“That’s It”
August 26th, 2007
OM…OM…OM…
Sai Ram
With Pranams at the Lotus Feet of our most beloved Bhagavan,
Somebody said, “That’s it,” and wanted me to comment on it. He only said, “That’s it—please comment on that.” Then I said, “‘That’s It’ shall be the topic for this morning!” So the topic for this morning is “That’s It,” because that‘s what that gentleman wanted me to comment on.
That’s it—when do we say that actually? When we arrive exactly at a certain point we say, “That’s it.” When we exactly understand the situation, in all its totality, we say, “That’s it!” When we reach our destination, we say: “That’s it. Exactly to the point! Right on time! That’s it!” Maybe with that idea in mind, the friend wanted me to comment on “That’s It”. Let’s see how we can proceed in this direction, so as to say, “That’s it!”
Somebody asked, “Is it possible to attain moksha? Is it possible to attain liberation? Is it possible to attain nirvana? Is it possible to attain heaven?” Somebody else asked, “Since all of us are here with Bhagavan, and the entire Sai Kulwant Hall is full, will we all be liberated? Will we all attain moksha?” This is the question of another gentleman.
I can tell you one thing, my friends. It is not so. The whole auditorium may be full, all badges may be exhausted, but still, liberation cannot be taken for granted. Moksha cannot be taken for granted.
The same question was put to our God: “Swami, will we all attain liberation?” Our good God gave, in his own style, a beautiful example. A mango tree has so many flowers. Will all of them fruit? Will all of them end up as fruits? No. There are so many flowers. Some flowers fall on the ground; some flowers are blown off by the wind. Only a few flowers are pollinated and grow into fruits, not all the flowers. If all the flowers of the mango tree develop into fruits, well, mango fruits would never be so costly! (Laughter) They would be cheap, just rolling on the streets. You would be able to pick up as many as possible. Yes. So, all flowers don’t grow into fruits. That’s it. The point is that all of us cannot be sure of attaining moksha just by our mere presence here. Just by being here, that’s not enough.
This morning a professor came and said, “Mr. Anil Kumar, may I sit here?” There was some space, so he asked me, “May I sit here?” I told him, “I have not purchased that land. (Laughter) Many people sat there before you, many people will be sitting there after you; so I am not the owner of that space!” That gentleman kept quiet.
That’s it. We cannot have anything, any claim or ownership, nothing whatsoever. So, moksha cannot be claimed; moksha cannot be attained by merely sitting at one place: “This is my place.” If you have that attitude, you’ll be out of place very soon! That cannot happen.
Then our good God gave another example. The monkey jumps from one tree to another, from one branch to another. As the monkey goes on jumping, a few tender fruits fall on the ground, and also some unripe big fruits fall on the ground. So fruits fall on the ground as the monkey goes on jumping; and the monkey also starts tasting some fruits and throwing them away. It won’t eat even one fruit completely. It will eat a quarter of a fruit at one place, and a quarter of a fruit at another place, and it goes on biting as many fruits as possible, as many fruits as it finds around. So it eats a number of fruits. It goes on jumping here and there. It won’t finish them, but ultimately spoils all the fruits.
Similarly, some people go on changing their gurus. This is the quality of a monkey, and very much proves Darwin’s theory of evolution. (Laughter) We have to accept Darwin’s theory because we do have certain features of the monkeys.
So, just as the monkey doesn’t take a single fruit but spoils all the fruits, spoils the whole lot of it, similarly, by going on changing our loyalty, by going on changing our gurus, we spoil our spiritual life. We spoil our spiritual life, we spoil our spiritual path, and we lose our spiritual goals. Therefore, we can say, when you are at the right point, hold on, cling on, or else you may lose it. That’s it. That’s exactly where we lose.
Secondly, some people want to know about yoga. In the name of yoga, so many things are going on all over the world. Many people are making successful businesses out of yoga. Some say breathing exercise is yoga; some say physical exercise is yoga; some say control of senses is yoga; some say the control of the mind is yoga. So I don’t know what yoga is!
Some say, “You can learn yoga in one month for just two thousand rupees, that’s all!” Some gurus say they have associated training centres, e-labs or electronic labs – an e-lab yoga centre! Ahh….I see. I don’t think that our maharshis know anything of electronics! I wonder why maharshis wasted so much time. Had they paid one thousand rupees, they would have gotten yoga so easily! I don’t think Pathanjali (the celebrated author of the Yoga-Sutra) mentioned any of this nuisance in Pathanjali Yoga Shastra, his book on yoga.
So, what is yoga, my friends? Is it any school of learning, or is it any philosophy, or is it any systematic study? What is it? After all, the purpose of yoga is two-fold, just two. You may pay two thousand rupees or not, this I am telling you freely! (Laughter) You don’t have to give me even two naiya paisa (the old coin value, worth practically nothing). It is not necessary because it is not my property. It is Baba’s property. How can I sell His property? I can’t do it. He said two points regarding yoga. That’s it. What are the two points?
The first thing: yoga is a process of preparation. It is a process of preparation of the body and the mind, so as to acquire knowledge of the Self. I repeat once again: yoga is the process of preparation of the body and the mind so as to acquire Self-knowledge.
Just one or two points by way of explanation: the body should be prepared. The body, as it is, is not prepared because we can’t sit straight for some time and we cannot skip our coffee—impossible! I am the first on that list! Many times I missed darshan because it was my coffee break. (Laughter) Also, in many situations, I get a message: “All of a sudden what happened to this fellow? He must be having his coffee there!” Therefore, we do that. How come?
So, the body is not prepared. It is more coffee-oriented, more canteen-oriented. It is more television-oriented and gossip-oriented. Therefore, the body is not prepared. So we should prepare our body. Preparation of the body is the first process.
Two: the mind also should be prepared. Our mind is not prepared. No, because at a time when we should be attentive, we are thinking of our return journey. At a time when we should think of Swami, we think of ice cream. (Laughter) At a time when we have to meditate, we think of our family, the children, if they are doing well and so on. So this mind is unprepared.
As the body is not prepared and the mind is not prepared, how do you expect to acquire the knowledge of the Self? The knowledge of the Self is impossible if the body and mind are not prepared. Therefore, the body should be hale and healthy. The body should be under strict discipline and should be fit enough.
Mentally we should be prepared. We should be relaxed. But we do not know what relaxation is. How very unfortunate! Our mind is never relaxed. How do you say that it is not relaxed? The face will tell us how relaxed we are! (Laughter) Some faces do not know what relaxation is, even for a lifetime. We know many “castor oil faces”, to quote Swami! Some faces disturb our relaxation also! (Laughter) So we do not know what relaxation is.
What is relaxation? Worry-free, anxiety-free, no botheration, thought-free, nothing to do with the past, nothing to worry about the future, nothing to think of whatsoever—that is relaxed. Is that possible? Why not? Why not?
In sleep, in deep sleep, we are totally relaxed. That is why in the morning we get up fresh and refreshed. We are very fresh after a good sleep, aren’t we? Yes. We are highly energetic after a good sleep.
Suppose I don’t have a good sleep, what will happen? I am irritated and the first person I meet will get it all. (Laughter) It will be passed on to the next person, usually the better half! (Laughter) Children will understand and will run away from us, (Laughter) something like rats watching the cat! So a disturbed man, a restless man, a man who didn’t have proper sleep is weak. He is restless, he is agitated, and he is disturbed. Better we avoid him.
On the other hand, the person having a good sleep is always cheerful, energetic, dynamic, and receptive. Why? In deep sleep, he is totally relaxed. The next morning he may have a board meeting where he has to settle his business matters, yet in deep sleep he is not bothered by it. The next morning is his day of election that will decide his fate; but in deep sleep he is not bothered by it. The next morning is the moment of his operation; but when in deep sleep, he has no fear. Or, the next morning he has to be sworn in as a governor, or as president. In deep sleep, so what! He is not bothered at all.
So, good and bad do not affect you when you are in deep sleep. That is relaxation, real relaxation. Relaxation does not mean having a bottle of liquor or a beer and then relaxing. It is not so, no, no, no! Relaxation is when you are not affected by good or bad, positive or negative—not at all bothered. That is the state of relaxation. Therefore, preparation of the body means being healthy and having a disciplined lifestyle. Preparation of the mind means being in a total state of relaxation. These two are necessary to acquire knowledge of the Self.
One person met me yesterday evening. He was to leave around 6:30 or so by train yesterday evening. The train was running late by only four hours. (Laughter) Only four hours! Oh, four hours is nothing by Indian standards. (Laughter) He came immediately to my house.
“Sir, the train is delayed.”
“O-ho.”
“My wife and son are there on the railway platform.”
“Very good. Then why are you here?”
“I want to know something more from you.”
“About what?”
“I have some spiritual doubts. Please clear them.”
Is it so easy that we can just learn and go? I said, “I will certainly clarify, I am ready; but I am sure that you will not be attentive.”
He said, “Why, sir?”
“Your wife and son are there at the railway station. So, fifty percent of your attention is already gone. (Laughter) As for the remaining fifty percent, you are bothered about your time, whether you will be there or not, or else will they get into the train with you here (Laughter), or will they wait for you (in which case, all of you will miss the train). So, twenty-five percent more of your attention is gone. The remaining twenty-five percent is on whether you should take your food from here or there, and whether they have to come here to take food or not. That too will engage your attention. So please don’t waste my time, my friend. We will meet some other day. After all, I am not vacating this place. I will be available for a long time.”
He was not mentally prepared; he was merely inquisitive. Preparation is different from inquisitiveness. Inquisitive is curious. He was merely inquisitive or curious. Mere curiosity, mere inquisitiveness, is not enough, no. Why? One should be totally relaxed mentally.
A simple example: As Baba said, in those days, all satsangs like this were attended by kings also. Here, people don’t have any other work to do, so they come. But in those days, kings also used to attend satsangs, keeping the company of the good and godly.
King Janaka used to attend satsang every day. The king himself would attend! He used to come to the discourses of sage Sukha Maharshi, a great sage of those times. When Sukha started speaking, naturally crowds would be drawn; but this sage Sukha would wait for some time until Janaka came.
Poor man! As he was a king, he was always so busy. He had to sign all documents and settle the dates of war. He had to plan the next war and battle, which country to conquer (Laughter), how to keep the treasury safe, and how to increase the kingdom’s wealth. So, he had to discharge all his duties as a king. That meant he would be late to the class. So Sukha used to wait every day for his arrival.
But the other friends or members of the satsang were just like us, in our kind of our category. They used to whisper, “What sort of a guru is he? Should he wait for the king? Are we not enough? He is giving such importance to the king. Why? He is a sage. Are people not equal in his sight? Is the king so special?” People in our category existed throughout the pages of history. So these people started doubting, “Why should he wait?”
But Sage Sukha was a master, not just a teacher. We are teachers; they are masters. We are teachers who expound on what we read. We are teachers who articulate all our thoughts, who pass on the subject matter from generation to generation. But they are masters. They are creative, they are original. They are beyond time and space. They know our minds, and they understand our thoughts.
Sage Sukha, being a Divine Master, could read the mind of everybody. So he responded, “Some fellows doubt me. Some fellows are thinking that I am partial to the king. Some fellows are thinking that I may expect some gold from the king!” Those were exactly their thoughts.
Still Sukha continued to wait until the arrival of King Janaka. After Janaka sat, Sukha started giving his discourse. Then, after just ten to fifteen minutes, Sukha exclaimed, “Look here! The whole city of Mithila is on fire now! All of Mithila city is in flames! There is fire, fire everywhere!”
All the listeners were from Mithila, belonging to that city. Every fellow suddenly got up and ran away without looking at the face of the guru. (Laughter) They were thinking, “He will be here. After all, where does he go? Let us go and take care of our houses and families!”
Everybody left, but Janaka continued to sit there. Then Sukha asked, “Oh king, why are you here? Why don’t you go and protect your kingdom? Why don’t you go and protect your capital city? When the whole city is full of flames and fire, why don’t you extinguish the fire and save yourself and your people?”
Then Janaka replied, “Oh sage, the whole kingdom will be burnt one day or other; if not this day, it will be burnt the next day. Why? All that is created is sure to perish.
Yad Dhrusyam Tat Nasyam.
All that is created is sure to vanish.
So this kingdom, after all, is sure to vanish someday or other.”
Then Sukha asked, “Then why are you here? You are also going to vanish. Why are you here? Not only your kingdom, you too will also vanish.”
Then Janaka said, “Swami, I know I will vanish, but I want to know that which does not vanish. What is it? In the Bhagavad Gita, Chapter 2, it says:
Nainam Chindanti Sastrāni
With no weapon can you cut it into pieces,
Nainam Dahati Pāvakah
You cannot wet it by putting it in water nor can you burn it,
Nainam Chindanti Sastrāni
Nainam Dahati Pāvakah
Na Chainam Kaledyanti Apo
Neither water can wet it nor fire burn it,
Na Shoshayati Marutah
Nor wind blow it out.
Nainam Chindanti Sastrāni
Nainam Dahati Pāvakah
Na Chainam Kaledyanti Apo
Na Shoshayati Marutah
“So goes the Bhagavad Gita: neither fire can burn it, nor water can wet it, nor can it be blown out by the wind, nor can it be cut it into pieces by any sword or knife. That is the Self, the supreme Self. I may perish, but the Self in me shall never perish. I have come to acquire that knowledge of the Self.”
“The knowledge of the Self—Atma Vidya or Atma Jnana, that which is eternal (sanathana), immortal (amritha–the nectar which gives immortality), without blemish (anindriya) and unpolluted, that is the knowledge which I am interested in, Guruji. Therefore, I am here.” That is preparation. That is what we call relaxation. Even though there was fire going on there in his city, King Janaka was relaxed and remained there.
Therefore, my friends, what is yoga? Yoga is the preparation of the mind and body so as to acquire the knowledge of the Self. That’s it. That is what it is. All the remaining things that go on in the name of yoga are only businesses. All that goes in the name of yoga is a sort of physical exercise. All that we do in the name of yoga is a breathing exercise or breath control. I am not condemning them; I am not against them. I am not such a fool yet. (I said, “Yet!”) What I mean is that it may be necessary, but it is not the be-all and end-all. I repeat: it is not the be-all and end-all. So prepare the body and mind to acquire the knowledge of the Self.
How do you know when you have knowledge of the Self? Some people say, “I know the Self.” Poor fellow, he doesn’t know. Only the fellow who doesn’t know says, “I know.” If anyone says, “I know,” please know that he definitely does not know! (Laughter) Why? Self is unknowable; it cannot be known. So how can you say, “I know”? I pity you because you do not know that you do not know. Therefore, the Self is unknowable; it cannot be known.
Then, how to experience the knowledge of the Self? There is only one point. What is it? God is within me. He is Antharyami, the inner motivator, the indweller, the spirit, the consciousness which promotes, prompts, commands, directs and dictates my way of life. He is experienced in the knowledge of the Self; He is the Self. The experience of the Self lies in the awareness of the presence of the inner motivator or God. That is the knowledge of the Self.
The knowledge of the Self does not mean just reading a book written by Sankaracharya, Atma Bodha. You may read it thoroughly, but if you don’t realise the inner motivator, it is of no use. A simple example: I got a book. It has a recipe for every preparation. How to prepare laddus or sweets is on one page. How to prepare one curry is on the next two pages. So, all the information is there. If anybody comes, I will give this book and say, “Thank you and see you tomorrow. Will it be for lunch or dinner?” (Laughter) So, giving the menu card is not the same as preparing lunch. Giving the menu card is not the same as preparing dinner. Giving the menu card is only giving the information regarding the items available.
Similarly, all religious texts contain information only; that’s all. It is for you to experience. When I see the menu card, I should order and then eat. Similarly, books give information, but it is up to you to enjoy for yourself. It is up to you to be benefited by the subject matter given there. That’s what yoga is. That’s it.
Here is a question that comes to our mind. Truly, I don’t know what is happening in the world. If you ask anybody, you will find they are not happy with their profession. If you ask the doctor, he says, “I should have been an actor.” If you ask an actor, he or she will say, “Originally I wanted to be a doctor.” If you ask an engineer, he will say, “I wanted to be a teacher.” Nobody wants what they are doing. I don’t know, but it seems that something is wrong. Something is wrong when we think we deserve some other post. This is something tragic.
Suppose a fellow like me becomes a doctor. What will happen? (Laughter) I will be solving the population explosion! (Laughter) I will not be able to collect the medical bill at all, because I will feel sorry for them having to pay such large amounts. Then, as the patient comes to my table, I will start crying before the patient starts complaining! (Laughter) I am unfit for that post, totally unfit. Suppose a teacher becomes a doctor. If he goes on giving lectures, the patient will collapse before his lecture ends! (Laughter) Why don’t we understand that we get what we deserve?
God has chosen you to play this role and you should play the role well. That is important. Don’t think of another role. You may be a total failure in another role. You may be an utter flop! Why don’t you consider that if a fellow can’t be successful here, how he is going to be successful elsewhere? It is not possible.
Therefore my friends, let us understand that whatever job we are doing is not merely a profession. It is not merely a means of livelihood. It is a mission given to us by God. It is not simply a job; it is a sacred mission.
Why do I say that? ‘Job’ in Sanskrit is udyoga. Udyoga is spelled U-D-Y-O-G-A. Ud means ‘readiness’, while yoga means ‘spiritual practice or union’. Udyoga does not refer to a pay scale, service conditions or promotions. (Laughter) Who said that? Who said it? Udyoga means ‘get ready yoga’ or ‘preparation yoga’. Udyoga does not simply refer to a job. Therefore, my friends, when I consider my job as my mission in this life—that is udyoga. If I only consider my job as a way to earn my livelihood in order to maintain my family, then it is just a profession, a means of living. That’s all.
So my friends, we have to know that every job is a mission in life. If we don’t understand this, we will lose the very taste of life. We will miss the very melody and beauty of life. Therefore, take any job (and every job) as a mission of life given to you to serve God to the best of your capacity, whether it is a simple and humble job or a grand and great profession. Do not think of it only as a job for salary, where the money you earn is for your maintenance, and that’s all.
In fact, the job that we do is much more than the salary we get. That is the way a missionary looks at his job. When you see your job as your mission in life, you will work much more than the salary you get. If it is just a job, this much salary, this much work, is enough. “Why should I do more? I’ll probably only get this much, so I will think of doing the rest later.” It should not be a money-oriented job, no. It is a life-oriented mission. That is karma yoga, the yoga of action. That is what Swami speaks of.
Someone asked Swami one question: “Swami, what is peace? What is shanti?” Well, the beautiful thing is this. I am also borrowing freely from the teachings of Ramana Maharshi. I am also mixing in the teachings of Ramana Maharshi in these talks, as Ramana Maharshi’s explanation of Advaitha or non-dualism very much agrees with Sai teachings. Therefore, I am mixing them into my talks, for a better understanding of Ramana’s philosophy and a better understanding of Sai Vedanta or spiritual teachings.
What is shanti? How does Ramana Maharshi approach it? Please follow carefully. Now, when do you say ‘I’? When do you start saying ‘I’? “I want coffee. Ok, I want breakfast. Is my car ready? I want the petrol tank to be full. I want to be there in the office right on time.” When do I start saying ‘I’? I start saying ‘I’ from the moment I wake up. The moment I get up from bed, I say ‘I’, not till then.
However, if anyone says ‘I’ while in deep sleep, then that is not deep sleep; he is dreaming. A dream is different from deep sleep. In dreams you have experiences. You may become George Bush or Musharaf, or you may become a beggar or ambani (a very rich man), or you may become Bill Gates, or you may pay the bill or be at the gate! (Laughter) Anything can happen because it is all a dream!
So I am not referring to that at all. I am not referring to dream at all. Sleep: during deep sleep, will anyone say, “Don’t disturb me, I am sleeping”? If he does, it means that fellow is not sleeping! (Laughter) No one will say, “I am enjoying my sleep.” It means he is not sleeping. So, sleep is a state which is not expressed. Sleep is the state which is ‘I’-free, meaning egoless. Sleep is the state which is a no-mind (N-O mind) state. So, deep sleep is a no-mind state. Deep sleep is an egoless state. Deep sleep is an ‘I’-less state. Therefore, we are peaceful.
The moment we get up from bed, “Bed coffee! I want coffee in bed.” I want the hot water to be ready; I want the toothpaste and toothbrush to be there. At that point, okay, ‘I’ (ego) starts. When ‘I’ starts, peace slowly disappears. As the sun rises, darkness starts vanishing. With sunrise, darkness begins to vanish. When the sun has fully risen, there is no darkness left at all.
So, as the ‘I’ rises, peace slowly disappears. With the day, the ‘I’ becomes stronger and stronger: ‘I’ the rich man, ‘I’ the officer, ‘I’ the scholar—he is useless fellow #1! (Laughter) So, it is the ‘I’-ness that makes us lose our peace. Therefore, what should we do?
This is Ramana Maharshi’s teaching. (I am trying to put it in my own style, as I understand it from his utterances.) So, what does Ramana Maharshi say? “Think wherefrom the ‘I’ arises.”
Is it your ear that says ‘I’, ‘I’? No, it cannot speak. Does the eye say ‘I’, ‘I’? No, no, no! The body is not saying ‘I’. Is there anyone in New York or Moscow where the hand says ‘I’, ‘I’? No, no. (Maybe some evil spirit in him may say that!) (Laughter) Nowhere! The body will never say ‘I’, ‘I’, ‘I’. No, it cannot, because the body is inert. As the body is inert, who says ‘I’,’I’?
It’s the mind that says ‘I’. It is only the mind or ego that says ‘I’. In sleep, there is nothing like the claim of ‘I’, no such claim whatsoever. Nobody claims ‘I’ because the mind is missing there in deep sleep, as we already discussed. The mind is passive there, the mind is withdrawn there, and the mind is inactive there, so there is no ‘I’-ness in sleep.
So then, what is there in deep sleep? When the mind is not there, what is there in sleep? In sleep, there is consciousness. It is out of this consciousness that the ‘I’ has arisen. This ‘I’-ness is the mind, which starts expressing itself in the waking state as soon as you wake up.
So, Ramana Maharshi asks us to enquire: “Wherefrom this ‘I’ has arisen? What is the root of this ‘I’?” The root of this ‘I’ is the mind. The root of the mind is consciousness, because in sleep the mind is not there, but pure consciousness is there. So, it is out of consciousness that the mind has arisen. It is the ego-mind that gives rise to ‘I’-ness. Therefore, according to Ramana Maharshi, this ‘I’ has to go back to its source or consciousness, and then you will have peace.
I think I am clear, my friends. Being a teacher, I feel like repeating, though you are not students. You are also teachers. You are more experienced, more knowledgeable, and more . . . I mean, more senior to me. I know that. But since we are family members talking to each other, therefore, I sometimes may overdo my job, for which I seek your pardon. I humbly seek your pardon if there are some repetitions, because I have this habit, due to my job as a professor for forty-four years only! (Laughter)
So, the source is consciousness. Out of this consciousness, the mind is born, and out of the mind comes the ego ‘I’-ness. So our sadhana or spiritual practice is to retrace our steps back to the source: the ‘I’ should dissolve in the mind, and the mind should merge back in its source, which is consciousness. That is true sadhana. That is true enquiry, according to Ramana Maharshi.
What a beautiful thing it is. Is it possible? How can I go back, return to the source? Is it anything like a glass that one can take back? How to go back? No! Here is a simple example. When you say that there are no thoughts in the mind, when there are no thoughts there, the mind is gone. When there are no threads, there is no cloth. Only interwoven threads make this cloth. When all the threads are removed, there is no more cloth. Likewise, when there are no more thoughts, there is no more mind. Then, where has mind gone? It has returned to the source, pure consciousness. So the ultimate goal of meditation is to return to consciousness, to be and reside in consciousness.
Unfortunately, we make meditation a routine. “I meditate between 5:00 and 6:00.” Can you really do that? For one hour, you meditate?! If you can really meditate for one hour, I will fall at your feet! It is tall tale #1! (Laughter) It is not possible. You may be sitting, that is all. In the name of meditation, you may be thinking of what to do when you get up. (Laughter) With whom you should fight . . . (Laughter) whom you should push in the darshan line . . . (Laughter) whom you should shout at because he shouted at you yesterday . . . And you call this is meditation? (Laughter) I am sorry, but it is not. That is why Baba said, “For eleven seconds--it is enough.”
Somebody asked me, “Mr. Anil Kumar, what does Baba mean when He says, ‘Eleven seconds is enough’? I do two hours of meditation each day!” (Laughter) What is this two, huh? Baba does not know how to calculate! (Laughter) He doesn’t seem to have a sense of time! When you great saints, who can meditate for hours and hours, are here, He has minimised it to eleven seconds, poor Swami! (Laughter)
Then I told him in the way I understand it: It is so difficult, so very difficult to keep the mind thoughtless, to keep the mind thought-free and stable, withdrawn, passive, inactive, even for eleven seconds. If you keep it like that for eleven seconds, the rest will be taken care of. If you are successful in keeping your mind thoughtless for eleven seconds, yes, the rest of it will happen. That is why eleven is the optimum. Eleven seconds is most difficult to do. When you say one hour . . . I don’t know, maybe something is wrong with you or wrong with me! You may manage later for any length of time. Eleven seconds, if successful, yes, or make it up to one minute . . . if you are able to do that, this is the first step. This is the first rung in the ladder to be climbed. Therefore, my friends, this is what it is. That’s it.
The withdrawal of the mind back to pure consciousness is the source of happiness, is the source of bliss, and is the source of peace. Why? In deep sleep I am peaceful. It is only in the waking state that I am without peace. Only then I start shouting at everybody because the milk fellow does not bring milk on time, for example. And even if he brings the milk on time, it is 50% aqua or water! (Laughter) (When Swami was saying on the dais the other day that we should not drink pure milk, I said, “Swami, thank you. Here people don’t bring pure milk. (Laughter) They are interested in our health. They bring more water and less milk, so our health is perfect.”) (Laughter)
So we are restless right from the early morning, when the milk vendor arrives. We are also very much disturbed by the servant who never comes on time either, particularly during darshan time. When we are ready to go for darshan, the servant maid comes only then. (She knows she can do anything and run away when she wants.) Or, if you find her and she comes, you will stay to see that she works well. Then, just as darshan finishes, her work is over, thank you. So you miss darshan. Naturally you are disturbed.
Then we lose the keys right at the time to go to the office. You don’t know where the keys are, so you search and search. Finally you find the office keys somewhere in the bathroom! So the day begins like that! This sort of beginning of the day is true with anyone . . . with everyone! Therefore, this ‘I’-ness creates restlessness.
But in deep sleep, while I am sleeping, my mind never says, “I lost my office keys,” or “the servant maid has not come,” or “that fellow has not paid me back his loan.” The mind is not there. In sleep, the mind is withdrawn. The mind has gone in depth into that pure consciousness. The mind has merged and dissolved in consciousness. So, consciousness is the other name of peace. Consciousness is the other name of bliss. Therefore, you are blissful in sleep. But when the mind comes out of pure consciousness, this confusion, this worry, this botheration, this duality, this tension or hypertension all starts immediately. Therefore, Ramana Maharshi says, “See that the mind goes back to the source, which is consciousness, so that you will be in eternal bliss”. That is what he says.
Here is another point that Bhagavan Baba makes. What does He say? “Instead of saying ‘I want peace’, understand why you lost peace.”
“Understand why I lost peace? Swami, what is this? You are answering in a negative way. When I ask you, I want peace, You are telling me how I missed peace? Why Swami? Why do you talk like that?”
Swami replied, “You are peace, you are the embodiment of peace, but you have lost it. Find out why you have lost it.” You are the embodiment of peace. You are peace.
If you feel peaceful now, you may lose it in the next moment. If you are peaceful on Monday, on Tuesday you will be a big nuisance. So that which comes is sure to go. But peace doesn’t come and go, because you are peace, you are bliss! That is what Baba has said. What an explanation it is! What a beautiful explanation! I have not come across that before anywhere else.
He says, “You are the embodiment of peace, Shanti Swarupa. You are the embodiment of bliss, Ananda Swarupa. You are the embodiment of the Divine, Divyaatma Swarupa.” So, you are peace; understand why (or how) you have lost peace.
When you are peace, why are you lost? “I had some money, but I lost it. Why is it gone? I went to some casino, and lost the money playing cards. I lost.” In Las Vegas, you can’t have money; you lose it gambling! So I had money, but I lost it. Similarly, I have peace, but I have lost it. Why have I lost it? Next question.
Swami says, “Ah…repeat your question, repeat your question.”
“Swami, it is a very simple question.”
“What is it? You said, ‘I want peace.’ Remove the ‘I’, remove the ‘want’, and what remains is peace!”
Remove the ‘I’, remove the ‘want’, what remains is peace. There is peace already ready for you. Is it that simple? Yes. What is this ‘I’? The mind. What is ‘want’? Desire. When mind and desire are gone, peace is always there. That is the reason why the spiritual people are always peaceful—because they don’t want anything. Swami is always peaceful, always happy. He doesn’t want anything. Even if you serve Him food, He won’t eat much–just one spoonful. So He doesn’t want food, He doesn’t want money, He doesn’t want anything that you want to give Him. Why? He is the source of everything. Baba is the source of everything, so He expects nothing from you. He expects nothing from you because He is the source of everything.
Therefore, my friends, you are consciousness, which is full. In sleep, you don’t say, “I only have a little money; I want to be rich.” Would you say that? While dreaming, you may say that. In dreams you may say, “I want to be rich.” But in deep sleep, you never say you want money. In deep sleep, you will never say, “I want power.” You will never say, “I want to be the convenor of that Sai centre.” Do you say that? In deep sleep, you don’t want any position or any power. There is no hunger, no thirst . . . nothing in deep sleep. Why? That is consciousness, the eternal witness. Therefore, when this ‘want’ goes and when this ‘I’-ness goes, then only consciousness remains. You are beyond all, you are all and beyond all. There is nothing to ask for, nothing to desire, because you are peace, you are bliss. Bhagavan tells us this often.
Then Swami makes another point. With a negative mind, how do you expect to be peaceful? When our mind is negative, how do you expect to be peaceful? There are some people who ask, “If I go to Puttaparthi, will my problem be solved?” You have not gone there, so how can you tell if you will solve it or not? You have not yet gone. “If I go to Puttaparthi, will my problem be solved or not?” This is a question put by a fool. Why? Come and see whether it is solved or not! There is food here, some sweet and some hot. Will it be good or not? Arre! Hey, eat it and then decide! (Laughter) First eat it and then decide whether it is good or bad.
It is very unfortunate that we doubt everything in life. This doubt is damaging our very life. Doubt is damaging the very taste of life. I tell you, doubt is ruining our life. We doubt everything. Suppose you have a good house. Immediately you begin to wonder, “Will it stand? Will it remain standing, or if not, why not? Will it collapse? If I buy it, will it still be there tomorrow? Have I spent more money than I should have? Will I live long enough to enjoy it?” This kind of doubt is damaging.
Therefore my friends, we have no peace because of excessive desire, as our mind is so strong with all its ‘I’-ness and negativity. Negativity is very dangerous in life. The more positive you are, the closer you are to God. The more negative you are, the further you are from God. That is the rule, take it from me.
Then, what is positivity? Acceptance is positivity . . . acceptance. Suppose Swami has not come for darshan this morning. How does a negative mind think of this situation? The negative mind will think like this: “He has not come this morning to avoid me! (Laughter) He has not come this morning because He wanted to avoid some of the fellows here!” No, no. He wanted to avoid you first (the fellow who speaks like that). “He has not come this morning because He wanted to skip some programs. He has not come this morning because there is some important guest who has come to visit Him.” These are all the reasons given by the negative mind. This is the negative mind.
The positive mind thinks like this: “He has not come this morning so that I will think of Him more.” Normally, once He comes, many go to the canteen for breakfast. (Laughter) “If He does not come, I sit there and continue to think of Him. When is He going to arrive?” So your thought on Him is for a longer period when His darshan is delayed. Your constant thought on Him, your constant prayer to Him, your feeling for Him and in Him is for a longer duration than otherwise. If He comes at seven o’clock and gives darshan by seven-fifteen, you will be in the canteen straight after. (Laughter) You may not even return for the bhajans. On the other hand, if He comes at nine o’clock, till nine you will be praying to Him, meditating upon Him, and talking about Him. This is all the positive point-of-view.
If He looks at you, just like that a negative mind will think, “He may be looking at him, but I don’t think He is looking at me.” A positive mind will think that, just by looking at that (other) person, all of us benefited because all of us could see Him. That is the thought of a positive mind.
When Swami sits there on the dais, a negative mind will think, “I have come here, therefore Swami sat there; or else, as usual, He won’t sit.” Oho! A negative mind! A positive mind thinks, “This being Sunday, there are big crowds; Swami will want to give the benefit of His darshan to all of the big crowd here. I am lucky to be one amongst them.” That is the positive mind.
Positivity is a guarantee to earn God’s grace, whereas negativity is a guarantee to miss His grace. That is guaranteed. Therefore my friends, another reason we don’t have peace is because we are not positive.
I have one more point to make in the “That’s It” talk, and then I will conclude. Baba always says, “You are God, you are God.” It is so difficult to believe because we shout and complain, and cannot adjust. “Does God act like me? How can I be God? I am very particular about my dress. Is God also particular about His dress? I like hot spicy stuff and pickles and all that. Does God also like that stuff? How can I be God?”
This question was put to Swami, “Swami, how can I be God?”
Baba answered, “Alright then, think you are a buffalo! (Laughter) A he-buffalo!” As you think, so you become!
Yad Bhavam Tat Bhavathi.
As you think, so you become.
You are Divine! Think you are Divine. If you think you are a buffalo, you will be a first-class buffalo! (Laughter)
“Swami, if I am God, what is it I will get then?” What is it I will get . . . some more money? What is that you get when you think you are God? You will never be egoistic; that ‘I’-ness will go when you think you are Divine. You will never be proud or egoistic, because there is only one God. There are not two gods, fighting with each other. So when you are God, there is only you, meaning all others are your own reflections. When there are two, they can fight. But when there is only one, with whom is the one going to fight?
Suppose in my room I go on fighting alone. What will you say? “Poor man! Yesterday evening he was alright; but this morning he has become a lunatic! Maybe the full moon day is fast approaching and affecting him!” (Laughter) You will begin to pity me! So, when you think you are God, there is no enemy and there is nobody to fight with, as you are the only one. So, when you are God, all are friendly and all are yours; no one is alien to you. There is no other than you; you are the only one. Others are your own reflection. That’s it!
So this morning, in the “That’s It” talk, we have learnt what liberation is. We also had a few thoughts on yoga, spiritual exercises, a few thoughts on shanti or peace, and finally, on non-duality or Advaitha. Thank you very much for your time. May Bhagavan be with you forever and ever. Thank you. (Applause)
Is doubt negative thought?
Yes.
So everyone is born with doubt, lives with doubt, and dies with doubt. Doubt will never be clear for anybody. But I want to know and to analyse what self-help is the best help? How it can be Self? How it can be help? Please clarify these two things.
Oh, oh, oh! Good. That is where you are--Self help. What is Self? What is help? How Self and help can go together? When there is only Self, what is the fun of help? My friends, help yourself to know the Self. Help yourself to know the Self, because you are helping yourself to be rich. Give all your help to foster your position and career, and all your help to others by the way of service. But help yourself to know the Self. So, what help? To know the Self is the best self-help; that is what I say. Self helps. Thank you, sir, a very good question. I am enlightened by your question. Thank you very much. Any other questions, please?
What is consciousness and thought?
Very good, sir! Thank you, sir. You see, that is what I tell you. Believe me or not, I am more benefited by your company. I am most benefited by your company! Yes, very good. What is consciousness and thought? Wah, wah, wah! (Laughter)
Consciousness is cosmic, consciousness is universal, consciousness is Divine. That consciousness, when applied at the individual level, is called ‘conscience’. Consciousness is universal, but consciousness at the individual level is ‘conscience’. Out of this conscience, springs up the mind, and this mind creates thoughts. Therefore, consciousness and conscience are very much the same. They are homogenous and analogous; both are the same because consciousness is universal. Remember, the same consciousness at the individual level is called ‘conscience’. Out of this conscience arises the mind, which creates our thoughts.
So, when thought is withdrawn, the mind no longer exists. When the mind does not exist, it is consciousness that remains as the eternal witness, as in deep sleep. To quote Baba, “Consciousness is the grandfather, conscience the father, and mind the son.” That is what Baba has said. (Applause)
Where does the soul reside in the human body?
Yes, it is not anything like the heart, which is located at one place. It is not like lungs, which are situated toward the anterior part of the body. It is not like kidneys, which are located at the posterior side of the body. Soul is everywhere. A simple example: when there is an ant, you immediately feel it. When there is a fly on your toe, you will immediately feel it. It is the soul that is pervading all over, while the other parts are specifically located. It is something like electricity. The switch is there, the bulb is there, but electricity is everywhere. So similarly, the soul is everywhere. The individual parts are at the specific places where they are located. Am I clear? So, the soul is everywhere.
Ramana Maharshi said to think wherefrom ‘I’ arises.
Please come here so that others can also follow. The question is so nice that everybody should benefit from it. Why don’t you come every week like this, and make me joyful and more benefited by your good company and satsang?
Sai Ram everyone. I just have one question for Professor Anil Kumar. He quotes Ramana Maharshi, and says that Ramana Maharshi says, “Think wherefrom the ‘I’ arises.” My question this: Is this a place in the brain, or is there a particular place in the mind that one has to visualise?
So nice. You are from? Mauritius. Ok, Good, good.
A simple example: We are very well into the computer age. Our brain is only a box . . . only a box. Brain is the hardware, while mind is the software. Mind is the software and brain is the hardware! (Applause) Now this mind ‘software’ functions on battery or current, which is consciousness. Consciousness is the battery or power supply.
The brain is lost with the loss of body. When the body is gone, the brain is also gone. The brain can be studied in the anatomy theatre or medical college. But the mind cannot be studied. Is there any medical college where the mind is studied? Only a mental fellow will say that he studied it! (Laughter) So, the mind is not studied in the anatomy theatre; it is only the physical brain that is studied. So, the brain is physical, while the mind is the spirit behind that physical brain.
So, the physical brain is an almirah (meaning, a storage closet), while mind is the jewel inside. Brain is an iron box. Yes, an iron box, while the mind is the cash inside. Iron box is the brain, cash is the mind (and the rest of it is trash). Are you following? That is what it is. Any more questions?
Is there any fundamental difference between enlightenment and enjoyment?
Good, good, that is good. Enjoyment, enlightenment, wonderful! You are from? Katmandu, Nepal
So, enjoyment has a beginning and an end. Enjoyment is related to the world. Enjoyment belongs to the senses. Enjoyment is worldly; enjoyment is physical. Enjoyment may be social, political, scientific, physical, or even psychological. But enlightenment is Divine. Enlightenment is spiritual. Enlightenment is eternal, with no beginning or end. Enlightenment is awareness; enlightenment is recognition; enlightenment is the experience of the Self. Experience of the Self is enlightenment, while experience through the senses is enjoyment. Sensual is enjoyment and spiritual is enlightenment. Am I clear? (Applause)
The mind or heart—which commands life?
Which commands life? It depends upon your orientation. A simple example: If a fellow is worldly, it is the mind that takes control. If a person is value-oriented, spiritually-oriented, it is the heart that commands. It is something like, is it the husband or the wife who is master of the house? (Applause and Laughter) Sometimes a fellow responds saying, “Please ask her!” That fellow knows his limits! So that is what it is! (Laughter)
“May the soul rest in peace” . . . what does it mean?
Wah, wah, wah! Today is a golden day in my life, a red letter day in my life! (Applause and Laughter) Yes! If such seekers come, we will have more time for question and answer sessions! Thank you very much.
“May the soul rest in peace.” What does it mean? The soul has two components here, the conscience (from consciousness) and the mind. When the mind is dropped, it remains as conscience, which is peace. “May the soul rest in peace,” means let the soul drop the mind, and rest itself in peace. What is it? That is conscience. So the soul is conscience, in combination with the mind, just working.
Dropping the mind is something like when we see a lunar module and a command module separating. In space travel, both are together. At one stage, one module gets detached. Have you seen it on television? The space travel command module and the lunar module both go into space. Then at one time, one gets detached. Similarly, the soul, when it gets detached from the mind, remains as the conscience. That is peace. “May the soul rest in peace” means the soul minus the mind is peace. Am I clear, sir? (Applause)
Does the mind ever die?
No, the mind never dies.
Manomoolam Idam Jagath.
The mind is the basis for the world.
The mind is withdrawn, or the mind is expressed, that’s all. A simple example: Seawater. In seawater, there is salt. Do you see the salt in the sea? No. Can you say there is no salt there? No, there is salt there. So, it is possible to get salt out of the sea water, though you don’t see the salt there. Similarly, the mind may remain inactive or active, that’s all.
Regarding that point, it is said:
Manomoolam Idam Jagath.
The mind is the basis for the world.
It never dies. It may express or it may not express. There may be expression or silence. But when something is wrong with it, there is depression, frustration or something similar. So mind doesn’t die because it carries our samskaras (inherited instincts and tendencies) of past lives.
What Ramana Maharshi says is that once the samskaras are gone, when the mind is withdrawn completely, where does it go? It goes back to the source, to consciousness. In the waking state, it expresses itself, something like a CD. We have got a CD, but if you take a blade and scratch it completely, you will not get anything there when you put it back into the computer. Nothing will play. Or like with a record player. If you remove all the lines on the record, will you hear any song? No. Similarly, once the samskaras are erased, the mind withdraws and returns to the source or consciousness. That is what it is meant.
I have been told on many occasions that when somebody witnesses the emergence of the Lingam (the symbolic form of Godhead), that person is liberated. Is it true or not?
When Swami says it, why do you ask me whether it is true, right or not? When Swami says it, who am I to say is it true or not? When Swami says if you witness the Lingam, you are liberated—that is what you are saying, you are quoting Swami—well, with what face can I contradict that?
But you should also know what Swami has added, a second point. Please understand. Swami said, “If you see the emergence of the Lingam, you will be liberated.” Very good. But Swami also said a second point. What is it? “This Lingam is present in everyone,” He said. Therefore, the realisation of Lingam in everyone is Atmalinga, consciousness. Consciousness is Atmalinga. Realisation of the Self is Atmalinga. That is liberation. This is the second point He also told.
Yes, let this be the last question. Yes, anybody here?
Nowadays people are using scientific spirituality. Is that justifiable? Is there any justification for both of those?
Good, good! Nowadays, people are using scientific spirituality. Are we justified? Is it justifiable to say so? That is your question. The point is this. Electricity is spirituality. The bulb that you buy that gives the light that you get; the sound that you hear . . . this is all science. Spirituality is the foundation, while science is the expression.
Spirituality and science are the obverse and reverse of the same coin. Science is about matter, while spirituality is about spirit. The spirit of science is spirituality. The expression of spirituality is Nature, which is science. Nature is science, which is nothing but an expression of spirituality. It is something like Nature and God. Nature is science, while God is spirituality. So God spiritually expresses Himself as Nature (or science). Both are interrelated, interdependent, inseparable . . . one and the same only. Thank you for your question. I sincerely thank from the bottom of my heart all those who have put some questions and made this satsang unique. May God bless them! Thank you very much for being here. We will meet next week, same day, same time. Sai Ram!
OM…OM…OM…
Asato Maa Sad Gamaya
Tamaso Maa Jyotir Gamaya
Mrtyormaa Amrtam Gamaya
Om Loka Samastha Sukhino Bhavantu
Loka Samastha Sukhino Bhavantu
Loka Samastha Sukhino Bhavantu
Om Shanti Shanti Shanti