46. An inner picnic.🔗

• 'Within us are contained seven seas, seven mountains, seven skies.' This statement is not a lie. It is a truth. In a state beyond the truth, and in a state of realization of the self, these, and things beyond these, remain concealed within us.
• All these will appear as lies till an inward journey is undertaken at least once. The mind will not allow us to believe this.
• Have you gone on a joyful picnic in the company of your own self? Those who think, 'What kind of a question is this! This question itself is rather strange,' are all simpletons who have not experienced the meaning of life even once.
• The joyful satisfaction obtained by going on an inward picnic just once will be many hundred times more joyful than the satisfaction obtained by going on an outward picnic a thousand times.

It was a pleasant evening and the wind was gently blowing continuously.

In that foot of the hill, a devotee who arrived there in a horse-drawn cart, joyfully jumped from the cart and ran towards his Master's abode.

He was an actor and a devotee of the Zoroastrian Master, who was living there. As the actor had gone on a world tour, he was seeing the Master after a gap of many months. That is why the actor walked eagerly to meet the Master.

The actor declared with deep devotion, 'Oh Master, I have seen all the Seven Wonders of the World. Before your peaceful and blissful laughter, they are all just equal to dust. You are indeed the eighth wonder, no, Wonder of wonders. Just by seeing you, the seer is flooded with ecstatic bliss.'

The Zoroastrian Master said, 'Don't babble! You too are a wonder only. It is all right for a devotee who is in his initial stages, to be in a state of rapture due to the radiating power of the Master's meditation. You are going to depend on me? Get detached!

Enter into your inner world like an arrow released from the bow. You will discover the path to a wonderful world brimming with rapture. You will become such a wonder that wonder itself will wonder at you.'

The Master blessed him saying, 'You will become ecstatic. The moment you enter heaven, you will be in bliss.'

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Another small story:

A man, who was the father of two daughters, told the Master with pride: I have shed my blood and worked hard and saved many lakhs worth of property today.

The Master asked: Have you shed your blood for the sake of those unknown lords whose town, name or face you did not know!

The Master continued to ask: Have you sacrificed your life and hard earned property for the sake of those who are going to enjoy it. Those who are going to enjoy it without working hard along with you?

The man asked angrily: Who are those lords?

The Master said: Sons-in-law.

From the above incident we can observe that individual man does not spend even a few minutes for the sake of himself, to live with himself, to appreciate himself, to taste himself as compared to the time he spends for the sake of others.

Do you live for yourself? Or else, thinking that you are living for yourself, do you spend your life for others, for the world? There is nobody in the heavens to ask who lived with whom? Who achieved how much? Have you lived? Have you got that satisfaction? Are you blissful? If you ask yourself such a question, what answer can you give?

Life is a gift given by God. This life should not go waste. What reply will your life give to the above questions? Ponder over it.

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A sound proof room was constructed in the Oxford University. Remus Coach went to inspect that room.

The Senate committee of the university had permitted Remus Coach to inspect it, saying: For the first time ever in the world, we have created a room where you get no sound at all. This room will be so silent that you cannot imagine it even in your dreams.

After going inside and having inspected it, he came out with his face full of perspiration and confusion.

The committee members asked: Why? What has happened? Why do you look so upset?

Remus Coach said: It is noiseier inside the room than it is on the outside.

It was a shock for the Committee members. They claimed: What do you say? There is absolutely no possibility at all for any sound to be there on the inside. They said angrily: Your statement that it is noisier inside is absurd.

Remus calmly said: Yes, There is much more noise inside than what is there outside.

The head of the committee, on seeing the firm reply of Remus, realized that there should be some truth in what he says and asked: What sound did you hear inside?

Remus Coach said: As soon as I entered inside, I did not hear any sound from the outside. But, for the first time in my life, I began to hear in full measure two types of sounds.

The committee head asked: Is it so? What sounds?

Remus Coach said: The first sound was the sound of my mind, which goes on functioning without any break. And the second sound was the movement of my blood circulation. Till this day, I have not realized that these sounds which are inside are so powerful.

Remus took leave of them saying: For the first time, I understood this truth only in your sound-proof room. Thank you very much.

Remus has indicated this in his diary: I understood the value of silence for the first time on that day. Only on that day, I understood the fact that there were wonders within my own body which were not known to me.

Yes. The statement of Remus Coach is very much true. Wonders are waiting for each of us in our inward journey. There is no possibility of this truth being known until we get the opportunity. The opportunity that Remus Coach got cannot be got by all so easily. Even if good opportunities are obtained, how many will utilize them properly? That is a big question mark.

Association or meeting living enlightened Masters is the only easy and rare opportunity that we can get. The job of the Masters of wisdom is only to give the magic keys for the inward journey.

The statement of Remus Coach was indeed a surprise for the team of people who created the sound-proof room. They themselves were not aware of this fact that Remus had stated about the room. The reason for this is only the lack of clarity in their consciousness.

Lack of clarity of consciousness is a problem very much present in every one of us only in varying degrees. It is only due to this lack of clarity of consciousness, the truth that 'The solutions for all of our problems are very much within us' is not understood by us.

The following truths do not come into our consciousness when we continuously search for solutions for our problems from outsiders and books: The root cause of the problems lies within us. The total solution for the problems is also within us only. It is foolish to search for solutions outside for the problems which are inside. Even with great difficulty, if we find solutions, that problem might be blocked for that moment. Again the same problem will re-surface with greater vigor in some other shape. It will torture life.

You might have heard some people saying: I did meditate a few times, but I do not see much change.

It is not proper to expect the results by meditating a few times. Firstly, the sound of the mind should be heard. Second, the movement of the mind should become conspicuous. Third, the mind should be understood and passed through.

For all these to happen, conscious clarity is necessary. For increasing that here are some tips:

• In order that the sound of mind may be heard, the duration of time you spend with yourself should be increased. It is only the early morning routines, eating food and such other times are the only times you spend or your own self. Even that is only for your body!
• To understand the movement of your mind, you must spend at least half an hour daily on meditation which will help to throw light on the mind to enable you to see it. Even at the physical level, during the time you spend for yourself, the body may be physically present there. But your mind will thinking about some thing or the other.

• The truths of wisdom will greatly help to understand the mind and to pass beyond it. During all the times you spend for yourself, make it a point to be totally with yourself from all angles, physically, mentally and your life too.

For those who hold on to these firmly, the visa is ready for a joyful inward picnic!

A meaningful incident....

A person asked Ramana Maharishi: What is the qualification required for doing meditation?

Ramana Maharishi asked: Are you alive?

The man replied: Yes, Bhagavan.

Ramana said: This qualification is sufficient for meditating. Meditate.

Meditation is beyond all religion, caste, culture and all your habits. You need not change any of your habits for the sake of meditation.

Meditation Chisels.

Chisel No.1.

Pass beyond the paradise.

Do not imagine that if you lead your life in this world without wine, women and intoxicating substances, you can enjoy paradise with beautiful girls, alcohol and live below a wish-tree which will give you whatever you want. It won't happen.

If a man cannot dance in a room, how can he dance in a street?

While there is already dearth of intelligence and maturity even to enjoy this world itself, wherefrom will the maturity and intelligence come and reach us to enjoy the other worlds?

Necessary arrangements should be made to find the paradise in this world. Our inner world is the only way to see paradise in this world. If the journeying into the inner world is known, then the door of the other world will automatically open by itself. You will recognize the paradise and the wonderful experiences beyond paradise.

All the principles of wisdom are actually visas for the inner world. All the meditation techniques are vehicles for the inner world.

Permit the chisels of meditation. Let them form the holes for you to pass inwards within yourself.