Verses 10.2–10.3🔗

means that neither people who work in the line of comforts and luxury nor the people who work in the line of religion and tapas (penance) know Him. ‘But, I am their origin, aham ādiḥ.’ na me viduḥ sura-gaṇāḥ prabhavaṁ na maharṣayaḥ I aham ādir hi devānāṁ maharṣīṇāṁ ca sarvaśaḥ II 10.2 Whether we live a spiritual or a materialistic life, our root is our consciousness. We should understand an important thing: Whenever Kṛṣṇa says, ‘Me, Me, Me, aham, aham, aham.’ He is referring to the enlightened consciousness. Let me narrate a real incident from my life: I was invited to a conference by a group of Kṛṣṇa bhaktas (devotees).

I can’t say devotees as the word devotee is a beautiful word. They were more like fanatics. I went humbly, in a friendly way. Suddenly, they confronted me and started arguing. They asked me, ‘Do you believe in the Gītā?’ Vibhūti Yogaḥ You Are The Ultimate 747 I said, ‘Yes, Gītā is the ultimate book. I respect it and I worship it.’ Theyquestionedme,‘ThenwhydoyouworshipŚiva?’Iwas shocked. They asked me, ‘You should worship only Kṛṣṇa. Why are you worshipping Śiva? Why do you put vibhūti (holy ash) on your forehead? Why you wear rudrākṣa (fruits of rudrākṣa tree)?’ I asked them, ‘How does respecting Śiva and wearing rudrākṣa contradict respecting and following the Gītā?’

They said, ‘No. Kṛṣṇa says in the Gītā, ‘I am everything,’ so how can you worship Śiva?’ I was surprised. I said, ‘When Kṛṣṇa says ‘I,’ He means the Parabrahma svarūpa (universal Self) of Him. He means the formless consciousness of His being. He represents the Universal energy. He doesn’t mean the six-foot form with the flute and peacock feather. The form is beautiful as long as it leads you to the formless.’ If He means the six-foot form, how could He say that He taught this knowledge to Vivasvān? He says, ‘I gave this knowledge to Ikśvāku. I gave this wisdom to Surya.’ He says again and again, it is He who gave this knowledge to these great people who lived thousands of years before Him!

When the Gītā was delivered, Kṛṣṇa was thirty-two years old. If He was speaking about His form, how could He say, ‘I gave this knowledge to Surya. I gave this knowledge to Manu?’ When Kṛṣṇa says ‘I’, He means the cosmic consciousness. Immediately, the people who were arguing asked, ‘How can you say the form and energy are different? When He says ‘I,’ He means the form also.’ I explained, ‘I do not want to disrespect Kṛṣṇa’s form. When the form represents the energy, the form is also energy, no doubt. But it is not that you cannot worship another form. You don’t have to become a fanatic.’ One person started arguing, ‘How can you say that when Kṛṣṇa says ‘I’, He doesn’t mean the form but He means the energy?’

Then, I had to refer to another important scripture, the Anu Gītā that was delivered in the Mahābhārat after the Bhagavad Gītā. After the war is over, Arjuna asks, ‘Kṛṣṇa, please tell me whatever You taught to me earlier. I remember the essence but I forgot the words because You taught me the whole thing during the war. Please repeat them once more. I want to listen to those great teachings.’ You will be surprised but Kṛṣṇa says, ‘Arjuna, not only you, I have also forgotten.’ He says: na cākhyaṁ tanmayā bhūyastataḥ bhaktom aśeṣataḥ param hi brahma rati yoga yuktena tanmayaḥ This is in the Mahābhārat in Aśvamedhika Parva. Kṛṣṇa says, ‘Arjuna, I can’t give the teachings again because they were said in that high spiritual, Eternal Consciousness.

At that time, I was in that high, Eternal Consciousness. I was radiating My enlightenment. That very Enlightenment spoke through Me. The Universal consciousness spoke through Me. That is why all those teachings came out. I represented the Universal energy, the Universal consciousness at that moment. Now I cannot give you the same teachings again.’ He says that these things are expressed in that high, Eternal consciousness. Please understand that when Kṛṣṇa says ‘I’, He means the Enlightened energy, the Universal Vibhūti Yogaḥ You Are The Ultimate 749 consciousness. However Kṛṣṇa recollected a few things from what He told and delivered what is called the Anu Gītā, to Arjuna. When I quoted this verse, the senior religious pundits (scholars) arguing with me said, ‘You look young, but you seem to be well read.

We cannot argue with you!’ The greatness of Sanātana Dharma—the religion of eternal righteousness later called Hinduism—is that it doesn’t propagate the religion or produce fanaticism. Whether you worship Kṛṣṇa, Śiva, Devi or Buddha, it does not make a difference. Please continue to worship whomever you believe in and whomever you connect with, that’s enough. Be intense in your path. Nothing else needs to be done. There is no need for fanaticism because all forms are representations of the same divine energy. There is a question here from the audience: ‘I am a worshipper of formlessness, the formless energy. Can I become your disciple and follow dhyāna (meditation)?’ Only then can you become my disciple!

Only if you are the worshipper of the formless, you can become my disciple. There is a strict instruction for my disciples that they should not meditate on my form. If you have done any of our meditation camps, you know. There is a strict instruction: You cannot meditate on my form. And be aware, if any guru tells you to meditate on his form, escape from him. You are falling into the net of indirect slavery. You will slowly get exploited. Spiritual slavery is the worst slavery. Never, never be caught in that. The basis of spirituality is that it should lead us to liberation. In spirituality, if we are caught in slavery, then even God cannot save us.

Never meditate on my form. In our spiritual healing initiation, in the Inner Awakening program, there is a clear instruction: You cannot meditate on my form. The form will be here today and gone tomorrow. It will disappear tomorrow. How long will forms be here? Form is a representation. Understand: It is like the finger pointing to the moon. I am telling you, ‘There is the sun. There is the moon!’ Instead of looking at the sun or moon, if you catch hold of my finger, you miss what I am showing you! You miss what I represent. When the finger points to the moon, if you catch the finger, you miss the moon.

In the same way, the Master represents the Divine consciousness. If you catch His form, you miss the Divine. Never be caught in the form. All I want you to understand is that when Kṛṣṇa says ‘I’, He means the Universal consciousness. In the next verse, He uses the word mūḍhaḥ, fool. Again He uses the word ‘fool’. He says only someone who is free from all the sins understands Him. Again and again, what does He want to convey? what does He expect as a qualification from us in order to experience Him? Where exactly are you missing it? There is one more question: ‘Swamiji, again and again, you say all we need is one simple understanding.

Exactly what am I missing? I think I have that understanding. I almost feel I am around the corner. Yet, I am unable to experience what Kṛṣṇa says. Where am I missing? Please tell me.’ The person who asked this question is totally frustrated. He says, ‘Everyday at the end of the discourse, you bring everything to the one point that the inner being should be transformed. Exactly what am I lacking? Please tell me.’ Everyday I stop at that subject so that you will ask this question. Now, I can tell exactly where you are lacking. First, the thirst should be created. The quest should be created. Then, the quest should be answered.

When the question becomes a quest, you speak in this language. When the urge becomes urgent, you speak in this language. Listen. Many seekers are just like window shoppers. They go from master to master. Going from master to master is not wrong. It is perfectly alright. However, not learning from anybody is wrong. I tell people, Vibhūti Yogaḥ You Are The Ultimate 751 ‘Go to all the gardens, but pick flowers and make a beautiful bouquet.’ But, we don’t pick flowers from any garden. That is where the problem starts. A lot of people are just window shoppers. They go around doing nothing. They act as if they are seekers.

Above all, they want to satisfy themselves that they are seekers. This is hypocrisy. Listen, either put your whole effort into seeking, or forget it and carry on with life. Rāmakṛṣṇa says beautifully, ‘If somebody’s hair is burning, will he keep quiet? Will he say, ‘I have no time now. I still have many more years. Later on, I can take care?’ The moment there is fire on a person’s head, he tries to put out the fire. He runs towards water. Exactly where are we lacking? Because we feel too much ego in our being. When Kṛṣṇa says He is God, we feel He is egoistic. For example, if I suddenly say, ‘I am God,’ what will you naturally think?

‘This guy has gone crazy and he has too much ego.’ Please understand: When you say the word ‘I’, the meaning is different from when a Master says it. When you say the word ‘God’, the word is empty for you. It is just a superficial understanding for you. It has no solid truth behind it. Whereas when you say the word ‘I’ or your name, there is a solid meaning and experience behind that word for you. When it comes to enlightened Masters, the word ‘I’ has no solid meaning. It is vague, superficial. However, the word ‘divine’ or ‘enlightened’ or ‘God’ has a solid meaning. It is their very experience.

Just because you have ego, you think Masters have ego and you miss the meaning of their expression, their declaration. Just push your ego a little aside, let go off it, be complete and authentically listen to the words of the Masters. I Am Everything I know, I can see how this whole scene of the Gītā between Arjuna and Kṛṣṇa would have happened. After Kṛṣṇa’s teachings Arjuna completely and totally melted in front of Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa explains, ‘Oh my dear! Understand, I am everything—vetti loka maheśvaram (10.3). I have come down. I have happened in this body to liberate you.’ Immediately, the man who is centered on fear, says, ‘If you are everything, do all these things for me.

Alter this world.’ If he is centered on greed, he says, ‘If you are everything, give me all these boons.’ The moment the Master says he is God, the moment Kṛṣṇa says He is God, if you are centered on greed, you catch him and ask him to give you all the boons. You start begging, ‘Give me this, give me that.’ If you are centered on fear, again, you catch him and say, ‘Please protect me from this or that.’ The moment we demand, divinity disappears because we have brought in the business mind. The attitude which exists between the Master and us plays a major role in our experiencing Him as divine and our experiencing ourselves as divine.

Many people say, ‘Swamiji, if my son is healed, I will give you so much money. If my daughter is healed, I will give you this property.’ I start laughing! First of all, I never asked them for anything. Second, the moment we start bargaining, the whole beauty of the relationship is gone. For healing to happen, a special bridge is necessary. The bridge or deeply feeling connected is required. A deep love is necessary. The moment we bring in the business mood, it is over! As soon as we start bargaining, neither can I heal nor can the person being healed receive the energy. The bridge is disconnected. If that bridge is there, even without seeing me, you can be healed.

You don’t need to be in my physical presence. Continuously, I receive emails from all over the world, ‘Swamiji, you gave me darśan (vision) and removed my sufferings. Swamiji, you appeared in front of me and answered my question.’ Then they ask, ‘Swamiji, are you aware of the times when you appear and give darśan to us?’ Now, let me tell you clearly, honestly: I do not know when the darśan Vibhūti Yogaḥ You Are The Ultimate 753 is happening. Let me break the business secret. Let me tell the whole truth as it is. Just because of your trust, deep love and devotion, the cosmic energy guides you by giving darśan using this form, that’s all.

I rent this body to the Divine. Because I disappeared, because my ego disappeared, the Divine uses this form to guide you. Over! Otherwise, it is totally between you and the cosmic energy. I cannot involve myself. I have no say. I cannot appear for any specific person and say, ‘He is my favorite!’ No! I cannot show favoritism. It is not under my control. It is between your inner space and the Divine. It is your ability, your attitude to receive, that creates the bridge. Again and again, I tell people: All I can do is, go back and download the information regarding the darśan that you had, and tell you what exactly happened and what instruction was given to you.

That’s all. With all enlightened people, this is what happens. The moment I claim that I gave darśan, the whole thing is over. Then, the Divine will stop using this form. As long as I am clear that this is not me and it is Parāśakti, Existence, using this form, She continues to use this flute to play Her songs. She continues to use this form to carry on with Her mission. She continues to use this form to bless Her devotees. When I say Parāśakti, I mean the cosmic energy. Don’t think there is a lady with four hands! It is the cosmic energy. She does Her job using the forms of people who have surrendered their form to Her.

Because I vacated, She is lives in my body. All you need to do is—just get out of your system. The Divine will get in. If you get out of your system, the Divine will get in. Surrender­ , A Deep Passive Waiting Listen. When you feel connected, you are open. You don’t need to see the Master. The cosmic energy will guide you. There is no need for His nearness. But when you spoil the relationship, when you bring business into the relationship, nothing can be done because the bridge is broken. The very bridge does not happen between you and the Master when business enters. For the bridge to happen, we need the space of complete surrender or feeling deeply connected.

Here, by now, Arjuna is almost feeling connected. He has just dropped his fear and greed. The big problem with the spiritual process is that you will have what you want when you drop the idea of having that. A deep, passive waiting without knowing what is going to happen is passive surrender. That is total surrender. The moment you decide, ‘I will wait forever,’ things happen. As long as you are in a hurry, you are agitated. You stop things from happening in you. It is like trying to get the lotus to blossom. You open the petals by hand. Will it be a flower? It will never be a lotus flower.

The lotus flower blooms by itself when the sun’s rays pierce it. Give a little space to yourself so that your being blossoms. Listen. The moment you decide to wait, things start happening. You don’t need to wait anymore. You must wait until you decide to wait. The moment you decide to wait, you don’t need to wait anymore. A beautiful story: Nārada, a devotee of Viṣṇu, was going to Vaikunṭa (abode of Lord Viṣṇu). On the way, he saw a yogi sitting in meditation. The yogi asked Nārada, ‘Oh Nārada, please ask Viṣṇu how long I must wait before I become enlightened?’ Nārada said, ‘Surely I will ask,’ and he went on his way.

Next, Nārada encountered a man who was jumping and dancing under a tree. He asked Nārada, ‘Oh Nārada, please ask Viṣṇu when I will have his darśan.’ Please listen, he never asked when he would become enlightened. He asked Nārada when he would have Viṣṇu’s darśan, His vision. He said, ‘Ask Him to grace me. How long should I wait for His grace?’ Nārada said, ‘Surely I will ask, don’t worry.’ Nārada went to Vaikunṭa and came back with the replies. Vibhūti Yogaḥ You Are The Ultimate 755 Nārada said to the first yogi, ‘Viṣṇu said you must wait four more janma (lives) to become enlightened.’ The yogi fell into depression, ‘Oh, four janmas!

What will I do?’ The person who was dancing around asked Nārada, ‘What did Viṣṇu say?’ Nārada said, ‘He said you must wait for as many janmas as there are leaves on this tree. Then you will have His darśan. Only then His grace will fall upon you.’ As soon as he heard this, the man said, ‘Oh! He gave me the assurance that He will grace me! That is enough.’ He started jumping and dancing again. The moment he uttered this, there was a stroke of lightning and the Divine descended. The man became enlightened. So understand, deep patience and the decision to wait is surrender. Take the life of Buddha as an example.

With utmost sincerity he tried to get enlightened with all meditation techniques and spiritual practices. When nothing worked, He relaxed and let go of everything, trusting Existence. That very moment, He became enlightened. In my life, as long as I was doing meditation, I never became enlightened. As long as I was doing all the practices, penance, I was so agitated. Nothing happened. Actually after my enlightenment, I came to know that because of the penance, I had postponed my enlightenment. To tell you honestly, at the age of twelve, I had become enlightened. I did not know that I had become enlightened. I tried to hold on to the experience.

I tried to possess nitya ānanda, eternal bliss. The moment I tried to possess it, it started slipping away, like wet soap. The day I decided ultimately that I would do no more catching, no more searching, no more seeking, when I decided to relax and wait, it simply happened. The day you decide to wait, things happen. Usually, when somebody is blessed and if he is healed, he tells someone else about it. If the second person comes with the attitude of getting healed, he naturally misses the whole game. If he comes with a fresh mind, healing automatically happens as a by-product. When we want it as the main product, we miss the whole bridge.

Especially when we bring the business approach, like a deal between friends, the whole attitude, the relationship is no more that between Guru and disciple. Energy cannot be transmitted in a business relationship. Understand, we need courage to stake everything on trust. It is like that moment when a seed must let go of its fears and break to open and become a tree. This is why we call Nirvāṇa as the last nightmare. If a dream is too wild, we will wake up! Similarly, when we get a jolt or shock in life, we wake up to enlightenment! Enlightenment happens when there is a sudden shock to our dream state.

The wonder with Masters, Incarnations is that there is no failure, ever. Their’s is a foolproof system! A small story: A nāgā (Hindu sannyāsi who is usually unclothed) was so fond of his Master that he would stand behind the master and constantly imitate his hand and body movements. The master did not mind this on account of his sincerity. Once when a discourse was on, the master raised his hand and so did this disciple. The master turned to the disciple and cut off his hand with a sword. So great was the disciple’s devotion that along with his severed hand, his ego fell and he became enlightened! The other disciples asked the master if this was not too high a price to pay for enlightenment.

The Master replied, ‘Compared to the number of lives people must take to achieve this state, this is a small price indeed!’ We need the energy to let go, to allow the transformation to happen. Like the seed that lets go of its fear in becoming a tree, we too must have the energy to let go, to allow the transformation to happen. In that moment, when our ego is dying, we must be willing to let go of the past. Vibhūti Yogaḥ You Are The Ultimate 757 Enlightenment never happens as a continuity of something. It happens in a flash, as a new birth. In Saṃskṛit we call it viṣāda.

The first chapter of the Gītā is Arjuna Viṣāda Yogaḥ. Arjuna’s dilemma was so great, yet he was willing to trust Kṛṣṇa and let go. In such a powerless situation, no mental decision taken is correct and when the Master guides you, you must be ready to let go and follow what he says completely, implicitly. Arjuna had the courage to believe totally in Kṛṣṇa and let go, which was why he had the Viśvarūpa Darśan, the cosmic vision of Kṛṣṇa. We must have the energy to let go, to allow the dark night to happen to us. Only if we have trust in the Master can the ultimate gain happen to us.

We need to trust in order to experience the unknown space. At that moment, we have only the Master to hold onto. We must accept the new experience happening to us, and deeply trust that the energy to transcend our old personality is entering us. Kṛṣṇa emphasizes the feeling of connectedness. Feeling deeply connected to the Master is the basic need to understand this Truth. That is why the East gave so much importance to the Guru, the Master. I Create You