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About Ananta

Ananta gives satsang with the blessings of his Master, Sri Mooji. He lives in Bangalore, India
with his wife, son and daughter. He offers Satsang in Bangalore and occasionally online. See
website and/or Facebook page for Satsang schedules, many Youtube vidoes of online satsangs,
the other Ananta books, satsang transcripts, general information and updates.

Satsang with Ananta YouTube channel is:

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCmc83jyrwpCNBT2xywXVoLg/feed      

Facebook site: https://www.facebook.com/satsangwithananta  

Sangha Facebook site: https://www.facebook.com/groups/satsangwithananta/  
 
Website: www.anantasatsang.org    

This is the 9th book of Ananta satsang talks, full of simple pointings, contemplations, guided
inquiry and powerful discussions; a compilation of short, poignant talks taken from online
satsangs 26th Oct. to 15th Dec. 2016.

This book was transcribed with love by the Sangha and compiled and edited by Amaya, while
keeping Ananta’s words as they were delivered so that his voice is heard as we read. (In
conversational text, Q: means guest / questioner and A: means Ananta speaking.)

In deepest love and gratitude to Anantaji (nicknamed ‘Father’ by some) these books are an
offering to all who seek Truth and freedom from suffering through these simple, clear and direct
pointings; or whose search is over and finds themselves here to enjoy the deepening in freedom
in the Presence of a Master.

 
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Table of Contents  
 
2 About Ananta  
3 Table of Contents  
4 Preface: The Unchanging Self  
8 Take the Witnessing Position  
10 Find That Which is Not Moving  
11 Finding the Self  
15 This is the Voice of Your Own Recognition  
17 Get Used to Your Emptiness  
20 Can We Use Even This?  
23 The Truth is Already Here  
25 Life Without the Story  
28 Only One Question You Need: Who am I?  
32 Find Out the One That Wakes Up  
35 Only a Concept, Idea, Label About Ourself Can Feel Hurt3  
37   What Makes the Difference?  
39 When Will Our Vasanas Get Over?  
41 Do You Do the Inquiry as a Practice?  
43 In Reality, You Are Not Carrying Any of This
46 Distinction Between the Passing and the Changeless
47 It Must Be Direct Experience
48 Turn it Over to the Master
51 Important Points
53 What Am I Actually Saying?
59 Flow Chart Talk
61 Inquiry Brings Us Back to the Direct Witnessing
63 When Doership Remains, Go to Intuition for Guidance
65 Checking: What is True?
68 Pull the Sticky Conditioning Into Inquiry
69 Everything is an Expression of Consciousness
71 Verifying Our Truth in Direct Experience
73 Scriptures Are Meant for Contemplation
74 This is the Key Point in Satsang
77 To Know What You Really Want
78 Who Confirms Your Existence?
80 This is Enough to Be Happy
82 What Is It That I Truly Want?

 
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84 What is Desire?
86 What is Attachment?
89 Contemplation Questions
90 This is What is Meant by Advaita Denial
93 What is Reality and What is the Truth?
95 All That is Changing is Not This
97 Contemplation Questions
98 Have You Lost YourSelf?
99 Contemplation Questions
100 I Am the Self
102 The 3 D’s of the Ego
107 The Play of the Character Remains
110 The Sages Solution to This ‘Me’
112 These Parables to Make It Simpler
114 Recap of Important Pointers in Satsang
117 Your Light Has to Be This Message
118 This Guidance, This Blessing

 
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~ Preface ~

The Unchanging Self

 
[Silence] Allow all appearances to come and go.  
 
If you helps you for some time, then we can even use the label ‘appearance’ for everything that
is arising. At least, use one label for all that is appearing and disappearing.  
 
What is here that is beyond appearance?  
What is not appearing?  
What is it that does not come and go?  
 
Really look. Deeply look.  
 
Is this room where we are sitting; is it eternal?  
Is it your constant experience?  
Or is it only what is appearing for you now,  
soon to be replaced by another image?  
 
Are these bodies which are in front of you now your constant experience?  
Or is the image of these bodies also soon be replaced by something else?  
 
What about the image of that which you call your own body?  
Is that a constant state?  
Or does even this body disappear?  
Do you disappear with the disappearance of this body?  
With the appearance of another body, [dream state]  
what appears constant?  
 
These sensations that you’re experiencing, are they eternal?  
Or do they come and go?  
 
These thoughts that are coming to you, claiming to speak the truth,  
Are they constant?  
Are they eternal? Are they infinite?  
 
Allow these also; the play of this imagery, the play of appearances,  
soon to be replaced by other images.  
 
What about our emotions?  
Are they permanent? Are they real? Are they forever?  
Or just like other appearances on this movie screen,  
they also come and go?  
 

 
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What is it that doesn’t go with them?  
 
That which can go, you let it go.  
 
What remains?  
See if that one can go.  

Even the sense of existence, ‘I exist’…,  

the Lord of this waking state, the deity of this temple called the body;  
Is this also a constant?  
Or have you not witnessed the dissolution of this one,  
and the rising of this one, millions of times already?  
 
What are you?  
Who are you?  
 
Can you come back?  
Can you move?  
Or is all movement part of the appearance,  
in front of the unmoving one?  
 
All objects are coming and going.  
Leave them aside for some time.  
All bodies are coming and going.  
Leave them aside; including your own.  
Let it just be.  
 
Emotions, energy, sensation…  
Just let them be.  
 
Thoughts, concepts, ideas…  
Leave them alone.  
 
This Being that is radiating with this sublime light,  
Being just being,  
Let it be.  
 
Nothing needs your intervention.  
Leave it alone.  
 
Who are you now?  
 
Are you an appearance?  
 
What is here besides these appearances?  
What remains when you keep everything aside?  

 
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Don’t try to ‘get it’.  
Keep that also aside.  
Just let it all be.  
 
Can anything in this world contain you?  
Or is it You that contains this world?  

Are You transient?  

Or is the world transient?  

What is your experience?  

 
Are You timeless?  
Or is the world timeless?  
 
What do you See before you go to a concept?  
 
Is there any time, without you?  
Is there any space, without you?  
Is there a world, without you?  
Can there be this universe, without you,  
except in your imagination?  
 
Can you even have an imagination, without you?  
What are You?  
 
No answer is needed here. Don’t jump to any answers.  
 
Remain in your open looking.  
 
Herein lies the peace of God.  
 
Om Shanti, Shanti, Shanti  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 
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Take the Witnessing Position  
 
Everything that is appearing can just be watched without this idea that ‘I am the doer of
something’ or ‘I am the experiencer of something’. Your primary nature is the Witness. We are
fundamentally the Watching; this Awareness which sees everything coming and going. If it helps
for some time, we can see if we can take the Witnessing position; even if it does not feel natural
for some time. Because the habit has become to take the position of the doer, or the experiencer.
And we can see this right now. This body is sitting here in front of me and it is saying all of these
words and the hearing of these words is also happening. I cannot find the individual doer who is
saying these words. In the same way, your body (this so-called ‘your body’) is also sitting in
front of you. (Just because you are using the term ‘in front’ doesn’t mean there is a physical ‘in
front’ but you know what I mean.)  
 
This body is here, it is moving in its own natural way. The senses are functioning in their own
natural way. All of it is happening. The idea that ‘I am hearing’, the idea that ‘I am speaking’
(this one is false) this is the idea of doership. You are That in which this entire space appears. All
of this is playing inside You, within You. Some can seem intimate like the sensations of our
body, and some can seem less intimate. Some can seem closer and some can seem distant, but
actually for you there is no distance, all is within you.  
 
And you will notice that your mind is trying to create some visuals as I am speaking these words.
It is trying to give you visual representation of what I am speaking. We do not need that. This
(your experience right now) is what I am speaking. There has been no individual entity here who
has ever spoken any words. If it could exist, it wouldn’t know how to move this mouth. You see?  
All has only been a movement of Consciousness within Consciousness. There is no individual
ever hearing these words. You are this One Being; That ‘I Am’. And in this way there is no
separation. That is why the Sages have said that ‘Those who see two where there is only one are
the ones that are suffering’. That is the source of misery, to presume that there is some
separation, that there is a distinction in this one appearance.  
 
Let these words become our living truth now. See for yourself (when your own body speaks) see
how the words are just emerging, how they are also heard. See how your breath is just
happening. There is nobody doing it; only the mind saying that ‘Yes I am’. [Laughs] Or this
voice, these thoughts? [Laughs] These thoughts, they wouldn’t know how to. You see? If they
could, they could tell you how; how are you breathing? You cannot explain it because this is just
a voice which is claiming to be the king of this world, at least the king of your body. But it isn’t;
it is just one measly voice, the pretender. So, all that is moving, all the functioning that is
happening is the movement of one Consciousness. Action, reaction, relationships, drama; all of
this life is just God having fun. Even if my mind comes in and says ‘But how can this be fun?
What kind of sadist is God? [Laughs] But God is the One, all-encompassing, so every extreme of
expression is tasted here.  
 
Just experience for yourself that if white had to separate itself into all the colors it is made up of
you, would find that the entire color spectrum is there, isn’t it? Just in the same way the One
pretending to separate Itself (into many or into two) then expresses Itself in everything that it is
made up of (at least to the extent of physical expression possible). So this is the One

 
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Consciousness which is whiter than white, purer than pure, then expressing Itself in the entire
spectrum of colors. Then the mind comes in and says ‘But I should have only blue’ or ‘I should
have only red’. That is when the trouble starts because that is not the purpose of this creation.
The purpose seems to be to experience everything that is possible to be experienced.  
 
So, see for yourself today that there is no individual entity. And because there is no individual
entity, there is no individual doer, there is no individual experiencer. Because soon after these
words, you start hearing the mind which will be quick to say ‘But, but what about me? But what
about my life?’ Don’t fall for that trick. You say ‘Yes, yes, all this is fine, I see this, but….”
[Laugh] It says (very convincingly) ‘What do I do about my emotions? What do I do about my
negative thoughts? What do I do about the sensations in my body?’ Nothing. Forget about it, if
you can. It is needless, pointless, meaningless and we are done with this play now. All your
identity is being emptied out; already in this moment. How do you want to play now?  
 
Some of you call me ‘Father’. That means there is some trust. So, if there is trust, then know that
what I am saying is true. Check for yourself. You are free, Right Now; you are not bound. The
instant you buy the ‘but’ is the instant you seem to be playing again; but at least then know that it
is your play. Meet me as God saying ‘Yes, I see that I am God, but for the fun of the play I
choose to continue to play in this way’. Then that will be a much more fun conversation.  
 
For years all of us have looked together; and for years we have not found this person. And yet
this is the power of your belief; that it can still seem to be real for you. You find no evidence of it
in reality and yet it can continue to seem real for you. This is the great game, this is the great
leela, this is the great hypnosis (self-hypnosis actually) that that which does not exist seems to
get so much belief. And That which is All-There-Is seems to only get our denial (or mostly get
our denial).  
 
What kind of magic show is this? There is no magic ‘person’ living inside this body, you know
this! And there is no person living outside this body, you know this. So, what are we really
representing? What is at the core of your existence? What are you really recognizing about
yourself when we check?  
 
Because all the Masters, for thousands and thousands of years, have gone hoarse now saying
‘Check, check, check’. [Laugh] So, what are we really finding? You will only find your Self.
This Self is All-There-Is. Actually it gives birth to All-There-Is; all that exists…, and yet remains
complete. All you need to do to confirm this is to leave everything alone. Just let everything be.
Don’t even try to know yourself. As you leave everything alone, this knowing is unavoidable,
inevitable. And what comes to be known? It comes to be known that I am this One Awareness.
There are not two. Nothing has ever touched this Self I am and always have been and always will
remain.  
 
 
 

 
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Find That Which is Not Moving  
 
So, what are we doing here? [Chuckles] Some of us are together Monday through Friday and
some of us are together once a week, but we get together for what? What is it that we really
want? What are we looking for? Someone might say that ‘We are looking for the Self’. So, first,
when you lose something (you know, when my children lose something) then the first question I
ask is ‘When did you see it last?’ [Chuckles] Or ‘Where did you see it last?’ So, if you feel like
you lost the Self, where did you see it last? Where were you when you saw the Self that you lost
and now you’re looking for it? It’s the most obvious question to ask, isn’t it?  
 
Then someone might say ‘But I’ve never seen it actually’. Never seen it. Then what is it that you
are…, the one that has not seen it or is looking for it? Which one is that one? Hmmm?  
 
Who is it that is already Here? Can it be that this is a case of even more absurdity than looking
everywhere in the house but the spectacles are on our head? [Chuckles] Could it be even more
absurd than something which is right under our nose and we don’t see it? That’s why Bhagavan
Sri Ramana Maharshi said that the most direct way to the recognition of the Self and the
realization of the Self is to ask yourself ‘Who am I?’ And he was not the first one to say it.
Maybe he was the first one to give it so much focus and attention but for a long time, a lot of
Sages (right from the Upanishads) have said ‘Inquire into who you are’. Even Western
philosophers have said ‘Know Thyself’. So, if we’re all looking for the Self, where must I go to
find it? What is it that you are Right Now?  
 
The problem is that most of you are following the wrong teacher. [Chuckles] The wrong teacher
means this one which we call the mind, who is constantly directing us to look outside in this
phenomenal realm. The mind is saying ‘Look, look’ like how we find other things phenomenally
in the same way, by going place to place, teacher to teacher, satsang to satsang, we might come
across this Self. But nobody has found it that way. The only recognition, the only true
recognition that has happened is by looking in the other way, looking within. As long as there
seems to be a boundary between outside and within; until then we must look within, not in the
phenomenal realm. Find that One who witnesses this moving world, this moving realm. Is that
moving? [Silence] Every movement (be it objects in the world, emotions, thoughts) isn’t there
something which is unmoving, unchanging, which is aware of these movements?  
 
I know the mind might come and say ‘But I don’t see anything’. Wait, wait. Don’t rush. Slowly.
What are we doing? We’re looking for that which is unchanging; the witness of that which is
changing. Let’s look.

You will not be able to deny that there is a witness; that which witnesses even sight, that which
witnesses taste, smell and all these sensory perceptions. Are you not the witness of these? What
does this witness look like? [Silence]  
 
Allow that which is moving to move. Find this witness which looks at the movement, but in
itself is not moving. [Silence]  

 
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Finding the Self  
 
Two things can happen. When you look for the Self ‘Who am I?’ and you find that there is no-
thing; one is that you can be disappointed and you will feel that ‘Oh, I am not finding the Self’.
This is not true. Second is you can come to a conclusion that ‘The Self is nothing’. This is also
not true. It is no-thing, it is non-phenomenal, yet it is the unchanging reality; the nomenon from
which all phenomenon comes. It is the substratum for all things. Therefore, when I ask you ‘Are
you aware now?’ you say ‘Yes’ but not because you saw Awareness as if it was an object of
sight but because there is a deep Knowing of this; Knowing of Itself.  
 
Don’t try to make your mind understand this. As the words are being spoken from here, just
allow yourself to follow them and See that this is True. At the ‘center’ of your existence, there is
this no-thing from which all things come and go. It Itself is not a thing, therefore don’t expect to
perceive it as if it is something that will be found.  
 
This Awareness You Are.  
 
This is not changing. All the states keep changing; waking, sleep and dream. But That which is
aware of these states is this unchanging Self; this no-thing.  
 
I was saying the other day that if you are trying to use your mind to understand this, it is like
trying to use a hammer as a toothpick. You’re only going to hurt yourself. [Chuckles] It is not
going to help. What is the approach we must have towards the mind? See it for what it is; just a
bundle of thoughts and other similar energies like imagination, memory. Just See it for what it is.
But keep looking deeper. Try to find the One that is witness also to the mind.  
 
Then what will you find? You will find that there is a Presence here; the sense that ‘I exist. I
Am’. But You are aware even of this. This which is the light of this world; You are aware of it.
That which is aware even of Consciousness, even of ‘I Am’, Itself is not subject to time and
space and any phenomenal rules. It doesn’t have form, shape. It was not born, It is not going to
die. And You are It.  
 
This Truth remains unchanging, no matter what you are believing or not. Therefore, all that is
needed to find this Self is some openness to just look (like all of you are looking)…., and the
openness to reject all the answers from the mind. Because when looking is happening, the mind
will come up with all of its defenses. It will try to come up with some conclusions. Both the
conclusion ‘I got it’ and ‘I haven’t got it’ are false. There is nothing to get. You have always
only been this Awareness. ‘I haven’t got it’ is impossible, because You are aware. And You are
aware that You are aware. Therefore, it is not possible to not get what I’m saying. To say ‘I got
it’ or ‘I haven’t got it’ are just conclusions in the mind.  
 
Could it be that the recognition of the Self is this straight-forward? This simple?  
 
Many times you have this experience of clearly Seeing ‘I Am This Awareness’ and yet the mind
can play this very subtle trick on you, telling you that there is still an ‘I’ which is an individual

 
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entity which is separate from Awareness. And to help you with that confusion, I ask you: Who is
aware of Awareness?  
 
We have mis-used ‘I’ for so long, we have mis-used the term ‘I’ for so long to denote the ego, to
denote the sense of separation, that there can be some mental denial about this. The fact is that it
is ‘I’ which is aware of Itself; that I Am this Self, I Am Awareness, I Am Brahman, I Am the
Absolute, I Am That…, that no-thing from which all universes come and go. Everything comes
from within This Self and dissolves back into This Self.  
 
Don’t visualize. This is your experience already. When I Am, the world is. When I Am goes to
sleep, there is nothing (there is no-thing) and I am aware even of this. I exist prior to the sense of
existence also.

Who is aware of Awareness? Who is it if it is not ‘I’? Is it a second-hand report that Awareness
is here? Or is it our direct experience? Isn’t it our living Truth, Right Now? I am Aware. ‘I’ is
Awareness.  
 
Then what happens? Then, as [Nisargadatta] Maharaj very strongly used to say ‘Then the ‘I Am’
infection comes’. I still find it a bit blasphemous because this ‘I Am’ is Consciousness Itself. But
sometimes we can look at it like that. All this drama would not be possible without the birth of
this sense of Being, this sense of existence. So, I-Awareness, is playing in My dynamic form as
‘Consciousness-I-Am’. [Silence] ‘I Am that I Am’ is the voice of Consciousness, of God Itself.  
 
Anything that we attach after this ‘I Am’ is a story, is the pretense of separation; is a lie
ultimately. So, satsang is the dropping of all that we have attached to ‘I Am’ because it is false.
Being is just being.  
 
So, the play of attaching ideas to Myself (‘I am this way, I am that way, I am right, I am honest, I
am old, I am young…) all these ideas belong to nobody actually; belong to the mythical entity
called the person or the ego. It is just a myth. To see that it is just a myth is to kill it. Sometimes
when the Sages say ‘You have to kill the ego or destroy the ego’ it feels like I really have to
strangle somebody. [Chuckles] It is not like that.  
 
You just have to See it as non-existent. There is no separation; there are no two. Look around
you right now. Are there two? Not unless you buy a story from the mind; not unless you buy a
label from the mind. Are there two? It is just One appearance. It is as simple as that. There are no
two. There never have been. To pretend to believe this lie, we have to have a label to objectify
this appearance, to make separation where there is none. As the Sage Ashtavakra says ‘Your
folly is ignorance’.  
 
There are no two! This is your experience right now. What you are experiencing is Oneness. But
you’re labeling it as two, as separation.  
 
So, this is the only functioning of the mind, to make duality where there isn’t any. To make the
story of ‘me’ and ‘another’ where there actually isn’t any. Play with this; even after satsang. Just
look at this appearance and See that it is just one appearance. Look at everything without labels.

 
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It will make everything so light and easy. And as you stop labeling, this constant desire ‘What’s
in it for me?’ will start to thin out a bit. Otherwise, we walk into every situation, every event,
every meeting expecting something (‘I should get something’…, the non-existent ‘me’). So, this
constant mantra, the maha mantra of the ego ‘What’s in it for me?’ starts to lighten up if you stop
labeling your experiencing, or at least not believing the labels.  
 
In this way, then ‘I Am’ remains unassociated and pure.  
When we believe our labels, or ideas, our concepts, nothing really changes for Consciousness;
only the pretense of personhood seems to be full of suffering. And something tells me that those
who are in satsang are done with this play of suffering.  
 
So, what happened now? We saw that there is this unchanging, unmoving attribute-less
Awareness within which there is the birth of this light called Consciousness, which is playing the
movie of the world…, upon Itself; It is the light as well as the screen. And emerging with this
light is this entire play of this world.  
 
No separation ever happened. But as part of the play, there is the birth of this energy called the
mind; the energy constructs called thoughts which seem to have this function to make Itself
believe (Consciousness Itself believe) that the separation is real. So, Consciousness decides to
play with it for a while, maybe to get some juice from this experience. It wants to experience
itself personally in some way; and then soon enough tires of this play and then invents ways and
means for Itself to become free of this delusion.  
 
One of the ways is to come to satsang to remind Itself about the Truth of what It is. And in
satsang you hear that ‘You are this Presence, You are this Being. You are not contained within
this body nor are you contained outside the body. You are not to be found in reality in this realm
at all’. And you check and you confirm this. You find that ‘This separate entity which I believed
myself to be never was here. I have always been This light of Consciousness’.  
 
And then, some of you might look and say ‘I am aware even of this light of Consciousness’.
Primarily, for that which is the Self, the Absolute, even Consciousness is coming and going. So
then, Consciousness comes to this recognition of Its True Source, of what it is really made up of.
And the idea of suffering seems to feel so alien, so far out, that a Sage will struggle to suffer. As
Bhagavan [Ramana Maharshi] said ‘For a jnani to believe a thought is as much of a struggle is as
it is for an ajnani to let go of a thought’.  
 
So, all of these thoughts which seem so meaningful and relevant to you today will lose their
relevance and meaning. You will see that they are only the voice of the non-existent one…, just a
mouth without a face; just words that belong to nobody. And in keeping this mind aside, to
divest it of your belief, you will come to the end of this seeming-suffering, this seeming-
separation. And satsang is the aid to that.  
 
So, both the recognition of who I am (this unchanging Awareness) and the dropping of this false
idea about myself (which is the end of this false conditioning) is what is called Liberation or
Freedom.  
 

 
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The recognition that ‘I Am Awareness’ (that I am not a thing) can come in a very sober way or it
can come as a very strong awakening experience. In spite of how it comes, it is helpful for us to
drop this false conditioning, this false idea of separation. But many times it is not enough. Many
times it can be that some of you have had the most beautiful awakening experiences, yet are very
quick to buy some idea of specialness. Therefore, it is good to keep coming to satsang and to let
go of all of this conditioning, of these vasanas, tendencies, (whatever you might call them) the
dropping of all arrogance. False humility is also arrogance. And arrogance only means
separation.  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 
 15  
 
This is the Voice of Your Own Recognition  

What did we learn today…, children? [Chuckles] We learned that you are nothing, but it is a
very good nothing; it is no-thing. [Chuckles] It is that nothing from which all things come and
they go. Now, the root of all this coming and going is the sense ‘I Am’, the sense that ‘I exist’…,
Atma, Consciousness. With the light of this ‘I Am’ switched on, all of this play comes on; light,
sound, electricity, gravity, universe, (all these forces) attention belief. All of this is a beautiful
movie being played upon Itself by Consciousness. The only seeming-trouble is that along with
this movie came this voice. It said ‘You are the protagonist of this movie. You are this character
which seemingly lives inside the protagonist’s body and you must control the events of the
movie according to the preferences of this character’.  
 
Now, we bought this idea that ‘I am this body/mind’. This itself is Divine magic. For
Consciousness to play in this way as if It is just this tiny object itself is some Divine hypnosis. It
played this way because It wanted to experience the life of a person. It got too bored being
everything, being all there is, so It wanted to get a taste of what it would be like to just be an
object. So, It created this mind so that this mind could constantly be selling the story of the
separation.  
 
Now It is tired of playing this game And in coming out of this game also It created a beautiful
scene for Itself in the movie, which is your coming to satsang, your doing the self-inquiry or any
path. So, Consciousness pretending to be a person and then dropping the pretense of personhood
in this entire game.  
 
This Jnana path, the path of inquiry, is to see things for how they are. The unreality, the changing
nature of this phenomenal existence is seen. And we are interested in the Truth which is
unchanging. We are interested in that God, that Self, which is unchanging. Therefore that which
changes is kept aside. What remains? We find that this Consciousness remains. But ultimately
even this consciousness comes and goes; with the coming of the waking state and the dissolution
of the waking state into dreamless sleep, we find that even this Consciousness goes.  
 
There is a Witness even of something called ‘sleep’. Even to say that ‘There was nothing in
sleep’ means that I am aware that there is some state called ‘sleep’ in which there is no
phenomena, not even the root of all phenomena; the primordial vibration OM itself is not there.  
 
So, this which is beyond the states is what we are in reality; and this remains unchanging, no
matter which state is appearing. Anything appearing in the waking state cannot hurt this reality,
cannot touch this reality. This is the discovery. And then this world becomes just a wonderful
movie to watch; nothing to attack, nothing to defend, nothing to get, nowhere to go, nothing to
do…, and yet all movements of this dream character, dream character body, they continue to
happen in their own natural way. This is all there is. And this is the voice of your own
recognition, of your own Truth.  
 
Now, if you want to see God pretending to be a person, all you have to do is believe your next
thought. But if you are tired of God playing the person, then you (God) please do not believe
your next thought. [Chuckles] This is God having a monologue with Herself/Himself.  

 
 16  
 
 
Q: [About deep sleep and Awareness]  
 
Deep sleep is that state in which there is only pure Awareness (in comparison to other states like
waking state where the dynamic aspect is also present, or dream state where the dynamic aspect
it is also present) deep sleep is the name for that state where only Awareness is. Only the Self
remains, yes.  
 
There are two ways to look at this. When we are speaking in comparison with other states then
we are saying ‘Okay, this is what happened in the waking state. My dynamic aspect is there, this
world of movement is there’. Then this state goes away and another state appears, which is deep
sleep. Now, you can decide whether this complete absence of phenomena (whether you want to
call that a state or a non-state, it is okay. It does not really matter, it’s mostly terminology), the
fact is that this (as Guruji says) ‘Wake up in the waking state’ is to come to the recognition of
That which never goes to sleep. That which is present even in sleep state…, to recognize that
‘That is here as my Self’ is to wake up in this waking state; to find This One that is not subject to
sleep or to waking. This One remains unchanged no matter which state is coming.  
 
Why is it a beautiful no-thing? It is such a beautiful no-thing because from this no-thing so much
arises (seemingly). All of this play arises and yet it remains unhurt, untouched, un-tired. It is not
as if, in the world when something has potential and then it plays out then it becomes empty of
potential; this is That which is so beyond all of this. That is why I said that the creation of a
million universes leaves this untouched, unconcerned. That is what You are, the no-thing that
You are.  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 
 17  
 
Get Used to Your Emptiness  
 
A: You know, I love comic books and these super-hero movies. So, if there is something that is
my arch-nemesis…, (in comic books you have these arch-nemesis, no? Like Batman will have
the Joker, Superman will have Lex Luther…) so my arch-nemesis is ‘the checker guy’. So, let
me explain who is this ‘checker guy’. The one that is constantly checking ‘Okay, I was like this.
This is what happened to me. Now I am 80% there, only this last thing is left’. You see? It keeps
checking and making its report card. And this one is very sticky. So, this one, why I call it my
arch-nemesis is because whatever I tell you, it will use that and add it to your report-card…,
‘Ananta said this, now I am going to track myself on my progress as far as that is concerned’.  
 
I can only tell you that this one which is trying to storify something (make a story where there is
none, trying to make a conclusion basically) this one you leave here with me today. Because this
one will give you a lot of trouble. And the only place where this one will get to is the spiritual
ego.  
 
So, don't have any story. Nothing has really happened. The recognition and everything that has
happened with you has been a very natural part of the unfolding. Remove all sense of idea that
‘this happened’ or ‘that happened’ or ‘this is going, this much is left’. This report-card and the
creator of this report-card, you leave here today. You be empty of this.  
 
Q: This helplessness…, I know this checker guy very well. I can totally relate with it, what you
are saying. But there is always this checker guy and it's like it's kind of born out of this (after the
last year) and it wasn't even there and it's like …  
 
A: It doesn't exist. It's as harmless as the rest of the mind only because it has been nourished with
our belief so much. We have mistaken this one to be vigilance…, this one to be our inner guide;
we have mistaken this one to be the Satguru. This one is not. Leave this one aside.  
 
Q: I have come to a point where I can see the person very clearly and it's there; but this checker
guy is going in memories when I was 5; I was roaming around...  
 
A: Can I tell you something? Even the one that is reporting that ‘I can see the person very
clearly’ is the checker guy. It is very tricky and subtle, you see? It's very subtle. It is the most
icky and slimy manifestation of the ego. Because it is uncomfortable not to have a conclusion
about ourself; it is uncomfortable to just be open (initially). But this is what you have to get used
to. You have to get used to your emptiness without any interpretation of the emptiness, without
any conclusion about anything. This is openness, you see.  
 
As we are open, we have no interpretation, no conclusion, no label. All there is, is this natural
sense of existence and a natural sense of awareness of even this existence. All other reports,
everything, can be allowed to just come and go, just come and go. Don't make any conclusion
about yourself, you see. That is my bhramastra against this checker guy. Don't make any report,
don't make any conclusion about yourself. And soon, it is my blessing that, we will make some
reports about you.  
 

 
 18  
 
Q: It's really, possibly…, it's a part of the play because when this such a seeing happened, it was
so clearly seen that really everything unfolds as it's supposed to be. It was really like ‘wow’. I
have not done anything; the whole life everything was unfolding, from the first opening when I
was 26, everything was just gift from there. And now this last part, as you said, the sticky...  
 
A: Everything has been grace, everything; all our sublime experiences, all our seemingly-terrible
experiences, have all been part of the play. And not a blade of grass moves without the will of
my Father. You see? So, all has been His play, always. So, just allow it to unfold naturally. In
fact, if I were to give you a blessing, I would say ‘You forget about that experience’.  
 
Q; Yeah, absolutely. I am here to listen to that which the most egoic self doesn't want to listen;
forget about it.  
 
A: Sometimes it can hurt. You see? Sometimes it can poke because ‘Don't take away this from
me, it was the best experience; don't take this’. But, you see, in that itself is attachment.
Attachment means to label something ‘mine’. Even if you label an experience ‘mine’ it is already
an attachment. But (whatever) no matter how sublime the experience was, this recognition of the
Truth is always fresh and Here Now.  
 
To go to memory is not needed at all. To go to memory only means that I am still catering to the
idea that ‘I am a separate entity who had this experience and now there is something left to be
done again’. Leave all these ideas. Remain open, fresh, in your simple allowing; allowing
everything to come and go. That's why actually in the beginning of Satsang today I shared that:  
 
Recognition experiences (which can be labeled awakening experiences) are very beautiful but
not necessarily the end of conditioning.  
 
Because the mind can try and use that also, to try and get some hold over you that ‘I had this
experience, this happened with me’. Anytime you find yourself making a story, know that it is
the checker guy which is operating.  
 
Q: So, the one who is watching the checker guy? Because I have to say I can see the checker
guy, it's still there. Its existence is here and it is there...  
 
A: Show me. [Chuckles] Show me: Where is it? Where is the checker guy? Now, when you
check: Where is it?  
 
Q: [Laughs, baffled]  
 
It doesn't exist. It only seems to exist when we believe our thought. [Silence] Stay with this
feeling of limbo. You see? A feeling of limbo will come. You will feel like ‘Okay, but now
what? What?’ It can seem a bit strange. But allow yourself to experience that. This is just some
withdrawal symptoms from our addiction to the mind. It will try and make a report because this
has been nourished. It will keep coming to you with a report like ‘You are not being open
enough, you are not really [there yet] this is still the checker guy. Only the checker guy is still

 
 19  
 
working’. It is still trying to sell you these stories. Just let them come and go. Allow them to
come and go.  
 
Q: Yes.  
 
A: Very good.  
 
[Beeping sounds] That’s my UPS which means our electricity may be going. So, if our lights go
off, just know that:  
 
All my love, all my blessings are with all of you.  
May my Father's grace bring you all to this beautiful recognition of the Self,  
and the dropping of the false conditioning of the pretense of personhood.  
 
If that is your urge,  
then may my Father's grace take care of it in double-quick time,  
which I know he’s doing.  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 
 20  
 
Can We Use Even This?  
 
You know there was a presidential race that is on today? He won. Yeah, he won. The results
were there today, this morning. He won by a big margin in the end; I don’t feel it was so close.
So, most mesSages I got today were from the ones that were upset about this. And I can
understand. I can understand, given all the statements he made, and all the things he has said; I
can understand where the feeling of being upset must be coming from.  
 
But can we even use this? Can we use even this situation as an opportunity to check? Because
this openness; we keep talking about it. When it comes, when these kind of things come, can we
really be open? It doesn’t that mean we have to like it, doesn’t mean that we have to show our
support in some way. But just are we open to the possibility that anything can happen in this life?
Are we open to the possibility that we cannot predict what tomorrow will be?  
 
This is a very good example because all the polls, all the experts and everyone was saying that ‘it
is not going to go this way’. Using all the methodologies and everything, we can be wrong.  
In the ‘Course of Miracles’ it is said that when something happens that we don’t like, we must
look at them as if they are forgiveness opportunities. But we cannot truly forgive unless first we
are open. So, can we look at them as openness opportunities? Because so much resistance can
happen in these strong moments. So many concepts can happen which can tell you that ‘I know
what is going on, I know what is true, what is good, I know what must happen’. But life does not
dance to these tunes.  
 
[Silence]  
 
If you have seen that everything is grace, if we are starting to see that everything is grace…,
Guruji [Mooji] also uses this strong term called ‘acid grace’. Sometimes it can really burn. There
are these moments in life. And this year seems to be this kind of moments, isn’t it? With all these
of political events and all kinds of things happening. And again and again this year, we’ve been
proved (at least my Facebook friends have been proved over and over) that we don’t know
anything. It can feel like we can predict, like we know where something will go, what is good,
what is going to happen; but we don’t know. So, all that we are attached to is being tested, is
being shown to us.  
 
Can we be open and see that this is how it is. This is how it is. All our ‘should’ve could’ve
would’ve’…, (you know like the Americans say ‘should have, could have, would have’) doesn’t
really help. Isn’t it? The way it is, is just the way it is.  
 
[Silence]
 
What I’m suggesting is not some sort of a passivity. It is a simple allowing even of the reactions
to come from this body, if they are coming. So, that’s why I prefer to use the word ‘openness’
rather than ‘acceptance’ more; because although it implies similar things sometimes in
‘acceptance’ we presume that I’m speaking about some sort of a passive acceptance, like sheep
or something like that. No, what I’m saying is that this acceptance, that openness which is not
resisting what is, is open to what is and open to allowing our actions and responses also to come

 
 21  
 
from that space of non-doership or openness. And over and over, all of us are being made to
become open.  
 
[Silence]  
 
Shall I tell a joke?  
Once there was a man and he was walking and he fell off the side of a cliff. As he fell off, he
grasped for something and he managed to hold onto a branch of a tree on the side of the cliff. So
as he’s hanging there, he starts shouting, “Help, help! Somebody help me. Is somebody there?”  
And then he hears this voice which goes, “Let go. Let go.”  
And he says, “Who’s there? Who’s there? Help me please!”  
Voice says, “This is God.”  
He says, “God, God, oh God, help me!”  
The voice says, “Let go.”  
He says, “Let go?! I can’t let go. What are you saying God? I can’t let go. Please give me some
other way. Please tell me something else I can do.”  
And voice says, “Let go.”  
And he keeps praying and begging for God to help and God is only saying, “Let go.”  
Then man becomes quiet and dejected. He’s hanging there and the fingers start to burn, the hand
start to burn, and he makes one last try. “Help! Is there somebody there?”  
Voice says, “Yes, I’m here.”  
Man says, “Who is this?”  
“God.”  
And the man says, “Is there anybody else up there?”  
 
[Laughter]
 
Basically all that we are saying in satsang when we say ‘Don’t believe your next thought’ when
we say ‘Open, allow’…, all of this is an attempt for you to let go. There is a primal fear of
falling. There is a sense that ‘If I let go, I don’t know what will happen to me. I’m going to die’.
Because of this fear of losing our individuality, losing our specialness, losing our conditioning,
we hold onto some concept; we pick up some concept. We are seeing over and over again that
there is no control. Everything is just happening.  
 
[Silence]  
 
Q: I’ve been looking for that ‘somebody else’ my whole life.  
 
A: Yes. Instead of hearing to that voice that says ‘Let go’ we want to grasp onto any branch;
security branch. We feel like something here will give us security.  
 
[Silence]  
 
And we know this somewhere actually. That’s why it’s ignorance, because we know that all we
can hold onto in this life is eventually going to go. And as we look at this, then our favorite ideas

 
 22  
 
and concepts (which pretend as if they will get you something or somewhere, including the
concept of freedom itself) comes and distracts you from this simple ‘letting go’.  
 
We look for that somebody else in our relationships. Anything that we call ‘mine’ in this realm
of appearances is that yearning…, is that playing as if there is a separate individual here.  
 
What are we refusing? This is not something where we are saying is that ‘You are this mere
person. You must now surrender to God because you are one powerless creature.’ We are saying
that what you are ignoring, what you are avoiding, is your own recognition that You are God,
You are That. This is the play.  
 
[Silence]  
 
So, to let go only means to let go of that which is false. False only means that which is not
constant, that which is coming and going, that which is changing.  
 
[Silence]  
 
The irony of all of this is that we want permanency and constancy from something that is
constantly changing. And that which is already constant and permanent, we refuse to accept.
This is the divine hypnosis. We want the ever-changing to become permanent, yet we refuse to
look at That which is always here; what You Are.  
 
[Silence]  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 
 23  
 
The Truth is Already Here  
 
Actually all the trouble seems to come from just this attraction to a story, because when we find
this stillness, when we find this peace which is Here Now, this emptiness which is Here Now,
something still is attracted to the idea of 'But what about my story? Where is it going? Can I
write the chapter on enlightenment now?' [Laughs] It will say ‘Okay, is this what is happening to
me? The freedom?' It wants some glorious ending to this story about nothing. Because peace,
Freedom, Awareness, the Self; all of it is just Here Now, already. Undeniably for some of you
who have been in Satsang, it is so clear that ‘What I am must be here. The reality of who I am is
not coming and going’.  
 
So, what must we be chasing? Whatever the identity is (seeker identity, the one who wants
freedom) what is that chasing? Something that is presumably going to come in the future; that
next bowl of milk for the pretend cat that we presume our self to be. But really it is just Now, the
Truth is here Now. That is why it is invaluable. If it came later then it would be another
appearance, which by definition just comes and goes.  
 
For the Truth to be True it must already be here. I know I make this point often but many times
we don't hear it. Many times we don't hear it that the Truth (we are looking for) is before we
even start looking. It has always been here. Before we can decide our next step, our next move,
our next words, our next thoughts, there is the Truth. It is what we are. It is never something that
we will become.  
 
There is no such thing as an enlightened person. We use the term to signify that which is beyond
the person idea; to signify who is not believing themselves to be this non-existent person. So
sometimes conversationally we can say these things. But what does it really mean? Like
yesterday I was saying, it means that that which we believed our self to be is dead. Actually it is
Seen that (because death can seem like a morose term) it is just Seen that it was never alive, it
was never real in the first place.  
 
So, whatever your name is, know that that one was never alive; it was just a label for nothing. At
least for the body we can say 'Okay, these set of atoms and molecules appearing energetically,
this is the body. So, is this the name for the body? No. It is the name for the mind. And the mind
is so frivolous; when there is a thought there is mind, when there is no thought there is no mind.
So we have made a conceptual entity where no real entity exists; then we call it the body/mind
complex, the body/mind entity. There is no such entity! There is nobody which is the body/mind.  
 
Once we see this; we see that one which never existed can never be Me in reality. That's all that
is being pointed to actually; that the false never existed, and the True has always been here. That
which Witnesses all of this play is not coming and going. That which Witnesses the states
coming and going, that one is not coming and going…, because it is not a state. And You are
That.  
 
So the story.., now the problem is what? That One (which is not coming and going, which is the
Witness of all of these states) has no story. So, then the mind comes and says (because this is the
story engine, like the gaming engine, we are the story engine) it's just saying 'But, so what? How

 
 24  
 
does it help me? If I'm just this solitary Witness which has no attributes'… You see? ‘So, what
happened?’ And the asking of that 'What happened?' means ‘What is next on the next page of the
story?’  
 
That's why when I say that ‘This moment could be the end of your story’ (your novel finishes
now, the story of 'me’ comes to an end now) would you truly be okay with that? And many of
you I know are okay with that. There's just some prior magnetism that the story held for you
which is still playing out. Maybe that is what is played out even after the Truth is seen; just some
remnants of prior magnetism to the prior story.  

Now what happens is that many times we want to include the Master as part of our spiritual
story. You see 'I have a spiritual life, I have a work life, I have a parenting life, I have this…’
And one aspect of my story is this spiritual life in which ‘I want to have the best Master’ as part
of my story ‘because I am so special I must have the best that is out there’. [Laughs] Isn't it? So,
you say 'Okay, this one I didn't like, this one I liked'. So then we have this, where the Master
becomes part of our seeming-story.  
 
If we are lucky then we find someone who can just show us what we really are and has no
interest in our story. So, then you just find that 'Okay, I just wanted it in that aspect of my life for
my Master to be this way so that it's a nice inclusion in my overall book that I am writing about
myself'. Now this Master doesn't want that; he wants you to drop everything. Every chapter he is
saying 'Drop it, forget about it, let it just be on its own, everything is just happening. Who is that
story for? Who are you?' He is always poking with these kind of questions.  
 
Now there are some who will say 'Okay, yes, this one is not just a chapter of my story and I'm
okay with the end of my story'. And there are some saying 'No, now he's asking for too much.
Now he's asking for too much; give me this also, give me this also, give me this also'. And some
are just oscillating between these two. Because all that I'm saying is ‘Don't buy what your mind
is selling’.  
 
The recognition of the Truth is not difficult. Only what seems difficult is to drop our ideas about
ourself. So what I say 'Don't believe you next thought' there is so much resistance that comes to
this simple pointing. 'Does it really work? I tried it but belief goes automatically'. All kinds of
stuff will come. But it is actually very simple. It’s like somebody is standing in front of you and
says 'Oh, you are actually from Mars'. Do you have the power to believe or not believe them?
You do.  
 
 
 
 
 
 

 
 25  
 
Life Without A Story  
 
A: There are potentially two voices you can hear. One is that of the mind and the second is your
intuitive Presence. Isn’t it? And I have told you the distinction between those two. If that voice is
accompanied by love, peace (not wanting something, it is not in a rush for an outcome) then you
can trust that voice to be your intuitive Presence.  
 
But if that voice is always ‘What’s in it for me? What’s in it for me? What is this for?’ …, if you
ask that voice and you find that there is something in this for ‘me’ then that is the voice of the
mind.  
 
Q: What is there is a voice that lies in-between the two. It is neither this mind nor that?  
 
A: So, while it is still not clear, it is best to just let it go.  
 
Ashtavakra said ‘The mind is complex, let it go’. Try it. [Giggles] And I know you tried it.  
 
The pointing ‘Don’t believe your next thought’ is not a strategy. A strategy means that you still
want something from this. That means that our starting premise is that there is still a ‘me’ here
who will now use this pointing to become free from this, become free from suffering; [will use]
anything. You see? But that is not the way to start.  
 
The way to start is to see what I truly am right now. Is there a ‘you’ [her name]? There is an
appearance of one body; there are these appearances of these thoughts. Who is the witness to
them?  
 
There seems to be a sense of Presence, which is primal to my Existence, which IS my Existence
itself. Who is the witness even of that? Who is aware even of that? Is it not ‘I’?  
 
So, once you see like this, once we put our inquiry simply just to check ‘Who is this that
witnesses all of this?’ you find that ‘I am actually This, without attributes, with no concern about
how life is moving, with no real worry about what is happening on this screen where this movie
is playing out’.  
 
Once we see this for ourselves, then sometimes the question arises ‘How did I ever delude
myself? How did I ever delude myself to be contained within this bucket of flesh and blood?’
And the answer to that question is only this: ‘By believing my thoughts’.  
 
Nothing else is telling you that you are contained. Nothing else is telling you that you are
separate. It is only this mind; and the mind which is (the same mind) seemingly-speaking
through the mouth of apparent others. It is only the mind.  
 
There is no separation right now, unless we label something, unless we interpret or judge
something. So, once we start from that perspective to see what I really am right now…, so how
do I?  

 
 26  
 
 
If you flip the question and say ‘Okay, now I am just This’ then the mind will come and say ‘It’s
so plain’. [So then Consciousness says] ‘Let me delude myself and say I am contained within
this body and I am the subject of what the mind speaks. So, how will I make this delusion seem
real? There is only one way to do this…, [that is] to believe my thoughts’.  
 
There is no other way to delude yourself. But if you refuse to, at least for sometime, then you
will see that this body is moving on its own, just like these words are coming out on their own. I
know that the mind can come and say ‘You said this, maybe you should have said that’. It can
still say these kind of things but it has no power. You see? It just comes and goes. Because there
is no ‘you’ which is saying these words; they are just appearing.  
 
Everything has always been like this. It is not that ever since the starting of sharing of satsang
these words have just appeared. It has always been that way. But the mind has tried to keep up
with that in the past: ‘You should have not done this or should have done this, look at what you
did, look at what another did’. This doership has been a false idea, a fancy idea. This body has
been moving, this mouth has been moving, these hands have been moving on their own. Just like
the movement of thoughts happen on its own.  
 
Many times (when we have initially come to Satsang) we also came with the idea that ‘I am
thinking’. Is it true? …. ‘I am thinking this, I have so many negative thoughts, ‘I am just thinking
this’.  
 
So, then we just look and check: How are you thinking? How can you creating you next thought?
‘I can create my next thought’. Then we look, and you see that it just arises. The thought is just
arising. We cannot predict it. To predict it we have to wait for the thought itself to come. It is just
arising. In the same way our actions are also just arising. All these words are just arising.
Everything has always been moving on its own.  
 
Just like an ocean, and the waves which seem to come and dissolve in that ocean. But now the
difference is that there is the power of the ocean to believe itself to be a wave. What is that
power? The power of belief. The power of identity.  
 
So, that which is the Supreme Lord is now playing the game of believing itself to be an
individual entity. God pretending to be a person is ‘I’ believing my next thought.  
 
This game God is playing for Its own enjoyment. And this game that It is playing (also the game
of coming out of the delusion itself) is also for Its own enjoyment. That is all that is going on.  
 
So, if you were to somehow drop the story, drop the past, drop our ideas of ‘What happened to
me?’ …, because even that is just made up basically. If there were two of you…, even if you
were twins and you went through the same experiences. If you speak to the twins, both twins…,
(I am married to one of two twins. You will see that they could have gone through the same
experiences in childhood but one will have a very clear idea that ‘This is what happened that day
when we were young at the dining table’ or anything. And the other one will have a different
idea). But we are so convinced that ‘This is what it was! This is what happened to me! This is

 
 27  
 
what this one said!’ It is just previous chapters from the stories. And mostly we are just writing
our interpretation of what is happening; coming from the mind, into our storybook.  
 
So when we stop accessing this kind of mental, conceptual stories then now you will find that
life is so full of freshness and wonder and joy.  
 
In our story, what do we want? We want the same thing [wonder, freshness, joy] but we want
them on our terms, we want them with our ideas: ‘Okay, this is what happened, this is what I did
and therefore I got all of these things’.  
 
But Right Now, what is missing? Truly what is missing Right Now…, before you think about it?  
 
If you notice, when I say ‘Right Now, what is missing?’ many of us have this impulse first to go
to the mind and say ‘Okay, what is missing…, what?’  
 
But even before that, if we just see, if we just look, there is no such thing as lack actually. There
is no such thing as bondage and therefore there is no such thing as Freedom.  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 
 28  
 
Only One Question You Need: 'Who am I?’  
 
Actually only one question you need. Only one question you need ‘Who am I?’ That is all. Just
come to some clarity about that. Come to a clarity of Seeing about this one and all other
questions get answered. Can it be this simple? Everything else that we speak about in satsang is
in service to this inquiry.  
 
At some level we can say that its all been one big misunderstanding. But even that [a
misunderstanding] it has not been; it has all been one big play. This sticky idea that I could be
something which is contained inside this body, that I could be something which is a combination
of this body and this mind; there is no such combination. There is no such thing as the
body/mind complex, it is just a conceptual idea. The body is a set of energies appearing in this
form, and our mind, our thoughts are a set of energies which are also appearing and
disappearing. There is no entity which is the owner of either of these.  
 
So get used to the point that your name points to nothing; your name points to nothing. And
Your true name (which is the Self) points to no-thing; of which all things come and go.  
 
Just the other day I was saying that ‘Ananta is dead’. But more accurate it would be to say ‘That
it never existed, this one (Ananta, whatever this name was identified with here) really had no
tangible existence’.  
 
It is like the player of the video game: Suppose you are playing Super Mario Brothers or
something, and you are the player of this game, or the witness of this game, and yet you have the
power to identify and you played as if you are Mario.  
 
Now for a long time we have played ‘as if’ we are (whatever your name is). But now it is time to
recognize the truth of what we are. You are not just a bungle of bits and bites, not just a bundle
of atoms and molecules, flesh and blood. You are much beyond that, so much beyond that that
you cannot fathom it mentally. Even the largest space that you can imagine, the most infinite
time that you imagine is nothing for the reality of who You are. And this question is all that is
needed ‘Who am I?’ And the tip I want to give you is that: don’t settle for any answer. No matter
how true the answer might sound, don’t settle for it.  
 
You see, the answer is not the answer. When you realize what these words mean, then know that
you are coming close to true insight, to true Self-recognition. So, reject all answers because
answers are only conceptual.  
 
The other day in my house, we read a story which was very nice and describes this entire game
actually and the game of satsang, so I feel to read this story to you. It is a story from the Yoga
Vasistha, from a book called *Vasistha’s Yoga by Swami Venkatesananda.  
 
It is The Story of the Great Forest [Ch. 3, verse 98-99]  
Sage Vasistha is speaking, and I’ll start from the middle.  
 

 
 29  
 
Vasistha says: “In this connection there is the following legend which I heard from the creator
Brahma himself. Listen to it attentively:  

There was a great forest, so large that millions of square miles were like the space within an
atom, in it. In it there was just one person who had a thousand arms and limbs. He was forever
restless. He had a mace in his hand with which he beat himself and, afraid of the beating, he ran
away in panic. He fell into a blind well. He came out of it, again beat himself and again ran away
in panic, this time into a forest. He came out of it, again beat himself and again ran away in
panic, this time into a banana grove.  

Though there was no other being to fear, he wept and cried aloud in fear. He kept running as
before, beating himself as before.I witnessed all this intuitively and with the power of my will I
restrained him for a moment. I asked him, "Who are you?" But, he was sorely distressed and
called me his enemy and wept aloud and then laughed aloud. Then he began to abandon his
body; limb by limb.  

Immediately after this, I saw another person running like the first one, beating himself, weeping
and wailing. When I similarly  
restrained him, he began to abuse me and ran away intent on his own way of life. Like this, I
came across several persons. Some listened to my words and abandoning their previous way of
life became enlightened. Some others ignored me or even held me in contempt. Some others
even refused to come out of the blind well or the dense forest.  

Vasistha continued:  
O Rama, this great forest is not far away, nor is that strange man in a strange land! This world
itself is the forest. It is a great void; but this void is seen only in the light of enquiry. This light of
enquiry is the 'I' in the parable. This wisdom is accepted by some and rejected by others, who
continue to suffer. They who accept it are enlightened.  

The person with thousands of arms is the mind with countless manifestations. This mind
punishes itself by its own latent tendencies and restlessly wanders in this world.The blind well in
the story is hell and the banana grove is heaven. The dense forest of thorny bush is the life of a
worldly man, with the numerous thorns of wife, children, wealth, etc. hurting him all the time.
The mind now wanders into hell, now into heaven and now into the world of human beings.  
 
Even when the light of wisdom shines on the life of the deluded mind, it foolishly rejects it,
considering that that wisdom is its enemy. Then it weeps and wails in distress. Sometimes, it
experiences an imperfect awakening, and it renounces the pleasures of the world without proper
understanding. Such renunciation itself proves to be a great source of sorrow. But, when such
renunciation arises out of the fullness of understanding, of wisdom born of enquiry into the
nature of the mind, the renunciation leads to supreme bliss. Such a mind may even look at its
own past notions of pleasure with puzzlement.  

Just as the limbs of the person as they were cutaway fell down and disappeared, the latent
tendencies of the person who wisely renounces the world also vanish from the mind. Behold the

 
 30  
 
play of ignorance! which makes one hurt oneself out of one's own volition; and which makes one
run hither and thither in meaningless panic.  

Though the light of self-knowledge shines in every heart, yet one wanders in this world driven
by one's own latent desires.”  
 
So, how long will we be this thousand handed, thousand limbed creature; or pretend to be this
one? The Sage asked the question ‘Who are you? What are you running from?’ Our own ideas,
our own delusions are all that can seemingly hurt us.  
 
If you don’t go with your thoughts and your feelings and you check right now, just in pure
inquiry ‘Who am I?’ without settling for an answer…, whatever you are witnessing, find out who
is the witness and whether that witness can be witnessed.  
 
Who is aware of the perceiver?  
Who is aware of your Presence?  
Is it not you?  
What does this ‘I’ look like?  
 
Don’t visualize, look.  
Don’t think, look.  
Don’t feel, just look.  
 
Whatever might be happening, whatever is being experienced, you are aware of it. And this
awareness is unhurt, unconcerned actually. And every time you buy a thought from this mind,
you are picking up the ‘mace’ to hurt yourself [refers to story just read] to play the game of
suffering.  
 
If you were dead, what suffering could you have? And you are beyond dead; the identity never
actually lived. What concerns do you have now that you are dead? [Laughter] Who has this
concern? Who has this concern? [Hysterical laughter]  
 
The one that is the presumed owner of this life, who says ‘This is my life, this is the way I want
to live my life, this is how I am’ is just a big presumption. I am telling you that you are the
Witness of this game and you say that ‘I am Mario’. [Mario is a gaming character in video
games]  
 
Many times we use this term ‘I am the Unborn’. If this is your experience then whose life is this?
If we cannot even find out whose life it is then what to say about our problems and our concerns
and our relationships? So, in this game, the wonder would be whether you check this for
yourself, whether you see this for yourself, or whether you run from this; whether you run from
this quietly or you run from this kicking and screaming.  
 
The Sage says ‘Some heard me. They looked at this question ‘Who are you’ and all the limbs (all
the conditionings, the related tendencies), they were allowed to drop off’. There was another who
felt like the Sage was attacking him. So all these possibilities exist in the play. And the Sages

 
 31  
 
have said ‘As long as we have this presumption of choice, let’s make the choice to inquire’. And
one day it will be seen automatically that even this seeming-choice was part of the play of the
one Consciousness itself. Until then, while there is still a semblance of doership, check out who
you are. No other action, no other ritual, no other practice is needed. Ask yourself ‘Who am I?’
and don’t proclaim any answer. Let your Master make that proclamation for you. Remain empty
of all ideas.  
 
Is that which we claim ourselves to be…, can it remain without thoughts? Can it survive?
Whatever separation you might believe has happened, it needs the nourishment of your next
thought to sustain this wrong belief. So use the inquiry ‘Who am I?’ to come to the truth of the
recognition of who you are and simply allow all these concepts, thoughts and ideas to come and
go so that you don’t pick up any fresh conditioning. Allow these ‘arms’ to fall off. Many times
what we are doing is that the old ‘arms’ are falling off and we are building new ones; the
spiritual arms. Allow all of them to fall off. Remain empty.  
 
These words are coming; I do not know if they are statistically accurate or not but they are
coming so I will say them: No Master has ever become a Master by trying to become a Master.
All Sages are only an expression of this Emptiness, of this Openness.  
 
Allow all your intentions, admissions, aversions, desires. Allow this moment to dissolve all of
them. Right now they are gone. If you pick on a fruit from this false tree of knowledge called the
mind, right now the separation will start to seem real again.  
 
This is the only game that is being played. You experience freedom every moment, right now.
But you buy the story of bondage. You buy the story of ‘me’. Stop writing this story; leave the
chapter mid-way, leave the page empty.  
 
There is no ‘but’ after ‘I am Awareness’. You are the one solitary Witness of all that is; no ‘ifs’
or ‘buts’…, nothing at all. The ‘I’ that can be picked up is not the real ‘I’.  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 
 32  
 
Find Out the One That Wakes Up  
 
Find out the one who wakes up; what is that?  
 
There is a beautiful encounter with Papaji, my Master’s Master, and he asked someone the same
question: ‘What wakes up? What wakes up?’ and the response comes from the other side that ‘It
is I’.  
 
‘I’ wakes up; that is the answer. It might not be totally accurate but it’s okay. ‘I’ wakes up. Then
Papaji says ‘Don’t touch that ‘I’ that wakes up. If you don’t touch the ‘I’ that wakes up, then
what remains?’ This is very important; to see That to which no state applies, That which did not
go to sleep, That which did not wake up.  
 
For an instant, not touching this ‘I’ that wakes up, what is it that remains? What was here prior to
waking up? What was here after going to sleep? Don’t visualize, just for an instant don’t touch
the ‘I’ that wakes up. That which remains is that the authentic Self, the ‘I’ (true ‘I’). Find out.  
 
And as you discover yourSelf, you will find that all of this play of the world and responsibilities
and rules is a beautiful game. For the enjoyment of Consciousness, this leela has been played.
Then this becomes the Krishna leela and you are the Krishna; Krishna Consciousness, Christ
Consciousness (whichever term you like to use). If there is a God, it is You. Many of you are
ripe enough to hear these words. There is no God outside of You, there is no God separate from
You; and ultimately you can even say that even God is My play.  
 
How to come to this discovery? Just this simple question: ‘Who am I?’ Find the ‘I’, find the ‘I’.
Don’t distract yourself from anything. Don’t distract yourself with anything. Find the ‘I’. The
world will be fine, the world will be what it is. For some time your only job, your only function
is to find the ‘I’. Who are you? Even as energy is moving, some energetic experiences are
happening, find out if the witness of that is changing, is moving.  
 
Can it be that this simple question ‘Who am I?’ can reveal the mysteries of this universe and
reveal to you the substance of which this universe is made, reveal to you all this play of waking,
dream, sleep and turiya?  
 
Go to your deepest depths.  
Don’t settle for anything on the surface.  
What is on the surface?  
This apparent universe moving about.  
Go deeper than that.  
 
Where do you come?  
You come to this body.  
So, the sensations of this body; go deeper than those.  
 
Where do you come to?  
 

 
 33  
 
You will find this realm where there are these energy constructs called thoughts and emotions.
For the moment let us bundle all of that in one label called the ‘mind’.  
Go deeper than that.  
 
What is deeper than that?  
 
You come to the experience of your own Presence, your own existence, the sense that ‘I Am’.
This Consciousness, this Being is not suffering. It is not separate, it is not an individual. Being is
just being, shining with Its own Light.  
 
And notice that in all of these levels, we did not come across something called a person. There
never was a person here, and never will be.  
 
That is the end of all suffering, the end of all concepts which are ultimately false.  
 
Anything that we say after “I am” is just a story.  
 
Experience yourselves, taste yourselves as this Beingness itself.  
Can you stop being?  
Allow your mind, attention, everything to dissolve in this, to drown in this.  
Stay with what I am pointing; don’t go here and there.  
Allow everything that is appearing to dissolve within your Being.  
 
Can we go even deeper than this?  
 
What witnesses even this Presence, this Beingness?  
This Source of this universe is also witnessed by what?  
By who?  
 
Just look. Don’t conclude anything, just look.  
 
Who witnesses your existence?  
Is it not you?  
Who else is here besides you to witness your existence?  
Is the fact of your existence second hand report?  
Is it a news report?  
Is it a social media report?  
Or is it your direct experience right now?  
 
This Witness, is it empty or full?  
Is it bound or free?  
Is there anything that we can truly say about This One?  
 
You are That.  
And ‘You are That’ and ‘I am That’ is a pointer for who?  
 

 
 34  
 
Your own Being; to come to the recognition of Itself.  
For your sense of existence, Consciousness, to recognize Its own source which is undeniable.  
 
If you follow these words, you cannot miss the Truth.  
 
But if you are trying to follow two voices at the same time then you continue to prolong your
journey. The voice which you hear in satsang and the voice which is the voice of your mind; also
telling you at the same time what to do. Also sitting and making a list saying ‘Yes, this is good.
This is not so good. This I agree with. This I don’t’. Then it says ‘This is it. No, no, this I don’t
see’. Throw away this one. It is only rubbish. Then you will find that the Truth is so pristinely
simple and obvious. And you find that you only suffer your ideas. You only, only, only ever
suffer your ideas. You are not suffering the world; no matter who is elected president. [Chuckles]
You truly are not suffering the world, you are suffering your ideas of what the world should be,
presuming that this tiny mind knows better than the Supreme Intelligence Itself (which is the one
doer and one experiencer).  
 
What really happens when the rubber hits the road? Does all our Advaita go out the window; all
our openness, acceptance, love, non-separation? Many times it can happen like this. That is the
play of this life. And as long as these ‘buttons’ can be pressed in your projection of this world,
they will be pressed. There is no getting around that. That which is not transcended will keep
showing up over and over again.  
 
Like the game we played at the retreat when I asked everyone to pick between the three choices:  
 
1. I am Awareness, but… [Fill in the blank]  
2. I am Consciousness, but... [Fill in the blank] or  
3. I don’t see how I am either of these because… [Fill in the blank]  
And many of you saw clearly that whatever was after the ‘but’ was just a silly lie, or just an idea.  
 
What are these conditions that we can’t drop? Just look for the conditions that you refuse to drop
and you will find the causes of all of your seeming suffering. Because events are just events.
What is happening is just happening. Based on conditioning, some can celebrate that same event
and some can mourn the same event. What is the true position? The true position is that I-as-
Awareness am untouched by this play. And yet the movie, the play, can be watched with a sense
of wonder, with a sense of joy; joy even in the tears, joy even in the momentary grief. Some
movies are comedies and some are tragedies, but you watch them for our joy. So, the dropping of
our conditionings are the dropping of these ‘limbs from this thousand-handed monster’ called the
mind. [Referring to a story he had read from Yoga Vasistha]  
 
What is a tendency, a condition? It is to believe the idea. And right now you can be free of all of
them. Do you realize the immensity of this, I wonder how many of you do?  
 
This moment when it comes, it dissolves all of our conditioning. Yet there is a quick access
(way) to get all of it back. This moment NOW, you are free from all of your conditioning; you
cannot even tell me your name, your life, your story. This moment Now …, Now …, Now …,
Now. Do you realize how immense that is? There is no bondage Here Now.  

 
 35  
 
 
But the way we took quick access (as Guruji [Mooji] says, to ‘log in’) is just to believe your next
thought. Just to give meaning to the meaningless, relevance to the irrelevant. And what do you
get? Not just this one thought with one aspect of the conditioning, you get the entire tree of
conditioning back. You pull at a branch or pull at a leaf and it seems like the whole ‘person’ is
back here with the thousand hands with maces in each hand, ready to hit yourself.  
 
But Now again, over! Over. And Now again, you pick up. And Now again, over. So, it is this
‘picking up’ which is being dropped.  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 
 36  
 
Only a Concept, Idea, Label About Ourself Can Feel Hurt  
 
It is a lie that some appearance causes trouble. No appearance can actually touch us. It does not
really touch what we are.  
 
I have been asking some of you recently:  
How is it that something outside, appearing there [gesturing outwardly] can actually touch the
reality of who we are?  
What is the medium through which it could attack Me, the [true] ‘I’?  
Is there some way in which that which appears can attack the reality of who we Are?  
 
Can you see this now?  
Can we check at least outside the body and see that the dance of another, or the dance of the
world in front of us cannot really hurt what truly is?  
How can something appearing there, moving there [gesturing outwardly], hurt the reality of who
we Are?  
 
And yet something seems to get hurt. Now something seems to get hurt; why? If you have no
concept about it, is it possible for something to get hurt based on something appearing
seemingly-outside? Is it possible to suffer? When I am saying ‘get hurt’ I am not talking about
the momentary reaction; but if you don’t have a concept or a label or an idea about how
something should be, then the appearance is just appearing and there is no way that an
appearance can hurt the Self. It can only hurt a concept that we have about ourself. These are
called attachments. Momentarily something can catch your attention, but unless you have a
concept that ‘Okay, nothing should move over there’ then there can be no suffering because of it.  
 
So, what we are speaking of is very practical actually. It is not theory. We can check this now;
anything appearing in front of us. How is it that a random stranger can come and speak some
words (energetically the same sort of movement is happening) but another close relationship (as
we have defined or labeled it) if that one speaks some words, that makes a big difference.
Energetically the movement is similar but there is a concept that ‘This one should not behave
like this with me’ or ‘He or she should not say this to me’. This idea of what the relationship
‘should be like’ makes the difference. If this idea is not there, then it would be the same;
whatever this one says, or this one says, or this one says, or this one says [pointing to members in
the group] it should make no difference.  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 
 37  
 
What Makes the Difference?  
 
A: ‘What makes the difference?’ is the question. That exactly is the question, isn’t it? ‘What is
the difference between me and a stranger?’  
 
Q: [Inaudible]  
 
A: No you can’t hide behind that; then there is no point coming here. All of humanity is
suffering; what is the point of satsang? That is how you humans are, humans are this way, most
of humanity is not coming to satsang. But why are you here?  
 
Q: No matter what it is it, it doesn’t matter. It doesn’t hurt because there is no connection, there
is no deeper connection there. But if you tell me something and there is such a deeper connection
with you and there is such a strong love with you that if you tell me something then it could
trigger a strong intense pain, intense hurt.  
 
A: So that which we call ‘love’, what does it mean? Does love lead to freedom, or does love lead
to constriction?  
 
Q: That I don’t know but…  
 
The purpose of the question is for you to look. If I was to just grab you with what you already
knew then it would serve no purpose. The purpose of asking is so that you can shine your light
on this question and see. So, I see that I love someone; does that mean that because I love
someone (or the feeling of love is here) does it mean that now they should now be constricted to
my idea of how they should behave, or how they are supposed to reciprocate or respond?  
 
That is the trouble, isn’t it? To love is full of space, to love is full of freedom. It is when we
make our love conditional that we struggle because of it. So if you love (for example) Adam;
now because you love Adam, should Adam have to behave in a particular way, or love you
back?  
 
Q: Yes, I understand that love should give freedom, but experientially it is seen that if it doesn’t
happen in a certain way then it triggers something here also, and that is also can be a part of
freedom; that which is appearing here (for example something which appears or comes here)
then why can’t it also be accepted?  
 
A: Yes, yes. I feel you know this one; you know the answer for this one because you have heard
it for a long time. You are not talking about the momentary pain which can arise…  
 
Q: Father, for example if you tell me something which would really hurt me, then I could be
crying for days…  
 
A: Yes. See how much you can cry. If I tell you something strong…, (and we can try it now if
you like) [Laughter] before you pick up a concept about it, it can happen. You see, if Guruji
[Mooji] told me something [indicating pain arrives] tears can come, something can happen; but

 
 38  
 
first I have to then believe a concept about it. ‘Oh, how can he tell me this?’ or ‘Why does he
always pick on me?’ or ‘Why doesn’t he understand me?’ and ‘I am this way’. We have to
reinforce that pain with some fuel of concept to convert that into our prolonged suffering. That is
what is being spoken about.  
 
So, there can be love, there can be a reaction, a response of hurt or grief which can come; but to
make suffering out of it you need to reinforce it with some ideas, with some concepts.  
 
Now, basically it is very simple. None of you can actually suffer without believing a concept.
Over and over, we are saying the same thing; but the concepts themselves (this is the
Mahabharata, the concept) the concepts themselves, the mind itself is fighting back with the best
concepts it can bring up. And all of you are fighting with different sets of concepts. If you were
to look in this room right now (and I don’t want to deal any report cards) but all of you have a
different set of favorite concepts. One has concept about doership, one has concept about
freedom, one has concept about emotion, one has concept about something else (body,
relationship) so it is just which concept seems to be playing out the strongest here. But Right
Now, they are gone. Right Now they are gone. Now, they are gone. Now…, Now…, Now. They
go really fast when we don’t give any space for the movement of this energy called the mind.  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 
 39  
 
When Will Our Vasanas Get Over?  
 
The question was: ‘When will the vasanas [latent tendencies] get over? All our vasanas, when
will they get over?’  
 
They will only get over Right Now. Right Now there is no vasana.  
 
How to bring the entire tree of vasanas back, the entire karmic kosha, the entire tree of
conditioning back? All it needs is one tug into one concept. One pull into one concept seems to
bring this entire tree of conditioning back. And yet you will find that as we have remained still,
as we have allowed these thoughts to come and go, this tree seems to be depleting more and
more. And it is inevitable in satsang for this tree of conditioning to dissolve, to diminish; unless
we are now creating new branches of spiritual knowledge. If you are creating new concepts that
we are believing ourself, which are spiritual in nature, then the tree might actually be getting
larger. The spiritual ego might be the biggest tree that anyone can acquire. So, it is about the
strength of the concepts which are now being believed.  
 
So, what is the way to be free of this tree of conditioning? We can be free Right Now. Allow
everything to come and go, then we see that the tree is just not here. There are these offers to
plant the tree again. We get these pamphlets from the mind saying ‘Yes, this is going to be a
wonderful tree, buy this one’. And we purchase one thought and it seems like the tree is back.
That is all that is happening. As belief is getting withdrawn, this tree is getting depleted. As
belief is given again, it seems like it is reappearing.  
 
Now, this for some, can seem like it is a ‘catch-22’ because you might still feel that ‘Belief is
going automatically therefore there is no way out of it’. Now, for these ones, first you must
identify ‘Which are the branches which I end up believing concepts about; most frequently, or
they cause the most suffering?’ And you will quickly be able to identify the one or two main
identities which are in play. Now, as we identify the identities which are in play or which still
seem to get us the most suffering, get us the most belief, then we enquire into that particular
identity.  
So, if you say that ‘It is the spiritual seeker identity’ (for example) that causes the most suffering,
then we pull that into our inquiry and say ‘Who is it that wants freedom?’  
 
Now, for many of us what has happened is that our inquiry has been made quite muddy by
mixing it with the mind. So, as soon as you ask this question ‘Who is it that wants freedom?’ the
mind itself will come with a response saying ‘Yeah, Yeah, I know; nobody actually/ I have
looked at this a million times it doesn’t really help right now’. You see? All this commentary
starts.  
 
So, my invitation to you is to just look completely fresh, as fresh as possible: who is it that wants
freedom? Look with integrity. Don’t fall for any conclusion too quickly. Who is here that wants
freedom? And allow this question to clean up the conditioning.  
 
This question is the most beautiful thorn you can use to remove the thorns of conditioning. And
as you pull these identities into our inquiry, you will find that it becomes lighter; this branch also

 
 40  
 
becomes lighter. Then when the same thought comes ‘Yes, you are not finding your freedom yet’
or something like this, you will just let it go, or you can laugh at it (it’s the same thing).  
 
So, it is a virtuous cycle that is happening. As you are letting go of your next thought, the tree of
conditioning is depleting; and as you are looking at the branches of the tree and inquiring into
them, the seeming-magnetism of the next thought seems to also be reducing.  
 
So, allow yourself to fall into this virtuous cycle and to be a little bit vigilant about coming to
any mental conclusions about freedom or mental confusions about who you are; because that is
just perpetuating again the branch of conditioning.  
 
This is the virtuous cycle, the virtuous cycle of letting go…, and letting go of our karmic
tendencies, vasanas or conditioning (whatever you might call it). Just remain free from belief in
thought and you will find that this tree of conditioning is depleting at a super-quick rate.  
 
And be vigilant towards the vicious cycle of buying a concept and then falling for the mind trap
saying ‘Yes, yes, I have got it now. I am right. It is done’. It cannot be a mental conclusion. And
that way, without realizing it, you will find that the spiritual tree of conditioning seems to have
flourished.  
 
That is why what [Nisargadatta] Maharaj said about integrity is really important: If there is
suffering, know that there is a concept being believed in. Don’t hide behind any Advaita then.
Look at that identity and ask yourself ‘Who is that?’ or just ask yourself ‘Who am I?’ It is like
working on the roots of the tree itself.  
 
So, simple, isn’t it? Now the mind is in a trap; it cannot escape. [Chuckles] If the thought comes
and goes, then it has had no power. When it comes and it gets belief, we use that for our inquiry
(which itself weakens the tendency of the mind). So, if this is done with sincerity and integrity,
then the mind will become milder and milder, lighter and lighter. And it will seem like so much
trouble to try and suffer. Just like it can seem like a struggle to come to the end of suffering, it
will seem like a struggle to try and suffer.

 
 41  
 
Do You Do the Inquiry as a Practice?

Q: So, is it like one spends the time actively doing that; spending some time every day doing the
inquiry as a practice?

A: Actually, inquiry is just a simple looking.

The inquiry becomes so natural that you won't even need to use the question ‘Who am I?’
Inquiring is just like this…, it's just a simple looking, without even the concept of ‘Who am I?’
Sometimes, just the ‘Who?’ is enough’ sometimes just the ‘W’ is enough. By the time you got to
‘W’ it is clear. It doesn't have to be [Serious face] ‘Who… am… I?’ [Chuckles] Just the intent to
look at what is here, who is here, that is what we are talking about.

So, we don't have to make a practice per say out of it. But if it helps, if you feel like it. We know
this. In our heart we know this whether a concept is light and easy (and just momentarily some
belief went into it) or we know when something is really sticky (as Adyashanti calls it ‘The
velcro thoughts’). So we are usually good at identifying them.

We must look at our velcro ones and (maybe, if it helps) we take some time and really say
‘Okay, next twenty minutes, I am just going to look at this one which seems to get me over and
over. When this deal comes from the mind, when this offer comes from the mind, I always end
up giving it my money, my belief. So maybe I can take a few minutes and just look at this’.
There is nothing wrong with that.

So I am not prescribing something that ‘You have to sit for this much time every day’ because
you know in your heart which are the sticky ones, which are really light and they just come and
go. Take the sticky ones into your inquiry. And if they keep coming over and over again and
seem to get our belief every time they come, you can just look at them and they will become
lighter. In that way, then, even these sticky identities start losing their Velcro-ness, their
magnetism, their pull.

Many of us here (I know most of you are younger than me) but many of us grew up watching
these Tom and Jerry cartoons. So, we used to have these cartoons and what would Tom do when
he wanted to call Jerry? Mostly he would take some cheddar cheese or some cheese; in the
cartoon they would show that the aroma is calling Jerry. Isn't it? That comes out from the cheese
and it goes ’Come, come, come’ and Jerry the mouse goes flying. So these are our favorite
concepts; this piece of Swiss cheese is our favorite concept. And when they come, they are like
‘Come, come. There is so much joy waiting for you, so much; it will be so good, so good. I know
last time it wasn't so much fun but this time I am telling you...’ And inevitably what happens,
there is Tom the cat waiting, you see. [Chuckles] It's waiting with that cheese saying ‘Okay, I got
you’. And as we recognize this more and more, as we see this aroma ‘This got to me last time,
once it was Brie, once it was Swiss, once it was Cheddar, once it was (whatever)…, all of these
different types of cheeses’. Then we are able to inquire into them and drop them. And we see that
all of them are leading only to this Tom cat of ego.

 
 42  
 

There is actually this very nice story of somebody that lived with Bhagavan [Ramana Maharshi]
for many years, and he after some time got very frustrated because he was seeing people coming
who were fresh and apparently getting what Bhagavan was pointing to but he had been with
Bhagavan for many years but he was just not getting the point. And in the wisdom of the Sage,
they are able to tell what is the medicine that is needed for this particular resonance (of this
particular frequency or energy or whatever is functioning through that seeming body-mind). So,
for that one he said ‘Whatever you do for the rest of your life, you will not leave the inquiry. You
will keep asking yourself ‘Who am I?’ until I tell you to stop’. For some it could be nothing at
all. ‘Just drop everything, there is nothing you need to do because there is no doer’. And for
some it could be a very strong instruction, saying ‘You must constantly, day and night, just ask
yourself ‘Who am I?’

So there is no set formula for what is prescribed. You can be nice to everything in the world, be
nice to the outer world, be nice to your emotions, be nice to everything; but for some time don't
be so nice to your thoughts. Just let them come and go. You can love everything, molly-coddle
love everything, but just for some time allow these thoughts not to be molly-coddled, not to get
your belief. You can have even a sense of love towards these thoughts, you can have an attitude
of love towards these thoughts, but doesn't mean that we have to buy what they are selling. Just
like we can be compassionate to the con-artist who is coming to trick us. Because ultimately
even the con-artist is an expression of God but just because it is an expression of God, to fall for
the trick would still be foolishness, especially if the trick is something we have fallen for a
million times. You see?

 
 43  
 
In Reality, You Are Not Carrying Any of This

A: I'll repeat the first part [of his question] again: ‘To hold on to my individuality, I need my
thoughts. And to be free is to let go of this mind’.

Q: Yes. I see that when I let go, there is space, there is freedom, there is peace.

A: Yes.

Q: Father there is some very strong force which comes as if I want to experience life as an
individual Being, Still I want to experience life as an individual being not as an unassociated
universal being. So I see both these choices are there and that's why I liked that quote of yours
very much when you said that 'Freedom and bondage can't be together, and openness and closed-
ness can't be together' and I realized that what I was trying to do is trying to manage…, trying to
put both of them together so that I can experience life as an individual also, and at the same time
I can be free also. And there seems to be a constant tug of war between individual existence and
letting go.

A: Yes, yes. It's a good point. It's a good point; we can speak about it for a minute. See, everyone
in some way or the other (as we are letting go of this individuality) has experienced this to a
smaller or greater extent.

Some have said 'Okay, I want freedom but please don't make me a beggar on the street'. They say
'Okay, give me the Janaka-style enlightenment or freedom. I want to be the ruler of my
Kingdom, I feel I can do it’. So, like that. [Laughs] 'But don't take away my material comforts'.
Some have said 'I want freedom, but this aspect of my life which is my relationships, please,
please don't change that, let me keep that'.

For every and any aspect which we can be personally attached to as we are moving towards the
letting go it becomes clearer and clearer what that is which we are most attached to. And that can
always seem to be something which we want to carry through.

Now, this is a subtle point (and I see in your case also it creates some confusion sometimes). The
subtle point is that as you find yourself without attributes you will see that, in reality, you are not
carrying any of this.

[Silence]

So, when it is said that ‘Not a blade of grass will be carried into this door of freedom’ this is
what it means. Listen. As the reality of what I am, as the Witness of Presence, and as
unassociated Presence itself, as the Truth of my existence; I see this to be the unchanging,
unwavering Truth.

So, this is what it means; that we cross this door of freedom with nothing, not even a blade of
grass. Because Being comes to this sense of being unassociated.

 
 44  
 
Now, what can be confusing sometimes is that the play in the apparent life of such a one (for
some there can be ‘this’ which still remains [hand gesture] for some there can be ‘this’ aspect
which still remains)…, for her, for example, ‘My marital relationship and this house and my
investments and all these things still remain’. You see? For some it can feel like the entire
thing… [Hand gesture of throwing away everything] They will become a Fakir, you know, just
begging for food and going. For some it may feel like something else remains and something
else is not there.

Now, nobody can predict how that aspect of the outward functioning will play. The mind can see
that and say that 'I want to pick and choose. And between all these various expressions this is the
type of freedom I want'. But as we are crossing the door [Chuckles] then even this will be
dropped. There will come a point where (if it is really strong) we will be on our hands and knees
saying 'Whatever you want to take, take. I want nothing but You'. [Chuckles] It will come like
that.

It is that surrender, this internal surrender, which is important because that means that that
surrender is True, that means that there is devotion and trust. If we still say 'Yes, yes. You
manage 90% of it but 10% of it I still want to hold onto'…, because what are we playing? We're
playing as if we are separate individuals and we are making a deal with God. Isn't it? That is
saying 'Okay, this aspect I don't want to let go of. The rest you can do whatever you want with'.

So, as we come more and more into Satsang, into our inquiry, into devotion and love, we will
find that it will be so easy for us to say 'Whatever be Thy will. If you feel that this moment is the
end of this worldly existence in this life of this Ananta, if that be Thy will, let Thy will be done'.

And we don't have to force this; we don’t have to push ourself to make these kind of prayers.
Just you will find them sprouting organically as you continue to stay in your contemplations, in
your inquiry, in your marinating in the Presence of Satsang. Then you will one day laugh at all of
these things that you wanted to grasp onto strongly. Not laugh in a divisive way, but laugh at
‘How could it have played out that these things seemed so strong to me, but now it just seems so
light'.

Just like your classmate from college had come the other day and he was saying that there was
one term which you didn't do so well and things; so at that time it might have seemed strong.
(One term, no? In college exams.) I don't know what you felt at that time, but I'm just presuming
if it was me it would have felt strongly at that point of time that 'I've not done so well in these
exams'. But now when you look back, you can see that life went okay; everything is fine. Just in
the same way, you will find that all these current seeming-challenges which seem strong (and are
attachments which seem strong) when you look back, as we get lighter and lighter from all of
these, it will just seem like 'Oh, I was so concerned about this, but look, it all worked out fine’.

Q: Father, this one point that I wanted to mention that I see the importance of freedom and the
value of it also. But also it is that I recognize that the individual dreams and desires are very
precious.

A: So, as long as they seem to have meaning, they seem to have relevance, you are free to play

 
 45  
 
with them. It doesn't mean you have to pick one or the other. It can feel like 'Okay, this one still
feels like it has some potential for joy, or meaning and relevance’. You're free to play with that.

It is for those who come and say that 'I don't want anything at all. I only want to see the truth of
who I am and I want to be free!’ For them I will say 'Okay, drop everything. It is nothing. It is
only a thought'. If you say that ‘This aspect of me still has meaning, has some relevance, I want
to play with it for some time' nothing can stop you.

Q: I also see that…, like earlier it used to happen that (all of us) that even if we are picking up
thousands of thoughts per day it would be normal. But now it feels like if I pick up very few
things and identify, then it starts causing a lot of suffering. So, like this struggle between living
life as an individual or dropping of the..,

A: You see? But if that is organically happening for you, that means that you're coming to the
dropping of these things. You see? Because that which makes you suffer constantly, you will not
keep picking up. If by the picking up of thoughts you come to a lot of suffering immediately,
then you will not keep picking up the hot potato again and again. Isn't it?

 
 46  
 
Distinction Between the Passing and the Changeless

What we talk about, what Bhagavan [Ramana Maharshi] has pointed to (and Adi Shankara) is
that there is no distinction between what we are and this supreme Self, the Brahman; but there
seems to be this play of this appearance called Maya…, and Brahman himself or itself is
choosing to play this way. And we have said very simply that to dispose of the mind is to come
to this moksha or liberation, which is just a release of the false.

To recognize the Truth we don't need the mind. To be free from our conditioning we don't need
the mind. But most of the traditional paths of Advaita Vedanta go with this idea, with this sense
that to dispose of the mind is easier said than done. Sometimes I also feel that. When I see that
what should be so simple and obvious doesn't seem to be that simple and obvious and when I
look back at the play of the seeker here, I recognize that it is not how it sounds: ‘Just keep the
mind away and it is done’. For some, it could be, but usually it doesn't play like that.

So most of the traditional Advaitans prescribe various methods and sadhanas to get to this point.
But with Bhagavan, with Papaji (mostly with Papaji) it started that…, because with Bhagavan
actually it was a lot of inquiry, a lot of contemplation. He used to stress on it a lot. In spite of
saying that ‘There is nothing to do because you are the Self’ he recognized that most don't seem
to see that as simply as it is said. So he used to prescribe a lot of inquiry and sitting in quiet
contemplation. With Papaji, he was very, very radical. At times and he would just say ‘Forget
about all practices, just leave everything; and now’.

There is great beauty in that directness, great joy in that. But also sometimes I feel like it is good
to go back to the roots of what we are sharing. Go back to what the Sages have also said in the
past and to look at what they have prescribed. When it seems like to dispose of this mind is
beyond us and it seems like all of this world of suffering is too strong, then it's good to
sometimes go back into these traditional pointings like the Ashtavakra Gita or what the other
Sages of Advaita Vedanta have said.

So, the Truth is that there is no separation. We are this one Self and only the mind convinces us
otherwise. That's why the Sages have said ‘As long as mind continues to get relevance, meaning
and belief from us, we must find ways to let go of this. And all the Sages have prescribed
different ways but in Advaita some things are very, very common.

One is to clearly note the distinction between that which is eternal and that which is passing,
which is ephemeral. So, what is being said is that we must come to this point by now, where we
must have this distinction between that which is passing and that which is eternal or timeless,
that which is fleeting and that which is real. And we must not get attached to that which is
passing.

 
 47  
 
It Must Be Direct Experience

If the hearing of Satsang is important, it is a million times more important to contemplate that
which is being spoken. And a million times more important than even that is to have the direct
experience of what is being shared.

If it is only being heard and it is not being recognized as our direct experience then we can go on
like this for thousands of lifetimes, over and over; and that Freedom, that Moksha that we are
looking for will still be elusive.

First we have to stop being in denial about where we are. If we are still attached to things in this
realm, if we still find that these are real and meaningful, then we must stop fooling ourselves; we
must admit that 'This is where I am.' We must contemplate on:
What here is actually lasting?
Which outer object will last forever, is eternal?
How long will this body last?

These thoughts, these ideas, these beliefs are fleeting. All of it is fleeting. It is coming and going.
And if we know that it is going, then is it not foolishness to attach to these?

We must be able to distinguish the real from the unreal.

What is real? That which is eternal, that which is found to be permanent, unchanging.

What is unreal? That which changes, that which comes and goes and therefore inherently
unreliable.

So, if we continue to be attached to that which is inherently unreliable, what will be our fate?
There's too much attachment to objects of desire, too much attachment to this body, too much
attachment to our ideas, our individuality. And unless we are able to throw them away in the
dust-bin, we can keep fooling ourselves that we are doing Advaita but actually we are not getting
anywhere at all. It is about time we stopped fooling ourselves.

As we are undertaking this inner journey, if we keep holding onto these outer appearances it will
become one big tug of war and it will seem like it is dragging on forever. Therefore, whatever it
takes, first come to this clarity about what is real and what is unreal. See the world for what it is,
see this body for what it is, see your thoughts for what they are. Look at the functioning of your
intellect. Find out if any of this will last.

How long will you be this person?

What is the duration of this play?
And how long will you play even with this identity of being an Advaita seeker?

Let go of all the meaning you have given to things in this world. Then let’s talk about the reality
of who You are.

 
 48  
 
Turn it Over to the Master

A: These days, more what is happening with you when you come to satsang you come with your
own curriculum. You say ‘Today I will come and I will burn…’ [Indicates carrying a bundle]
So, you don’t come with a sense that ‘I will come and I will just give myself over to him’. That
is where you are independent. You are trying to come with our own ideas of ‘what I will do in
satsang’. So, today you can say ‘Okay I will come and burn today’. But I am saying something:
‘You hand it over to me. See how that is working for you’.

We are making this inner mind (this mind) we are making that a guru then. While you are saying
that ‘You are my Master, you are my Master’ actually when we come into satsang with our own
plan, that ‘This is what has to happen today. This is how I am going to burn, and this is what I
have decided’. That is not surrender. Then you are trying to be your own Master; the mind is the
Master. So, instead of that, if you see that what is being pointed here is for this. Sometimes the
mind will come and say ‘No, no, but that is for everybody else. I have to go in my own process
here. I have my own process’. But all of this is for you; there is nobody else. All of this is
appearing in Your play. If it is appearing for You, it is the voice of Your intuition which is
appearing like this.

What is the Master? The Master is just a projection of our own inner Satguru. But the mind
wants to become that. Your mind will say ‘Okay, he is saying…, but that must be for everyone
else. You must burn in your own process’. But who is saying all that? All this show is for You.

I have noticed that is happening for some of you, where it can just feel like ‘Okay, he is just
talking and it doesn’t really apply to me because my problem actually is this’. But it is all for
you. Everything here is pointing to Your direct Self, to Your direct recognition. Not one part of
this is for someone else. We are not speaking specifically (mostly). But something says ‘No, no,
I know what I am doing, I have to do this, and this has to burn, and this has to go’. But who is the
Master then?

I feel like I am making all this beautiful lunch and dessert and everything for you and you are
coming and eating from your own lunchbox. (Not just you. I’m sharing for all of you.) There is
no point. It is all your feast. Enjoy this. It is pointing to the reality of who You are (no matter
what the mind says).

Q: [Inaudible]

I feel all of us must be able to look at this now. We must be able to look at these tricks from the
mind. What have I ever done to any of you? This Ananta is the receiving end of anger lots of
times, but I look at it objectively and say ‘What have I ever done except treat everyone in love
and affection and open my house to everyone for hours and hours every day?’ But we keep
falling for this trick: ‘Maybe he is trying to fool me, maybe it is not happening, maybe…
(something, something)’. And this poor chap keeps getting… [Laughter] I am looking really

 
 49  
 
objectively sometimes and I say ‘What is it really about?’ And we must be able to spot this for
ourselves now. ‘What has he really done? What has Ananta done to you?’

Q: [Inaudible] Sometimes it comes, this anger, it comes. [Inaudible]

A: Anger can come, but we attach to it, you see? We attach to it. You know what this anger
wants to do? One day (when I just started sharing satsang) Guruji [Mooji] was there. We were in
Rishikesh and Guruji was there and he was sharing with someone, making this quote where he
said ‘One day you will either come to the truth of what is being shared, or you will turn against
me with great viciousness’. He was sharing like that. And just sharing had just started from here,
and it just felt like ‘Oh, my children they will never become vicious towards me’. And then it
started happening [Chuckles] and I realized that it’s true. Why does it happen? Because
something wants to take this on independently as ‘something’ and then it will find every single
reason to be upset, to be angry, to find resentment and grievances against that which we call the
Master.

It can feel like ‘No, no, I can do this by myself”. So, this turning to viciousness, I realized that
happens very often actually. And I still get surprised when it happens actually. I should stop
being surprised because there is nothing that Ananta has really done which has been vindictive or
something, where I have been in anyway unfair (as far as I can see) to anyone in the sangha. Like
I’ve said ‘He is generally a very nice guy’. So, if you were to just look objectively, I don’t see
why he has to bear the brunt of all of this anger and resentment. But I know that this is the nature
of the mind which will come and say ‘But, but he is like this, or he is like this; but he says to do
this’. Like many times, it will be like someone says ‘But you tell me not to make money’. But
when have I said not to make money? Many times some of you will come to me with some
request to give some advice (‘Should I do this, or should I do that?’) and some advice which
feels right will come from here. But I have never said I am some expert on how to run your life
phenomenally. I am only pointing to your non-phenomenal truth and existence. And yet I trust
the intuitive Presence which speaks from here to say ‘Okay, maybe to do this will be better;
maybe better to do that will be better’. But I find that usually mind makes use of this kind of
thing and says ‘Okay, he told me to do that; he told me’. It is not like that at all.

Q: [Inaudible] (Once he asked her to leave the room for a time due to bad coughing that would
not stop.)

A: The fear of letting go of everything, yes. The mind is like this, you see. The mind will not say
that ‘All this noise has been happening for months and things like that. Look at how nice he is.
He has never told me anytime to go’. No, mind will say ‘See, he is rejecting me, he told me to
leave’. And what did I say? That day I was just feeling like ‘Oh, it is getting in the way of the
words, because the volume was not increasing from here, and it just felt like ‘For a while, while
this is happening, can you just step out for a while?’ The mind can use this, you see. I can say ‘I
love you’ a million times but if in anger one time I were to say ‘Okay, I really hate you’ what
will the mind remember? ‘Oh, he really must hate me’. It does not remember the million times I
say I love you.

 
 50  
 

Q: [Inaudible]

A: I want to make an important point to all of you which is that none of this is meant to make
you feel guilty. Just go on a one-way fast from this ‘I’…., the ‘I’ that disappoints everyone, the
‘I’ that is feeling this, the ‘I’ that is feeling that. You leave that ‘I’.

Q: Tension.

A: Yes, but you witness the tension. The body is not you. The tension (sensations which are
experienced in the body) is not You. It can pull all your attention. It can pull all your attention
and that way; it can feel like it is You but (even then) That which witness it is not being choked
in any way. This is what Your own intuitive voice is saying. It is not an outside external person
in a fight with your mind. It is your own intuitive Presence which is telling you ‘Look beyond
that, look beyond. What is there? What is the space in which all of this is happening? Is that
space also being choked? And if that space is not being choked, then how is the Witness of that
space being choked?’

Q: [Inaudible]

A: Yes, but now you trust one voice, which is the voice which is coming in satsang from here.
[Ananta] Let every other voice say whatever it wants. You say [to your thoughts] ‘You take it up
with Ananta’. If the voice is saying ‘You will never be free of me’ [you say] ‘Okay, not my
problem. It is my Master’s problem’. That is surrender.

Whatever the mind is saying, whatever the energy is saying, whatever sensations are doing, let it
all be my problem. I am happy to take it. If you make it my problem, then it becomes a problem
for me. If you let all your problems be my problems, then I am happy. If you make them your
problems, then you make it a problem for me.

Q: [Inaudible]

I am saying I want that gift. You say ‘No, no’. You give all your garbage to me. You give the
misery to me, all the garbage to me; then you will give only the good things to everyone. But
when you say ‘Okay, I will keep my garbage and I will give him only the good things’ then you
are giving everyone this garbage.

You give all of it to me! Then everyone will find only good things from you.

 
 51  
 
Important Points

A: Right now if you don’t pick up anything, then nothing needs to be dropped. Because first you
need to pick it up. So, the idea of separation, if it is not picked up, then nothing at all. If the idea,
any conclusion, any concept is picked up about yourself, [Just look]: Who does the picking up?

Q: I feel it gets me.

A: Yes, but this is the dichotomy that the mind creates. It is that the picking up is the getting of
picking up, but the dropping is not the getting of the dropping. So, if I say ‘Touch your nose’…,
you did that? Or it happened?

Q: Feels like I did it.

A: Because that is the conclusion your mind is painting for you. You don’t know how to do it;
the mind does not know how to touch your nose also. So, what happens is we say ‘Yes the belief
actually gets picked up, but the dropping…, so when we say ‘Okay, drop it’ [you say] ‘But that
must happen on its own’. Why can’t that happen as spontaneously as you touch your nose?

This is a very, very important point, because this is the strongest source of Advaita resistance, so
to speak, in a way; because the dropping is as much a doing as the picking up. Picking up and
dropping must be at the same level of doership. But when it comes to picking up, we say ‘Okay,
but that just happened’.

So if there is a sense that Consciousness can pick up the concept, then there must also be the
sense that Consciousness can drop it. Who else but Consciousness is here?

So, when we are talking about abiding in the Self then we don’t pick up the idea itself of
doership. But when we do pick up the idea with the sense that I am the doer, then already the
sense of separation is here that ‘I am a separate entity’. As long as that sense is there, the Sages
advise us to ‘Drop it, don’t pick it up’.

If it is true that your sense is that Consciousness will do everything, there is no separate you to
do anything at all, then the picking up of anything will also not cause any suffering, because you
see that I am not experiencing anything; it is the Consciousness.

So, that is what I have been saying the last few days, it is only the ‘half and half’ which gets us in
trouble. ‘I am not the doer, Consciousness is the doer; but I am still the experiencer and as the
experiencer, am waiting for the Consciousness to drop it. That is not true. If you are not the doer
then you are also not the experiencer. All of this is just being experienced within the space of
Consciousness Itself. There is no individual ‘me’ to do anything. If that is true then it must also
be seen that there is no individual ‘me’ that is suffering from something. Then no pointing is
needed.

 
 52  
 
When we continue to carry the sense that ‘I am the experiencer but not the doer’ then that can be
what is called sort of the ‘victim’ mind set; the ‘me vs God’ or ‘God is doing this to me’ kind of
mind set. So, that is why it is said that as long as there is a sense of separation then we can do
the enquiry; if there is no sense of separation, if we are abiding in the Self, then nothing to be
done at all.

That is why when you look at the book ‘Be as You Are’ the first chapter is just the Self. Is there
instruction? Nothing. It is just the spontaneous revelation ‘I am the Self’. There is no doership,
no separate experience, nothing to be done, no practice; nothing. But if it still feels like it is not
true ‘I am still suffering in this life’ (and this is very, very important because a Sage does not say
‘I am suffering in this life’. Why is it that he doesn’t say ‘Okay, if suffering has to come, then
I’m ready’ (this kind of stuff)? You don’t hear him speaking Advaita like that. It is very
conclusive: ‘There is no real suffering, whatever suffering comes is only momentary’.

So, why? Because the idea of doer and experiencer are both resolved. So, if it is apparent that I
am the Self then there is no doer, there is no experiencer; nothing to be done. Everything is seen
to be moving in the space of Being. It doesn’t affect or touch the reality of what I Am.

But if there is a condition which seems to be deeply ingrained, then the Master will always say
‘But look and see that is not true’. You are just running from corner to corner in this room, but
you are only in the satsang hall. But you say ‘Okay, but telling me to stop is also doership’. I am
just saying: Stop and see what you already are. Drop the false idea that you have not reached.
That is not doership; that is just ending the sensation of doership.

So it is just like this. We go from place to place and the Sage comes and says ‘Stop’ and the
mind comes and says ‘But, stop? That seems like asking me to do something?’ So, the dropping
is not the doing actually.

Can you see this or not? It is the picking up which is the ‘doing’. See this for yourselves now
rather than thinking about it. Allow the thoughts to come and see what the actual ‘doing’ is. Is
the ‘doing’ to allow ourselves to remain in this neutrality? Or is the ‘doing’ (the seeming-doing)
to pick up these ideas?

From my perspective it seems like it is effort to go pick up these thoughts. And it is effortless to
just drop, because dropping is happening in the moment, on its own. So, to not go with the
flow…, it is like you are swimming against the tide. And I say ‘Come, come. Come to the shore,
nothing will happen’. So, what is the doing? It seems like they’re going with these thoughts and
picking them up is trying to swim against the tide. But to come to the side and allow them to go,
allow the river to flow, or this tide to go up and down, that is just an effortless witnessing.

 
 53  
 
What Am I Actually Saying?

Q: At this moment, I have a no problem with the vastness. But I can see (although the
background is vastness) I can see that prompting, of ‘Pick up, pick up; do’ but I don’t want to.
There is something (there is no ‘I’) there is something that does not want to perceive that habit,
because I’m on this side; and this prompter is seeming to move. I see the battle.

A: Okay, let us really look at this very, very slowly. What am I actually saying? I know I have
been saying this for a long time and you have been hearing this for a long time, but sometimes it
feels like you haven’t really heard it. So, let me repeat what I am saying very slowly, and
wherever you have a problem, you stop me. Wherever you have a problem, you stop me.

Right now, what are you?

You are the Self. You are this unchanging Awareness.

Not trouble. It could be the end of satsang right here, right now, isn’t it? But you will say ‘But
what happens when suffering comes or I go into the market place of the world, how do I not
suffer?’ I say ‘But you are always the Self. You only pretend to be the non-self when you pick up
your next thought.’ So, that’s why I say ‘Okay, to be free from this idea of suffering, all you
have to do is not believe your next thought.’ You see, because that would be a picking up of the
thought. Without the picking up of the thought this separate individual pretense cannot take root,
cannot take place. We all see this? Or no?

Q: So, it is like when we are sitting, even just still…, when some action needs to be done then it
seems like the doership feeling comes. Otherwise there is not a problem in just being even a
Witness (or being nothing, actually. There is no Witness. Just being blank). But the minute there
is an action to be done or something then… a feeling arises and ‘I am doing this, I am doing
that.’ Is that the thought which we should not pick up?

A: Okay, let us make a flow chart, and everyone must listen. Don’t feel like you have switched
off or ‘He is on a different track, it is not resonating with me today so I am just going to switch it
off’ you know and ‘You are the Presence’ etc.

Right Now, You Are Free. You are the unchanging Awareness. All of you have been in satsang,
and actually most of you, you have this direct recognition that there is an unchanging
Witnessing, irrespective of whatever might be happening in the phenomenal world. So, this is the
core of the pointing: ‘What are you? I am this Self, Awareness, Witnessing…, untouched by this
play.’ End of story?

Now if there is a ‘but’…, it cannot be a ‘but’ unless you bought some idea. Is it true or not?
True? Everyone is with me so far? Can it be anything other than us buying some idea which can
make us seem as if we are separate, as if we are an individual entity? Yes or no? Do you have to
believe you’re an individual entity to pretend to be separate?

 
 54  
 

Q: I don’t feel something special. It’s the end of the story of this one.

A: You do feel or don’t feel?

Q: I feel this mind, the body. I don’t suddenly feel I’m universal.

A: Yes. So, right now, that which you are saying is ‘my body’..., that actually is experienced as
what?

Q: As sensations.

A: So there are some sensations. What calls it ‘mine’? Sensation is being experienced (we can go
really slowly) some sensation is being experienced. Can the experiencing of a sensation make it
mine? Where does the ‘mine’ come from? [Silence] Experience the sensation right now and see
if you can say ‘this is mine’ without interpreting it, just without labeling it.

Q: I know the mechanics of it, mechanics of how…

A: Okay, what is the mechanics?

Q: That which believes it has a story and which owns the body, you feel like …

A: And that mechanics translates into ‘right now’? How, in what way? [Silence] Whatever the
belief might have been, whatever the concepts you have picked up in the past might have been,
does that play out in ‘me calling the sensation mine’?

Q: It is the same thing; it comes ‘the me’.

A: This ‘me’ is another sensation? Is it a sensation, or is it imagination? What is it? Is it a block?

What does it feel like? Let us look at that. We have time, this is very important. Where does the
‘me’ come from?

Q: It’s just a mood, like a…

A: Feeling is sensation? Distinguish. Is it separate from the sensation? Chase it, don’t let it go,
chase it down. It is like a feeling of ‘me’. The feeling is experienced how? [Silence] Is it a sense
of existence?

Q: It is mixed.

A; Yes. What is mixed? On top of the sensory existence, what is there?

Q: I’ve just held this belief so long, in the past….

 
 55  
 

A: But how is that experienced? How do you experience a belief?

Q: I come to the word ‘feeling’.

A: There is a feeling which feels like what? Like a sense of separation. Is it like that or …? What
do you call this ‘me’?

Q: For example, if somebody throws something on me, I feel like somebody is throwing
something at me.

A: At me, yes. So, something is thrown; some sensation comes up in the body and the movement
of the hand happens…, at least that is a very good idea, no? If you did not know that I am going
to throw this at you, then do you really have to think about it to get ready, to catch it?

Q: It just happens on its own.

A: It just happened. So, the sensation happens, the movement of the body happens on its own

Q: It is like something else, not me.

A: Yes, that is why to see ‘This ‘me’…., what is it?’ is very important, isn’t it? What are we
calling ‘me’? There is a sensation which is the body, so we have sensations from this body which
seems to define the borders of this body. What makes it ‘my’ body? What brings the ‘me’ into
the body? Then I said ‘Is it the sense of existence?’ You say that ‘There is a ‘me’ that is mixed
up with even that.’ So what is this ‘me’? It is a sensation? But a sensation means something that
is experienced sensorially. So, are you experiencing this ‘me’ as if ‘Through our inner perception
it is experienced as sensation’? Or what is it being experienced as?

Q: A sensation like a…

A: Yes, what is it? A feeling or sensation; both are energetic, isn’t it? So is this ‘me’ being
experienced as that? [Silence] That which gets mixed up with the sensations of the body and gets
mixed up with the sense of ‘I Am’ itself…, that?

Q: Already I am expecting that there will be a time when I look at the same body and not feel the
same as I always felt. It will feel something like that is not the core of me.

A: In fact it can be experienced even more openly (the sensations of the body) because when our
attention is not getting split between the attention going to thoughts and sensations of the body,
then the sensations of the body will come even more clearly experienced. The labeling it as ‘me’
will stop. What makes it ‘me’?

Q: Mmmmm…. [Laughter]

 
 56  
 

A: That sound was also experienced as sensation, but why is that not ‘me’? Is it because the habit
has been to label this set of sensations which seem so intimate (‘That is me’) which makes it feel
‘But oh, it is natural to call this me [Pointing to the body] but not that me’. [Pointing to
something away from the body] Or is there something more than that?

Q: [Inaudible]

A: The ‘person’ concept is not the same ‘me’ concept?

Q: Yes. But seeing this concept is not dissolving this feeling of this body being ‘mine’.

A: So I am asking you: Is there such a feeling of ‘mine’? And mixed with the thought, is there
(in the purity of feeling itself) is there such a feeling which is ‘me’?

Q: A mix-up happens.

A: That is why I am saying it is so beautiful that now everything is dropped. A sensation is

arising, what makes it ‘me’? The witnessing of a sensation, is that enough to call it a ‘me’? A
Witnessing is happening. Nothing we can say is arising unless it is witnessed anyway. So there is
sensation. Now, what makes it ‘my’ sensation?

Q: What do I do without like a check, a check? That is where the point comes. [Inaudible]

A: Forget about that now. Now, there is this experience of sensation which we can call the body,
What, in that, makes it ‘me’?

Q: ‘My’ is connected with a concept…

A: Can there be a concept without an idea or a thought? [Silence] Is there a ‘my’ which is
separate from this Awareness which is witnessing this? Separate from ‘I’, is there an entity called
‘me’ which is experiencing this sensation called the body?

Q: Can’t find …

A: Can’t find. And it is not that type of ‘can’t find’ that we haven’t looked at often and can’t
find? Is it that type of ‘can’t find’? You have looked and looked and looked and you can’t find.
So at what point will we come to this seeing that ‘I looked in the entire house, my spectacles are
just not there.’ [Chuckles] Is there still a lingering feeling that there might be?

Q: Then a sense of contraction is felt.

A: Yes, but how does that sense of contraction become ‘my’ contraction?

 
 57  
 
Q: I believe it’s the other way around, that if there is no sense of ‘me’ there won’t be a
contraction.

A: A sense of contraction (or any sensation) is just a sensation. It is phenomenal movement.

Does that prove the existence of a separate entity?

Q: It doesn’t prove the existence of a separate entity, but it’s like it gives an effect.

A: It is like when you go to these modern movie theatres and an airplane is crashing and seats
start shaking, so it gives the effect as if they are in the airplane. So, the sensation is experienced,
but is there still a ‘my sensation’? [Silence] When we are looking for the Truth all that needs to
be done is to let go of the false.

Q: Maybe the experience of contraction is somewhere.

A: Interpreted as. That is the trouble. So it is Seen in this Absolute Witnessing (which is aware of
this phenomenal play). Then some sensation can come. The interpretation of the sensation is not
picked up; or the interpretation of the sensation is picked up. These are the two alternatives.

Now, presuming that there is something that you can do about it (presume) then what would you
advise someone who came to you with this problem that ‘Okay, this sensation is coming and I
am calling it ‘my’ sensation?’ You would say ‘Don’t label it ‘mine’ knowing fully well that
something can be done about it. So, that is where we come to ‘Don’t believe our next thought’.
Because no matter what the sensation is; it can be a very strong vibration, but unless you say
‘See, see, this is me’…, until we get that signal from the mind, even then we cannot report it as
‘mine’. It might seem very intimate, it might seem very close, it might seem like the most closest
thing that ever is experienced…, until we buy this idea, this signal from the mind saying ‘This
proves that it is you. See, it feels so much like you. How can it not be you?’ Without that, you
cannot even report that it is ‘my sensation’.

And yet when we look… Both the so-called methods are discussed here. One is let go, which
means surrender ‘Let it happen, nothing is happening, it is all God’s problem’. And the second is
that if the idea is being picked up that ‘This is happening to me’ or ‘This is mine’ then inquire
whether there is such a ‘me’…, who am I?

So it is Right Here, Right Now. It is that Present, this which we are talking about every day. Just
Right Now You are the Self; end of story. But if you buy a ‘but’ …, the same one that buys the
‘but’ can also drop the ‘but’. Whether it chooses to buy the ‘but’ or not is also Its will, as
Consciousness.

Now, in the designated rolls in this play, you find that most of humanity saying ‘Buy, buy,
buy…’ encouraging Itself to buy. And there are some who are playing in the role of ‘Don’t buy,
don’t buy, don’t buy’. That is all that is really going on. Now, can the ones who are saying ‘Buy,
buy, buy’ or ‘Don’t buy, don’t buy, don’t buy’ do they actually make any difference? Not really

 
 58  
 
in the ultimate scheme of things. It is just the roles that everyone is playing. And yet, as long as it
feels like there is a separate ‘me’, the appearance of one who says ‘Don’t buy’ (or inquires)
seems to be a beautiful happening, a beautiful event in their life.

So, it is just this point: Right Now You are free. There are no ‘buts’. But if you buy the ‘but’
(and it is said ‘Don’t buy’ or inquire into who it is that you are presuming yourself to be) then
this is surrender and inquiry. It is that subtle. When you make a teaching out of it, it can seem
like ‘Okay, this and this and this’. But actually it is that simple.

It is like you are sitting quietly and suddenly you say ‘Okay, I have to get to my destination’.
Then you start walking. He says ‘No, no stop, you are already there. Let go of this idea’ or ‘Who
is it that you are trying to get to? Who are you trying to become? The Self? Who are you
already?’

[Looks at Q] But…? No but…? [Laughs] In this emptiness, are you the doer or the non-doer? It’s
too empty to make any report?

Q: It feels like work.

A: It feels like work to contemplate this. The point is that there is no concept of doership at all. It
is only after we picked up the concept of ‘me’ that the concept of ‘dropping the me’ or ‘picking
up further ideas of me’ arises.

Who doesn’t See that Right Now they are free?

 
 59  
 
Flow Chart Talk
Pointings for Self-Discovery  

I am very happy that we are having this discussion today. I feel like I want to re-emphasize this
over and over again, that Right Now You Are Free. It is actually the end of story.

But, if you have a ‘but…’ then I have a suggestion. If you don’t have a ‘but…’ then I have no
suggestion. [Smiles] If you have a ‘but…’ then my suggestion is: ‘Don’t believe your next
thought’.  
 
Okay, so first, emptiness. ‘But…, something, something happened to me’. I say okay ‘Don’t buy
this story’. That’s the first option. Then you say ‘But I keep buying it. It keeps happening to me’.
Then I say ‘Find out in reality whether there is such a ‘me’ at all’.  
 
So, first we have let go. You say ‘No, no, but I keep falling for it’. I say ‘Okay, inquire into who
is that ‘I’?’ You say ‘No, but even enquiry it’s not really working. Then I say ‘Okay, see what is
real and what is not real’.  
 
[You say] ‘But my mind is too clouded, it doesn’t let me see. It is not able to distinguish /
discriminate between what is eternal and what is just momentary’. [I say] ‘Okay, maybe you just
need to sit and focus on your breath, and just relax your mind a bit, so that it becomes a bit quiet
and then you can see’.

[You say] ‘No, no, mind doesn’t get quiet. I sit and I am not able to’. [I say] ‘Okay, so maybe I
give you a mantra’. (I am going through the flowchart fast.) ‘Maybe you do the mantra. The
habit will break a little bit, and you will come to some quietness of the mind’.  
 
[You say] ‘I can’t even chant’. [I say] ‘Okay, okay. You read some scriptures. Maybe that will
bring some energetic peace in your life’.  
 
[You say] ‘No. I don’t enjoy it. [Reading scriptures] It is just too boring and I don’t believe in
God anyway’. [I say] ‘Okay. So then can you move your body in certain steps, and movements,
or you sit in certain pose and breathe [Demonstrates a couple of breaths and laughs] like that.
Maybe that will bring some peace and maybe that will bring some quiet. [You say] ‘Yeah, I did
that for few days. It was very nice, very nice but now I don’t enjoy it’.  
 
That is how the flowchart is flowing; from that stillness…, to this point.
 
Then I say ‘What is that you really want?’

Because it was not feeling to do this, this, this, none of this [Referring to flowchart] then maybe
you are climbing up the wrong tree. [Chuckles] So, what is it that you really want?

 
 60  
 
[You say] ‘I don’t know’. You see, many times it comes like this, when you find people who are
not able to get anywhere on the ladder; then it is seen that they have a problem with the wall
actually not with the ladder. They are climbing the wrong wall.

[I say] ‘What is it that you really want?’ [You say] ‘I want to climb on that wall’. [I say] ‘Oh,
that wall! For that I have a different ladder’. Otherwise usually it is found that some rung in this
so-called ladder seems to be attractive; if it is the truth that we want, the reality of the self that
we want, then somewhere we find some joy in any of this.  
 
So what we usually talk about is that (it can be the first rung, doesn’t have to be the top rung) we
can make ourselves feel better by saying ‘Okay ours is the top rung of the ladder’ …, which is so
direct, right there. Because all of it is coming to this point: that Right Now what You Are is the
Self. That is the so-called top rung of the ladder. If there is a ‘but…’ then we go to the lower
rung. If there is another ‘but…’ go to the next rung. Like that.  

 
 61  
 
Inquiry Brings Us Back to the Direct Witnessing

Come back to this point where you see:

Right now, what are you?

[Silence]

And if something is getting caught then in the play, the suggestion is 'Just let go'. Simple
allowing, simple surrender.

But if something is sticky? Then the suggestion is inquire: ‘Who is it that is stuck?’

[Silence]

Inquiring brings us to the direct tasting of this, the reality of who we are; back to the simple
Witnessing without the sticky conditioning.

If inquiry is not feeling natural, what should one do? Come to satsang, hear the words of satsang,
experience the energy of satsang, the Presence of satsang. That itself will clean up a lot, you see.

If you're not in satsang then contemplate: 'What is it?' You read the transcripts, you contemplate
them; what does it mean? What does it mean when you say 'Right now you are free'? Just like
this. Contemplation is just like that.

Many of you are getting the wrong idea about contemplation. You just have to look at the words
and say 'Okay, how is the experience here?' and look deeply. If the words of the contemplation
are ‘You are the unchanging Awareness’ …, look and see if it is true.

The sensations of the body are not the unchanging Awareness.

Therefore, (and the Sage could not be lying) so what else is here?
I am some other thoughts, some other things?
Okay, that is not the unchanging Awareness.
What is the Sage talking about?
The Presence of existence is here, but even this is not unchanging;
there is sleep and there is waking.
Then what is the Sage talking about?
Who Witnesses even this Presence?
Even that is changing?
Is it not Aware?
Am I not this?
To see that ‘I Am This’ is the contemplation.
Just like this.

 
 62  
 
Now do we get caught up? 'Okay, okay, I am doing the contemplation. Oh, it's boring, I don't
feel like it'. But then, feelings come. 'But this is what I am right now? This feeling?’

So, as we get more and more attracted to the reality of the Self, and the changing realm doesn't
seem as attractive anymore, these contemplations will seem easier and easier.

The play is that the 'but…' is never true. You are the Self. No 'but…' is ever true, you see?
Therefore, no suggestion is also ever required.

But if the 'but...' feels true, then we must try the suggestions from these Sages. That's what they
are there for. And by now the philosophy is so old; that whatever ever level of 'but…' you can
have, there will be a suggestion available.

There's so many diverse so-called paths, so many ladders for us to climb. Its' not so difficult to
really come to this point of neutrality when that is our truest urge.

Are we willing to be completely naked; forever? …, who I am without any story? Those who
have this feeling that they are, this kind of direct satsang is for them.

And many times we can say ‘Yes’ but later as we are confronted with the destruction of the false
ego with all its stories then something can come and say 'No, no, not really. Maybe I'm not up for
it yet'. And that's completely fine. There is no impulse (although it might feel like it sometimes)
there is really no feeling here that I must push you; that if you're still playing that I must drag
you out of the play. [Chuckles].

[Silence]

But if it feels true to me what you're saying, if it feels true to me that what you want is Freedom
(irrespective of what happens) then I will say 'Drop it, drop it, drop it'.

 
 63  
 
When Doership Remains, Go to Intuition for Guidance

The most fun, the most effortless, is to drop the concept of doership, which means having no
concept of what to do and having no concept of what the outcome must be; even the concept that
‘I must get joy from this’. That to operate from that place of neutrality is very, very beautiful. So,
that is what is being pointed at here.

Now, if we speak phenomenally, then I would say that follow your intuition as to what to do. So,
if a mild sense of doership still remains and the question comes ‘So what should I do?’ allow this
intuitive voice, intuitive Presence to guide you. And it will…, if you are not impatient.
Impatience makes us go to mind and ideas of what the mind is selling. If we are just patient and
we allow intuition to reveal the next steps to us, it will reveal; either as a voice which will be
heard or a series of events which will make it very clear what needs to happen or just a feeling or
an urge which seems to come from a deeper place.

So many fall into this trick of not being able to distinguish between intuition and mind. And I’ve
said that mind is always operating from a place of need, from a place wanting to grasp onto
something, from a place of ‘What’s in it for me?’

The mind is always in a rush. Intuition is very, very peaceful (in the sense that it’s not needy,
grasping. It’s not concerned about outcomes. It’s not rushing you). The Presence of love and
openness and space is experienced. You don’t experience that kind of thing [gestures with
clenched fists] with the mind. With intuition it is just more open, more peaceful.

So, whatever mild doership still remains, then we can go to our intuition for guidance on what to
do. And if there’s no audible voice or there are no visible signs of it, just a surrender to the
intuition will make things unfold in an intuitive way anyway.

Now, some will feel like even this intuition they are not able to really grasp, and all that is telling
them what to do is just the mind. For those then it’s prescribed that you follow your peace, you
follow your joy. What is it that gives you more space, more joy in the world? Follow that. That is
completely fine.

So, speaking phenomenally, it is best is to go with our intuition because intuition can be actually
counter-intuitive; in the sense that intuition can say ‘Go jump in that fire’ which is not joyful at
all. So, it can be counter to following our peace, our joy. It can seem like that. But is leading to a
greater peace and joy. But if intuition is not yet clear then we can follow peace, we can follow
our joy. As it starts to reveal itself more and more, we can follow this intuition which is not
fearful, which is spacious, which is not in a rush, which is accompanied by love.

There will come a time when you will say that even to use intuition for this sort of personal
guidance feels like using a very subtle instrument to chop a tree or something. [Laughs] You’ll
feel like this intuitive Presence has just made room (in the sharing of Truth, in the availability of
its Presence) for the rest of the world to experience its Presence. I don't find myself saying,

 
 64  
 
‘Okay, dear Satguru, tell me what’s the next step I must take’ or something like this. I just let go
of that sense of doership. Then whatever is unfolding is His doing anyway. So, we will come to
that. And then, as satsang starts, we invoke the Presence of the Satguru when we say ‘Shri
Moojiji ki jai’. That means we are handing over the words which are going to come through this
mouth to the Master’s Presence. And that seems to be the most beautiful intuition…, using the
body-mind rather than something trying to use intuition. So, the intuitive Presence which is the
Satguru itself is now using this instrument to convey, to share the pointings of the direct Truth.

 
 65  
 
Checking: What is True?

A: It's a very beautiful contemplation, where you ask yourself what is real. But to find what is
real, first we need to define ‘What do we mean by real?’ So, what is real? What do you mean by
real? And it's not a straightforward question, but it's very important. If you are looking for the
Truth, the Truth must be real. So, what is that which we are defining as real? What could be real
or what could be Truth? What must be the conditions that reality must satisfy, versus unreality?
That's what you are saying, isn't it? What must be true about reality and not true about unreality?
So, can we take an example?  
 
Q: We discussed before; something first which is always verifiable, which I can verify and
second it never changes, remains as it is.  
 
A: So, this is very good. So, when we look for the Truth, then I said that, if we said that ‘The
truth is that the fan is on’ then that is not the Truth that we are talking about. The Truth that we
are talking about is the unchanging Truth. Because we are moving from this realm of instability,
constant change, into that which is stability. So, if we are pursuing something, we are pursuing
eternal happiness. We are tired of the ephemeral or the changing. So, the Truth, when it is
spoken spiritually, we are talking about that which is the unchanging. To find that which is
unchanging (does not come and go) is that which we are looking for.

Now, we can say ‘God is the unchanging Truth’. We can just say a statement like that. ‘God is
the unchanging Truth’ But is it still the Truth? It still remains only conceptually. So, it must be
verifiable; and by verifiable it mean it only helps us if we are able to check for ourselves if this is
True or not. If I say ‘On Venus, they found a water body with fish in it’. It won't help because it
is not verifiable. It is not your experience, it is just a concept that you heard.

So, what is happening in satsang is that you are hearing some concept from a credible source,
which you can have some trust or faith or devotion in, but the point of that trust and faith and
devotion is so that we can check for ourselves whether this is true or not. So, that is the Truth we
are looking for.

Like you said ‘Unchanging and directly verifiable’. That is what we are looking for. Then, when
we are looking for reality, if you apply these two filters, then what remains? This is the point.
You see? So, if you apply these two filters, which is [1] that which remains unchanging and [2]
that which is directly experienced, then what can we say about the Truth? We can go layer by
layer. Outward realm, changing; so discarded. Body discarded, inner sensation, emotion, pain,
pleasure, these sensations also changing; kept aside. Thoughts coming and going, changing; left
aside. Then where do we come? After we look through all of this, what is it that remains then?  
 
Q: It is just a feeling of existence.  
 
A: Just a sense of existence. Very good. This one…, is it our experience that this also comes and
goes?

 
 66  
 

Q: It goes in sleep.

A: So, ultimately even this, in our experience, also comes and goes. So, what now remains which
we call the unchanging and verifiable Truth? [Silence] Is there something that didn't change or
doesn't ever change? [Silence] That which is permanent?  
 
Q: [Inaudible]  
 
A: So, let's look at this. (And this was the contemplation I posted in the group also.) That which
knows of your existence, who is that one? Because before this you said that even the sense of
existence comes and goes. Is that your living experience? Yes. So, when the sense of existence
goes, what Knows it? What Knows it is gone?  
 
Q: I do.  
 
A: This ‘I’…, is it the changing ‘I’ or the unchanging ‘I’?  
 
Q: Unchanging.  
 
A: So, this I…, does it meet our criteria for reality or the Truth? You say ‘It is unchanging’.
Second is whether it is verifiable. So, is it verifiable? Is it your direct experience? Or no?

Q: Yes.

So, if it is unchanging and it is direct experience, then this has met your criteria for what is True.

Does anything else meet it?

Q: No.

A: No. So, if this is seen to be true and seen to be the one constant, unchanging, directly
verifiable ‘I’ …, and everything else is changing or just conceptual, then at least (according to
this definition) we can say that this is the Truth. Everything else is false. At least according to
our definition, isn't it?

This is the meaning of coming to the Truth of who we are; coming to the recognition of the True
Self.

So, once we see the distinction between True and untrue, reality and false (which is called
Viveka; the ability to discern or distinguish between what is true and what is false) then what
would it make sense to do? Should I now be interested or attached to that which is changing? Or
to that which is unchanging? Whether we are able to do it or not we will come to later. But just

 
 67  
 
using logic itself: Does it make sense to be attached to that which is constantly changing? Or to
that which is unchanging?  
 
Q: But attachment comes only when you are wrongly identifying ‘You’ with something which
you are not.  
 
A: So, that which you are not, is that the changing one? Or the unchanging one?  
 
Q: That which I am not is always changing.  
 
A: Yes. So, attachment (you say) is only being attached to that which I am not. Then attachment
itself seems logical to drop. Isn't it? So, the dropping of conditioning, the dropping of these
conditions or tendencies, is the dropping of attachment.

And we have the master key for that. Because we see that once we have inquired into who we
are, then we see that the only way to give rise to conditioning or tendencies is to nurture these
thoughts and concepts with my belief.

Therefore to remain unattached, all I need to do is to not give them my belief. Because it is not
real, it is not the Truth. That's why I have often said that it is only the false which needs our
belief.  

 
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Pull the Sticky Conditioning Into Inquiry

Q: So Father, if some belief comes (and when it comes it looks very real) so basically when you
want to confirm your position of what you really are, what is the way?

A: Yes, it is very good. If the belief seems very strong and the concept seems very strong and
seems to get our belief, then we must inquire and see ‘Okay, what is it that I really am?’
Especially those which seem to get us over and over again, then we must inquire. That is what I
mean by pulling them into your inquiry. But you will find that most of them will become light
and just go. But the ones that are sticky will seem to be very strong, and those you can pull into
your inquiry.

Q: Just to clarify: ‘Pulling into inquiry’ means seeing what I am or…? If you can elaborate a bit
on that?

A: So, (for you, for example) if the identity is the work identity which is strong, you can pull that
identity into inquiry by saying ‘Who is it that works?’ or ‘Who is it that wants to work or doesn’t
want to work?’ Any of these questions. You will find that there is nobody. All of the movement
here; that is happening. But you find that there is no individual employee, individual worker,
individual doer of anything at all. So, when the thought comes next time and says ‘Hey, but you
must find some work. All this is fine for now, but you must get your life in order’ (these kind of
things) then they become more and more laughable every time you look at it. Every time you
looked, you have said ‘That instruction is for nobody’. It is like saying: If you had a favorite toy
when you were a child and the thought came ‘Oh, you must play with that toy. When I go home I
am going to play with that toy’ (these thoughts). But once you have grown out of it then that
favorite toy is not so attractive. Are you with me? Once you have grown out of it then the
favorite toy is not so attractive.

So, when you inquire into it and you see that there is nobody here who can decide to work or not
work, there is nobody here who can decide to make money or not make money; all that so-called
decider or the doer is just a figment of my imagination’ then when the thoughts come and say
‘Okay, what about your work?’ [You will wonder] ‘But who are you talking about? Who are you
talking to?’ This has nothing to do with whether the work happens or not happens. It is just that
there is no ground for that thought to land; there is no glove for this thought to be caught with.
So, it is just allowed to just come and go.

So, in this way the inquiry helps. And these strong-seeming conditions, they seem to become
lighter. And you will find that the distinguishing factors for everybody in this human play is only
on the basis of their conditioning. You see? So, why is somebody else not so interested in work?
Because they don’t have that conditioning. But they might be interested in something else. So,
based on the texture of our conditioning, based on what we believed about ourselves, the
expressions seem to be playing out and the play of this life seems to be playing out.And
everybody has a unique set of conditioning. Everybody has a unique fingerprint. And that is why
everybody is unique in their expressions in this play as well.

 
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Everything is an Expression of Consciousness

Q: Father, just to clarify on this. You said that whatever interest, it’s conditioning. Something is
like resisting on it and I’d would like to just discuss this. As an example: One is singer or dancer
that is like her expression. Consciousness wanting to express in that particular way. She enjoys.
So, is it conditioning or is it like some movement of Consciousness in a certain way?

A: Everything, including conditioning, is a movement of Consciousness. Conditioning is not

happening without the will of Consciousness, which is Consciousness Itself playing in these
conditioned ways. So, if we see that everything is a movement of Consciousness then we can
forget about the concept of conditioning; because that is surrender. Nothing is mine. All of God’s
doing, God is the doer, God is the experiencer and we don’t need to worry about anything. All is
dropped.

Now, as part of the play, in the play It uses this concept of conditioning (means a basket of
beliefs, a bundle of ideas which seems relevant to us). But if you see that everything is just
Consciousness then there is the simple dropping of all doership. Then nothing to worry about;
even including the dropping of identity, In fact it does not get picked up because you see that
everything is God. That is surrender.

To inquire into it and say ‘Who is here which is that?’ is the inquiry. Both so-called seeming
paths lead to the same Seeing that there is no individual doer, all there is is Consciousness which
is playing in this way and I am That which knows or am the Witness of even this Consciousness.

Conditioning only means that which I attach to this ‘me’ which I attach to this pure
Consciousness. It’s the condition that I seem to attach with my belief (‘I am this way, I am that
way’). God is not this way or that way.

Q: So, if I understand correctly, it is like something is referring (I Am-ness is always referring)

or has a kind of attraction to certain traits or certain movement which we identify with. And if it
is not questioned, then it feels trapped in it; then it reacts. So dropping of that belief system is
what it is?

A: Consciousness is always reminding Itself that in the play it seems to be working out in a
world which is full of suffering and individuality and egotism; and yet it is all part of the play of
Consciousness and this game of reminding goes on within Consciousness Itself. And something
in the play says ‘Yes, this is unreal, this is not the truth of who I Am’. And there can be a
dropping of all of these conditions.

I have also said that the good news is that Right Now they are dropped. But some things which
come to lure you in back into it can seem attractive because of our prior belief in that, our prior
interest in something.

 
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So it is all inter-relative; what we have spoken. Because it is the same as openness. To remain in
this openness, allow all this luring of the tempting mind to go, is to remain open. Just to let it go.
And that is surrender. This letting go is surrender.

Then once you find that ‘Okay, this one seems to be picked up very often over here’ (and as part
of the play itself, of course) the suggestion from the Master has been ‘Okay, look at this
particular identity and inquire into it. Pull that into the inquiry’. And we see that there is nobody
there with that identity. Then when the mesSages from the mind come for that identity, there is
nowhere for them to land. It is like a deleted e-mail box. Then the mind will get a mesSage that
no such mailbox exists. So, the dropping of all of these individual attributes (seeker identity,
worker identity, family identity) is the dropping of conditioning. Same thing; which leads to
what? Openness.

Now, is it a bad thing to have conditioning? No. Depends on how you want to play. That is why I
keep asking these days: ‘How do you want to play?’ If the urge is to play in a certain way (like if
the urge is to play as a successful business man or something like that) then there is full freedom
to walk down that path. But if you say ‘My urge is freedom!’ then I will say ‘Okay, drop all the
conditioning and let life play out in itself’.

See, that is why to define it as a play makes it lighter. That is why I keep saying it is a play.
Because even if you are identified for a long, long periods of time, nothing is happening
inherently to the Truth of who you are it is just that the play seems to be continuing. Just like that
character in The Matrix who is sitting there and said ‘Yes, yes, I know all of this is not real but I
enjoy my steak and wine. I want to play some more’. So, nothing stops us from playing. But if
we are done with the play, we say ‘We want to get out of the matrix; show me the way out’ then
satsang is for that.

The beautiful part is that even within this matrix, to come to the dropping of the false identity
leads to a lot of lightness. The heaviness of our untrue beliefs is dropped away. When we lose
interest in the matrix, it doesn’t mean the matrix has to vanish; the matrix can still continue to
appear.

That is why all the expressions are there; some are Janaka, some are Jesus, some are Ribhu. All
these various expressions are of those who have dropped the conditioning. And yet, in their
world, their expression continued to move and function. How do they remain? They remain
open. As we are not resisting ‘what is’ then that is the end of suffering…, except momentarily.

 
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Verifying Our Truth in Direct Experience

Q: Anantaji, could you speak more about the verifiable part? How do we verify what we are
seeing and what we are now is the true place?

A: This is very good. So, in all the satsangs we hear that we are the Self, we are Awareness, we
are Brahman (whatever terms you want to use, it is the Truth) But it just remains in mere words
and concepts unless it becomes a direct experience. So, when we say ‘Self-discovery’ or ‘The
discovery of the Truth’ it cannot mean that ‘I picked up this very nice concept’. It must become
something now which is my living experience.

So, what is the way to verify that this is true? We already went through one way which is the
‘Neti, neti’ which is to say ‘It is not this, it is not this, it is not this, it is not this’. Then what
remains? What is it that remains that we cannot say ‘Not this’ to? (The simple explanation of
neti, neti, isn’t it?) You can say ‘Not this, not this, not this, not this, not this’. There comes a
point that we cannot say ‘Not this’ to what I am. So, that is the first way.

Then as Bhagavan [Ramana Maharshi] said ‘Who am I?’ The inquiry points to the truth of who I
Am. So, when we look at this we see that it is not the inquiry ‘Who am I?’ which is leading me
to a concept of who I am, but it is a pointer to the Truth; a verifiable, direct experience of who I
Am. And it is a very, very important point to discuss. Because most of those who come to
satsang (after a point of being in satsang) have picked up all the concepts of what is True. But
many of them have not had a clarity of recognition. So, to pick up the concept of ‘I am
Awareness’ is not the Truth; not yet. But to see that ‘I am this Unchanging One, which is just
prior to any conceptualization’ (and Awareness seems like a nice way to describe it, but not
completely). Just like we say about love, isn’t it? That we can read lots of books about love, we
can write the best poetry about love but unless you taste it, we truly don’t know it. It is not in the
description that the Truth is found. And neither can we explain it to someone. We can keep
pointing to it but the Truth cannot really be explained.

So, now at best we have come to these very direct pointers: ‘Are you aware now?’ It is very
difficult to escape from this pointer actually. You have to have a very skillful mind to escape
from this. And when I ask you ‘What is your basis for saying ‘yes’? Did you see something
phenomenal?’ And you say ‘No. This awareness is prior to any phenomenon, it is that which
knows all phenomenon; that which is aware of all phenomenon’. And when we come to this
point it becomes our verifiable experience of the Truth: Awareness is here.

At this point, the mind will come and play one more trick on you to say ‘Yes, yes, you saw
Awareness’ and still try to create some distinction between you (I) and Awareness. That is why I
have given you one more question which is ‘Who is aware of Awareness?’ Who is aware that
you are aware now?

Very few now come up with a counter to this question. Usually they buy some distraction from
the mind. It says ‘Yes, yes, but what about my life, and my family, and my things?’ Anything to

 
 72  
 
escape this question, the mind will throw at you. But I want to say it is very important to just
look at this very simply and keep that which is changing aside.

Who is aware of Awareness? If it is ‘I’…, this ‘I’…, is it separate from Awareness? Is it distinct
from Awareness in any way? And you will find that it is not.

These are not just thoughts which you are picking up. It is not ‘I am aware’. You don’t need
these thoughts. You see for yourself. Starting with ‘I exist’ then going to ‘I am aware of my
existence’ and going to ‘I am aware that I am aware’ and this ‘I and Awareness’ are one. All of
this becomes your direct, living, tasted experience (although it is not a phenomenal experience).
This is Self-recognition. This is verifying the Truth for ourself.

That is why the Sages have said that ‘To hear the Truth is good, it is important. To contemplate
on the Truth is a thousand times more important’. So, you hear satsang, then you contemplate
questions like ‘Who am I? Am I aware now?’ And to come to this direct experience of the Self
and to remain in that (without picking up false beliefs and concepts) is a thousand times more
important than even the contemplation.

That is all that is being asked of you: Come to satsang, immerse yourself in the Truth, in the
pointings to the Truth. Whenever you feel (very naturally) the inclination, contemplate into what
is being said. Use some transcripts, look at any paragraph, look at one or two sentences even that
appeal to you and contemplate. Just look at them and say ‘What are they pointing to?’ And as
they lead you to the experience of the Self, just stay with that. Don’t rush to distractions. Then
you will find that your naturalness is being revealed (although initially it seems like a bit of
effort). Then we move from that which was conceptually heard (in the hearing stage) to that
which becomes a direct experience and ultimately becomes a living Truth. So, this is what we
mean by ‘verifiable’.

This is the only way in which Truth is useful. Because if it remains only conceptual then it has
no use, no point.

 
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Scriptures Are Meant for Contemplation

These scriptures are meant to bring us to contemplations about who we Are in reality; especially
these scriptures like Ribhu Gita, Ashtavakra, Avadhut Gita. They are not speaking at the
behavioral level at all. Every verse is meant to be just contemplated and bring us to pointers
about the reality of who we Are. So, it is unconcerned with the outward actions, the behaviors,
the functioning of life. There are others who can be prescriptive about how to behave, whether to
have friends, what are the attitudes to cultivate but these are talking about just that, and their
purpose is for contemplation.

Now, if we start using them as if they are behavioral guidelines (‘I must not have friends nor
enemies’) then how to do this? They are usually so non-prescriptive in terms of behavior. There
is no strategy you can make to neither have friends nor enemies where you can just say ‘Okay, if
I meet someone I am just going to sit, and not talk or something but I’ll have a smile on my face
so they don’t think I am an enemy’. [Chuckles] These are impossible strategies to have in the
behavioral realm. So, not to be taken as behavioral advice and how to behave in the outward
functioning. Just the advice is to allow the functioning to happen as normally as it can while
using this to point to That which is the Truth of what we Are.

He [The Sage he was previously reading a quote from] says ‘I have, in reality, no friends nor
enemies’. And in the functioning of the life, there will be some friends and enemies. So, then the
point of the verse is just to check ‘Who is that here that really has no friends or enemies?’ Just to
check like that. This primal Witnessing has no concept of friendliness or resentment or
grievances. So, that is what we are looking for.

 
 74  
 
This is the Key Point in Satsang

When we look at this, we find that no senses can help us with this. If one by one all the senses
were to leave and the eyes were shut, no hearing was happening, no sense of touch, no smell, no
taste, we would still know ‘I exist’. How is it known? When we move away from sensory
experience, we find that the Knowing of existence still remains. Before that there might be this
false notion that (that which is phenomenally perceived through the senses) only that is. Or that
which is mentally known (intellectually known as concepts) only that exists. But when we are
pointed inwards, we find that there is a knowing of existence which is not sensory, it is not
mental.

So, then what is it? This is the key point in Satsang because this Knowing is the primal Knowing.
This Awareness is the Self.

What is it that Knows of our existence, my existence? That ‘I exist’ is undeniable. And it is
simply very easily seen that none of my senses are needed to know this. Even other inner
perceptions (like memory, imagination and other sensations) are also not needed for me to be
clear that I exist. I don’t need even a concept, I don’t need to have studied any scripture, I don’t
need to be religious to Know that I exist. So, it is independent of sensory perception, independent
of mental conceptualization.

With what power is this known?

What kind of Knowing is this?
If it is not mental, what other Knowing is there?

This sense of existence doesn’t need to be remembered and can’t be forgotten; whereas mental
knowing can all be forgotten. So, what type of Knowing is this? That which knows even
existence, that ‘I Am, I exist’ IS this Knowingness.

Is this Knowing changing in any way?

Can this Knowingness diminish or increase?
Can this Awareness become tired or feel energetic?
Can it be fearful, can it be joyful?
Is it aging with time?
Does it have a location in space, pure existence?

And who Knows of this Knowingness?

Who is aware of Awareness?

 
 75  
 
What you are recognizing now is what all of these scriptures are about. The sense of existence,
the sense ‘I Am’ is a portal; it is that portal which Awareness itself uses to experience Itself as if
it is something.

So, the play of something starts with this concept ‘I am something’. I Am-ness Itself is the
primary phenomenal appearance, but the game truly begins when it believes the idea ‘I am
something’.

The one I, this Awareness, is ‘I Am’ then playing as if it is something, [as if] ‘I Am something’.
The Unlimited is playing as if it is limited, the attribute-less is playing as if it has attributes.

So, to play game of ‘something’ is to keep attaching attributes to this pure sense of existence.
This or that, something or another, becomes the basis for conditioning, basis for the experience
as if there really is a person here, as if there is an individual me here.

So, when we walk outwards through this portal of ‘I Am’ then countless, myriad ways to play as
an individual are available. ‘I am an artist, I am a doctor, I am guilty, I am so proud’ …,
countless number of attributes and conditions we can believe.

But when this ‘I Am’ Itself drops all these ideas about Itself, and the urge within this ‘I Am-ness’
is to recognize the ‘I’ …, where it came from. That is called turning inwards. In this way we
walk through this portal in the other way. Instead of attaching attributes to this ‘I Am-ness’ we
are now looking at the true nature of ‘I’ itself.

Who am I? That is the point of Bhagavan’s [Ramana Maharshi] question.

Let the play of existence play by Itself, leave the play of Am-ness/Beingness, and just look at
who is this ‘I’ itself.

It brings us to the same question: Who is aware of this existence?

To see that it is I, all you have to do is ask yourself: Who is aware even of this awareness? You
see that I am self-aware. That is my true nature.

This is the path of Advaita Vedanta. To walk through the portal of ‘I Am’ in this way, leading to
the ‘I’.

There are many other paths, but mostly the true paths are those which have different
prescriptions about what to do with the appearance of existence and all the phenomenal

 
 76  
 
appearance that comes after that. But in terms of the Reality they are pointing to, they are the
same (although terminology may be different).

In my experience, this is the most direct path to see what is it that is prior even to existence.
What is it which is the eternal, timeless, unchanging reality?

So, the prescription about what to do with the phenomenal appearance changed from path to
path. Some will say ‘Love everything, hug everything that comes’. Some will say ‘Just let
everything come and go; neutrality’. Some will say ‘Avoid sense experience as if it is poison,
know that it is fundamentally unreal and untrue’. So these are prescriptive about what to do with
phenomenal appearances. But irrespective of this difference in paths, the true path must point to
this unchanging Reality. Whether they use the term Self or non-Self, it doesn’t matter. It is
undeniable that there is a Knowingness, this ‘I’.

Is it possible for us for a few moments to not be concerned about anything that is outwards from
this portal ‘I Am’? Everything that comes after ‘I Am’ [is a play] of my Being, that which
Knows of my existence.

What if this was all that was being pointed to in Satsang? Don’t focus too much on that which is
after ‘I Am’. Look for that which is before ‘I Am’. That is exactly what the Sages of the past
have done. And don’t worry about that which is changing.

Where does that bring us?

What is the unchanging ground to all that is changing?

What if we could allow any fear, resistance (all of it) to play out, but we just look at that which is
the unchanging Reality?

You will not lose anything. What could we possibly lose by recognizing where the root of our
existence comes from? There is no reason to fear.

What is aware of your existence?

Don’t settle for any answer.

May all of you find this. May the Satguru’s grace open your inner insight into this Truth about
who you really Are. In your expression, may you learn to value this Reality more than that which
changes. May all of you become the perfect instruments of my Master’s voice.

Om Shanti, Shanti, Shanti

 
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To Know What You Really Want
 
Q: Father, really I don’t know what I really want or value the most.

A: Yes, it is an important question, because I was telling someone else the other day also that
you make a journey out of this simplicity if you seem to oscillate between the things that we
want. Because if everyday the wall that we want to climb changes, or the well that we want to
dig itself changes, we start to realize ‘I am not getting anywhere. I climb one step over here, then
I come back and climb a different wall one step; and I start digging one feet here and then next
day I am digging somewhere else’ and it seems to prolong it; if you have first not truly
contemplated this question.

That is why Guruji [Sri Mooji] just asks someone, he says ‘If you had a genie and the genie gave
you one wish, what is it that you would really want?’ And I know that it is not always that there
is great clarity about this, but it is good to at least ask yourself this question. This is what
Maharaj meant by ‘integrity’.

This world is for us to enjoy, to enjoy the play. And we can play with these desires and aversions
and all of this. It is when this urge to play it starts to settle down, then we come to the point of
dropping. No reason to feel guilty about anything at all, just contemplate: ‘If I could have one
wish, if God appeared in front of me now and said ‘What is your wish, my child?’ what would
you really ask for? There is nothing wrong in playing life in that way. There is no real pushing
from here that you must only want what is being shared here. If you have said that ‘This is what I
really want and I am willing to let the rest of the world burn if it has to’ then the words of satsang
can point you directly to that.

That is a very good contemplation. Just there is no reason to pick up any sort of unworthiness or
guilt or anything about it. We’ve just got to have some clarity and integrity about what we want.

 
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Who Confirms Your Existence?

If I say either that you exist (or that you don’t exist) who is here that can check this? If I say you
exist, what can confirm this? Then we say ‘You don’t even exist! What are you talking about?’
It’s at a different level of speaking. But who confirms even this? There must be some, power,
some non-thing-thing which is here, which is receiving even these words.

Now many will say that ‘There is nothing. There is nothing receiving these words’. But is that
your experience? So, that which is receiving these words, that is aware of the hearing these
words, is not a thing.

So, there is a hearing of these words. Undeniable? Isn’t it pretty clear? There is a hearing of these
words; and you are aware that there is a hearing of these words? Don’t try to understand, just
check. There is a hearing of these words and you are aware that these words are being heard. So,
we are pointing directly to that which is aware of the hearing. And you can use any sensory
perception; hearing is just one of them. The inner perceptions are there or sensations in the body
or some emotions are there. They are being experienced and you are aware of that. What is it that
is aware of that?

Sometimes we say that in asking these questions you will not get anything, but actually it is not
true. You can say that it is not a question at the phenomenal level, therefore there is nothing in it
for you phenomenally …, actually even this is not true; because it is only in this discovery, only
in this recognition, that life even in this phenomenal realm seems to becomes of full of ease and
peace; the end of suffering, the end of conflict. There is no other phenomena which can bring
you to this kind of quietude, can bring you to the end of misery, end of suffering. There is no
phenomena actually. [Chuckles] To come to the end of suffering (even in the phenomenal play)
we have to come to the discover ourselves to be That which is prior to phenomena.

Out of the hundreds of thousands of Beings that I met on this planet, I had the blessings of the
Master to meet some who are beyond this suffering. And those have been those who have
discovered who they really are.

And those who have not discovered this (whatever their life might be like in terms of
relationships, material possessions they do not have) they have not come to this point where they
can say that ‘Suffering seems like a strange idea’. I know that sometimes some momentary
reactions can come but this idea that I could suffer for prolonged periods of time seems like a
strange idea.
And what is it that we are looking for in this phenomenal realm also? Everything that we are
searching for, everything that we are doing, is with the intent to find lasting peace, lasting
happiness, contentment. So, I’m here to tell you that (from at least what I’ve seen) I’ve found
that only those who have come to this true Self-recognition and the dropping of this false
conditioning have been able say that ‘I am not suffering. Why do they say ‘Oh, this world is
suffering?’ They can understand, of course, but it starts to seem more and more of an alien
concept.

 
 79  
 

So, that’s a ‘carrot’ for you. Don’t feel that it only will help only my life to come to the
recognition of the Self. That’s why Guruji [Mooji] says that ‘Nobody who has found the Self,
this freedom from the false conditioning has gone on to say ‘No, no, take this away from me. I
would rather have a million dollars’ or something like that. Why? Because when the discovery
of the Truth is that ‘I am this non-phenomenal Awareness, prior to all phenomena’ then can a
phenomena hurt me? Why must I chase things? Why must I be feverish about anything at all?
That’s why it’s called ‘leela’ or a game or a play. It doesn’t mean that the play stops; the play
continues but it doesn’t seem to have the same pinch, the same juice, the same bite as it used to
earlier.

So, everything is still tasted (outward things are tasted, emotions are tasted) but that which got
mixed up with the mind, the identity (that ‘this is happening to me, I should not have done this,
they should not have done this to me’) all these mixed up ideas are dropped away. That is why
the pointing is in this way.

 
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This is Enough to Be Happy

Quite a few have been asking me ‘Why are you always pushing us towards awareness?’ For
contemplating. Maybe sometimes because just to say ‘It is the Truth’ is not enough, because the
question ‘What’s in it for me?’ can still be strong.

That it is why it is also important to point out that even in this realm, the best existence is for
those who have come to this realization. There is nobody that I have found (in my outside
satsang life) who can claim that they are not suffering, who can claim they are fully content,
beyond misery. If you ask any of them, they’ll say ‘I want money because then I’ll be happy/ I
want this relationship because I’ll be happy’.

It’s like this old Zen story of these two farmers, one of them is being very lazy and sitting
around. (I’m not advising that, by the way. [Laughter] I’ve gotten into a lot of trouble; because it
sounds like I’m advising laziness.)

One of them is just sitting around and the other one comes and says:

“Why are you just sitting? Why don’t you go work in your field?”

So he says “Then what will happen?”

“If you work in your field, you’ll be able to sell your crops, then you can build a bigger house.”

“So then what will happen?”

“Well, if you have a bigger house then you can get married, have children, you can have a
beautiful family.”

“Then what will happen?”

“Oh, then you can expand, you can hire people to work for you, get more and more money.”

“And that will happen?”

You see where the story is going. Ultimately he says:

“Then you can just sit and be happy.”

He says “But that’s what I’m doing already.”

[Laughter]. This that is Here Now is enough for us to be happy actually. That is why, irrespective
of circumstances..., like some have millions and millions of dollars and are extremely unhappy.
Some have no money and are extremely unhappy. So, it’s not that it is either way. Some can

 
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have money and be happy; and some can also have no money and be happy. Some can have no
relationship or terrible relationship and be happy; some can have the best relationship and be
unhappy.

So, it must be clear by now, that there is something beyond material possession, which links to
this end of suffering. Please hear me carefully. I’m saying that it is not contrary to material
possession. In either situation, it is possible to suffer or not to suffer. So what is that distinction?

If I was to consider myself an object, then other objects would be important for me, of course. If
I am just this body, then this body is dependent on so many things; where I live, [etc.] If I were
just this body then all of these things become more and more important.

But am I an object? Am I an object? And if I’m not an object, then what importance do objects
have for That which is not an object?

 
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What Is It That I Truly Want?

Looking at it now, I would say that if most of humanity has this belief [that ‘I am the body’] and
most of humanity is not living in this state of contentment, peace (irrespective of the state of the
body and the phenomenal material that the body has to experience) that itself should tell me
something.

The definition of a wise one is one who can learn not just from their mistakes but from the
mistakes of others. And even if this body, this present experience, is all that I have at this
moment, even then, to experience this moment in its complete-ness is all that I can do. So,
whether body or not-a-body, I see that I am definitely not this imagined entity which is just a
figment of our imagination.

To contemplate this gives us some clarity about what we want. If it feels true that ‘I am this body
and there is no such thing as a non-phenomenal existence’ …, if there is no pull toward that
emptiness, then our spiritual search (especially in direct satsangs like this) will become a
struggle, it will become a pain. But if it feels true that ‘I am this Awareness, I am the Self,
unchanging, unmoved by phenomena’ …, if it feels more true that this is true (and yet, there are
times, of course, where my conditioning can play out, that we seem to get stuck in some ideas)
then satsang is the place for you to be.

But what will be the most suffering will be to be in satsang and say ‘What about my body, what
about my material things?’ and to be outside in the world and to say ‘But what about the Truth?
But what about the Truth?’ That’s what I feel many of us end up doing. When we’re in satsang,
we’re concerned about ‘Okay, but what about my phenomenal life?’ and when we’re outside
satsang, we’re concerned about the Truth. Either way, the mind has found a way for us to suffer.
When we’re doing phenomenal activities, we’re not getting joy from that because we’re saying
‘Okay, but this is not True. It is feeling meaningless’. And when we’re in satsang, there is too
much concern about the outside world, outside life. This can happen. And we must be able to
look at this: What is it that I truly, truly want?

And my feeling is that all of you who have been in satsang for such a long time, to me it seems
pretty clear what you want. Yet somehow, for some of you, it doesn’t seem as clear.

Then I have said: Okay, there is no real dichotomy. The play of life can continue. But at least
when you’re in satsang, allow yourself to be pointed in the direction in which I am pointing. That
will make it very simple.

The only prolonging of the spiritual search, the only frustration of the seeker identity can be this
sense of being close to looking at where you’re being pointed to. So, all of these things (the
notebook, the wanting you to contemplate, the asking you questions) all of these are just attempts
to get you to look at where I’m pointing.

 
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Many times the trouble can be that all of you want to be Frank Sinatra [Chuckles] ‘I want to do it
My Way’. (How does the song go?) And that’s part of your fun. I know that. At least the
expression will come to this in your own way. I’m just sitting here going ‘Come, come, check’
and you’re like ‘No, we’ll go that way’. [Arms flailing] [I say] ‘I’m here!’ [But you say] ‘No
we’ll go that way’. [Chuckles] It’s all part of the game like this.

So, if we were to make to make it a little bit systematic (because the mind needs some systematic
paths to follow) then the first question we would ask ourself is: What is it that I truly want?

Options? ‘I have no desires left, I’m done. I have no desires, I don’t want anything’. Option 1.

Option 2? ‘I only want freedom, I only want the Truth. All that is untrue has now become
allergic to me. I have an allergy to that which is untrue. I want only the Truth’.

So, it is those that get in the most trouble; those that say ‘I want a little of this and a little of that’.
[Laughs] ‘I want to play this way, but I want freedom’. That’s fine. You have to have integrity
and say that. And some will say ‘All of this? I was in this only for that; so that I could get some
particular benefit or some better relationship’ or something like this.

So, when Bhagavan [Ramana Maharshi] said ‘Integrity’ this is what he was talking about; to be
clear about what it is that you’re after. Then when it is pointed to you that ‘The Truth is this no-
thing-ness’ then you can check and say ‘Okay, the resistance comes because I don’t want this no-
thing-ness. I want something which is material still’.

In your notebooks, if you can write for tomorrow: What is it that I really want?
It will make my life simpler, if nothing else. [Chuckles] And I feel the contemplation itself will
give you a lot of clarity.

What are the desires that are still at work?

What is my utopia?
What is my definition of my perfect life in the perfect world?

It’s like ‘Mind 101’. What is ‘Mind 101’? I say ‘Write down what you really want’ and the mind
comes and says ‘But…, do I really have a choice?’ [Laughs] And when I say ‘You have no
choice. You’re not the doer. You have no choice in anything at all’ the mind says ‘Okay, what
should I do with my life? Should I go here, should I go there?’ Don’t fall for these tricks.

If freedom meant that you had to give up on everything, what is it that you would be unwilling to
give up?

So, the first question is about desire: What is it that I really want? The second is about: What is
that I have (attachments) that I would be unwilling to lose? So, if freedom meant that you would
have to give up everything, what is it that you would be unwilling to leave, even for freedom?

 
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What is Desire?

Pick one of your desires and See:

Was it always there?

Have you always had that?
When did it come about?
What happened that it became a desire?

And you find that nothing has always been there.

When we were babies, we didn’t come out with apparent desires anyway.

What was it that led to this?

An external event led to something?

I don’t want to answer for you. Just look.

Look for yourself. And see:
What is the genesis of a desire?
That which we call desire; or even an aversion?
Where does it come from?

So, if you say ‘freedom’ for example, ‘enlightenment’…,

You said ‘One with the Source’.

Q. Yeah, awakened; One with Source.

A. Awakened. So, when we’re a baby, when we were babies, we didn’t have this sense that we
wanted to be one with the Source. You see? And yet, babies are more enlightened then all of us.
So, how did it come about that this desire for enlightenment or desire for freedom also came?
And each of us can contemplate for a couple of minutes.

Look at any of your desires in your list and see:

What is the genesis of that?

What led to this becoming a desire?
How is it that my desires seem to be different from the desire of another?

So, we are going from ‘What the desires are’ to

‘What is a desire?’ (Including the desire for freedom.)

And what is the purpose of a desire?

What is the promise of a desire?

Allow yourself to look.

 
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If you feel like you have no desire, then allow yourself to remain empty.
If there is an aversion to this kind of contemplation, then use this aversion to look:

Is there a concept that I am holding on to that seems to be the source of such an aversion?

And if it is really empty, then allow yourself to use this opportunity for the next few minutes to
just remain empty.

[Long Silence]

Done?
Looked at the nature of desire; the genesis of it and what it is?

 
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What is Attachment?

For some of you, beautiful unfoldings are happening. Beautiful experiences of Grace are
happening; that which we call miracles. Actually, miracles are just in service to your Being. As
you are coming to your unassociated Being, you’ll find a lot of things (which the mind could
never even fathom) have been playing out in our life. So, it is this emptiness which is playing
now. A dream full of Grace.

And our mind wants to use even these situations as opportunities to bring us back into the idea of
personhood, into the idea of separation, into the idea of presuming to know what I want; which is
the opposite of surrender. Surrender is ‘Let Thy Will be done’. ‘Handing our existence over to
existence, as Guruji [Mooji] says.

And the mind wants to use even these opportunities (where the Supreme Will is unfolding so
beautifully) it wants to use these opportunities to bring back the pretense of my will, my desire,
my individual foolish notion that ‘I know what is good for me; I know what is needed to be
experienced here’.

So just like this, allow all of these concepts to come and go as much as you can. And if some
idea is picked up (like ‘I want to see my other two grandchildren’) then remember that the idea in
itself is not as bad as the second punch from the mind which is the guilt…, ‘Oh, you should not
have done that’. Now you are falling into the trap. ‘If you have the salad, don’t have the desert’.
[Chuckles] All these are ideas of the conditioning. And it’s very natural for some of these ideas
to be picked up. Some of them will last momentarily and some of them can last a little longer,
but if you pick up the second punch ideas of guilt, resentment, remorse, then those seem to have
a more lasting effect.

So, just as you are doing (it is very beautiful) allow everything to just unfold as it has been
doing; including allowing the thoughts to just come and go.

So, in one way we can say that desire is the opposite of surrender, isn’t it? [Silence] It is a
reinforcement of our pretend individual existence.

And very good that you brought it up actually, the next point which we had to contemplate
today, which is: What is attachment?

What is attachment? To see this world of objects, there are millions and billions and billions of
objects that we have experienced. How does something become an attachment?

So in the same way we can see: When did it start? No attachment has always been there. You can
see that existence continued to exist, even prior to this sense of attachment.

To look and to see: What is it that I call an attachment?

 
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That’s why the question was: What is it that I am unwilling to give up?

Even if it means that I suffer; even if it means that there is misery…, is it something in the world
of objects? Is it an idea about myself? What are my attachments?

And looking more deeply, what is it that we call an attachment?

Also note that I’m not giving any answers. Whatever is coming up, I’m just contemplating along
with you. And there are no right and wrong answers really. But it is important not to shy away
from these things, to look at these forces, to look at these topics.

[Silence]

Q. Father, I know what came up strong was that I’ve said (more than a couple times) that I’d
give up everything; that I would give up everything for freedom. And it feels like the mind is
trying to use this as like the ultimate test. You know? [Laughs] So that’s where the pull is
strongest; right there.

A. Yes.

Q. Am I really willing to let go and give up this attachment? I was before, when I didn’t have a
chance…, but now that they’re showing up. You know? I’m just going to lay it at your feet and
give to you and let it be what it’s going to be, because I can’t do anything else. So, if you’ll just
take it for me please?

A. Yes. To surrender it is a very worthy attitude to have. And also here, what we’re doing is not
pushing anything away. We’re not saying you should not have this or you must not have that;
that this is good or this is bad. We’re just shinning our light on it. And in the shinning our light
on it itself, some resistance could be coming up for some of you. We can just look at that as well.

Just like in your case, you can look and say ‘There are so many millions of children in the world,
what makes these three my grandchildren?’

How is it that we can call something mine? In this phenomenal realm, what makes it mine? What
is the ‘mine’? What is the meaning of ‘mine’?

And once we’ve looked at the meaning of ‘mine’ it will lead us to what we mean by ‘me’. If you
are to say that attachment means that something is ‘mine’ let’s look at what makes something
mine…, ‘My children, my grandchildren, my family, my life’.

It’s beautiful to be able to look at these things. And we’re looking without judgment; we’re
looking without conclusions.

 
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I’ve shared this example many times. When I moved into this house, there was a small garden
outside which already had some plants and trees. So one day, I planted some seeds in the ground
just to see how they would come up. And I noticed that from the next day onwards, first I would
want to check on those; because those were mine. You see? [Chuckles] So, what is that made
them mine? What is it that makes things mine (my relationship, my security, my money, my
Master, my freedom, my ideas) that which we call an attachment? How is it that something can
become mine? Why is everything not mine? Or why is nothing mine, not mine?

[Silence]

If all is just appearing and disappearing in this realm, how is it that something is mine and
something is not mine? How does it become mine? How did it become yours?

[Silence]

These two questions about desire and attachment are leading to two very important questions.
Look at the nature of attachment.

Be true to your experience; have complete integrity in your looking for yourself. Don’t fall into
that trick of getting into some sort of an Advaita denial. Only when you’re looking, you get into
Advaita denial; the rest of your life seems to be flowing in this flow of desires and attachments.

So, the least you can do for yourself is look. Look at these things.

[Silence]

And if there truly is nothing, then just remain empty.

 
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Contemplation Questions

Look at the nature of desire.

Look at the nature of attachment.

Then find:

What does it mean when we say surrender?

What is it that we are truly surrendering?

Look at the nature of surrender and what it means to surrender.

What it is that we are surrendering?

Then look at:

What is Reality? (Or) What is Truth?

What is Reality? What is the Truth?

How does it relate to attachment?

What is the relationship of Reality and Truth with attachment?

 
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This is What is Meant by Advaita Denial

All of this is a fulfillment of Consciousness’ urge to experience itself. We are not talking about
that. I feel you know that also. Isn’t it? Empty of what life is giving you in this moment, is there
something more you want? That is the question. Are you listening? Life is playing like life is
playing, life is experiencing itself the way it wants to experience itself. Besides ‘What Is’ is there
something that you want? That is the question.

Q: I would again take a very practical example (not just talk in words) that suppose there comes
a very strong pain, a sensation, in the body which becomes unbearable, then it comes to get rid of
that pain or to be free from that pain. So, how is that in contradiction with…?

A: So, life is not wanting to experience that pain then? Something else is doing that to life?

Q: You mean to say that the movement away from pain is not life wanting that movement?

A: Everything is life wanting that, everything is life wanting; everything that's happening in the
play is life wanting it. If this is clear to you, then what desire can you have? That is surrender; to
see that everything is the movement of life. You are saying that..,

Q: I am also saying that desire is also a movement of life.

A: Yes, it is ultimately. And this (looking at what a desire is) is not a movement of life? [Smiles].
So, this is exactly what I meant when I have spoken about ‘Advaita denial’…, because we have
understood that everything is a movement of life except when we are asked to look at something.
So, what is fighting it? The concept is fighting it; the looking. If you were empty of that concept,
won’t it become lighter? Easier? Which is all ultimately happening in the one movement of life.
Nobody is denying that. But in the play, it plays in this way; that we hold onto a particular
concept. And I didn't even say 'Throw away your desires'. I said 'Can we look at them?’

Q: This statement, that ‘Desire is the opposite of surrender’…, I didn't feel to agree with that at
all.

A: Yes, yes. Because?

Q: Because I feel that's not true.

A: So once we surrender and say 'Everything is yours. You do what you like. You experience
what you like'. This is surrender. And then say 'Oh, but I want this'. Is it not opposed to it?

Q: It's not opposed to it when you see that that wanting is also God's wanting to experience that
experience at that moment.

 
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A:Yes, but when you say 'I'm walking left' and when you say 'I'm walking right' (at the same
time) ‘I'm walking left, I'm walking right, I'm walking left I'm walking right; everything is being
done by God.' But is it true? Is it coherent? Is it coherent, is it true, when you say one second
'Everything is yours' next second 'I want this’. But that also is yours? You see? It's very
convenient. [Smiles]

Q: So, can you talk in terms of practical examples? Suppose that example of the ice cream
desire,

A: Don't talk about ice cream [The Sangha laughs] for obvious reasons. Let's say 'In everything
God, dear God, let Thy will be done'. That is the prayer of surrender 'Let Thy will be done’. And
the next is 'Please make sure I have a job, please make sure I have a girlfriend, please make sure
life goes in this particular way, that I have lots of money'. So, which statement is actually true?
That is what we have to look at.

Q: I have looked at both and found that both situations are true in such a way that even when you
surrender to God or to the higher power then it kind of brings these motivations to guide your life
in a betterment.

A: Okay. So, if you feel both are true.., both are equally true?

Q: Okay so one statement/reason how both are equally true would be 'I surrender completely
myself’.'

A: Okay, now we are going in full conceptual direction. What is true for you? You have desire or
no?

Q: Right now, I don't feel there is anything. But it comes up. Maybe when I go out, there is.

A: There is nothing? Then no problem. Why is there this desire to speak all this? That's why I
said if there's nothing then remain empty. [Smiles] You have a desire to be right?

Q: Yeah, maybe a desire to correct if something wrong is being spoken which is not true.

A: What is that? Who does it belong to?

Q: I think that I can easily let go of the desire to correct. It's not a very big deal.

A: There is something called ‘The Straw Man Fallacy’. The Straw Man Fallacy is that we take a
point and we debate that with a point which is different from that. So, I say 'India's a very nice
place to live' and someone says 'Oh, but India only just got independence 68-70 years ago'. The
two have nothing to do with each other.

 
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The exercise was to look at what is the nature of desire. Also I told you that I'm not answering
anything, I'm just giving you pointers to look at. So, the straw man fallacy is that 'Oh, but desire
is God's doing; everything is God's doing’. If this was your true state of surrender then we would
not be having this conversation at all. If you have this acceptance that 'Everything; all my desires
are Yours, all my life is Yours' then you would not have this aversion to this conversation
because you would know what it is meant for…, because you would be able to see that there was
a point where there was belief in these concepts that ‘Something could be mine. There's
something that this false non-existent 'I' could want’.

[Silence]

Who doesn't know that everything that moves in this realm is God's will? Then why come to
Satsang, why inquire? Why anything? Nothing; if that is our true experience. You see? It would
be different.

So, [this is how we can see that] we use Advaitic concepts just to gloss over, as resistance to look
at ‘What is it that still reinforces my sense of separation?’

 
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What is Reality and What is the Truth?

A very important question is: What is Reality? What is the Truth?’

It's very good to contemplate this. One way to look at it also is that if it is not directly clear that
this is the Reality or the Truth, then we can start by looking at: What do we mean by false? That
day someone was saying that ‘We come to Satsang to be free from the false’ …, drop the
illusion, drop the false. So, if we can at least identify all that is false or all that is unreal.

Now this definition of Reality is very important for us to know. What is it that we mean by
Reality? Is that which is apparent (apparently appearing now) do we call that Reality? Or is there
something which is unchanging?

What is of value? What is it that we are looking for?

We must come to a definition that satisfies us because Reality is of value, Truth is of value. Here
in Satsang, if it is a constant, it must be an unchanging Reality. So, if this appeals to us, then it
makes it very simple. Then the realm of the changing doesn't seem to have so much power over
us.

Why does it appeal here? I will tell you why. Because for many years it was this sense of trying
to get something in this realm, but it was seen that everything in this realm was constantly
changing.

Everything is constantly changing; nothing stays constant. We try to make it constant, we try to
make it stick but it doesn't happen that way. We have seen this in our relationships, in our
material possessions, in the state of our body; in all of these aspects we have seen that this is
constantly changing. And when we attach to that which is constantly changing, it is bound to
lead to suffering.

Even if the world is not constantly changing, our mind is constantly changing. We want
something really badly; and suppose we get it? Then after a while our mind changes about that
and says ‘I wish it was like this or wish this was another way’. So, even if we find some little bit
of constancy in the world, this mind doesn't stay constant. Because many of our desires that we
have had in the past have actually been fulfilled also. Many have been fulfilled. But did they lead
to the constant fulfillment? Because our mind also changed about it. Our belief system is
constantly changing.

So, can we really find something which is unchanging? In that, must be the unchanging peace. In
that, must be the unchanging sense of contentment. The end of suffering can come when we
recognize this unchanging. That is living experience. Even the Buddha has said that the world is
suffering, which means that this realm, this changing realm, is a constant source of suffering for
everyone. If we attach to this, then we see that it is a set-up for failure. Nothing can be really

 
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held on to. Because the instrument through which we experience the world itself will not last. So,
that which is presumably-perceived through this instrument? How can we presume that will last?

Is there any possibility of that which is unchanging? Because That is of value. If there is such a
thing, then it is important for us to give some attention to that.

What could it be that remains unchanged? What is it that is Real? What is the Truth?

So, one attribute we have described: That which does not come and go, that which does not
change. If I tell you ‘There is something, Awareness, which is unchanging’ …, but just by telling
you this, is it enough? Doesn't help. I can say anything. I can say ‘There is a heaven at the end of
this world which remains unchanging’. I can say ‘There is no hope; there is only hell awaiting
us’. But all these are only conceptual. ‘There is this Awareness which is unchanging’ …, it
doesn't help. Why? Because it has to be directly verifiable as a Truth.

So, Truth has to be experienced as the Truth; as our direct living experience. Otherwise it
becomes another concept. Most religions are a set of concepts. But here what we are talking
about is that true spirituality is to directly experience that which religions are pointing to. If there
is a God, then it is of value. Otherwise we have seen that it only becomes a battle of concepts, a
struggle to keep some individuality alive by trying to keep a hold of what we feel are the best
concepts.

That which is unchanging and That which is directly verifiable.

I feel like if we can at least agree that these two attributes must be there in that which we call the
Truth or Reality, then it will help us a great deal. At least that is the reality which we are talking
about or sharing in satsang; always ever-present, unchanging and directly experienced, directly
verifiable.

Then, for a while, can we keep aside all that is changing. States are changing, people are
changing, the body is changing. So, in our definition, if we can say that ‘This is unreal because it
is changing’ …, that is how traditionally in Advaita it is defined: That which is changing is
maya; that which can be measured is maya. They have defined it as an illusion.

Now, we’ll come to that; whether that which is appearing, that which is changing is inherently
different from that which is unchanging. The final answer is ‘No’. It is also That. But you can
come to that. Because that which is appearing is attractive to the attention. So, the point of
labeling it as unreal, labeling it as maya, is only so that, for some time, can we take our attention
away from that, and see whether there is something? Can I find something which does not
change?

So, this is how we look at what is the Truth. What is that Truth?

 
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All That is Changing is Not This

A: This is an interesting question. [Reads from chat]

Q: ‘Father the very moment I go for experience, Truth is gone.”

A: What does it mean when I am saying ‘Direct experience’? It is the same as when I say ‘Are
you Aware now?’

‘Experience’…, I see where you are coming from because ‘experience’ usually is used to
describe a phenomenal tasting (or something) for that which we are checking now. When we
check for the unchanging, it is not really this kind of phenomenal experiencing but it is a deeper
Knowing of Itself. Knowing, this kind of knowledge, is what we are speaking of; not
phenomenal tasting. We are using experience of the phenomenal as a pointer back to the root of
that experience, the Source of the experience. Who is tasting sweetness? It is tasted in my
Presence, in my Being.

What is That which is aware of this?

Why I have to say ‘Direct experience’ is because it is not a conceptual idea, not a mental
knowing. It is directly Known. Maybe ‘Knowingness’ is a better term than ‘experiencing’.

If we are contemplating together, you might be coming to this point where automatically this
which is called ‘neti – neti’ is happening; [Neti neti means] ‘not this, not this’. Because we said
‘All that is changing is not It’…, so therefore ‘not this’ [Pointing to indicate things] ‘not this’.

What is that for which we can NOT say ‘Not this’?

What is it for which we can NOT say ‘Not this’?

So, if we use what she was saying as an example to say ‘Okay, everything I experience is not the
Truth’…., when we look for this ‘I’ and we say:

This world is an experience; every experience is constantly changing, is totally untrue: not this.
This body is changing: not this
These thoughts are coming and going, changing constantly: not this.
Emotions, sensations of pain are changing, not constant: not this.

The sense of Existence, the sense I Am, is constant (as far as my experience goes, as far as my
phenomenal experience goes). Not only does it seem like it, but also it seems like there is never
an experience without this back drop of Existence; I Am.

There is never another, there is never something outside apparently, without first there being this
sense that I Exist. Therefore this Presence, this sense of Existence, is revered. In all traditions, in

 
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all religions, this Consciousness, this Presence, Being, Atman (whatever you call it) is the
unchanging light and the backdrop on which this entire play that we call the waking state
happens.

And some of us will feel very comfortable to stop at this point, which is enough actually; to See
that my Presence, this sense of Existence, Consciousness, is the unchanging reality as long as I
Am.

This is the beautiful discovery that ‘I Am That I Am’.

But some of you might ask: Why is it ‘I Am’?

If ‘I Am’ is ‘I’, then why is there ‘I Am’? Why don’t we just say ‘I’?

Is there an ‘I’ which is even before ‘I Am’?

In the same way that we checked ‘Who is this ‘I’ who is aware of these objects, this world and
everything else which is phenomenal?’..., some of us even might ask:

Who is the ‘I’ which is aware that I Am, that I Exist?

What knows this?

 
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Contemplation Questions

We've explored a few things together which is:

What do you truly want?

What are you unwilling to give up?

What are attachments?

What is is desire?

What do we mean by surrender?

What is nature of reality?

Do desires & attachments apply to that which is real?

Or to that which is unreal?

~ ~~

I want you to contemplate a few things now:

What is attention?

What is belief?

What are attention and belief?

What are the different phenomenon to which attention can go?

Which phenomena can be given belief?

What is Identity?

What type of phenomena is the ego?

 
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Have You Lost YourSelf?

If I say ‘I lost my shoes’ can you give me an idea, give me a suggestion about where I can find
them? ‘I lost my shoes. Do you have an idea where they could be?' [You might say] 'Where did
you see them last? On the feet? Or there [Points to where he usually leaves his shoes in the
room] or the shelf?'

So, what are we doing here? We are presumably trying to find the Self. Where must we look? If I
say ‘I lost my Self’ where shall I look?’ Where did you see it last? [Chuckles] Where should I
look? I come to you and say ‘You look like a smart guy. Can you give me some advice? Where
should I look for my Self?’ But if I was to say ‘I lost my body. Can you help me out, to find it?’
then what would you say? You will say ‘But I see it, the body is here. Where did you lose it?’

Why is this not true for the Self? Why would you not say ‘Who are you then? But you are the
Self? How can you not be the Self? How can you lose your Self?’ you would say.

So, if the body is more obvious…, that which is the Self, is it less or more obvious? And for a
while it can seem like it is less obvious. It can feel like ‘I have lost the Self and I am trying to
find it. I am trying to find my Self’. And also, for so many centuries Sages have said ‘Know
thyself’. But…, I know my Self. Who doesn't know themselves? We could just tickle you and
when you’re laughing say ‘There. When you laugh, you are your Self’. [Smiles]

Then would it be fair for me to say ‘Okay, if you lost your Self, then who are you right now?
What are you representing right now?’ And you might say ‘I am the sum of all of these things in
my life; my relationships, my body, my ideas, my money, my interests, my hobbies’. But then if
I were to say ‘What if all of these started to dissolve?’ Money gone (suppose the Prime Minister
said money is illegal from tomorrow; everybody will just barter) so, money gone. Relationships
vanish. We realize our rubbish, so gone. Do you go along with any of this? Body; every cell is
changed…, every few years this body has nothing in common with the body that was born out of
my mother's womb. Not a cell is the same. So, body also constantly changing.

What is that at the center of this? And even if it is an idea of me, whose idea is it? Can an idea
rest on itself? You can say ‘At the center there is an idea of me’. But can that idea exist
independently, or does it need something to support it?

‘Can you have an idea without you?’ is the question. Isn't it? Is it possible? So, what is that
which is prior to the idea? That's worth looking at isn't it? Where does all of this rest?
I gave some exercises for all of you to do. You are supposed to contemplate on attention, belief.
Whose forces are they? Where do all of these come from? Out of nothing. Is there any distinction
between this nothing and the empty nothing which is in the space, for example (even if air was
not there)? You can say that ‘The nothing in this room is the absence of phenomena’ (or if there
is some phenomena, there is air; but let’s ignore that for now).

This nothing is the absence of phenomena. So, that from where this arises, from where all
phenomena arise, is it the same nothing? Is there any difference between the nothing from which
time and space comes, and the nothing which appears within space?

 
 99  
 
Contemplation Questions

What is action?

What is inaction?

Is inaction also an action?

Is inaction possible in the waking state?

What controls our thoughts?

What controls our speech?

What controls our body movements?

 
 100  
 
I Am the Self

[After reading of Ribhu Gita, Chapter 26]

I am the Self.

There is no one or two.

No Advaita, no Dvaita.
No Supreme, no small.
No light, no darkness.
No past, present or future.

Neither this, nor that.

In Me, there is neither stillness nor movement.
In the play of objects, play of sensations, thoughts and emotions,
play of existence and non-existence is not for Me.

I have neither come, nor I go.

I am all there is.
No time, no space.
No sound, no light.

I am neither touched nor untouched.

No words, no silence.
Neither that, nor this.
No transmission, no transference.
Neither concern, nor un-concern.

I am Knowingness.

Neither pure, nor impure.

Not in the mind, not outside of mind
Not in the intellect, yet the intellect is ‘I’.

I am Awareness.

Nothing to witness, nothing to drop.

No recognition, no conditioning.
Neither free nor bound am I.
I am not in the Silence, not in the expression.
Yet ‘I’ is all there is.

I am never lost.

 
 101  
 
Neither thing, nor no-thing.
Not full or empty.

I am neither this, nor that.

I am Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva.

Yet none of the gods am I.
I will not be understood, nor mis-understood.
Neither conscious, nor unconscious.
I don’t exist, yet all existence is ‘I’

I am not one, we are not two.

I am the Self.
I am Knowingness.
I am the ‘I’ before Being.
I am the Self.

 
 102  
 
The 3 D’s of the Ego

This is a magical universe. [Smiles] So many things moving, grasping for our attention; these
objects, all of this, all of this, [Gesturing around him] this body. All is happening. Not just this.
Then, so many thoughts; emotions, so much sensation. Then all kinds of variants of emotion
mixed with thought; guilt and regret. So much of this activity is going on. And we’ve been
playing like this as if we are also an object in this realm of objects. It is a great power that
enables That-which-is-not-an-object to play as if it is one. It’s a great power. It is Your own
power. This kind of magic only the Divine can do. This divine leela. To say something is mine
itself is a great power; the power to play as an object in this world of objects.

How many different types and varieties of energies we’ve experienced, all from that ultimate
No-thing-ness, emptiness? We have to (just for some time) enjoy the magnificence this which is
going on.

What is it that we are saying fundamentally?

Firstly, that you are not a thing.
That itself is enormous. It is enormous.

Then; that which is not a thing can have the sense that it exists in some way.
How can it come about like this?
That which is No-thing then can have the sense that it exists.
But even that much play is not enough. “I’m just being, I’m just being. I exist.”

Also (I used to say) ‘I exist as if I’m something in this play so that this play can seem so juicy
and alive to us. I’m this bundle of energies in this play. I’ve not had enough’. This is deep divine
hypnosis.

So, ‘I exist’.
Then ‘I exist as something’.
And then ‘There is so much other than me’.

Now not only is there the sense that ‘I am something’ but also ‘There is another; there are so
many others. There’s all of this’.

None of this is ultimately your reality.

Yet it is very compelling. You are a Supreme video game designer. It’s like one of those movies,
isn't it, where the programmer himself gets caught in the program that he has written. You are a
game designer which is par excellence. This compelling game we have created and all this magic
is happening. First that ‘I exist’ in the sense of existence itself. Then that ‘I exist as something’.
Then also the idea that ‘There are other things that exist beside me’. And all this play of
enjoyment and suffering; all of this play happens on the basis of these ideas.

 
 103  
 
If you don't have this sense that ‘I’m something’ then suffering is not possible. Look at all of our
suffering. Such is the magnificence of this play. That No-thing, the Self, the Absolute, then plays
as if it exists in this way; and then it plays as if it is this mere bucket of energy, bucket of flesh
and blood. Then says ‘All that is appearing in front of Me is not Me. This separation never really
happened’.

This one, even now, doesn't need any spiritual practice to see this. We’ve done a lot of practice
to separate, to believe the separation by believing our thoughts, believing our ideas. So every
thought is premised on the concept of ‘me…, me, me, me, me, me’.

I’m starting to realize that the ‘spiritual me’ is just as bad (if not worse). [Laughs] It’s so special.
It’s so arrogant. It’s so caught up in this so-called journey to freedom. Very, very selfish also at
times; very, very. ‘Me, me, me, me.me’. [Laughs] So, it is not as if there’s some specialness in
spirituality; it’s very, very selfish, (mostly; I shouldn’t generalize so broadly) …, this ‘me’ who
never took birth. Even till the end we avoid looking at ‘Is there really a me?’ Why? Because then
it’s ‘game over’.

Somebody is saying, “I put 3 coins in the game machine to play this game.”
And somebody comes and says, “No, no. Leave it.”
“But I’ve put 3 coins in here.” [Laughs] “I want to see where it goes. How does it end? The
supreme bliss; the happy ending. Live forever. Happily ever after.”

We feel like we can get to this. But the only ones who have gotten to this are the ones who have
taken their hands of the game. And then you’ll be surprised to see that the game goes on. It still
appears. Left and right, the movements will happen. You took the hands off the joystick but it
still is moving. But it seems to become a lot more fun then. All the stress of ‘What to do? Where
to go? Am I getting there or not? Am I playing this right?’…, all our unworthiness, all our
specialness; all gone.

Because it’s a very simple point: these words are being spoken on their own. It would be foolish
to presume that there is one Ananta who is sitting there who is then conceptualizing these words
and speaking them. They are just arising. And this true for all words which were are ever spoken
by anyone. All actions are happening on their own. There has never been this ‘Me and
another’…, just like our thoughts are appearing.

Most of humanity is even feeling guilty about their thoughts. But who knows how to create a
thought? Nobody. What is the raw material for thought? Nobody knows. Not only that; feeling
guilty for your thoughts and resentful about another’s thoughts! ‘How can you think this about
me?’…, as if everyone is creating the thoughts that are coming. Not just action but also ‘How
could you think this about me?’ Most of the trouble in relationships are like that. ‘Oh, so this is
what you really think!’

 
 104  
 
Thoughts are coming, they are appearing. They are appearing and they are disappearing. Speech
is appearing and it is disappearing. It happens with us; words come to us. ‘Oh, I don't know
where this came from!’ It happens. Then, the same way with action.

So, this sense of doership is a critical feature of this game called maya or leela. It can feel like
there is not only somebody sitting inside this body but that somebody is also doing, thinking,
speaking.

That No-thing (which is not the negative nothing; the mind’s one trick is to say ‘Don’t tell me
I’m nothing. Tell me anything but don't tell me I’m nothing’…, because all of this about trying to
become something) …, but this No-thing, the mind cannot fathom. It is a very full…, (not even
full but we have to use terminology) it is a very full No-thing. It is That from which this entire
manifest creation appears; and disappears back into. So, this No-thing (because it wanted to play
as something) has created this entire game this way.

First, to have this sense that ‘I exist’. ‘I Am’.

Then, ‘I am something. I am the body, I am the mind, I’m this person’.
Then, not just that ‘I’m something’ but then ‘Everything around me must also be things. Now
that I’ve bought into this idea of separation, of duality, therefore now this bundle should operate
in a certain way according to how I decide. And those others are operating on the basis of what
they are deciding’.

It’s pure myth! There’s no ‘me’ like this, and no ‘you’ like that. There’s only One; the Self.

And because this doership is so strongly ingrained, many times (if you’re just hearing this) you
will be wondering ‘But if I just drop [everything] then how do I know my life will not be a
mess?’ And the arrogance of the question starts to strike you; as if we’ve done such a good job of
it so far. [Chuckles] ‘It’s been so good that if I just leave it to God then it might become a mess’.

There is no individual doer; no individual thinker. There is no individual speaker. Every

expression is being played as an expression of Consciousness Itself. But we’ve bought into this
idea of duality.

What have we looked at so far now? We’ve looked at doership and duality. But the basis of a lot
of trouble is once we buy into the idea of that ‘I’m just this’ [Gesturing towards the body] we
restrict ourselves to this idea. Then we also are catering to this idea in so many ways. ‘If I’m just
this body or the person who owns this body then what could I want?’ Then we say ‘Okay, I
might need so much money in the future, I might need a good partner, I might need this kind of
security, that kind of security’. So, we are just representing this nonexistent one; the owner of
this body or this body itself. The body (poor thing) sitting innocently, is not saying ‘I want this’
and ‘What’s happening to my money that’s been demonetized?’ It’s not asking any of that. It’s
just sitting. And yet there’s this ‘lawyer’ for the body saying ‘This is what I must have. This is
what I must have.’

 
 105  
 
So, like the cats looking for the next bowl of milk, from bowls of milk to other bowls of milk; till
somebody comes and tells us ‘No, no, none of this. It’s all useless’. And we start finding that for
ourself. And we say that ‘The final, ultimate nectar of amrit; the bowl of milk of enlightenment,
of freedom’. So, then we start looking for that one.

But still what is that for? It is for ‘me’.

So when you come to a place where it is saying ‘But who are you really?!? First, before I decide
to give you the next bowl of milk, let me first see if you are clear: What kind of cat are you?’
Then we start looking for the cat. ‘This is uncomfortable. I don't like it. Just give me what I’m
here for. Why can’t you just do that?’

That’s why many great Sages have also said ‘I give them what they want so that one day they
can want what I want to give them’. I’ve not seen it. I’ve not seen it functioning like that because
I’ve only seen that desire seems to multiply more and more.

So, this 3D system: Doership, Duality, Desire…, is the basis for all of our suffering. It will be
very worthwhile if all of this then led to something that was useful. And we’d say ‘Okay. I
worked so hard to pretend that I’m separate. I worked too hard to define these things I want;
these are my desires. And I worked so hard to constantly separate myself from another, separate
myself from the rest of this existence’. At least, enjoy it.

This is the funny part of this game, that it is played as if it is a game of suffering; these
momentary insights into moments of Truth. We create this life, then we want to escape it and go
to the mountains, sit in the farm. You want to escape. You want to go to nature. Why? Because
we shut off this mind for some time. But what is the mind speaking about? Just these things. The
mahamantra of the mind is ‘What’s in it for me? Me, me, me’.

That’s why (yesterday also I was telling someone) ‘Step out of this me’…, because it’s the big
untruth; big made-up, mythical idea. The cat which does not exist is this ‘me’. And see that
everything moves on its own. It is not possible (in the waking state) to not to be in some form of
action. Even our sitting still is an action. Heart is beating, breath is flowing. Sitting still means
we are sitting still. You can have meditators who meditate for tens of hours every day but are full
to the brim with doership. ‘I’m doing, doing, doing. I’m meditating, I’m meditating, I’m
meditating’. So, this doership is more and more reinforced.

So, (this second-to-the-last satsang) today I just want to say: Let go. Just let go.

Let go of what? Of belief that ‘These are my actions, these are my words, these are my
thoughts’.

And in the play you’ll find that it’s beautiful…, where everything just seems to flow on its own.
Everything is happening on its own. You are watching this as one play, one movie; including the
movement of this character.

 
 106  
 

Just forget about it. And what is the easiest way? It is to see that in this moment already all is
forgotten. In this moment, all is gone…, till we refer back to our thoughts and ‘Okay, is it really
gone?’ And the mind will say ‘No, no. I’m still a person’.

But Now again; gone.

Just this.
Just this Now.
Here and Now…, is what is being pointed at.

What are you Right Now without referring to the report from the mind?
To say that ‘You are One’…, even ‘One’ does not apply.

All the Sages have pointed to this.

Shankaracharya said, “Dispose of this mind and be free.”
Ashtavakra said, “The mind is complex. Let it go.”
Same.

 
 107  
 
The Play of the Character Remains

Q: Today I read something from a Master who said something like ‘The character, the general
energy will always stay, even after realization’. He said that ‘You just know that there is no-one
who is that special way.’ (I hope you get it.) Is that right what he says? Can you say something
about it?

A: The character will always stay. Yes, the play of the character will always stay but the sense
that ‘I am this’ becomes very light. I have to speak from my experience; the sense that ‘I am this
one and not that one’ becomes much lighter. It can happen that you cross somebody on the road
and he says ‘Sir, what is the time?’ and you look at the watch and say ‘1 pm’ and you feel like
‘Oh, but this watch could be his also’ so you feel like just taking it off and giving. So, that much
still remains here where the watch is not yet always taken out and given. That much sense of
individuality still remains here.
For many, even this goes. Many Sages have reported in the past that someone comes and says
something just like this and they give the whole kingdom. Like that; some stories are there.
Someone says ‘Give me some food to eat’ and they say ‘Here, here, you have my kingdom’. So,
extreme examples of the loss of this sense that ‘I am this character’ are also available. In the
traditional text it is said that in these minute quantities ‘Tanmatra’ always remains. That is why
the Sages are not walking into the ocean saying ‘I am one with the ocean’…, from this sense of
‘This one is there’.

In this case [Pointing to himself] I have to say that this is the thing that really changed (if
anything did change) that this sense of ‘me and another’ really reduced to a very small quantity;
and also continues to reduce. I can see already that even since the sharing of satsang started the
sense that ‘I am this verses another is that’ has reduced a lot.

So, I would say that the play of the character continues to play out, and it is Seen, but the sense
that ‘I am this character’ starts to dissolve more and more and more. That is the switch (if there is
one). That is the dissolution (if there is one). Like that. You see?

Also, what can also happen many times is you don’t recognize your own face in the mirror. You
say ‘who is this staring back at me from the mirror. It doesn’t feel like there is a ‘me’ in that. It
doesn’t feel like ‘These are my hands which I’m moving; this is my mouth’. When the sharing of
satsang starting here I would enjoy coming to the satsang hall, then would wait for this mouth to
start speaking and then be hearing this and saying ‘This is good stuff, I wonder where it is
coming from’. [Chuckles] So, this sense that ‘I am doing this, I am here as…’ goes, as this thing
starts to dissolve a lot more.

So, the play of the character continues as long as the seeming waking state seems to reappear. As
Guruji also once said ‘I woke up this morning and Mooji was still there’. You have to realize
what that means. You wake up and you see “Oh, this body is here. Okay, this one is Mooji, this
body is here, the sense that there is a character called Mooji is still there’. But this sense
dissolves in a very big way.

 
 108  
 

So, you said ‘I read something from a Master who said ‘The character, the general energy will
always stay.’ The ‘general energy’…, we have to see what you mean by that but the energy that
‘I am this character’ seems to dissolve in a very, very big way even after realization. Because the
realization is what? I am not just that character. I am this no-thing, this unchanging Self.

[You say] ‘He said that you know just that there is no-one who is that special way’.

[Silence]

It’s more like that there is no-one here at all.

[You say] ‘I was shocked a bit by this statement. I mean, I really reject a lot of this character’.

I feel we should clarify a little bit about ‘rejection’. So, what are we really rejecting? We are not
rejecting the movements of this body. We are not rejecting the speech of this body. We are not
rejecting what is happening in the world also. In fact, it is opposite of that. It is: that which was
resistance is now being replaced with BIG openness. BIG openness is here for the play of this
realm; this seeming character and all the other seeming-characters in it.

What is being rejected now is that ‘I am limited in this way. I’m just individualized in some
way’. What is being rejected is this sense of separation, the sense of separate identity. Just like if
someone comes to you now and starts treating you as if you are an infant (like ‘coochie, coochie,
coo…’) you will say ‘But who are you talking to?’ It is rejected; the idea that you are a baby is
rejected. And someone comes and says ‘But don’t you go to this school?’ (the school that you
went to) and you say ‘No. I reject that because I am no longer there. I went many years ago’. Just
in the same way, when the mind comes and says ‘But aren’t you supposed to do this? Aren’t you
supposed to be this? Aren’t you supposed to lead your life in this way? Isn’t that one supposed to
behave like this with you?’ All of this telling you about something that you are not, that is
rejected. But rejected how? Not by saying ‘No, no, you are not welcome.’ Rejected also by the
simple allowing…, ‘Then come and speak whatever you like but I know it is not for me, it is not
about me. The ‘me’ that I thought I was, was never real. It was just a misunderstanding, just a
fallacy.’

So, although a little bit of this remains always, that is why the great Sages and Masters have
come and also shown that even in their case it remained.

[Chuckles] (Okay, I should not speak this trivial-ly but…) take the example of Ram. How many
times has he cried in the Ramayana? Sita is taken away from Him; cried. Lakshman was lying
there as if he was dying and Hanuman has gone to get the Sanjeevani; crying. Then He had to let
Sita go to the forest after He came back; crying. So, while Avatars themselves are manifest forms
of Vishnu, in this realm they play with some conditioning, with some pretense of personhood;
but it is momentary. It is part of the play and it is not held onto. Other examples also there. And
Jesus saying ‘Father, why have you forsaken me?’ knowing fully well that all of this is just one

 
 109  
 
play of Consciousness. And yet so powerful is this hypnosis, this game, that the best of the best
have also (even after realization of who they are) had moments where they got caught up in this
play as if it is real.

And why is it like this? Why it had to play like this? It is so beautiful because it shows us that we
are not going for some idea of ‘hundred percent’. If we set up for ourselves this constant idea
‘hundred percent’ it is bound to be a set of failures. That is why all these examples have come
and we see that momentarily all of them have fallen for the idea that they are individual, that
they exist ‘as something

But I can tell you that what changes is that most of your ideas about yourself you will not
believe. Most of this mind chatter just comes and goes. And you rarely buy this idea ‘What is in
it for me?’ So, although in reality nothing changes, but (relatively speaking) it is a great shift. So,
in our full openness, that which is false will just come and go.

 
 110  
 
The Sages Solutions to This ‘Me’

What did the Sages do? They said ‘The solution for this attack of the 'me' is to (either) just
surrender this ‘me’ over to God and say ‘Everything is Your problem, God or Satguru’. Then
what happens when the salesman for the ‘me’ comes, the lawyer for the ‘me’ comes and says
‘But this is what you must do, this is what you must have, these are the things that are being
unfair to you, these are the things which are good in your life, you must keep them’. All these
things, they stop mattering to such a One. They know ‘I am in my Father’s care. I have no
trouble with any of this’. This is surrender, just the simple allowing is surrender. They also
realize that temperamentally some are different; they do not surrender like this. They will be like
‘Is there really a God? Is there really a Master, Satguru? Aren’t these just words? Some are
telling that. Here it played out like this many times. So for those, what did they say? ‘Find out
really if there is this ‘me’. Who am I?’ Self-inquiry.

So these were the most direct ways to get over this ‘me’ affliction, this disease of ego. But for
some these seem too direct. It feels still like ‘I don’t want to be rid of the ‘me’. I just want
something for the ‘me’. I want this ‘me’ to have a happy life’. But even the solutions to give a
happy life to this ‘me’ or to get us to step out from this idea of individuality, what are the
different solutions?

We go do some selfless service; means what? Stop thinking about ‘me’ for some time, go think
about somebody else. Basically that is what is happening, isn’t it? When you do seva, you are
going and saying ‘Okay, those children need our help. Let us do some actions which are about
somebody else so we get out of this ‘me’. In the sangha we do seva for each other. Why?
Because we stop thinking about this ‘me, me, me’ constantly and say ‘Okay, what is it that he
wants? What does she want?’ One day we should play one game: Don’t ask questions about
yourself, ask questions on behalf of one another. What is the question that you feel will help
another? Forget about yourself for some time. So seva, selfless service, is to get out of this ‘me’
and focus energy on somebody else. So, seva (for the Master also traditionally) has been
prescribed for those on the spiritual path that ‘You must do big, big seva for the Master’. Why?
Not because the Master is wanted to be served in that way; just so that the object of attention
moves this ‘me’ to Satguru Dev, the external form of the Satguru which is appearing in our life.

Then what are the other things? Do some chanting. Stop thinking about ‘me’…, chant the name
of the Lord. Do some meditation. Bring attention to the breathing or to the Presence ‘I Am’ or to
the form of the Lord; or to just the activities. The Buddhists called it ‘mindfullness’. Bring it to
whatever is happening. The hand is moving, just be with the hand. The breath is moving, just be
with the breath. If walking is happening, just be with the feet. Why? To get away from this
mahamantra of the mind which is ‘What’s in it for me…me…me…?’

So, the most direct was surrender and Self inquiry and then there were all these other ways that
seem to bring some peace, some joy. To step away from this individuality seems to bring so
much space and lightness, even if it is done with the intent to help the ‘me’.

 
 111  
 
So, the letting go is to surrender. And it can only happen NOW. You cannot say ‘Okay,
tomorrow I will let go’. Letting go is just Now. Now is the time [where] there is no false
conditioning; all the ideas of the past have gone. But this tree of conditioning is very sneaky.
You tug at one leaf and the whole tree comes. By one concept about yourself then it seems like
the whole person is there. Any small thing which is personal, it seems like the whole person is
there. ‘What has my whole spirituality been about?’ you wonder sometimes. ‘What have I done
over so many years?’ Because, why? You pulled that one tiny branch of this tree. That is why all
this frustration can come.

 
 112  
 
These Parables to Make It Simpler

So, just at the end, I want to share some important things (because it’s the second-to-the-last
satsang). [No more online satsangs for an undetermined time]

Just like this, if Grace can bring these simple examples to you in those times, that is my prayer.
Some of these examples I’ve really enjoyed over the years, as they’ve come.

First one is the ATM example, which all of you know. So, we are this ‘Anytime Misery
Machine’ which is called the mind. For this Anytime Misery Machine to function, and for you to
withdraw misery, you have to do two things. First is the ATM card which is ‘Attention To Mind’
…, (some of these things have just been designed for satsang, okay?) [Chuckles] So, you put the
ATM card in, which is ‘give attention to mind’ and then put in your PIN, which is ‘Personal
Identification’ which is your belief. You give attention to the thought and say ‘Yes, this is
meaningful, this applies, this is relevant for me’. This is my identification with the thought. And
you have unlimited reserves in this ‘bank’. As long as you want to withdraw, you can keep
withdrawing. But Know that without doing these steps, the ATM will not function. It is
impossible for you to suffer without your attention and belief in your mind.

This one I really enjoyed. The second one I also really enjoyed very much, which is the conveyor
belt. We’re saying ‘What to do?’ Because spirituality can be so confusing. There are so many
pointings, directions, here, there; do this, do inquiry; no. you’re not the doer. All of this can get
very confusing, isn’t it? So, then what to do? Same way as in this Japanese restaurant (it’s
inspired by a Japanese restaurant) where you’re sitting in this restaurant and you’re just sitting at
your table and there’s a conveyor belt on which food is coming. Food is coming.

So, the mind is like that. There is a conveyor belt on which thoughts are coming. All that is
needed to be done, even if attention is going to the food, is just to allow it to go by. That is
surrender. Can surrender be made simpler than this? Just allow this conveyor belt to keep
moving. As much as you can, don’t pick up the ‘calories’ of concepts. [Chuckles] You see?
Because it is these calories which are conditioning. It is these calories which become tendencies.
How to be free of them? Same way as ‘Don’t pull at the leaf of the tree’…, don’t pick up the
dish.

But the restaurant is very sneaky. What happens is that if you do pick up the starter, then at least
don’t pick up the dessert. Usually what happens is that (if you’re spiritual) you’ll pick up some
angry thought about another and it comes and goes; it’s gone. But the ‘dessert’ is the guilt. ‘I
should not have done that. I’ve not made any progress at all, I am not worthy of freedom’. You
see? All these ‘other courses’ that follow. Even if you did pick up a starter, it came; it was like..,
finished. Don’t pick up these heavy, high calorie ones.

So, surrender is as simple as that. Allow this conveyor belt of the mind to come and function, to
come and go. You remain concept-free; calorie-free.

 
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Then the cat one. [Parable] A lot of fun we had with it for a long time in satsang. We said that
suppose you were born in this world without any mirrors. You were born in this world which had
no mirrors, so you did not know who you were. And everybody said that ‘You’re a cat’. So your
only job then became to go after your next bowl of milk. They said ‘Get a good education, then
you’ll be happy. Get a job, then you’ll be happy. Find the right partner and get married, then
you’ll really be happy. Have children and have a fulfilling married life, then you’ll be happy.
Make lots of money in the bank; give security to your life and your family, then you’ll be
happy’.

So, all these bowls of milk, you had. You say ‘But this lasting peace, lasting joy is just not
coming’. So then what happens is that somebody comes and tells this cat that there’s this BIG
bowl of milk which is unending. Okay? After you do all this practice, after you do all of this
effort, then you might one day get access to this Amrit, this nectar of immortality…, and that will
be your final bowl of milk; unending joy.

Then we go to the Sage and say ‘Please, dear sir, can we have this? We were promised; many
have said that you have this nectar of freedom. Can you give it to us, this bowl of milk? We have
to taste it! What can we do?’

The Sage says ‘I have no bowl of milk. What are you talking about? I have no bowl of milk. But
I do have a mirror. Do you want to look? You, who are posing as if you’re a cat; I don’t see a cat
at all. I can show you in this mirror’.

Most don’t want that. Most still want the bowl of milk for the cat because the cat is so strongly
been believed. There are some who have come to the satsang of these Sages, and some who have
come to satsang here over the years and have been unwilling to look openly at this; to look at
who they are. And I’m happy to say that you’ve reduced the population of cats to at least some
small extent; that it is possible to get out of this trap of this ‘Cat Identity’…, this fallacy that ‘I
am this individual’. But it is helped with a lot of openness. If there is some openness, then it can
be very simple.

So, I feel some of these examples, some of these stories, can make this very seemingly-complex
Advaita, intellectual Advaita, much simpler.

 
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Recap of Important Pointers in Satsang

The main pointings here are very straight-forward I feel; very simple. There are just three or four
that I want to recap a bit also. The first one is this advice: Not to believe your next thought. This
simple advice: Don’t believe your next thought. And it came because I can see that in this
moment, you are free. I can see that in this moment, you are free. And from here, the only way
that you pick up the idea of bondage, you pick up the idea of individuality, is to give belief to the
next thought. And some of you know that when I started sharing, I just used to say ‘But just let
go of any next thought’ or ‘Let go of your thoughts’. And I am sure I have frustrated many,
many. [Chuckles] ‘I am not able to let go Ananta. What are you saying? If it was that easy why
would we come to you anyway?’

‘Just let go of your thoughts’ is the same as saying ‘Dispose of your mind’ or ‘The mind is
complex; let it go’. So, I said ‘Okay, that seems a bit difficult, I can understand. How about if
you let go of our next thought? That is all’. And I felt like ‘I don’t need to say anything after this:
Just let go of your next thought’. But then also I realized it got a bit difficult because it felt like
attention is going to these thoughts. He is saying ‘Just block them out, just block them out’. But
that is not what I was saying, so I clarified it even more and said ‘Even if attention goes to your
thoughts, to not believe it, is much simpler’.

And I have to admit that some naivety was in operation here as well, where I just felt like ‘If I
say this, it will be so simple for everyone’. But I realized that everyone, all those who have been
sharing satsang truly, have been pointing to this, but many times it can just feel like the interest
in the conditioning, the pull, the magnetism of the false notion of individuality is so strong that
it’s not always easy to not believe our next thought.

That is why coming to satsang regularly helps. Immerse yourself in contemplations of the
Masters really helps; all just enabling this simple letting go. The inquiry of cause really helps
because of all of the sticky ones which still seem to get our belief. My advice is to just inquire
into them, inquire into the identity behind them. Because all our stick thoughts, all our ‘velcro’
thoughts (as Adya calls them) presume a notion of individuality, of an identity; and the spiritual
seeker identity can be very prominent in spirituality.

So, for those thoughts which are sticky, or for that identity which is sticky, we put them into our
inquiry and say ‘Who wants freedom? Is there somebody here who wants to be free really? Who
is this one? Let that one present itself. And you find that there is nobody like that here. Then
when the thought comes ‘Oh I am still not free, I am not getting freedom’ then it doesn’t have
the same amount of juice, it doesn’t have the same amount of power. And then not to believe our
next thought seems simpler.

Also why not to believe our thought? Because it is not a true representation of what is. Another
favorite of mine was (there was a time we used to share about) this interpreter. I used to say ‘The
fake interpreter who doesn’t know what he is doing is here’. Where it came from was at Nelson
Mandela’s funeral there was Obama’s speech; and Obama was giving this speech but they hired

 
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this con man for an interpreter. So, Obama would just say whatever he was speaking very
seriously and the interpreter would just go [indicating speaking nonsense and flailing hands] and
there was a big outrage. ‘Who was this guy? What was he doing?’ So, just like this. Just ‘What
Is’…, is. It is very beautiful, it is very magnificent. Even these labels are not needed. But the
mind will always find a way to resist it, to interpret it in a way that makes it very personal, very
limited, very mental. So, because it is not an accurate representation of the Truth…, it is just like
bad subtitles in a movie. So this mind, the flow of this interpreter is the flow of these bad
subtitles in the movie, and believing them will only give you misunderstanding about yourself,
about who you are, and eventually lead to suffering and more and more trouble.

So, this simple letting go, this simple surrender is the end of suffering. It is just about this, Right
Now. You cannot suffer unless you engage with your next thought, believe your next thought.
And as long as it seems like they still have power, use Bhagavan’s [Ramana Maharshi] Self-
inquiry to diminish these power of these wrong ideas.

Then your question should be ‘Yes, okay there is no suffering here, but what about God? Can
you show me God?’ I don’t like to answer a question with a question but there is a beautiful
question which (if you are open to) you can have the direct darshan of Consciousness, of God,
the Light of this world, this very moment. It is an innocent sounding question with the possibility
of what you can discover with this is truly beautiful.

The question is: Can you stop being now? Can you try to stop being?

With this simple inquiry you come to taste your own Presence, your own sense of existence ‘I
Am’. God said ‘I Am That I Am’. This ‘I Am’ is what is spoken about; this Consciousness, this
sense of existence in the light of which the world is. When This goes to sleep, when This
dissolves within you, the world goes to sleep; there is no phenomenon. All time, space, light,
sound…, all of this is nowhere to be found without this Light of Presence. This realm of duality,
of me and another, does not exist without first there being ‘I Am’.

This is the fruit of most spiritual paths. Most sadhanas and practices are meant to bring us to this
point of recognition of the Atman, of Consciousness, I Am.

And even with this question I feel like the mistake or the error that can be made is that we can try
to come to a mental resolution to this, like mentally answer ‘Can I stop being?’ and come to
some mental conclusion: ‘No of course not, I can’t.’ But these questions are not meant for the
mind to answer. They are meant to invite and to provoke your own inner looking; very deep
checking. And there are many tools which we have provided over the years to deeply inquire into
this. Like when I ask you ‘What time did you wake up? What woke up at that time? What
changed between sleep and waking up?’ It is to directly introduce you to this Divine
Consciousness which seems to say ‘Let there be Light’ when It wakes up.

And as you marinate in your own Being, when you taste your own Presence, for some of you an
even deeper inquiry might emerge which is to say ‘Even this sense of existence seems to come

 
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and go. Although it is the Lord of the waking state, what is here which is even prior to this ‘I
Am’? What is here which is before ‘I Am’? What is aware even of this sense of Presence?

For this also we have a simple inquiry which is: Are you aware now?

How is this known? Because you did not see Awareness as an object, you did not see Awareness
as a phenomenon. It is quite clear that this Awareness is the unchanging, the backdrop to the
appearance and the dissolution even of Consciousness. This, with no attributes, no size, shape, no
age, this primal Witnessing which does not come and go.

Those who are longing for this recognition of the Absolute Truth will find meaning more than
any other phenomenal discovery because it is seen that all phenomena comes and goes; nothing
here lasts, everything is changing. Therefore, that which we must be looking for truly is the
Unchanging.

What is the Unchanging Truth? It cannot be a thing, it cannot be an object, it cannot be space,
cannot be light, cannot be sound; beyond all mental conceptions, beyond pure, beyond innocent,
beyond life and death.

It has brought great joy to this expression [Ananta] to see that some of you have actually found
yourself in this way.

But even with this, sometimes I found that the mind can be so tricky that it creates dichotomy
even here. And the dichotomy is what? Guess. [Chuckles] ‘Nothing is happening to Awareness. I
see it. Awareness remains untouched’. And in that statement itself, I can sense that what is being
unsaid. What is being left unsaid is that ‘Yeah, but what about me?’

Therefore I felt like this was the final question and I needed to ask you, which is: Who is aware
even of this Awareness?

I feel that any of you who really inquire using this question ‘Who is aware even of Awareness?
Who is aware of Awareness?’ that this dichotomy of ‘I and Awareness’ will dissolve and you
will see that ‘I am the Self.’ This ‘I’ is the ‘I’ that remains.

As Bhagavan said ‘I remove the I and yet remain the I’. It sounds like a big puzzle initially. It
will become so clear. And this real Self, the reality of ‘I’ is unchanging. You will realize that; to
See that ‘I am Awareness’ and even to say that ‘I am Awareness’ is not arrogance. It is actually
arrogance to say ‘I am a person’…, to presume that some separation could actually have
happened here, that God could be separated, is arrogance.

So, this I feel is the gist of what has been shared from here over the years; the gist of what
Advaita Vedanta really is trying to convey. It has been a great gift in this life here.

 
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Your Light Has to Be This Message

Meeting all of you also has been the greatest gift that my Master has given.

I have so much gratitude in my Heart for all of you.

Thank you for being this beautiful Sangha, my beautiful friends and family.

May we all never forget the beautiful grace we have all had in our lives to have the opportunity
to be at the feet of Satguru Sri Moojiji.

May his blessings bring all that is auspicious into all of your lives.

May you find that which your Heart is truly longing for.

I am always in service to all of you.

If not in this way then other ways.

So, this was my message in words.

My truest message is You.

Your life has to be this message,

Your Light has to be this message.

Your Presence has to be this Presence.

Satguru Sri Moojiji ki Jai.

 
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This Guidance, This Blessing

The only point of all the words that I’ve shared in satsang is pointing to this Silence. Never
mistake the pointers with That to which they were pointing. Remain still. Be quiet.

Don’t ever believe that ‘I know something because I know a concept’. True Knowingness is not
special.

If any words from satsang create frustration, guilt or anguish of any sort, keep them aside for
some time. Don’t get into any debates; no arguments about right and wrong or about superior
knowledge; there is no such thing. Just different pointers. If a pointer is not being used to
demolish other concepts, to remove false conditioning, if the pointer itself is new conditioning,
then it can be thrown away.

Remain in your not-knowing. And when we don’t know anything mentally, then we allow
ourself to remain open. If you find yourself in conflict, rely on your own Seeing, not on your
own concepts. Live concept-free; unconditionally.

The Satguru’s Presence is always with you.

Don’t fear your emptiness. Remain open. Don’t rush to cover yourself with some concepts when
your openness feels too raw, too naked. You will not lose anything but the false.

If there are times when you experience suffering, don’t go into any denial. Smell your own
concepts, your own words and notice if they are some sort of conceptual denial. Remain empty
of this. When you feel unworthy, know that it is a complete lie; because all of this is your play.
All exists because You exist. When you feel special, know that it is a lie; because the special one
does not exist. All is One; before the concept of One.

Advaita is not the Truth. Advaita is beautiful pointers to the Truth. Even to emphasize Oneness,
gives belief, reality, to ‘two-ness’, of separation.

When you experience different forms of energy, like form kundalini to energetic transmission
from the Sages to energetic transference to energetic afflictions, Know that even this energy You
are not. That which witnesses this is not energetic.

Remain empty of arrogance and false humility; which is the same. Remain empty of doership
and non-doership, of desire and aversion, of separation or Oneness. Have no concept about
anything. No debates about Self or non-Self, existence or non-existence. Never look down upon
another’s path. Never try to teach another, unless invited. Never use this knowledge as a sword
to attack another.

 
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Always have reverence in your hearts for beautiful Sages, who in their compassion have spent
lifetimes sharing this Truth. And if you can’t have reverence, at least remain empty. Never attack
one with good intentions.

When true spirituality meets the world, there must be kindness, compassion and love. Making
one who is suffering smile is a beautiful seva. [Selfless service, serving God in all]

Stay open to the possibility that you could be wrong. Don’t get stuck in any conceptual
righteousness.

Know that a Supreme Power, a Supreme Intelligence, runs this life.

Those who truly want freedom must also learn to provide the same freedom to their families, to
their friends, to all those who they meet. They don’t want to dance to your projections; just like
you don’t want to dance to theirs.

Let the world be as it is. You remain still.

Know that all of this (all of these multi-layers; this seeming-outside world, this body, these
thoughts, emotions, any sensations) all of this is part of the play of One Consciousness. There
never has been any individual with any control over any aspect of this play.

All is moving in the Light of Consciousness.

What then can we desire? What duality remains? Which doer is here?

You are never experiencing any separation. You are only believing it to be true.

Let go of all control. Let go of these fallacies. Surrender everything to the Satguru. And if you
feel like you cannot surrender, see if you can find the ‘you’ that is not surrendered. Find the one
that is not surrendered already. Inquire into the Truth. And if neither surrender nor inquiry you
can do, then go to the Sage and request his guidance. His pointing will get you to this beautiful
letting go.

When suffering seems to arise, find out if there is something which is not phenomenal, which
cannot suffer, about yourself. Check if you can put some attention on the space in which this
misery arises. And see if that space remains untouched by it. Who witnesses this space? Can
That suffer?

May my Master’s grace bring peace in all your lives.

May you be blessed with gratitude, joy, contentment.
May your lives be expressions of your Reality.

Satguru Moojiji ki Jai!

 
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[Sangha]: Anantaji ki Jai!
[Ananta]: Sangha ki Jai!

[Silence]

[Namaste]
Om Namah Shivaya
Om Namo Bhagavate Bhagavate Vasudevaya
Om Shri Ram, Jai Ram, Jai Jai Ram
Om Shanti Shanti Shanti

The true Master is Your own Presence.

Never feel like the Satguru is going anywhere.
All you have to do is call out to him, invoke the Presence of the Master.

And if this [Ananta’s] instrument is needed, this instrument will also continue to show up.
Always at your service,
Always in service to the sangha.
Always in service to my Master.

[Namaste]

Love, Love, Love you all so very much!

Thank you, Thank you, Thank you.

 
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Mooji ji ki Jai

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
~~~