“Participant: Swamiji, what is Atma?”

Participant: Swamiji, what is Atma? Atma is continuation?

SPH: Ok. You want an honest answer or a socially polite answer?

Participant: Honest. Really...

SPH: Alright. Please be seated. Whatever you think as Atma, whatever ideas you have about Atma, is just an idea. According to Me, if I have to tell an honest answer, just drop those ideas and be very clear that you don't know. Then, you will see the truth. Any idea you carry about Atma, only becomes a hindrance for realizing the Atma. Ramana Maharishi says very beautifully: “I did not even know the word Brahman, till I had Brahma Jnana. That is why I was able to have easily”.

So, the concept of Atman, is good in the initial level as an inspiration, but after you start your path, better to drop the ideas which you carry about Atma and be very clear that I don't know. See sometime, the ideas which you carry gives you a pseudo feeling you know it, and you only need to live it. Then the thirst or the enquiry or the seeking drastically drops. You become a, more or less, like a manager - “Now I know the truth, I need to administer.” That is not the case. You don't even know. That is the case. If we know, it'll express by itself.

I always tell people, “The urge should become urgent. The question should become quest.” For that better not to have an idea about Atman. I can give you any idea; long big big talks, big big idea, but I will be only disturbing you. I can say “It's in the form of light, consciousness, Supta, Swabhava, Swayamprakasha, Jyoti, Nirvikalpa, Nirananda, Niranjana, Nischala, Nir.. All those big, big words I can give you. But all the words are just nothing more than a brand names. No, true. Somebody says Nirvana, somebody says Advaita, somebody says Atma Jnana, somebody says Brahma Jnana. I have My own branding name “Nithyananda state”. So, something like that. I don't want to repeat all the different brand names.

See, that's why I have asked you; if you want a social answer, I would have given a long social answer. I don't think that anyway going to help you. If you ask the same question in the public, I will give you a very long answer; quoting Ramakrishna, quoting Ramana Maharishi, quoting Buddha, quoting Shiva, quoting Shankara, quoting everybody, long answer because I need to convince him that I know something.

Here I dont need to convince you. I can straight away help you. You understand? You are a seeker. I can straight away share with you what, what really can help you. Usually these big, big terms are used not to help that person; to help Myself. No, that is the truth. These are all, you see, after all I am a young person, so I need to use big, big words to tell that person, “you are sitting in front of a person whom you need to listen”. And I think with you, with seekers, I don't have to use the big, big words. I can straight away tell the truth.

This is what I feel. Better not to have an idea, once you enter into the journey; just be very clear - You don't know. That clarity “you don't know” can lead to such a great depth, can give so much of strength, can gives, bring, will bring so much of inspiration; you will never be struggling or in depression.

See, depression is the worst problem seekers face in the life. Why they face you know? They think, they know almost everything, they know everything. Only thing they have to make it as a, as a reality in their life. But that is not the case. If you know the fire will burn, naturally, you will not put your hand there. But people tell Me: “Swamiji I know everything, fire will burn, but again I am putting my hand there” No. It means, you don't know. That is the truth. You have a pseudo knowledge. I can say, breaking the pseudo knowledge is what I call Vijnanamaya kosha Bhedana. Breaking the Vijnanamaya kosha. We live with a very wrong knowledge. Very wrong idea, ‘we know everything’. That's what I call Vijnanamaya kosha. Breaking it, having a clarity “this is what I know, this is what I don't know. Let me be very clear”. That clarity, will break the Vijnanamaya kosha. And can bring so much of strength, clarity, peace into your being. Thank you.