things you can practise at home.🔗

Till the age of 7 at least, allow your child to use both hands – for eating, for writing and handling things. Children can easily become adept with both hands. If they themselves develop a preference for one hand, let them use it without interference – whether it is the left or the right. Another thing, allow the child to be free of clothes for some time every day. Maybe at night, or whenever he is alone. Clothes separate the upper and lower body. This separation separates consciousness itself! That's why we get used to thinking of ourselves as only the upper body. If we are asked to suddenly recall ourselves, our identity, we usually remember only our upper body!

For children, wearing a single dress covering both upper and lower body is also okay.

One important thing: never instill fear in your child! Let him be free, let him climb and fall. If you constantly discourage the child, it can lead to height phobia – which can later translate as the fear of climbing in life, of taking new decisions.

If you have noticed, all children enjoy whirling. Whirling is nature's way of allowing centering to happen. Allow whirling without disturbing the child!

At the age of seven, teach the child to chant the gayathri mantra – both boys and girls. There is no problem with girls chanting it. After all, Gayathri herself is female! If you notice the pictures or idols of the Devis (goddesses), they all wear the upanayanam (sacred thread signifying the individual's initiation into the study of the holy scriptures). For us, it is good to chant the gayathri internally, because there is too much contamination inside. Children can chant it aloud.

If possible, teach them the Mahamantra meditation (which you are going to learn here) after the age of twelve.

Swamiji, I have a question. I don't know if it's relevant to the subject, but…

If it's on your mind, it must be relevant! Go ahead and ask me.

You were talking about how there is no such thing as a perfect partner. Then what is the purpose of matching horoscopes before marriage?

Now if I start speaking on this subject, I will have to pull down the whole structure of jyotisha (astrology)! Not jyotisha itself, but the way we follow jyotisha today is foolish and nonsensical. Going to someone who knows nothing about you with a piece of paper, and asking him how your life will be! What right do you have to live if you cannot even decide how your life should be lived? What type of life are you living?

It is your life, you are living it, you should know the pros and cons – but you don't know anything about your life, and you are going and asking him! Where is your intelligence? To surrender your life to a stranger, to let him make your life's decisions, just shows that we no longer even know how to run your life. If you cannot take responsibility for your own life, you have no authority to live!

When people come to me with questions about their future, I tell them - don't approach me to predict what your future is going to be. Approach me if you want my help to design a good future for yourself.

So all these predictions are only for the weak-minded.

Be very clear, the ancient jyotisha shastra was a pure science.

There was truth in it.

Do you know how jyotisha evolved?

In the past, when a child was sent to the gurukul, jyotisha was used to diagnose what kind of personality, what kind of attitudes and natural aptitudes he possessed. Accordingly, he would be trained for a kshatriya life, for sannyas or whatever suited him best.

The caste system was based on a person's natural abilities. Earlier, the caste distinctions were not based on birth – be very clear. They were based on character.

When a boy was admitted into the gurukul, they would see what his natural tendencies were.

If he had Brahman tendencies, he would be initiated into Veda Vidya (studying of the scriptures). If his personality was that of a Kshatriya, he would be trained in martial arts.If he showed Vaishya tendencies, he would be imparted business skills. If he seemed to possess Shudra qualities, then he would be initiated into seva (service). All four roles had equal value and earned equal respect.

This was the purpose for which Jyotisha was used. It was a science used for diagnosis. Look around you today. Almost everyone is in the wrong place! That is why there is a sense of total chaos in society. When a man who is a vaishya (businessman) by character enters into spirituality, what happens? Spirituality becomes a business!

So ancient jyotisha is a proved science?

Ha ha, this is what I was afraid of! The moment I say this, I know you will all start running behind jyotisha! Tomorrow morning I will see a long queue before me carrying horoscopes, saying Swamiji, please, just see this and predict my future!

Don't worry so much about jyotisha!

Vivekananda gave a fitting answer to someone who questioned him about jyotisha. He told him, Go, eat well, exercise well, sleep well. You will become strong, physically and mentally. Then you won't worry about all these things! Only a person who is mentally weak depends so much on jyotisha.

Swamiji, does that mean all the people who follow jyotisha are weak-minded?

No, you can't say that. But the majority is weak-minded. Even people who are normally intelligent sometimes behave foolishly in these matters.

They come and ask me, Swamiji, if I wear such and such a stone (gem), will it be lucky for me?

How can you depend on a stone! See the chit, the live consciousness, the Brahman, the Parashakti! You are nothing but God! I can't imagine – I am teaching you the science by which you can use this whole prapancha shakti (cosmic energy), and you ask me about stones!

Have you heard about Swami Yateeshwarananda? A great man, an enlightened person. When he traveled abroad for the first time, he started out during rahukala (an 'inauspicious' hour of the day, calculated using the positions of the planets). Someone asked him, Swamiji, how can you start during rahukala?

He answered, You fool! I am the energy that guides the grihas! (planets). How can they control me? See the courage of the man!

I am teaching you the science by which you can control the grihas! So why do you bother about where the grihas are, how they will affect you, and all that? Pick up the science of meditation, that's enough. Then nothing can touch you.

But this has become part of our value-system, Swamiji… Be very clear: all our values are nothing but a substitute for Consciousness.

If you are conscious, aware of what you are doing, you don't need values to tell you what to do. You don't have to follow any rules; rules will be following you! All the virtues, all the discipline, all the spirituality will happen to you, will naturally flower in you when you act in Consciousness, in a state of spiritual elevation.

Somehow, whenever we hear words like Consciousness or spiritual elevation, we always think, No, no - this is not for me! Without ever trying any meditation technique, any practical way of elevating the consciousness, we come to the conclusion that this is not for us. So we go in for a substitute, for pseudo-consciousness – which is called morality, conscience, values.

Values are fine when you are at the starting point – but not as the ending point!

Vivekananda says beautifully, It is good to be born in the church, but not to die there.

We should first drop the idea that to be spiritual is very difficult.

There is a song by Ramana*:*

Ayyai, ati sulabham, atmavidyai, ayyai, ati sulabham! (oh, so easy, this spirituality, oh, so easy!)

In a later stanza he says,

If you want money, you need to work hard. If you're looking for name and fame, you need to work hard. If you want atma jnaana (self-realization), all you need to do is keep still!

If you can slip into deep laziness, you will fall into divinity. This laziness is not what we normally know as laziness. It is not physical laziness. It's a kind of – mental laziness! If you can completely –I mean completely – calm yourself, you can verily be spiritual.

To be spiritual is neither easy nor difficult. It's just the idea you have. If you think it's easy, it's easy. If you think it's difficult, it's difficult.

To be as you are, what is needed? Is it difficult or easy? (from audience) Easy…

You cannot even use the word easy! It is as we are! You are already that, then how can you say it is easy to become that? Just look in.

Turn inward.

A little trust in spirituality, a little meditation, that is enough.

When you drop the fear that to be spiritual is very difficult, you will get the confidence that Yes, I can be spiritual. I can be Conscious.

Then the question of Is it right to drop my values? will not arise at all.

Right now you are afraid to drop your values because you have nothing else to hold on to! We know, once we drop our values, all the suppressed desires will jump out, the Pandora's Box will open! And we know, if the Pandora's Box opens, what will happen! So we are afraid of our subconscious. The fear of the subconscious is what prompts this question.

If you continuously practise this meditation, your subconscious will be cleared out. Then you'll see, even if you open the Pandora's Box, there's nothing left to jump out. You will see your face reflected in it; you will see a clear mirror.

(A lady shares her views) Swamiji, you ask us to be as we are. But how can we live in society just as we are? I think we have to change according to the family, the society.

Yes, everybody faces this problem on a practical level. But you say, I have to act according to the other. Why not also make sure others act according to you? True, in society, we have to be dependent on each other. There is no other way. But be very clear of your limits.

Be independently dependent!

Be very clear, which is your space and which is the other's. Try your best to enrich your own life, without disturbing one another.

Of course, I can't give you a foolproof solution… if I could give you a mantra that would solve all the problems between husband and wife, I would be the most popular man in the world! But I have to accept my failure in this department! (loud laughter and applause from audience)

(a middle-aged man, laughing)

Can't the other person's Muladhara chakra be opened, so that he drops his expectations? Ha ha! How will you do that? You can only make sure that your own expectations are dropped – so that from four people sharing one house, you at least come down to three!! How to change the other person...? These days marriage counselors suggest even hypnotic suggestion! I think it's a gross interference in the other person's freedom. It's completely wrong.

The other day, I read about a case where a woman wanted to bring down her husband's anger levels. You may have read, Chicago University is now performing some research where they implant electrodes in a person's brain and completely control anger!

When they asked for volunteers to participate in this research, it seems hundreds of women forcibly brought their husbands!

(laughter)

After the experiment, 72 women – this is a fact – 72 women came back and told the university, Please remove these electrodes. I want my old husband back! I want my old angry husband back!

They say*, Life has lost its taste! Unless we fight, there is no interaction. He pays me no attention!*

Because everybody needs attention! Behavioural psychologists say that a normal man can survive without food for up to 90 days, but without attention from others, only for 14 days! He will start going insane.

But nowadays, we have forgotten how to love each other, care for each other. Love is a forgotten language! So the only interaction we can hope to have is by fighting with each other!

I think even the people sitting here and complaining that their husbands or wives are not spiritual – if they (their spouses) become spiritual, they may come back and complain that they want their old partners back! (laughter and protests from audience) Okay, okay! You say you are different! Let us see… hmmm?

So now you have seen how the Muladhara chakra can be opened.

The beautiful thing is, technically speaking only one of the seven chakras has been opened, but you'll find that 50% of your problems have disappeared! This one chakra manages more than 50% of your life. In whatever you do, you will find a trace of this chakra! Even in your signature, you'll find a trace of this chakra. When the Muladhara chakra is activated, even your signature will look different. If you pluck a flower, the way you do it will be different. Have you heard about the Nayanars – the Tamil saints? There is a song which says that when they pluck a flower, the tree will not feel the pain! What is meant by that? You become so sensitive and loving, when this chakra is opened. When the energy of this chakra is transformed, it will overflow from you as love!

Sex is carbon, love is a diamond. Sex is mud, love is the lotus that blooms in the mud. It's the same substance – the only thing is, you should know how to process it. Just drop your expectations, and you will find a tremendous upsurge of energy.

Today I want you all to try this technique when you go home: Sit down and concentrate on your Muladhara chakra. If you notice, your Muladhara chakra is always tense. For five minutes, mentally forgive your husband or wife for everything they have done. Really forgive them, go to the root and drop the feeling of resentment. Do it totally. Just accept them as they are. Give them your deep love. After just five minutes, you will see that the Muladhara chakra is totally relaxed.

If just five minutes can give you this result, just imagine what will happen if you change your entire attitude! What a tremendous energy flow you will experience!

The way you are living now, it's as if you've got one lakh rupees, but you've locked away ninety thousand in some place where you can't recover it. You try to manage your whole life with the remaining ten thousand. Then naturally you will feel that you are poor!

In the same way, all our energy has been invested wrongly, it has been locked away in this chakra. We don't have enough energy even for our day-to-day living! Once this chakra is opened, your life will become rich. You will be able to think better, understand better, plan better. You will feel this energy consciously working in you. It is a new dimension that you've never experienced. You will actually realize that your husband, your wife, is a celestial being.

Heaven and hell are not geographical places. You can't locate them on a map. But psychologically they definitely exist. It's up to you to transform your life into heaven or hell. When you are full of expectations, you are carrying your own hell inside your head! So wherever you go, you'll find that your personal package of hell travels with you! There is no escape. And when two people meet, there is a great clash of hells! Why do you want to carry this load around with you? JUST DROP IT!

All it needs is a change in attitude.

Just think of all the energy you waste, trying to chisel the other person to suit your expectations. Isn't it much easier to just drop the chisel? If even 10% of that energy is channeled into meditation, your life can be transformed into true living.

Living is life led with awareness, with freedom. We have a choice! We have a chance to become conscious. Now it is up to you to decide.

Shall we move into the meditation to unlock the Muladhara? It is a powerful techinique to awaken the Kundalini shakti. You have already practised it, yesterday and the day before also.

It is the Dukkha Harana meditation. Shall we start?

(The group practises Dukkha Harana meditation and later disperses)

Day 5: 18th April

Looking further

THE SWADISHTHANA CHAKRA

Swadishthana = 'Where your being is established' – from swa (self) + adhishthana (established)

Location: 2 inches below the navel Locked by: Fear, especially the fear of Death Unlocked by: Acceptance of Death Meditation technique from: Vedanta Name of technique: Nirbhaya Dhyana

Today we will be discussing the next chakra – Swadishthana.

The Swadishthana Chakra is concerned with Death.

What is Death?

If I ask you that question, you will tell me that Death is the event that happens at the end of our lives. If Death were nothing more than that, it would be so easy!

But death is that which is happening every moment of our lives. Death changes the very quality of our life. It is not the end, it is the climax of our lives – towards which our whole life is been oriented.

Why do I say that?

Because our whole life is controlled by our concept of death. Even our social structure is guided by our concept of death. The cultures which believe in a single life, with no concept of reincarnation, have poured all their energies into excelling in life. They have achieved the peak in terms of assimilation of information, gaining of knowledge and material comforts.

These cultures have given rise to Science. Science helps us live life at its optimum. Science helps us get the maximum out of this life.

The cultures which believe in reincarnation have turned the focus of their life inwards. Their search is different. They are not motivated to live life in a hurry, because Eternity is granted to them.

You can see it clearly in the behaviour of the people. In Bharat, if a programme is scheduled to start at 6 o'clock, you can be sure it won't start before 7.30! Because they have eternity before them!

That is why these cultures have developed the inner science. They have the leisure to turn their minds to the inner search, to ponder the meaning of life.

Our whole mental set-up, the course of our lives, our society, our culture, our religion – everything is based on nothing but our idea of death. We try our best not to think about death – but death pervades every moment of our life!

For most people, life never goes beyond the Swadishthana chakra.

Between the two chakras of Muladhara and Swadishthana, we are born, we live and we die.

We don't know any other way of life. Or we don't have the courage to take on any other way of life.

How do you overcome the fear of death? In earlier times, people lived without the life security that we have today. There was no vaccination available against fatal diseases. There was no satellite-based advance warning of natural calamities. There was no security against famine or floods. So people were always mentally prepared for struggle, even for death. Especially the warrior class had to be ever-ready for death.

The Samurai warriors of ancient Japan knew the way to face death calmly. If they were defeated in battle, they would simply pierce a long needle into the Swadishthana chakra. This is a highly professional technique, by which the life energy contained in the Swadishthana chakra is released, resulting in instantaneous and painless death. The process was known as harikiri (from *harakriya* – *hara* (*Swadishthana*) + kriya (action))

Without fear, the word Death itself loses the meaning which we have been associating with it.

Have you heard of the Katopanishad? It is the Upanishad whose master is Yama Dharmaraja – the god of Death. In this Upanishad, there is a beautiful story of Nachiketa – a little boy who decides to voluntarily face death. He goes to Yama's abode to meet him. Generally death always has to come to our homes to visit us – as a very unwelcome guest! But this boy himself goes to meet Yama. And what does he find? He finds that Yama is not at home. He finds that Death is not there!

Of course, we can't be sure that it happened historically – but in terms of philosophical truth, it is real. It is the Truth.

Even when Yama returns, all that Nachiketa encounters is a loving guide, a spiritual master. Yama gives the great gift of enlightenment to Nachiketa.

What is the meaning behind this story?

When you lose your fear of death, when you welcome the eventuality of death with courage, death no more has a terrible face. Death becomes a great teacher. From this story, one thing becomes clear. Be very clear – death is inevitable. It is inevitable. But when you accept that, half the problem disappears on its own.

A small story about Socrates:

You all know Socrates was killed, he was forced to drink the juice of the poisonous herb hemlock. Just before he drank the poison, one of his disciples asked him, Master, aren't you afraid of dying? Socrates replied calmly, Why should I be? I know that only two things can happen after death. Either I will continue to exist, in some other form or name. So what is there to worry about? Or, I will cease to exist after death. Then, who will remain to worry? So either way, there is nothing to fear!

Do you understand? What is it we fear about death? If we continue to exist – fine, we continue to exist. If we cease to exist, no one is left to even notice!

Another story:

Once a Zen monk was ordered by the king to be put to death. He was supposed to be killed the next day. The monk remained calm and silent. One of his disciples, shocked by the monk's calm attitude, asked him, Do you realiZe you have only 24 hours to live? Aren't you afraid? The monk said calmly, I have lived, therefore I have no fear of dying.

Do you understand? He means, I have lived every moment of my life, moment to moment. Every single moment is so much for me – and you talk about 24 hours!

In fact, if you look deep inside, you will realize that most of us are not afraid of dying. We are afraid that we haven't lived our lives. We have not lived as we wanted to live, we don't feel fulfilled – there starts the fear of death! Continuously compromising for the sake of others, trying to live out a life that is not natural to us, trying to fit into a mould that society has prepared for us – no wonder we feel unfulfilled!

The fear of life is what is reflected in the fear of death. When you have lived in the deepest possible way, to your full satisfaction, you will not be in fear of death.

Live without fear.

Live with the deepest individuality.

Live to your complete satisfaction. You will lose your fear of death.

I know of an enlightened Swami who had a number of clocks in his room, each showing a different timing. The clocks spoke volumes about the arbitrariness of time! When questioned about it, he would answer jokingly, Time is not my master. I am the master! Whatever time I want it to be, I simply choose the time from that particular clock.

On the night before his death (he had already predicted that he would be leaving his body early the next morning), the Swami asked all his disciples to gather around him and sing keertans (hymns). One of the singers was somewhat arrogant about his musical abilities. As was the custom, the Swami wrote something on a piece of paper and passed it on to him. The disciple was flattered, thinking it to be the request for a particular song. But when he opened the note, he saw that the Swami had written, Please don't sing after my death! Can you imagine? Even on his deathbed he was in a mood to joke and tease people!

Later that night he instructed his disciples to take good care of the orphans who lived in the ashram. Especially tomorrow, you will all be busy with preparations for my cremation. But don't forget to arrange for food for those children!, he ordered. Till the last minute, his concern was for the people he was leaving behind.

The next morning, exactly at the time he had mentioned, he raised his hands in a namskaar to all - and his hands dropped. That's all – like a drama.

What a beautiful, calm, courageous way to face death! That's the way we should all go to death.

Ramana Maharishi has created a meditation technique from his own death experience.

When Ramana was a young boy, one day he was just lying on his bed in his uncle's house in Madurai. Suddenly he got the feeling that he was going to die! He felt that death was coming upon him.

He had two choices – either to resist death, or to accept it. Usually people resist, so they pass into coma and leave the body. 99% of us leave the body in a state of unconsciousness. Though we know from the moment of birth that our life will culminate in death, we never try to visualize it, never try to actualize the possibility. At least once if you go through it with consciousness, you will lose your fear automatically. Ramana was courageous enough to choose the second path. He co-operated with the feeling, he allowed death to happen. He decided to see what would happen.

But what actually happened was something he never expected. He saw clearly the death of his own body. But more than that, he realized that something remained even after death, something which cannot be destroyed. That knowledge never left him.

When you conquer death fear, you conquer death itself. Because death is just one more imagination! Just as in

Muladhara, our greed makes us imagine the world to be more beautiful than it actually is, over here our fear makes us imagine death as more frightening than it actually is. We wear glasses of greed and fear which don't allow us to see reality.

When you experience death psychologically, you release the energy that has been locked in the Swadishthana due to death fear. When the Swadishthana opens, the whole quality of life changes. Because of your capacity to accept death, your capacity to enjoy life is transformed. But if I tell you all this now, it will be impossible for you to accept.

A small story:

A man who had been born blind was promised a cure by a doctor.

After this operation, you will be able to see! You won't need your stick anymore!, the doctor assured the man. Hearing this, the blind man became afraid.

I understand that I will be able to see, Doctor. But how can I possibly walk without my stick?

How can you explain to a blind man that once he gains his vision, he simply won't need the stick? Right now he is too afraid. All you can do is perform the operation, and let him see for himself. Then he will throw away the stick on his own!

The same way, even if I keep telling you that your Self is immortal, it is only your body which perishes, you will still hold onto your own ideas out of fear. Because you haven't experienced it! So instead, I'm just going to let you see for yourself, experience death and see. Okay?

Now we shall enter into a small but extremely powerful meditation, where you visualize your own death, your own leaving the body.

Before we start, some instructions:

What will be required from your side?

You will need to call up all your powers of visualization. You are going to visualize the whole process of your own death! From my side, tremendous energy will be given to you to support you through the process.

First, let go of fear. Don't be afraid that you will really die – even if it seems like that for some time during the meditation. You are not going to die. Nothing is going to happen to you. You have my word and my support. Just place your trust in me.

Second, let go of greed. Don't ask yourself – what can imagining all this do for me? Your whole life is an imagination anyway – so you don't lose anything by spending some more time in imagination!

Actually, this meditation is more real than what you imagine to be reality! Most of the things you imagine don't ever happen, but death is certain!

Don't worry about whether you will be able to imagine death accurately. Of course no one can visualize death correctly, but you can at least try and visualize it according to your understanding.

Make sure there's some space between you and your neighbours – at least one foot on each side. Your etheric body is going to expand, and you'll feel uneasy if you are too close to someone else. But do it calmly – dead people don't fight for space!

So, are you ready to die?

(the group practises Nirbhaya Dhyana and later disperses)*

( * Nirbhaya Dhyana is strictly to be practised only in the master's presence, so you won't find written instructions here for this meditation.)

THE MANIPURAKA CHAKRA

Manipuraka = 'The City of Jewels'

Located: In the navel region Locked by: Worry Unlocked by: Positivity Meditation technique from: Sufism & Christianity Name of technique: Manipuraka Shakti Kriya

The Manipuraka chakra is concerned with Worry.

What is worry? Listen carefully. I'm not asking you, What do you worry about? For that question, I know each of you will be ready with a long list – Swamiji, I don't have enough money! Swamiji, I have such-and-such a disease! I have no peace of mind at home! I don't have children, that is my problem! I have children, that is my problem!

(loud laughter from group)

And if you can't find any worries, you start worrying about not having any worries! In fact, elderly retired people come and complain to me they have nothing to do and no one to worry about, and so they have no reason to go on living! We come from all walks of life – different cultures, financial conditions, age groups.

But one thing we have in common – we all worry!

What does that show us?

That worry is not caused by external circumstances, as we think. The cause for worry lies deep within ourselves. Look deeply into your worry. You will find that worry is caused entirely by your response to an event. Whether a situation makes you worry or not depends entirely on how you choose to react to that situation.

Suppose your friend gets a new job. How will you react?

Either you can say, He's got a new job.

Or you can start thinking,

Oh, he's got a new job! What about me? What am I going to do? What will my wife say? Should I start looking for another job? What if I don't get it? Nothing ever works out for me! This is worry!

Worry is what happens when you constantly check yourself against external frames of reference.

Am I doing as well as the neighbours? How can I impress my boss? What will my children think?

All the time, we need to get approval from others. Our whole life is nothing but a process of collecting certificates from others. If others don't keep giving you certificates - Good Husband, Good Employee, Good Neighbour - we worry that our life has become worthless. We have all stopped trusting ourselves. We form our personality only from others' certificates.

As a child, each of us is strongly centred in our own being. Have you ever seen any child worrying about what people will think of him?

As we grow up, society plays this idea constantly into our minds. Society teaches us to evaluate ourselves by the ideas and opinions of others - parents, teachers, friends, even strangers. Without external support, without certificates from others, we fear that our ego will collapse in no time.

There is another, deeply hidden reason for worry! The truth is, when you worry about something, you feel you have a definite point of reference against which you can measure yourself. That's why worrying gives a direction to your life. Without worry you feel as if your Being has no axis about which to move. This is why many of us are secretly in love with our worries.

People come to me and say, My business is going from bad to worse, Swamiji! Last month I suffered heavy losses, and next month I know it's going to be even worse.

So I ask them, If you already know that, why don't you close down your business right away? Why should you suffer? But they are shocked .

What are you saying, Swamiji? What will I do then? Without a reason to worry, your ego loses its reason for existing! That's why you choose to remain in the dimension of Dukkha (misery). You can't relate to the opposite dimension, Ananda (bliss) – because in that dimension, you are nobody. To enjoy bliss, you need to first drop your ego. Are you ready to do that?

NO. You are ready to take on all worries, but you can't let go of your ego! So you keep on finding excuses to worry. Each person worries that only he is unhappy, and everyone else is happy! But the strange thing is, everybody feels that he is the most unlucky, unhappy person! Is that possible?

A small story:

In a certain kingdom, it came to the king's notice that everybody was depressed, because each person felt that they had the maximum worries, and no one else had any worries. So the king announced a 'Worry Exchange Offer', where people could bring in their big worries, and exchange it for someone's else's small worries.

A big space was made ready, and in the center of it a huge Worry Pot was placed. Anybody who wanted could come and dump his own worries inside it, and pick up any other worries they wanted. Only thing, they had to pick up some worries.

The whole kingdom gathered for the event. Strangers met and starting talking to each other about their worries. After a long time, the event was declared open.

Can you guess what happened?

Not a single person came forward to drop their worries in the pot! After all, who wants to exchange their small, familiar worries, and take on the unknown worries of someone else?!

What happens inside your mind when you are worrying? Just watch your mind when you are worrying about something.

What is taking place?

You'll see that a continuous stream of thoughts is pouring through your mind - totally disconnected thoughts - and usually negative thoughts.

Actually, we all use two kinds of speech – speaking out and speaking in.

Speaking out is speaking to others - what we normally call speech.

Speaking in is speaking to ourselves. We are continuously speaking to ourselves!

Worry is nothing but this continuous, uncontrolled inner chatter happening in your mind. This inner chatter is your true master.

At least with outer conversations, there is a break sometimes. But this inner chatter is continuous. It can drive you mad! Actually, many times, speaking to others is just a way of escaping from your own being, from your own inner chatter. That's why so much talking is going on in the world! Yes?

(from audience) Swamiji, I didn't understand what is inner chatter…

You have asked the right question at the right time! All of you, try this experiment at home today.

Just sit for a minute with your eyes closed. Keep a pen and paper with you. Don't focus your mind on anything. Almost as soon as you close your eyes, you'll see there's a continuous stream of thoughts flowing through your mind. Write down, honestly, whatever thoughts come into your mind. Do this for five minutes.

Now, sit down and read what's written on that paper.

You will be shocked! On that paper, you can see the record of your inner chatter.

Just see how disconnected, how irrelevant your thoughts are! You are running a mental asylum inside your head!

This is the true nature of your mind – this uncontrolled flow of thoughts, this expression of insanity.

This is the mind you have entrusted your life to! This is the mind that has invented all your worries.This is the mind that is living your life for you.

If you simply understand this much, you have taken a quantum leap towards freedom from worry.

A small story:

One day, there was an accident on the road. People gathered and saw that a new car had banged into a wall. They asked the man inside, Why are you driving the car if you don't know how to drive properly?

Of course I know how to drive!, said the man. The only problem is, I don't know how to stop!

Just like this, you are also 'driving' a vehicle which you don't know how to stop - your Mind. Just try to stop your inner chatter, even for a few seconds. Can you?

When you try to control it, the rushing of thoughts becomes even more uncontrollable.

You are not driving your Mind – it is driving you!

To understand Worry, we need to have a deep insight into the nature of our minds.

The way into Worry is through the mind - and the way out can also be only through the mind. But we keep searching for answers in all the wrong places. We think, If I had more money, all my worries will be over!

If I was more good-looking… If I had a better job… If… If… If…

The solution cannot be found in external circumstances. It can be found only inside our minds. We don't have the knack of handling worry!

A small story:

Buddha had ten thousand sannyasins (disciples) whom he used to address every morning.

One day he brought a tightly knotted rope and placed it before them, asking,

How can this knot be untied?

The sannyasins pushed and pulled, but no one had the sense to see how the rope had got knotted, and then reverse the process.

So first of all, you have to figure out how the knot has been created.

Once you do that, untying it will be much easier. So also with the chakras. The problems, diseases, emotions you are struggling with are nothing but knots in the sthula, sukshma, karana shareeras (physical, mental and causal bodies). Once you clearly understand what is causing the problem, you can take the right steps to solve it.

As you all know, worry is closely connected to the Manipuraka chakra.

Negative thoughts directly attack the Manipuraka chakra. Just test this: whenever you feel negative thoughts coming up, look into them and see where they are rising from. You will find that they always rise up from the navel. Whenever you feel worried, whenever a situation arises that you simply can't handle, the first thing to get affected is your stomach.

You can physically feel depression as a weight in your stomach.

Have you all noticed this?

That's why the expression exists in all languages, I can't stomach it, I can't digest it. Constant worrying locks the Manipuraka.

So, what is way to unlock this chakra? (from audience) We should never get worried in any situation.

Yes, that's exactly the message given to you by all the so-called moral teachers. But how many people practise what they preach? Are these moral teachers able to bring peace into their own homes? No! So don't have these kinds of ideas in your mind. Never say, Stop worrying, it is utterly impossible. Only thing, Stop worrying about worry! Just accept the worries. Acceptance is the only way towards transformation.

(to a person in audience)

What you said - Control the mind, Don't think negatively – all these solutions are just like this – (demonstrates by tightening the knot in the rope) - to try to control the worries will result in this.

Acceptance is the only way.

Be very clear:

There are a few things in every situation that can be altered completely. Alter them.

There are some things which are partially under your control. Change what is possible, and accept the rest. And then, there are other things which simply cannot be altered. Learn to accept them completely.

The next issue is, How to change negativity? First of all, what is meant by negativity? (from audience) That which is not positive? Ha, ha! This is a very good way of saying nothing in many words! In fact, this is how most of our philosophers talk. A small story:

Some Christian priests were undergoing training on how to preach in church.

The Father Superior advised them:

When you talk about Heaven, bring a glow onto your face! Make your eyes sparkle. Wear an expression of ecstasy! Only then will people believe in Heaven. Only then will they long for Heaven!

When you talk about Hell, just be as you are. That will be enough.

(laughter)

Anyway, let's come back to our point – what is negativity?Suppose a person suffers from a business failure. For his misfortune, at about the same time he has an accident, andhis marriage also breaks up. How is he going to react? Oh, this is my bad period! Everything I touch is sure to be a failure! I am good for nothing! Why am I always so unlucky? What am I going to do? … and so on!

The funny thing is, 99% of our worries never come true! 99% of our worries are totally unreasonable. And the remaining 1% which comes true is always good for us! (laughter)

Gradually, this negative attitude solidifies in your Being permanently, and becomes a sort of 'negative guidance' in everything you do. In other words, you develop a permanent attitude of negativity. You become depressed. The clinical name for this negative attitude is Depression. So depression or negativity is nothing but a collection of negative thoughts, which you 'speak' to yourself. And once you allow such thoughts an entry into your mind, the same thoughts will keep playing back every time you suffer a small failure. It will keep reinforcing this attitude. After all, worrying is also a habit!

The mind is an excellent recording system. It stores your negative thought patterns, your complexes, your worries. Whatever you teach the mind, it learns and repeats faithfully.

So be careful what you tell your mind! We always take so much care in how we speak to others, but we never pay enough attention to how we speak to ourselves. Just as poor eating habits cause cholesterol to accumulate in your arteries - in the same way, constant worrying can cause worries to solidify in your being. Like how cholesterol creates blockages in your arteries, depression creates energy blockages in your Being.

Over a period of time, worrying becomes part of your nature, it becomes an unconscious act. Even if you reason it out, the low mood still remains. Why?

Because all the anger, all the worries you've suppressed over the years are still there as an invisible layer in your Being. Worry is the wave that rises from time to time, but depression is the water itself.

The memories of those suppressions go directly to your Manipuraka. That's why, when thoughts arise from the Manipuraka, they are coated with violence. When the Manipuraka is poisoned, you'll see that all your actions have an unconscious violence – like plucking flowers, destroying things, misbehaving with your body, fighting with yourself and with others.

How do we go beyond depression?

Once you understand how the mind works, this becomes simple. Just as a key can be used both to lock and to unlock a door, you can use the same words playing in your mind to go beyond depression into Ananda.

The mantra to conquer worry is simple: continuous positive thinking.

Be alert. Whenever you become aware of a negative thought surfacing, begin to feed your mind positive thoughts. You can verily change your thoughts by sitting down and creating positive, reassuring thoughts to counter the negative thoughts.

Repeat positive words to yourself.

These words are powerful mantras! Don't underestimate their power.

Of course, in the beginning, when you utter positive words, your mind is not going to learn these words easily.

Because it has been trained to respond negatively!

So a small corner of your mind will continue to protest, Do you think I'm a fool to be taken in by a few positive words? But slowly, you can alter the quality of the mind. It is perfectly possible to change your mental programming – after all, you have programmed it! You know how to do it. Now just do it. When you see how worry can simply be created and destroyed with words, you will realize how unreal it is. You will have the clarity. If you go beyond inner chatter even for a few moments, you will become more aware, more alive. Just understand that worry is unreal, unnecessary. The treasures of the Manipuraka chakra will be unlocked naturally. Any questions?

Swamiji, are thoughts a part of the Mind, or are they an expression of the mind? There is no difference between Mind and thoughts. Mind is Thought! There is no separate thing called the Mind. How do you define the mind? The Mind is nothing more than the collection of thoughts, the continuous flow of ideas. And thoughts are no more than the words you speak to yourself.

If you can create negativity inside yourself, you can also create positivity.

When you are suffering from negativity, your own mind splits into two parts and offers both arguments. Don't allow the negative part to speak at all. Just monopolize the conversation! What you do regularly with others, just do it with your mind!

(laughter)

Why are you laughing? This is what we usually do with others, isn't it?

Everybody wants to talk, but nobody wants to listen! We are all begging the attention of the other, all the time! In fact, in the West, people are paying psychiatrists exorbitant amounts of money – just to listen! It is not a joke, it is a great pity. It hides a deep underlying fear, an insecurity.

There is another way of transcending worry – by NOT resisting it.

Allow yourself to enter deeply into your worries, with acceptance and clarity. Be prepared to die into your worries! Acceptance is not impotence. Acceptance is a great meditation technique. Shiva talks about this in Vijnana Bhairava Tantra. Acceptance releases a great energy, gives you great clarity.

When you accept your worries, when you enter deeply into them, you will come to a tremendous understanding that all your worries are just your own creations.

When I tell you, you can understand it only intellectually. When it becomes your own experience, when you have that clarity, you will go beyond worries.

Then depression cannot touch you. You will transcend Dukkha. A small story: When I was staying in Calcutta, taking classes on the Isha Vasya Upanishad, a man came to see me. He said, Swamiji, I have a problem. I don't sleep well at night because I live in an area where there are plenty of street dogs. Every night they start barking, and keep barking till sunrise. I am already a very light sleeper, and I simply can't get an hour's rest because of the noise! See, the dogs can't all be driven out. The man can't move out of his ancestral house. So what to do? I told him, Go home and try this tonight. When you hear the barking, just drop the anger, the negative feelings that rise up in you. Just listen to the barking sound without resisting. Tell yourself that the dogs are barking, that's all. Nothing can be done about it. Don't allow yourself to react. The problem is not the barking, but your resistance to it! The man tried what I said. After a few days he came back to me and reported, Swamiji, I tried dropping my resistance as you said. Instead of thinking, 'How dare those stupid dogs spoil my sleep!' I tried changing my thoughts gradually: 'The dogs are barking. It is spoiling my sleep.…' 'The dogs are barking…' 'Some animals are creating some sounds…'

By the time I came to that sentence, I think I fell asleep. Anyway, I've been having excellent sleep all these days. Thank you!

This can happen with you also. Any situation can be dealt with, if you know how to drop your negativity, drop your reaction.

This is the key to open the Manipuraka chakra.

Swamiji, can this actually happen? Is it practical? Yes, certainly.

But Swamiji, it requires a lot of sadhana (effort).

Hmmm… I don't want to bring the word sadhana in. It makes the effort look so serious, you feel that you can't possibly practise it! Actually all I am doing is repeat the same dry Vedanta – but in different words, in the modern context, so that you feel comfortable listening to it. So that you feel that it is relevant for you, that you can follow it. And there is another thing: if you read these ideas in a book, they will simply be moving from head to head – from the head of the writer, to your own head. There is no scope for experience.

When you listen to these words from a master, from someone who speaks to you from the experience in his soul– they will enter deep into you, whether you are aware of it or not. I am not sharing my knowledge with you. I am sharing my experience, my life with you.

When I speak from my Being, it has to touch your Being. It will transform your life. There is no other way.

In Chicago, when Vivekananda opened his speech with Dear Brothers and Sisters of America, a person who attended that meeting writes in his memoirs, We felt as if a current of Love was passing through us, through our Being..! Today, at every street corner, you find politicians yelling, Blood brothers and sisters! Dearest members of my family..! Does anyone get impressed? The politician speaks from his head. Vivekananda spoke from his Being.

When the speaker speaks with totality, the listener is bound to listen with totality. His life is bound to be transformed. If your life has not been touched by my words, be clear, I have no authority to speak. You are free to doubt the truth of my experience. If you feel that my words have not been able to transform your life, there is no need to feel guilty. I take full responsibility.

But there is no way you will not be touched by me!

If you listen with your heart, you will see my teachings working out in your life automatically, when the time comes. Only a teacher who is unsure of himself needs to urge his disciples to go back and practise his words. When a true master speaks, simply listening will do.

Shravana is more than enough. Manana and Nidhidhyaasana will happen automatically.

If the master is an anubhootivaan (one who has actually experienced), you just have to listen to him, that will be enough.

The Chaandoghya Upanishad describes beautifully:

The master repeats to the disciple nine times: tat tvam asi (you are that).

Just by listening, just by listening to the master from his Being, the disciple actually attains the spiritual experience! When both master and disciple act with totality, even that is possible.

Only one thing: know how to listen.

Never listen with your head.

Open your Being to me.

Listen with deep trust, with total surrender.

That is more than enough: the alchemy will happen by itself. Only a master who is unable to fetch results will resort to a philosophy.

Only he will hide behind excuses like practice.

When you listen to a true master, you need not even think about practice.

You will practise without even being aware of it; you will be able to do nothing else!

You just cannot remain the same.

Before your eyes, your life will be transformed on its own. Just allow me inside.

I will practise. I will be inside you. These words are not my words, they are my Being. You will be carrying me inside! Just allow my words to stay with you. The energy that comes with these words will guide you always.

Now we will enter into the meditation.

Instructions for Manipuraka Shakti Kriya

As I told you, all your worries are nothing but words! Nothing but the sum total of all the languages you know. All your life, you have put your worries into words, spoken about them in some language which you know.

Now, you are all going to speak in a language which you don't know!

You are holding all your worries, negativity and suppressions like a weight in your navel area. Can you see how heavy that area feels? Now you are going to act out all those suppressions - in noises and actions. Remember, no words! When you start using words, your inner chatter begins to come up. During this meditation, don't allow your inner chatter. Simply get to the core of your deepest suppressions and pluck them out of your system! Just vomit them out in sounds.

First, for a minute, concentrate on the Manipuraka area. All your worries and suppressed negativity will start rising up into your conscious mind.

Now, imagine yourself in some situation of conflict. Imagine that you are fighting hard with someone. Talk to him - in a language that you don't know! Just use nonsense sounds, like how babies talk. Try to convey your problem, your pain, to the other person. But the other person simply doesn't agree with you! How do you feel? Angry? Throw out your anger on him! If tears come, let them! Don't stop yourself. Scream, wail, cry, throw your limbs about. Create as much violence as possible! (Only thing, don't beat up the other participants!) Scream as loudly as you feel like. No one is watching you; all of you are going to be blindfolded. Please do this sincerely - this is your chance to get rid of a lifetime's suppresions! Enter completely into the meditation.

After 20 minutes, you will be asked to stop. For the next 10 minutes, simply sit in silence. Focus on your Manipuraka chakra. You will feel a tremendous lightness in that area! It is as if you have taken a mental bath! A great peace blossoms in your being. Enjoy the peace!

(group practises Manipuraka Shakti Kriya and takes a short break)

Group gathers around Swamiji for an informal session.

(a young lady) Swamiji… I went home yesterday… and I couldn't remember even five sentences of what you spoke..! Ha ha ha!! It shows that you have listened beautifully, ma! If you remember all I've said in this class, this class will be of no use to you! Because it will mean that you have listened with your head, not with your Being.

Sometimes I purposely ask participants to go home and write out a summary of the day's class. To those who bring the most well-written summaries, I say, You have got nothing out of this class. You have not listened!

When you listen with your head, you remember my words. When you listen with your Being, you absorb me into yourself. You don't remember my words, because you have no use for them.

If you memorize my words, how long will you recall them? Today or tomorrow they will be forgotten. But if you carry me in your Being, my presence will permanently transform your life.

Swamiji, are you saying we will start believing and practising your words automatically?

When you know, you no longer have to believe.

You no longer have to go and practise.

Do you have to practise for ten days to know that fire burns? Do you say - let me practise for ten days, let me test it, then

I'll come to a final conclusion about whether fire burns or not?

The moment you come to know, you know, that's all. Only what happens is to be allowed, that's all.

Shall we move to the Anahata chakra?

THE ANAHATA CHAKRA

Anahata = 'That which is not created' (from the Anahata dhwani or 'unheard sound' which you hear when this chakra is activated)

Located: In the heart region Locked by: Asking for attention Unlocked by: Selfless love Meditation technique from: Tibetan Tantra Name of technique: Mahamantra

The Anahata chakra is concerned with love, sentiments, emotions.

This chakra gets locked by constantly asking for attention from others.

80% of our problems are due to asking for attention.

Whatever we do, whatever we think, we need the approval of the people around us! We have to earn a good name.

I want you all to do this exercise. Just note down, in a day, how many things you do to get a good name, to maintain your reputation in society.

You will find that 24 hours you are involved in a signature campaign!

In a big register you write, Good Father.

Then you go to your son, to your daughter, and start begging them, Please sign this!

(loud laughter from group)

Then you go to your wife, to your boss, to your friends.

You want them to sign, Good Husband, Good Employee, Good Friend.

Of course, all these people also come to you for your signature! Each of us is continuously on a signature campaign. We need to collect as many good opinions as possible from society to prove our worth.

Why do we bother so much about others' opinions about us? Because we don't know anything about ourselves!

We need others' opinions to tell us who we are. Without the attention of others, we cannot survive. Because attention is energy! When you depend on others' attention to live, you are depending on their energy. You cannot move without others. What does that mean?

You are psychologically handicapped!

Have you noticed children building castles from playing cards? The higher you build, the more chances of the castle falling.

And what happens if you remove one card, even one single card from the bottom row?

The whole castle collapses!

At least, children build their castles with their own cards. We build our castles with others' cards, others' certificates! No wonder we are always in fear. Because any moment, any person can withdraw his certificate – and our whole Being is going to collapse.

(lady from audience) But we don't always do something to get praise from others!

(Swamiji) Don't you, ma? So it doesn't matter to you? No, I just do it, even if the other person doesn't say anything. So you don't mind whether the other person is pleased or not?

Only sometimes…

But sometimes you're bothered? Yes, sometimes… definitely…

Ha ha! Do you know what you mean by this sometimes, definitely..? You mean that sometimes the feeling comes up into your conscious mind. At other times, it remains hidden, you are not aware of it. Am I right? No Swamiji, I just do my duty!

Ah, duty! The word duty is an ugly word! The word duty arises from the same feeling – if I don't do my duty, what will so-and-so say? What will he feel?

Please don't cheat yourself.

Be very clear. Sit down alone and diagnose yourself deeply. Practically all our actions are prompted by the need for the good opinion of others.

(another voice) Swamiji, what about selfless service, done out of love?

Such a thing does exist, but it is very rare! It happens only when the Anahata is totally opened. We'll discuss how that happens.

Swamiji, for a few people, we do out of love… for others, for their good opinion, like you said…

True. And you can easily see the difference. When you do out of love, no matter how hard the work, you don't get tired. In fact, many Reiki and Pranic healers come to me and say, Swamiji, even by attending 10-12 patients a day, we feel drained. How do you heal hundreds like this? This is the answer.

When you act out of love – when you allow it to happen – the energy always remains with you. The work itself is its own reward.

When you do it expecting praise, expecting results, you feel tired.

And be sure, when you do something for the results, the result is never up to your expectations! It is bound to end in frustration.

The Gita says beautifully:

Karmanyevaadhikaarasye maa phaleshu kadaachanah (Your *dharma* is only to do the work, not to be concerned about the result.)

Do you think you can satisfy all the people, all the time? (from audience) Never.

Never.

Because you yourself are not satisfied! Unless you have the deepest satisfaction in yourself, how can you satisfy others? Unless you know about yourself, how will you know about others' needs and satisfy them? It is impossible. It is good to do something for others, it is good to give attention, give respect – but out of love, not out of fear. Not because we are afraid that they will take away their certificates!

Never invest so much in others' opinions that they become the centre of your life. Don't make others your energy source, the reason for your existence! When you are dependent on others for your happiness, you are giving them the control of your life. It is nothing but psychological slavery.

Be your own inspiration source!

Come to a clear understanding that no joy is possible when you place your own center on someone else.

If you understand this, half the problem is solved. Because you don't know anything about yourself, you turn to society for an answer. And society happily puts its labels on you: Doctor. Father. Good-looking. Failure.

Like a parcel without a proper address is pushed from place to place, we move around in society collecting these stamps. Because we don't know where we are headed, we have to depend on society's stamps to show us the way.

And by and by, we forget that we are the parcel, not the labels! We forget that we are the stuff inside the parcel!

How to unlock the Anahata?

The key to unlock the Anahata is selfless love.

When you know yourself, when you appreciate yourself, you will have no need to ask for attention from others. When you are fulfilled, you will naturally start showering on others. A small story will make it clear to you - the difference between asking for attention and offering selfless love. Have you heard of the Brahma Sutra ? This is greatest book available to humanity. It is the unabridged edition of world philosophy, from which all other philosophies originated; the book of books.

Vajaspati Mishra is the man who wrote a commentary on this book, an excellent commentary. This is an incident from his life:

When Vajaspati Mishra was in the gurukul, his guru advised him to write this commentary. The guru also gave his daughter Bamati in marriage to his disciple. Soon afterwards, the guru died.

Vajaspati Mishra started on his task earnestly. He was continuously engaged in writing – for months, years, decades. He saw nothing else, thought about nothing else during all that time.

Finally, he finished the great work. After penning the last line, Vajaspati Mishra looked up from his work.

In front of him he saw an old lady, lighting the lamp for him. Vajaspati Mishra was surprised. He asked the lady, Who are you?

The lady said, Never mind about me. Have you finished your book?

When Vajaspati Mishra asked her again, she replied, I am your wife Bamati. We got married thirty years ago.

Vajaspati Mishra was shocked.

Thirty years!

He was shocked at what he had done to his wife.

Why didn't you remind me all these years!, he cried. You were busy with your book, and I didn't want to disturb you, Bamati replied quietly.

Still Vajaspati Mishra continued, You have sacrificed your life for the sake of humanity! What can I do to make up for it? Bamati replied, It has been a joy to serve you. I feel privileged that I was able to serve you so that you could write this great book! It is said that tears rolled down Vajaspati Mishra's cheeks.

giving of oneself.

Then he paid his wife the greatest tribute of all: he named his life's work after her: Bamati.

Even today, the most outstanding commentary on humanity's most precious book carries her name: Bamati. Bamati has become immortal, just because of her selfless devotion and love.

Today, can you read the newspaper for half an hour in peace? Will your wife let you? Can she watch TV for half an hour? Will you allow her? (uproarious laughter from group) This is the big difference between asking for oneself, and

For the next few days, I want you all to do this experiment. Choose a partner. It is your responsibility to look after the other person completely, like a child. I want your first concern to be for the other person's comfort. Always, your eye should be on whether he or she is happy and comfortable. Does he need anything? What can you do to help? Almost all our life, we worry only about ourselves. At the most, we worry about our close family, that too out of a sense of duty!

Now, you will get a chance to see what selfless love is like! I don't want you to pair up with your friends or relatives! Choose a stranger – the person standing closest to you. And be very clear: I don't want you to choose the person whom you want to be friends with later! Just choose at random.

(participants choose partners)

Remember everything I told you. The other person always comes first! Do you understand? I'll be watching you! (laughter)

Okay, let's get to the meditation.

This meditation technique which I going to give you is known as Mahamantra. This is a Tibetan tantric technique. This meditation is that which makes your mind centred, solid: Manasasya sthiraah iti mantrah. Your entire energy becomes centred on yourself. This technique should ideally be practised in the evenings. This technique is designed to make your whole body mantramayaa. It will elevate you into the state of ajapa – where you don't even have to do the japa (chanting), the japa happens on its own. Your whole Being becomes japa. You don't have to repeat the mantra, the mantra will repeat you.

Sit in a relaxed way, cross-legged, with your hands on your knees, palms facing upwards. Please remove your watches and jewellery, all these things block the energy flow. Keep your spine erect. Your head, neck and back should be in a straight line.

Close your eyes. When I say this, I mean really close your eyes. Usually when you close your eyes, it is just like putting off the TV outside and switching on the inner TV. I don't want you to just close your eyelids – I want you to close your eyes!

For a moment, just imagine that your eyeballs have turned to stone. Immediately, thoughts will also stop, or become slow. Now keep your mouth closed and start humming. Just create the vibration Mmmm. Don't chant any other mantra, don't chant Om.

Chant as lengthily as possible. Allow the body to sway. The sound has to come from your naabhi kamala – from your loins.

Imagine your body as an empty vessel. If you put your mouth to it and hum, what sound do you hear? Create that same vibration inside yourself.

Hum as loudly as possible, as deeply as possible, as lengthily as possible. Put your whole effort into it.

They say that Brahma the Creator rose from Vishnu's naabhi kamala – the lotus in his loins. Brahma is the embodiment of veda (knowledge), of mantra dhwani, of the primordial music of creation – which is this very expression.

When you chant this mantra, you become a creator, you create your new self. With this meditation, you will be totally transformed, you will be born again.

Do this for 20 minutes. There will be music accompanying your humming.

Don't attempt any kind of breath control. Your breathing will automatically take care of itself.

This is known as the mahamantra uchchaadana – the mantra which is beyond utterance, beyond writing. It is the Anahata dhwani (the unheard sound). The Mahamantra is the vibration which is resonating in your Being, in all of Existence. When you experience the energy of this meditation, you will feel you are based in this Anahata dhwani. Allow whatever happens to happen. If tears roll, let them roll. Laughter, cough, shivering – let it happen. Let it out. Don't hold back anything.

Whatever thoughts arise, throw them also into the humming. Gradually they will disappear.

At the end of 20 minutes, the music stops and a gong sounds. Instantly stop your humming.

A great silence floods your being. Witness this silence.

Experience the tremendous calm.

After a short while, thoughts will slowly start entering into this silence. Don't stop them; don't enter into them. Simply witness these thoughts.

Become a central awareness. Remain in your Anahata chakra. You will feel completely centered, calm.

It is best to practise this meditation in the early morning. It generates a tremendous amount of energy in your body. If you practise it at night, it may interfere with your sleep. Shall we start?

(group practises Mahamantra meditation and returns after a short break)

THE VISHUDDHI CHAKRA

(Vishuddhi = beyond purity and impurity)

Located: Throat

Locked by: Comparison and Jealousy Unlocked by: Realizing your uniqueness Meditation technique from: Zen Buddhism Name of technique: Shakti Sagar

Swamiji chants an invocation: buddham sharanam gachchaami dhammam sharanam gachchaami sangham sharanam gachchaami (I take refuge in the Buddha I take refuge in the Sangha)

The Vishuddhi chakra is concerned with comparison and jealousy.

What is comparison?

Can someone tell me, what are the major areas where you see comparison?

(The group gives a number of reasons. Swamiji sorts the answers under various topics.)

So now these are the major areas where we compare ourselves to others: money, wisdom, beauty (including health) and power.

All your problems, all your complexes are nothing but these

four issues.

Now in each of these areas, all of us are somewhere in between the two extremes. Do you have or don't you have? On both sides there is a long list. Can anyone say he is the wisest man in the world? No. Do you feel that you are the greatest fool? Again, no. Can you claim you are the richest person? No. Can you say you are the poorest person? No. So both cannot be told – but the thought disturbs you all thetime! We are haunted by phenomena about which we don't even have a clear understanding.

There are two types of reality: Existential reality and Comparative reality.

Comparative reality is not absolute, but exists only in comparison to something else.

In Sanskrit, we call beauty Maya.

We say ya ma iti Maya (*that which doesn't exist is Maya*). That which doesn't exist, but which continuously disturbs! Am I right?

So on both sides there is an endless list. How to judge?

It is up to you which side you want to look – to be in ananda or in dukkha!

(from audience) Better not to look both sides! Is that possible? And anyway, why the fear to look?

If you can look, but not be affected by what you see – that is the beautiful way. That is the way to unlock this chakra.

(from audience) You mean, learn to be content? Contentment… these are words used and misused too often. I don't want to use phrases like Learn to be content! What I am saying is, Happiness is a choice. It is up to you which side of life to focus on.

But Swamiji, you said Ananda is the reality? Then how can it be a choice?

Ananda (bliss) is the reality for all of us.

But Ananda is not happiness.

Ananda is that state of tranquility which happens when you have gone beyond both happiness and sorrow, pleasure and pain.

When you see with clarity that both pleasure and pain are unreal, that neither one is the natural state of your Being, you will enter into bliss.

But to get to bliss, you need to first start with happiness! It is impossible to get to Ananda from Dukkha – it is too long a way!

Swamiji, they say God is full of mercy, God gives us everything. But in real life, we don't experience it that way. God - Existence - always gives you enough to fulfil your own desires. It is when you take on another's desires, accumulate desires from others, that they go unfulfilled. For example, you may never have felt the need for an air cooler in your house.

But if your neighbour buys an air cooler, the temperature in your house goes up!

You go to the market to buy a TV. But on the way you see people in other shops buying other things, and you also go and buy all that. Or you try to buy, and then complain that you don't have enough money. Why do you try to live others' lives also, others' desires also?

A sutra in the Dhammapada says: just like the monkey trainer carries a stick with which to prod the monkey and make it dance to his tunes, in the same way, Maya has the stick of Comparison in her hands to make us dance! There is no end to comparison, no end to your expectations. You are constantly in the ratrace – how can you afford to relax, even for a moment?

And the sad thing about being in the ratrace is that even if you win, you're still a rat!

It may look like you are the winner, but actually the whole course of your life has been shaped by others. At some level you also realize that, so even success doesn't give you a sense of fulfilment. Even success leads to a deep sense of discontent. Because you have lived a life dictated by someone else! I can tell you from my experience – Existence is always showering upon us. There is such abundance! But we are so well trained in the discipline of discontent ..!

Ramana Maharishi says:

Existence has enough abundance to satisfy the needs of the whole of creation, but not to satisfy the wants of one man! See the huge gap between our actual needs and our accumulated desires!

In Jainism, there is a belief that when you are born, the entire quantity of food that you will need during your lifetime is sent along with you. Which is a way of saying that whatever your true requirements in this birth, Existence equips you with the ability to fulfil them.

But our wants are endless! Every time one desire is fulfilled, a hundred more come up. It is our nature to desire without end.

A small story:

Early one morning Mother Earth, Bhooma Devi, was taking a stroll on a riverbank when a man came up to her and prostrated at her feet.

Mother! he cried, I am a poor man. I have no land of my own to grow crops. You are the Goddess of the whole earth. Please grant me some land, or my family will die of starvation. Taking pity on the man, Bhooma Devi said generously, Alright! It is just sunrise now. I grant you that whatever distance you are able to cover on foot till sunset today will become your land.

Hearing this, the man set off at a run. He had to cover the maximum possible distance before sunset!

By afternoon, he was tired out. One part of his mind told him*, Enough! You have covered many miles! This land will be enough not only for you, but for three generations of your descendants!*

But greed told him, In the scriptures it is said that a man has to provide for seven generations. What will happen to them? So greed drove him onward.

At four in the evening, his body was screaming with pain. Stop! You now have enough land for seven generations! Again, greed raised the question, What about the eighth? Let me cover one more hill, one more field! After that I will rest. Now it was only a few minutes to sunset.

By now the man was beyond reasoning. He simply continued to run, run like a madman.

In the distance was a huge river.

Let me reach that river. There I shall stop, drink some water and rest, finally rest!, thought the man.

Exactly at the moment of sunset, the man reached the river. But before he could reach out to drink the water, his body collapsed on the bank.

He never got up again.

This is no different from the way we live! We are so caught up with acquiring, we have no time left for enjoying!

Swamiji, we live in a competitive society. How can we stop comparing? Good question.

We all function around these three axes: doing, having and being.

Doing for having, without enjoying being, is the sole cause of all our misery. Doing never catches up with having! Every time we work hard and fulfil one desire, there are more desires to make us run.

But don't think, Let me work now, I can enjoy later. Don't think you can come back later and enjoy! I tell you, it will never happen.

Don't postpone living! Celebrate, enjoy life – it's now or never.

Just running without enjoying is sure to lead to frustration. After running behind something your whole life, when you finally get it, you will always feel that it was not worth it! As they say, There is more pleasure in the pursuit than in the attainment! You always notice that as long as you are chasing something, it seems that it is worth the whole world – but after you get it, somehow it not important any longer! Again, a beautiful saying by Ramana:

Adaivadar mun kadugey aanaalum malayaay kaatti Adainda pin malayey aanaalum kadugai kaattum maya manam (Mind is that Illusion which shows a tiny mustard seed to be a huge mountain until it is attained, and a mountain to be as insignificant as a mustard seed once it has been attained! )

Not that it is not important to earn, to have comforts. I am not asking you to renounce all your desires. I am not asking you not to compare. But be clear as to why you are running. Bring clarity even into your comparison.

See, there are two kinds of comparison: constructive and destructive.

Constructive comparison is essential, it is good.

In a practical sense, it gives you a yardstick for measuring yourself.

It provides the stimulus to improve.

Without comparing, how can you have a realistic understanding of yourself?

Destructive comparison is nothing but the inability to accept reality.

In the whole world, someone is sure to be better than you at whatever you do.

99.99% chances are that you're not the world's best engineer, the fastest runner or the most talented painter. Does that mean that you enjoy these things any less?

To focus only on what you're lacking is the sure route to a completely unnecessary inferiority complex!

What is the root cause of comparison?

Comparison happens because we don't know ourselves. If you are comparing yourself to others, it simply means that you don't appreciate yourself enough! Only when you don't trust your own Being, do you start comparing with others.

The Buddha says, nothing exists except in relationship. Suppose you were the only person on a new planet.

Will you call yourself tall or short? Ugly or beautiful? Rich or poor?

You will simply be you! That's all.

That is the only truth.

To compare is pure foolishness, because each individual is unique. How can you compare two things which are unique? We never compare ourselves to flowers or birds or mountains – only to other people!

We enjoy beauty in nature, but can't tolerate it in our neighbour! Why?

All this is only social conditioning. Society encourages competitive behaviour. Don't allow another to dictate your ideals.

Wake up!

Swamiji, I feel that my weaknesses are much more…

More than what?

More than my strengths…

Why do you compare?

Now you are comparing inside yourself!

You think one part of you is strong, another is weak. When your own consciousness is fractured, how will you reach out to others?

Accept everything. Accept yourself as you are. Only then can you be whole, be complete.

When you see yourself as unique and complete, the need to compare will drop automatically. Comparison always brings misery, not peace.

A small story:

A king once went to a wise man to attain some siddhis (magical powers) so that he could become more powerful than his neighbouring kings.

The wise man took him out into the garden, where a rose bush and a thorny plant were growing side by side. He told him, These are your teachers. They can teach you what you need to learn.

The man was astonished.

What do you mean, Master?, he asked.

The Master said, For five years, this rose bush and this thorny plant have existed side by side. But not once have I heard the rose bush complaining that it wanted to become a thorny plant, or the thorny plant wanting to become like the rose bush. Each has accepted its own reality without complaint, without comparison. This is the most powerful siddhi you can attain!

How to unlock the Vishuddhi chakra?

When you live your life with complete fulfilment, work out your maximum potential, you won't feel the need to compare. In meditation, the conscious analysis of desires will show you very clearly which are your own desires, and which desires you have acquired from others. Existence has already gifted you the ability to fulfil your own desires.

You simply have to identify, with clarity, which are your own. The Vishuddhi chakra is the seat of higher creativity. When the energy of this chakra is unlocked, you will see that a tremendous flow of creativity becomes available to you. When you change the quality of your being, naturally the quality of your doing also changes. Whatever you do, you do with greater efficiency, greater creativity.

As a result, the quality of your having also changes. You will see that material wealth and success flow towards you naturally.

So drop comparison.

• Return to your Being.

Remember, you are truly unique – just like everyone else!

Shall we enter into the meditation?

Instructions for Shakti Sagar Meditation

All your life, you have been running a race against others. Now, you will run against yourself!

You will compete with, and win against, the negative aspects of your own self.

This is a 30-minute meditation, with two parts of 20 minutes and 10 minutes.

First, stand in silence with your eyes closed. Concentrate your entire awareness upon the Vishuddhi chakra.

Now, standing in one place, slowly begin to jog. Start very slowly, then increase your pace. Increase it gradually - because once you start jogging fast you won't be allowed to slow down! So keep going faster, faster. Your mind may tell you that it is too tiring - don't listen! Push your limits. Your body has tremendous potential that you have never used.

Actually, we have three layers of energy - the normal layer, the emergency layer, and Intelligence. We normally use only the first layer. We are happy with just that much energy! Very rarely, when we have to push ourselves, the second layer of energy opens up. But the third layer, we have never used. We are not even aware of it. Intelligence is nothing but functioning at the highest level of energy available to us. So don't tell yourself, I can't do it.

When you enter totally into this meditation, you will find that the higher level of energy opens up. So keep jogging. Let the energy rise!

After 20 minutes, you will be asked to stop. For the next 10 minutes, just sit down quietly wherever you are. Keep your eyes closed. Focus all your attention on the Vishuddhi chakra. In this phase, you will absorb the energy you have released during the jogging.

Materials like silk, gold and diamonds are excellent storehouses for energy. During the meditation, if you wear these around your neck, they will absorb and retain the released energy for a longer time.

(group practises Shakti Sagar meditation and later disperses)

Culmination

THE AJNA CHAKRA

(Ajna = 'will' or 'order'. The Ajna is known as the Master Chakra)

Located: Between the eyebrows Locked by: Seriousness Unlocked by: Innocence and simplicity Meditation technique from: Christianity Name of technique: Divya Netra

The Ajna chakra is known as the Chakra Raj – the Master chakra.

This is such a significant chakra that there is no religion that hasn't worked on activating it.

When the Ajna opens, the whole Being enters into a different realm.

A whole layer of faculties opens up. That's why all the oriental gods are represented with a third eye in their forehead. The third eye is only a symbol for the awakened Ajna.

There is an old saying that if you die in Varanasi (a sacred city of Bharat), you will automatically get mukti (salvation). Varanasi is not just the city as we know it. It is also the region where the vaarana (eyebrows) meets the naasi (nose). That is the exact location of the Ajna chakra.

If you die into the Ajna, if you leave your consciousness in the Ajna, you will attain salvation.

Of course, the city Varanasi is so sacred that it may be true, as Sri Ramakrishna says. But I think this is a much more developed interpretation.

The Ajna chakra is concerned with Seriousness. What is seriousness?

Seriousness is nothing but paying undue importance to something, at the cost of everything else.

It stems from the inability to see that all of life is just a joke! Seriousness is the result of over-expectation from life.

Serious people are always afraid to make mistakes. Like life, they take themselves also too seriously. They have too much ego to accept making a mistake.

So, by trying not to make small mistakes, they end up making big blunders instead!

A small story from Zen:

Two boys were building sandcastles on the beach when they had a quarrel. One of the boys got angry and kicked the sandcastle to pieces. The other boy went and complained to the king about his 'serious' problem.

The king began to laugh at them for making so much of sandcastles.

But the king's advisor, a Zen monk, started laughing at the king, asking,

When you can fight battles and lose your sleep over stone castles, why do you laugh at these boys fighting over sandcastles?

All our seriousness is just about sandcastles!

Seriousness closes your mind to the possibilities of life. Too much attachment to routine keeps you on a narrow path, it makes you blind to all the other options open to you. Allow nature to have its own way!

In a Zen monastery, there was a competition among disciples about who could have the best garden. One disciple was a very serious sort. He took the competition also too seriously. His garden was always neat and clean, and well-swept. All the grass was of the same height. All the bushes were neatly trimmed. He was sure that he would get the first prize. On the day of the competition, the master went around all the gardens.

Then he came back and ranked the gardens. But he gave this disciple's garden the lowest ranking!

Everyone was shocked.

The disciple himself went and questioned the master about it. Master, what is wrong with my garden that you ranked me the lowest?

The master asked him with a smile, Where are all the dead leaves?

A garden maintained in such an unnatural way is no longer alive! Seriousness kills spontaneity.

Seriousness destroys creativity.

Science has proved that when you perform a task in a relaxed manner, your thinking and decision-making capacity is automatically enhanced.

All our seriousness is sickness! When I say all, I mean all! And all our sicknesses originate in seriousness. Seriousness begets sickness. Sickness begets seriousness. One night, a man called me on the phone and started crying. He said, I fall at your feet, Swamiji! Please help me. I'm so depressed! I am going to end my life!.. and so on. I tried to calm him down, and finally said, Why don't you come to the ashram tomorrow morning and spend a few days with me? Let's see what can be done. He replied, Tomorrow, Swamiji? Ohh… tomorrow I have to go to office… shall I come next weekend?

Most of us are like this, getting unnecessarily tense about our small problems! When we wake up to reality, we see how insignificant our problems really are.

When you do something too seriously, when you are too concerned about the result, you are actually not allowing yourself to perform at optimum levels!

Like I mentioned about the chess game earlier, if the player is too serious he will most probably miss making the right moves!

This doesn't mean that you should take everything lightly – that won't help.

Of course, you need to make plans, you need to think ahead. But do it with sincerity, not seriousness.

Seriousness is not the same as sincerity.

Sincerity is focusing on the task with enthusiasm and youthfulness.

Sincerity is giving the task your best without worrying excessively about the result.

There are two kinds of planning – chronological planning and

psychological planning.

Chronological planning is planning on a timescale. It is a practical way to organize tasks in a way that can give the best results. This kind of planning with sincere action leads you from ananda to ananda to ananda! Psychological planning is planning in your head. It means postponing happiness, postponing life, waiting till some particular thing happens to start enjoying life. If I get married, life will be more interesting! After I retire, I'll have enough time to cultivate my hobbies! It's the attitude, Now I'll be serious, later I'll be happy! It can only lead from dukkha to dukkha to dukkha.

One more thing: when your consciousness is alert, you can directly solve problems without complicated planning. You will acquire a clarity of vision, a clarity of purpose, efficiency in action.

You will no longer be bound by the narrow confines of your mind, your opinions and prejudices.

How to unlock the Ajna chakra?

Live with simplicity, with spontaneity, with innocence. Be down-to-earth. Have the courage to make mistakes. After all, what have you got to lose? Only your useless ego! Take on life with joy, love and care. Be natural. Be original.

Above all, take it easy. Nothing is so important that you can't

laugh!

I would say, Laughter is the key to unlock this chakra! When you live in a laughing, light mood, you will become Shiva! (god) So how to become Shiva? Just laugh! Can you find a simpler meditation technique than that?

In fact, in Zen monasteries, it is a rule for all monks to laugh at least three hours every day. Laughter is a great technique!

Nowadays we have forgotten how to laugh – our laughter is only an extended smile. Most of us are afraid to laugh - because laughter exposes you. Laughter exposes the innocent, vulnerable You hidden inside you.

A small story:

Once there was a conference of Buddhist monks on the meaning of true spirituality. Each monk went up onto the stage and made long speeches, practically putting all the others to sleep. Finally, it was the turn of a Zen monk to speak.

What do you think he did?

He simply started laughing! Laughing, laughing with his Being.

The laughter just rose up from his belly. He started shaking uncontrollably with laughter.

And his laughter was so infectious, soon all the others in the room started laughing, without even knowing why.

Without their even being aware of it, the common laughter of all the monks produced a huge wave of positive energy in the room. The monks reached a state of tremendous elevation. In the course of the laughter, they experienced a moment of no-mind.

The Zen monk declared, This is true spirituality. Laughter is the highest spiritual quality. It can lead you to enlightenment! In fact, laughter is the royal route to enlightenment.

Laughing is a great healing power. If you laugh at your sickness, you will become healthy. Because laughter is a beautiful way of connecting with the prapancha shakti, the energy of Existence.

Shall we try some laughing meditation? Someone who can really laugh can start! (prolonged laughter follows)

Before we enter into the Ajna meditation (the laughing meditation was just a practice session!) – any questions?

(from audience) Swamiji, I have read that when the Ajna is activated you develop the sixth sense. What do you feel about sixth sense? Sixth sense? I say nonsense! (tremendous laughter from crowd) First of all, let us learn to handle our five senses properly.

Then we can worry about sixth sense! Let us move to the meditation.

This is an extremely powerful technique! Here you will come in direct contact with the master's energy. During the discourse you were given knowledge, intelligence. Now you will be given the tremendous energy needed to apply that intelligence, to work it out in your daily life.

There is a verse in the Dakshinamurty Stotram (Obeisance to Dakshinamurthy - the youthful avatar of Shiva who is also known as the first ever guru):

Chitram vatataror mooley Vriddhah shishyaa gurur yuvah Gurostu maunam vyaakhyaanam Shishyaastu chinnah samshayah (Beneath the banyan tree they sit, the disciples old men, the guru a mere youth! The guru speaks through Silence alone But lo! The disciples' questions dissolve on their own!)

Today you will experience this energy in silence, in communion with the master.

Whatever I have spoken in the discourses all these days is nothing new – you may have heard it before. You may have read about it before.

With intellectual understanding, you get 50% of the result.

With experience, you get 100%. What I am really giving you is through my energy. My light becomes your light. Like lighting a candle from another candle, you light your candle with my light, with the light of my enlightenment. But once lit, the light is yours. Use it to find your way, use it to grow. Do as you please with it. Take care that it is never blown out, that's all! (applause) Have trust in yourself. Your problems will not be solved – they will be dissolved.

Let us enter into the meditation.

Instructions for Divya Netra Meditation

This meditation involves two separate techniques: one for cleansing the Ajna, and the other for energizing it. Our lower chakras need only cleansing and channeling. The higher chakras need energizing also – pumping up the energy to the chakra.

In the two phases, you will be asked to alternately close and open your eyes.

When your eyes are closed, I want you to focus on your third eye - on the area of your Ajna chakra.

When I ask you to open your eyes, open your eyes - but don't see! Don't look through your two eyes as you normally do. Instead, try seeing with your third eye. With your third eye, look intensely at my third eye.

Try not to blink. Some of you may have some discomfort. You may experience a burning sensation in the eyes, or tears may come. Let it happen. These problems will soon disappear.

Be prepared to have unusual experiences during this meditation. Your Ajna has never been activated before. Opening the Ajna will open you to a whole new realm of experience. You will discover abilities that you didn't know you had.

Don't be frightened! In the presence of the master, only what is good for you will happen to you.

You are not being hypnotized! In fact, only now are you finally being dehypnotized. Only now is your superconscious awakened.

That's why the third eye is known as Maya Harana – destroyer of illusion.

And most of our maya is nothing but sex! So the Ajna is also known as Kama Harana (destroyer of lust).

Above all, don't doubt the truth of your experiences. Doubt destroys. Faith can convert even a stone to god!

During the meditation, some of you may experience seeing 'nothing', where my body is now seated. You may experience being able to see through my body.

Don't be alarmed, it only shows you that you have done the meditation with deep sincerity.

Because that is my reality! It is because you perceive your own body as solid, that you perceive my body as solid. Just at this moment, if you can perceive yourself as empty, you will see that I am empty.

The rest - whatever you see right now, is nothing but the master's drama - the master's leela!

(the group practises Divya Netra meditation and takes a short break)

• *

THE SUPREME PONTIFF OF HINDUISM BHAGAWAN SRI NITHYANANDA PARAMASHIVAM enters and settles down.

The crowd begins to shower THE SUPREME PONTIFF OF HINDUISM BHAGAWAN SRI NITHYANANDA PARAMASHIVAM with questions of all sorts.

THE SUPREME PONTIFF OF HINDUISM BHAGAWAN SRI NITHYANANDA PARAMASHIVAM, what is your message to us?

When people ask me my message, I tell them in two words: Be Blissful.

If you can live in Ananda, that is more than enough.

A small story:

When Alexander the Great invaded Bharat, he collected a lot of gold and treasures to take back with him. Then he thought it will be a good idea to carry back the spiritual heritage of Bharat also. Instead of carrying so many books and such things, he thought, Why not take back a few yogis (holy men)? After all, they will be carrying all the scriptures inside their heads, and they can explain them also!

Of course, this is just a legend, we don't know if it actually happened!

One day he saw a yogi meditating by a river bank. He went to the yogi and ordered him to return with him.

The yogi refused.

Alexander was furious. No one had ever gone against his orders before!

In his anger, he drew his sword and held it to the yogi's throat.

Come with me, or I'll kill you!, he roared.

To his surprise, the yogi started laughing. You are a liar, you can't kill me!, he told Alexander. Why not?, demanded Alexander. In reply, the yogi quoted the shloka (verse) from the holy Bhagavad Gita about the imperishability of the soul: "That which fire cannot burn, which an arrow cannot pierce,which a sword cannot cut... that Being is within us."

See, it is very easy to talk about the immortal soul when you are sitting in the safety of your house. But this man was able to do it with the sword of a king held to his throat! He knew fully well that hurting a king's ego is a sure way to invite death. If the king killed him, who was there to question him? The king himself was the law!

Alexander himself was amazed at the yogi's composure, his integrity. Realizing his mistake, he put down his sword and apologized for his mistake. He asked the yogi, A man with so much courage should be on the battlefield, conquering nations and winning fame! Why are you wasting

your time sitting in this lonely place? Then the yogi asked him, What have you come here for? Alexander described all his conquests. He had practically conquered the whole of Bharat.

Where will you go now?, asked the yogi.

Oh, I am going to conquer other lands, to the east and to the west!

And then?

Then still others, to the north and to the south. And then? Then the whole world will be my kingdom! And then? Then I will return to my country, and build large palaces and forts. And then? Then I will live happily for the rest of my life!

That, said the yogi quietly, is what I am doing NOW.

So all our trials, our efforts, our struggles, even our wars are nothing but the pursuit of ananda (bliss)! If you see, even our meditations are a battle for happiness, between our self and our Self! The truly wise are the ones who have known where to find this Ananda.

How to be blissful?

This is the question asked more often than any other – either directly or indirectly – by each of us, every day. The Sanatana Dharma addresses man as Amritasya putra! (O Child of Immortality!) Ananda is our kingdom! It is our own! We are already in it. So the issue of how to enter it does not make sense. The question is not, How to create happiness? Because whenever something is created through external factors, how long will it last? A few hours? A few years?

When a sense of happiness is created through external reasons, with external causes, it is sure to give way to dukkha (misery) when it ceases. So to search for Ananda outside is the surest way to dukkha.

Ananda is our nature. So the question can only be, How to rediscover the Ananda that we have forgotten is there in us? That too can be answered in one phrase:

Drop your guilt.

Whatever I have spoken these past days, the essence of my message is this: Be Blissful.

Be in Ananda. And the key to unlock the Ananda inside you is this: Drop your guilt.

Our mind is so attuned to the idea of guilt, that whatever we do, whatever happens in our life, whether good or bad, we find a way to feel guilty about it. All our dukkha arises out of nothing but this feeling of guilt.

When you get angry, for instance, you punish yourself far more deeply than you punish the person whom you are angry with! Because you end up feeling guilty about your anger. But does that mean you stop getting angry? NO! We keep on repeating the same actions, and keep feeling guilty about it. The deeper your guilt, the harder you try to punish yourself, and the more the chance of your repeating the same action. Like the crank shaft and the piston in an engine, the deed and the guilt are both equally responsible for making the wheel of Samsara go around.

Swamiji, you ask us to drop our guilt. But what if we have really committed some sin?

What is sin? The whole idea of sin itself is nonsense. To do or not do something, simply out of fear, is a sign of utter ignorance. These concepts of sin and punishment are just created by society to keep you in fear.

I say, don't trust your fear. Trust your intelligence.

Awaken your consciousness.

Use your intelligence to discriminate between right and wrong.

Use your inner guidance.

Even without fear or guilt, you will automatically stay on the correct path.

A small story:

A holy man, a sannyasi, lived in a hut on the outskirts of a town. One rainy night, someone knocked on his door. The sannyasi opened the door and saw a man soaked in the rain waiting outside.

Please, can I spend the night in your hut?, asked the man. The sannyasi welcomed him in and shared his meal with him. The man slept there and left the next morning after thanking the sannyasi.

During the day, the sannyasi heard that a thief had entered the town the previous day, stolen many valuables and disappeared. From the people's description, the sannyasi found out that it was the same man to whom he had given shelter the previous night.

The sannyasi was overcome with guilt and sorrow.