“Today we will see the Shiva Sutras, twenty-sixth sutra.”

Today we will see the Shiva Sutras, twenty-sixth sutra.

This book Shiva Sutra, is the oldest book on meditation, oldest literature on Enlightenment. This book is book of books, at least ten thousand year old. Understand, at least ten thousand year old because the stone inscription of this book, this book is inscribed on stone, the stone inscription is at least ten thousand years old; means the book should have existed before that.

This book contains hundred and twelve meditation techniques, very powerful techniques for Enlightenment, achieving the Ultimate Reality, achieving the experience of the Divinity in your being. This was delivered by Shiva to his consort, Devi. There you can see the Murti of Shiva and Devi. Shiva delivered these great Sutras to Devi, ParaShakti. These are the essence of the great Spiritual Truths. Another one important thing. When the truth is delivered, first, it’ll always be pure, undiluted. In course of time when people see the side effects and after effects of the Truth, that benefits, always the benefit of the Truth will be, side effect or after effect of the Truth will be physical health, joy, bliss, balanced life. When people see all these benefits, people want that Truth but can't do which is necessary to achieve the Truth. Then starts dilution process.

(03:36) Understand, when the Truth is delivered, it will always be pure, hundred percent, but when people see the effects of the Truth in their life - good health, joy, Bliss, balanced life, the increased power of memory or concentration or intelligence, the next generation gets greedy. “Oh my father, my forefathers, my mother, all of them are having such wonderful qualities, how?”. Then they tell you, “This is what is the Truth. This is why, this is the reason we have all these qualities.” Now you want those qualities but you can't take the steps to achieve that. Then starts dilution.

(04:38) This book is the pure Truth as it is delivered by Mahadeva ten thousand years ago. We’ll enter into the twenty-sixth sutra. The today’s topic is “Transcend your desires”. In Sanskrit we call Virāga ( विराग ). Understand, Virāga means going beyond attachments, Vairāgya ( वैराग्य ), going beyond rāga means attachment, arāga means detachment, virāga means going beyond attachment and detachment, going beyond desires and desirelessness.

(05:35) Let me read the sutra. I’ll give the translation of the sutra, then, enter into the sutra, enter into the Truth. When some desire comes, consider it, then suddenly, quit. Suddenly unclutch, and experience the Truth in you. See, very simple sutra. Very simple, that is why so complicated. All simple things need you to be simple. Understand, when the Truth is delivered in a simple way, they take it for granted you are already in a simple space, in a innocent space. Here, Shiva is delivering a beautiful truth. I can say this is essence of all spiritual literatures, essence of all spiritual literatures.

(06:52) One more thing you need to understand. Never you can have the benefits of spirituality unless you practice it, go into it honestly. People come and ask me, “Swamiji, is there a shortcut to Enlightenment?”

I tell them, “Only when you drop the idea of shortcut you achieve Enlightenment”. As long as you have the idea of shortcut, shortcut means what? Trying to grab something without putting your energy or effort to it. Fortunately there is no shortcut to Enlightenment, otherwise you will suffer. See, great energy, great understanding, great Truths should happen to us only when we are mature enough to receive it. When you are not matured enough, if you are just greedy of the Truth, seeing a life or Joy or Bliss of an Enlightened Being, be very clear you will create trouble for yourself. I have seen many time, people see the joy, they see the ecstasy and energy I radiate and they become greedy of the state in which I am living but when I ask them to go through the steps, they say, “No, no, no, this is not what we wanted”.

(08:51) Understand, it’s real fun. “This is not what we wanted.” They think just a learning or few words can give you the Ultimate Truth. No. Physical health, or personality development happens as a side effect or a bypro, as a byproduct when you go towards the Enlightenment. But spirituality is not just for your health or your mental well-being or just self-development. Do not stop or do not think that is everything. That is where the problem starts. I have seen people; they see the space in which Enlightened being is living or the joy or the energy he radiates, but they can’t work to be in that space, to achieve that space. Spiritual growth cannot be extension of your being. There should be a complete unclutching between what you were and what you are. There should be a clear unclutching, disconnection between the past and the present.

(10:42) I have seen in the West many kinds of the self-development programs, or the personality development programs becoming successful and popular. They become very successful and popular because they do not teach the true Spirituality. They just do a little bit of cosmetic job, like a good cream for skin, or little bit of massage. That’s all. And you feel good about it. But the true Spirituality is not massage, operation. It is radiation. True Spirituality, true Enlightenment is straightaway penetrating your being, then you get frightened, then you get frightened.

(11:50) Shiva is saying here, “When some desire comes, consider it, then suddenly quit it, unclutch from it.” It’s a very strong Truth. Straightaway, He is telling, “Whenever a desire arises in you, consider”. Means, just see, don’t judge. If you judge they are wrong, you will not be able to drop. The moment you say something is wrong, unconsciously you have started enjoying it. Because from the young age you are trained to enjoy which society says wrong.

(12:45) Shiva is not here just to give you little massage or just to give you a little cream, no. He is here to straightaway transform your whole being. He will put His hand straightaway on the tumor and remove it. He will straightaway do the radiation. He is talking to disciple not just to a visitor.

(13:18) Understand, visitor is a person who feels greed towards the joy or the energy which Master radiates. Disciple is a person who is courageous enough to go through the process and imbibe the Truth. Disciple is totally different from a visitor.

(13:46) Here, Devi is living with Shiva. She is a disciple. First I should narrate the story of Devi, consort of Shiva. Then you’ll understand to whom these great Truths can be delivered, who is qualified to receive those Truths.

(14:13) Devi was born to a king called Himaraja. He was called as a Daksha Raja also. His father was a great king, very big king. Naturally, She lived a luxurious life, very luxurious life; but when She decided, I am going to stay with Mahadeva, stay with Shiva, She just decided I am going to go and stay with Him. Mahadeva, Shiva was living in burial ground, cremation ground. He did not have His own house. He did not have His own home. He is homeless. He is a great Yogi, Maha Tapasvi. If you see all the things around Shiva, things which society does not want. Because He is such a compassionate being, all the useful things He gives it away to the society. His ornaments are very cheap rudraksha beads not diamonds and gold. His staying place is a smashana, cremation ground, not any palace. All useful things He gives it away to the society. He uses only what is not useful to the society. When Devi wants to go and stay with Mahadeva, Shiva, Her father is objecting. “No, you can’t go and stay with him. You will not be comfortable. You won’t be happy. He doesn’t have things to take care of you.” She says beautifully, “Here I may be luxurious but not, but not blissful. With Him I may not have the luxury, but I will be blissful”. Devi leaves everything and Her father is warning her. “If you go leaving me, you should not come back. Because now it is a prestige problem, daughter living with some beggar.” She said, “That’s Ok”. She left everything, went and stayed with Mahadeva in the Himalayan hills. To Her He is teaching. That is why He is able to give the Truth straightaway.

(17:05) I always tell people - To receive the Truth straightaway you need tapas. Means austere life. You need to go through the penance. Only then truth can be shared as it is. See, Truth presented to people who are just going to use that to develop little bit of their life, like a lubrication, nothing more than that, just a lubrication, little bit of lubrication. They’ll go back to the same life and society and live in a same way. That is one kind of crowd. For them you can’t share the Truth as it is. You will have to do a different packaging. Just the way in which their greed can be awakened, they can be satisfied.

(18:14) But there is another one kind of a Truth. We call that as paramarthika satya. In Sanskrit, the Ultimate Truth, who are really seekers, who are really seekers and who are ready to go through the penance, who are ready to go through the austerity, who are really interested in transformation not just consolation. I have seen many time, people get inspired to enter into the spiritual life just because a little bit of solution which they experienced in the beginning. No. I tell them, no. Spirituality is not just life solutions. It is life transformation. It is life transformation. You radiating the Truth will happen only when you are ready for austerity, only when you are ready for the Truth, only when you are ready to leave what you think as you, only when you are ready to disconnect, unclutch from what you think as you. (19:41)