Q. Swamiji, you tell us repeatedly that we are already enlightened. But when I look in, I am not feeling a bit enlightened! What am I missing?
A. Not just you ma, this is the problem that every single seeker faces! No matter how many times we hear it, how many times we read about it, we can never believe that we are enlightened.
Not only that, we never even feel that we are qualified for enlightenment!
I tell you, the most difficult task for the master is to convince the disciple that he is qualified for enlightenment!
The idea of being a limited individual is so deep-rooted in us, it takes lifetimes to be free of it.
Actually, the only thing you need to liberate yourself from, is the idea that you are in bondage! You need to liberate yourself only from the idea of bondage you are carrying.
Both bondage and liberation are just ideas created by your mind. But as long as you think you are bound, the masters will have to create techniques for your liberation!
Whether you know it or not, whether you believe it or not, whether you accept it or not, you are always enlightened.
You have never been in bondage.
When the individual wave rises from the cosmic ocean, when it reaches its peak, when it starts to subside, and when it falls and merges with the ocean – at all times, it is nothing but the ocean! It is nothing but water.
When you rise as an individual consciousness, when you live as a separate being, when you seek and struggle to return to your source, and when you finally merge in it – at all times, you are nothing but enlightened consciousness.
DURATION: 21 minutes
Overflow with love
AWAKEN LOVE
MEDITATIONS FOR EMOTIONS & MIND
A Zen story:
A disciple once went to his master and asked him,
'Master, when will I become a Buddha? How long will it take me to become enlightened?'
In reply, the master gave him a hard slap on his face! In that moment, the disciple awakened to his true nature.
How long can it take you to become something which you already are?
What practice can you do to become what you already are? Whether you try to move inward or outward, as long as you are go ing somewhere, you are missing the truth.
The very process of traveling takes us away from the truth.
Truth is here and now! There is no need to go anywhere, to travel anywhere.
The very idea of traveling shows that you have created a shaft. You are seeing some progress. How can there be progress, when there is no individual who is progressing? The individual is dying at every instant. Then who will progress?
When you are unclutched, naturally the question of bondage and liberation will not arise.
Actually, your true self can never be improved by any practice. It is perfect and untouchable. Your true self needs no improvement, and your imaginary self can never be improved!
Some people work on self-development. What self will you devel op, when all you think of as 'you' is a sequence of unconnected thoughts?
If you try to develop this false self, you will be creating one more shaft, that's all! You will have the idea that your self is developed. It will be one more thought, one more shaft. Maybe it will give you a good feeling, but it will be just one more joy shaft!
Really speaking, the self cannot be developed. The imaginary self can only be eliminated. When you unclutch, your false identity has no where to stand. It just disappears for that moment. In those moments, your true self is revealed. You get a glimpse of your own enlighten ment.
Be very clear, you are not missing anything.
Nothing needs to be added to you.
So relax from your frame, your idea of what enlightenment should be like.
You are already enlightened – just express it, that's all!
ABOUT THE TECHNIQUE
The best way to experience love is to become love!
The more we give of an emotion, the more we allow it to circulate though us.
When you give love, you create the space to receive love as well. But when you become love, there is no longer the idea of giving and receiving.
You just flow in love, you radiate love. You love because you cannot help it!