A new Beginning and the Beginner's Mind

Ugadi is the beginning of a New Year. You have celebrated many Ugadis, but have you given up your bad qualities? Do not limit the celebration of Ugadi to merely putting on new clothes and partaking of delicious food. Today you may wear a new shirt, but how long will it remain new? Our life is like a newspaper. Once you have finished reading a newspaper, do you like to read the same newspaper again and again? You have been given this birth, and you have gone through varied experiences of pleasure and pain. Pray to God to take you across this ocean of life and death, and grant you liberation. True Ugadi is the day when you give up bad qualities, fill your heart with love, and take to the path of sacrifice. Stop criticizing others. Respect even those who hate you. Hatred is a bad quality. It will ruin you. Hence get rid of this evil. Love everyone.

The beginning of New Year and he reminds us that we have celebrated many New Years and talks about giving up bad qualities. 

What are bad qualities? Sathva is new in the beginning and a good quality. We should feel it and understand the Gunas, the tendencies of nature, sathva, rajas and tamas. We could call it as he said yesterday dedication to true speech with natural law. 

It is the understanding of the tendencies of nature in every word. What is new is in that sense good, what is old is not good, but that is of course generalized. If we don't want to generalize it we have to look at it in ever situation again and see if it is true or not true, but that is basically the common understanding level in the vedic culture. 

How can we be dedicated to true speech, we have to consider the difference between sathva, rajas and tamas and we have to listen to the self-realized authorities, because they mastered it, it means it is always right and never not right.

In a new year everything starts new and have we given up the bad qualities? 

As it is new we begin celebration with new cloths, that is the same idea, it just has to be new and we enjoy good food, maybe we wear a new shirt, but tomorrow it is not new anymore.

The same is our life if we see it out of a view that knows sathva, rajas and tamas. It is like a news paper, what today is new is tomorrow no more. We read the newspaper only today and we put it away on the pile of old paper.

 Ugadi is the beginning of a New Year. You have celebrated many Ugadis, but have you given up your bad qualities? Do not limit the celebration of Ugadi to merely putting on new clothes and partaking of delicious food. Today you may wear a new shirt, but how long will it remain new? Our life is like a newspaper. Once you have finished reading a newspaper, do you like to read the same newspaper again and again?

The Origin of Pride, Ignorance and the Feeling of Duality

What is the origin of pride? Is it knowledge? No! It is ignorance. What is the cause of ignorance? It is the feeling of duality. Where did duality originate? From attachment and hatred (Raga and Dwesha). What is the origin of these two? They are the products of circumstances. How did circumstances come about? Through Karma (past deeds). What is the cause of Karma? Birth! Thus be clear that birth is the cause of all sorrow. Only by seeking freedom from birth that you can free oneself from sorrow. The opportunity of a human birth must be used for realizing this supreme goal. The duty of parents is to set children on the right path from their early years. They should not hesitate to correct them and even punish them when the children take to wrong ways. The best way parents can show their love for their children is to do everything necessary to lead them on the righteous path.

In these words is the origin of bad qualities explained and it can make us aware of our own life experience in a different way. 

What is the origin of pride? Is it knowledge? No! It is ignorance.

If we listen, really listen, we hear that it is a duality 'feeling', not a thought. The question is how that feeling of duality comes into being. It is a feeling and it is that feeling that gets us into not right conclusions. 

We don't know that we don't know, we don't question it, we go ahead thinking we know and the origin is the feeling of duality? 

How does it feel? We don't like to feel such feelings like hatred and attachment. Attachment we are probably not aware of and hatred is something else.  

It is a new explanation of Swami, as often a surprising was of getting aware of it when thinking it over. 

He often mentioned identification with the body. We don't know how it feels to be identified with the body, it is the 'I' level and we are it and if we think we know, we are wrong. How is identification with the body on the feeling level? 

We cannot know as long as we don't know the opposite, we don't know how it is to not be identified with the body. Swami is making us aware of it in Darshan, the sight of truth, or what we experience in Darshan as the reflection of it as he is beyond the mind and the body feeling.

What is the cause of ignorance? It is the feeling of duality. Where did duality originate? From attachment and hatred (Raga and Dwesha). What is the origin of these two? They are the products of circumstances.

Transformation and Freedom from Pain

It is the foremost duty of students to transform every activity of life into one of strength and beauty. But unfortunately, the education system of today fails to nourish the qualities of wholesomeness, unity and love, which are the hallmarks of true education. Students must realise that their lifespan is fast melting away like ice, whether they care to improve or not. Students of today are blind to the goal of life; many do not even feel the pain of not knowing the purpose of life. Only one in a million strives to realise the essence of life. This striving is the steppingstone for the realisation of the purpose of life. Many people feel that the acquisition of food, clothing, shelter, wealth, conveniences, and comforts constitute the very purpose of life. Life remains a tragedy as long as people toil under this kind of delusion. The day you realise the purpose of life, you undergo a total transformation, from agony (vedhana) to freedom from pain (nirvedhana).

He said in the dream quite some time ago, 'I am in Africa' and now we watched in the meeting which was about leadership at the weekend a video clip about someone who is in Africa. It made no sense before, but now it does as they don't think they have to listen to him, they listen to successful people really and that video clip instead of Swami. 

The quotes were mostly from books from good devotees, so called leaders probably and only once he said that Swami has all that planned that we meet here and people were laughing and I thought how childish and like Kindergarten.

It felt after a while sick being part of that bla, bla, bla only and him organizing and all is his really but no words or Swami or quotes or even a Swami video. We read everything else but Swami. 

Engaged Uninterruptedly in Contemplation of the Lord

Spiritual aspirants must carefully understand the distinction between the conduct of the ordinary (sahaja) person and spiritual aspirant. The ordinary person has no fortitude (sahana), is conceited (ahamkara), and is full of desires related to the world, through which the person is trying to have a contented existence. Aspirants engaged in contemplation of the Lord (Sarveswara-chinthana) as ceaselessly as the waves of the sea, accumulate the wealth of equality and equal love to all, and are content in the thought that all is the Lord's and nothing is theirs. Unlike the ordinary person, the spiritual seeker won't easily bend before grief, loss, anger or hatred or selfishness, hunger, thirst or fickleness. Aspirants should master all good things as much as possible and journey through life in fortitude, courage, joy, peace, charity, and humility. Realise that tending the body is not all-important, and bear even hunger and thirst patiently and engage uninterruptedly in contemplation of the Lord.

Do you know how to carefully understand? If we think it over, we do actually. There is a way we can get to the right answer. 

What is the conduct of an ordinary person and the difference to a sadhaka, a spiritual spirant? An ordinary person has no interest in spiritual issues, right? 

Spiritual aspirants must carefully understand the distinction between the conduct of the ordinary (sahaja) person and spiritual aspirant.

Swami is telling us about the difference. And how can make sure we understand it so that we get to correct understanding? We know the principle.

Truth is threefold, if we think about a circle, we know in the circle is a triangle, we need to be aware of it working with a circle or with truth, it is about the circle, the circle is the symbol for wholeness and truth. 

We get to the insight by doing it, by practicing. If someone is arguing, there are two and not three, if there are two only we get to half a circle only. Swami explained in the interview, 'you and I are We. We and He is I'.

You and I is 1 and 1 = 2 - it is geometry. It is one point, two points, 3 points, the triangle, 

I and you are we. 

It has to become a circle.  If there is only one point and another point we have a straight line segment between two points and that results in half a circle. 

Kundalini Yoga and Breath Control

While doing Kundalini Yoga, people practice breath control. In the breathing exercises, inhalation is described as Purakam, exhalation as Rechakam and holding the breath as Kumbhakam. These alone do not constitute the means to achieve yogic power. To breathe in all that is good is Purakam. To give up all that is bad is Rechakam. To retain in the heart what is good is Kumbhakam. Every human being must practice this divine type of yoga; in fact this must become your primary goal. Puttaparthi is a small hamlet. How has this village attained this eminent state? You can find the answer for yourself. It was not merely a great piece of good fortune or a lucky accident. It is due to the power of thought. Every sacred thought has the power to find fulfilment. Hence scriptures declared: "As you think, that you become (Yad bhavam tad bhavati)". Develop good thoughts and naturally you will be entitled to the right of its fruits.

The love we felt with was that big, it was an incredible love and it felt like it felt the whole universe and in our evening in the center with our study circle and followed by Bhajan singing, coming back there was just 'that' in the air, that much love and the memory of that energy in his presence, it came by surprise, but it is about advaita, we have that theme now for the second time in our circle and that energy flow has definitely to do with the positive energy level we keep and I was reading, but I didn't really get into it and I was watching TV and didn't focus, I didn't see any of it and I was writing about it and that still the best, at least we could express it in that way.  

It was actually quite difficulties to take it, it felt like too much and also it came by such surprise that I remembered again the amount of love which had been in the air in his Darshan and the amazing insight that this energy  was present again without that we had been seeing him. It means it got activated by the study circle and the Bhajan singing afterwards, it is the result of just good and positive energy. 

I was thinking only about that time yesterday in his presence and how we felt and how beautiful it was, but also that we can experience it in our own self if we get to the ground of advaita. All I knew is that I had never experienced that much love before.

  

While doing Kundalini Yoga, people practice breath control. In the breathing exercises, inhalation is described as Purakam, exhalation as Rechakam and holding the breath as Kumbhakam. These alone do not constitute the means to achieve yogic power. To breathe in all that is good is Purakam. To give up all that is bad is Rechakam. To retain in the heart what is good is Kumbhakam. Every human being must practice this divine type of yoga; in fact this must become your primary goal.

Love and our Full Potential

Develop the quality of love. Fill your entire life with love. This was the prayer which the Gopikas addressed to Krishna. A life without love is utterly barren. You are the embodiment of love. Love has to be directed towards what is true. Such love must be your life-breath. Embodiments of the Divine Atma! Esteeming love as the essence of Divinity, you must engage yourselves in loving service to society. Why is it that so many lakhs of people have gathered here today? There must be some compelling reason for it. You must be seeking something which you have not found in your native place. Here there is Divine Love. What has drawn all people here is the power of Divine Love - that is the bond uniting hearts. At the root of all this is purity. Where there is purity, there love grows. When purity and love come together, there is Ananda (bliss). Whatever work we do, whatever sacrifices we perform, they are not of much use in the absence of love.

Last night was study circle followed by Bhajans. We were eight people and one lady was the first time in the study circle. When we are more people we had to see that everybody has the opportunity to tell something. Usually we go around in the circle without interrupting and that is important that everybody get the chance to talk and it is shared by talking about it and working out that facet from which it is always the same. We don't worry about discussions, they are used to it by now and it works out and sometimes it even gets heated up and last time there was moment when some talked at the same time we had to say something and so I had to mix in as well just a bit louder that we get back on the divine words. In the meantime we got used to it and putting the attention back on the fact that truth is threefold, no use about arguing and our standpoint, it is just about truth and the text we are sharing and the principle is after all the same, it is the Atmic principle, the 'I am that'. It is the question why we were with Baba already years ago and it is all about, 'who am I', and the reason we went there is self-realization and the answer is in the 'I am that'. How do we make that experience of it? 

Living with God

Even when you attain the state of living with God and merger in a divine form (sarupya-mukti), there is still a trace of differential feeling. Just because a devotee has a form like the Lord's, one may not have the powers of creation, preservation, and destruction that the Lord has. Only when all trace of difference disappears and unity is attained, the highest stage is reached. This is real union (Sayujya). This comes of divine grace won by the essence of the spiritual practice of each; it cannot be claimed as the fruit of effort. The devotee wishes to serve the Lord as one pleases and to experience the joy of the form that one has attributed to the Lord. But the Lord, out of His grace, gives the devotee not only existence with the Lord, witnessing always the glory of the Lord, and being suffused with God-consciousness but also Sayujya - union with Him! The path of devotion results also in attainment of ultimate knowledge (Brahma-jnana). Even if the devotee does not crave it, the Lord Himself vouchsafes it to the devotee.

The mind is activity, stop, that is Pantanjali. How do we stop? 

We know it from our meditation. 

We begin to repeat the mantra, it keeps us awake while thoughts are coming and we cannot just stop it as we are constantly somehow involved in activity, even if we stop the activity, the mind is going on, it constantly progresses as we know, it is activity in the mind. By repeating the mantra we forget it that means we transcend the mind, there is no feeling for it, there is no time, no space and when we come back we get back with thoughts, they are part of it and it doesn't matter if we have thoughts, it is easy and effortless until we get aware of it that we have thoughts and that means we are not anymore in a state of meditation, but again in the mind and we take the mantra and begin again. That is an action of will, we want to get out of the mind. 

We repeat the mantra and transcend again and it is usually done twenty minutes morning and evening and regularly. And the end we just take some time to get out of it and we stop, but open not yet the eyes to get our mind the time to turn outward again before we open the eyes. 

1.2 Yoga is the control (nirodhah, regulation, channeling, mastery, integration, coordination, stilling, quieting, setting aside) of the modifications (gross and subtle thought patterns) of the mind field. (yogash chitta vritti nirodhah) (Patanjali yoga sutra)

How do we stilling, quieting the thought process, we repeat the mantra effortlessly and as Swami said, all mantras are okay. 
There will be thoughts coming up but that is part of it and only when we get aware that we are not thinking the mantra, but something else, we begin with the mantra again. What is the reason? The moment when we notice there are thoughts, we get aware of the mind and the thought process and with the mantra we go inside again and transcend the thought process, it has to be easy and effortlessly and we don't need to concentrate, by repetition of the mantra the mind gets transcended and that we do twenty or thirty minutes morning and evening. 
That is Patanjali. The work is in the mind field and in the thought patterns.

 

The question mark stands for 'who am I?' That is the main question Swami always asked to get to the right answer and right knowledge, 'I am that'. 

Even when you attain the state of living with God and merger in a divine form (sarupya-mukti), there is still a trace of differential feeling.

A Method to Clearly Understand Truth as different from Untruth

To attain the knowledge of righteousness (dharma), first, you must receive training under wise people, who are imbued with righteousness (dharma). Next, you must aspire to purify yourself (Atma shuddhi) and practice truth(sathya). Thirdly, you must realize the value of knowledge of the scriptures (Vedas), which is the voice of God. When these three steps are completed, you will clearly understand the truth and discriminate it from untruth. This enquiry into truth must be done in amity and cooperation. Everyone is entitled to attain spiritual wisdom. Everyone must be equally eager to discover the truth and benefit from it. All opinions must be tested on the touchstone of dharma, of universal goodness (sarvaloka-hitha). The principles that pass this test alone must be chosen and practiced, and shared with the world. Then will help humanity to progress. Then, everyone will develop joy and happiness in equal measure. All of you must use this method and perform noble and pure deeds consistently.

To get to correct understanding we need 'direct perception, inference and the spoken or written words of a self-realized authority' and now we have to find that in Swami and his words. We are trained how to live up to truth? If he is telling in such a way, how was that training, where was that training? Have we been aware that it was a training? 

How do we purify ourselves and practice truth? 

We do it with regular mediation, but what means that we should practice truth and not untruth? 

And we have to realize the value of the scriptures, that is clear and the third level, the words of a self-realized authority, it is the easiest to grasp here and understood but that what is the most neglected really and Baba mentions here that it is Veda as the voice of God.  

That is why Sanskrit words, they tell us where the authority is and that is 'Veda', that is the voice of God. Veda is seen, it is cognized wisdom, it is all based on insights and the big seers and therefore, it is the voice of God. 

It is like Swami's words, they are the voice of God.

Next, you must aspire to purify yourself (Atma shuddhi) and practice truth(sathya). Thirdly, you must realize the value of knowledge of the scriptures (Vedas), which is the voice of God.

What is the first step the training, what is direct perception? We had that training during Darshan, it was called the sight of truth and what did we see, truth. 

When we repeat a mantra it goes beyond the mind, we experience what we think it is and what it is not, it is a practiced value, it is purification of the mind. It has to be experienced. It is not what we think it is, it is what we are in the now. 

It is not the image we have of it, it is the feeling of it now in that very moment in the present. 

With the mantra repetition we purified the mind and go beyond the mind and that is about the Atma, but the Atma has to be cognized, it is not just pure consciousness, that is just a state of it, it is unlimited. 

We have to live truth is direct experience of it, being it and not thinking it and it means getting to inference, right conclusion is about truth and we do it by contemplation, practice truth is the contemplation of the voice of God.

 When these three steps are completed, you will clearly understand the truth and discriminate it from untruth.

Tapas and Inner and Outer Self-Control

Many argue about how discipline (as described in the scriptures) can result in the dawn of knowledge. Aren't these mere bodily limitations, they ask. Knowledge can arise only by the realisation of the principle that guarantees self-realisation, they argue. But this line of thought is based on a big mistake. Through these physical regulations, traits (vasanas) are destroyed and concentration is established. One-pointedness is essential to establish spiritual wisdom firmly in the heart, and this one-pointedness can easily be gained by bodily disciplines and austerities (tapas) prescribed in the Upanishads. External control helps internal control in many ways. To succeed in external controls indeed is more difficult than to achieve success in controlling the internal! In a working car, the wheels will always follow the direction of the steering. A turn of the steering wheel in one's hand in any direction makes the wheels of the car, which are not in your hand, move in the same direction of the steering wheel – isn't it?

Talking about the 'I am that' in the study circle was a great experience and an incredible sharing really and it felt totally right. It was the inner feeling of the truth we had experience in his presence and that is how we get aware of it. 

If we want go get to correct understanding, we need three things and a method as he said. Blind believe is not part of the 'tat tvam asi'. Blindness has no room in that. Blindness is not an ideal, but a sickness and poor mind state.

As he spoke of the method it is important to understand the process. 

He said it in three steps really, the three things we have to do and when we get aware of the three things, we also know that it is not finished with the Darshan, but it is just the beginning. 

Truth is always threefold, so we have to be trained by someone who has experience in Dharma or who knows truth. That is what we met in Darshan, the sight of truth by direct perception in his presence, we have the experienced it. It is the experience of divine love and truth, the way of Dharma. 

The experience of truth is seen as training and we have to discriminate and practice truth as we had that training. 

Cultural Values and Listening

Many do not invest time to understand the sacredness and value of their culture. 'Culture' means that which sanctifies the world, which enhances the greatness and glory of a country, and which helps to raise the individual and society to a higher level of existence. The observance of morality in daily life, divinisation of all actions and thoughts related to life, and adherence to ideals - all these together constitute culture. Culture contributes to the refinement of life. The process of refinement or transformation is essential for improving the utility of any object. For instance, paddy has to be milled and the husk has to be removed before the rice is fit for cooking. This is the process known as Samskriti or transformation. This means getting rid of the unwanted elements and securing the desirable elements. With regards to people, Samskriti (culture) means getting rid of bad qualities and cultivating virtues. A cultured person is one who has good thoughts and good conduct. 

There are three aspects of God; Brahma, Vishnu, Shiva. 

We have to see the threefold truth in everything or we don't get to correct understanding. If we don't see the reality of truth as threefold, we are not able to get the correct understanding also not about oneness and if we are not able to understand the Atmic principle, we project divinity at the outside.

Many do not invest time to understand the sacredness and value of their culture.

If we read that we get to the wrong conclusion that it is about our culture and at the beginning Swami talks also just about the expression culture and we all have a feeling developed for it, we think we know exaclty what is meant with culture.

 'Culture' means that which sanctifies the world, which enhances the greatness and glory of a country, and which helps to raise the individual and society to a higher level of existence.

Correct Understanding and 'I am That'

Lord Krishna declared in the Gita, "Among sacrifices (yajnas), I am the repetition of the name (nama-yajna)." For curing grief and earning joy, temples where the name of God can be remembered are very essential. Remembering the name (smarana) grants bliss; there is nothing more fruitful, charming or blissful than this activity! Sage Vyasa wondered, "Having the great yet simple name, on the ever available tongue, and the temple where His enchanting image is installed so that people can sing His glory in an exalted voice... why should people hasten toward the gates of hell?" So too, Saint Tulsidas, who lived constantly in the temple and sang of the joy he tasted, lamented, "Alas! When people give up the name and the temple, and seek peace and joy in other places, I am reminded of the foolishness of those who forsake the rich and tasty fare on their plates and beg with outstretched hands for the remains from other's plates!"

How can we listen to Swami's words and get to the correct understanding and not just stop it in thinking, how do we understand it?

The first thing we need is to know that truth is threefold. 

It is a principle. What is meant with a principle?

It is always the same, no change. We have to see the principle to get to a correct understanding. 

We have Swami's words. We should not only read, but listen. 

It is on three levels, listen, think it over, absorb, as we notice again threefold as it is about truth. It is about knowledge. The truth is threefold; therefore we have three levels of knowledge.

That is the principle, and it we approach his words we will see what happens. We will get to a much better result in correct understanding then when we try to listen with our heart, the heart doesn't know the principle.

Lord Krishna declared in the Gita, "Among sacrifices (yajnas), I am the repetition of the name (nama-yajna)." For curing grief and earning joy, temples where the name of God can be remembered are very essential.

Who Worries about a Wasted Day?

Temples are invitations and signboards directing people to their Divine home. Temples are intended to instruct people in the art of removing the veil of attachment that lies over their heart. That is why Tyagaraja cried in the temple at Tirupathi, "Remove the veil within me, the veil of pride and hate." The fog of illusion (maya) melted away with the touch of the rays of grace. Then he sang out describing the image of divine charm in the song, "Sivudavo Madhavudavo"; he drank deep the sweetness of that form. The churning of his heart by the divine formula produced the spark of wisdom (jnana), and it grew into the flame of realisation. On one occasion, Lord Sri Ramachandra spoke thus: "Dawn breaks and dusk falls. With dawn, greed awakes in people; with dusk, lust gets hold of them. Is this to be your goal and way of life? With every passing day, you are nearing one step closer towards the cave of death, missing precious opportunities. Do you ever worry over a wasted day?"

If we have the basic understanding that truth is not one fold, but threefold and we see the difference of knowledge we experience and the truth, threefold nature of that knowledge, we can see it in his words and it is reflected in every word of his. And it is just based on the fact that truth is threefold and it is always about truth. 

Temples are invitations and signboards directing people to their Divine home. Temples are intended to instruct people in the art of removing the veil of attachment that lies over their heart. That is why Tyagaraja cried in the temple at Tirupathi, "Remove the veil within me, the veil of pride and hate." The fog of illusion (maya) melted away with the touch of the rays of grace.

We have three levels of knowledge, sense-knowledge the society is living in and inference, the level of scientists, artists and decisions making and the third level is the spoken or written words of a self-realized authority, that we find in the words of Patanjali about correct understanding. 

He is the Doer and the Patanjali Sutras

What is important is not the acquisition of argumentativeness but the acquisition of single-mindedness, equanimity, and freedom from likes and dislikes. Why does one undertake these spiritual disciplines, this chanting, meditation, devotional singing, etc.? Isn't it for acquiring single-mindedness and one-pointedness? Once that one-pointedness has been earned, human effort becomes unnecessary; the inner significance of life gets revealed. So those eager to become spiritual aspirants, should not yield to arguments and counterarguments. They should not be enticed by the wiles of bad feeling. They should see their own faults and not repeat them again. They should guard and protect the one-pointedness they have acquired, with their eyes fixed on the goal they are after, dismissing as trash whatever difficulties, defeats, and disturbances they encounter on their path. They must dwell on subjects that would give enthusiasm and joy, and not waste valuable time building up doubts regarding all things, big and small.

How do get to one-pointedness? 

When I began to watch, I was just focused on that and in time there was one-pointedness, only I didn't know what I was really doing and I didn't know what would come out by it, it was all uncertain. After a while I gave it a name, I thought that I had to take it as it comes until it would be there. What? It was about self-experience, the true self is the seer. 

It was during that time in Geneva and I hardly remember the room, there was a bed and a dresser and I didn't do much with it, I was focused on watching and I didn't know how long I would stay there, but what I remember like it would have been yesterday is the watcher and it was in the dream stage. It was a car and in the dream it felt like I was around that car. The car was actually outdoors in the street and there was something happening with that car and it scared me. That was the dream, I was around that car and that car began to honk. It was that loud and in the midst of night it was awaking everybody living in that surrounding. 

That were the type of experiences it was difficult to understand right, what had really happened and why had I seen it in the dream in that way. That was the question. Today we know. We were around the car it means we are in his whereabouts and there was something wrong, it began to sound the horn in the midst of the night, it woke me up at night. 

But the other question was why did I get aware of that car. Today we know it had to do with watching. We watch an object, everything that is outside of us and here we watched something else, the transition is also an object, the car didn't drive, the car began to make noise at a time we didn't expect it. 

What happened on the watcher level from that moment on the attention was on the transition state, we got aware of the situation in the dream, it began to reflect. 

It felt like it didn't make sense that I got aware of it, because I forgot that I was watching. As I got more into it, the watcher shifted to a subtler state. It was actually simple, it means I was around it and near enough to get scared by the loud noise in the mist of the night, but I forgot that I was watching, the answer was on the watcher level and that is why I wondered why. I was watching, I wanted to make the experience of the watcher.  

But on the level of watcher it was a sign that the watcher began to watch the transition level that is also an object. When reading the Patanjali sutras there was the answer. 

Correct Understanding and the Fish and the Water

Look at the fish! Living as it does perpetually in water, has it rid itself of its foul smell to any extent? No. Inclinations (vasanas)won't disappear as long as one's heart is full of the illusion of egotism, even if one is immersed in many heart-purifying spiritual disciplines. If you really want to get rid of the feeling of "I" and "mine", you must transform yourself and worship the Lord (Hari), without any likes and dislikes. Just as light and darkness can never coexist at the same place, love and hatred can't coexist in the same heart. You experience joy and misery through the ear. Therefore as a spiritual aspirant, avoid the cruel arrows of hard words. Instead use sweet, pleasant and soft words suffused with truth. Speaking softly by adding falsehood will bring you misery. You can recognise a true spiritual aspirant through their good qualities.

Direct perception is experience and in thinking it over we remember the experience and see it in our own life and no matter what comes up it takes shape and form just in remembering it and seeing it in our own life in the light of the words of a self-realized authority and that is what Sai Baba is a self-realized authority. 

Last night some family stuff came up after writing some Christmas greetings and how I got aware of the family patterns. Even if it is a different situation and a different time, that pattern is still alive and it is part of the experience, but here it is about the right answer or inference.

The Nine Modes of Devotion

Follow at least one of the nine modes of devotion (Sravanam, kirtanam, etc.). It doesn't matter how wealthy or learned you are; God is concerned only with the sincerity and purity of your mind and heart and the wholeheartedness and genuine nature of your love. Valmiki was a hunter. Nandanar was of a low caste. Kuchela was a poor man. Dhruva and Prahlada were five-year-old lads. Sabari was a tribal woman, illiterate and uncivilized. But all of them won God's Grace in abundance, because of their wholehearted devotion, love and surrender. Follow Sabari's example, who always thought of Sri Rama and His happiness, and dedicated all her thoughts, words, and deeds to Him alone, such that her every action was transformed and sublimated into the highest penance (tapas). Meditation does not mean sitting idle in a particular posture, like posing for a photograph. Like Sabari's life, your life must become a continuous meditation wherever you are, and whatever you do.

What do we get from thinking over Swami's words?

Nobody seems to do that really and why not? Probably because it is not possible, but he also tells us that contemplation is neglected. It feels somehow that far away actually and still that close.

Follow at least one of the nine modes of devotion (Sravanam, kirtanam, etc.).

The Lamp on the Tongue, Meet the Entire World

Temple worship, company of sages, adoration of the Lord and recital of His name - these are external sources of light. Meditation, austerity and reflection (dhyana, tapas and manana) — these are sources of inner illumination. Devoid of both, how can you experience the vision of divine glory? Once Tulsidas Goswami declared, "Do you require light inside the house as well as outside? If yes, then place the lamp on the doorstep!" So too, if you desire to experience the illumination of peace (shanti) within you and also spread it out, then place the name of the Lord on the tongue, which is the doorstep of your personality! The lamp on the tongue will not flicker, fade, or be put out by any storm. It will confer peace on you as well as on all whom you meet - in fact, the entire world." Therefore, for your salvation, evoke the vision of the form with the Lord's name on your tongue.

Yesterday we had our Sai Christmas celebration and it was just great, even if we were not as many people as planned. We had even a concert by our greatest singers and then we left and seven people on the way back we just experienced that. Two guys were making fun with everybody and also with the ticket controller in the train. One told him that we just had met God and he said, 'oh yes', of course he must have thought that it was a joke, but it was kind of nice one during Christmas time and he was nice man and he felt good in our group that we could see, he remind with us for a while before he went on with the rest of the people. 

That way it was a good experience to go by train and after we arrived at our destination, we got hugged and kissed and all laughed, we all felt a bit silly and one devotee said that we are in a kind of ecstasy, that is the result if too much sathva flowing, people get a bit like drunk and ecstatic and just in such a good humor that everybody would have liked to join our group and it was really joyful actually.

It was the result of love in the air and it was still afterwards when going to sleep and it was in the memory of that precious time with Sai Baba and kind of a rare state of mind. We would like to share more often and we just wonder why we didn't, we had experienced it as the Sai universe time ago when being with him in the darshan and in his presence, there was nothing left but love really, love everywhere, like the air saturated with that precious divine love, nothing existed but love. 

Temple worship, company of sages, adoration of the Lord and recital of His name - these are external sources of light. Meditation, austerity and reflection (dhyana, tapas and manana) — these are sources of inner illumination.

Omnipresence and the Lord of Death

Lord of Death (Yama) is as omnipresent as Lord Siva! Yama is associated with the body (deha); He cannot affect the individual soul (jiva). Siva is associated with the individual soul, but He won't allow the body to subsist for any length of time. The body is the essential vehicle for the individual soul to understand its real nature. Still who knows when the body may become the target for the attention of Yama? The individual soul, burdened with this destructible body, must grasp the above-mentioned caution and be all-eager to merge in Siva! No single moment that is passed by can be turned back. People usually delay doing some things; yesterday's till today and today's till tomorrow. For the tasks of spiritual discipline, there is no yesterday and no tomorrow. This very moment is the moment! The minute that just elapsed is beyond your grasp; so too, the approaching minute is not yours! Only those who have this understanding engraved in their heart can merge in Siva.

He is telling us here that the Lord of Death, Yama is as omnipresent as Lord Siva.

We got to the conclusion yesterday that nobody is really going into it. 
Yama, the Lord of death is associated with the body (deha). If the words are not listened to and someone said it was too complicated and it is just because of that reason, we have to think it over, we have to listen, think it over and absorb. 
It needs an effort to think it over. It needs an effort to find the right answer, it needs an effort to be able to absorb.

If we feel it is too difficult, some seem to, it is neglected. And neglecting it, thinking it is not okay and just interpretation. If that would be so, contemplation would not be possible. The difference between interpretations or what our mind thinks is actually our projection and turns into interpretation and that is just the opposite way around. How can it be wrong if he tells us to think it over, but we have to get aware of it. He told us even in the interview room, translate, what means interpret it …

Again a type of person who is that convinced in his mind that he knows and gets to the right conclusion and in reality every second word he tells is not real and not what he tells, but delusion.

Lord of Death (Yama) is as omnipresent as Lord Siva! Yama is associated with the body (deha); He cannot affect the individual soul (jiva). 

Every Act should be Done with Great Care

 

 

People have taught the eye, ear, and tongue the luxury of constant novelty. Now do the opposite. Turn your mind towards the good and examine every minute's activities. Each deed is a chisel stroke shaping the rock of human personality. A wrong stroke may disfigure the rock. Therefore even the tiniest of acts must be done with great care and devotion. For a drowning person, even a reed is some support. So too to a person struggling in the sea of inborn desires (samskara), a few kind words might be of great help. No good deed is a waste; every bad deed has its consequence. So strive to avoid the slightest trace of evil activity. Keep your eyes pure. Fill your ears with stories of Divine; don't allow them to listen to calumny. Use your tongue for uttering good, kind, and true words. Let it always remind you of God. Such constant effort will grant you victory.

 

Actually I had a dream and in that dream we were swallowed by the earth, it didn't feel very good though. We have nothing to do anymore, no job and nobody cares really. It seems we belong to a movement, but there is really nobody. There are lots of people, but when we really are in need of someone there is nobody, but they ask us always to do something. They always want something and that had been in the dream with Baba when he left the body, he was on the stage with the country flags and all the people were at his feet and all wanted something from him and it was separated by height and there was great agony.

That is the reality of it; they always want something and more and expect us to not only do our best, but more than the best and it seems never enough and that has something to do with that outward devotion to the body as it seems and not inside in the self. We are all the same self, the same light, the same love; the only difference is if it is permanent or changing. If it is permanent and non-changing it is real and true and divine love, if it is not permanent and changing it is all different kinds of love and the best is 'pure love', but it is not established permanent and therefore, not yet divine love. It was all in the insight, it means the man who comes in our dream to awake us, but it was awful agony. And that is the reality of the movement, they always want something, but they don't give. If we need something there is nobody, but when they want something they are there with critics and blame and demands and that are the people talking about love and if we take it literally we just walk away.

We have to find the divine love in singing together, but in the action of the people we will not find it, we find only selfishness. If we wouldn't have the Indian devotees we would be nowhere really. They are the people understanding and living it and they take care of it silently in the background that it goes on and that we get food, that the meetings are half way acceptable without that we get into war and they are there every moment to serve and to share their love and care, because it seems that only they know what this is all about and how we have to understand it to live it.

People have taught the eye, ear, and tongue the luxury of constant novelty. Now do the opposite. Turn your mind towards the good and examine every minute's activities. Each deed is a chisel stroke shaping the rock of human personality. A wrong stroke may disfigure the rock. Therefore even the tiniest of acts must be done with great care and devotion.

Theoretical Knowlege is a Burden, we have to Practice

You have joined the study class at Dharmakshetra, and are engaged in poring over all types of books and gathering information and instruction. But, what have you gained? Knowledge about what this author says or that sage teaches is not what your study circle must aim to acquire. Not information, but transformation; not instruction, but construction should be the aim. Theoretical knowledge is a burden, unless it is practised, when it can be lightened into wisdom, and assimilated into daily, life. Knowledge that does not give harmony and wholeness to the process of living is not worth acquiring. Every activity must be rendered valid and worthwhile by its contribution to the discovery of Truth, both of the Self and of Nature. Of what use is it to know everything about nature, if you do not know anything of the Self? Nature is only a projection of the Self, and so, unless the Self is known, knowledge of nature is either distorted or deceptive. The Self is Atma, of which the entire Creation is composed, so knowledge of the Self alone can quench the thirst of man.

Sathyasai Study

How do we practice? 

We just got aware of the importance of the job we have to do. If we think it over and write our thoughts down there is a reflection going on in the mind. If the writer is a job and facilitating it in that way, in a study circle is more efficient, because we sit together and the participator has the job to participate. Why we call it a job, because there is a sense of duty involved, we always try to do a good job and our best and it is not a matter of arguing, but a matter of decision. We take a job and do it, that is the way we can make it experience and learn from it. 

He is telling us here that theoretical wisdom is a burden. And how do we make it practical knowledge? In practicing and in talking about it. We are practitioners and we have to put it into practice that is the main thing, otherwise, it remains theoretical wisdom and a burden. 

That is why we have study circles, it make it possible for everybody to participate and we tell our point of view and go around in the circle, all have to be able to share the thoughts, but it helps a lot if we are aware what we are doing. The facilitator is also a job that makes it possible for the participator, also a job and get in that sense aware of the value of duty and by participating we tell what we think and feel and together we get to the right conclusion and afterwards it is no more theoretical wisdom, it becomes practical experience - that is what we want, that is the main thing, it has to become experience.