Desires are a Prison and the House of Self-Realization

Every one of you must ask yourself, ‘What is the purpose I have come for?’

If it is to study, are you following the path and learning sincerely and thoroughly? Never forget the purpose of your existence. Humility is the very core of education, and its the most important aspect. Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar, a renowned educationist in India grew up amidst many challenges. He lost his father, and his mother raised him with a lot of difficulties. She taught very important lessons to her son. She used to say, “Child, education is not as important as virtues. For the sake of education, do not make the mistake of giving up virtues. In a difficult situation, it is even okay to give up education if it entails compromising on virtues. Good qualities are the most important for any person. Humility is the true ornament of an educated person.”

Baba (thought for the day)

We had interview with Baba and I had to translate for a devotee, a permanent in the ashram living older lady, she had a room in the ashram. And I talked about myself and I thought that it must be about the mind, whatever. 
He asked who I was, that is the most spiritual question and it has the aim to awaken us. It is on three levels and repeated three times. He asked about the relationship and to whom I belonged. 
We didn’t know why, we got closer afterwards and only a few weeks later we drove with Baba in the hot Indian summer to Kodai. On the way Baba stopped the car and he was standing beside the car and watching the country side and he had a small uprooted tree in his hand. I wondered why. 
Was it about the past or the future? I noticed that we look for an interpretation of the dreams and we are never really sure about it. 

U-Turn into a Demon

Jealousy will make a person see bad, even in the good! It will bring about your destruction in many ways. Root it out of you at the earliest. If not, the next one to come is ego. Ego destroys discrimination, drives out human qualities, and turns you into a demon. Doubt, jealousy, ego and lack of faith are four very strong evil qualities. Even if any one of those four are present in anyone, without doubt, they will be ruined over time.

Develop good conduct and earnestly practice good behavior as much as possible, then you will attain the status of a noble person over time. Never do any work with the desire for money or any other benefit. Expecting the result of work is greediness. The fruit of the action depends upon the action itself. Can you expect 100/100 even before you start studying? Instead of studying keeping marks in view, you must study because it is y our duty, and do it with total dedication.

Baba

I have experience that type of destruction with my ex and it is something to get aware of it, but a different thing when Baba tells us why it was like that in a thought for the day.

He didn’t root it out and therefore, the ego had a free play and as that destroyed discrimination he turned into a demon.  And a demon he was, afterwards he understood whatever Baba had said a wrong way. It was all upside down and that is Tamas, darkness, no discrimination.

Not such a nice experience.

And I know that all those four are present and that they lead to ruin. The result was after we had left, he was standing on a ruin, that had been our house and he was dressed in a red skirt and a black fur jacket, more or less women’s cloth and he said that it was all he could get in garage sales.

If the relationship was the house, in the end was only a ruin left and there was passion that was red and the worst was the heart level, it was pitch black darkness, a fur jacket.

I thought it was a dream and for it makes a big difference, if it is a nightmare of an insight. Baba said in my dream before he left the body, that he is the insight and the following step. If it is just a nightmare, it is the mind or whatever, but if it is insight we have to learn the lesson and that is not such a nice lesson.

Take the Return Jourey - the Sheaths

For anyone to remember the Soul (Atma), food is very essential. From Divine Soul (Brahman) Ether emerged. From Ether came Air. From Air was born Fire. And from Fire came Water. From Water, Earth emerged, and from the Earth, various plants and food. Finally from food, human beings evolved. To attain union with the Divine, one has to cross all these stages and take the return journey. The life principle present within our gross body, is called Prana. Within the sheath of Prana (Pranamaya Kosha), is present the sheath of mind (Manomaya Kosha) and within it, the subtler sheath of intellect (Vijnanamaya Kosha). Latent in the Vijnanamaya Kosha is the sheath of bliss (Ananadamaya Kosha). Many people stop journeying after reaching the Mind sheath. To attain bliss you must proceed onward, beyond f ood, mind and the sheath of the intellect.

Baba

Yesterday I was meditating on food, I mean on the food sheath of the body, that Annamaya Kosha.

I tried do discriminate between the sheaths of the body.

The breath is life force and called Pranamaya Kosha, therefore, in repeating the mantra Soham I tried to stay aware in my meditation, what food was, what energy was and what mind was, and got to the sheath making the difference and that is the intellect, Vijnanamaya Kosha. The intellect is in the mind sheath and in the sheath is bliss latent present, if we are able to recognize it.

When I began to watch my life or my thoughts, first it felt like watching my life, it was on that outer level of the Annamaya Kosha and by watching the purpose of it was to get deeper, wherever that was, I had no idea how it would be, I just watched.

Union with the Divine, the Return Journey

For anyone to remember the Soul (Atma), food is very essential. From Divine Soul (Brahman) Ether emerged. From Ether came Air. From Air was born Fire. And from Fire came Water. From Water, Earth emerged, and from the Earth, various plants and food. Finally from food, human beings evolved. To attain union with the Divine, one has to cross all these stages and take the return journey. 

The life principle present within our gross body, is called Prana. Within the sheath of Prana (Pranamaya Kosha), is present the sheath of mind (Manomaya Kosha) and within it, the subtler sheath of intellect (Vijnanamaya Kosha). Latent in the Vijnanamaya Kosha is the sheath of bliss (Ananadamaya Kosha). Many people stop journeying after reaching the Mind sheath. To attain bliss you must proceed onward, beyond food, mind and the sheath of the intellect.

Baba (thought for the day)

We can ask ourselves how to get first beyond the body and the mind and as Baba tells us here we have to process onward even beyond the sheath of the intellect. We have to use discrimination. 

We are three people, the one I think I am that is the body, the one others think I am that is the mind and the one I really am that is Atman (Baba)

The I is identified with the body, if I get aware that I am not the body, just watching and observing, in time we get aware that the 'I' is different from the body. 

Moments of Feeling the Sound of What we Are

"You have heard heaven in the moments that you feel the sound of what you are.  Those moments, through time made longer, grants you the truth.  You feel the Temple bow at your feet, right now? You can feel it, can't you. 

Because from your mind, even your mind, the Temple can hear the sound of the truth.  Compassion and peace, happiness and joy, and everything in the Temple, the beautiful flowers, the little angel, everything, is in awe of God.  And that is that sound you hear inside the sound.  Can you hear it?" Mafu

It was during a meditation course. I went in direction of the higher self and had at the same time to pass a difficult test and I didn't feel calm enough, so I told myself, I should be more calm, and I thought, if I maybe would meditate more it will get better.

I went to a week meditation course and we did nothing but meditate in that time and we wrote the experiences down. I still remember how bored I felt in the beginning not used to that exercise and to always be in meditation.

And I was surprised because what I wrote down was the feeling that a beautiful melody came out of the heart of all hearts. It was just beautiful and I projected it outside in the mediation technique and thought I should go on, but in reality it was not about that mediation, but it was the higher self.

And what I missed was someone who would have told me just like that, that we feel the sound of what we are and if we make those moments longer it grants truth.

Strong Faith

People get carried away by the body and forget the Divinity within. Have strong faith in God. Do not have faith in this body, which is temporary. Body is like a water bubble, mind is like a mad monkey. Don't follow the body, don't follow the mind. Follow your conscience. That is the principle of the Divine Self (Atma). You will experience Divinity only when you follow your conscience. Love everybody, but do not trust anybody. You have to repose your trust only in God. What is the reason? Why should you not trust others? It is because Man is impermanent. God expects only love. You can cultivate love easily. Love is within you, develop it. You have to share this love with everybody. Love even the one who hates you. To harm a person who harmed you is nothing great. Real greatness lies in loving even the person who harmed you.

Baba

I had to think it over more than twice to be able to get it that thought for the day. I get it when I see myself at the beginning, years ago when I began to wait and watch.

I was waiting for the higher self, and it was probably Yogananda's book that convinced me about it that it is possible.

I didn't tell anybody to get distracted, because it had to be inside in myself and I was used of a kind of answers from the side of the family, that it was better to not talk about it.

If it felt difficult or frustrating or like not knowing what I was doing, I remembered divinity within. I had enough read about it to be convinced that it was there, and if it was there, there had to be a way to get the experience of it.

But I didn't know that it was faith in God, it was just faith. It had to be self-controlled. I noticed whatever it was, but it was not the self, it was always outside of it and somehow done by the circumstances, the situation or the environment.

The Mind craves for Ananda - Bliss

Food is the primary requisite for life. One cannot live without food. Hence life has been described as Annamaya (composed of food). But one is not content to live on food alone. The mind is not satisfied if the stomach is full. Although food is essential for the body, the mind craves for Ananda (bliss). Life can find fulfilment only if Ananda is experienced. Hence, you cannot rest content with merely being alive. You have to be active and ever on the move. In the process one has to ask oneself the questions, 'Why am I restless? Why am I active? What do I do to engage myself in actions? Why am I performing these actions? How am I doing them?' It is when one enquires into these matters, can the true purpose and meaning of actions be realized. This enquiry has to be conducted in the proper way. Once you come to the conclusion that a certain action is right, you should then do it with earnestness.

Baba (thought for the day)

I would ask myself first if I understand about the food he is talking about. There is not only one part of food. Annamaya is the body, composed of food.
If I think of yesterday evening we ate something, my daughter was talking with a friend of hers, she was doing some exercises and whatever it was, but I was wide awake and couldn't sleep and I took a sleeping aid, because I had to go to work today.
That is all part of food and I still feel it. That means I feel what, the coffee didn't take of it totally and I took some vitamins to hopefully feel better. That is all related to food.

This morning in waking up I sat up and began to meditate and that felt okay, no matter what food and if I was tired or not. I was kind of surprised how okay I felt. It felt like it had always been, since many years I am meditating and it is not just that what does it, but the feeling of the higher self. So, even though I felt that tired I could hardly stay awake, the higher self was present. It feels like part of my own self and that feels good on the energy level no matter what. Whatever emotions are there, it calms down; it doesn't stir up things, because it feels like always, nothing has really changed.

It was already like that in Paris and when coming back to Zurich, I was following 'that' inner feeling and even if afterwards we went on courses and thought we could share it with others, even if that didn't work out well, it was still also at that time related to the self, it was just not seen and said inside, cut off. It was present during the courses, during the world peace assemblies, it never changed, I was always the same, and 'I am that'. After all those TM courses, it was still the same 'I am that', even if it was overshadowed and it said, cut off and we had to ever since find out why cut off. There was never any arguing about it, we just did it and knew sometimes we get out of that cut off business and it will flow again.

The Light of the Sun

Life on earth is possible only because of the Sun. For mankind that is caught up in a meaningless existence and going through an endless round of futile activities, the Sun God stands out as an exemplar of tireless and selfless service. He enjoys no respite from work. He is above praise and censure. He carries on his duties with absolute equanimity. Everything he does is only for the wellbeing of the world and not for causing any harm. 

Thus the Sun God teaches us the supreme example of humble devotion to duty, without any conceit. Everyone must learn how to do their duties with devotion and dedication, just like the Sun. Doing one's duty is the greatest Yoga (Spiritual path), as pointed out by Krishna in the Gita. Hence, let your actions and thoughts be good. You will then experience the bliss divine.

Baba

The first time I heard about the metaphor of the sun as the higher self or divinity, I saw it as light only. It is not difficult to see the sun as special, because what would we do without it? But to really see it as part of my own self, that is an all different matter. 

After I had met the higher self in my own dream it was much easier to relate it to the Sun and sunshine. 

It was in the dream as a bright white light and it was that beautiful there was only love and it felt amazing. In that sense it could be very well compared to the sun in our heart.

Building the Capacity for Patience and Forbearance

Difficulties and pain help one to nurse and build the capacity for patience and forbearance. However, due to mental weakness and ignorance, people invariably shun painful experiences and distress. Do not be weak; be brave and welcome troubles. Let them come; more the merrier. Only with such a courageous attitude can you bring out the kshama (forbearance) hidden within you.

Can you get promoted to a higher class without passing an examination? It is only when you secure the prescribed marks and pass the examination; you are declared eligible to advance to the higher class. While preparing for the examination you have to face stress and many difficulties but how sweet the promotion is! So welcome troubles as tests that prepare you for higher things and be happy when troubles descend on you, because that is when kshama truly blossoms.

Baba (thought for the day)

Nice invitation to go ahead and face every obstacle on the way and to not avoid it, but also to not go into it, to say yes and to say no at the same time.

It seems kind of normal that it is the tendency of our mind to avoid painful experiences and distress.

During the time being in a relationship with the National Leader of the TM-movement after a while I had enough, he created all kinds of problems just because he was, who he was, he plaid games and it was not harmless, what he maybe thought it was.

There was my sister involved and that made it real challenging, because when that thing broke in pieces, whatever that thing was, it looked like thin air only and probably it was because he was unfaithful, my worry expanded to my sister and it was not possible be sure he would not get her into that as well and that is how it turned into hell, because it was not possible to know what it was, what broke into pieces, it was about yoga etc., with whatever that had been in that moment, the whole thing – everything broke into pieces and that was the universe for us in that moment.

There was no safety, he could do whatever he liked to do as leader and the master was not present.

That easy it was for it to turn into the opposite.

Forbearance, unlimited Patience and ability to forgive and forget

Divinity is the manifestation of Prema and Kshama. The virtue of Kshama (forbearance, unlimited patience and ability to forgive and forget) is not achieved by reading books or learnt from an instructor. Nor can it be received as a gift from someone. This prime virtue, can be acquired solely by self effort, by facing squarely diverse problems, difficulties of various sorts, anxieties, suffering as well as sorrow. In the absence of Kshama, you will become susceptible to all kinds of evil tendencies. Hatred and jealousy easily take root in a person lacking this virtue. Kshama gives complete protection to the one who possesses it. Hence Kshama, a priceless possession, is the greatest, grandest and the noblest amongst all virtues. Kshama is all encompassing.

Baba (thought for the day)

What about, 'no or newer'.
We can doubt it and try to forget it, but when listening to the inner voice that is rather difficult, we cannot really forget it, either we listen and inquire about it of we forget it and if we do not listen, we would not do it at all.

How do we manifest Prema (love) and Kshama (forbearance, unlimited patience and ability to forgive and forget)?

What Baba tells us here, it is not by reading books or it is not learnt from an instructor, it cannot be learnt as a technique, thinking of my old TM-friends or better TM-enemies, a bit from that and a bit from this, as much as it as pleasing to them, we had to get along with it, because he could do with us whatever he liked, one time it felt like friend, another time it felt like enemy, one time it was like heaven on earth, the other time it was like hell, we had to take those opposites with humor to not get an indigestion, but we probably got it anyhow ...

It cannot be a gift, it can only be acquired by self-effort.

Work, Worship and Wisdom

Since ancient times, emphasis has been laid on three aspects: work, worship, and wisdom. What is wisdom? All that is related to our senses - the fleeting objects of the material world and our actions, speak of our ignorance. Wisdom dawns the moment the mind is withdrawn. The thoughtless state between two consecutive thoughts is Spiritual Wisdom (Brahma Jnana). People are not able to experience this thoughtless state and are carried away by fleeting, ephemeral, and momentary things. All the knowledge that one acquires is not true knowledge. Knowledge of the Spirit (Atma) is true knowledge. True wisdom dawns when all thoughts are decimated. However all three of these - work, worship, and wisdom, begin with service. No matter what service it is, if it is done with love and divine feelings, it becomes upasana (worship).

Baba (thought for the day)

Remembering that thoughtless state in meditation, it is not something we know or we have, it is something which is present, we maybe get aware of it after meditation practice and maybe not and if it is present, we can be lucky about it.
We had been for years already in a meditate practice, and therefore, I went on meditating after I went to Baba. I did TM before and that was regular meditation morning and evening twenty minutes and the advanced program was even longer and we got used to it.

But when I began to meditate it was, because I wanted to get in touch with the higher self. It felt good that it was regular and so I never intended to stop that, even after I went to Baba and it was not about routine anymore and technique, but in the morning waking up I meditated always and in between before and after Darshans all together I was probably more in meditation than not.