“Let Me read out today’s Sutras, today’s Sutra and enter into the…”

Let Me read out today’s Sutras, today’s Sutra and enter into the session.

“Look lovingly at some object. Do not go to another object. Here, in the middle of the object, let the blessing descend on you.”

Human body is created specially to achieve four major things in the life – Dharma, Artha, Kama, Moksha. Dharma means the routine, the flow in which it does not get tired or it does not fall sick. That is Dharma. Second, Artha – comforts and luxury. Third Kama – pleasure and excitement. Fourth, important thing, Moksha – a beautiful inner space.

Body is created...to experience the best things in the outer world and the best things in the inner world. Your eyes are created to look outside and to look inside. There is a beautiful description in the tradition about this Kundalini’s awakening, how to know whether our higher Consciousness is awakened or not; how to know whether we have started evolving in the spiritual life or not. They say a very beautiful taste you will start feeling continuously inside your throat, the experience of Amrita will start happening; and a beautiful clear serene visions will start happening inside. Whenever you start looking inside, you look beyond fear and greed. Whenever you start looking outside, you look through fear and greed. World is given life by your vision. Same way, the experience of the divine is also given life by turning your vision inside.

Jagat, or Eshwara, if your vision is towards outside, Jagat comes to life; if your vision is towards inside, Eshwara comes to life. Jeeva is the point from which you can decide whether to look at the Jagat or to look at the Eshwara. In the vedic tradition, these three concepts are basic concepts – Jeeva, Eshwara, Jagat. Jeeva means the individual self. If the individual self is operating externally, if it is functioning towards the outer world, towards the outside, it sees the Jagat, means world. If it is going inside, if it is turning in, it sees Eshwara-Divine. That is the reason the psychological revolution is a basic necessity for spiritual life. Clarity on Jeeva, individual-self, Eshwara-God, the Jagat-world, clarity about all these three is what we call psychological revolution. Having a clear, true vision about these three is the basic need for any growth, any achievement. Even the people who achieved something in the external world, they have some clarity about the world, about the Jagat, that is why they are able to achieve; they are able to have much more than what others afford to have, what others are able to have. Shiva gives a very beautiful technique to use the senses which are by its own nature going out, by its own nature senses are outgoing. Senses look at the Jagat. Shiva is very beautifully giving us a technique to turn the whole thing in, to see the God-Eshwara, to experience the Divine.

“Look lovingly at some object. Do not go to another object. Here in the middle of the object, the blessing.”

Just yesterday, one of My ashramites was asking, Satynanada was asking: “Swamiji, in one of your discourses you said we don’t worship idols. We worship through idols. But suddenly day before yesterday’s discourse, the first Shiva Sutras, you said Deity is God. Deity does not represent God. Is it not contradicting?”

Seemingly contradicting. Understand. Seemingly contradicting.

Understand the first statement: We don’t worship the idol, we worship through the idol. Second statement: deity does not represent God, Deity is God. Worship through idol happens only when you feel deity is God. Not when you feel Deity represents God. When you think deity represents God, even then there is a gap between you and the Divine. You have some idea. Only half of your energy will pay attention and devotion to this object which is in front of you.

See basically, you cannot conceive the idea of God or Divine as long as your mind is functioning in the physical frequency. As long as the body and mind is functioning in the physical frequency, naturally you cannot conceive, you cannot understand something which is beyond your frequency. In the dream state, you cannot conceive a life or Consciousness in the waking state exists. You cannot remember, you cannot understand anything about waking state in the dream state. Whatever idea you may have about your waking state, in the dream state is only idea, not the reality, not the reality. In the same way, in the waking state you cannot have any idea about the Superconscious state, about the Divine. So naturally, you need to have something which you can connect or relate when you really disappear into that only then, you experience the higher Conscious state.

It's like a strong nightmare, how it wakes you up, how it brings you out of the dreaming state, see your whole inner space, when you are dreaming, your whole inner space should be shaken by any one object, only then you will come out of the dream. For example, you're dreaming as if a lion is chasing you or an elephant is chasing you; and the dream itself you have an idea, I think, in the form of elephant my own desire or fear is chaing me. You won't get up, surely you won't get up. Only if you are sure, yes! elephant is chasing me, lion is chasing me, you will wake up, you will be awakened, you will come to the higher state, to the waking state. Same way, during the worship only if you feel Deity is God, not “Oh I know about God, that energy is represented by this deity.” No, then again your ego, what you know about God only you are worshipping, not the God itself. Worship means where you need to lose your ideas, you need to lose your ideas about the Divine; only then the divine will start expressing itself. That is why, Deity is God. Do not think, Deity represents God. Only when you understand Deity is God, worship through the idol happens. Till then, you will be doing only idol worship.

There is a very beautiful Sutra, of course, this is also given by Mahadeva to a Rishi, to another one disciple. It’s a Tamil verse, let Me repeat that and then I will translate:

“Maraithil maraindadu Ma mara Yaane,

Maraitha ma mada Yaane

Parathai Marethadu Parmuthal Bhootam

Parathil Maraindady Parmuthal Bhootam”

Let Me literally translate then we will understand this Sutra. There was a beautiful statue of elephant carved in teak wood. When you see the elephant the idea of wood disappears, when you see the wooden statue, the idea of elephant disappears. When you see externally the world hides the God; when you see internally, God hides the world. Very beautiful description. Understand, you can never have an idea wooden statue and elephant at the same moment. Fortunately, you can have only one thought at a time. You are blessed (SWAMIJI laughs). One thought at a time, that is why liberation is possible. That is why liberation is possible. Actually, as you think you do not have a huge army of enemy in front of you, enemies in front of you. You have only one enemy at any point, at any point; at any time, you have only one enemy. You do not have army of enemies in front of you. We don’t understand that. Either this moment you will see that as a elephant or wooden statue. The moment, next moment you might see the other way. But not, both ideas in the same moment. Same way, either you see the world or the God. When you see the whole thing as Divine, suddenly the world disappears, “Parathai Marethadu Parmuthal Bhootam”. All the five elements is hidden, it has covered the Divine. “Parathil Maraindady Parmuthal Bhootam” When you have the intense vision to look deeply, all the five elements disappear into the divine. If you see the Deity, you cannot see the statue. If you see God, you can’t see statue. If you see statue, you cannot see God. You can see only any one thing. Only when you see the Deity as God, you will lose yourself, worship through the idol will start happening. Worship through the idol will start happening, when you lose yourself into the Deity, when you know for sure the Deity is alive.

I have so many wonderful stories. The moment I remember, the power of this Deity, the power of experiencing Deity as God; I remember so many stories. One story from My own personal experience, of course, I would have told this story many time, but it's Ok, I love to tell this story; it is such a wonderful story.

I was travelling in Gujarat. I always remember that elderly lady and respect her. Like how I remembered yesterday, Swami Lakshman Jhu, I can say this lady is surely lives in the, lived in the same Consciousness of Gopikas, or the Krishna’s Anga Devatas, the Krishna’s divine companions. Fortunately I had the opportunity to see this lady. I used to go from village to village. I will walk, easily I was able to walk 60km per day. Morning I will start; and after all healthy young man, what is there, just 60km. By evening, about the sunset time, I’ll decide where to stay. In the nearest village, I’ll decide to stay. Then after a few days, if I feel like starting, again I’ll start. Gujarat is land of God. It is a… I was always told that a calling God is local call in Kerala, in Gujarat it’s a intercom (SWAMIJI laughs, Audience laughs). Not even local call, it’s a intercom. No, it’s a land of Divine, so…still, still Bharat is alive in Gujarat. I always feel as long as Gujarat is alive, Bharat will be alive. I always bless, I remember Gujarat and bless, always… Understand feeding Sadhus is such a wonderful thing, even if you feed 2000 useless guys and one Enlightened sadhu that is worthy. Because, that sadhu’s good feeling will save the whole place, it will just save the whole place. As long as Gujarat is alive, the Bharat Dharma will never die, it will be alive, it will be kept alive. I can say for sure, not even once in My wandering days in Gujarat, I had any little struggle for any need or, or I need to ask anybody to be taken care - that is the greatness of that Bharat culture. Today, we had Maheshwara Puja, giving food to the sadhus, and the tradition is alive, with respect in Gujarat. You see there are many other places, they may give food, but they may make that person stand in queue and give like.. but in Gujarat I have never seen, unless they give food to the sadhus, they will not eat. They will not give after they eat. If they have eaten, they will cook fresh food and give, or they will give the material for himself to cook and eat. Sadhus are never treated as beggars. Such a wonderful place. It is actually that culture still keeps many Enlightened Masters again and again happening because somebody who wants to do research in the inner science cannot afford to take up a regular job, You need to give him some time, some energy to do the research and go through all the confusions of ups and downs. See, the worst depression and the peak joy, both of them have happened in Me atleast few thousand times, only then the mind breaks, mind unclutches and enters into Enlightenment. Understand the peak and valley should happen few thousand times in the system, only then system gets bored of the mind, the nagging mind and divorces. Till then, “No No No, I think it's ok. I can manage for few days, only today because…maybe because I was having headache…My mind is not cooperating with Me.” But only when the system sees the peaks and valleys, it just decides, “Enough! Enough, let's drop”. So, he cannot afford to take up any regular job, in which he needs to follow a regular routine. Like morning getting up, going and attending an office, attending a same thing, and consistently doing something and again lying down in the same bed, same house, same life, he cannot afford.

The person who lives in a normal life will be very normal. Nothing extraordinary can happen. Because his Consciousness is continuously cut just like a bonsai tree’s roots are continuously cut; the person who lives in a regular safe routine, person who lives in a routine which he knows will never be able to grow roots or wings. Understand, it’s a very solid statement I am making, I know it may be hurting you, but I am telling you the truth.

“Narada Parivrajaka Upanishad”, a very beautiful Upanishad describes the way of the Paramahamsa or achieving that ultimate experience. If you know your routine when you get up from the bed, if you know, if you have a rough idea about your routine till the night, till you come back to the bed, be very clear your life will be normal. It is like a... cutting your roots like bonsai banyan tree. How the bonsai banyan tree roots are cut continuously, and it can never take the roots, same way that person can never expand beyond certain limit. Worst depression and the ultimate joy both should happen in your system again and again at least few thousand times, only then you decide “Enough this mind. Enough I played with this mind. Now let me relax in a Conscious state”. You decide very clearly, that happens only at that moment, only when you relax like that.

Gujarat is the place where, they feel and understand that Sadhus need to be given their time to do the inner research and development. But once they achieve the success, it is just like funding medical researches, once they achieve the success, who is going to be benefitted! Who is going to be benefitted; the whole world, the whole world is going to be benefitted. The other day, in CNN, there was a discussion, why the medicines are costly in the USA and cheap in Canada, because USA is spending for research and development. So much money is spent in research, so naturally. Here they have to cover that money, take that money back. Naturally after you do research and development and open it, it is useful to the whole world. Same way, Gujarat is the place where they do research and development, but never take the money back and give it to the whole world. It is beautiful…I can say at least 40000 monasteries are constantly giving food to Sadhus in Gujarat, 40000 monasteries. I went through the statistics.

I was travelling in a, in a small village, I was going from Gandhinagar to the...Somnath. That time only they were constructing the Akshardham temple, constructing or almost completed. The first Akshardham, Bhagawan Swaminarayan’s Akshardham. Went and had darshan. Then, walked, wanted to go to Somnath, one of the Jyotirlinga. In between, one village, one elderly lady, she invited Me, “Baba, come and stay in my house”.

It was a small hut, she was having one cow and small path of land in front of her hut. She’ll grow something for her to eat, some… greens and whatever little bit things needed for cooking; and this cow milk she will go and sell in the market and with that she will bring some food and offer it to Krishna and she will also eat. She had a small Krishna. She is a great Krishna devotee, had a small Krishna Deity and she will offer to Krishna and eat, this is simple life. I can say her total property value will be less than 1000 dollar. Her per day income may be maximum two dollar. Two dollar is per day income and whole wealth, worth of the wealth is 1000 dollar. That’s all is her life, but living very quite contented life.

I stayed with her some…maybe week. I forgot the days because all I know is sunrise and sunset, that’s all; no question of watch, no question of calendar, nothing needs to be used. All I know is sunset and...sunrise and sunset. I’ll know the Amavasya and Poornima from seeing the moon. Wonderful life, It’s a life to be lived without even remembering the years. One week I stayed with her. Every night she will bring the food and keep in front of the Krishna and she will start talking, that is one thing. And I can neither contain My laughter, nor I can laugh, because, after all, she is giving after all food for Me. I have to be little polite, what to do. But she will sit and she will talk as if She is talking to somebody casually and she will have a small fan, the hand fan, she will fan that Krishna Deity; Alright, please eat, she will tell so many things in Gujarati. I can’t understand much but I can understand few words because many Sanskrit words are there in Gujarati. So, because Sanskrit words are there, few words I can catch. She will go on talking, maybe for half an hour or one hour, then she will eat the food and lie down, give Me also little food. And after one week I said, Ma I am leaving, I am continuing My journey. She started crying. “No, No, No. Why do you want to go? I will not ask you to work and all. Stay here. I’ll give you food. And why do you wanted to go? All those usual things.”

I said, “No, No, I am sadhu. I have to continue My journey.” Sadhus are not supposed to stay more than three days or four days in any place traditionally. Because, till the Enlightenment, they should not stay because the attachment may start growing, and their continuous Sadhana may stop. They may not start doing their spiritual practices. So till Enlightenment happens, they cannot settle down in one place. I said “No, No, I’ll continue. I have to go and have darshan of Somnath and continue My spiritual journey.” She ran to that Krishna and she started telling, “Oh! Tell him not to go. I am so happy that he was here. You only should tell him that not to go”, and she started speaking. And within few seconds a very funny thing, she stopped talking and wiped her tears and said, “Oh! You are telling He has to go. He is a Sadhu, He has to go. Ok, Ok, if You are telling then Ok, then I will not worry, I will not cry.”

She consoled herself as if Krishna is talking back. This is too much. All these days, she was talking to Krishna, okay I can put up with that. Anyhow devotee, she has some love for it. Anyhow she is doing whatever she wants and after all she is giving Me food, I have to keep quiet, and it's Ok. And Krishna talking back or she acting as if Krishna is talking back is too much.

To tell you honestly, I did not have respect for Deity worship or the pooja or these, all these ritualistic worship before Enlightenment. There was a period I had the respect - very young age, when I was too innocent, like till the age of 10. After the age of 10 only, I started studying this Vedanta. Having the knowledge of Vedanta without the experience of Vedanta is the worst thing that can happen to human being. No really I am telling you, knowledge of Vedanta but without the experience of Vedanta, because it gives you almost the pseudo feeling that you have everything, you know everything, you are a greatest person in the world. And, practically you will not have any respect for anybody, not only to traditions, ANYBODY! You will be such an idiot. You will not know that, that is the problem. If you know you are an idiot at least you can save your face. You will not know but everybody will know. (Everyone laughs)

That is the worst thing that can happen to human beings. Anyhow, I was in that mood. I had the knowledge but not the experience. Experience has not happened but the knowledge was there. So naturally the Vedantic knowledge without experience adds so much of arrogance and intellect to you. I can say your whole inner space kind of gets corrupted. To, if you are feeling hurt, sorry, but I am telling you exact truth. I have seen hundreds of monasteries where people sit and study this Vedanta for twenty years. I really feel sorry for them. If they can spend the time in Sadhana, it will be so much fruitful. Actually half an hour studying and ten hours digesting that - means doing contemplation or Sadhana will be the perfect balancing. That will be the perfect thing. But in some monasteries, studying is very juicy. Understand, you know more and more words. You can play with more and more words and you can show to others and it brings respect – that is another one problem.

Why people respect you don’t know, actually they are afraid of listening to you. You say…they say, ‘No, alright whatever you say is right, please just sit, close your eyes, don’t open your mouth, we will do Puja to you.’ (SWAMIJI laughs). We will do whatever you say. We will respect you, worship you, but just do not open your mouth. But this guy thinks he has respect because of his knowledge. What to do? Having the knowledge without having the experience is the worst state. You will not respect anybody, you will not respect anything, you will be so dry, within you and without the… inside and outside. I have seen in My experience. How to find out whether somebody is a strong Vedanti you know, he will have stomach problem. Really! See, logic is like having teeth in the stomach - you will literally eat you. Having teeth inside the stomach, constantly you will be chewing yourself. You will carry constant irritation.

Compassion or love is like a lubricating you. Intellect, just intellect is like a continuously turning your nerves and creating more and more stress, you will have stomach problem. Giving your love, even a hug or just looking at something with the love is like sending with a high force lubrication into your nervous system. It just heals. Even for few second, look at any one of those Deities. We have so many Deity. You may feel connected or you may have love for any one Deity. Based on your family bringing up or based on the maybe some books you read or some your prayers got fulfilled; You might have prayed to Shiva and it got fulfilled, or you might have prayed to Krishna and it got fulfilled, or you might have prayed to the Ganapathi and got fulfilled, or you might have...from the very young age you might have heard about Vishnu more and you may be feeling connected, any one Deity. Just sit there for two three minute – look at that Deity with a very deep love, you will see your whole system will be lubricated. It is as if like a Amruta, the nectar is spreading through your whole system. Sit and read some dry books, strong intellectual book. It is like as if your nerves are being turned or churned or the stress getting created inside your nerves. I was a kind of a such a sharp intellect, logic, never had respect. Till the age of, from the age of 10 to till Enlightenment, I did not have respect for all these things where heart needs to be used, because, all My energy and time was spent in intellect, the knowledge - did not give so much respect for necessity of developing the heart.

Anyhow, when I heard that she talking back...about Me going, the Krishna says, ‘No, no, no; It's ok; Don’t bother.’ She is telling, “Oh! Its ok. You are telling that he should go. I should be consoling myself. Alright. Alright!” That was little too much. I went near her and said, with My broken Hindi and Sanskrit. That time I used to use more words. Because, there is no gap now, I forgot many of the Hindi words, stopped using.

I told “Mataji! Mataji. You are praying to Krishna that is ok. But what you are talking as if he is talking back to you? This all illusion, you should come out of it.” Now, actually that is the, (SWAMIJI and audience laugh)...that is the way, because; See, traditionally Sadhus are respected more, even we are addressed as Baba, Baba means father. So, all Grihis are like a one step lower, householders are one step lower. They are not respected in the Vedantic tradition much. So, I had the same - “I am a Sadhu”. So I told, “Eh!! These are all illusion, you must come out of it. You should eat healthy food and stay healthy, to come out of all this.”

And; she was so innocent, she said, “No! No! Baba. I am not lying. Don’t you see he is sitting” and she just held My hand. I promise, I saw Krishna there. He was sitting there. Just a simple child, I tell you with what intensity you see Me now, I promise at least deeper intensity than that I have seen Krishna there. He was there. Just small baby as he was described in Bhagavata, with a small flute in the hand and putting his hand like this (SWAMIJI demonstrates by putting his left hand on His cheek) on the face, very innocently with the peacock feather. All the uncleaned hair and very dirty mouth, all that food was there on the mouth, and unwiped, and just that small little baby. He was there.

The shock was from the very root center. Understand! The shock was from the very Muladhara Chakra – from the root, My being was shaken. It is a, you can understand, I was…you see, even if I had a small doubt she is a saintly lady, I wouldn’t have told her, “You should come out of all this illusion and you should stop doing all this foolishness, you should be very healthy.” I would have never told that. Such a simple, unassuming, no external expression of any saint or a divine being in her. A simple lady, village lady, maybe 70 or 80. Just by touch she can give initiation, understand, this is initiation. This is not just; she was able to transmit that experience into My system. It is not that when she held her hand, I was convinced Krishna is there. I Saw, clearly. He was There. The shaking or shock was so much, just fell at her feet. I can remember very clearly. After falling at the feet of the Kuppammal, My first inspiration and great teacher, her name is Vibhutananda Devi, the spiritual name, Swami… Mata Vibhutananda puri Devi. After falling at her feet, with the same reverence and respect, second person whom I fell at the feet means, only this lady. This lady only received My respect and reverence equivalent to the Kuppammal. I just fell at her feet and said, “Never ever call Me as Baba, you are My Mata.” Because, as long as she was holding my hand, Krishna was there, I saw. The moment she took her hand out, he disappeared, I was again the same old intellectual.

It was a very deep, strong experience. The same respect which I had for My own teacher, started having… After that, I never ever had doubt or disrespect about this Murti Puja or this worshipping the Deity. Even if I go to somebody’s house I will go the Puja room first and do the namaskar. Sometimes My own photo is there, even then I’ll not bother, first thing is I will show the camphor and do the namaskar. You do not know, in whose house, who is staying; in whose house, who is residing, you do not know. Never take Deities for granted. We take Deities for granted because it is available for sale. Never ever take Deities for granted. When I fell at her feet, she was not able to understand. She said “Baba, Baba, what are you doing?” Actually, she stopped Me from falling at her feet and she was so respectful. Afterwards, I had a small chat with her before leaving. She was so innocent, she was thinking, even if she is living with Krishna, then such a small person like her can have darshan of divine and living with Krishna; she was thinking that All Sadhus would have had vision and darshan and they are living Divine lives. I said, that shows your innocence. I know how many people are meditating for years to have the glimpse of the Lord. And, here is a lady, she is living, living with Him, from morning till night. I have seen, she will lock that small hut and go for that selling the milk. There is nothing inside the hut to steal. Even if some thief comes, they will drop something out of love, (SWAMIJI laughs along with audience) and compassion and drop something inside and go back. There is nothing except two three bricks for head and two three gunny bags for lying down. But she will lock that room carefully and go. And I will ask her, “Why are you locking?” “No! No! No! If some dog comes and hurt Krishna, what to do? If Krishna slowly if he goes out and he gets hurt on the road, what to do?” Such a deep feeling connected, I can see in her eyes, how she sees the Krishna, how she looks at the Krishna, how the very vision; it’s so beautiful, so clean.

I never miss a chance to tell this story. Unfortunately, I tried My best, I was never able to get her photograph. After Enlightenment, after the organization was created, I personally, specially sent people, tried to trace...We were able to locate that place, but she passed away, she was no more and we were never able to get her photograph. I wanted to get her photograph and put in all our temples as the ideal of Murti Puja, person who lived with God through the Deity worship. I wanted all our temples to have her photograph so that people will remember, how an innocent village lady lived such a divine life, of living with God.

But unfortunately, we were not able to get photo. Because in Bharat, the villages, photography at all is unknown. It's not, never even heard, at least in 10 years ago and all. Anyhow, at least we can remember her and offer our respects.

(46;15)

Here the Sutra, which Shiva says, “Look lovingly at some object. Do Not go to another object. Here in the middle of the object, let the blessing happen to you.” See, you do not even have to choose a Deity, you can choose anything with which you feel connected. If its Coca Cola bottle, Ok. But the problem is, with Coca Cola bottle you will have only lust, not love. When you see that bottle, you will think only what I can get out of it. Understand, looking with love and looking with lust are two different things. When you see a beautiful man or woman, when you look, you only look what I can get out of that person. Then it is looking with lust, not with love. Love means what I can add to that person, what way I can be of some help to that person. If you decide or think of adding something, then it's looking with love. The moment you see and you start calculating, what I can get out of that person, it is looking with lust. Understand, looking with love, looking for lust – two different thing.

Here Mahadeva says not only two different things, diametrically opposite, diametrically opposite. Here Mahadeva says, “Look lovingly at some object.” If you use the Divine objects it is lot more easy because the possibility of lust is less, possibility of love is more. From the young age you are taught to look with love and respect. So it is easy to connect, it is easy to relate. Have anyone Deity or the photograph of the God or Guru. Try to look with the deep love without moving to the other object. Understand that is the main, that is the basic thing. Do not move to the other object. The moment you start jumping to the other object, you are tired of this object, the love has disappeared (SWAMIJI laughs!).

Understand as long as love is there, that object is unique, not number, not number. For example, if you are just a worker, maybe a clerk or a attendant, just a clerk in the office. If you die nothing will stop. Some other, somebody else will come, replace you, the job will continue, life will continue; you are just an utility, number, figure, that’s all. But if somebody is in love with the same clerk; if the clerk dies, that person will never be again the same. Wherever you are just a number, even if you die, that mechanism will not suffer. Wherever you are in love with some object or person or some…or somebody is in love with you, you become unique. Naturally, your death cannot be replaced. That person will miss you. That person’s life will never be the same again. Love makes things unique. Love makes things unique.

The other day, we were having energising ceremony here, in the temple. All the Swamis, all of us were sitting and chatting before preparing for the ceremony. One disciple, she asked Me, “Swamiji, everyday you are seeing us. All our mistakes, confusions, are you not bored by us?” It was very honest question. Because they know every…sometimes I tell them, ‘do some new mistake, I will be entertained’...(SWA/MIJI laughs, audience laughs) not the same mistakes”. Because, even to commit new, new mistakes, you need intelligence. She was asking, “Don’t you feel bored?” I told, “Just because of My very love, I feel everybody is unique.” Understand, I do not look upon the devotees or disciples as number, it is unique; That is why with so much patience, I continue to work with everybody. If it is just a number, forget about it. Next person will do the work. Over! Devotees and disciples are not number for Me.

Because of My love for them, they are unique. Everybody is unique. Of course, I never miss anybody, just because of complete fulfilment. But otherwise, everybody adds something, everybody is welcomed, is expected, is needed, is wanted, is required to be here. Every individual is unique. Same way, when you are in love with the master, He is needed, He is unique. When that love is not there, one more Swami we can go to the other Ananda. What is there? If you just type only ‘Nithyananda’, at least 2 lakh - 200000 thousand websites are opening. Just Nithyananda. If you type ‘Swami Nithyananda’, I don’t know how many million website will open; and if he is not, then some other Swami, that’s all. If you are a number, you can be replaced. If the love, element of love comes to play between you and the other person, you are no more a number, you are unique being, irreplaceable. Unique being. Love adds life even to the person. With love, the person is a spirit, life. Without love the person is reduced to a thing, utility. Without love when you look, when you look at somebody, a beautiful man or woman and planning for what I can get out of that person, you are reducing him to a thing, not as a being, as a spirit. Only when you look at the person with a love, he is a spirit, he is a living being. When that love is not there, he is a thing. That is why, whenever people look at you with a lustful eyes, you feel repulsive, It looks ugly. You just cover yourself, you just hide yourself. You want to move out of that place. Whenever somebody looks at you with deep love, you just feel like being around that person continuously. Even if you get only one glimpse, one eye contact with him, you will be waiting for it. You will be just waiting for that one contact, just waiting for that one glimpse, one look. It’s a love which adds value to the uniqueness.

Another one incident, at least with that Krishna incident, it was a Deity, it was a carved Krishna Murti, that is ok. There is another one small incident happened, I was travelling. I don’t know which place, maybe around the area of Madhya Pradesh or Maharashtra...there was one eh, small tree and under that tree the – three bricks, bricks which is used for construction is kept with turmeric powder applied on it and puja is done. Usually in the evening time when I rest, I’ll search for some brick for the head, to keep the head and lie down. I saw that area, nobody was there, just three bricks were there and I do not know that it was being worshipped by some villager as a Deity. And, I just picked up the brick and put it for My head and lied down. And, really in 10 minutes, one village guy, elderly person, is running towards Me. His house was maybe one mile away. He ran towards Me and he was… when he came near Me he understood I was a Sadhu. Because I was a Sadhu, he did not beat Me.

He told, “Do you know? This is Shiva I worship. He appeared in a dream and told You are lying on Him.” Truth really, understand, “So that’s why I came here.” And he brought a small pillow. That’s another one beautiful thing. He brought a pillow. “Lie down on this pillow and leave him there. Put that Murti back.”

From one mile, in his, he was lying down in his home; He says, “I had a dream. Shiva told me that one sadhu is lying down on Me. Take that, “ and he brought one pillow and told Me to put the brick that side.”

We don’t know who all are having connection to what all. Just his deep love for that ordinary brick which is used for construction can create a telepathy power in him.

Understand, I heard, I read the, read an article, American Army is trying to develop a telepathic power to use during the war times. They are doing some research and development, to use this telepathy, sending message through the mind. Understand, ordinary villager, just his love for a brick! Of course I am afraid to use the word brick again now. He might get a…(SWAMIJI laughs). I don’t think he is dead. Only the elderly lady is dead, because I…I never tried to trace him also. Anyhow! Just simple love to the ordinary looking brick can create such a deep telepathy connection between him and Mahadeva, then understand, between him and Shiva, this ordinary brick is acting like a cell phone. You can't imagine the way in which that guy ran towards Me, and the way he was shouting at Me. Just because I am a Sadhu he left Me, otherwise I would have had the Puja, the Puja from him.

Just I want all of you to understand the power of Love, the power of simple Love. It was a simple Love, And; actually during British time, all the milestones on the Bharatn highway used to be yellow painted. There was a big problem, because from next day all the local villagers started worshipping all the milestones. No, really! Then they changed the colour and changed to a green paint. Because, for Bharatn villagers nothing is needed, just a clear some shape is enough, everything is God for us. Let Me describe this incident that may throw a deeper light for you.

It was a very intimate discussion between Me and one of My Enlightened disciple. Maybe if you are new you should know, few of My disciples had the fortune and had the Enlightenment experience. Not only had, of course, Enlightenment once happens it stays with you. He was asking Me, “Swamiji after this experience, whatever books I read, many points I can say are my experience, but many points are not my experience. How can I understand whether I am fully enlightened or not. Or, how is that points, are they right or wrong?”

There is a very beautiful incident in Ramana Maharshi’s life. I quoted and gave him the answer. Understand, this one incident can completely open up and give you a new click, or new glimpse towards the Truth.

Ramana Maharshi says in his teaching, when, in his conversation, “I never read any spiritual literature or the literature related to spiritual knowledge except one or two book before Enlightenment.” He says, “I achieved Brahma Jnana without knowing the word Brahman.” And, after I achieved the experience when I was going through the books, I was able to clearly experience whatever is written is my personal experience.” This was the discussion he was doing. Later on some disciple asks him, “Bhagawan, how can every word written in that book is/can be your personal experience?” He was bringing up some point in that book, It is written like that, some traditional book. Enlightened Masters can do all these, But, in your experience you are not doing all that – some materialization or miracles.

Bhagawan says, “When I say all those things are part of My Experience, My inner space is so vast, I can see very clearly, including materialization everything can happen, it is not necessary that I should do it and show. But in My inner space I can see very clearly it can happen. Understand, if you have the clear confidence and feeling, “Yes, I can see the Divine. It can happen in me. I have such a enough inner space and Love”. Be very clear, already you passed that state, you passed that much. You can now start the next level, you can now start the next things. You don’t need to sit there and prove. Sitting there and proving is only needed as long as you have doubt. You have doubt. Bhagwan says very beautifully, “I am very clear the materialization can happen inside My inner space. I can very clearly do. That is the reason, I don’t have to prove Myself, or to prove to others, that I can do.”

I asked him, “Do you have that clarity?”

He said, “Yes. I do. I am very clear. I can do it. Only thing is the feeling is not coming up, strongly from the navel center. Any thought has to come from the navel center, only then you will be able to execute. That is not happening. But, the possibility is there inside the body. I can feel very clearly My nerves are saying, it is possible in Me.” See, your nerves will never tell lie to you. Your mind will tell lie to you, but never your body. Your nervous system will never tell a lie to you, your nervous system can never tell false things to you. He said, “I am very clear. I can do that.” Then that’s all, you do not have to prove.

Understand, when you have this love, your inner space will become such, there are many things you will not ask to be proved. You will not asking for the clear, logical reason, suddenly you will just feel connected. That’s all. Sometime even if you hear from other people very logical criticism about the master, you will not bother to hear. You will say get out, get lost, I am not interested in listening to you. That is the time they blame that you are hypnotised, you are mesmerised, you have become part of some cult, you have become part of some sect. People who cannot experience, understand the space of being in Love with the Master, cannot understand the truth. That’s why I always tell, we are not cult, we are a culture. Understand, there is a big difference between these two, there is a big difference between these two.

When you are in deeply love, you will see the uniqueness of the truth and everything will become alive, reality to you and you will see every step you take in your life feels ecstatic, feels joyful. I cannot imagine from one mile somebody running with the pillow saying that you are sleeping on my God. Understand the strong telepathy connection...with an ordinary brick. I am sure nobody saw and called him in the cell phone because those days, there was no cell phone in the villages. And, surely nobody can see and go and tell him. And, if somebody went and told him, he would have brought the stick, not the pillow. But, he brought the pillow. He says, “Shiva told me. You are lying on Him. You have the pillow and leave Him, put Him there back in His place.”

Love can create such a deep connection and it can open up many dimensions in you. It can awaken many possibilities in you. So, understand this technique. You can try even in this next gap, you will have a small break. Everyday we will see two Sutras, two Sutra and a small break, we will have. Even in this small break, try, try to go and sit in front of any one Deity which you really love, or any other object which you really feel loving. Sit in front of it. Look very deeply, lovingly, just become look. Let your Consciousness...Consciousness be completely centred on your eyes. Let your hand, leg, body, everything lose its very existence. Let you forget about all that…all those things. Let everything disappear. Let you just become eyes. Look deeply, with the deep love for a few minutes, without jumping into the other object. If you have jumped to the other object, come back, get back. And, just sit with a deep love, completely in a relaxed way. You will see a very deep silence, very deep bliss, very deep blessing starts coming out of your system. You need to understand one more thing. All techniques can lead only to peace, when the peace settles inside your system, bliss will explode. Do not expect the bliss which is being expressed or shown in My body language. Meditation will lead you only to peace, and when the peace settles inside your system, when your nerves are clean, when your nervous system is cleaned by the peace, the settling peace, the bliss will explode. You will start expressing the bliss which is expressed in the Master’s body language. Try, try this meditation technique with any one Deity, with a deep love and silence. Let the blessing happen to you, let the blessing happen to everyone.

We will have a small break and after that we will have the next session, the next Sutra and few of your question answers. If you have any questions, you can drop. Leave your questions here. I will answer. Lets gather for next session. Thank you!

Catch the Middle Path

Question:- How can a person let go of attachment to Enlightenment Also?

SWAMIJI :- “Just become Enlightened, that’s all.” It’s a nice question. One disciple goes to Ramana Maharishi and says, “Bhagwan Enlightenment is very difficult.” And Bhagawan says “No! No! it's very easy”.

Because to achieve something else only you need to work, To achieve Enlightenment if you just keep quiet, it will happen.

I tell you it's neither easy nor difficult. It Is. It is there. Even if you say easy, you make it little difficult. Even the word easy means, Easy, but I have to do something. It is neither difficult nor easy. It is.

Your question I understand from where you are asking, “How can a person let go of attachment to Enlightenment Also?” It may not be attachment to Enlightenment, it may be attachment to your idea about Enlightenment. You may be thinking the moment you become Enlightened, suddenly somebody will give you golden throne. (Everyone laughs). You can only get attached to the golden throne, no to the Enlightenment. Because, only if you know about it you can get attached, how will you get attached to Enlightenment? Whatever idea you have now about Enlightenment is not Enlightenment; it is about Enlightenment. So you may be having some crazy idea, that suddenly somebody will give you one golden throne if you become Enlightenment or you will grow…I have seen people ask Me, ‘If I start meditating will I have long hair like you?’ I tell you, just for long hair do not try to be Enlightened, it's too risky, it's too much big job. Just if you want long hair, just use some shampoo or hair oil; No need for you to become Enlightened.

Maybe you are attached to your idea about Enlightenment, not to Enlightenment itself. You cannot be attached to Enlightenment, understand.

The more and more your idea about Enlightenment gets purified, you will be achieving Enlightenment, you will be reaching Enlightenment, You can never get attached to it. If you are attached to it, be very clear your idea about Enlightenment is not pure, or not clear. Then now you need to do purifying. Have more clear understanding about Enlightenment. If you say you are attached to Enlightenment, you do not know about Enlightenment, now read the spiritual literature, listen to the Master’s words and create a clear idea about Enlightenment. Clear idea about Enlightenment IS Enlightenment.

Because, after sometime, once you stop fighting with the Master, every clarity which he gives you will become solid experience. When you have the inner space of very loving, connecting with the Master, every word he expresses will become straightaway an experience in you, it will straightaway an experience in you.

So, try to create more clear understanding, that will automatically take you to the Enlightenment and attachment will disappear.

Question 2:- “When I gaze at the Murti it seems as my body deeply relaxes and body sense disappears, that I am looking through Ajna and not through my two eyes? Should I correct and return to my two eyes or allow gazing through Ajna?”

SWAMIJI :- Whenever you gaze, naturally your Ajna will get activated. Your Ajna will become alive. This is the technique – “Working through Ajna without talking about Ajna.” Because, sometime, the Ajna, about third eye, if you start talking, people will not be able to feel connected.

Here Shiva is creating techniques for all kinds of people. Whether you are a capitalist, communist, democratic, republican or whoever you may be or a hippie, whatever you may be. You have a technique here. Shiva has a technique for you. Here he is talking, he is giving you the technique work through the Third Eye, Ajna without using the word Ajna, Third Eye.

Question 3:- “Can the Guru be the love object!”

SWAMIJI :- Yes, Guru is the Ultimate Love object.

Question 4:- “I belong to my Guruji. So much gratitude for beautiful knowledge given. So beautiful. Jai Gurudev.”

SWAMIJI :- Wonderful. Guru can be the...the object of love. I can say Guru is the closest form to the Enlightened Consciousness.

Question 5:- “By focusing on an external Deity, will that lead us to the God within?”

SWAMIJI :- This is a beautiful question. Understand, when you are looking with a deep love, the boundary external and internal melts away. Love has a intense ability and energy to melt the boundaries, that is why constantly you are seeking, you are asking for it.

Whenever you are touched with the deep love by somebody, or whenever you touch somebody with deep love, the boundary between you and that person merges, it opens. You expand. It is as if you are living with two bodies, you are living inside two bodies, the suffocation disappears, you have more space now. You have deeper enjoyment, you have deeper joy now. So expansion happens when you are really in love, in tune, the deep love takes you to the boundarylessness. So, when you are looking at the object with the deep love, you will see, the boundary, internal or external, disappears.

See the same thing which is in the...which you see, when you see it with fear and greed it appears as world, When you see with deep love, it will become God. The Eshwara and Jagat, both are same. How the Jeeva looks at it is going to decide whether you are going to perceive Jagat-world or the Eshwara-God.

Question 6: “When I focus on the Deity I choose remembering not to move to another, my feeling of gratitude that are connected with the other Deities keeps arising.”

SWAMIJI: Understand. This is what your mind. When you are not focussing, those gratitude will not arise. Only when you are focusing, the gratitude will arise. Don’t bother about it. It will naturally disappear the more you feel centered on one Deity. Understand, God is One, same energy. We put it in so many different form for your to feel connected or related, that’s all. If you understand that one truth, then, you will be able to connect.

Question 7: “Yesterday Shiva Sutra discourse you taught us about Ajapa Japa mantra to be repeated 24 hours. How can we keep repeating the Soham Mantra during our sleep?”

SWAMIJI:- Understand, when...If you are breathing, the breathing sound must be happening. In deep sleep, don’t you breathe? I think you are breathing that’s why you are here. If you are not breathing, you should not be here. As long as the breathing is happening inside your system, the repetition of the Soham Mantra happens. In the deep sleep because you are not aware, you don’t hear that Mantra.

In the waking state because you are too much filled with noise, sound inside, you are not hearing. If you are silent during waking state, you will hear the mantra. That same silence will also penetrate your deep sleep state also as awareness; then, you will be able to see the Mantra, Ajapa Japa. Bring silence, that will bring awareness to your life.

Question 8:- “What is Love? How does one Love?”

SWAMIJI:- Wonderful question. At Least now you asked (SWAMIJI laughs). Let Me describe exactly what I mean by the word Love or what Shiva means here by the word when he uses the word Love. Always, when you look at something you are calculating what I can get out of it. What I can have out of it. Either your thought process start functioning through fear or through the greed, but your attention is towards the object. If the attention turns towards the inner space and you start...if your thought process starts what I can contribute to it? What way I can add to it? What way I can enrich?” This process is called Nivrutti means fulfilment. The earlier process based on fear and greed is called Pravrutti.

If the process in you is asking Pravrutti, asking what I can get out of it, what I can have from it, it is asking, lust. If the process is Nivrutti, what I can add to it, what I can contribute to it? It is the process of Love. To tell you honestly, no mere words can express exactly. I am trying to use more and more words so that some word will click with you. Some click will happen to you, that’s all I am trying. Otherwise I am not able to, not only Me, nobody will be able to give you exact definition, it is an intense experience. These are few strong experience which can’t be verbalised, which can’t be verbalised. Maybe, the words which I uttered, can give you an idea and create some click - the click can lead you to the experience.

Let's enter into the next Sutra, next sloka is the 59th sloka. I’ll answer this question later on. Hmm.

Let Me read the Sutra “Oh Beloved! Put attention neither on pleasure, not on pain, but between this. Let you achieve the truth.”

This is one more Sutra, does not need to be practised at particular time. This is Nithya Sutras, means this should mix inside you as a juice – these should be like an understanding. It has to be internalized in you. It should become part of you, and it should become eternal practice in you – Nithya Sutras.

I can classify the Shiva Sutras into three category: Nithya Sutras – once you understand and internalise, then that is enough. Everyday it will start practising itself. Nothing else is required; The second – Dhyana Sutras – you need to understand and practice at a special, particular time in your life; Third – Anand Sutras – just very understanding, you are liberated. Just very click you will feel that openness. You are free.

This Sutra is Nithya Sutra, just you need to understand, internalise, then it will naturally become part of you. Your very being will start expressing itself, this same understanding. Put attention, neither on pleasure or on pain, but between these.

Continuously, either you expect pain or pleasure in the next coming moment. You constantly think, what next? And immediately if I do that what I am going to get? Whether it is going to bring pleasure or going to bring pain? What is it going to bring? What does it going to do? How am I going to handle it? Either you visualize or you visualize pleasure. Mahadeva says do not visualize pleasure or pain, just be. Again, one more technique to throw you back to the center, throw you back to the present moment. Actually to tell you honestly, all 112 technique can be expressed in one word – Be Unclutched!

But, we are not so intelligent to listen one word from one master once and then Be Unclutched. So I have to add the same thing – Be Unclutched. Be Unclutchedly Unclutched, and Unclutching is the ultimate unclutching, the clutching is not the useful thing, these are the 112 Sutras, that’s all. That is the truth. Nothing else. I have to use so many words to remind you constantly. That’s all. Actually it is like a driving the teaching into your head. Exactly, the same thing which I was speaking yesterday, balancing between the rajas and tamas, the same thing, Mahadeva is expressing, in a different way, in a different expression.

Do not put your attention on pain or pleasure. See yesterday, what, the technique which I was talking...is, if you can catch the glimpse of how your body feels, when you are having rajas, if you catch the glimpse how you feel agitated during rajas, then that technique is for you. If you are not able to catch, there are some people even if you sit 10 times in roller coaster they will not able to catch, how the rajas is activated in your system. They will be so dull in the self diagnosing methods. Even if they say they have stomach pain, it means they have a headache.

No, sometime in Ayurvedic system, doctors will not believe what you say, they will directly diagnose. Just like how the animals are treated, they will directly diagnose. Because, you have lost connection with the nature, you lost touch with the nature. You lost touch with your own body. So if you are not able to find out the imbalance of rajas or tamas, here, at least you can find out based on your mental emotion, I think that will be lot more easy. Finding out if you are caught in the pain visualizations or pleasure visualizations. You are continuously expecting next going to be pain or pleasure. Usually, you expect only pain. We don’t expect pleasure. Very rarely you might expect, the pleasure.

Mahadeva says, “Put your attention between these.” Means, in this moment. You need to understand one important thing, actually when you are in This Moment, you will have only experiencing, there will not be any title attached to that experience, as the pain or pleasure. You will be able to attach a title to that experience as pain or pleasure only when you compare with your past experiences. Means, you already moved into past. If you are in this moment, you will have only one thing, a strong, intense experiencing. Like the whole Cosmos moving.

Because, your chairs are stable, you forget this whole earth is moving. There is a intense activity happening in this moment, in the planet, in the whole Cosmos. If you relax into the present moment, you will see, your life is nothing but “Experiencing”. Only when you slip into the past, you will call that as an “Experience” of pain or pleasure. Even you addressing something as pain or pleasure is nothing but slipping into the past. Come back and just sit, you will see so much of experiencing is happening in your system.

Every breath going inside and becoming part of your blood and becoming energy - Prana, life force for the parts of your body is a huge Experiencing. It is a happening, it is constantly happening. I tell you, just come down to that Experiencing, means the life permeating you, life penetrating you, life flowing through you, you will see what you call as pain or pleasure is too small, too small, petty, negligible. You will suddenly see Life is “Experiencing”, not just “Experience”.

“Put attention, neither on Pleasure nor on Pain, but between these two. Let you catch the Truth.” If you stop your mind moving towards pain or pleasure, it has to fall into bliss. No other way. There is no other space to go about. Suddenly, you will see if falls into the peace and bliss. Nothing else needs to be done. Just for few moments, decide not to let the mind go to pain or to the pleasure, just to the center, just to the Bliss.

The moment you stop these two movements, automatically it will fall into bliss. Actually, one reason why the Shiva Sutra has not become so popular like other scriptures, because it gives too many wide variety of options and techniques; the branding was very difficult. Usually, if it is one particular thing and 10000 people are talking about it, it will become very popular, easy for selling, branding. But, here Mahadeva has not created this book for selling. He has created, he has expressed all the great truths he discovered through his research and development. Every experience he has verbalized it and spelled it out. He just decided, in future who ever wants to take up one line, one Sutra and create a tradition, and philosophy, let them do. Here I am expressing the whole encyclopaedia, this book is actually encyclopaedia of Enlightenment. So many techniques from so many ways, from so many method, through so many path, leading you to the ultimate experience.

But one important thing you have to do. Just listening, just reading is not going to work. You have to internalize it, you have to digest it. Because, reading the menu card is not going to fulfil your hunger, only eating is going to give you the fulfilment.

Let us enter into the technique itself. Please close your eyes. Sit in a very relaxed way.

(Meditation music starts…)

Neither expect next moments the future in your life is going to be pain, nor expect it is going to be pleasure. Just be in this moment. Any thought which happens in your mind will only be expectation about pain or pleasure. Relax from both the thoughts and just be in-between.

Whenever your mind slips into the thoughts which may create pleasure or pain, bring it back. Be responsible to remind yourself – Get back to the between. Be in the relaxed centre.

Ommmmmm Shanti, Shanti, Shantihi.

Relax. I am speaking on all these techniques so elaborately, to bring them back to life and put it on record. So that, for future it is preserved and for seekers it is available to practice. Try any one technique which clicks you, which clicks with you, you will see the ultimate truth.

Let you achieve and radiate the Eternal Bliss, Nithyananda. Thank you.