hundred dollars, one can buy a plane ticket! Baba told the of great Saint Ramakrishna Paramahamsa and a tantric. One day when Ramakrishna was walking along the banks of Ganga in Dakshineshwar, a man came who claimed to be a tantric and challenged Ramakrishna that he had heard that Ramakrishna had performed great Tapas sadhana, and asked if he (Ramakrishna) had acquired any powers. Innocently Ramakrishna said, “Well brother, what have you acquired?” The tantric boasted about himself saying, “I can walk on this water with the powers.”
Again Ramakrishna asked, “How much sadhana have you done for this?”
Tantric said, “I have done forty years of tapas.” Smilingly Ramakrishna said, “What a waste of time and energy. I see every day that boatman can carry one across the River Ganga for just fifty paise.”
To meditate for such powers is a waste, Baba reminded the group. What the world needs is peace – this is the greatest miracle, and knowledge is the greatest wonder. Knowledge will make you fearless and give you everything.
Initially, one must use the ego of the mind to make a firm resolve that ‘I’ will go towards the Truth. You become more determined and now say that ‘I’ will definitely go towards the target. However, the mind gets deviated. It is like catching a train from Perth to Sydney. If you become distracted by alighting at every station along the way and become involved in petty arguments, then you will never reach your destination. With a firm resolve, no-one can ever cheat you.
Babaji then said that a Yogi teaches best when silent. He illustrated this important point by relaying a story about a Realized father. He sent his two sons to another Realized Master to know the Ultimate Truth. He could not himself teach the boys as absolute reverence is required to learn and the boys would not have this towards their father. On their return, he asked, “What have you learned?”. The first son proceeded to quote the scriptures about the omniscience of God. The father said that he had learned nothing about God. He then turned to the second son who became totally silent. He was pleased with the second son reporting that he had learned a little about God with his silence.
Babaji explained this beautifully with an analogy: A bubble becomes one with the ocean by merging with the ocean and then it becomes quiet. The bubble learns in this way that it was simply a bubble. Similarly, in merging with the Divine, one becomes speechless as one realizes that the imagined self was nothing.
If one is devoted, then one can turn all emotions single-pointedly to God. Babaji emphasized that we must get focused and never compromise on this. Baba then gave another delightful illustration of the importance of daily meditation. He said that the mind needs ‘polishing’ every day as the dirt of the world sits on it daily. He recounted that Swamiji would use the analogy of taking ones clothes to wash in the Ganges. Then, once all clean, putting the dirty clothes back on again. Likewise, our mind needs constant ‘washing’ whilst we live in this world. This is done through mediation. Mediation means turning one’s attention towards one’s Self. Our minds get sucked into this world again and again.
Babaji, once again, relayed another illustrative story in His sweet, soothing voice. He told the story in the Yoga Vasistha, of Queen Leela whose husband died on the battlefield. She was devoted to Sri Sarasvati who would manifest before her. In her grief she cried continuously for 8 days and then remembered Sarasvati and called for her. Sarasvati appeared before the Queen and took her in her infinite body to show where her husband had been born in the next life. They traveled together through many, many galaxies until they reached a kingdom far away. It had only been 8 days since the King had ‘died’ yet here he was already 40 years old with a number of wives. The Queen could not comprehend this and queried Sarasvati. Sarasvati explained that time is only an imagination, it is a projection of the mind.
Baba then said that Einstein had a clue about the Truth with his Theory of Relativity, that if you go beyond time then you can experience the Ultimate Truth. Baba continued with this fascinating explanation by saying that, in this state, everything appears like a dream and vague-like. It is the illusions, the brain’s reflections. In meditation, a total quieting of the mind can occur. When the mind is totally stilled then it will go introverted to experience the real ‘you’.
Babaji reassured his devotees that He will always guide us, be with us and take us along. However, God does not spoon-feed. One must take the first two steps of resolution and determination that take little effort, then God will take care of everything. God will take 10 steps towards you. Then, with open arms, Baba beckoned everyone to come and take His blessings.
A 45 minute meditation ensued where peaceful silence surrounded the devotees. After, Baba assured aspirants that with meditation, intelligence, wisdom, memory power, effective prayers, peace, proper processing abilities and perfect right/wrong judgements ensue. He pointed out that God equals ‘Self’- ‘myself’ does not exist. Then He advised to make no judgements during meditations, not to move one’s eyeballs, to focus in the middle of the eyebrows, to sit in any comfortable posture that ensures the back and neck are straight, to practise regularly, eat light foods and, finally, to take things slowly without rush, to peacefully concentrate.
He also said that one must not fall asleep, as consciousness is required to catch the mind. Also, not to allow the mind to analyze what is happening as then the mind gets involved. By focusing in the middle of the eyebrows, one is focusing on the ajna chakra and this is the ‘command’ center of the mind. Hence, the mind is focusing on the mind.
Bhajans were sung by devotees. Then, Babaji provided His wisdom in response to many questions. He informed us that, once realized, all is known about God and no dualities exist. The Realized Soul is at one with all consciousness, with all creatures. He stressed that, in order for the mind to go introverted, during meditation do not consider what, how or why things are happening. Nor try to ‘cut a thought out’ as it is still the mind trying to do this. In this process, 10 more thoughts will arise. Instead, watch and observe, and the layers of the mind will vanish. Finally, He assured us that a devotee need never miss the Guru because the Guru sits in your heart. One is able to call on the Guru throughout the day when blessings are needed. In this way, devotion is increased.
On completion of the questions and answers, Baba treated the gathering to some chants and then devotees sweetly sang Babaji’s aarathi. Prasad was shared and Babaji continued to give individual Darshan. As He left, devotees bowed at His feet.
Copyright © 2003 SRBY, All rights reserved.
