January 20, 2008
“Do We Know?”
OM…OM…OM…
Sai Ram
With Pranams at the Lotus Feet of Bhagavan,
Today’s topic is “Do we know?” Why that topic? We think we know, though we do not know. In spirituality things appear to be known, though they are not. Why do they appear to be known? The reason is that spirituality cannot be known. I am not imagining things. I am not creating a myth.
We think we know, but we do not know that we don’t know. (Laughter) We cannot know, because spirituality is not to be known. I can know about machines, work, people, management, technology, and humanity. But God cannot be known. So if anyone says they know, please know that both—the one who claims he knows and the one who thinks he knows—do not know, because it cannot be known.
Why? All that knows is the mind. It is the mind that says it does not know when it does not know. It is the mind that says it knows when it knows. So known and unknown are two aspects of the mind. When I know you, my mind says I know you. When I do not know you, my mind says I do not know you.
But God is beyond the mind, above the mind, so the one who says that he knows is as much a fool as one who says that he does not know. Both of us are fools, good comradeship! How can you say that you know? No! You cannot know, because it’s beyond the mind. I cannot talk about that which I don’t know. At least you know that you don’t know, and that is enough knowledge. Therefore, my friends, this morning’s topic is “Do we know?”, because we think we know. Do we know, actually know?
What is bondage? Some people say that they want moksha, or liberation. Some people say they want to reach heaven. Some people wonder when they’ll be able to attain nirvana (state of bliss). The answer is so simple.
Moksha is not to be attained. Heaven is not to be reached. Nirvana is not an achievement because we are already liberated. We are already in heaven. We are already in state of nirvana, but we think that we are in bondage. This is a mistake of the mind, not the reality.
Here is a simple example which Bhagavan gave in one of his discourses. There is an earthen pot with a narrow neck. People make use of an earthen pot to catch monkeys. What do they do? They keep some peanuts in it. The monkey puts its hand into the earthen pot with the narrow neck to grab the peanuts with its fist. As a result, the grip becomes tight and its hand cannot come out.
Thinking that someone is pulling its hand, which is making it difficult to pull the hand out, the monkey starts jumping. Who is holding the monkey’s hand in the pot? No one is. Why can’t the monkey take its hand out of the pot? The monkey’s hand is not released because it is gripping the peanuts tightly in its fist.
In order to take out its hand, what should the monkey do? Release the peanuts so its hand can come out safely. Its fist is caught in the pot because of its grip. The monkey’s hand can be released only if its grip is loosened.
Similarly, the individual is the monkey and the world is the pot. Attachment is the grip. Sensory pleasures are the peanuts. So our sensory, worldly pleasures are peanuts that we hold in a tight grip, which is bondage.
Being in the position of the monkey, whose hand is contained in the pot of this world, I begin to dance. What should I do? I should give up all sensual desires; I should drop desire so that I can be free from it. In fact, the monkey was free earlier. It was caught because it put its hand into the pot, and held all the nuts in a tight grip. The monkey was free and jumping around before it put its hand in the pot. That started the problem.
Similarly, we are free, we are liberated, and we are in the state of nirvana. We are heavenly. But when we put our hand in the pot of the world, we catch hold of its sensual desires. Sensual desires become our bondage. When we give up desires, we are free again and in the state of nirvana.
Therefore, my friends, bondage is not external. Bondage is not imposed by anyone. Bondage is not given to you as a gift from someone. Bondage is of our own making. We bind ourselves; therefore we are restless. We are not able to be free, so we dance. That is the situation.
Do we know that? If we know that, why does everyone say they want moksha? Where is that moksha? Let me know. Where is that heaven? I want nirvana. How does it taste? What is its form? Is it fair or dark, tall or short? How do you know where heaven is? How do you know what moksha is? Can you define nirvana? No, no, no!
Nirvana, moksha, or heaven is the blissful state in which we are born and in which we live. It is our original, innate, inborn, true nature. But as we get into the grip of this world and get involved with its sensual pleasures and worldly desires, we become bound. When we leave this world, we are blissful again.
Therefore, my friends, it is desire which is the bondage. Bondage is nothing but desire. To be desireless is liberation. To be full of desire is to run after bondage. To be desireless is the natural state of bliss in which we are born.
We always involve ourselves in unnecessary talk and gossip, which pollutes our minds. If we talk about spiritual matters—the spirit, the conscience, consciousness, or something related to the Divine and its manifestation—we remain pure and fresh. But we don’t allow the mind to be like that. We want others to tell us stories, which then allows us to spread rumors. It allows us to be good transporters of gossip, generating some scandals. These are the pollutants. The mind is polluted because of gossip and useless talk.
“My mind is not polluted. It is the other man who is polluted. He speaks stuff that is untrue. He tells me that Swami has taken him to heaven. What shall I do? I am not in hell, so He doesn’t need to take me to heaven. Since he is in hell, He has to take the trouble to take him to heaven.” (Laughter)
Why do you bother about it? Some people talk about the finance and stock market. I don’t have any money invested anywhere. I must have some share in the love of Sai, that’s all. I am not interested in commercial matters.
Some people talk about some building being built somewhere. “Is it true, Anil Kumar?” Let it be built; I can't stop it. (Laughter) I will go and see it on the day of inauguration, if possible. There are so many buildings here that I haven't seen, though I live here. I am not interested in them. I have not come here for buildings. If you really want buildings, you can go to the Eiffel Tower, visit Paris or New York. I am not interested in buildings.
Therefore, my friends, as we get more involved in unnecessary matters, the mind gets polluted.
How can we make this mind free from pollution? The only way to free the mind of pollution is through detachment and discrimination. They will purify the mind and free it from pollution. What is discrimination? Is it worthwhile to hear all these stories, the dreams? No, it is not worthwhile. Will all this help me in any way? No. This is discrimination.
What is detachment? It is the understanding that whatever I get is not permanent. Some people are very happy the day they get the interview. Yes, you can be happy, and we congratulate you and celebrate. I will join you for coffee. Let us celebrate together. The next day you start crying, because you want an interview every day. (Laughter) It's not possible. The joy that you get out of an interview lasts only that day. The next day you start crying.
The fellow who has never had an interview cries throughout. So both fellows are crying. (Laughter) The fellow who got the interview is crying, and the fellow who did not get it is also crying. One suffers from the insecurity, because tomorrow he may not get an interview. The other feels frustrated. Both are crying. This is the reality, my friends.
Anything that comes is sure to vanish. Having seen Swami in the morning, I am very happy. In the evening, if darshan is canceled, I am unhappy. This morning I am very happy because Swami gave me darshan. Tomorrow morning there may not be darshan. So are you going to cry?
Therefore, that which appears, such as happiness or unhappiness, will eventually vanish. Today he is unhappy; tomorrow he will be happy. Today he is miserable; tomorrow he will be joyful. So that which comes is sure to vanish. This is the basic, fundamental truth that you have to understand. Positions are gone after retirement. Today you are a member of the Parliament. After five years, you will be only my neighbour. (Laughter)
What is the technique to develop detachment? The technique to develop detachment is to know how transitory, how momentary, how short-lived and how ephemeral everything is. The key to developing detachment is to know the momentary nature of fleeting pleasures.
Discrimination is a natural quality which we don’t exercise often. We don’t need separate equipment to understand what is good and what is bad. We are gifted with the intellect to know what is good and what is not. Therefore, developing discrimination and detachment is the only way to have a thorough kind of awareness.
“Why does it matter if I have desires? Why are you bothered if I have desires?” some people may ask. I am telling you to drop your desires for your own sake. My friends, I repeat once again, whatever I say is for our mutual benefit and mutual practice. Never think I have experienced all of which I speak. If you think so, you are living in Himalayan ignorance. (Laughter)
This is only a flow of information, where we study together. This is only an exploration into the unknown together. This is only sharing with you the knowledge that I have gathered. It is not that I am on a higher pedestal than you. I am not a fool yet. (Laughter) We are fellow pilgrims. We are traveling together. Each one is a spirit in a study circle, and I learn from others too. That is all it is.
What will happen if I have desire? Can I be free from desire? No. What's wrong if there is a desire in my mind?
Desire will lead to two situations. One is fear, and the other is illusion. Desire will lead to fear. I have a letter in my pocket. My personal problem is more important than an international problem. Will Swami come or not? Will there be darshan or not? If there is darshan, will the window of His car be closed or open, or not? (Laughter) He may raise the window upon seeing me, which happens. At a particular position in the hall, He will raise the window! [Anil Kumar made the sound of a window being raised] (Laughter) Don’t carry a letter, and you will be happy whether the window is closed or open.
So what did desire do to you? It made you lose the pleasure of darshan, since your mind was constantly engaged in the letter in your pocket. So naturally desire creates a sense of fear. True desire also takes you to a state of illusion, delusion, or imagination.
“What if Swami takes that letter? What shall I do then? I have written that letter to ask blessings for going abroad, or starting a business, or getting married, or starting some project. If Swami takes the letter, I will apply for a loan through my credit card and start building. How many stories should the building have, two stories or three? Should I be on the ground floor or the top floor?” Imagination! Hallucination!
Therefore, desire has two negative aspects. One is fear: whether the desire going to be fulfilled or not. The second is imagination, as if everything is going to happen. If Swami does not take this letter, is the project accepted or not? Shall I marry that girl or not? Shall I do this project or not? Questions bother you everywhere you go. They go on disturbing you. Therefore, desire is not good for anyone.
NEED VERSUS DESIRE
How do I stop these desires? I know that desire is not in my own interest. How to stop it or prevent it?
My friends, do not mistake me when I say that desire is wrong. Needs are different from desires. I need toothpaste. It's not a desire. I want to brush my teeth. I want you to sit by my side; therefore I need toothpaste for brushing my teeth. (Laughter) Is that a desire?
I want to have a cup of coffee. It is not a desire. Needs are different from desires. Necessities make your life comfortable, peaceful, and convenient. My point is that true needs will never create a sense of fear, because we should have basic necessities in order to conduct our lives. It is only desire that should be controlled, please understand this.
Then how do we free ourselves from desire? There is only one secret. There is only one technique, one answer. There is only one path to be desireless. There are not a lot of options or choices; you cannot ask me for or suggest a second alternative. What is the secret?
It is the knowledge of the Self—Atma Jnana, knowledge of the soul, knowledge of the spirit, awareness of consciousness. Only knowledge of the Self will help us give up desire, nothing else.
What is Atma Jnana? “I have enough Jnana, or knowledge, because I read the Bhagavad Gita, the Holy Bible, or my scripture every day. I sing bhajans. I have enough knowledge of the Self. Then what other Atma Jnana are you talking about?” That may be the next genuine question from your side.
We love Bhagavan for this reason. He explains everything in the simplest way possible. Swami puts concepts in a single sentence, while those same concepts are explained over several pages or chapters in books. Swami makes them beautifully simple. Who can carry books, particularly when books are not allowed in Sai Kulwant Hall? Hari Om, that’s all. His simple answers are highly potent, like thousand watt bulbs, or candles, that illuminate an entire area.
What does Baba say about Atma Jnana? What is Self awareness? He has a simple answer—to know that there is only One-without-a-second. It means that there is only God, nothing else. Then who are we? We are all Divine. What are trees? Divine. What are mountains? Divine. What are animals? Divine. The same Divinity has taken the role of an animal, of a plant, of a human.
“Only One-without-a-second” is the quintessence, the essence, of the knowledge of the Self. That is what is called Atma Jnana. When we have this Self awareness, or experience of the consciousness, when we clearly understand and become convinced that there is only One-without-a-second, then who can desire anyone else?
A simple example: I want you because you are separate from me. I can go on saying, “I want you, I want you, I want you,” from morning to night. We cannot say when someone becomes insane. If I am the only one in existence, then I cannot say that I want you. So when there are two, one can love, one can hate; one can be a friend, the other an enemy. Two can fight or shake hands. When there is only one, who is to shake hands with whom?
The awareness and understanding that there is only One-without-a-second is called Atma Jnana—knowledge of the spirit or awareness of the Self. When this understanding develops, there is nothing to desire in this world. So people who have fewer desires, or want to be desireless, must develop Atma Jnana, the knowledge of the Self. That is the only way to end mundane, physical, worldly desires. There is no other way, as Bhagavan has said in His discourses.
This is a simple example: there are thousands of oysters and shells in the sea. If you are observant when collecting them, you notice that they shine like silver. But is there silver in the shell? No. It appears to be silver, but it is not silver. Similarly, what we know appears to be knowledge of the Self, but it is not.
Why? The knower and the known are one. That is the beauty of it. I am the knower. I want to know the Atma, the consciousness. Ultimately I will know that Atma, or consciousness, is not different from me. I think I am clear. The knower and the known are one. This is the knowledge of the Self, Atma Jnana, which will deliver us from the clutches and bondage of desire, as explained by Bhagavan.
How to start? You should make a start somewhere, at some point. How to become desireless and experience the knowledge of the Self? How to be in constant integrated awareness? What is the beginning step?
Surrender to the Feet of the Divine Master. Surrender to the Divine Feet of the Holy Master.
Manasa Bhajare Guru Charanan
Dustara Bhava Sagara Taranam
Guru Maharaj Guru Jai Jai
Sai Natha Sadguru Jai Jai
Once you surrender at the Lotus Feet of God, the channel or gates of knowledge of the Self are open to you. The knowledge of the Self will be available to you, so that you are soaked in consciousness. That is why a guru, or a preceptor, or a Divine Master is required.
How to surrender to the Divine Master? That is again a problem, because we don’t agree with the other man. How do you expect me to surrender at the Feet? If someone says that today was a bright, sunny day, the other man says that yesterday was brighter. (Laughter) When we don’t agree because of ego problems, the process of surrender is not that easy. It is easier said than done.
How to surrender? Constant chanting of His name is the path to surrender. That is why:
Manasa Bhajare Guru Charanam
Contemplate the Feet of the Lord
How?
Guru Maharaj, Guru Jai Jai
Sainath Sadguru Jai Jai
Sing His Glory
When you sing His glory, it is possible to:
Manasa Bhajare Guru Charanam
Concentrate on the Feet of God
The second Sanskrit line is the process; the first Sanskrit line is the aim. Surrendering at the Lotus Feet is the aim, the goal, the one you want to get. How to do it? Sing His glory and then things become easy.
So what will happen by surrendering to God? What will happen if I sing His glory? What will happen is very clearly said. If you think of your Divine Master for five minutes of total concentrated thought, He will think of you for the rest of the day, the whole day! Five minutes of concentration on the Feet of God will make your guru or Divine Master think of you throughout the day.
BEGIN THE DAY WITH PRAYER
That’s why people say begin the day with a word of prayer. We don’t begin the day with prayer; we begin the day with conflict and fighting, or yesterday’s problems that get forwarded to today. Begin the day with prayer so that the whole day will be taken care of by God.
Bhagavan mentioned in His recent talks that Prashanti Nilayam is a place where we have Suprabhatam in the morning, so that you can begin the day with a word of prayer. Thereafter we have bhajan, to think of His glory and grandeur. And then we also have evening prayer to think of God, an expression of gratitude for the beautiful day given to us. This is what is to be done to attain that state of freedom from desire.
What is coming in the way, when I am anxious to acquire the knowledge of the Self? Can I say so-and-so does not want Atma Jnana? No, everyone is willing to have knowledge of the Self. Everyone is very anxious and eager to have the knowledge of the Self; everyone wants to have Atma Jnana, consciousness, awareness.
But what is the obstacle? The main obstacle is that we do not forget things that we should forget. ”Last year, you did not say ‘Sai Ram’ to me.” (Laughter) So what? “So today I don’t say ‘Sai Ram’ to you.” Oh, ho! “Five years ago when I met you, you didn’t offer me a cup of coffee.” All cheap, mean, dirty thoughts are treasured; therefore, the mind has become full of garbage. “My boss scolded me yesterday”, so today I am serious. If you are serious, he will scold you even more!
You must have heard of the late Ramabrahman, the caretaker of Brindavan in Bangalore. During my earlier days in Bangalore, when I was new at Brindavan, every morning Sri Ramabrahman used to visit me and give me some advice. I could not say enough is enough, because he was an elderly man. (Laughter) Also, I was living alone. For a fellow who loves company, being asked to live alone is the worst punishment. So I wanted someone to talk with and what better than a man of the stature of Ramabrahman.
He said, “When Swami scolds you, what should you do?”
I said, “Sir, I am new in service. Not even a week has passed. Why do you talk about Swami scolding me?” (Laughter)
“No, this is preparation.” (Laughter)
“So sir, what should I do?”
He said, “Just look straight ahead, that’s all.” (Laughter)
“Oh! I see. Sir, why should I not look to that side or this side?” (Laughter)
“When Swami scolds you, if you look to that side or this side, you give the impression that you are mindful of what others think.”
I don’t want Him to scold me in public. If He scolds me in the interview room, I can tell you that He gave me a ring or a watch, something like that, (Laughter) or that it was a marathon interview. But in public, there is no chance to bluff. My ego is affected.
“Therefore, when you look to that side or this side while Swami scolds you, it indicates that the ego is taking over and Swami will scold you more, endlessly, until aarthi at least.”
“So what should I do, sir?”
“Prasanna Hoga, Sai Prasanna Hoga. Be peaceful and allow me to be peaceful. There is no other way.” That’s what Ramabrahman said.
“Okay, sir. What should I do the next day? Say He scolded me yesterday. What should I do today?”
He said, “Forget about it, because today’s account is a fresh account. Yesterday's account is closed, no balance. Hari Om, a new account with no previous entries. Every day is a bonus in our lives. Every day we should start a new account, and not carry forward any previous entry.”
“Why, sir? I feel so bad about it.”
“If you treasure it, it gets compounded. You receive a recurring deposit with compounded interest. You will be more miserable by remembering the moments when He scolded you. (Laughter) Hari Om. Forget about it, so that you can smile and be happy, as usual.”
Therefore, the greatest obstacle in the way of acquiring knowledge of the Self or Atma Jnana is holding on to unnecessary memories. They are not worth it; so let us pray to forget all that. Remember that the Self is permanent. Constant remembrance of the Self, constant remembrance of consciousness, constant remembrance of your reality, and constant forgetfulness of all the rest, is most essential to develop Atma Jnana, or the knowledge of the Self. That is what Baba said.
Suppose that Swami stands in front of me. If I think whether my return trip is confirmed or not, what will happen? I will lose the benefit of darshan. Forget about it. Watch and be happy. Therefore, my friends, to have knowledge of the Self, awareness of the Self, we should not collect all the information and treasure it. Forget about it. What is to be remembered is the Self, the Supreme.
If I forget, what will happen? Swami gives us this answer. I want to know what will happen if I invest one hundred rupees. We are interested in how much interest we will get. What will happen if I forget? Grace will flow. You will receive God’s grace in abundance from within. As the mind forgets, as the mind drops, the spring of joy, the fountain of bliss, will spring forth within you from your own heart. The mind should be empty and closed, so that the mountain of joy from within from one’s own heart will spring forth. That is God’s grace.
Swami gives you an example. Suppose a fisherman has spread his net in the water. There is water in the net now, right? When the fisherman takes the net out, there is no water. So the net is full of water while in the water, and when the net is out of the water, there isn’t a drop of water in it. Similarly, once you forget and make the mind empty, you will get His grace. When you are full, you are in deep, hot water. That is the example given by Bhagavan.
“In order to make the mind empty, what should I do?” Bhagavan has said keep your mind pure.
“But my mind is always pure. What do you mean by that?” (Laughter)
No, my friends, to know that your mind is impure is also knowledge. It is also awareness. To think that you are good is self-glorification. Someone else should also agree. I cannot say that I am good. Similarly, I should know that my mind is impure. Most of us do not know.
What are the impurities of the mind? The mind has only two impurities: raga, or attachment, and dwesha, or hatred. With this impurity of attachment, the mind causes havoc in life. Many parents are put into disrepute because of too much attachment to the family. The son is a gunda (ruffian), but the father supports him because of attachment. Therefore, the father loses his reputation. Attachment!
A fellow applies for leave from his office, because his wife is suffering from a simple headache.
“Why do you want leave today?”
“My wife is suffering from a headache, so I request you to grant me casual leave.” If she has a headache, why are you taking leave? That is attachment.
On the other hand, if the neighbor next door dies, many people think, “Ah, many people die after all, I can’t prevent it. I am not responsible for all the births and deaths.”
When the son, who lives in Los Angeles, is sick and has a slight temperature there, the parent will have a temperature here. That’s attachment.
“Mr. Anil Kumar, my son has a fever.”
“Please, you also have fever? Leave me alone. (Laughter) Enjoy your fever!”
One gentleman said, “You know, my son purchased a car, and he earns about three hundred thousand dollars a year in America.”
“Good. Why do I need that information?”
And then the gentleman doesn’t give you his son’s salary, anyway. What he brings here for you is a set of blades for shaving, that’s all! (Laughter) But this fellow boasts that his son is that and this. That’s attachment.
You can say, “Mr. Anil Kumar, my son paid me a brief visit, and gave me this packet of blades.” I’ll appreciate your sincerity.
Attachment is the cause of pride. Attachment is the cause of vanity. Therefore, my friends, attachment is responsible for everything in life. When you say that God has only one form, it causes suffering. Assuming that God has only one particular form causes attachment and suffering. Similarly, assuming that God is to be found in one place only also leads to attachment and suffering.
That’s why Baba says, “All names are Mine. All forms are Mine. I am everywhere.”
If you say that He is in Prashanti Nilayam only, then attachment comes in and faith is gone. So you cannot limit God to a name, a form, or a place, because all names, forms and places are His. He is present everywhere. Once that realisation occurs, there will be no raga, or attachment.
The second pollutant of the mind is dwesha, or hatred. I have dwesha because you look better than me. “Oh, you are taller than me!” That is not a reason to hate him. So raga and dwesha are impurities. Once we understand that, we can cleanse our mind. It is as simple as that.
“Why, sir? Let there be raga and dwesha. I am fine.”
Oh, I see! You cannot be fine with raga and dwesha. The reason is that a polluted mind will look at truth as untruth, and untruth as truth, something like a man looking like a woman, or a woman appearing as man. Truth appears as untruth, and untruth appears as truth, to an impure mind. Therefore, we should have a pure mind so that:
Asato Maa Sad Gamaya,
From untruth to Truth,
Tamaso Maa Jyotir Gamaya ,
From darkness to Light,
Mrithyor Maa Amrtam Gamaya.
From death to Immortality.
This is possible only for a pure mind. That’s what Bhagavan has said.
Therefore, what am I to do now? There are many people near the Gayatri Mandir reciting a number of slokas, collectively or individually, silently or loudly. Some people recite slokas near the Ganesh temple. Some people do namasmarana in the Mandir. All these are methods to gain knowledge of the Self, to experience the Self. That is what we have to understand.
For example, when I close my eyes, turn within, and concentrate on the fact that I am not the body or the mind, a time comes when the thought process stops. When the thought process stops, the mind is withdrawn. When the mind is withdrawn, there is happiness, peace, and bliss. An active mind is different from a passive mind, in the spiritual sense. When the mind is passive, it withdraws easily into a thoughtless state, where one experiences peace and bliss. When there is peace and bliss, that is the indication of a passive mind.
For that purpose we sing bhajans. We don’t sing bhajans to appreciate only the melody and the beat.
“Ah, what a song that is!”
“The song is fine, but how about you?”
Bhajans, meditation, and other spiritual exercises are practices to know our true nature. What happens as you meditate or sing? You reach a thoughtless state and the mind is withdrawn. You start experiencing bliss, as Bhagavan has said.
“If I cannot silence my mind, I will not allow others to remain in silence.” There are some good people who disturb others. It is a pity when some of our devotee friends are in meditation, and someone goes and disturbs them. Poor fellows! In their previous lives they must have been mosquitoes. (Laughter)
Mosquitoes disturb people because they do not know. You just allow yourself to be bitten. In Kulwant Hall, some people are in deep meditation when others come and disturb them. I don’t blame them for their past history as a bug or a mosquito. If you are in a state of bliss, it is not my business to disturb you and take you out of meditation.
A dual mind or an active mind is ego. You identify with the body and the ego. Restlessness, anxiety, pride, jealousy, worry, attachment, and hatred come into the picture. So when you are meditating and are in bliss, why should I bring you down to this level?
Therefore, we have to understand that the main purpose of all types of spiritual exercise is the withdrawal of the mind to reach a state of thoughtlessness and to experience the bliss within. So how long does it last? After meditation, shall I cry again? In meditation I am very happy. After meditation, I am unhappy.
If meditation gives you happiness only for that moment, it has not benefited you. If I take a bath, my body is fresh, not just while taking the bath. It stays fresh, even after wearing clothes, does it not? Similarly, I have eaten and my hunger is appeased. Half an hour or one hour after eating, I am still full, right? I can’t say I want to eat again, can I?
Similarly, the effect of meditation will percolate and influence the rest of the day. If that state of bliss is limited to the period of meditation only, it is not meditation; it’s just like the effect of alcohol or whisky. (Laughter) The effect of meditation should carry on throughout the day.
How? Baba uses an example: put a very heavy log into a flowing river. What will happen? Though the wood is heavy, the log easily floats on the surface of water. Similarly, a meditative mind will take all the heavy problems of life in a lighter way.
If a man of meditation says that he applied for casual leave due to problems at home, and he is worried about whether or not he may get the leave and also is worried about the problems at home, then he has not meditated. He only meditated on his problems.
True meditation will affect the whole day and make your problems lighter. There may appear to be problems. But you become a problem to the problem, because no problem can worry you. That is the reward or the state of a meditative mind.
Another quality of a meditative mind is that it will never judge others. I won’t say you are a good man and I won’t say you are a bad man. I don’t say you are great, or condemn you as a cheap fellow. A meditative mind never judges. If it judges, it is a conditioned mind, a closed mind. It is a non-meditative mind. A meditative mind never thinks of others and never judges. Why? A meditative mind is constantly engaged in experiencing that consciousness, being in holy communion with the Self, so it will never judge others. This is the quality of a meditative mind.
What do I get ultimately? I don’t judge others, I am thoughtless, I am desireless. But still you are interested in what you will get: “What do I get?” What more do you want?
It is clearly said that by being thoughtless, by being desireless, by being free from attachment and hatred, you will not have to be born again. It is birth that is responsible for all this duality. You don’t have to be born.
“Could you make it clear, Master?”
Swami says that desire is the cause for birth and rebirth. Attachment causes birth and rebirth. Once you have no attachment or desire, there is no birth. When I don’t have income, where is the question of income tax? Similarly, when there is income of jealousy, hatred and attachment, then the tax is rebirth.
This is what I have to say this morning. As time is up, we shall meet again next week.
Anil Kumar finished his satsang by chanting “Shiva Rama Krishna Hari Narayana.”
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