No Arguments and Disputations

Do not indulge in arguments and disputations; one who clamors aloud has not grasped the Truth, believe Me! Silence is the only language of the realized. Practice moderation in speech; that will help you in many ways. It will develop Prema, for most misunderstandings and factions arise out of carelessly spoken words. When the foot slips, the wound can be healed; but when the tongue slips, the wound it causes in the heart of another will fester for life. The tongue is liable to four big errors: uttering falsehood, scandalizing, finding fault with others and excessive talk. These must be avoided if there must be peace for the individual and society. The bond of brotherhood will be tightened if people speak less and speak sweet. That is why silence (mounam) was prescribed as a vow for spiritual aspirants by scriptures. As spiritual aspirants in various stages of the road, this discipline will be very valuable for you.
Baba (thought for the day)

This morning I am tired. We had been at the center last night, it is tree years ago that Baba left the body. It my side was sitting another devotee, her husband died in December 11 and she had asked me if I would come over to her place on new year's eve and I just couldn't. It was difficult to explain it to her and she somehow felt hurt. In December 10 my mother had died and in April 11 Baba had passed away. In December 11 the whole year had just been about dying as it seemed to me and it was about the beginning of a new year, beginning of 12, I was not able to do the same again, I had to begin the year differently and not with death. She was sitting near to me and I felt it, because I had excuses myself for it and told her way it was impossible and that made it come up for a moment, that deep morning when Baba had left the body, the sadness in the people. The tears began to flow again but with the Bhajans it got better.

We had nice Pasadam, (holy food) but I don't like to eat it late at night, so I took it with me home and my daughter was not there, so finally I ate it anyhow and I drank a glass of wine with it to sleep better as I had to get up early this morning.

And SMS informed me that she has today off and that she went out for entertainment. It was about at 2.45 AM, someone opened the door and my daughter came through the door with a girlfriend, and she was totally drunk.  

Bitten by a Snake and Wake-up

Suppose you dream that you are being bitten by a snake, and are struggling with pain, shouting and frantically searching for medicines. Now even though you are bitten by a snake, do you take medicine to remove the poison? No, you don't do that, because this happened in your dream. You perhaps will even forget the pain, as soon as you wake up, isn't it?

Similarly today you are in deep slumber of ignorance and worldly attachments and hence undergo a lot of suffering.

The world is ephemeral and full of misery. You suffer only because of ignorance and body attachment.

The moment you are awakened from the slumber, your problems will be solved. Anyone and everyone who aspires to lead a happy life must reduce body attachment. You develop ego because of your position, associations, physical strength or wealth. If you want to enjoy bliss, never give any scope for ego.

Baba

How do we get to insights?

In the beginning I was that afraid to get distracted, I didn't read, I tried to stay alone and to focus only on the watcher to not miss it.

I didn't know what it was. I just didn't want to miss it and everything seemed a distraction. In a sense I was glad that my life was regulated by my job, I did my work and time passed by, I was still watching. I didn't try to understand what I did, I just watched.

I had read in the Autobiography of a Yogi from Yogananda Parmahansa and others that it was possible to make the direct experience of the divine.

And I decided to not change things until it would change from the inside. And I didn't tell anybody what I did, because it was kind of impossible to make sense.

If we are really focused on the observer and not on something we think is observing and just another form of the mind, we will get aware that it is quite difficult to explain it without the help of Vedic knowledge, because in the West it seems just not to make sense to watch without a purpose of watching or just to watch and by watching to get aware of the watcher itself. 

Truth and Divine Power

There are many who observe My actions and start declaring that My nature is such and such. They are unable to gauge the sanctity, the majesty and the eternal reality that is Me. The power of Sai is limitless; it manifests forever. All forms of 'power' are resident in this Sai palm. But, those who profess to have understood Me, the wise, the Yogis (spiritually advanced persons), the Pandits (scholars), and the Jnanis (liberated persons) - all of them are aware only of the least important, the casual, external manifestation of an infinitesimal part of that power, namely, the 'miracles'!

My power is immeasurable; My truth is inexplicable, unfathomable. What I will, must take place; what I plan must succeed. I am Truth; and Truth has no need to hesitate, or fear, or bend. I am announcing this about Me, for, the need has arisen.

Baba (thought for the day)

If we want to understand his nature or to get closer to that reality, we have to know the principle. There is no other way to get nearer to his nature.

It seems maybe like a contradiction, when he is telling us that they are unable to gauge the sanctity, the majesty and the eternal reality that is Me.

We have to get aware of the oneness between our limited 'I' and the divine reality of 'I am the One', the universal 'I' to realize the meaning of it. If we see it in the inner view, it gets closer to our understanding. If we think on the intellectual level, 'I am the One', it is associated with body consciousness and therefore, it results in a huge ego.

He is the man who is in our dream to wake us, if he is present in our inner experience as 'I am the One', we know it is 'He' but as it is in our inner view, we also know that my own 'I' is not different from that and we can get the meaning of 'I am That', 'Tat Twam Asi'.

He is leading from the inside in our dreams to that insight and that is how our understanding of his reality grows. If we do not have the insight of it, on the mind level it is not possible to gauge the eternal reality in which he is identified.

It is not only limitless and manifests forever, it knows no birth and no death.

If we get one with the principle and who get closer to that wisdom and higher understanding we realize also how small certain things get, what we might think on the mind level are important.

What we notice is that he tells us, 'My power is immeasurable; My truth is inexplicable, unfathomable'.

Getting rid of the Cover Wrapping up Divinity within

Once a friend asked the famous sculptor from Italy, Michelangelo, "Why are you working so hard, chiseling this large piece of rock? Why don't you go home and take some rest?" Michelangelo replied: "I am trying to release the Divine that is in the rock. I wish to bring out of this lifeless stone the living Divinity that is embedded in it."

If a sculptor could create from an inanimate stone a living Image of God, cannot human beings vibrant with life manifest the living Divinity that resides within them? What is the reason for this incapacity to realize the Divinity within? It is because we do not realize the soiled cover in which it is wrapped up. If our clothes get dirty, we change them because we are ashamed to appear in unclean garments. If our house is shabby, we try to clean it. But when our minds and hearts are polluted, we do not feel a shamed! To purify our hearts and minds, the first thing we have to do is to lead a righteous life. Our actions must be based on morality.

Baba (thought for the day)

I was meditating regularly morning and evening with TM-meditation, first it were only twenty minutes and afterwards with the Siddhis-program it expanded to one and a half hours morning and evening. I began with that meditation during my time in Paris, because I tried to get inside answers, because I had years before the higher self in my dream, it was just light, beauty and love and that felt real good. After that insight I just wanted 'that' and the question was how to realize it and that is why I began with meditation. It had good effects on my health or on my feelings, the focus improved and as I was studying French, I noticed that it was much easier to focus, what I enjoyed. That was for me enough reason to go on and I thought that this meditation would be good for everybody, that is how we went ahead hoping the rest would come in time, that rest was all about insights only. And I had a quite difficult French test and before I went for a whole week to a meditation course, it was actually a siddhis prep course, but I didn't go there in the intention to do the siddhis, I wanted just more rest for my test. We did nothing but meditate, it was called rounding, and it began with two and went up to six and got less to the end of the week again. The test was good, I felt not identified with it and therefore, I did it totally relaxed and that made it easier afterwards. During that course I heart a beautiful melody that came out of the hearts of all hearts. That was related to the higher self I had met already before in the dream and in that moment, because it happened with lots of meditation practice and during the course, it got projected into TM. I thought I had to go there, that was the conclusion and I had no idea that it was a wrong conclusion. So I went for the Siddhis and that felt like an opening up and great. I went back to my country to earn the money for the TM-teacher's training course, it was easier for me in Zurich than in Paris and I went on course.

Live happily in the Present

We either think of the past or the future and ruin the present. Past is past, forget it. The past which is dead and gone, is useless. Work for your progress by living in the present, and in the moment. Future does not always bring happiness. And so far as the past is concerned, how much happiness have you experienced in it? Therefore, live happily in the present. What should we do in the present? Follow this maxim: Less luggage more comfort makes travel a pleasure. We should not worry about the past at all. Thinking about the past will not do any good to us. Therefore we should lead our life in the present and achieve all-round progress.

Baba (thought for the day)

This is kind of challenging to me, because Baba said to us in the interview room, follow the master, fight to the end, finish the game and by following the inner master a lot of past stuff is usually coming up, but it doesn't mean living in the past.

In trying to understand the insights in the light of the past experience and whatever comes up, comes up. Usually I do not think about it if it is past or not, I just think about understanding the insights.

Baba was in a dream and there were two Babas, one as the insight and the other one as the next step.

If we want to get to the right conclusion, we have to listen and to think it over and to absorb. But it doesn't mean living in the past. It is ruminated until we see it in the right light and it is not a matter of how long it takes or about past, it is more a question about getting the right answer and that is of course now and in the present.

Baba always said when it was about interview, one day we will get inner view and at that time we didn't know what it meant, what a personal interview in the inner view was like. In the meantime I am familiar with insights and inner view.

Baba also said he is the man who is in our dreams to awake us.

The first really great personal interview in meditation was during the first birthday celebration I had spent in Baba's presence.

We were happy that it was his birthday and therefore, went into meditation and there he was during meditation. He opened the door, he was dressed in white and there was a beautiful golden light.

I am Atma, not the Body

When a tree sways with the wind, its branches bend and toss up and down. But the tiny bird sitting on it is not afraid? Why? Because the bird relies on its wings. Even if the branch falls down, as long as its wings are fine, it is safe. With this realization, the bird sits bravely on the swaying branch. However, human beings do not have so much faith as a tiny bird. Even with the slightest problems on the tree of life, people get very worried, why? It is because they have lost their self-confidence. Even at the slightest suffering, people are frustrated, depressed and unable to bear. Instead of depending on your intelligence, physical strength or wealth, trust your self-confidence. Do good deeds; let every step and all your efforts be directed to win His Grace and proximity. Then, you will surely triumph!

Baba (thought for the day)

Do you see the tiny bird tossing up and down with the branches in the wind not afraid?

As long as its wings are fine, it is safe. When Baba said in my dream, ‘I wanted to fly’, it was probably about self-confidence and knowing if we have self-confidence, we can fly.

And he also said in my dream, ‘I wanted a big house’, and if it is about the house of self-realization the fundament is also self-confidence, the walls are self-contentment, the roof is self-sacrifice and living in the house will be self-realization.

What Baba said is, ‘self-confidence, self-control, self-contentment, self-sacrifice, self-realization’.

It is all based on the self and not the mind.

Oneness with the Divine

The profound message the divine epic Ramayana gives is: One must lead the life of a human being, and one must seek oneness with the Divine. In every human being, all the three natures – human, divine, and demonic – are present. But most people today ignore their humanness and Divinity, and foster only their demonic nature. In fact, one should strive to manifest the Divinity, and not display one’s weakness or unpleasant qualities. In every act, Rama set the example, be it in individual conduct, in the discharge of duties to the family, or in fulfilling the obligations to society. Rama demonstrated the ideals to be followed. All should begin with fulfilling their individual obligations. The duty of the individual is to manifest the Divinity within. As an individual, Rama revealed the Divinity in Him through His ideal conduct.

Baba

How do we find the oneness with the divine, if we are not in our inner essence, we are not one with the divine. It is therefore, necessary to discriminate first to be able to know that difference in our own awareness between the inner divinity in our heart and the mind and how do we know that difference?

Baba tells us that Tapas spiritual work is, first to discriminate, second to see it in our own life and third to go on no matter what obstacles are there. It helps to see the difference between the inner essence and the mind and its holes. If we are in the mind we are cut off the essence and look for the solution on an outward level and not in our own self. That difference between the essence or divinity in our heart and the mind in our conscious awareness is present if we find it in our own self in the now or we search for it outside. In the process we begin to discriminate between the obstacles in the mind and the essence of our own higher self.

See the Divine in every Day Life

Due to the force of gravity objects fall. The gravitational force is invisible to our eyes. Similarly, there are innumerable divine forces operating in this Universe. You must not deny them just because you cannot see them. Only the power of the Divine enables you to speak, see, move and think. All the power of the sense organs are derived from the Divine. In conceit, you may imagine that you are the doer. This is the result of ignorance and folly. Ask the question, what is responsible for existence? The answer is Divinity. Without faith in the Divine, nothing can be achieved. There is no need to seek a reason for this faith – Faith has no season or reason, it is like the love of a child for the mother. The child loves its mother for the sole reason that she is its mother. Develop such confidence and firm faith, you can realize God.

(Baba)

Last night there was not enough force of gravity to sleep or maybe it was something else, I woke up and didn’t remember that my daughter was already home. It was real strange.

I had taken a half a sleeping pill to be able to sleep. We had a study circle and were talking about the principle of Ahimsa, non-violence and ‘himsa’ – violence. I went fully into the himsa issue as we have in the West hardly any place where we find no himsa, violence.

Baba calls ahimsa, non-violence the highest virtue.

I was not in the mood of singing and participating and I am glad the others talk also, so I had nothing much to say but in the end to tell I went just into my heavy insights and it is all about violence.

Time is a Witness

On a stage, there are a number of lights. One is turned towards an actor in the role of a king. Another is focused on a beggar. Yet another light is on a man reading the Ramayana. The fourth one lights up a fighting scene. Here, although the lights illumine a variety of scenes, they remain unaffected by the behavior of the actors; they simply bear witness to the actions but no blame attaches to them for what the actors do. The characters alone are affected by what they do. Similarly Time is a witness to what everyone is doing. This Time is available equally to all. Your primary duty is to make right use of this Time. For this purpose, there is no need for you to wait for the beginning of a new year. Every moment is a manifestation of Time. The second is the basis for the year. Hence every second should be filled with purposeful action.

Baba

How do we know why we want to get an answer? Maybe it was because he asked and we had to get an answer.

He asked us, ‘who am I’. And we went into that search to understand who he said he was and who is that ‘I’, a universal principle and for everybody the same. We could think that everybody who has a body will also have a feeling of ‘I’ and it is connected to that entity and to the body.

Who am I?

There were questions and we had to find the answer. And Baba asked, where do I come from? Where do I go? Hong will I be here?

In the beginning I was translating all of Baba’s speeches trying to somehow closer to it and it felt like far away. I could understand it as principle and think that the same universal entity or divinity, what I looked at as opposed to our individuality, which is not universal and therefore, limited in its being.

Baba and the Jumping, Bumping Monkeys

At times, your mind becomes a monkey, a mad monkey, jumping and bumping all over. It might be difficult to control your mind. In those moments, tell yourself, “I am not a monkey; I am part of ‘mankind’.” You must have and exhibit kindness from within you. Cultivate love and develop kindness. All of you must start the day with love, fill the day will love and end the day with love. This is the way to God. Always be happy. There should not be anyone with castor-oil faces. You must lead a happy life and be cheerful always. Not just on your birthday should you be happy, you must lead your life in happiness all the time. When you have love for God, you will not do things that God does not approve of. So, your life will always be happy. Follow God, live in Love and Truth. Then you will attain true happiness and enjoy bliss.

(Baba thought for the day)

I think I enjoy it very much to get aware of the 'I am the One', no differences at all on the inner level of our 'I', which has no limitations and expanded to an universal level - or should we call it the soul level - and in our relative world experience there are that much differences that we do not understand each other.
I have to get use to the new universe and I think it needs a happy smile to get aware that with Baba in my world are vampires, demons, gaps and huge precipices, avalanches and whirlpools, volcanoes and storms, beggars and homelessness, we find ourselves on the scaffold or we have to face the devil.
Years ago being with Swami in the ashram meditating every day, feeling safe in my mediation, it didn't even come to my mind that I will have to face such a world view with him later on in my own inner view. The world has quite changed. 

How do we Attain Immortality?

Not by work or wealth or progeny, but only by sacrifice can one attain immortality. All the scriptures explain the value of sacrifice. Understand its inner significance and practice it. Devotion should not be confined to visiting temples and saluting God therein. Devotion exists everywhere. Wherever you sit, you can utter the Name of the Lord. There is no place without Love, Love exists everywhere. Some love their mother or father, others their wife or children. There are yet others who love God. Loving God alone is true devotion. The love for any worldly person can at best be selfish – there is no one who loves another person without a selfish reason. God alone loves you without selfishness, expecting nothing in return. Therefore develop faith and devotion to God.

Baba (thought for the day)

If divinity is that close to us, closer than anybody we know, how can we not be aware of it? I began to watch, decided to not change anything anymore, until it would come from the inside out of the higher self, because if it was that close, it had to be there. 

There had to be a way to make the experience and if we have enough patience and perseverance, it has to be there. 

Waiting for divinity in the beginning it felt good and special, but after a while I noticed that I had no idea about it really, I was just watching and I didn't know what fore really, I couldn't explain to anyone, because nobody knew and nobody looked at it that way. 

It felt like time began to load and the fact that I had no idea what I was doing and I also noticed I didn’t know how to explain it, but I was convinced that in my environment, in my family, if I would tell what I was waiting for, they would laugh about it. 

I had already earlier mentioned that I thought life was about self-realization and was surprised by the reaction, as it was not what I had expected. Everybody seems sure that it was not possible. 

Therefore, I was warned and I waited and didn’t talk about it. Waiting in silence until it would come from the inside, that made sure there were less distractions and doubts about it. If we do not talk about it, it was silence and I am certain that helped a lot.

Writing gets us to the Right Answer

At times, you may feel dissatisfied with the answers you wrote, even though you have spent a lot of time reading. Why? Because when you are preparing for examinations, mere reading is not sufficient.
You may read at home and feel confident of writing well in the exam hall, but that doesn’t work. You must necessarily practice at home what you do in the examination hall. That is why you should often practice writing the answers.
Many things which you do not understand clearly while reading, becomes easier to comprehend when you write. The more you write and practice at home, the better you will do in the examination hall. I will also share another secret for your success: In the examination hall, before receiving the question paper, you should first pray. Receive the question paper after your prayer. Then slowly read the question paper and start answering the easy questions first and the difficult ones towards the end.

Baba (thought for the day) 

If we read Baba's words we think he talks only to the students, but we know how it felt being in his presence, we always got the answers between his words and it was not at only for the students. We are the aspirants on the spiritual path and he is the teacher. He said that life is the best teacher and Tapas means first to use discrimination, second to see it in our own life and to go on no matter what obstacles are there. We should see it in our own life and it means we will have to do out homework and pass also some tests.    

That examination in our own life will be different, there will not be an examination hall, but nevertheless, it will be real. We feel it again and again that people are not quite satisfied with their words and thoughts, because we do not understand it well enough, because reading is not sufficient. We have to listen and to think it over to be able to absorb it as part of our own self. 

That thought for the day tells me finally why I am into writing. He was holding up a book after we came here and I knew it means writing it and when I began to write I didn't know where to begin with and even less how to end it, but I went on writing, just to do it, because in doing it we can finally will find a beginning and an end and not in just thinking about it, we have to put it into practice.

In the mean time it has changed, it is the reason why I write that blog, I am that student who has to pass an examination test and I have to find the right answer and in writing we practice at home and think it over in a different way than only reading it and we get a deeper meaning of the words and Baba's wisdom than only reading it.

Darshan: Sight of Truth

The path to God is difficult, but you can win. Let God do whatever He wants. Surrender to Him and say, “I brought nothing with me! Whatever You have given me, I offer it back to You.”

You may think your parents gave you the body. Who put life into your body? Who makes your heart tick incessantly? You may feed the body with tasty food but who digests all the food you eat? Who is the driving force behind the circulation of blood? God Himself regulates every single act within every living being.
The eye that is not even an inch long can clearly perceive the stars, far away in the sky. Who gave this little eye, this big strength and power? God alone has conferred and is conferring everything upon you. With your little ego, you are confused that you are the doer. This is the greatest ignorance. Whatever He gives, accept it, it is for your highest good.

Baba (thought for the day)

It was my first interview with Baba. He took the group in the interview room and someone said that are the people from your country, you should go. 

I was the last one walking fast over the place to the mandir and the last one going through the door. Baba was standing at the door and asked, ‘where do you come from?’ And I answered, because I thought it was about the country, ‘Switzerland’. 

In the back of the room was some place to sit down and it was filled with people and he closed the door behind and walked in front to this chair. 

It was amazing, because I saw him the first time materializing things that close, he made for someone a ring and something else and out of his hand came sweets and he gave some of it to all people present.

And he asked the country groups in the second smaller room behind and there we sat and it came all by surprise to me when he said, ’what do you want’? He felt that close, it was an incredible feeling and I tried to explain it. 

Sharing good Things

Always help the poor and those suffering and in distress. Once upon a time, in Tamil Nadu, lived a poet saint who squatted on the small veranda of his hut and chanted beautiful songs to the Lord. One day, it was raining heavily. Another man came and asked him if he could also take shelter there. The devotee said, “There was place just enough for me to stretch out, but now that you are here we will both sit erect.” Later, another man stopped by and asked for shelter. The devotee again agreed saying, “There was place for the two of us to sit. Now that you also have joined, let us all stand.”

He thus taught the principle of helping everyone and not sending anyone away who needed help, even when the means are limited. Cultivate this attitude of sharing with others any good thing you have. Thus you can practice daily, the great principle of finding God in every being.

Baba (thought for the day)

In our center we always have problems to put that in practice, because we do not find the poor on the streets like in other places and it seems rather they are hidden and alone and like abandoned mostly in the cities and to find them seems nearly impossible and we cannot impose ourselves on them if they do not ask for it.

There are always people trying to do more and they don’t know how to put it into practice.

But thinking it over we find another meaning in the thought for the day. In whatever situation we are and we have to share our shelter with another one, even if there is no room and it gets uncomfortable, but we still do it and accept it as a gift of the Lord.

It can be that we are in a crisis and life is not at all as we thought it should be and we begin to doubt and ask, ‘why Lord you are giving me that plight and it is that uncomfortable how you can do that do me?’

We can share with others the good things we have instead of sharing the bad and even if the means are limited. It means even if we have nothing to give we still can give something, but it doesn’t mean that we expect others to do good to us, what seems often the case, it seems they take it literally what Baba uses as example here to show how we can keep a good way of seeing things, even if we have limited means.

Difference between Good and Bad

Who is a bad person? Anyone who sees evil in good is bad; stay away from them. If you join bad company, knowingly or unknowingly, you will lose good qualities. Many have reaped poor fate due to bad company.

Who is a good person? Anyone who sees good, even in a bad person, is good. You must develop friendship with the good. There may be some evil qualities in you; do not worry or become weak because of this. Develop good qualities increasingly. God will always be in you, with you, around you and will take care of you.

Whatever task you undertake, discriminate carefully, follow the noble path and always do good acts. Keep your heart sacred and pure. Never fill it with bad thoughts and feelings. You must start early, drive slowly and reach safely. When you develop good qualities, your journey to the future will be smooth.

Baba

I was impressed getting the answer like that. 

That thought for the day was a highlight and it seemed to explain about everything. Following the inner light and the inner master trying to know how it got into self-enquiry in these words is the reason why some insights were good and others bad, why some were light and others dark. 

In the experience it is not that easy to get aware of it, it is even very difficult to understand Tamas, upside down, if evil is seen in good.

It was not as we might think how we get into self-enquiry; it was not a decision, but the result of watching. 

We didn’t go to Baba and he said, you have to do self-enquiry. 

It was by practice that we got into it. 

In doing we got aware of it. 

The insights were there, but not understood and he said in the dream that he is the insight and the following step.

It began with the higher self in the dream and it had to be understood, that was clear, only not where and how to get the right wisdom.

First time I had met the Maharishi, he was a yogi, I hoped he would tell me how to understand insights and there was one outstanding insight and there were others I was not even aware of it that it was the level of insights.

It went from one TM-course to the next, always hoped to find it in the next course and it was all in vain, only more insights and no answers and when I finally realized that there would be no answers at all, it was too far gone, no way back, it was just deception and illusion.

And finally after being with Baba, sure that it was at the right place, still there were no answers. 

And Baba said, ‘wait, wait, wait’ and time went by and nothing happened.

And in an interview he said, ‘follow the master, fight to the end, finish the game’ and by that it was clear that we didn’t know how to listen to the inner master, even less how to fight to the end and what about finishing the game?

It felt all like theoretical wisdom and the question was how to put it into practice.

The Witness and Divine Love

God dwells in each and every one of us. Do not criticize anybody, you will accumulate sin. Do not hate anyone. Never deride anyone’s action or ridicule them on the grounds of caste, race, gender, religion or community. There is only one caste, the caste of humanity. There is only one religion, the religion of love. There is only one language, the language of the heart. All of you must understand and internalize this. Become an ideal person from today. Develop faith in the ‘Brotherhood of Man and the Fatherhood of God’. Do not worry about the past, forget it. This will lead you to real bliss. Thus I bless you!

In the beginning with Baba it felt like only ‘love, love, love’ and it made me go into the feeling and there it ended, it felt like I couldn’t think anymore. We didn’t know where to begin and how to be able to get that experience of love.

It was present during the time in the ashram as we had every day two Baba Darshans, but when back in our Western world I tried in vain to find it and why it felt like gone. It could not be possibly just go away and what was it?

When I first met with other Baba devotees we were three people singing together with a tape recorder, and I went to India because I wanted to know more.

Face Troubles develop Courage in the Self

When you face troubles develop courage in yourself. Do not think, “Why should I be troubled like this?” Develop broadmindedness. Firmly believe that whatever happens is only for your good. Never forget that trouble, loss, illness, etc. come only for your good. Do not see bad in good. Always see good in bad. Light has much more value when there is darkness around. The value of joy is realized only when there are troubles. During the rainy and winter season, we want heat. In summer times, we look for coolness. You need both heat and cold, depending upon the circumstance. No matter in which situation you are, you must develop good feelings. You must start this habit of always having noble feelings from a very young age. Whatever thoughts and feelings you develop then, will last forever. Develop good thoughts and give up bad company.
Baba (thought for the day)

Spending the day at the emergency ward, after a major fall and still hoping it would get okay soon, and that is should get better, after all, we had to face fact, that is was not getting better but worse, it was a bone fraction.

In the mind a vacation and the intention to travel to India next week, all that should not be happening now, that was clear.
There must be something wrong about the travelling plans or something else, but what was it? There has to be something wrong about it, if everything turns upside down in no time and how to see good about it? That is exactly what Baba is talking about in this thought for the day.

Holistic Wellbeing

The word ‘Health’ is derived from the Anglo-Saxon word ‘Helig’ meaning holistic or wholeness of the spirit. You are made up of sense organs, mind, intellect, consciousness and the indwelling spirit. ‘Wholeness’ includes all these elements. Your mind should be in a state of fullness; there should be no room for confusion or depression. To achieve such a state of mind, it is necessary to connect with the Divine and understand the situation. For instance, students should not get depressed if they did not score as well as they expected or perhaps failed in an examination. Instead, they should examine the reasons for the result – whether they studied well or understood the subject correctly. If the conclusion is inadequate preparation, then the resolve should be to do better in the next opportunity. You must develop your moral and mental strength by practicing Sadhana for disciplining the mind and achieve holistic wellbeing.

Baba (thought for the day)

Yes, we call that helig – ‘heilig’, the wholeness of the spirit.

We know our sense organs, but everything else is not so clear, for the mind we do not have a good translation, the intellect is easier, but consciousness not and even less the indwelling spirit.

If it would be so easy to just contact that spirit, we would know how, but as it is inside and inside it is dark, we do not have any light to see, we look for it on the outside and there we cannot find it.

So we should get aware of it to be able in that wholeness to include all elements.

How do we get aware of the indwelling spirit?

If we see only part of it, our mind cannot be in fullness, that is just normal.

That is it what reflects in the inner view as colors, usually if it is black dark by experience it has to do with partial knowledge and usually some part of the whole is ignored.

If we don't Know our True Identity ...

All spiritual practices (Sadhana) will go in vain if you do not know your true identity. Instead of asking others, “Who are you?” ask yourself, “Who am I?”

We say, “This is my book, this is my tumbler.” Then, "Who am I? The feeling of ‘my’ is illusion (maya). All this ‘mine’ is matter; they are negative. You think you are the master of this material world. Master the mind and be a mastermind! Make an effort to know your true identity.

To know this, you should first give up body attachment. When I say this is ‘my handkerchief’, I am separate from the handkerchief. Similarly, when I say this is ‘my body’, I am separate from the body. When I say, ‘my mind’ it means I am separate from my mind. Then who am I? Constant enquiry on these lines would lead y ou to self realisation.

Baba (thought for the day)

We went into the practice of spiritual sadhana by regular meditation, twenty minutes morning and evening silent sitting, very simply, we just sat down and were thinking a mantra, repeating it and it was essential to do it regularly, and health will improve, we use more of our mental potential and life improves in many ways, and that will takes care of aging, we will get less old or we remain longer young etc.

That was all good and we could use it and it is what everybody wanted, there was no reason to not go for it, but not once it was about our true identity. But I was looking for the higher self and that is our true identity and I was thinking that it would still come, later on maybe, they always said it would come and there was that big deception, first it was all secret, we could only know in doing and afterwards, after we got it and it went from program to program, from course to course, but it never went beyond it and in direction of the higher self. In that sense it was similar to scientology, I have seen a movie not long ago and first it seemed to make sense, going beyond the mind and more in a state of being and then began the courses and more courses and training and it ended in a mental prison and it is nothing but brainwashing. 

Seeing the Divine in our Heart

Truth is that, which does not change with time. A policeman wears his uniform and performs his duty. When you see him, you think that is the truth. After his duty, he goes home and changes to a night-dress. Now too he is a policeman! Though the clothes he wore has changed, his body does not change. Similarly, ‘Dehi’ your indweller, does not undergo any change. Your body is associated with Satvic, Rajasic and Tamasic qualities. Remove them and you will see the divine ‘Brahman’.
In a cold hill station, you wear vest, shirt and then a protective coat on top of it. If you want to see your heart (chest), you must remove your coat, shirt and vest; only then you can see your heart. Similarly, the body of a human being is covered with many qualities. When you go beyond these, you will be able to see the Divine in your heart.

Baba (thought for the day)

In thinking it over and writing about it we can get deeper into the meaning of the wisdom in his words and find him. This is such great wisdom. First it tells us that we have to reach a non changing level, how do we do that? It helps to see it with the opposite value, we know it is not relative, because everything relative is changing, therefore, it is absolute. It cannot be limited by time and space, it has to go beyond it to be only one without a second. We can only recognize what is passing by, because there is something which is always the same and not moving. We see the limited, because behind is the ocean of consciousness and the unlimited being. 

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.