Four Categories of Intelligence and Right Conclusion

There are four categories of intelligence — selfish, the selfish-selfless, the purely

selfless and Soul (Atma) based. The first category is always thinking of what is good for one's own self and makes decisions. It is like the intelligence of a crow. This is very common today in the world. The second category will think of one's own good along with the good of others. This appears as the ordinary way of life. The third, always thinks that others must get the same kind of happiness one wishes for oneself. In that context, realising that the human body is given for the sake of causing benefit to others; this third category of persons will always try to do good to others. The fourth category — the Atma Buddhi is always concerned with the aspect of dharma and the necessity for safeguarding it. They consider themselves as messengers of God; and forgetting their own selfish interests, always think of sacrifice and do good to the rest of the world.

In thinking about the categories of intelligence it made me first just remember experiences, but they had mostly to do with selfishness and it made all that come up because it looked that ridiculous in that light of intelligence and after a while it didn't feel anymore like intelligence, but the opposite, the absence of intelligence or what we also call 'stupidity'.

As the man who is coming in our dreams to awake us was present in the daughter's dream and told her that her father is 'stupid' and that he doesn't know what he is doing it was just about that. It is called selfishness.   

We also kind of enjoy repeating it as it was the man coming in our dreams to awake us who said it, it feels stronger when we repeat it and make him not forget what the man coming in our dreams to awake us said. 

It was the only thing that got to him and after all seemed to somehow work, even if it was still not easy going but incredible complicated. It felt like impossible to tell, impossible to share, no reaction no matter what was said really. 

Of all the possible words we could use to tell that one word it is totally stupid we found no words for it and it didn't work out, only when we said if he would not be that stupid, he would keep the promise as Swami always tells us to keep promises and that is the only way he could get aware of it. 

It was a rather long and unpleasant story made short, it was the word stupid that did it and finally I got the copy of what I needed to get, instead of just sending it and getting over with, it was a long, long, very, very long story to finally get it and it all has to do with nothing else but stupidity that is how we get it to the point. 

Everybody else we think would just have sent it and got over with the problem, but he created only more and more problems instead of doing it and not even when it was promised he did it. 

If he would have kept the promise it would have relaxed the matter, but as he is stupid he also didn't know that we always should keep promises and he didn't do it. So we had to remind him again and again until we didn't know how to tell it anymore as no words seemed to do it, but stupidity that did it after all. It was the first part of it. Swami tells us always to keep promises, if we don't do it we have a reason for it and if it is selfishness it will not end well.  

But the word 'stupid' did the job after all and we got it, we can still not believe it after all the time that has passed since the beginning of it and it is not pleasant and not nice and rather upsetting, it is always the hard way and not at all what Swami is teaching actually and we think we are in the wrong movie really, but it nevertheless happened and if we would like it to be different, it is not and we just can learn from it, but it is the example of the first category of intelligence what is called selfish only.  

Some things are just not that easy if it seems we talk a totally different spiritual language.  

If we listen to Swami and think it over we find the one facet that is from all side seen the same and that is what we have to find in his words and what we share in the study circle. 

There are four categories of intelligence — selfish, the selfish-selfless, the purely selfless and Soul (Atma) based. The first category is always thinking of what is good for one's own self and makes decisions. It is like the intelligence of a crow. This is very common today in the world. 

Spiritual Listening and Divine Presence in the Heart

Many venture to describe the attributes of God and proclaim Him to be such and such; but these are but their own guesses and the reflections of their own predilections and preferences. Who can affirm that God is this or that? Who can affirm that God is not of this form or with this attribute? God is inscrutable. He cannot be realised in the outer objective world; He is in the very heart of every being. Gemstones have to be sought deep underground; they do not float mid-air. Seek God in the depths of yourself, not in tantalising, kaleidoscopic Nature. The body is granted to you for this high purpose; but you are now misusing it, like the person who cooked his daily food in the gem studded gold vase that came into his hands as an heirloom. Man extols God as omnipresent, omniscient and omnipotent, but ignores His Presence in oneself!

We had a nice sat sang last night. For the study circle we were only a few people, but it was still the best. The text was so beautiful and we remembered even some text we had before about patience it was also that incredible just to listen. We were listening and in the study circle we do an effort to think it over and to see it in our own life. It is not a sharing of our problems, it is thinking over his words. 

Someone talked about a strange interview she had and they didn't understand it really and one guy he planned to go to Kerala and he called them in the interview and it felt also like that, real strange he mentioned that daughter she didn't have, but behind was the lady who had a daughter and she said, 'I have no daughter', so the lady behind said, it is my daughter. And so the interview went on and it felt total strange, but nevertheless totally like him, it took some heaviness away, so serious people, not in the sense of serene what is good, but heavy in the mind really, how it felt listening to it and it was just lightening up. If we listen to divine words we lighten up, the energy gets transformed into a different type of energy and that is just a wonderful experience. 

We had a weekend and talked about study circle and the problem is if we are in a circle we listen to everybody one after the other and we don't interrupt, we listen to everything, but sometimes also not to the right thing and by the time it was my turn I was already fighting my impatience and I said, study circle without listening to Swami's words is no study circle. But it went on they were talking about the weekends topics and that was about conflict management and we went on talking around not getting to the point really.  

And that was actually our subject, in the text was Swami and the right answer. So I focused on that text and the issue to get to the point in question and if we don't, we will not get a right conclusion, only nobody listened. When it is limited to the point in question, it doesn't expand and we can still enjoy the good experiences, only that conflict is limited. That is a great thing if we are able to do it, if we are even able to recognize that it is a conflict and we don't just think it has to be like that and it is part of it, what seems to be mostly the case and a wrong conclusion.  

"Conflicts happen, but they should be limited to the point in question, the subject of the conflict and not be extended to additional words and feelings. If the conflict is allowed to escalate, the anger will intensify, bitter feelings are coming up and a huge hatred it will evolve. On the other hand, the love begins at a single point, and when it is enabled it will spread until it has fulfilled the entire life of that. This is spiritual truth. If there is conflict and disharmony between two people, they leave it out and do not allow the conflict to continue to expand, then settle down in the long run both parties, and in their relationship can get harmony. The worst what can happen is when the conflict is indeed latent persist, but not continue to grow and no other people involve. "

Dedication to True Speech

Whoever one may be, in whatever condition, if one gives no room for dispiritedness, if one has no fear at all, and if one remembers the Lord with unshaken faith and without any ulterior motive, all suffering and sorrow will fall away. The Lord will never enquire at any time the caste to which you belong or the precepts or traditions that you follow. Devotion doesn't consist in wearing an ochre cloth, organising festivals, performing ritual sacrifices, shaving off the hair, carrying water pot or rod, matting the hair, etc. Instead, the characteristics of devotion are: a pure mind(anthah-karana), uninterrupted (whatever one may be doing) contemplation on God, the feeling that everything is the Lord's creation, and therefore a) non-attachment to sense objects; b) the embracement of all in equal love; and c) dedication to true speech.

How do we not give room for dispiritedness? 

Whoever one may be, in whatever condition, if one gives no room for dispiritedness, if one has no fear at all, and if one remembers the Lord with unshaken faith and without any ulterior motive, all suffering and sorrow will fall away.

If we think, relationship between the body and akasha (heart), we don't even get aware that it is about discrimination, but we do it and repeat it, because we want to fly, we have to get light and that is in the lightness of the cotton fiber (Patanjali sutra). 

On that level cannot be any dispiritedness, we go on doing the sutra, no question about it, we practice. It is not about fear and we don't have the problem with faith, we just do it, if we want to go beyond the mind there have to be all possibilities and without lightness we don't go beyond the mind.

That is why he is telling us that the Lord will never enquire at any time the caste to with we belong, of course not, we just have to get light and that happens also when we breathe in light and keep it in the heart and we breathe out darkness, that is Soham as he also explained Kundalini and as well the flying sutra with Prana, energy, we breathe in light and we keep it in the heart and we breathe out darkness. 

It is the same and therefore, we did it already and we know it. If there is no pure mind and uninterrupted it doesn't go beyond the mind, as he is telling here, no matter what if it is contemplation on God, the feeling that everything is God, it has to go beyond the mind and that is only possible if it is unlimited and that is why they think everything is God, but non-attachment to sense objects is the body level, we have to with a pure mind beyond the body.

The Lord will never enquire at any time the caste to which you belong or the precepts or traditions that you follow. Devotion doesn't consist in wearing an ochre cloth, organising festivals, performing ritual sacrifices, shaving off the hair, carrying water pot or rod, matting the hair, etc. Instead, the characteristics of devotion are: a pure mind (anthah-karana), uninterrupted (whatever one may be doing) contemplation on God, the feeling that everything is the Lord's creation, and therefore a) non-attachment to sense objects; b) the embracement of all in equal love; and c) dedication to true speech.

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.