Understanding Impermanence and Attaining the Eternal Through Meditation, Spirituality and Self-Realization.

Understanding Impermanence and Attaining the Eternal | Q&A with Babaji No.180
Recorded on 9 June 2024 with US participants

Agastya:

Baba, every living thing has a tendency to preserve their life no matter how difficult it is. It’s pretty amazing. Life can be so incredibly difficult for all living creatures, humans too, yet they continue to want to be. The love of being can make you go through unimaginable difficulties. What is that love of being?

A secure existence. That’s what every creature, every life species, would like to have. That is one of the basic reasons, whenever a secure existence is threatened, one goes into a conflict. Otherwise, they can live peacefully all the time. They want to be. In spirituality, the advice is that you want to be all the time as a permanent being, but we all know the physical body is impermanent. The universe is impermanent. Today this body is alive, tomorrow it may not be. We have seen our loved ones passing away from this world and so many others. One day we will also have to give up the body. Then what will happen to us? If that can be discovered properly, that we are eternal existence, much beyond the birth and death of the physical body, then one can live so securely in peace at all times, and there will not be conflict for anything.

Baba:

Suppose somebody criticizes you or any person. When that person feels threatened, threatened about ones status or any such thing, existence itself, then they go into a conflict. How dare you talk nonsense about me! How dare you criticize me like that! They go into conflict. But If you know very well, they don’t know what you are, and you know that very well, you will laugh at them. Just like Ashtavakra did when he entered the court of King Janaka. All the ministers there sitting, they laughed at Ashtavakra, because he had eight deformations in the body, and he had to roll himself along. He couldn’t even walk properly. So then Ashtavakra says, O King, I thought you have some intelligent ministers in your court, but what I see is all are foolish and everybody scared. How dare this boy talk like this! Now the king will be annoyed. But the king was mature by then. He wants to know. Why do you tell that these people are foolish? Oh, Your Majesty, these people were trying to make fun of me. They were trying to make fun of me, thinking this body to be me. Whereas I am not this body, and they don’t even know. They can’t see me with their naked eyes, what I am, how I exist. So what fun that they can do? They are simply making fun of this body. That is why I say, they are thinking they are making fun of me, but they are actually making fun of this body. That’s why I say they are simply foolish people.   So like this, existence, if it is not threatened, if you know yourself very well, the Being, then hardly anybody can disturb you. No power, no incident, nothing can disturb you. Even if the body is going to go away, our own body, you will not be disturbed. So that’s so important for all living species existence.

Agastya:

So Baba, is it because of a wrong identity? We wrongly identify ourself, our beingness, as being a body and needing all these things in the world, a home and finances and friends and security.

Baba:

Yeah, it is. The conflict and distress that happens is (a result of) misidentifying ourselves. If we don’t know who I am, if I am identifying myself with the body, and if anything is going to happen to the body, if we feel threatened, then we feel stressed out. We feel that fear, anxiety and go into conflict. We lose temper. All these things do happen. So if only we know ourselves, we don’t have to undergo all these in our consciousness. That is important. If we have the ignorance about ourselves, then we go into conflict in so many ways. We feel threatened that somebody might rob us of our money, somebody might rob us of our property, somebody might harm our physical body. Somebody might do this, do that, they criticize, they look down at us, they belittle us. All these type of problems arise stressfully, then we go into conflict. If only we know what we are, all of us. Say you are the owner of a company, and somebody comes and criticizes the watchmen of the company. So you are hardly affected, because you know that you are the owner. You are not that watchman-gatekeeper, so like that once you know who you are, you will be totally secure. A secure existence is what is needed for all living species, they don’t want to die, they don’t want to become extinct.

Agastya:

You know the idea of ourselves being, a person, is so difficult to overcome, you know, because we haven’t put our attention on the consciousness that’s watching. And I guess essentially, that’s what the meditation is, it is learning to pay attention to your Self. Yeah, then the peace and the security comes because you realize that you’re above and beyond all this temporary, changing, bound, impermanent.

Baba:

Definitely. You see, since time immemorial, this habit has happened, that the consciousness has shifted and sat on the physical body and into this world. Now, once we realize it is a wrong thing, we need to change and shift back that consciousness, back onto our real Self. For that purpose only, meditation is one of the highest and strongest blanket remedies. So in the first step, thought is that one try to keep the physical body steady, unmoved, that’s important, and then gently keeping the eyes closed, just watch. Thus, through watching, you will be able to get rid of all thoughts and visions that are absorbed in the mind, which are known as the acquired habits of the mind, or the tendencies that form due to those acquired habits. We need to overcome all these things, which were simply absorbed due to imagination. When we saw the world, when the brain reflected, we thought, we imagined, oh, this is a wrong thing, and we absorbed that as an imprint. We thought, this is the correct thing, and we absorbed it as an imprint. So these things are sitting as habits in the mind, and that is the basic reason that we have forgotten what we are, how we exist. So this is what is needed. First to get rid of the imagination, then you will automatically know, because that will be revealed, that is there, just like if the projected cinema is withdrawn, then you will be able to see the screen is there, safe. Nothing is happening to the screen in the movie, there might be lot of violence, one trying to kill the other, shooting down, bomb exploding, all those things, but the screen remains unaffected all the time, nothing happens to the screen. Once you stop the projector, you will get to see the screen is eternal and unaffected. Symbolizing the Soul is what I am talking here, symbolizing the real Self that is unaffected. See, mind is the screen for all the imaginations that are happening in everybody’s mind, but people recognize the mind only based on thoughts and visions that are in the mind, but they don’t know what the mind is, because they are used to seeing through naked eyes, through five sensory organs. They  should (expect to) be able to smell something, or they should be able to hear something, or they should be able to touch, but the infinite mind is beyond all these things. You cannot touch, you cannot smell, you cannot see it, you cannot hear anything. So that is the important thing. But you can experience through the mind only. When the mind becomes quiet, you will be able to experience that Being in the Self, then you are reassured you are totally eternal. You are always there, immortally. You are not a mortal being anymore you will realize,

Agastya:

So our Self is not what changes. What changes our mind, intellect, body, the world, but not our Self.

Yes, the things that are in the mind change, but the mind itself doesn’t change. Simply, it visualizes. It projects in itself, so that changes. The movie on the screen keeps changing, but the screen will remain the same.

Agastya:

Baba, please refresh me on the distinction between consciousness and mind.

When the consciousness is into imaginations and when there are thoughts and visions in the consciousness, then that consciousness comes to be known as mind. We call it mind.  When all thoughts and visions disappear, when they dissolve through practice of meditation, in that silence what remains is consciousness.

Agastya:

Okay, so mind, in that case, is basically consciousness with thoughts in it. It’s not the thoughts that are the mind. It is consciousness with thoughts in it which is called Mind. (video 14:19)

Baba:

Thoughts are in the mind.

Agastya:

And then when you take the thoughts out and there’s no thoughts, you call that consciousness, but they’re really the same thing.

Baba:

Exactly.

Agastya:

In Savikalpa Samadhi, you’ve removed the thoughts. All thoughts except the thought of I, or I am, have been removed? So you’re just just universal consciousness at that point; and then when you finally remove even that sense of I Am, when that goes back in the ocean, then you are just the Parabrahman. You’re pure awareness.

Baba:

Yes, you see now the mind has got rid of all thoughts and visions, but is focused on one thought of I. At that stage, it doesn’t know what the I is, and it has not yet merged with the I. It is standing only with the imagination of an I (I am). Once that is abandoned, you give up that, then Nirvikalpa Samadhi comes and the mind disappears. That means mind is not anymore the mind, it is pure consciousness. It is the Self. Then the Self is revealed.

Agastya:

The word Beingness has been used for “I am” consciousness, but could you just as easily just say, mind.

Baba:

It is the same thing, simply in different forms, it is there.  I tell you, you will realize, when you meditate, that the mind is nothing but you yourself. You are imagining. You stop imagining and you will realize your Self. It can be as simple as it is, if only you understand the technique and get rid of the imaginations.

Agastya:

At first, I guess you realize yourself as that I and then eventually, when that goes away, you just become universal existence. That is all that has ever existed.

Baba:

Yes, many people are confused to meditate silently. They want to have some anchor because they are used to (that), and yet they cannot see themselves with the naked eyes. Whatever they can sense through the five sensory organs, they want to have something. For that, one mantra is given, or one thought is given. That “I” is given.  Things like mantras,  the ancient mantras of Indian teachers have been given. Ko Ham means, “who am I”. So Hum, “I am that”. The So Hum mantra is given, and you chant this mantra. Concentrate on it or on the breath, but it is not told to you what that So Hum is. So Hum means, I am that, you are that; but what is that? Where is it? Nobody knows until you experience yourself, until you give up that Ko Ham, So Hum, both. Everything you have to give up, then it is there when you are totally silent. And it is You, the Consciousness of Existence. That’s why I found out, in between all these So Hum, Ko Ham, anything, or nothing, there is one Consciousness of Existence. If you can directly catch hold of that and focus on that, from where it is coming, that is the silent meditation. Your mind will get absorbed into that. It will become one with it. Then the pure supreme consciousness can be experienced. That is what is known as Self Realization. But it takes so much of time. Just one step is needed, but that itself takes so much of time for people to jump. They will be wondering, where is it? What is it? All sorts of questions coming. Why is this happening? Why not this? What will happen if I chant this? What will happen if I don’t chant this? You get stuck into this, enquiring all these things, even after the master tries to guide them. People keep confusing again and again. They come back with another question. Then we tell them this is it. If only one can understand, what they need to do is they need to become silent.

Agastya:

Yeah, the mind keep. Funny

Baba:

The technique I am giving – just watch!

Agastya:

So Baba that just watch is observing. The technique is basically observing without any analyzing, no accepting, rejecting, no definitions, just pure blank watching,

No yes, or no, just be quiet.

Agastya:

So, Baba, in a quick summary, what would be a good definition of the Self, as you speak of it, the Big Self, or the Real Self?

Baba:

Nearest clue to imagine, to define, we can tell it is the combination of supreme consciousness and supreme energy, Shiva-Shakti. Ancient teachers also tried to tell that, but people have made another concept of Shiva and Shakti as forms. They tried to tell that supreme ultimate truth is the combination of supreme consciousness and supreme energy.

Agastya:

So what is the subtle body Baba?

Baba:

The subtle body is in your imagination, in your consciousness, but doesn’t really exist. That is the simple way to understand in today’s terminologies, in my experience. Books might have written anything about so many things, sukshyama sharira, subtle body. Sukshma means subtle, infinite. What is infinite? That which cannot be seen with the naked eyes. That means it is only in your imagination. I am a yogi, is a subtle body, actually, because it is simply an imagination

Agastya:

I see, as opposed to a physical body.

Baba:

Yes.

Agastya:

It’s a physical thing (the body), but also an imagination. However, a subtle body is something that exists only in the mind.

Baba:

Yes.

Agastya:

okay, so when we die,

Baba:

In other sentence, also, in the mind, means it exists only in your imagination. In other words.

Agastya:

Right. Okay, so when you have a physical body and a brain, the mind is present. We don’t know exactly what happens to the mind when the brain and the body die.  What happens to the subtle body then, to the imagination ?

Baba:

It is all carried by that consciousness, which is in the form of mind. As long imaginations are there, it (consciousness) is in the form of mind. The mind gets detached from the brain, when the brain dies, when the body dies and the brain stops functioning. But mind is carrying in symptoms (impressions?) in its imagination. Based on its imagination, mind spins and creates another world, another physical body for itself. It is reborn again. That’s what happens again and again. One is born and again and again One dies.

Agastya:

So Baba, is the mind without a body, what is called a soul or a spirit?

Baba:

So many terms have been used, but generally, I have told without a body, the mind doesn’t remain even for a moment or a second or a minute any such thing. It instantly assumes next world and next body. It’s born in illusion. It gets to see so many time limits and all such things. But that all happens just like that.

Agastya:

And that other body or the new manifestation could be anywhere. It doesn’t have to be here.

Baba:

Not necessarily, it can be anywhere, or there itself, but with a totally different scenario. Just like in a drama, one scene finishes, and some music is given, they switch off the lights, and they bring in another scene, there on the stage, and it’s altogether, a totally different scene. One time you were in Washington, in one scene, the next scene of the movie, you are in Portland. So like that, or perhaps you are in India. Anywhere else. Or you are on the moon? It can be anything, anywhere.

Agastya:

So a lot of your own imagination could determine the world you’re in or,

Baba:

Yeah, you churn and it happens like that. In imagination, anything can happen.

Agastya:

So if you’ve been pursuing Self Realization, trying to rise above the illusions and the temporary, and usually the suffering that goes along with it, will that just pick up where you left off or do you have to start over?

Baba:

If the involvement is there mentally, into this world, the same type of world might get created and that continues. The tendencies all continue. That is the reason spiritual exercises, what we call satsanga, is taught so that in your mind you can get rid of all imaginations, and take care that your mind can remain unaffected by the surroundings of this universe, also. Then only you can get rid of being reborn. Otherwise, whatever you carry in your mind you are affected in a good or a bad way, then that makes you to be reborn again. You will get to see the scene again. Drisha is the word that is used, it means you will get to see the scene again. You become the seer, and the scene appears to you. And you start thinking, you are born, you are growing, you are young, you are old. All these things keep happening

Agastya:

Back in the movies,

Baba:

Exactly.

Agastya:

Most people want happiness and security above all else. And you have said repeatedly, the supreme goal of life is supreme peace, the highest goal of life.

Baba:

Exactly, You see, not simply most of the people, all species, all creatures, are looking for happiness, knowingly or unknowingly. They want that one. That’s when they try to do that. Whether they go to a cinema, they go to a mall, they go to a temple, they go to a place of worship, they go to a guru. They go anywhere else. They want to find a companion. They want some happiness. If they feel loneliness they want a companion. They want to find it. It’s just for happiness. That’s what they are looking for. But only thing if the path is not right, that happiness can remain elusive all the time, until you know where to find how to find.

Agastya:

It seems Baba, the preservation of our existence. You know, even trump’s happiness, except that we want to preserve it, because hopefully some day we could have happiness again. But peace seems to be, like you’ve said, supreme peace or bliss is beyond peace, or mean beyond happiness. That, that, you know, I guess the thing is, you never really can have secure happiness in this world, because everything, including your body, is temporary. Okay? Well, thank you, Baba. You ready to take some questions? If anybody has any questions, nobody has any questions. Everybody’s speechless. Okay? Alex,

Alex:

yeah, hi, Baba, yeah, there we go. It’s when, when Swamiji went into his tapas. He sat for many hours a day, almost the whole day, and he did that for a long time, for 12 years. I’m wondering, why does it take so long to observe your thoughts until you get to the place where you’re just Pure Consciousness.

Baba:

Not that it took so long just to reach the consciousness. He was asked by the guru, appearance of the Jangama Sage who came and initiated him into tapas, asked him to do it for 12 years. A reason was not told Swamiji, simply went on doing

Alex:

so we I I’m assuming that we have 1000s and 1000s of thoughts every day if, if you sit and you watch, then the next day you have a few less if you’re doing the meditation correctly, and then the next day a few less, and then the next day a few less. Is it just about thoughts, or is it also about understanding and realization?

Baba:

*You see, it’s a practice. Say that thoughts are dissolving. You are watching. Thoughts are dissolving, and you are watching. You go on practicing. So even when you achieve a total silence of the mind, then you continue watching, so that you practice that effect.  That is why Swamiji said, if you remember. I have told, for one hour when you can make the mind quiet and just watching that is the real meditation. You can tell I was meditating. Till then you are trying to meditate and like that, when you are able to keep the mind quiet and focused just watching for eight to 10 hours, or more than the real tapas starts. So after that, for some time you keep holding on like that, you practice so that there is no return ever again. No more thoughts are obsorbed, no thoughts or visions must disturb. I tell, like our mind, our consciousness is, you write on a white paper, and it instantly gets erased. Like that, is what happens? So it’s just a practice.

Alex:

Okay, Thank you.

Baba:

Next question,

Clifford:

Hello Babaji. Okay, so,

Can you hear me? Yeah, I

Baba:

can hear you. Okay.

Clifford:

So, um, I just wondered if you could elaborate a little bit on when I asked you yesterday about whether or not yogis still have dreams, you know, because you’re not really having thoughts throughout the day. I was a little bit surprised, you know, and when he said that, yes, a yogi can still have dreams. So I was just kind of thinking that, what’s the difference between dreams and just regular everyday thoughts? Why is, why does one still occur when the other doesn’t have to?

Baba:

*You see, the thoughts that are in the mind are the habits of the mind. Through sadhana or tapas, say, for example, one has overcome those effects that are in the mind. That means consciousness. So that consciousness, which was mind and individual self, hither to, now has settled down into the Self once for all. That doesn’t get disturbed, but the body is alive. As long as the body is there, this world appearance also is there, but watching this world, the consciousness remains unaffected. The Self remains unaffected. It is just watching. The same way, because the brain is still there, it will produce, either out of its own memories or somewhere, something, it produces a dream. So that dream, the Maya in the consciousness, has to watch, is forced to watch, because it is there, but it will remain unaffected. It will not take any imprints or any such things. That’s what is important.

Clifford:

Okay, so basically, a dream is is not voluntary, but a thought kind of is voluntary, right? Yeah, that is we have to have dreams.

Baba:

You see, the thought is within you, and you have registered it as a truth. That’s why it is there troubling you. Whereas the dream is there for you to watch, and you don’t register it as a reality. You are totally aware of what it is,

Clifford:

okay. Thank you for clearing that up.

Baba:

Next question,

Speaker:

Baba, for years and years, I’ve lived with the idea of Karma, and it’s given me a groundwork to assume, okay, it’s all bad karma. But now I’m realizing that’s in my imagination as well. The thought of karma, there’s really no opposite, no good or bad. Is that correct?

Baba:

Yes, don’t keep anything in the mind, and there is nothing for you. That’s why practice meditation, for this only, so that you can get rid of both good and bad in your mind. It becomes peaceful and steady and then it merges.

Speaker:

Okay, alright, I’m getting rid of it

Baba:

Good you’re coming to good questions now. Very good questions. Appreciate next question, please.

Speaker:

Purnams, Babaji, thank you so much. I have two questions. The first question is, you know, I really enjoy meditation, and I try to do it every day, and have some really nice experiences. But at the same time, I have a busy job, quite active, and I also have interests in life.  I like to research different things, or even have a little bit of leisure and watch some TV here and there. So my question is can you still go side by side like that? And it does eventually, because sometimes I notice doing, having this kind of activity, you do kind of still maybe get some impressions here and there. They’re not not as strong, but you can still have some registrations. As meditation becomes stronger and stronger, does that sort of just overcome all the activity and you don’t have any impressions register despite your interest or activity in the world.

Baba:

Exactly. So side by side you go on meditating also. It’s like, let the race go on. This side they are all going on, the worldly things and the interests, whatever you want to do. Then this race is also going on. At one time, this race of meditation will overtake all other things. So no more impressions, no more imprints, will be absorbed. Then afterwards, if you live in this world, still you remain active, but the benefit is that the mind will not absorb anything as a reality. It is totally aware that what I am doing is not a reality, that awareness (of the Self) is what will save you from getting involved.

Speaker:

*Okay, that makes sense. And then one other question is, you were talking earlier about how self realization is just this one step, but it’s so hard to make that one step, and it seems like it has to do with that I thought. It seems like we’re so used to thinking of ourselves as an I. So can you talk a little bit about the I thought and How to let go of that.

Baba:

Since time immemorial, so many lives would have passed. So many times a birth would have happened, a death would have happened. Birth and death. Birth and death cycles would have happened in so many other species, and the consciousness is likely to have absorbed imprints, so they are all sitting as habits, tendencies that keep happening. So that is the reason it delays (Self Realization). So we are more bothered to consider things of this world in seriousness. In our mind we take it (them) seriously, then that delays. Once you understand the technique, simply we have to give up in the mind. You deal with the world any way that you want, no problem, but simply give up from the mind. Don’t take anything seriously, then you will remain unaffected, and that one step happens automatically. The day that you are able to do it. That’s all.

Speaker:

Thank you.

Baba:

Okay, good next question.

Speaker:

Babaji, you spoke that because of the mind, lifetimes and lifetimes occur instantaneously, like different stages, Swamiji came back over and over with no mind. What is the choice that Swamiji made to come back here, physically over and over.

Baba:

You see, He became a yogi, thus he got rid of any imaginations. But by the ordainment of the Divine, the Ultimate Truth, he just took with one thought that he wanted to be reborn for the welfare of the universe. Thus he came back. Sometimes he again did tapas. Sometime from childhood itself, he was realized. So he remained unaffected by the world, but simply with that one thought, just to help the world, for the welfare of the world, he came back with one thought. But that thought did not make him lose his Self Realization. He remained as a yogi all the time. That’s a very highly skilled thing to perform, One must not try if possible. Only ordained by the Divine, who has a mission in this world, they come back to do such work, and they will remain unaffected, as Swamiji also did it.

You got

Agastya:

Baba, there’s a couple questions in the chat. Can we take those now? Yeah. Okay, first one.  I was holding my Aunties hand when she took her last breath, I felt an energy leave her body, through her hand and up my arm and through the top of my head. I have long thought it was her soul, her spirit leaving. It was a peaceful setting. It seemed like her final gift to me, to experience her serene departure. What did I experience?

Baba:

If you had experienced the peace within, the serenity, that is the experience. That is the real experience. So you are blessed. That’s fine.

Agastya:

Next question, Baba. What is siddhi and Samadhi in English terminology?

Baba:

*Siddhi? Siddhis are generally terms like occult powers (those) type of things. Means in your mind when you resolve a certain thing to happen they might happen for a while. Because of your tapas sidhis come, but sidhis are totally prohibited when you are going for Self Realization. It must not be shown to people of this world. Means one is likely to become egoistic, thinking I have this power, and you will get carried away to the world, and you lose the vital Self Realization. So that is siddhi. And other one is Samadhi? Samadhi is the result of the sadhana (of) meditation. Through practice of meditation, when you get rid of all thoughts and visions that are in the mind, once for all, in every way, then that mind gets absorbed into the Self. When it gets absorbed into the Self that is in samadhi. Means totally in it Self. It has no imprints, no thoughts, no visions. It is in total silence that is what is known as Samadhi.

Agastya:

Okay, Baba. There another question, third question. Is marriage necessary for a seeker who wishes to go into tapas,

Baba:

It’s one’s own choice. You marry or you don’t marry, but you have to meditate. You have to take out time. In meditation you must not visualize anything. You must practice to become silent in the mind. That is what is important.

Agastya:

Another question came in Baba. What are two other things you’d like us to do during the day, such as reading sacred scriptures or service work? Can you be specific? Also, do you have any hopes for humanity? That’s the second question.

Baba:

Certainly you see any other two things? If you want to read a book, I would recommend the Ashtavakra Samhita commentary I have written and I have written commentary on Viveka Chudamani. Commentary means whatever was written by the teachings of Adi Shankara in Viveka Chudamani, I have simplified and used the present day terminology. Tried to make people understand what it means in a simpler language. So those books are recommended. Viveka Chudamani, a commentary by Shiva Rudra Balayogi and the Ashtavakra Samhita, commentary by Shiva Rudra Balayogi, these couple of books, slowly, slowly, read them. Yoga Vasistha, also you read. The Yoga Vasistha is a book published by Divine Life Society, written by Swami Venkatesh and translated in English. This is a yoga upadesha (teaching) of Vasishta to Lord Shri Rama. Also you may read the the Ramayana.

Agastya:

Okay, Baba, thank you. We’ll try to put, Victoria can you put those two books in the chat?

Victoria:

Yes, after the session, okay,

Agastya:

Baba, I think there’s one more question.   Baba, regarding service, she asked about doing service work. Can service work be helpful? And I think there’s probably a distinction between service work and karma yoga. Could you distinguish those you know,

Baba:

See, service work means you serve selflessly. Means without any expectation. Don’t consider it even as a charity, just as a duty. Without acquiring any habits in the mind you just do it. Then a Karma Yoga can happen. Karma Yoga, widely is any way that you are active in this world, if you don’t absorb any anxiety for the results. You simply accept the results as they come, then the mind recedes and remains quiet. So in all these exercises, if the mind can remain quiet, then that is beneficial, otherwise, an ego of ” I “can always arise,  “I am doing”. So if you take care of this thing, then that will be beneficial.

Agastya:

Well also she asked, if there’s any hope for humanity, can you comment on that.

Baba:

Yeah, don’t lose hope. We don’t lose hope for humanity. Whether anybody listens to me or not, I will keep talking about theTruth. Whether anybody will learn the meditation or not, I will always try to keep teaching the meditation. Whoever comes, I will try to teach them, and would like to inspire them to teach many more. You all take up teaching the meditation that I teach you, if you have time. Try to influence your friends, also.  Try to gather groups and try to do that one. So let us work together like this. Then we do have hope for this world, definitely. If you all can help me to spread the message of meditation, all of you, then we do have a hope.

Victoria:

Baba, I often approach meditation feeling like an individual self, focusing and watching as if I’m a separate “I.” However, you teach that we are infinite and universal. Today, you mentioned that the mind is universal and advised being kind to oneself. Is there a different approach I should take to avoid meditating as an individual self? Can you elaborate on this?

Baba:

Yeah, so if you can understand this, you are actually the space that is all pervaded. You are not a single pointed something, that is in the body as a dweller. The same space is within the body also, and that is you.  That is how you are universal. This is revealed if you simply become quiet in the mind. That’s what you have to practice. Slowly like that, if you give up maintaining the “I” thought also, that will be more helpful to quickly resolve the problem of Individuality. okay,

Victoria:

There’s a few more new hands

Baba:

We can take for another 5 or 10, minutes. Okay,

Speaker:

Maharaj, can you hear me? Yes, I can hear you. My question is regarding a human mind thought process. As you said earlier, if you don’t have a concept of good or bad, there is no good or bad in the mind. But there are people in this world who do bad thing as per their thought processes, and they think they are doing good. Like there are psycho killers and they are dictators, so and so forth. How about them, Sir? I mean, are their bad actions going to be registered as a bad thing or there is there no action? It’s this my first question.

Baba:

Somewhere their mind will absorb the guilt feeling of “I am doing this”. If they this is a good thing. It will not become a like that. They will be absorbing karmas, that’s what will happen,

Speaker:

okay, Maharaj, there is second thing, as you said, that in the last moment or last feeling of self-realization or the you know, become everything there is. I don’t know if you have seen the movie called Lucy. In the last scene that character, Lucy, became 100% potency. She became her brain got 100% potency, and she became everything, like in the mobile a character being asked, where is she? And there is she got a message that she became everything, like the space, air, water, so and so forth. So from Yogi perspective, I’m sorry to say that if Yogi don’t have a body so that yogi can became, will be, became everything in this universe.

Baba:

You see, when a person becomes yogi, or when wants to become a yogi, the thing is, the target is to merge with the Self and remain in Mahasamadhi. This movie, what you are talking is the imagination of the directors and producers. I am this also. I am that also. I am that also, you are getting involved with all the matter of the world, and you are again going back to the world with so many things. See, their imagination, generally, human imagination wants power. For that reason they want to be everything. I can do this also. I can do that also. I can imagination. So that is not a yogic kriya, that is not becoming a yogi. Becoming a yogi, you reach the ultimate truth and become one with the Divinity.

Speaker:

okay, but Maharaj, after becoming a yogi, Maha Samadhi is the same thing, no? Because in the Maha Samadhi, you are in

Baba:

It is not the same thing, because every matter, everything else disappears, only the Self remains there. All appearance is only an imagined thing. The matter is only an imagined thing. Though Vedas also talk, this universe is the form of the Divine. Just like whatever you have in your mind is also the form of your mind. Your mind is the raw material for all of those things. But all those things are giving you different thoughts and troubling you stressful, making you stressful. It is not giving you peace. It will make you peaceful only when you merge with the real Self, that which is beyond all existence.

Speaker:

So Maharaj, at the end of our stage, or in our you know process, or you know sadhana, we became Shunya. We are nothing. We become zero.

Baba:

Shunya and nothing, these both are also imaginary terminologies, you must understand. Zero is absolute. Absolute is zero. That is the beauty of the thing, of Existence, not these dualities.

Question:

yes, Maharaj, yes. Thank you, Maharaj. I will do more. Thank Thank you.

Baba:

Any other question Next, please.

Speaker:

Hi, Babaji. Have you published a video that instructs us how to teach your technique? Or would you recommend connecting with the jangama.org organization that teaches your meditation to others? What’s the right way to learn how to teach others your technique?

Baba:

This is the technique every time I am teaching when I make you all to sit for meditation. So it is the same technique. If anybody wants to learn, if you want to teach, you can teach them.

Speaker:

Do you have a video on YouTube or your website where you deliver the instruction? Or should I just use the phone application as my guide?

Baba:

Just wait, wait, give me a moment. I’m asking my assistance. Do we have a video on the YouTube? It is in the YouTube website. So in our website, Sr, by.org the video. Is there that I have spoken and instructed and, yeah, okay, good. Next question,

Speaker:

Hi, Baba, my brain is being rewired. Are there angels? What are angels?

Baba:

You see, you don’t have to bother about angels. They are there, but if you get involved with them, you will lose the Divine. Divine is much more important, it is the top commander. The ultimate truth is the Divine. Just meditate so that you merge with the Divine. Let angels also have insecurity, power-mongering, stress, trouble, everything, so that is not good. Bother about Divine, about Divinity. Got it. Yes. Good. Good.