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.

Human Life is Highly Sacred, most Precious and Divine

Human life is highly sacred, most precious and Divine. Do not fritter it away by indulging in unsacred activities. All that you find outside is nothing but the reflection, reaction, and resound of your inner feelings.
Life must be lived in the proper way by exercising control over the ten senses. Speak sweetly and softly. You cannot always oblige, but you can always speak obligingly. Pray for the well-being of all. Sanctify your senses by serving all. By exercising control over your senses, you can achieve anything in life. You may think that you have given away ten bags of rice in charity and distributed clothes to 500 people. Such accounts are to be submitted to the income tax department and not to God. God is not interested in quantity; He sees the feeling behind your acts. So, whatever acts of charity you undertake, do it with the spirit of love and sacri­fice.
Baba (thought for the day)

It was an amazing Lila after he Baba said in the the dream 'engaged' and it was on your birthday morning and the same 'I am that'.
I didn't realize in that moment that this would lead into a constant inquiry about that 'I am that', 'That twam asi'.
It is inner inquiry and also I didn't realize yet that it means to see it in our own life and to go on no matter what obstacles are there.
It was about the higher self, I had met many years ago already and I had to understand it. It was the higher self and the body was just sleeping and dark and the light was only in the higher self, therefore, the 'I' in the body seemed to somehow be there, but it had not place to be there.

I knew I had to get the right answer, somehow. And I went ahead and looked at everything crossing my path and that were first the Hare Krishnas and I hoped to get an answer following the inner light, but it was mostly worship and after a while I felt rather frustrated, because I knew that way I would not get any answers. I met someone and he had been with TM and he said that it was just meditation and I thought great, that would help to go inside, because it was inside, I had seen it in the dream and it was also attractive, because the master lived in the Swiss mountains.

As the Feeling, so the Result

People worship God with devotion and sincerity, but God is not satisfied with external worship. You should serve society. Only service can confer bliss on you. By rendering service to society, you can alleviate the sufferings of the people, and also bring about transformation in their lives.

Yad Bhavam Tad Bhavathi (as is the feeling, so is the result). When you serve with sacred feelings, it is bound to yield sacred results. Serve society to your utmost capacity. The satisfaction that you get by participating in bhajans is temporary, whereas service confers permanent satisfaction. Time is the most precious gift of God, but you are wasting it in vain pursuits and unsacred feelings. Sanctify the time given to you by serving society. Through service alone you can get rid of worries, ego, pomp and show, and other evil qualities.
Baba (thought for the day)

Tapas, spiritual work is first discrimination, second seeing it in our own life and third going on no matter what obstacles are there.
What is external worship?
When I was a teenager, I was not even aware that it was possible to worship God externally, that was not in question and we had no such service to God.
I grew up in a catholic region, but my family belonged to Protestantism and in our village they had not yet their own church, therefore, me first memories of listening to that was in an empty room in the basement of the school.
There was nothing, not even a spiritual atmosphere and they are surprised that it is all put in question? It has to be put in question, because there was nothing else but intellect.
Later we got a church, on the top with glass-windows so we could see the sky, no pictures, no warmth, it was open, we could see the faces of the other people and the pastor was talking about a bible sentence and that was it and I got out of it tired and wondered what that was.

This Christmas we went to the midnight mass to Einsiedeln and that church it is just amazing. It is of breathtaking beauty.

The Message of Unity

You should broaden your heart that it may be filled with all-embracing love. Only then can the sense of spiritual oneness of all mankind be experienced. Out of that sense of unity will be born the love of God. This love will generate in the heart pure bliss that is boundless, indescribable and everlasting.

For all forms of bliss, love is the source. A heart without love is like a barren land. Foster love in your hearts and redeem your lives. Whatever your scholarship or wealth, they are valueless without love. Sow the seed of love in your hearts and it will grow in due course into a big tree. God is one. Do not entertain any differences of religion, creed or caste. Carry the message of unity to every home. Embodiments of love! Regard Love as your life-breath and as the sole purpose of your existence.

Baba (thought for the day)

When I realized it was all about love, I began to look for it in my heart, but I couldn't see anything in the heart, it was too dark and I wondered how to understand it and how to follow the inner master or the heart. How to find it if we couldn't hear it and not listen to it and it felt like there was nothing. I was glad if there was just a trace of a feeling of love and most of time we not aware of it. 

But if it should be love, we should be aware of it. But how to feel that love? I was just watching, doing my job and I decided to go on watching, on some level there should be at least a trace of love. It was kind of impossible to imagine that the universe is love and that we could just go ahead with an all-embracing love.

After a while, yes, sometimes there was some love and it was projected on someone, we were looking for a reason for it, that was the other obstacle about love.

But I went on observing to get to that boundless and everlasting love.

So first it was projected on a worldly love, nevertheless, it was love and as that didn't last I went on observing and it was not that easy, it felt kind of alone just going on and not being able to tell anyone what that was all about. Going on and on no matter what obstacles would be there in direction of love, we couldn't feel it.

A Sense of Spiritual Oneness

Just as a child is entitled to enjoy the milk from its mother, there can be no objection to man enjoying the resources of nature. But as a result of uncontrolled desires and reckless exploitation of natural resources, nature is exhibiting frightening disorders. Natural calamities like earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, droughts and floods are the result of disturbances in the balance of nature caused by this reckless exploitation. Mankind today appears like a foolish man who is wielding the axe at the branch of a tree on which he is sitting.
You have to develop a sense of spiritual oneness. Out of that sense of oneness, love will grow. Man today does not recognize this sense of oneness. 'Man' is not the body alone. One has the mind, intellect and the spirit (Atma) too. When the balance among these constituents is upset, people are plunged into troubles. On the other hand, when there is a balance, true humanness blossoms.
Baba (thought for the day)

How to develop a sense of spiritual oneness?

It helps a lot if we understand the purpose of oneness.  

With TM we had big meditation assemblies and lots of people came together to meditate, because we all believed if we did that, we created more balance in nature and worked against the reckless exploitation Baba is talking about here in this thought for the day.

It was a good experience in the big groups and it had a good effect on consciousness, the only problem is that we cannot prove it, but TM did about everything to prove it anyhow to get lots of people together, there have been worldpeace assamblies with 3000 people.

But what about developing a sense of oneness?

It was in the big groups of thousands of people meditating together, there was oneness, only there was no awarness of it.

Consciousness is bigger than biggest and smaller than the smallest. What does it mean? The whole is more than the sum of its parts.

On our individual level it is the higher self. If we have the experience of the higher self it is about the whole and it is more than the sum of its parts.

On an universal level it is divinity. As Baba said during our interview when he explained 'Soham', it means, 'I am God' or 'I am Shiva' or 'I am that' and he explained that it opens the mind.

Knowledge without Wisdom is Useless

True education will make you divine. Education is not mere knowledge of words; it should broaden the mind. The mere acquisition of degrees is valueless. Character is more important and it can be developed only by taking to the spiritual path. Of what use is an education that does not promote good qualities? Together with academic education you have to acquire wisdom and a sense of right and wrong. Knowledge without wisdom, scholarship without determination, music without melody, learning without humility, a society without discipline, friendship without gratitude, and speech without truth - all these are utterly useless.

Hence everyone should seek to follow the correct path. It is not greatness that matters but goodness. Make proper use of your education for the good of society.
Baba (thought for the day)

Baba said in an interview that we should meditate with Soham, our breath tells with every inhale, SO and with every exhale HAM and the meaning of Soham is, 'I am God, I am Shiva, I am that'.

I had been a TM-teacher and we were told that the mantra was a vehicle only and had no meaning and we had the feeling we didn't know anything about it and Baba called our group in the interview room after a group meditation and said, that all mantras are okay and that the meaning of the mantra is, 'I am God'.

The most important questions we have to ask are, 'Who am I?' 'Where do we come from?' and 'Where do we go?'

If we send a letter away we put the address that it can reach and if we do not have an address, it will reach nowhere.

Therefore, in using a mantra just like a vehicle, it was not possible to get aware of the 'I am that'.
But first my mind wondered how I could think only that 'I am God' and Baba went on explaining to us in the interview room that it opens our mind. That is a way how we can broaden the mind.

Self-confidence, self-control, self-contentment, self-sacrifice, self-realization. (Baba)

Between Unity and Duality

What is true humanness? You should treat your fellowmen as your own brothers and sisters. You deserve to be called a human being only when you cultivate the spirit of unity. Where there is no unity, there you find enmity and hatred. 

Consequently, the principle of love is lost altogether. Your foremost duty is to share your love with others. Only then can you realise the dictum: 'Brotherhood of man and fatherhood of God'. You may or may not believe in the fatherhood of God, but you must have faith in the brotherhood of man; practise it and experience bliss therefrom. It is only when we share our love with our fellowmen, can we experience Divinity.

Baba (thought for the day)

How do we share our love with our fellowmen? 
Writing is one way to share it, whatsoever, it has to be shared. 
It was in meditation, first the experience of heaven on earth and afterwards hell and a precipice. 
It was both, first friends and after enemies.

And that connection to a personal staff of the Maharishi had been in a relationship, it meant only problems, when it always looked good and the opposite, like friendship, but he was never a friend. 
He seemed to have been there only to create problems, even though he was assigned as the national leader at the same time, with the task to enlighten the world, he meant problems only.

And in the inner view it is present as precipice and I was somewhere in between the two levels, but it is incredible, that guy meant only problems. 

It means there was no unity, it is still on the level of duality, therefore, after all all they felt like enemies. Whatever, it was a very difficult experience.

How do we share our love? 

It is not only sharing love, but it is sharing it with our fellowmen. 

Writing seems to be a way to share. The blog is kind of a great tool to share our thoughts. 

And how do we get aware of the experience of Divinity? 

Get nearer, wherever we may be

In every one of you, God is the moving spirit, the very Soul; how then can you be evil, when you are here fulfilling God's purpose, according to His will, His plan and His law? God has endowed you with many faculties so that you may seek Him and reach Him. 

You are not therefore, a helpless and neglected individual undergoing a sentence of death. You are an embodiment of bliss, born to a rich heritage, which is all yours! Only you fail to ask. Have faith in your destiny and work steadily to attain it! Devotion is attachment to God - you need not leave hearth and home for it. If the seed is planted away from the parent tree, will it grow any different? No! Boil the seed and then it will not grow again. Similarly, boil your instincts and impulses, and scorch the sensory cravings that enslave you. Then you will get nearer to God, wherever you may be.

Baba (thought for the day)

We are immortal beings, if there is no sentence of death, but to reach that we have to know that we are God and how do we get to that self-realization? Always remember, who you are.

Who am I? 

That is one of the key questions, Baba mentioned it in a thought for the day last week. 

If we can answer the first question, we also know the answer for the rest. But around us is everything relative, everything passing by and nothing is permanent, but our own self is a non-changing and permanent level, we have to realize it. 

It is of no use to go and search for it, we should just remember who we are. 

After I had understood that, I thought, there must be a way to find that eternal reality in my heart and I began to just watch, just observe, because life goes on and on and on that level everything is always changing, there had to be a means to get to that hidden reality and that non-changing and immortal being in our own self. 

I watched, decided to not change anything on the mind level if it is not out of my own self and it was never my own self, it was always outside of it and therefore, I began to think about God, because it felt not okay, not comfortable, there was only uncertainty.  

Where do I come from? Where do I go? How long do we be here? 

We are embodiments of bliss. 

I wondered, where the bliss was gone? We should be all in bliss. 

That is how I began to remember who am I? And in remembering in time I hoped to be able to realize it. 

As Baba always said, just be happy and enjoy. 

You are not therefore, a helpless and neglected individual undergoing a sentence of death. You are an embodiment of bliss, born to a rich heritage, which is all yours!

Examine the Mental Make-Up, using Discrimination

There is no dearth of good books, telling you how to live happily and be free from grief, and many thousand copies of them are being purchased. Yet there is nothing to indicate that the content in the books have been read and assimilated. The habits, conduct, and character of the readers of these books have not undergone any change for good. 

Egoism and greed are still rampant; hatred has not abated and envy eats into the vitals of the society. 

Henceforth, do not treat My words lightly. Decide to implement in your life, at least one advice for your spiritual growth. Every one of you must examine your mental make-up and see whether you have used your discrimination and scientific temper (Viveka and Vijnana) to clothe yourself with detachment (Vairagya), so that you do not suffer from the attachment to the worldly objects.

Baba (thought for the day)

How do we know if we have enough discrimination? 

It is not that easy to know, we might think we have it and find out later on that it was all wrong understood, but it is easy to practice, we have to get aware of it that our own self is unlimited and one way is to get aware is to focus on the heart, in the heart is the indweller of the heart, a tiny form of God. 

And we can get aware that our breath tells with every in- and exhale, Soham and that means it inhales So and exhales Ham and the meaning is as Baba said, 'I am God' or 'I am Shiva' or 'I am that'. 

I was meditating with 'I am that', because I had problems to think, 'I am God'. I just thought it was easier to think 'I am that', but today I would tell anybody to just do it, to go for God, because it opens up the mind and the mind understands God as not only 'that', but going beyond, in calling it God, it is like addressing the letter to a name and the letter will arrive.

If I don't know, he knows. If I cannot do it, he can. If I don't have the strength to go for it, he has. 

If we try to realize the observer, we watch and in doing so, even if we are not aware that the breath tells us, 'I am God', we get aware that everything else is 'not that', because it is just passing by and in watching we get aware that our soul needs actually something else but passing by stuff. It is about the soul level.

I am the One

Do not consider prayer and meditation (japam and dhyanam) as the pastime of 'freaks, geeks and cracks'. Hold fast to them, for they alone can save you from ruin. Offer to the Lord, not flowers got in exchange for a few coins or rupees from the shop, but the fragrant flowers of your own virtues. 

Let tears of joy be the holy water with which you seek to wash the feet of the Lord. Consider the Lord you adore, be it Hanuman or Krishna or Jesus, as comprising of all forms of Divinity. Do not argue that other forms are less and your form is greater. Be aware that every form of Divine is equally sweet.

Tonight he was in my dream and said, 'I am the one' and that felt kind of amazing. 

If I get aware constantly in my own meditation that 'I am God', what opens our mind and gets us in touch with the higher self, I also get aware that I am not the body and not the mind. And it is very sweet and amazing, also it reflects in the outside and therefore, if I am that, 'you are that' as well and it means, 'we are that' and from the 'we' it expands in our consciousness to all, 'all are that'. 

That was meant by that inner confirmation of, 'I am the One'.

The movement is actually from 'Thou art That', (Tat Tvam Asi) to 'I am That', it is the mirror in which we recognize our own self and realize that we are the same. It creates the awareness that we are two, 'we are that' and from that our consciousness expands to 'all are that' and as it seems to, 'I am the One'. 

The Four Questions every Person must Know

There are four questions that every person must interest oneself with:
"Who am I?", "Where have I come from?", "Where am I going?" and "How long will I remain here?".
These questions have been answered clearly in the Vedas.
All spiritual inquiry begins with these questions and attempts to find answers to them. If you drop a letter in the post box without writing the 'From' or 'To' address, it will go nowhere but to the 'dead letter office'. In fact it is a waste of time writing that letter, is it not? So too, if you do not know the purpose of your life in this world, you will get caught in the cycle of birth and death, and will never reach your destination. To find answers to these key questions, you must begin enquiry about the Self. To get the answers, you must practice spiritual discipline. Then, you will find that the answers become part of your daily living experiences!

Baba (thought for the day)

I had an interview and he asked the devotee who sat at my side to translate and he asked her, 'who is that girl?' And I had to translate.
I don't remember how I felt, somehow it seemed strange to be talking about me and to translate it. I just remember that I translated and it was about who I am and I was aware that I was not that, when she finally said my name.
Who am I?
And he asked it three times and that are the three levels, body, mind and Atman, the level of the soul. The third time she said my name and in my thought I was aware that this is not who I really am.
I knew it was about those three levels, but I did not think it over enough at that time and therefore, I did not have the feeling to get an answer. Today it is different, because in thinking it over we get inside of our own self an answer. 

Also I was no yet writing as I do today, writing helps to get aware of it.
And he went on and asked, 'what is your relationship?'
There was also no answer to that, we both did not know? What was our relationship? We were in the same ashram and probably sisters, considering the fatherhood of God and brotherhood of man.
We spoke about yoga and she did yoga and she must have been a very good pianist, it felt like she missed her life and that she could not play the piano in the ashram, she had only a room and never really felt comfortable in it, she was constantly painting it and it was overfilled with stuff.
We had talked about yoga and I had for sure mentioned that I worked as a TM-teacher and probably I spoke to her about meditation. 

There are four questions that every person must interest oneself with:
"Who am I?", "Where have I come from?", "Where am I going?" and "How long will I remain here?".
These questions have been answered clearly in the Vedas.
All spiritual inquiry begins with these questions and attempts to find answers to them. If you drop a letter in the post box without writing the 'From' or 'To' address, it will go nowhere but to the 'dead letter office'.