Dhyana Spurana Program
Unclutched meditation program in USA, 2006
The next two days, these two days, I shall be giving you straight away the experience of meditation, experience of your inner space. As a by product of that meditation experience you may have physical, mental healing and above all spiritual healing; you will experience spiritual growth. The direct aim of this program is to give you the experience of meditation, thoughtless space or no mind zone, eternal consciousness, whatever you may want to call it. This program directly aims at the experience of meditation.
In the first level programs, Life Bliss Program or LBP 1, I aim directly at physical healing. In the second level LBP 2 programs I aim at mental healing. In this program, the Dhyana Spurana Program (what is now LBP 3), I aim directly at the experience of meditation.
First few things: during these two days be completely relaxed. Only one thing is sure, you are going to be here for two days. Don't have any other thought; don't have any other expectation; don't have any thing else in your mind. The moment you start acquiring something else, some other expectation in your mind you will create tension. You will be stressed.
Do not expect, of course you are a fortunate batch, you are the first batch, so you do not know what is in store. What is Dhyana Spurana? To tell you a secret, not only you don't know, I don't know. But that is a secret; we can't tell anyone that.
Anyhow, all I know is only one thing; you will have the experience; because I know the power of the presence of a master, of an enlightened being. So I know what will happen in you but I don't know how it is going to happen. That will take shape on its own. So we don't have to bother about that, it will take its own shape.
Just be relaxed these two days. And only one thing is certain, you will be here these next two days. Just go through in a very simple way; don't take things too seriously. Of course, when you take things too seriously you create more and more complications. And one more thing when you become serious, the very stress doesn't allow the energy to work on you. The very stress stops the spiritual experience happening in you.
These are the usual few things I give as introduction. Try to be completely in the present moment, so that you will not sleep, you will not miss. Next, try to take the maximum possible help from the master's presence.
Small story:
Father was telling the young boy to move a big stone. The boy tried his best, he was not able to move; he was just standing, completely tired. No, you have not used all your potentiality, use all your potential power.
The son was completely tired; he shouts at the father, 'What are you talking about? What are you saying? You are saying I have not used all my potential power. I'm tired. Don't you see? Are you not able to see?'
Father says, 'You could have asked me, I am also your power!'
'You forgot. You have missed an important thing. You could have asked my help. That is also potential power. You have an important potentiality, you could have asked me. I would have helped you.'
Please understand, you can ask me, you can take the master's help. You have never done that. You have never considered master is also your potential. You have never taken the master's help. You always think you can do it. How the boy is standing, same way you are standing; thinking you can do it. You don't think the master is also your potential power. So much of help is available, you can have so much, but you never ask, or you never take it.
Somehow with the western mind, taking help from somebody means that you are degrading yourself. According to me, it is a potential power. When it is available, try to use it to the maximum. So, let you use the master's presence. Let you use the power as much as possible.
We'll enter into the subject. The whole program is based on the one truth that you are unclutched. By the very nature, by your very nature you are independent, illogical, unconnected and unclutched thoughts.
Let you be very clear, by your very nature you are independent, illogical and unclutched thoughts. I'll try to explain how. Your mind is just like the bubbles in a fish tank. In the fish tank you see the water bubbles. They are constantly rising. Just think of a fish tank. You will see the water bubbles. Because it is constantly flowing, you think it is continuous. But it is not a continuous flow.
Every bubble is an individual bubble. Every bit is individual and unconnected. But when you see it is going in such a high speed, you start thinking it is completely connected and you think it is a continuous process. It is happening continuously. In the same manner in your mind thoughts are flowing continuously. Because of this seeming continuity you think it is a continuous process. Otherwise every thought is a separate and individual one.
I want you to understand one thing; you can not either control or concentrate or develop these thoughts. You can't do anything about it. Then why did you call us for this program Swamiji, then why this program at all, you may ask? Let me be very clear, you are putting too much of effort in the wrong direction. You are trying too much in the wrong direction. Just to make you aware, you are trying in the wrong direction. One thing can be done. The moment you understand that you are unclutched and you are unconnected, the influence on thoughts your being will drastically reduce and practically disappear.
You will not be influenced by your thoughts. You will not be influenced by your thinking. You can completely liberate yourself. Let you be very clear: all the suffering, ALL sufferings, you create for yourself. You don't have to believe me, but that is truth. Whether you believe or not, that's the truth. You can liberate yourself from all the sufferings that you create for yourself.
In order to torture yourself you will find all technical and creative ways, really. You find a lot of technical ways to torture yourself. Constantly you are torturing yourself with these ideas; these very ideas with which you are constantly torturing yourself you can liberate yourself too.
I want all of you to understand very clearly, at least intellectually that you are unclutched. We will go into a small exercise to understand what I mean by the word unclutched. Please take a notebook and just for the next ten minutes write whatever comes in your mind without editing. Please be very clear, it is not for showing anybody; it is just for you. You are just going to see what is happening in you. Do not edit, do not suppress, do not postpone.
Just write whatever comes in your mind in the same language. If you are thinking in English and half in some other language, write it the same way. Whatever way you are thinking the same way just pen down. Until I say stop just continue. If nothing comes to mind just wait. Let's look into our minds and see what is happening. Don't try to finish a sentence, don't try to be logical.
Don't look at your neighbor's book. Just look into your own mind.
Let's understand the truth experientially. Whatever goes on let it go on; let it happen. Don't give gaps in writing; if you give gaps you will start editing unconsciously. I want you to know completely what is going inside; whichever way it is happening.
Whatever comes, whether it is logical or illogical, connected or unconnected, just go on penning. Suddenly you may get frightened and start suppressing. Do not suppress. I'm giving you a glimpse of thoughtless awareness consciously. Most of the time you are unaware; at least 99% of the time you are unaware anyhow.
Even if it is just random words, pen down. Don't try to reread or edit, just write whatever is going on inside. Don't miss even a single word what is going on inside. Even if it is getting repeated, it's ok. Only that will give you a glimpse of the truth of which I am going to express. Unless you experience, it won't become the truth. It won't be an unconscious memory, only a conscious memory. This is important session, do not miss it. All of these two days will be based on this exercise.
Ok, you can relax. Now you have the specimen of your mind, not exactly your mind, but the specimen of the mind. You might have written for half an hour, but you have only a 5 minute specimen; because to settle down takes 20 minutes for you. By suppressing you play a big game and make the suppression seem logical. Whenever a thought comes you don't allow it to flow freely. You suppress and try to create a logical statement. You do not let things flow as it they are. To relax from that effort or constant stress that you are going through will take 20 minutes.
Anyhow now at least you have 5 or ten minutes of specimen of your mind. How it is or what it is does not matter. Let you be very clear, whether it is your fear or your greed or guilt what ever you think as your mind, whatever you think as your problem is nothing but connected thoughts. Your mind is completely unconnected, disorganized and independent thoughts.
It is a bunch of thoughts. Try to pick up whatever thoughts you want and create a chain or create a shaft. It's like a huge heap of flowers out there. Some 5000 flowers are there, you just pick up 10 flowers that are unconnected and separate to make a garland.
The way you connect some flowers into a garland, you also connect some thoughts and create a shaft about yourself. If you create the thought about yourself that you are a saint, you then hold on to that saint image of yourself. If you create a thought about yourself that you are a sinner then you hold on to that shaft. You create some shaft about yourself based on your thoughts; some idea connecting these thoughts.
If you create a shaft that your life is pain, you try to break it. If you create a shaft that something is joyful then you try to elongate that shaft. Whether your effort is to elongate or you're trying to break, both are going to be failures because the very shaft doesn't exist.
Please understand this one important thing. Only when you understand how your mind works only then we will be able to go into the meditation. For example, the pain that happened to you 10 years ago, the pain which happened 9 years ago, the pain which happened yesterday, they are complete independent incidents. They are not linked but mentally you link all those pains and you start thinking that you have the same pain, including your physical pains.
Understand one thing, when I say including your physical pains, I refer not only to your mental pains but your physical pains also. The pain that you experienced one month ago, the pain that you experienced one week ago and the pain that you experienced yesterday, are not mere thoughts but re-experienced physically as well. All three are different, independent thoughts or independent experiences.
When you start connecting them mentally you create an idea that you have continuous back pain. Or that you have continuous head ache and that you have this suffering continuously. You conclude that yes, I have this suffering, I have this problem. Now I have to solve it. You try to solve it, you can never solve because the very shaft doesn't exist. The very idea you have this problem is a lie. They are independent separate happenings.
You are trying to connect same way the sweet that you enjoyed 10 years ago, the sweet you enjoyed and the joy that you felt 9 years ago and the sweet that you enjoyed and the joy that you felt a year ago. They are independent happenings. If you try to create a shaft that the sweet gives you joy, you will start creating hell for yourself.
Because the moment you create the shaft two things happen: one, you will try to create joy every time with the sweet. You will not have joy every time, so naturally you will have frustration. Naturally you will have frustration. First thing: you will try to elongate that joy shaft and it will be a failure. Next thing, you will try to have the same product for that joy. Again you will fail.
Both ways you will be a big failure since you cannot elongate that shaft. Same way you cannot try to break the shaft of pain. Whether it is pain or joy you cannot do anything about it. Sometime suddenly you will feel joyful, excited and alive for no reason. Sometime suddenly you will feel low, dull depressed for no reason. It is completely independent, it is completely illogical and it is completely unclutched.
What is happening in your mind is neither related to the personality or the identity that you are showing to the outer world nor the identity that you are showing to yourself. Both are completely unclutched. You are neither connected with this nor connected with that. The moment you start hearing this truth tremendous fear rises in you. Then what am I? What is going on in me? For what was I running all these years? The big fear you see is that your whole life is invested in this imagination and what do I do now?
Your whole life is invested on this idea that you are a connected continuous being. When I shake that very root all sorts of fears arise in you. It is difficult to believe; it is difficult to understand. You start going crazy. Actually, if you don't go crazy then you are doing something seriously wrong. If you don't go crazy after listening to this truth, be very clear you have not understood.
If you really understand the truth, when you start digesting it, when you start working with the truth, something will start happening in you. You cannot imagine what is going on. You will be completely shaken, let you be very clear.
Vivekananda says beautifully, 'Whatever can be washed away, let it be washed away from your being. The earlier they are washed away, better for you. Whatever can die let it die. Whatever cannot die, it will not die. Whatever can die in you, let it die'.
Now there are so many things. Whether the shaft of pain or whether the shaft of joy, all these shafts you are creating constantly by your imagination. You are constantly creating these shafts because you have a vested interest in that creation. See, mind means nothing but generalizing. Mind wants to keep all your experiences in your memory.
So, all the joyful memories you put in one file and keep it on one side. All your painful experiences you put on another file and keep it on another side. For filing it is ok, but not for reality. For filing purpose you can file. This week means joy, put it in that file. But by and by you start believing it as an existential truth. Initially you started filing just for the sake of remembering; just for the sake of easy handling.
After some time you really start believing that sweet is related to the joy or that act is directly related to that pain or this act is directly connected to that joy. When you start connecting that way, be very clear, you create hell for your self. Then naturally you are behind that act again and again. The act neither gives you fulfillment nor does it give you satisfaction.
Even if it doesn't give you real satisfaction because of your belief it seems to give you satisfaction. So you try to run behind it. Sometimes, even after running that sweet is not giving you any joy anymore. Yet you don't want to give it up because these few things that you have belief in are what you imagine to be the juice of your life. It seems that only those few things are the basis for your life. If they are also not there, what for will you run?
Why should you get up from the bed, what for are you alive? You start questioning the basic existence. Let you be very clear, questioning the basic existence is right. That is the right thing and that is better then running behind something that has no solid base.
Once you decide this is joy, once you start believing this, you start creating a shaft that this is joy. After that even if it doesn't give you joy, just because you decided, you don't want to give it up; you don't want to drop it. You don't have that much of courage or honesty to review your decisions.
To be born as a new person and to take a spiritual re-birth the first thing that you need is the capacity to doubt. Be very clear, constantly you are taught to believe what you are told. Be very clear, now it is time to doubt all your decisions. Whatever you decided, whether about your joy, about your pain, about your life or about your death, start to doubt.
Actually, if you understand this one truth, death becomes a non issue. Because you are in fact dying every moment; every thought is unclutched; it dies and another one is born; where is then the question of death?
When every thought is unclutched your fear doesn't have any place in your inner space. All your fear is nothing but one more shaft. When something happened you responded to that incident in that moment with a particular kind of emotion. You are now afraid that the same kind of incident will result in that identical emotion. But what happened at that time and now what is happening now are both independent incidents. They are two separate things. When you start connecting them with your imagination you start creating more and more trouble for you.
Let you be very clear. Believing that you have a solid mind is the greatest myth. Mind is a myth. Whatever you think is you, is a pure myth. The identity that you are carrying is a pure myth. Because it gives you paycheck, because it gives you social comfort, and because it gives you an idea about yourself, you do not want to let go. Even now you are afraid of opening yourself to whatever I'm saying. Your mind says, yes, yes, what ever he says is right, can't be lies, but for practical purpose let me not bother about all these things now.
You just want to keep all these things away, because you know that it will shake your very foundation of existence. It will shake all your actions, the way you think and they way you function. You are afraid that your whole being will be shaken if you allow this truth inside your inner space.
How can I be an unclutched being? Then what am I? You have built your identity around this. You spend your whole life to build that identity that you are showing to others and the identity that you are carrying within yourself. You have spent so much of energy to build these. You have spent so much of energy to build these two identities. Now I am saying, suddenly someone is coming from Bangalore and saying that these identities don't exist.
It is as if I am taking away your whole life, I am taking away something which you've built spending your whole life. Be very clear, I'm not taking away anything from you because what ever you think you have built and that you have is a pure myth. It's just a pure myth. You are carrying a belief in you that is not even giving you peace and joy. If it gives you peace and joy I have nothing against it, carry on with it. Be happy be blissful, no problem. But it's not giving you that. It is not giving you peace or bliss.
Let you be very clear, I tell you from my experience, I have never seen a person who feels complete with the identity that he is projecting to the outer world or with the identity that he is projecting towards himself. With the outer world, no question, even Bill Gates won't feel satisfied. Even he feels threatened by competitors. Same way with the identity you are showing towards yourself. Even great saints don't feel that they are complete.
Let you be very clear, I have met so many saints are so called saints and they don't feel they are complete. You can't feel you are complete because even if you try to be pure, try to be perfect, try all the practices that you can do, not just for 25 years, even for 50 years, again you will have the same mind. It is simply because the mind which you are trying to chisel doesn't exist. If it exists then you can chisel and make it as you want it to be and keep as you want it to be. That base itself doesn't exist, that shaft itself doesn't exist. Then what will you do?
You cannot do anything about it. You can't develop your mind. Training your mind is simply impossible because your mind doesn't exist. You don't have a continuous shaft. If you have a continuous shaft, then either you can elongate it or break it, or do what ever you want; but there is no continuous shaft. You are just made to believe you have a continuous shaft. You have an identity that you are showing to the outer world and another identity that you are carrying towards yourself.
These two are the greatest thieves who steal your whole life. These are your superior ego that you are showing to the outer world and the inferior ego that you are constantly fighting within yourself. These two don't exist simply because every moment your thoughts are independent. You can read that notebook that you wrote on and understand. They are no way logically connected to each other. Try to read and you will understand. Suddenly you will have the thought, let me go to Bharat and then you think, oh no, let me go and see that movie. Third thought, no let me go and attend this meditation camp properly; maybe he is saying something worth while. Next thought is, ah, he has no work, he is coming here and sitting and talking, who knows what truth is and what is not. Then the fourth thought is no way related to this, suddenly you will think, why not go to universal studio and see a movie. Nothing will be connected.
Suddenly you will think, no no no, I could have gone to my job today, at least I would have earned a little money, what am I doing sitting here? Next thought, what is the next person writing, he is smiling; what is going on?
Simply so many things are happening, just like those bubbles, like the water bubbles in the fish tank, just like that things are happening. You are afraid to see the whole spectrum. You are afraid to see the whole magnitude of what is happening in you. Just because of that fear you pick up only few things. You connect, create a garland and you keep a small space or a limited thing and start associating yourself with that. Just by knowing the small shaft you think, oh I know everything now.
Let you be very clear, you can't take specimen thoughts out of your mind because there is no generalization possible based on them. If generalization is possible you can take a specimen, you can take a specimen of good thoughts or a specimen of bad thoughts. No generalization is possible since what you have are just loose flowers. Be very clear, you are completely loose flowers, but when you don't understand that, you try to develop the idea that you are a garland. You try to add some colored flowers that you like or you try to remove some colored flowers that you don't like.
Let you be very clear; you are sitting and playing with it and you can never change your mind however much you play with the mind. You can transform your mind, changing is not possible. When I say transforming is possible, I mean that you can just be completely out of it. When you understand that you are completely unclutched, all the impact created on your inner space on your thoughts such as guilt, fear, desire, greed and whatever impact is created on you by your thoughts will disappear. Suddenly you will feel that you are out of all these things.
Your desire has no base because your idea about joy is just a shaft that you created. Your fear has no base because the idea of fear of which you created, the shaft that you created by connecting has no base either. Your guilt has no base, your morality has no base and your immorality has no base. Nothing has any base.
Let you be very clear because again and again you are creating a shaft. People who created this idea of perfection are all pure hypocrites. Let me be very clear, you are hanging on to these hypocritical ideals and torturing yourself. Those guys who have given you the perfect ideal are nicely enjoying their lives. That is the truth.
I know the truth. See, I have seen the insider's view, which is why I am telling you. I am an insider myself so I can give you the truth as it is. People who want to exploit you constantly impose on you the ideal of perfection and drive you crazy. You think you are not sufficient and you think you are not enough unto yourself. You torture yourself with the image that you are carrying about yourself.
You have an idea about yourself and you have the perfect ideal about how you should be. You try to meet these two ends and you torture yourself. Your effort to earn more money is to improve the personality that you wish to show the outer world. Your effort to do meditation is to improve the personality that you wish to show yourself. Both are pure lies.
Let me be very clear, both are pure lies. The real meditation can happen to you only when you understand you cannot do anything. Only then the real non-doing will happen. I'm giving you the basic tool to experience the real advaita. Only then the real non-doing will start flowering in you. When I say the word meditation, I mean the ultimate non-doing. The ultimate non-doing in you will only happen when you realize nothing can be done. When you understand the futility of doing, you will stop doing.
I have seen people chanting, Rama Krishna, Rama Krishna for 25 years. You may think, no no, it may be like this in the initial level only but later on it will be alright. Let me be very clear, it is not at the initial level alone. I have seen people who practice for 50 years and they are also in the same boat. They are also in the same boat, nothing can be done; you are helpless.
Let you be very clear, as long as you have hopes you will be running behind something and ending in the hopeless space.
You can neither develop the personality that you show to the outer world nor can you develop the personality that you are showing to yourself. In both cases your identity can not be developed. Nothing can be done about your identity. If you want you can struggle, I have no problem. There are so many programs going on, self development programs going on; you can go around and practice.
Let me tell you one important secret, wherever you go all these self development people come here only, they all come to us. I know there are so many people who conduct self development programs and they all come and attend my programs; they all come to me.
Now I have one more example on how to understand the mind. Be very clear, whatever way you try to improve, you can't do anything, because by your very nature you are completely unconnected thoughts. By your very nature, you are not connected. See, if you are connected then you can develop. Then you can create the chain properly. But by your very nature the chain is made of independent links. There is no link creating the chain by connecting its separate links. You can't call that anymore as a chain. There is in fact no chain.
If the rings are connected to each other then you can call it a chain. Now here only you have separate individual rings. How can you call that a chain? Every thought is full or is overflowing by itself. One thought doesn't need another thought to fill the first thought. This thought is not necessary to fulfill the earlier thought. Every individual thought is complete unto itself, unconnected, independent and unclutched.
When you try to create the connection, when you start believing there is a connection you create a chain. Either you will start developing it or you want to manipulate it. If it is pain, if you think the chain is pain, let me develop it. If you think it is a pain, you think, how do I avoid pain? You will try to develop the chain.
If you think it is a joyful feeling that you are already perfect, then you try to elongate in the same tone. Again you may have the fear, oh it may go away, it may go away and you will try to break, in the same tune. In both cases you will fail; utterly fail.
Let me give you the basic business secret; all meditation techniques are related to just these 5 levels. First related to physical work like yoga, yoga asana or if LBP you will see many techniques like Dukkha Harana and all these things. Second level is related to prana, breath work, inhaling and exhaling. Third level is mind related; related to mantra, words; Rama Krishna or anything else; repeating coca cola is one and the same.
You may feel shocked, you may feel what is this Swami is talking, what is going on here? You see, I am very honest. If I have a business of Rama Krishna, I won't tell this truth, now I don't do that business so I am telling you the truth openly. I am straight. I have no vested interest; that is why I am telling you the truth openly. I have seen people who are repeating this name for 50 years. Why talk about somebody else? I have done that. I used to repeat a mantra. I used to have 2 japa mala each with 108 rudraksha seeds; one in this hand and one in that hand. I'll complete 108 in one mala and move one bead in the other. So by the time I have finished 108 times in the second mala, I would have finished chanting more than 10000 times. People continue, continue and continue like this for 40 or 50 years. Can you think that you can continue like this at the initial level?
See, I am not against repeating mantra, it is ok, but don't think it is going to help you. I just advise it's not going to help you. By your very nature, you can't connect two links. Try your best to connect two links, you can't, you won't be able to. Through mantra what are you trying to do, you are trying to create the same link, same chain or a same shaft. You won't be able to. The more pressure you exert the more stress you will create. The more you try to do the japa, the more you will have constant irritation.
Try to talk to the people who continuously chant some mantra, your mother in law, somebody who is constantly doing some mantra, try to talk to them. They will carry a constant irritation. Constantly they will be irritated. They will be constantly disturbed. They have to be disturbed because they are trying not to be disturbed. When you try your best not to get disturbed, you are bound to get disturbed.
I am opening all the basic secrets of spirituality because I have no business interest. So, I have decided this time, not only I am not going to do business, I will destroy all these businesses. I'll demolish all the businesses that are going on around in the guise of spirituality.
The fourth layer is Vijnanamaya kosha: the first is the physical layer, the tensing and the relaxing and all this stuff that I also do in the first level courses. Otherwise people don't believe I am a spiritual master, that's the problem. No really, I am forced to do a little bit of puja and japa in our ashram otherwise people won't believe I am a spiritual master. Really. So I have to do something that they understand. So that is the truth. I am telling you openly the truth, it is up to you; how much you can digest, you can digest. And if you can't digest it is up to you. But it is up to you. I always tell people if I am hurting your sentiments, please forgive me, but I'm telling you the truth, because I know, I'm an insider. I'm not talking about outside. I have done everything, I know.
See this is the truth, when I was in my monastic wandering , I used to wear long matted locks; if you don't apply oil to long hair, your hair will also be matted, no big thing. You need to be a little dirty, nothing else. People think that having jata, long matted hair, is a big thing. It's a simple thing. You need to be a little dirty that's all; nothing much to talk about. I used to have that jata and I used to tie a rope to a big stone with that jata so that I will not fall asleep while doing mantra.
Believe me mantra is a big tranquilizer. Let me tell you, if you are suffering from insomnia all you need is one japa mala or a big spiritual book. Take out the spiritual book and start reading 4 or 5 pages, maximum 5 pages is enough, or just a japa mala. One round is enough, you will be asleep.
One more thing, let me be very clear, you can only understand me if you have suffered in this way. If you have not suffered, better go elsewhere; there are so many people to give initiation. Have initiation from them. If you are not feeling the truth of what I am saying, you can do one thing. You can have the mantra from so many people who sell and try to practice; I have no problem. Whether annamaya, pranayama, or manonmaya; manonmaya means inner chattering. Pranamaya is all the work related to breath; such as pranayama, some kriya, that kriya, all these activities related to breathing and yoga asana. All kriya are related to pranamaya kosha, they just give you the feel-good feeling.
Let you be very clear, feel-good feeling is no way related to spiritual enlightenment. Feel-good feeling can be gained by any number of small things Activities that give you feel-good feeling and drugs are both one and the same. That is why I tell you, whether it is some kriya that gives you a feel-good feeling or the drugs; both are one and the same. Maybe one thing, drugs are not accepted socially and these are accepted socially, otherwise there is no other difference. All kriya are only that much.
The next layer, manonmaya is about repeating some word , any word; Rama, Krishna, Shiva, what ever word, let me be very clear, repeating any word, you will try to create only more and more stress in you. That is why these so called saints will be constantly in an irritable frame of mind. They will have so much of arrogance and ego inside. They can't be simple because they are constantly doing some effort. Effort means ego. Effort means ego. Only effortless beings can be humble, simple and relaxed. Effort means what? Ego. You can see these so called saints, these people who are constantly repeating mantras. In their eyes you can see that stress, that tension. It will be just oscillating continuously, because constantly they are trying to suppress. They are trying to sit on something. You can't sit on anything.
Let you be very clear, you can't sit on anything. You are constantly trying to suppress something.
Vijnanamaya kosha is about visualization. Again no visualization is possible. Try to visualize some Devi, Shiva, any deity, anything; try your best and sit with closed eyes. What comes inside mind, you know? What comes, you know. What is going on then? Nothing will be happening.
The other day I was telling this story. One young disciple, a newly initiated guy goes to an old monk and asks, 'Sir, please help me. How long does it take to control the mind and get rid of bad thoughts? How long will it take?'
The monk says, 'I don't know how long but the one thing for sure, until 90 it doesn't happen'.
Be very clear, you'll be only working, working and working. You will never be able to develop. That is why Buddha says beautifully that you can not develop your mind. According to me, Buddha and Shiva, these two are the ultimate expressions. They are pure expressions, not at all affected by social conditionings or social system or the political conditioning. They are pure spiritual essence.
Your mind is like a dust bin. Either you have it and suffer or throw it and relax. You can't keep, say, 'Oh, it is good garbage. Let me keep it. I'll put a little perfume. I'll wash it a little bit. I can arrange all these things properly. I shall keep it next to my bed'.
Nothing can be done with all your techniques. Let you be very clear, whatever method you are trying, without this knowledge that you are unclutched, you will be trying to just color that garbage, scent it, and keep it next to your bed. It will still smell horrible. No, it is not going to help. It is not going to work.
Vijnanamaya kosha is the visualization layer. The next layer Anandamaya kosha is ideas about spirituality. Listening to the thoughts that I am Brahman, I am this, I am that and trying to constantly visualize that you are that.
One person came to me, this really happened, one year ago, his name is Ramananda and he came to me and he said that he is not a swami but a seeker. He was a professional seeker. Professional seeker means seeking for the last 35 years. No many people come to me and say this. This guy came to me and straight away he started telling me I came here to bless you.
I said, 'Oh God, for blessing I should have come to you, not you coming to me!' He said, 'No that is all right. I am seeing Rama everywhere. I have darshan from him everywhere and I have come here to bless your work'.
I could see in his eyes completely glazed and he's in an illusion. See person with the real vision or spirituality will be so ordinary you will be able to relate with him so beautifully he will not show anything mysterious. He will not show anything mystical around him. He will be very ordinary. When you go near him you will feel that mystery by yourself. He will not verbalize anything.
But this guy goes on telling me, 'I am seeing Rama everywhere'. I asked him, 'How long did it take you to practice this meditation?'
He said, 'Oh for the last ten years I practiced this. Now I am able to see Rama everywhere.'
I told him, 'Why don't you stop meditating just for two days.'
He said, 'No, no, why should I stop meditating. It's a daily practice, I have to meditate'.
I told him, 'You say that you are able to see Rama everywhere now. Then why should you again meditate? Why don't you stop meditation? Only if you stop meditating, only then if you are able to see Rama then it is an experience. Till then it is not an experience, it is just your visualization.'
He said, 'What you say logically is right. Yes, I should check to find out if it is a real experience or not'. That person who was constantly visualizing, after two days he comes back and he tells me, 'What have you done to me? Now I am not seeing Rama anymore, I am seeing things as they are. What is happening to me?'
I told him, 'Do you understand now that it was an imaginary shaft that you were creating. Now relax.'
Having some idea in your mind constantly, trying to brood over that idea, is related to anandamaya kosha. First anything related to physical is annamaya kosha. Anything related to breathing is pranamaya kosha. Anything related to words, repeating, is manonmaya kosha. Anything related to visualization is Vijnanamaya kosha. Anything related to repeating an idea or remembering an idea is anandamaya kosha.
All these are layers, folders in which you are encased. All these 5 will create only bondage for you. With all these 5 you are trying to create a chain, a shaft which is no way going to help you. Creating shaft is no way going to help you whether it is related to pain or joy. Both ways it is not going to help you.
Somebody goes to Ramana Maharishi for help. Bhagavan says try to do some japa. This guy goes and comes back after 2 years, no, I am not able to do japa, I am not able to repeat any mantra. Then Bhagavan says yes, you have received the result of japa, now you start dhyana, some meditation. He comes back and after 2 years and says, I'm not able to meditate. Then Bhagavan says, yes, now you have received the result of meditation. Please work on the anandamaya kosha, go into Self enquiry.
Ramana's disciple was not able to understand. He asked, how are you saying this? How do you say that I've achieved the result of japa or meditation? I say I'm not able to practice and you say I've achieved the result. Ramana Maharishi says, understanding you are not able to practice is the result. The techniques are given to you just to make you realize that you can't practice.
Maharishi says: They are given so that you will come to the clear understanding that you cannot do them or come to the relaxation of non doing.
Non doing is the ultimate advaita.
Just to give you the complete surrender, just so that you come to the understanding of the ultimate advaita, these techniques are given to you. Unless you suffer you won't understand. I've always seen people, I advise many people, don't get married. But unless they get married, they don't understand the truth. Unless they have the beating personally they don't understand what to do. Same way unless you try you struggle. Unless you come to that corner, unless you are cornered, you don't understand that you cant' develop yourself.
All the idea of developing yourself is a pure myth. One more thing, please be very clear, the truth which I'm speaking is not for all. It is not for the common man, even before starting the Tantra, Shiva says let this be shared only with the people who are completely in tune with you. And there is one more saying: if you share this truth with the people who are not qualified your head will burst. You will be in trouble, that's what it means. Actually that is truth.
If the person who listens to this truth is not qualified he will think that I am preaching atheism. Please be very clear, I am not preaching atheism. I am not saying anything against God. I am trying to make you God. I am trying to give you the experience of God. I am not saying anything against God.
Those of you who don't have the understanding, if you are a mere spectator here just sitting and validating my statements be very clear, this is not for you, This is why I don't let any one inside unless they have done LBP 1, the first level meditation program. That's the reason I keep that as a prerequisite. All of you be very clear you have the danger of misunderstanding. You have the danger. If you don't understand at least do not go out and tell what I spoke. Because you will tell whatever you want and then you will say THE SUPREME PONTIFF OF HINDUISM BHAGAWAN SRI NITHYANANDA PARAMASHIVAM taught you all these things.
You have the danger of misunderstanding. If you have already done a little bit of some meditation practice, something at least, you will understand the truth behind my words. Unless you have gone through the practice you will not be able to understand what I am saying. I am here to talk to people who are really fed up with the words, with the whole spiritual business, with the holy business.
If you are really fed up of all that business, then I am here to help you straight away go into the experience. One more thing, I am not interested in that business and I know the whole business. I am not interested in giving you some mantra or some visualization or this and that kriya or technique to make you keep on doing the same thing. I have seen that people when they start meditating, they start with such an amount of enthusiasm and excitement, they tell me, 'Swamiji, I'll start doing all 7 meditations every day'.
After two months I'll ask them, how are you meditating? Oh, I have to start Swamiji, they will tell me.
Be very clear, I am stating one more ultimate truth. It may be shocking but no intelligent man can practice any technique for more than 21 days. It's the ultimate truth. Anybody who has tried can challenge me, I am open, and I am ready. You cannot. If you try to do, it will be a mere ritual.
I have seen people who have done this Nithya Puja. The moment they finish the puja they will run out of the bedroom, that puja room. They will never enter into the room again. Entering into that room is like punishment for them. They will be just waiting for the time when it will be over. They will be just hurrying. There may be a few people here saying no, no, Swamiji, I don't do like that. I do very properly. No, no,no, what you are saying is not true in all cases.
I am sorry if I hurt you but what I am saying is truth. I know because I have done this. I have done personally. If you want to see the atheists, go and see the priests. They are the best atheists. They cannot have faith in God. Let me be very clear, they can't have faith in God because they are continuously touching the idol and they know it is a stone. You are seeing from a distance. You can project and see. They are touching every day. They cannot have faith.
Let you be very clear, they cannot have faith. I am opening all the business secrets; that is the problem. But I have to be open. Unless I open all these things, you will not go deep into the meditation experience. See, what is to teach meditation, it is just 10 minutes job for me; but to teach what is not meditation is two days job. I have to clear everything.
Unless I clear everything, you will not go deep into the truth. Be very clear that only one thing can be done. You can realize that you are unclutched and go into the experience of Brahman, Atman, self, nirvana or the ultimate. That's the only thing possible. Anything else you try can give you the feel good feeling for two days and you will feel really great.
Or you can console yourself thinking that you are doing something sacred. You may feel that what I am saying is completely shaking all your faith and belief. But to tell you honestly, unless the lies are taken away from you I cannot give you the truth.
I don't even have to give the truth, I just have to take the lies away; the truth is already shining. You are shining with the truth, you are just radiating with the truth. You don't need to gain the truth from me. You are radiating the truth already. The moment you understand you are unclutched, independent and unconnected thoughts, the impact of thoughts on your inner space will disappear. You will not be carried away just by a simple desire. You will not be carried away by a simple death fear. Actually it is nothing more than a mere thought.
Let you understand one more thing. The moment the thought of standing up comes in you the thought to sit down has disappeared, am I right? Unless one thought moves away, the second thought cannot come. The moment you have the thought to stand up, the thought to sit down has disappeared. The moment the thought comes to walk, the thought that comes to sit here has disappeared. Every thought is replaced by the next thought. You cannot have two thoughts at a time. You can only have one thought at a time. This means that every thought is replaced by the next thought.
By your very nature you are renouncing. By your very nature you are renouncing; you don't need to learn renunciation. The moment you decide to stand up and go out you decided to renounce the thought of sitting and listening. Every moment you are renouncing, you don't have to think you have to renounce something. You don't have to bother about renouncing the whole world, renouncing this renouncing that. There is no need. Every moment you are renouncing. Every moment your inner space is getting cleared.
But you are not ready to believe that, you think, no, no, no, I have this strong desire in me, how will I renounce. The moment you have that thought, you have already renounced. Constantly your inner space is being purified, replaced and getting rejuvenated. When you start believing you have a shaft, then you start bridging again and again the thoughts you may get. You bridge your independent thoughts and create a shaft, you create suffering for you. Renunciation is happening in you constantly.
The moment you decide to drink water, the moment you get the thought to drink water, you renounce lust. You always think, oh sex is such a big problem for me, I have so many lusty thoughts in me, and how will I purify myself? The moment you think that you'll have a cup of tea, you renounce sex. The thought of sex is no longer present. That is why you have the thought of having a cup of tea.
The moment you decide to go and drink a cup of water you renounce the thought of having a cup of tea. Constantly the thoughts are getting renounced by themselves. The only issue is that when you create a belief you are connected you have this problem of linked suffering; that problem, your belief that you have some problem is your only problem.
A man goes to J. Krishnamurti, and he asks him how to get rid of this sex desire, how to get rid of this problem. Krishnamurti is a very practical person, great master, very practical person, he says, how much of time you spend for eating every day in your life?
Let me think, the man says, everyday may be maximum one hour, around one hour.
How much time are you spending for your sex?
Maybe 15-20 minutes.
Krishnamurti asks: You spend three to four times more time on food than on sex but food is not affecting your inner space so much. Why then is sex is affecting you so much?
The thought of food is not affecting your inner space so much; but the thought of sex is affecting you so much, why? You start believing it is something serious, you start believing, just by your belief that it is something serious, you start making it serious. You create more and more trouble out of it. You create all kinds of perversion, all kinds of suppression, all kind of problems related to it.
Let you understand, every moment you are renouncing. Every moment thoughts are disappearing in you. The moment you have the thought to have a cup of tea, your death fear has disappeared. If you have the death fear this moment, how can you have the thought of having a cup of tea?
Any simple thought completely replaces whatever you are having in your mind.
Every moment thoughts are coming and going. In this big flow, you pick a few thoughts and you say this is a big problem for me. You pick up all those desires. You see all the thoughts that happen in you related to fear and you pick up all of them. For the last ten years you pick up all these things and make a big shaft and say this is the problem for me. This is the biggest problem for me.
The moment you start believing this is the biggest problem for you, you will start fighting with that shaft. The more you fight with that shaft, the more you will be giving life to it. Every moment, constantly, it is getting replaced. You are stopping the natural rejuvenation process by creating a shaft and believing you have some problem in your inner space.
Every moment your inner space is purified by the new thoughts. You just let it happen by itself it will clean itself. There is no need for you to clean your mind. All you need to do is just get out. Just get out of the system. Be very clear, the whole system is not running because of you; but it runs in spite of you.
If you are really serious about transformation this is the one and only way. If you just want to play the game, go on with what you are doing now.
Yesterday someone actually came and told me I am half a century ahead of you, 50 years older than me. That's ok, nothing wrong. Being half a century ahead of me, his seeking is half a century ahead of you. Right, but what have you got? What have you achieved? If you are a professional seeker, if you just want to do window shopping, ok then. You just saw the flyers somewhere and thought, oh who is this swami, let me go and see what he says. If you have come to check out, then ok, you don't need any meditation or anything or any of these great teachings; you can just sit and listen.
If you are really sincere, serious about the spiritual business, the business of transformation, if you are really serious then this is the only way. Let you understand, now we will work step by step to take this understanding into your deeper layer and show you exactly how what I am saying is the truth; how this is the truth in your inner space.
Now that I have presented this truth in front of you, we will work on every step, the level of guilt, the level of fear, the level of desire and we will just see how there are thousands of thoughts. You create and pick up some thoughts; you connect them with each other and feed your desire. Then you run behind that shaft and make your life hell. You think that it will give you joy and it finally gives you only pain. Even then you are not ready to give up your belief and you believe again and again.
You are afraid to give up. If you give up then you have nothing else to do. The fear of not doing anything else or fear of being alone drives you crazy. This is how you create the shaft step by step by step; this is how you create your hell. The moment you understand how you create your hell, naturally you will stop creating it; you will realize that's enough.
You don't need to start creating your heaven; because heaven already exists in you. All you need to do is stop creating hell for yourself and for others. You not only create hell for you but you create for others also, because you feel lonely in your hell. You call your neighbors and you say, please come, come, why don't you share a little bit, why don't you share with me? Let's share our space. You are not feeling comfortable when you are alone.
That is why I say, all your relationships is nothing more than creating intimate enemies. You create more and more intimate enemies.
Let me be very clear, by your very nature you are unclutched, unconnected, illogical, independent and completely unclutched thoughts. We will take this truth layer by layer. If you experience this moment, if you understand this moment, nothing else is necessary, actually that is enough. If you understand this moment or if you are feeling this moment, nothing more to do, then this is done. That is enough, nothing more is necessary.
But sometime we have to light up every corner. There are so many corners, you need to throw light into every corner so that your being can be completely enlightened. First, a few things need to be understood in the physical level, annamaya kosha. First understand the very simple and basic truth about the growth or rejuvenation of the body, its self healing process and creating shafts.
Every moment, constantly, your thoughts are creating your body. That's the first thing. Next thing your body is guided by your beliefs and emotions. First thing your body is created by your mind and thoughts. Next thing, the body is guided by your emotions and beliefs that you are carrying. There is a good book by Bruce Lipton called Biology of Belief. Based on intense research he says that your body is not guided by cells and DNA as we are all made to believe in biology. Your body is not guided by cells and you are not just a bio-mechanism.
Lipton says you are guided by your beliefs and your emotions. He goes further and explains this research. Anyhow, 5000 years ago, Patanjali very clearly says that you create your body just by your desires; you can also destroy it or do whatever you want. Now understand this with the truth of being unclutched.
If you understand that your body is being created every moment by your thoughts and by your emotions, why are we then continuously carrying diseases? Why are we again and again bringing our diseases back? Even according to traditional biology, you create your body and you rejuvenate your body continuously. Your liver is replaced once in 6 months, your complete intestine is replaced once in 21 days. Constantly you are replacing yourself. You are rejuvenating yourself.
Then why are you bringing, why are you holding on to our diseases? Because of your old mental set up you believe in something. When you create an idea an identity, when you start believing in that identity that you are creating about yourself, the continuity of that identity creates the same kind of body.
So the problem that is in your identity happens in your body as well. If you don't drop that identity the body also continuously suffers. Even the new body that you create will have same old problem. You will constantly create the new body with diseases.
If you can understand and relax with this truth that you are unclutched, you will rejuvenate your body and you will create a new body.
That's why Shiva says, be born anew. By understanding this truth will be born anew. Whether you have pain or any suffering, just completely unclutch yourself and see. Do not connect the pain that you experienced 10 days ago, the pain that you experienced 9 days ago and the pain that you experienced yesterday and give them a label.
Just be very clear that something is happening in your body, do not label, do not start believing that you have continuous pain. The moment you start believing you have continuous pain, you have a problem. Even if you get rid of the pain, you will be waiting for that pain. Oh, that pain is gone, but I don't know when it will come back.
Inside your mind, you don't believe that the pain is gone once and for all. You will wait to bring that pain back. You are waiting to get hurt. You are waiting to get the disease. You are quietly patiently meditating for the disease to come inside. That is what you are doing. It's almost like meditating for God, you are meditating for pain. You are meditating for diseases.