WHAT IS SAMADHI

Bhagavan spent a lot of time this afternoon freely conversing with devotees abou
t many matters, and in between teaching them Advaita. Seeing that the conversati
on was going on without end, a new arrival got up and asked,
Bhagavan, when do you go into samadhi?
All the devotees burst into laughter. Bhagavan
also laughed. After a while, he said, Oh, is that your doubt? I will clear it, but
first tell me what exactly is the meaning of samadhi? Where should
we go? To a hill or to a cave? Or to the sky? What should samadhi be like? Tell
me, asked Bhagavan.
Poor man, he could not say anything and sat down quietly. After a while, he said
, Unless the movement of the indriyas and limbs stops, there cannot be samadhi, the
y say.

When do you go into that samadhi?

I see, that is what you want to know. You think,
s this? This Swami is always speaking. What Jnani is he?
That is your idea? It is n
ot samadhi unless one sits cross-legged in padmasana, with folded
hands and stops breathing. There must also be a cave near about. One must go in
and out of it. Then people will say, This is a great Swami . As for me, they begin dou
ting and say, What Swami is this who is always talking to his devotees
and has his daily routine?
What can I do? This happened once or twice even before.
People who had originally seen me at Gurumurtham and then saw me at Skandasramam
, talking to all people and partaking in normal activities, said
to me with great anxiety, Swami, Swami, please give us darshan in your previous sta
te. Their impression was that I was getting spoiled. What can I do? At that time (w
hile in Gurumurtham) I had to live like that. Now I am obliged to
live like this. Things happen the way they have to. But in their view, it is eno
ugh if one does not eat or talk. Then saintliness, swamitvam, comes on automatic
ally. That is the delusion people have,
said Bhagavan.
This morning, a European who was sitting in front of Bhagavan said through an in
terpreter:
It is stated in the Mandukyopanishad that, unless samadhi, i.e., the 8th and last s
tage of yoga, is also experienced, there can be no liberation (moksha) however m
uch meditation (dhyana) or austerities (tapas) are performed. Is that so?
Bhagavan: Rightly understood, they are the same. It makes no difference whether you
call it meditation or austerities or absorption, or anything else. That which i
s steady, continuous like the flow of oil, is austerity, meditation
and absorption. To be one s own Self is samadhi.
Questioner: But it is said in the Mandukyopanishad that samadhi must necessarily be
experienced before attaining liberation.
Bhagavan: And who says that it is not so? It is stated not only in the Mandukyopani
shad but in all the ancient books.
But it is true samadhi only if you know your Self. What is the use of sitting st
ill for some time like a lifeless object? Suppose you get a boil on your hand an
d have it operated under chloroform; you don t feel any pain at the time, but does
that mean that you were in samadhi? It is the same with this too. One has to kno
w what samadhi is. And how can you know it without knowing your Self? If the Sel
f is known, samadhi will be known automatically.
Meanwhile, a Tamil devotee opened the Tiruvachakam and began singing the Songs on P
ursuit . Towards the end comes the passage, Oh, Ishwara,
*
You are trying to flee,
*
Ishwara signifies the personal God.

but I am holding You fast. So where can You go and how can You escape from me?
Bhag
avan commented with a smile: So it seems that He is trying to flee and they are hol
ding Him fast! Where could
He flee to? Where is He not present? Who is He? All this is nothing but a pagean
t. There is another sequence of ten songs in the same book, one which goes, O my Lo
rd! You have made my mind Your abode. You have given Yourself upto me
and in return have taken me into You. Lord, which of us is the cleverer? If You
have given Yourself up to me, I enjoy endless bliss, but of what use am I to You
, even though You have made of my body Your Temple out of Your boundless
mercy to me? What is it I could do for you in return? I have nothing now that I
could call my own. This means that there is no such thing as I . See the beauty of
re there is no such thing as I , who is the doer and what is it that is done,
whether it be devotion or Self-enquiry or samadhi?
This morning a devotee approached Bhagavan and asked, Swami, it is said that some p
eople remain in thought-free awareness (nirvikalpa samadhi) for quite a long tim
e.

Do they take food and other things during this period? How can that be? asked Bhag
you are asleep, do you ever take food? No. But then, during nirvikalpa samadhi, will
the mind
be there or not?
asked the questioner.
Why should it not be there? That which is there in sleep, is there then also. Just
see. Now, from noon 12 o clock to 2 p.m. we shut the doors of the hall and sleep ins
ide. That is also samadhi. A fine type of samadhi indeed! Who knows
whether the mind is there or not? said Bhagavan.

The devotee asked once again, What about those who are in complete awareness (sahaj
a samadhi)? Bhagavan replied saying, It is just because of such questions that Vasish
a narrated the story of the Sage and
the Hunter to Rama to illustrate the fourth or turiya state.

In a forest, once a great Muni sat in the lotus posture (padmasana) with his eye
s open, but in deep trance. A hunter hit a deer with an arrow, but the deer esca
ped and ran in front of the Muni into the bush nearby and hid itself. The
hunter came in hot pursuit of the deer and not seeing it asked the Muni where it
had gone. I do not know, my friend,
said the Muni. The hunter said, Sir, it ran r
front of you and you had your eyes wide open. How could you have
not seen it?
Finding that he would not leave him in peace unless a proper reply was
given, the Muni said, My dear man, we are submerged in the Self; we are always in
the Fourth State. We do not have the waking or dream or deep
sleep states. Everything is alike to us. These three states are the signs of the
ego and we have no ego. Egoism is itself the mind and it is that which is respo
nsible for all the deeds done in this world. That ego (ahankara) left us long ag
o.
Hence it does not matter whether we keep our eyes closed or open; we are not con
scious of what is happening around us. That being so, how can I tell you about y
our deer? The hunter thought that it was all sheer nonsense and went his
way.

It may well be asked, If there is no I

(aham), how did he speak?
When proper
which occurred as I
before, becomes our own Nature (swarupa) afterwards.
That is called destruction of mind (mano nasa). That thought-free awareness or o
ther signs of awareness are cases of merging (laya) and not of destruction (nasa
). So long as there is merging and emerging, it is merely a state of spiritual
practice (sadhana), said Bhagavan.

Taking up the thread of the conversation, another devotee said, Samadhi is said to
be of several kinds such as Savikalpa (absorbed in the thought) and Nirvikalpa (
thought-free). Can you tell us about them? Thereupon, Bhagavan
explained thus:
Yes. Sankara described the six kinds of Samadhi in his Vivekachudamani and his Drig
drisyaviveka. The six are divided into two main categories namely, Savikalpa and
Nirvikalpa.
The
ain
(1)
ess

former is divided into two, namely Drisyanuviddha

and Sabdanuviddha
and the
subdivided as under:
Antar Drisyanuviddha Savikalpa Samadhi: Meditating upon one s own Self as a witn
of desires and other visible attributes of the mind.

(2) Antar Sabdanuviddha Savikalpa Samadhi: To know that the Self is Asanga (cont
act-free), Swaprakasa (self-luminous), Sat-chit-ananda (existence, consciousness
, bliss) and Advaita (non-dual).
(3) Antar Nirvikalpa Samadhi: With the exalted feeling of the Self gained as a r
esult of enjoying the ecstasy of the above two states and discarding both of the
m and remaining motionless like an unflickering light in a windless place.
(4) Bahya Drisyanuviddha Savikalpa Samadhi: As in the case of the Self that is i
n the heart, to be able to discard with indifference the outer things in the wor
ld which have their names and forms and which are visible, and to meditate on
the underlying Reality.
(5) Bahya Sabdanuviddha Savikalpa Samadhi: To know and be aware at all times tha
t the Thing which manifests itself as Sat-chit-ananda (existence, consciousness
and bliss) is the universal Brahman.
(6) Bahya Nirvikalpa Samadhi: With the experience of the above two, to overcome
all desires and to remain calm and motionless like the waveless ocean.
By constantly practising these six kinds of Samadhi, at all times and without a bre
ak, one can attain a state of thought-free awareness. Unless one attains that st
ate, the ego will not be completely destroyed. Persons whose ego is
destroyed are so detached that even if they appear to see they do not really see
; though they appear to eat they do not really eat; though they appear to hear t
hey do not really hear; and though they appear to sleep they do not really
sleep. Whatever they do is not really doing .

D.:
M.:
D.:
M.:
D.:
M.:
D.:
M.:
D.:
M.:

Why should there be sleep in the world?

Owing to sin only.
Can it be destroyed?
Yes.
It ends only after making itself felt, they say.
Why then devotion to God?
How can sleep be destroyed?
Be not aware of its activities and effects.
How can it be done?
Only by enquiry of the Self.

The ladies later asked several questions relating to their present inability to
realise the already realised, eternal Self. The sign of Realisation would be Bli
ss, which was absent.
Page 170
Maharshi said: There is only one consciousness. But we speak of several kinds of
consciousness, as body-consciousness, Self- consciousness. They are only relati
ve states of the same Absolute consciousness. Without consciousness, time and sp
ace do not exist. They appear in consciousness. It is like a screen on which the
se are cast as pictures and move as in a cinema show. The Absolute consciousness
is our real nature.
D.: From where do these objects arise?
M.: Just from where you rise. Know the subject first and then question about the
object.
D.: It is only one aspect of the question.
M.: The subject comprehends the object also. That one aspect is an all-comprehen
sive aspect. See yourself first and then see the objects. What is not in you can
not appear outside.
D.: I am not satisfied.
M.: Satisfaction can be only when you reach the source. Otherwise restlessness e
xists.
D.: Is the Supreme Being with or without attributes?
M.: Know first if you are with or without attributes.
D.: What is samadhi?
M.: One's own true nature.
D.: Why then is effort necessary to attain it?
M.: Whose is the effort?
D.: Maharshi knows that I am ignorant.
M.: Do you know that you are ignorant? Knowledge of ignorance is no ignorance. A
ll scriptures are only for the purpose of investigating if there are two conscio
usnesses. Everyone's experience proves the existence of only one consciousness.
Can that one divide itself into two? Is any division felt in the Self? Awaking f
rom sleep one finds oneself the same in the wakeful as well as in the sleep stat
es. That is the experience of each one. The difference lies in seeking, in the o
utlook. Because you imagine that you are the seer separate from the experience,
this difference arises. Experience shows that your being is the same all through
.
Page 171
D.: From where did ignorance come?
M.: There is no such thing as ignorance. It never arises. Everyone is Knowledge
itself. Only Knowledge does not shine easily. The dispelling of ignorance is Wis
dom which always exists - e.g., the necklace remaining round the neck though sup
posed to have been lost; or each of the ten fools failing to count himself and c
ounting only the others. To whom is knowledge or ignorance?
D.: Can we not proceed from external to internal?
M.: Is there any difference like that? Do you feel the difference -

external and internal - in your sleep? This difference is only with reference to
the body and arises with body-consciousness (`I- thought'). The so-called wakin
g state is itself an illusion. Turn your vision inward and then the whole world
will be full of Supreme Spirit. The world is said to be illusion. Illusion is re
ally Truth. Even the material sciences trace the origin of the universe to some
one primordial matter - subtle, exceedingly subtle. God is the same both to thos
e who say the world is real and to their opponents. Their outlook is different.
You need not entangle yourself in such disputations. The goal is one and the sam
e for all. Look to it.

There was a reference to reincarnation. Reincarnation of Shanti Devi tallies wit

h the human standards of time. Whereas the latest case reported of a boy of seve
n is different. The boy is seven years now. He recalls his past births. Enquirie
s go to show that the previous body was given up 10 months ago.
The question arises how the matter stood for six years and two months previous t
o the death of the former body. Did the soul occupy two bodies at the same time?
Sri Bhagavan pointed out that the seven years is according to the boy; ten month
s is according to the observer. The difference is due to these two different upa
dhis. The boy's experience extending to seven years has been calculated by the o
bserver to cover only 10 months of his own time.
Sri Bhagavan again referred to Lila's story in Yoga Vasishta.

The U. P. lady arrived with her brother, a woman companion and a burly bodyguard
.
When she came into the hall she saluted Maharshi with great respect and feeling,
and sat down on a wool blanket in front of Sri Bhagavan. Sri Bhagavan was then
reading Trilinga in Telugu on the reincarnation of a boy. The boy is now thirtee
n years old and reading in the Government High School in a village near Lucknow.
When he was three years he used to dig here and there; when asked, he would say
that he was trying to recover something which he had hidden in the earth. When
he was four years old, a marriage function was celebrated in his home. When leav
ing, the guests humorously remarked that they would return for this boy's marria
ge. But he turned round and said: "I am already married. I have two wives." When
asked to point them out, he requested to be taken to a certain village, and the
re he pointed to two women as his wives. It is now learnt that a period of ten m
onths elapsed between the death of their husband and the birth of this boy.
When this was mentioned to the lady, she asked if it was possible to know the af
ter-death state of an individual.
Sri Bhagavan said, "some are born immediately after, others after some lapse of
time, a few are not reborn on this earth but eventually get salvation in some hi
gher region, and a very few get absolved here and now." She: I do not mean that.
Is it possible to know the condition of an individual after his death?
M.: It is possible. But why try to know it? All facts are only as true as the se
eker.
She: The birth of a person, his being and death are real to us.
M.: Because you have wrongly identified your own self with the body , you think
of the other one in terms of the body. Neither you are nor the other is the body
.
She: But from my own level of understanding I consider myself and my son to be r
eal.
M.: The birth of the `I-thought' is one's own birth, its death is the person' s
death. After the `I-thought' has arisen the wrong identity with the body
Page 242
arises. Thinking yourself the body, you give false values to others and identify
them with bodies. Just as your body has been born, grows and will perish, so al
so you think the other was born, grew up and died. Did you think of your son bef
ore his birth? The thought came after his birth and persists even after his deat
h. Inasmuch as you are thinking of him he is your son. Where has he gone? He has
gone to the source from which he sprang. He is one with you. So long as you are
, he is there too. If you cease to identify yourself with the body, but see the
real Self, this confusion will vanish. You are eternal. The others also will sim
ilarly be found to be eternal. Until this truth is realised there will always be
this grief due to false values arising from wrong knowledge and wrong identity.
She: Let me have true knowledge by Sri Bhagavan's Grace.
M.: Get rid of the `I-thought'. So long as `I' is alive, there is grief. When `I
' ceases to exist, there is no grief. Consider the state of sleep!
She: Yes. But when I take to the `I-thought', other thoughts arise and disturb m
e.

M.: See whose thoughts they are. They will vanish. They have their root in the s
ingle `I-thought'. Hold to it and they will disappear. Again the Master pointed
to the story of Punya [?] and Papa in Yoga [?]
Vasishta, V. Ch. 20, where Punya consoles Papa on the death of their parents and
turns him to realising the Self. Further, creation is to be considered in its t
wo aspects, Isvara srishti (God's creation) and jiva srishti (individual's creat
ion). Of these two, the universe is the former, and its relation to the individu
al is the latter. It is the latter which gives rise to pain and pleasure, irresp
ective of the former. A story was mentioned from Panchadasi. There were two youn
g men in a village in South India. They went on a pilgrimage to North India. One
of them died. The survivor, who was earning something, decided to return only a
fter some months. In the meantime he came across a wandering pilgrim whom he ask
ed to convey the information regarding himself and his dead companion to the vil
lage in South India. The wandering pilgrim did so, but by mistake changed the na
mes. The result was that the dead man's parents rejoiced in his safety and the l
iving one's parents were in grief. Thus, you see, pain or pleasure has no refere
nce to facts but
Page 243
to mental conceptions. Jiva Srishti is responsible for it. Kill the jiva [?] and
there is no pain or pleasure but the mental bliss persists forever. Killing the
jiva is to abide in the Self.
She: I hear all this. It is beyond my grasp. I pray Sri Bhagavan to help me to u
nderstand it all. "I had been to a waterfall in Mysore. The cascade was a fascin
ating sight. The waters streamed out in the shapes of fingers trying to grasp th
e rocks but were rushed on by the current to the depths below. I imagined this t
o be the state of the individuals clinging to their present surroundings. But I
cannot help clinging. "I cannot imagine that we are no better than seasonal flow
ers, fruits and leaves on trees. I love flowers but still this idea has no hold
on me." After a few minutes, she pointed out that she had intended to ask Mahars
hi about death and matters relating to it but did not however do it. Yet Maharsh
i was reading the related matter in the newspaper and the same topic came up for
enlightenment. She left after seeing the cow Lakshmi.

Last month, during my sister-in-law s stay here, the proofs of the Telugu version of
the Vichara Mani Mala
(Self-enquiry) were received. In the afternoon Bhagavan correc
ed them and passed them on to me. On reading them, my sister-in-law asked me the
meaning of swapnatyanta nivritti. I tried to explain, but as I was not sure mys

elf, I could not satisfy her

fully. On noticing this, Bhagavan asked, What is the matter? Is there a mistake?
I re
lied, No. She is asking the meaning of swapnatyanta nivritti.
Bhagavan said kindly,
ans absolute, dreamless sleep.

I asked, Would it be true to say that a Jnani has no dreams?

Bhagavan: He has no dream-state. My sister-in-law was still not satisfied, but as peop
e began to talk about other things, we had to leave the matter there. Only at ni
ght she said, In the Vasishtam 1
it is stated that a Realized Soul appears to perform actions, but they do not af
fect him at all. We ought to have asked Bhagavan the real meaning of this.
On going to the Ashram next morning, it so happened that Bhagavan was just then
explaining the very point to Sundaresa Iyer. Eagerly availing herself of the opp
ortunity, my sister-in-law again asked, Bhagavan has stated that
Swapnatyanta nivritti means absolute, dreamless sleep. Does it mean that a Jnani
does not have dreams at all?
1
Yoga Vasishtam is a book on yoga by Vasishta Maharshi.
Bhagavan: It is not only the dream-state, but all three states are unreal to the Jn
ani. The real state of the Jnani is where none of these three states exists.
I asked,

Is not the waking state also equivalent to a dream?

Bhagavan: Yes, whereas a dream lasts for a short time, the waking state lasts longe
r. That is the only difference.
I: Then deep sleep is also a dream?
Bhagavan: No, deep sleep is an actuality. How can it be a dream when there is no me
ntal activity? However, since it is a state of mental vacuity, it is nescience (
avidya) and must therefore be rejected.
I persisted, But is not deep sleep also said to be a dream state?
Bhagavan: Some may have said so for the sake of terminology, but really there is no
thing separate. Short or long duration applies only to the dream and waking stat
es.

Someone may say: we have lived so long and these houses and belongings are so clear
ly evident to us that it surely can tbe all a dream . But we have to remember that even
dreams seem long while they last. It is only when you wake up that
you realize that they only lasted a short time. In the same way, when one attain
s Realization (jnana), this life is seen to be momentary. Dreamless sleep means
nescience; therefore
it is to be rejected in favour of the state of pure Awareness.
My sister-in-law then interposed, It is said that the
bliss that occurs in deep sleep is experienced in the state of
samadhi
2
as well, but how is that to be reconciled with the
statement that deep sleep is a state of nescience?
2
Samadhi means perfect absorption of thought in the one object of
meditation, i.e., the Supreme Spirit (the 8th and last stage of yoga).
Bhagavan: That is why deep sleep has also to be
rejected. It is true that there is bliss in deep sleep, but one is
not aware of it. One only knows about it afterwards when
one wakes up and says that one has slept well. Samadhi means
experiencing this bliss while remaining awake.
I: So it means waking, or conscious sleep?
Bhagavan: Yes, that s it.

My sister-in-law then brought up the other cognate

question that had worried her: It is said by Vasishta that a
Realized Soul seems to others to be engaged in various
activities, but he is not affected by them at all. Is it because of
their different outlook that it seems so to others, or is he
really unaffected?
Bhagavan: He is really unaffected.
My sister-in-law: People speak of favourable visions,
both in dream and while awake; what are they ?
Bhagavan: To a Realized Soul they all seem the same.
However she persisted, It is stated in Bhagavan s
biography that Ganapati Muni had a vision of Bhagavan
when he was at Tiruvottiyur and Bhagavan was at
Tiruvannamalai, and that, at the very same time, Bhagavan
had a feeling of accepting homage. How can such things be
explained?
Bhagavan answered cryptically, I have already stated
that such things are what are known as divine visions.
He
was then silent, indicating that he was not willing to continue
the talk any further.

Reincarnation without a self

One of the key elements in Theravada Buddhism is the denial of a self (atman). T
he illusion of personal existence (puggala) is considered to be the product of f
ive aggregates (skandha), which are in a cause-effect relationship and suffer fr
om constant becoming. Therefore, human existence is nothing but impermanence (an
itya), a constant process of transformation devoid of any abiding principle. By
reducing individual beings to a mere heap of aggregates which suffer from consta
nt becoming, and by analysing these aggregates, the Buddha does not find any tra
ce of a permanent self (Digha Nikaya 15; Samyutta Nikaya 22,59). The rejection o
f a self is considered important mostly for practical reasons. One should not en
gage in philosophical debates concerning the existence of a self (as well as the
character of the universe and the existence of an Ultimate Reality), because th
is will only generate suffering and lead one astray from seeking liberation (Maj
jhima-nikaya 1,426).
But if there is no self, what reincarnates from one existence to another? Buddha
stated that only karma passes from one life to another, determining a new confi
guration of the five aggregates in the next existence. Therefore samsara works w
ithout implying a self, relying only on a causal chain of determination. Such a
strange definition of reincarnation has naturally raised strong objections from
the opponents of Buddhism. Not only they contradict it, but even the Buddhist sc
riptures contain passages that are inconsistent with the lack of a self. Some of
them seem to confirm the continuity of personal existence, or at least of an im
personal self along the reincarnation process. For instance, although the five a
ggregates are supposed to break apart after death and personhood supposed to van
ish, it is stated that the dead will be judged by Yama, the god of death, and af
terwards sent into hell and tormented for his sins (Khuddaka-nikaya 10,1,59). Th
ere are also many verses in the Dhammapada that mention personal post-mortem exi
stence:
Some people are born again; evil-doers go to hell; righteous people go to heaven
; those who are free from all worldly desires attain Nirvana. (Dhammapada 9,126.
See also 10,140; 22,306-311.)
If speaking of someone going to hell or heaven does not mean an identical being,
what role does this teaching play in Buddhism? If it is not an identical being
going to hell, who is actually punished there and for what? Also, if terms such
as hell, gods, and self are mere conventions of speech, as it is sometimes sugge
sted, what is their actual meaning and role in the Buddha's teaching? There is n
o doubt that this Vedic reminiscence is totally inconsistent with the Buddhist d
octrine of no-self.
On the other hand, if there is no self, on what basis could the Buddha have said
, "This is my last birth, I will have no further existence" (Majjhima-nikaya 3)?
Whose last birth is it, if there is no self to rebirth? There are also the text
s in Khuddaka-nikaya 10 and the Jataka tales, referring to the previous lives of
Buddha and his friends, in which each one's identity is always known, and the s
upranormal power of recollecting past lives attained in concentration (Digha Nik
aya 12), that suggest that a certain core of personal identity must exist and be
reincarnated from one life to the next. The text in the Digha Nikaya says:
He recollects his manifold past lives, i.e., one birth, two births, three births
, four, five, ten, twenty, thirty, forty, fifty, one hundred, one thousand, one

hundred thousand, many aeons of cosmic contraction, many aeons of cosmic expansi
on, many aeons of cosmic contraction and expansion, [recollecting], 'There I had
such a name, belonged to such a clan, had such an appearance. Such was my food,
such my experience of pleasure & pain, such the end of my life. Passing away fr
om that state, I re-arose there. There too I had such a name, belonged to such a
clan, had such an appearance. Such was my food, such my experience of pleasure
& pain, such the end of my life. Passing away from that state, I re-arose here.'
Thus he recollects his manifold past lives in their modes and details.
The liberation of no self
The Buddhist term for liberation (nirvana) derives from the verbal root va (lit.
"to blow") and the negation nir, from which its significance corresponds to the
blowing out of a candle. Once man attains nirvana, the five aggregates are scat
tered forever at death without entering a new combination again. This correspond
s to a total extinction of any ontological element that could define human exist
ence. The scriptures state:
When a man is free from all sense pleasures and depends on nothingness he is fre
e in the supreme freedom from perception. He will stay there and not return agai
n. It is like a flame struck by a sudden gust of wind. In a flash it has gone ou
t and nothing more can be known about it. It is the same with a wise man freed f
rom mental existence: in a flash he has gone out and nothing more can be known a
bout him. When a person has gone out, then there is nothing by which you can mea
sure him. That by which he can be talked about is no longer there for him; you c
annot say that he does not exist. When all ways of being, all phenomena are remo
ved, then all ways of description have also been removed.
(Sutta N
ipata 1072-76)
Here is how the Buddha illustrated the destiny of the liberated being to the wan
derer Vacchagotta, using the famous illustration of the extinguished fire:
And suppose someone were to ask you, 'This fire that has gone out in front of yo
u, in which direction from here has it gone? East? West? North? Or south?' Thus
asked, how would you reply?
That doesn't apply, Master Gotama. Any fire burning dependent on a sustenance of
grass and timber, being unnourished -- from having consumed that sustenance and
not being offered any other -- is classified simply as 'out' (unbound).
Even so, Vaccha, any physical form by which one describing the Tathagata would d
escribe him: That the Tathagata has abandoned, its root destroyed, like an uproo
ted palm tree, deprived of the conditions of existence, not destined for future
arising.
(Aggi-Vacchagotta Sutta,
Majjhima Nikaya 72)
Therefore, nirvana is not just the cessation of hatred, infatuation, birth, old
age, death, sorrow, lamentation, misery, grief, despair, etc., as modern Buddhis
t writers suggest. It is not just the cooling off and extinguishing of these thi
ngs, and as a result, the ultimate peace one experiences when all conflicts are
gone, but rather the extinction of any element that could define human existence
. Unfortunately, nirvana also implies the extinction of the agent who experience
s "hatred, infatuation, birth, old age, death, sorrow, lamentation, misery, grie
f, despair, etc.".
Once the adherent of Theravada Buddhism has attained nirvana, he becomes an arha
t ( living enlightened one ). His karma is considered extinct and at the time of his
death he will cease to exist. However, from a Buddhist point of view, this pers
pective isn't horrifying at all, because it represents the cessation of an illus
ion. When human existence is blown out, nothing real disappears because life its
elf is an illusion. Nirvana is neither a re-absorption in an eternal Ultimate Re

ality, because such a thing isn't stated in the Scriptures, nor the annihilation
of a self, because there is no self to annihilate. It is rather an annihilation
of the illusion of an existing self.
The Pali canon recollects an instance when Yamaka, one of the monks accompanying
the Buddha, reached the conclusion that nirvana represents annihilation. He tau
ght: "As I understand the Teaching explained by the Blessed One, a monk with no
more effluents, on the break-up of the body, is annihilated, perishes, and does
not exist after death" (Samyutta Nukaya 22,85). Another monk, Sariputta, explain
ed that he had reached the wrong conclusion, following an interesting line of re
asoning. He first offered an analysis of the aggregates, proved that they are in
constant, then proved that neither of them truly represents the Buddha, and fina
lly said: "And so, my friend Yamaka - when you can't pin down the Tathagata as a
truth or reality even in the present life - is it proper for you to declare, 'A
s I understand the Teaching explained by the Blessed One, a monk with no more ef
fluents, on the break-up of the body, is annihilated, perishes, & does not exist
after death'?" In other words, as long as you cannot claim that the Buddha is a
truth or reality, neither can the annihilation theory be held. But this raises
a new contradiction. How can any other of the many claims and doctrines enunciat
ed by the Buddha be true if the founder himself was not a truth or reality?
Unlike in Hindu pantheism, which defines liberation as the fusion of atman with
Brahman, no one and nothing is attaining liberation. This means that nirvana is
a state of supreme bliss and freedom without any subject to experience it. Parad
oxically, Buddhism confers reality to this ultimate stage of moving toward extin
ction, and the only proof of it, as expected, is the mystical experiences one ha
s on the way toward it. As the one engaged on the way to nirvana experiences gra
dual liberation from illusory attachments, by extrapolation it is speculated tha
t there will follow a moment of reaching total freedom from the present conditio
ned state. However, this reasoning is false, because the domain of definition f
or freedom (personal existence) ends before reaching the desired result. Nirvana
is a state beyond any description, knowledge and experience, with nobody and no
thing left to reach it. It is the liberation of an illusory combination of imper
manent elements.
The meaning of morality
Following other impersonal Eastern religions, Buddhism values morality as an ins
trument for transcending personal existence, which is seen as the major hindranc
e to attaining liberation. Morality has no ultimate importance, but is only an i
nstrument used for developing a detached status toward personal attachments and
interests in life. Moral perfection (sila), i.e. right speech, action and liveli
hood, aims at annihilating one's false attachments to the world of illusion, by
no way encouraging one's social involvement. As long as man is not an everlastin
g entity (a personal soul in theistic religions, or an impersonal atman in panth
eism), but a mere mechanism which appears and disappears according to its karma,
compassion toward one's neighbour is absurd. According to Buddhist teaching, ba
d habits such as envy, anger, gossip and pride must be abandoned, but not becaus
e other people may be hurt by them, but because they feed one's false ego and th
e thirst (trishna) for experiencing personal existence.
Although there are some texts that may suggest the contrary, such as the followi
ng in the Dhammapada:
All tremble at violence; all fear death. Putting oneself in the place of another
, one should not kill nor cause another to kill.
All tremble at violence; life is dear to all. Putting oneself in the place of an
other, one should not kill nor cause another to kill. (Dhammapada 129-130)
"putting oneself in the place of another" cannot represent here a real interest

in one's neighbor welfare, as it cannot be consistent with the urge for oblitera
ting personal existence. As there are no real subjects that can share love and c
ompassion with one another, the moral demands serve only as an instrument for at
taining liberation by the one who "puts himself in the place of another".
Because of its radical way of defining human existence, Theravada Buddhism is cr
iticized for developing a fatalist view of life. One can hardly become socially
involved in a world that is nothing but impermanence. Buddhism can be followed b
est by monks, in retreat, away from any kind of social involvement. As a result,
contrary to its claims, Buddhism cannot solve the problem of human suffering bu
t only ignore it by redefining its meaning; it cannot help one have a positive r
ole in society but only a passive one; and it cannot give strength for overcomin
g life's stress and tensions but only teach withdrawal from its harsh realities.
Buddhist meditation and its experiences
The actual techniques used for attaining liberation belong to three categories:
meditations (jhana), contemplations (samapatti) and concentrations (samadhi). Th
e most important are those belonging to the second category, the contemplations,
revealed by the Buddha in the famous Satipatthana-sutta (Majjhima-nikaya 10, Di
gha-nikaya 22). The four contemplation exercises focus on the physical body (kay
a), the feelings (vedana), the mental states (citta) and the mental objects (dha
mma). The false attachments they produce must be destroyed so that one can under
stand their impermanent nature.
As was the case in Yoga, psychologist Elizabeth Hillstrom points out in her book
Testing the Spirits that instead of being glimpses of the impermanent nature of
things, the experiences that accompany Buddhist contemplation on the mental sta
tes (citta samapatti) can be explained as misperceptions of the surrounding real
ity due to imposing on the senses and mind an abnormal way of functioning:
As meditators passively watch their own mental states come and go without trying
to control them, these begin to fluctuate more and more rapidly and unpredictab
ly. After a while this chaotic activity creates the strong impression that the m
ental events are springing into life on their own, from some separate source, ra
ther than the observer's own mind. As meditators persist with this practice, the
y also notice that there is a definite separation between the mental events bein
g observed and the mind that is doing the observing. As meditation progresses st
ill further, both the mental events and the observing mind begin to seem alien a
nd impersonal, as if they do not really belong to the observer. At about this po
int the meditator's sense of "self" becomes confused and weakened, and finally i
t disappears entirely for brief periods of time. This experience of dissolution
strongly reinforces the Buddhist notion that there actually is no such thing as
an "I" or "myself" - that such concepts are actually false constructions of the
mind.
At still deeper levels, meditators eventually reach a stage in which their aware
ness of events and the events themselves seem inextricably bound together and th
e whole scene churns in a wild state of flux. Ideas, images and thoughts seem to
appear and then dissolve into nothingness with great rapidity. At this point ev
ery aspect of mental life (and the physical world itself) seems impermanent, tra
nsitory and alien, and disturbed meditators desperately want it all to stop. Rel
ief finally comes when meditators break through Nirvana, a state in which all aw
areness of physical and mental phenomena ceases, at least for a short time. Reac
hing this stage ostensibly produces permanent changes in consciousness. Inner pr
ocesses are set in motion which fill the meditator with equanimity and bliss. Th
ese presumably destroy defiling mental states like self-interest, ambition, gree
d and hatred, and ensure advanced placement in the next life. When interpreted t
hrough Eastern lenses, these experiences strongly reinforce the Buddhist belief
that the physical universe, our concepts of self and even our inner mental life
are only illusions.

(E. Hillstrom, Testing the Spirits, IVP, 1995, p. 114-15)

The meditator's prior expectations, as induced by the guru, as well as the refus
al of any conscious control over the process, probably contribute to a great ext
ent to one's accepting the truthfulness of these experiences. However, as long a
s they depend heavily upon forcing the mind to work in improper conditions, they
could rather represent perceptions of defective cognitive phenomena than true p
erceptions of an Ultimate Reality.
Mahayana Buddhism and Hindu pantheism
According to the doctrine of momentariness (kshanikavada), not only the self is
to be considered illusory, but also the five aggregates and all other aspects of
the world. All things are impermanent and follow a continuous process of becomi
ng. Therefore from an ontological point of view, everything is but a succession
of transitory moments. The true nature of the world is the void (shunya), which
is not non-existence or nothingness, but an Ultimate Reality free of any limitat
ion, duality or determination. Like the Hindu Brahman, the void can be character
ized only by refusing any positive attributes. Although Buddhism rejects the maj
or definitions of Hindu Vedanta, the void is nothing but an acceptance of Brahma
n in disguise.
Following the pattern of Hindu pantheism, the world is considered to be the mani
festation of shunya, which is altogether the fundamental nature (also called Bud
dha Nature) of any being that has to be discovered through mystical introspectio
n. Also, nirvana is explained by some modern Buddhist authors by using the analo
gy of the waves on the ocean. The waves have an individual existence only on the
surface, but their essence is fundamentally interconnected. Consequently, nirva
na is explained as a cessation of separate existence and a discovery of a deeper
level of connection with an impersonal Ultimate Reality, also called Reality it
self. This is nothing but an actualization of the atman-Brahman identity, and th
erefore much of the criticism addressed to pantheism is valid here as well.
The boddhisattvas and grace
Instead of seeking nirvana just for himself and becoming an arhat, as Theravada
Buddhism demands, the disciple of Mahayana Buddhism aims to become a bodhisattva
, a being that postpones his own entrance into parinirvana (final extinction) in
order to help other humans also attain it. As was the case with the Hindu avata
rs of Vishnu, the bodhisattvas are mediators between man and Ultimate Reality. T
hrough devotion and proper moral conduct humans receive their grace and attain l
iberation. This new development has been interpreted as a penetration of the Hin
du bhakti tradition into Buddhism.
However, we meet here the same contradiction between karma and grace as in theis
tic Hinduism. For instance, according to the Tibetan Book of the Dead, although
the bodhisattvas offer their help to the dead person in order that he may attain
a better new birth or even final liberation, he is unable to accept it because
of the projection of his bad karma and the attraction of samsaric impurities , whic
h make him fall deeper and deeper into the intermediary state (bardo). For this
reason it is wrong to pretend that the bodhisattvas save the dead through their
grace, as only the merits he has accumulated during lifetime make him able to ac
cept the rays of grace . Therefore, it is either karma that rules one's existence a
nd journey toward liberation, or the grace of the bodhisattvas. The two elements
are hard to reconcile.
On the other hand, due to the rejection of any abiding principle that could defi
ne human existence, the idea of grace becomes absurd. Who is suffering and who n
eeds the boddhisattvas' grace in order to be liberated, if personal existence is

nothing but illusion? S. Dasgupta comments on this absurd situation:

The saint (bodhisattva) is firmly determined that he will help an infinite numbe
r of souls to attain nirvana. In reality, however, there are no beings, there is
no bondage, no salvation; and the saint knows it but too well, yet he is not af
raid of this high truth, but proceeds on his career of attaining for all illusor
y beings illusory emancipation from illusory bondage. The saint is actuated with
that feeling and proceeds in his work on the strength of his paramitas, though
in reality there is no one who is to attain salvation in reality and no one who
is to help him attain it (S. Dasgupta, Indian Philosophy, vol. 1, p. 127).

If I could give you only one advice, I would say: Don't identify with anything.
Be completely empty - no one. Be no-body and see if you lose anything but delusi
on.
~ Mooji

What can you ask of me? Isn't everything that I have already yours? Yes, everyth
ing I have earned in the shape of realizations is for the sake of you all. So ge
t rid of the idea of begging, which alienates by creating a distance. Rather rea
lize your kinship with me and gain the key to all the treasures.
~ Bhagawan Sri Ramakrishna

Questioner: Are there levels of awareness?

Nisargadatta Maharaj: There are levels in consciousness, but not in awareness. I
t is of one block, homogeneous. Its reflection in the mind is love and understan
ding. There are levels of clarity in understanding and intensity in love, but no
t in their source. The source is simple and single, but its gifts are infinite.
Only do not take the gifts for the source. Realise yourself as the source and no
t as the river; that is all.
Questioner: I am the river too.
Nisargadatta Maharaj: Of course, you are. As
g between the banks of the body. But you are
he clouds in the sky. Wherever there is life
than the smallest, bigger than the biggest,

an 'I am' you are the river, flowin

also the source and the ocean and t
and consciousness, you are. Smaller
you are, while all else appears.

~ from 'I Am That', ch.80

Silence is another name for God. Quietness is a name for consciousness, peace. E
verything is found in the silence and not too much in the words. In quietness, y
ou should try to be quiet for as long as you can, especially when you are at hom
e. Try to sit in the silence and quietness for as long as you can. It's in the s
ilence where you will receive the message. It's in the silence where pure awaren
ess reveals itself to you. Never be afraid to sit in the silence. It's your grea
test asset.
~ Robert Adams

If you make human company too important you will not discover your true Self. Re
lationships not based in truth are never entirely reliable and are rarely enduri
ng.
Taking time to discover yourself is the best use of time. Prioritise this.
One should not excessively seek partners or friends, one should seek to know and
be oneself. As you begin to awaken to the Truth, you start noticing how well li
fe flows by itself and how well you are cared for. Life supports the physical, e
motional, mental and spiritual needs of the one who is open to self-discovery. T
rust opens your eyes to the recognition of this. Surrender allows you to merge i
n your own Eternal Being.
~ Mooji
Speak with Love and it becomes Truth. That is the way I ever acted and people th
ought it was a miracle.
~ Sai Baba of Shirdi
Speak with Love and it becomes Truth. That is the way I ever acted and people th
ought it was a miracle.
~ Sai Baba of Shirdi

It is desire that causes sorrow; but the will to realize God is itself felicity.
Be certain that He will cleanse and comfort you and take you into His arms. Sor

row comes in order to lead you to happiness. At all times hold Him in remembranc
e.
~ Sri Anandamayi Ma

Drop the belief that you need more time and experience to get this, for that is
merely another idea arising in the timeless Being. You know that you are.
In order to negate or affirm anything, you must already be there prior to whatev
er you will negate or affirm. You cannot be that which you perceive. You are the
perceiving core. Rest as that.
To grasp this is instant freedom, to miss this is bondage.
~ Mooji

May all beings awaken swiftly

to the single Truth
from which all emanate.
May all be happy in the knowing
that we are one family of being
with one common Heart,
a Heart of imageless perfection.
~ Mooji

This [Self] is the underlying Essence of every substance;

So how can you find distinctions in the one Existence?
There is no object of perception outside of Itself;
Why lament, then, O mind? I'm the same Self in all.
~ Dattatreya's Song of the Avadhut (5.30)

There is no me and there is no you. Your little mind puts a barrier, this is me
and that is you. Like ice, water and vapor. Ice is solid, water is fluid and wat
er vapor is even more subtle. But they are all made up of the same substance. So
there is no two. Just let go and relax and you will see that there is only one;
one vibration.
~ Sri Sri Ravi Shankar

The ego in each one must die. Let him reflect on it. Is there this ego or is the
re not? By repeated reflection one becomes more and more fit.
~ Sri Ramana Maharshi (Talk 572)

There's no real distinction between the Imaginer and the imagination;

There's no real distinction between the Cause and Its effect.
A poem and its words are one and the same;
Why lament, then, O mind? I'm the same Self in all.
~ Dattatreya's Song of the Avadhut (5.4)

There is nothing that can help the world more than your putting an end to ignora
nce. Then, you need not do anything in particular to help the world. Your very b
eing is a help, action or no action.
~ Nisargadatta Maharaj

Nothing is independent of the Self, not even ignorance; for ignorance is only th
e power of the Self, remaining there without affecting It. However it affects th
e `I'-conceit, i.e., the jiva [the individual soul]. Therefore ignorance is of t
he jiva.
How? The man says, "I do not know myself." Are there then two selves - one the s
ubject and the other the object? He cannot admit it. Is then ignorance at an end
for him? No. The rise of the ego is itself the ignorance and nothing more.
~ Sri Ramana Maharshi (Talk 575)

First sort yourself out by understanding what you truly are, through recognising
what you are not and your world, a projection of your psyche, will become incre
asingly beautiful and peaceful, for the world is nothing but the reflection of y
our inner state.
~ Mooji

All this, which is His creation, is under His dispensation, in His presence and
is He.
In whatever state He keeps anyone at any time it is all for the good, for verily
everything is ordained by Him, is of Him.

Relative happiness, which is happiness depending on anything, must end in grief.

It is man s duty to meditate on God, Who is peace itself. Without having recourse
to that which aids the remembrance of God there can be no peace .Have you not s
een what life in this world is? The one to be loved is God. In Him is everything
--- Him you must try to find.

If anything is to be had
.

whatsoever, in whatever way

it must be had of Him alone

Man s bounden duty as a human being is to seek refuge at His Feet.

Days glide on; already you have let so many go by; anchored in patience endeavou
r to pass the few remaining.

Every moment belongs to God; Endeavour to keep your mind dedicated to His Feet.
God, the Ocean -of Mercy, who ever blesses the world, pours out His grace at all
times. It is incumbent on man to consider everything that happens to be for the
best: For the best denoting what is most helpful towards the realization of the Di
vine, the realization of the fullness of Bliss.

The ceaseless, never-ending current of divine Mercy and Compassion ever flows
forth; in that current one should bathe.

Who are the truly wealthy? Those who are possessed of the Supreme Treasure they a
lone are really rich and live in abundance. Poor and destitute must be called th
e man in whose heart the remembrance of God abides not. To depend solely on Him
is man s one and only duty.

Verily, abounding sorrow is the essential characteristic of life in this world.

Fix your mind on God.

The sovereign and universal remedy is the contemplation of the One. To think onl
y of Him and to serve Him at all times is essential for every human being.

Let His Name be ever with you; imperceptibly, relentlessly time is creeping away.

To concentrate only on Him, the remembrance of Whom brings release from all anxie
ty, is meet and right.

At all times, endeavour to sustain the contemplation of God and the flow of His N
ame. By virtue of his Name all disease becomes ease.

10
Without the repetition of the Name and the remembrance of God, there is no hope
of peace on earth. Let duty come first and foremost.
In Rama , who is the. dispeller of all sorrow, there is arama
ere Rama is not, there is vyarama
discomfort and disease.

rest and ease; wh

11

It is possible to practise God s Name under the most adverse circumstances.. He ca

uses everything to happen and is therefore ever near.

12

When you leave everything to Rim Who is the Fountain of Peace, and then only may
you hope for peace.

1
3

When the mind centres on what gives peace and one s gaze dwells on what promotes i
t, when One s ears listen to what fills the heart with peace and at all times the
re is a response from Him Who is peace itself, then only can there be promise of
peace.

14

It is desire that causes sorrow; but the will to realize God is itself felicity.
Be certain that He will cleanse and comfort you and take you into His arms.
Sorrow comes in order to lead you to happiness. At all times hold him in remembr
ance.

15

Your body, which is part of and depending on this illusory world, is on the othe
r hand the expression of a hidden inner process. You are yourself the many, appe
aring in various aspects, forms and modes. Each one of them exists in fact to fu
lfill a particular need. Yours is the give and take of the universe, yours the n
eed, and yet you yourself are the fulfillment that hidden inner process is genera
ted by you.

16

You are imperfect, something is lacking in you, this is why you feel the desire
for fulfillment. Body [ the Bengali word for body is sharir
and the verb shora means
to move on , to slip away.] signifies that which slips away, which is continually
changing. If there is no want, no desire, then this kind of body that is ever i
n the process of perishing does not persist. Thus, after God-realization one can n
o - longer speak of such a body for the Self stands revealed.

17

The sense of want arises spontaneously

it is the Divine that awakens it.

To lose all is to gain all. He is merciful and compassionate. Whatever He does

at any moment is all-beneficent, though certainly painful at times. When He mani
fests Himself as all-loss, there is hope that He may also manifest Himself as al
l-gain. To pine for the One Who helps towards the light of Truth is salutary, fo
r it kindles the awareness of Truth.
Verily, He is everywhere at all times.
The endeavour to awaken to his real nature is man s duty as a human being.

18

In the field of His play even getting means losing. This is but the nature of it
s movement. Think of Him Who cannot be lost. Meditate on Him alone, on Him, the
Fountain of Goodness. Pray to Him; depend on Him. Try to give more time to japa a
nd meditation. Surrender your mind at His Feet. Endeavour to sustain japa and med
itation without a break.
19
Human-birth
does it not ordinarily mean experiencing desire, passion, grief, suf
fering, old age, disease, happiness, pain and so on? Yet it is man s duty to bear
in mind that he exists for God alone for His service and for the realization of H
im.
To say, I do not know, I do not understand
of ignorance that causes agony and misfortune.

is only ignorance. It is this veil

20

Verily, all is within His Law. How can one who has been able to accept this be s
till so greatly troubled? It is but your duty to consider everything as His. Wha
tever He may do, try to let the thought of Him keep you at peace.
The sense of want, does it not arise because the desired object is not obtained?
When one s desire remains unfulfilled, fruitless, to continue craving for the sam
e thing and be disappointed time and again surely it is futile. So long as there i
s desire, the experience of want and sorrow is----from the worldly point of view
--- but natural. Whatever you may desire that is of this ever-changing world wil
l bring you sorrow, even though momentary happiness may be had at times. To seek
THAT in which no sorrow is and al. is found, is man s sole duty.

21

Losing hope is losing all indeed. But has this loss of everything occurred? Is n
ot the heart still bubbling over with desires and hopes? This is only natural
it

is the innate tendency of the individual

Perfect resignation gives the deepest joy of all. Accept it as your sole resourc
e. Whatever God does at any time is wholly benign. If you can bear this in mind
you will be at peace.

22

What you consider to be your duty, you will in any case try to carry out, in fa
ct you are doing it. But man s special duty, which is the thought of God, the acti
vity of the mind that awakens the desire to know what you really are, on this yo
u should concentrate; and it is most important to make a special effort in this
direction. Give your attention to your regular daily practice of sadhana . If ci
rcumstances will not permit any other exercise, let it be only the remembrance of
Him the purpose of it all being the realization of the One Who is manifested in
all forms and in all modes of being.
23

It is through the search after Truth that man can elevate himself. This he shoul
d
regard in the light of a duty.
24

That in which there is no question of form or formlessness, of beyond form and a

ttributes, of transcending even the beyond-- that alone is worthy of human aspirat
ion.
25

Man must go out in search of That which is concealed behind the world. He should
choose an abode that will make it easy for him to proceed to his true Home.

26

The word manus (man: Man mind, hus conscious ] ) itself gives the clue to what
man should really be: a being who is self-aware. Even if he has slipped and fal
len, is it not his bounden duty to use as a lever the very earth to which he has
tumbled, and raise himself up again? Besides, one does not fall so often. As a
man, constant effort is his duty .If he does not awaken to the consciousness of h
is own Self, what has he achieved? He has but wasted his life. How many lives ar
e frittered away age after age in endless coming and going. Find out who you are
. Discover the significance of the round of births and deaths, its cause and wher
e it leads. When man becomes a traveller on the path to his inner being, the dis

tance that separates him from his Goal gradually vanishes. You will most certain
ly have to undertake this pilgrimage to Immortality, trampling under foot hundre
ds and hundreds of obstacles and impediments.
This is the kind of manliness that has to be awakened. Why should you remain hel
pless as if paralysed? You only repeat over and over again that you cannot, cann
ot do sadhana . Why? Why? Why?
27

Let

I cannot

be eradicated from your vocabulary. Time is gliding away swiftly:

For a few days only lasts this reunion with friends and kinsmen. Gather up your
possessions, brother, no one accompanies you on your final journey.

28

Man may find himself in all kinds of surroundings, yet he must not allow him
self to be driven hither and thither helplessly under their influence. It is his
duty under all circumstances to preserve his individuality and strength of char
acter intact. To drift with the current is easy enough, but to stand firm as a r
ock is difficult. He who is able to do this will keep his head without wavering e
ven among a dozen people of different points of view and lines of approach. This
surely is the attitude that befits a human being.
29

Look, in order to pluck a rose one has to put one s hand into the midst of thorns.
But if the rose- is a person s aim and he has a keen desire to pluck it, he will
not refrain from doing so for fear of being pricked. Moreover, the Great Mother
arranges whatever as necessary for each one .She certainly knows the real need
of every individual. |If one has at least this much faith, there is no reason at
all to feel distressed.
30

Try your utmost never to succumb to anyone s influence. In order to become firm,
calm, deeply serious, full of courage, with one s personality wholly intact, pure
and holy out of one s own strength, one has to be centred in God.

31

To a human being the most noble, irreproachable line of conduct should alone be
acceptable. It is a matter of great rejoicing if anyone strives to mould his lif

e upon this pattern. In the case of a woman it means preserving her integrity and
purity by being completely faithful to her husband. Not even to allow her glanc
e to fall on any must be her endeavour. Only actions that kindle man s divine natur
e are worthy of the name of action, all the rest are non-actions a waste of energ
y. Any line of behaviour that fails to quicken the divine in man should be esche
wed, no matter how enticing it might-appear ;but any that helps to awaken man s in
herent divinity must be resolutely adopted even though it be seemingly uninvitin
g. Man s calling is to aspire to the realization of Truth, to tread the excellent
path that leads to immortality. What appears delightful to the senses later deve
lops into a hotbed of poison, generating inner turmoil and disaster, for it bel
ongs to the realm of death.

32

Force of character is man s great strength. If he uses it in his dealings with the
world he will indeed be victorious in most directions.
33

Worldly life is no doubt a battle-field. By becoming conscious of one s spiritual

wealth one must strive to emerge triumphant from the battle.

34

You cling to that round *, rolling thing, believing that it constitutes your wea
lth; this is why there is so much trouble and confusion. What is this round thing ?
Money of course. Try to cling exclusively to Him Who is the Whole, where one ca
n speak neither of form nor formlessness and where trouble and confusion are non
-existent.
*This whole passage is based on a play upon words, impossible to render into Eng
lish. Gol means round,: mal possession and golmal trouble and confusion.
/

35

If you do not allow your thoughts to stray from His Lotus-feet there is hop
e of your being saved from all manner of temptations. Man s duty is to awaken to t
rue humanity and to cast aside his animal propensities; to choose what is excell

ent and to relinquish the merely pleasurable. Let your mind be like a beautiful
flower that may be offered to the Lord in worship. In very truth, man s sole duty
is the search after Self-realization. With but the one Supreme Friend you my fr
iend must try to avoid the ties of worldly friendship.

36

To indulge in what seems pleasurable means to choose that which appears lovel
y on the surface and therefore attractive. Improper, ill-fated, degrading action
s~ that give expression to one s animal nature lead to misery even though they be
pleasurable. The rules and regulations pertaining to the householder s period of l
ife (grihastha ashrama ) have to be observed as fully as possible. To live up to
the highest ideals may be irksome at first, but ultimately leads to real well-b
eing and peace. One must learn to find enjoyment in the Sublime then only does one
deserve to be called a human being. Having been blessed with a human body it is
but right that one should behave in a fitting manner. Why give way to animal in
stincts?
If you cannot sustain japa at all times, at any rate complete two rosaries t
wice day, morning and evening. The search after Truth is man s real vocation.

37

There are various modes of living: one is the ashrama of the householder: anot
her to do service, regarding whomever one serves as a manifestation of the Supre
me Being; a third, way is to fix Self-realization as the one and only goal and
advance towards it-with uninterrupted speed and determination. In keeping with
his inclinations and bent of mind, everyone chooses one of these modes of livin
g. God Himself will take care of -everything that concerns a man who, puts -his
whole trust in Him.
38

To aspire to the realization of Truth is alone worthy of man. In the home of the
householder [ grihashta ashram] there should be no strain. Allowing oneself to
be agitated by mental anxiety amounts to strain; this is not the line to be tak
en, for by such a state of mind the power to create obstacles is developed.
By seeking refuge in the Power that is Bliss, Goodness, Beneficence, the Destroy
er of obstacles, peace will be established in the home. This is man s special purs
uit as well as his duty. Those sensible, intelligent and wise men and women who
depend on God and the Guru an4 full of faith, in a spirit of renunciation, endea
vour to attain to Reality should advance along any path that is most helpful t
o their aspirations, ever remaining tranquil and choosing that which promotes pe
ace. In all one s actions one must aim at fulfilling one s dharma.

39

Abide by your duty. To live in the home that he has created for himself is surel
y fitting for a householder. Do not, however, neglect the search for your real H
ome. Only when this is found has one truly come home.

40

In all forms, in all diversity and disparity is He alone. The infinite variety o
f appearances and manifestations, of modes of becoming and states of being, of sp
ecies and types, all the numberless distinctions as well as all identity, are bu
t He Himself. With whom are you then angry? Whatever anyone says is according to
his stage and condition at that particular time and therefore right for him. Su
rely, he is only demonstrating what he perceives and understands at that point of
his development. This also is but an expression, a guise of the One.

41

To remain calm and at peace under all circumstances is man s duty. To form a bad
opinion of a person just because one has heard some gossip about him is wrong. H
ostility, condemnation, abusive language, ill-feeling and so forth, even if kept
concealed within one s mind, will and must fall back on oneself. Nobody should eve
r harm himself by harbouring such thoughts feelings.

42

To dwell in the joy that springs from the mind s constant occupation with things d
ivine is man s duty. Thinking of anything other than God is what creates sorrow. B
e it mantra japa, be it meditation, worship, perusal of sacred texts, the simple
awareness of God or a like device, be it kirtan or religious music
all these ar
e different modes of being in the divine Presence. One should always remain enga
ged in one of them, in fact never be without Him. Bear in mind: This is what thi
s little child requests from her friends and also from her fathers and mothers.*
* Mataji often speaks of Herself as a little child and mother
d unmarried people Her friends and married people father .

43

, calls children an

How can this little girl possibly leave her father? Even if he pushes her far aw
ay, this obstinate little child will still be with him. The father will have to
realize that such is the nature of his little daughter: in fact all her father s q
ualities are to be found in her and he should make her use these very qualities
in the service of her ailing father.
If one feeds upon the things that aggravate the disease, is it not natural that
the illness should grow worse? Medicine will have to be taken and also a change
of air will be beneficial*.
[ * The illness obviously here means bhava roga , the disease of every man who look
s upon himself as a separate individual. The medicine to cure this disease is s
adhana. A change of air signifies a change from worldly surroundings to satsang,
the company of sages, saints and seekers after Truth.]

44

They imagine this body [Mataji usually refers to Her person as this body.] to b
e far away but actually it is always very, very near. How could it possibly leav
e anyone? The question of distance arises solely from their point of view. Whene
ver they can get a holiday let them come and meet this body.
No matter what work one undertakes, it should be done well. If one cultivates th
e habit of doing everything well, there is fair promise of one s doing likewise on
the spiritual path. The action is He, - and the doer of the action is He and no
other. At all events one should make an attempt to develop this attitude of min
d. Truth in the presence of which illusion is recognized as illusion
Truth, THAT
Which IS, has to be made one s own.

45

So far as this body is concerned, nobody ever commits an offence against it and
therefore there can be no question of asking this body s forgiveness. Nevertheless
you will most certainly have to reap the fruit of what you have done. But this b
ody does not feel even the faintest shadow of anger about it.

46

To tell the truth, while some people undoubtedly do approach this body in quest
of Reality, very many come only to get their desires and longings fulfilled.
Although he has had such unmistakable proof of what the true nature of the world
is his heart is still in it? At this juncture he should try his utmost to pledg
e himself solely to service, regarding whatever he does as service to the Lord.
Ask him at all costs to make a resolute effort against letting his mind become e
ntangled in anything pertaining to this ocean of sorrow. It is attachment to the w
orld that has brought such deep distress to the unfortunate man. Nothing but ign

orance is at the root of it all. He should continue to give news of himself to t

his body in any way he is able, for he has no one to whom he can confide his tro
ubles and afflictions, which
one and all
are but the results of his past actions
.
By sorrow does the Lord dispel sorrow and by adversity does He d
estroy adversity. When this is done He sends no more suffering
this must be born
e in mind at all times.
In very truth, the Eternal s offspring must centre their thoughts on Him. Divorced
from Him there cannot be even a prospect of peace never, never, never. By abidi
ng in God man will find peace, the veil will be rent, and the Dispeller of Sorro
w stand revealed. He alone is the conqueror of evil, He is yours, the sole treas
ure of the human heart.

47

Do not keep concealed within yourself what weighs on your mind. If you write it
all to me freely and frankly, your heart will be unburdened even more. Father, w
hy have you kept it suppressed within yourself for such a long time? To confide
it to this body (Mataji) brings relief, does it not? Truly, this body belongs to
all; for this reason it behaves and speaks, as far as possible, so as to fulfil
l the needs of the people with whom it deals at any particular time.
When the worship of an image or any other puja is performed acco
rding to the rites laid down in the sastras as accepted by all brahamana priests
and when kumari puja forms part of the ceremonial as prescribed by the shastras,
then the priests and others concerned must be allowed to have their say accordi
ng to what they feel to be correct. Write this to him! But of course, when this
body plays with its friends, little girls and boys, ii does not pay attention to
the injunctions of the priests
the child may be of any caste! The other day, di
d you not see that the little girl taken as a focus for the worship was certainl
y not the daughter of a brahmana; yet the person who performed the puja offered
clothes, food and everything else exactly as it should be done, did he not? To t
his body everyone and everything is equal.

48

The Lord s is the body, the Lord s is the mind, the Lord

is all mankind.

Serving anyone is His service only. Endeavor to keep your mind always elevated.
Is there ever a time when He is invisible? The discovery of this is all that is
wanting.
49

To perform one s worldly duties is a good thing. At the same time, one has to be m
indful of man s real Duty.

50
No matter what work has to be done at any time, try to give your full attention
to it and do it thoroughly. Under all circumstances rely upon God. Verily, He is
all-pervading and therefore
can be found everywhere. With your whole being in
voke the Lord of Life.

51

To spend your days serving your mother is very good indeed. Endeavour to k
eep your mind surrendered at God s holy Feet then alone can there be a prospect of
the shadows of restlessness growing faint.

52

By doing service -heart and mind are purified

be convinced of this! -To engage i
n service is a very powerful sadhana; do not become impatient. Rather serve your
people with the utmost calm and have a kind word for everyone.
Whenever you say or do anything wrong, beg to be forgiven and try your best not
to let a similar error occur in future. Even though others may be unjust to you,
-you yourself should neither -do nor say anything unseemly.

53

Regarding all beings as His forms, in a spirit of service and utter calm, serve
the Lord; serve the Lord and only Him. In the measure as you grow more and more
perfect in your capacity as a servant of the Lord, fondness, love and devotion f
or Him as well as implicit faith will awaken in you.

54

One who serves God can never be helpless. The more ardently one seeks communion by
engaging in japa, His service and contemplation, the fuller will be His revelati
on.
55

A person who does not for the love of God and with a cheerful heart, acquit himse
lf of whatever responsibility that may fall to his lot at any time-- will find l
ife excessively burdensome and never be able to accomplish anything. Man s duty
mor
e especially for those who have made the Supreme Quest their one and only aim is
to work joyfully for the uplift of the world, with the conviction that all servi
ce is His service. Work done in such a spirit helps to purify both mind and hear
t.

56
Worldly occupations and business are bound to cause worry; it cannot be otherwis
e. The only way to meet it is by endurance, endurance and more endurance. Having
dived down among the waves of the sea one has got to rise up again. The talents
and the work God has entrusted to you are meant for His service and for nothing
else bear this in mind!
57

Many feel the urge to create a new and better world. Rather than let your though
ts dwell on such matters, you should concentrate on That by the contemplation of
which there is hope of perfect peace. It is man s duty to become a seeker after Go
d or Truth.

58

What is perceived in this world is in the nature of a dream, similar to what one
sees in dreams. The only difference is that the former takes place in the wakin
g state and the latter during sleep. Albeit I am always with you, mother.

59

In dreams all kinds of things may be seen: what the mind has been busy with; als
o what has not been thought about, but has occurred in the past or will come abo
ut in the future. In any case everything that happens belongs to the realm of dr
eam.
60

At one time you declared emphatically that if only you could secure suitable emp
loyment, you would most earnestly cultivate the spiritual side of life along wit
h material comforts and pleasures. That you have kept your word as to worldly en
joyment is more than obvious; but in what dark cave, in what inaccessible abyss
have you hidden away the tender plant of spiritual aspiration? When will you sta
rt making an effort to bring light into that dark cave? Delay not: The day that
is gone never returns. Invaluable time is slipping away. Devote your days to the

endeavour to draw close to the Lord of the Humble. When extreme old age superve
nes, you will be too sluggish, to feeble to concentrate on God s name. How will yo
u then make up for what you failed to do in good time?

61

The activity of the mind that distracts man and takes him away fro the remembran
ce of God is called wrong thinking. Endeavour to cultivate whatever will prevent
your mind from harbouring that type of thought.

All your burdens are borne by God. Be convinced of this and ever try to abide si
ncerity and cheerfulness.

62

After all these days this kind of question has occurred to him? Of course, it ha
s happened because he is at a stage where questions arise, and there is nothing
wrong about it---for is not everything God s creation? Things are different for di
fferent people .It is well to remember that what looms as a formidable problem m
ay at times be resolved in a very easy way, and so the further question may aris
e: Was it after all a trifling problem? The Creator of all things is the one who
knows how to appraise it; He along knows what is great and what is small.
63

The stream of godly thoughts is the path that leads to the exhaustion of karma.
So long as the goal has not been reached one is bound to reap the consequences o
f right action, wrong action, and inaction---according to karma, the law of ca
use of effect.
64
Everything comes to pass according to each one s destine. You will have to accept
this. The Creator has so regulated the universe that everyone has and ever will
have to reap the fruit of his actions; there is no way out of it. If , because o
f your physical unhappiness, you have no wish to, and consequently do not concen
trate on the name of Him who is the Supreme Father, Mother , Friend and Lord , d
o you call this creating good karma---that you have to suffer the same kind of t
rouble over and over again? Your father and mother arranged that , after careful
consideration, they believed to be for your best. Karma, the consequences of on
e s past actions, are one s own liability.

65

No evil can overcome him who cleaves to god s name. What one suffers is in exact k
eeping with the nature of one s actions. If the flow of God s name is sustained, all
work will beget the good.

66

How much karma from former births remains yet to be worked out! Just as when, fo
r example, someone has ruined his digestion by indulging in excessive and unrest
rained eating; even though he later adopts a frugal and well-regulated diet, the
results of these wise measures will not be noticeable straight away. Thus: what
ever be the nature of one s actions at the time, one has also simultaneously to en
joy and suffer the accumulated consequences of one s previous conduct. In God s crea
tion there is perfect justice. Generally speaking, man is born into this world i
n order to reap the pleasant results of his good deeds as well as the outcome of
his wrong-doing. What about the consequences of any impropriety or injustice he
commits at the present time? He will of course have to endure them. Man enjoys
the fruit of his accumulated former good works, but he will also have to suffer
the effects of evil deeds. The Almighty s Will is being fulfilled. Man must foste
r the desire to perform right action. Even the impossible becomes possible by Go
d s Will. Let His Lotus-feet be your sole refuge.

67

Man must behave as a hero. During spells of misfortune he must abide in fortitud
e and patience.
Time does not stand still. Suicide is a most heinous sin. To whom belongs the bo
dy that you speak of destroying? Is this the way a human being talks? For shame!
68

This is the time to mould yourself. You will have to resort to renunciation and
fortitude. So as to be released from the evil propensities acquired in previous l
ives, which have led to pain and suffering, try to make your heart the consecrat
ed shrine of the All-Good, and desire desirelessness. The first thing is to feel
drawn towards God.
Be unfailing in service. Whatever has to be done for anyone, do it in a spirit o
f service.
There is yet another matter to which special attention must be paid: sloth has t
o be abandoned altogether. When it is a question of good deeds or spiritual exer
cises (satkarma), disinclination and lethargy have to be completely ruled out. T
he difficulties that may arise when doing anyone a service should be borne cheer
fully.

69

No two days pass alike. Do not allow yourself to be -overcome by despair

. Have complete trust in Him in spite of everything
---to Him you should call out in happiness
and in pain. If you have fallen to the ground,
use it is a lever to rai
se yourself up again, for it is man s duty to exert himself, no
matter what he undertakes.

70

Misfortune must not be looked upon as a disaster: It would be a sin to do so

for who sends misfortune? What He does is all-beneficent. Under no circumstance
s, however adverse, should man accept defeat. Gurudeva, you do only what is for my
real well-being
keep this thought ever with you. In this world there are bound t
o be all sorts of troubles. If you have lost wealth and position, let them be go
ne. Pray to God only for the lives of your family.

71

In times of affliction one must persevere in patience. Although distress and dan
ger are certainly part of man s lot, yet will they be conquered by one who can mee
t them with courage and calm.
Conditions vary. During times of misfortune it is necessary to rely on Him
with
even greater tenacity. There is no knowing through what mishap He may wipe out p
eril. Sometimes He actually removes danger by adversity. This is why He is calle
d Dispeller of Danger Saviour.

72

It is characteristic of human life that it cannot continuously be either full

of happiness or full of misery. Just as your good luck has not been lasting, do
you imagine this evil fortune will never end? For the present try to gird yourse
lf with patience and fortitude and wend your way with complete trust in God. It i
s the Will of the Almighty that prevails. Be intent under all circumstances to k
eep the thought of Him as your constant companion.
73

Where God may place you at any time and under whatever circumstances, recollect
that it is all for the best. Endeavour to go through life leaving your burdens i
n His hands. He is the Preserver, He is the Guide, He is all in all.
74

It is man s duty to try and cultivate faith and devotion. Blows are characteristic
of life in the world; thus man is taught to understand what the nature of this w
orld is
and then detachment from pleasure and enjoyment ensues.

75

At all times let forbearance be your norm. Say to yourself: Lord, everything Thou
doest is for the highest good! Pray for the power of endurance. Nothing happens
that is not an expression of God s grace; verily, all is His grace.
Anchored in patience, enduring everything, abide by His Name and live joyously.

76

Whatever happiness or pain is experienced depends upon what one believes and how
one views whatever happens. If one wishes to go beyond beliefs, and points of v
iew, one must have faith in the Almighty.

77

In all matters depend exclusively upon God. To Him you should submit your heart s
petitions and yearnings. Your whole life will have to revolve round Him, you hav
e no other resort; on your own you are utterly helpless, for are you not His cre
ature? Whatever He does is all for the highest
You are certainly not in position to choose what seems propitious to you.
Why should he permit you, who are the offspring of the Immortal, to stray toward
s that which is of death.
You may deem yourself fortunate, for as you yourself say, God has rescued you fr
om the jaws of death and preserved you to this day. Place your reliance upon Him
alone. The sufferings and obstacles bred of desire that you encounter, even the
se should be welcomed as in fact the doing of His merciful hands. To become agit
ated is of no avail. If you must be impatient, be impatient for God:

To this day I have not received any response from Thee and invaluable time has
been spent in vain. Do not let your mind and body be tormented with restlessness
induced by worldly longings.

78

He Who has given you what you possess in this world

--appeal to Him for his own sake.

wealth, distinction, youth -

You cannot? Why? You will have to! Verily, man can do all things. Who can say wh
at He will give to whom and through what? Everything is His, entirely His. What
did you bring with you at birth? Were you not empty-handed? And all you have acq
uired is it yours, really?
All is His and whatever happens is His Will. Endeavour to maintain this attitude
. Saying: It is mine you grasp at everything this is the way to court sorrow. Call
out to Him because all is His. To yearn thus for Him is real prayer.
All that the world can yield what is its worth? Have you not discerned down the
years the inevitable course of events? In His store-house, where there are riche
s, relations, the vigour of youth, there are also old age, death, disease and po
verty. You will have to experience them all. In this world there is no room for
undisturbed ease; don t you see that there is distress at every step? Does it not
dawn on you even now to whom you belong? This serious illness of yours, is anyon
e suffering~ it for you? Can anyone even share it? Why all these worries?
All is His; all is He ; to leave everything to Him must be your sole endeavour.
Invoke His Name, meditate on Him; ever abide in the remembrance of Him. Not pray
ing for anything that is of this world, strive to abandon yourself without reser
ve to Him. In Him no want of any kind exists, no pain, no agony
in Him is all at
tainment, the summit of fulfillment, rest, repose, tranquility.

79

On hearing the news of someone s illness, Mataji had the following communicated to
the sufferer:
Depend on Him absolutely. In whatever circumstances you may find yourself, sustai
n the remembrance of Him alone. Let this be your prayer: Lord, Thou hast been pl
eased to come to me in the form of sickness. Grant me the strength to bear it, g
ird me with patience, and give me the understanding that it is Thou Who art dwell
ing with me in this guise.

80

Abandon yourself to God in all matters without exception. May He do as He pleases

with me, who am but a creature of His hands
this should be your attitude of mind
. It is personal desire that is the very cause of suffering. Why make yourself f
eel dejected by the anxiety that you will be dependent on others?. Is it you who
have created your body? The One to whom you belong is free to deal with it acco
rding to His Will; therefore may He do as He chooses. Try your utmost to stand a
side and watch patiently as a spectator. When the mind is at ease one speedily r

ecovers from ill-health. In this ever-revolving world, which is upheld by Him wh

o causes it to revolve, a certain calamity has occurred. What is to be done? No
matter what has happened, may His Will prevail
live in this spirit. In your pres
ent condition constantly think of Him alone.

81

That you are making an effort to arrange for medical treatment is also, the expr
ession of His Will. Verily, He, the One is everything. Thou, in truth, art the d
isease, Thou art the remedy and the power to heal in all shapes and forms art Tho
u alone.
82
Write to him that his condition very often indeed occupies this body s kheyala. He
himself, by his own effort of will must become strong-minded and drop his negat
ive attitude, which makes him imagine that he cannot and never will be able to,
succeed. On the contrary he must be determined that success is possible, that ac
hievement will most certainly be his. He should say to himself:

In whatever condition it pleases God to keep me, I resign myself, surrendering

to Him this body that is His. Just that. With perfect calm and serenity he should
pass most of his time lying straight on his back in what is called the dead pose [
savasana) and silently repeat his mantra in rhythm with his breathing. There is
only one Brahman without a second this is what he has to realize. Write to him
in plain language that, for him, there is no need of an intermediary.

83

When the Mahant of of Khanna*, Sri Triveni Pun Mal~araj, left his body, Mat~jj s
ent the following message to his great admirer Sri Krishnanandaji Avadhuta:
Under the semblance of union and under the semblance of separation abides He,
Supreme Himself.
*Khanna is a small town in [ pre-partition ] East Punjab, now simply
ia. .

Punjab

the
in Ind

84

Who is going whither and whence from does he come? For this body* there is no g
oing and no coming. That which existed before exists even now. What does it matt
er whether one dies or remains alive? Even after death he still exists, so why f
eel upset?
* Mataji

85

Who belongs to whom in this world? By exhausting one s particular karma, everyone
must endeavour to bring to completion his life s pilgrimage. What you are experienc
ing is the usual state of affairs on the journey through life; therefore do not
allow yourself to be so very agitated! If, due to attachment to those with whom
one has been united in this world of coming and going, one is utterly immersed i
n the sorrow of bereavement, how can the pilgrimage along one s own Path become fr
uitful?- With unbounded vigour and energy one must forge ahead towards the revel
ation of one s true Self. Travellers on the Supreme Path must strive to complete t
heir journey; Self-realization is its purpose and goal.

86

It is the Will of the Almighty that prevails at all times, such verily is - the
law of creation. World (jagat) means a ceaseless round of sorrow, temporary happine
ss, and affliction: to experience this man is born. Do you not see that the worl
d is nothing but this in infinite variety?
For him who has set out on his life s last journey with the name Durga on his lips
, there should be no grief, no tears; at any rate try your utmost to hold this a
ttitude. If weep you must, weep for God. Blessed is he who breathes his last pron
ouncing God s Name. One must strive to keep one s mind ever concentrated on His Feet.
Pray for the Guru s Grace and constantly remember His Lotus-feet.

87

Life s journey is bound to proceed inevitably in the manner you describe. Search in
every home and see how many people can be found who have never known bereavement
. This is why the only way out of this misery is by the path to Self-Realization
.

88

In every home God is present in an infinite variety of guises. For the very reas
on that one has -entered life, one has to quit it again
be it sooner or later. W
hile living as a householder, this terrible, smarting pain is unavoidable it is
similar in every family. Does any balm exist to soothe this burning agony, save
to take refuge in Him, from Whom all beings emanate, by Whom they are succoured,
and in Whom they ultimately are absorbed?

89

Do not feel distressed because you are deprived of his physical presence. It is t
he duty of the nearest and-dearest of the departed to pray that he may progress
on his upward path. However, if tears rush into your eyes because he has left hi
s body, then cry invoking God. To weep for God is everybody s one and only hope.
Also perform as perfectly as possible the duties prescribed by the sastras for t
he wife and son of the deceased.

90

What can be expected from this world, whose very nature is constant flux; times
are ever changing. To live in time is to be bound by it by death*. If you do no
t rise above time, how can you escape the clutches of death? Had time not borne
away the moment that brought you such acute distress and agony, would any life b
e left in your body? This is the way of the world. What you have experienced hap
pens continually to every family, in one form or another. Console yourself with t
he thought that this is how the world is fashioned.
When one resides in a country not one s own, how can one possibly evade the hardshi
ps that are a foreigner s lot? Your Motherland is where there is no question of di
stress and sorrow, of violence and hatred, of estrangement, neither of the opposi
tes of
light and darkness. The endeavour to find himself in his real Home, i
n his true nature, is man s sole duty. Courage and steadiness are what is required
.
*kala means both time

and

death ,

91

On learning of the death of a devotee s mother, Mataji said:

Write to my friend: The fortunate, the blessed one [According to Hindu tradition
, it is most auspicious for a woman to die while her husband and all her childre
n are alive] has ascended to the abode of Peace leaving behind her husband, her
sons and daughters. To weep and mourn the loss of her body is not right, althoug
h it is natural that tears should flow. You will have to resort to fortitude. Ju

st as parents are always eager to make the happiness and peace of their children
their own, it is equally the duty of children to adopt a similar attitude with r
egard to their parents. Human beings who have not attained to the final Goal but
are still struggling on the way and live in this w6rld, identifying themselves
with the body, cause themselves much pain by becoming agitated and crying out in
anguish it is indeed deep suffering. Those who have passed away have no means o
f expressing it, yet this anguish troubles them. Nobody wishes to cause distress
to his loved-ones. Recall to mind: Your mother is as your self, the one who bo
re you her peace should be your peace. What has happened is God s dispensation, and
all men are His very own. Where and how, on what path and in what state He keep
s anyone depends on the Will of the Almighty.
Do not let your father notice that you are depressed. Serve everyone in a beautifu
l and graceful manner. Feel that God has entrusted you with the service of the f
amily. Do not allow your father to become gloomy.
To see the shadow of grief on the faces of his children will intensify his
unhappiness greatly; mindful of this, be careful to remain composed in your fath
er s presence.

92

On receiving the news of the unnatural death of a devotee s son, Mataji said:

Write to the parents that there is nothing to be done by them at present except
to abide in fortitude and bear their tragic bereavement with heroic strength and
calm. Such is the law of God s creation. In some cases events of that kind --are
brought to an end by a special curse of this sort. The current of life i. the wo
rld, is indeed made up of joys and, sorrows, for man is born to reap the fruit
of his past actions. Therefore, having been blessed by birth in a human body it
is one s duty to pursue unceasingly the path that leads beyond pleasure and pain.
Verily, quite often by annihilating misfortune through misfortune God attracts m
an to Himself.
That you have today been plunged into an ocean of grief by the deceased, and also
whatever he himself has -had to suffer, must be understood to be the result of
some very grave karma. Nevertheless you should keep in mind that even through th
is terrible blow he is advancing on his upward path. Pray to God for the welfare
of his soul.
Being the offspring of a religious family he has consequently had the privil
ege of a certain amount of satsang. You know, father, that the Self is indestruct
ible and that only the body is subject to change and decay.
That this body [ Sri Ma ] ] does not usually speak about past and future is we
ll known to you, father and mother. If opportunity offers, both of you may attem
pt to go on a pilgrimage some time. Even though you are suffering unbearable ago
ny through the loss of - your son, it is imperative to endeavour to calm yoursel
ves by the remembrance and contemplation of God. Also let either of you, regular
ly every day, read a small portion of the Srimad Bhagavat .When you have comple
ted the whole of it, start again from the beginning, and so on. While reading
imagine that your son is by your side, listening.

93

The following message was sent to someone who had discarded his sacred thread ou
t of grief over the death of a beloved member of his family:

So you have cast away your sacred thread? Well, Well! Of course, you are bound to
do what gives you peace of mind. In this world, when a man dies his wife does
not accompany him, neither does the husband go with his wife when she passes aw
ay, nor the son with his dying father. How can anyone of his own will go with
his loved ones when they depart from this world? Surely this is self-evident! Ev
eryone has to live his life according to the results of his past actions.
Now that this misfortune has befallen you, have you given up eating, have you
renounced your wife and children, your friends and relatives? Have you left off
wearing clothes, or sleeping, or talking to people? It is true that you have be
en plunged into a sea of misery. But what possession of yours has gone with him
who died? Only your sacred thread? Your parents gift of love and esteem, so preci
ous as an aid on the way to the eternal Goal of human life! If today you resume
the sacred. thread in honour of him who has left this world, it will keep his me
mory alive in your heart. You had accepted it for his sake, this symbol of all t
hat is an aid towards immortality. To discard the sacred thread, once it has bee
n assumed, is a matter of deep regret for the ordinary man. Surely, you could ke
ep it in. remembrance of him who has passed away.
One should not pray to God for any person; all prayer has to be solely for That
which, when found All is found. The wearing of the sacred thread is also meant f
or this purpose.
94

If you are not seeking God, you might, at your own sweet will, thr
ow away anything whatsoever
why only the sacred thread? The desire to obey impul
ses of this kind will arise most certainly in those who do not aspire after God
for His own sake, who do not love Him; it is their attitude towards life--their
natural bent. If you have the power to destroy, why have you not by this time do
ne away with all the obstacles that are hampering you? Nobody of himself has the
power to lift as much as a blade of grass. It is His Will, the Almighty s Will th
at alone, prevails. At times, it is true, man is made to suffer. But thereby, al
so He, the Fountain of Goodness, does what is for man s real welfare; yet, to real
ize this is perplexing for the ordinary person.
To be without a sacred thread, without the Gayatri is inauspicious, nay, harmfu
l for a brahmin . To what extent are you able to judge which the right path is
for you? All-beneficent is everything that He does who is Goodness Itself.
Right speech is solely to talk of Divinity; all else is but torment and futility
*.
[* Hari katha hi katha; aur sab vritha aur vyatha free Hindi rendering ]

95

Such is life in the world. Girded with fortitude like a hero you must try to ste
ady yourself. There is simply no hope of peace save in the contemplation of God.
Let this be our firm conviction. It is man s duty under all circumstances to seek
refuge in Him by virtue of Whose Law all things are wrought. Not to wail or pi
ne for the physical presence of the departed should be your sole endeavour. This
is a journey that everyone, without exception, has to undertake, and it is nece
ssary for each to prepare for it. Those who have been received into His arms sho
uld be entirely given over to His care.
Regard whomsoever you serve as the Supreme Being. Rely on Him absolutely.

96

To attempt to summon the spirit of the departed is not advisable. Very often som
e other being responds, and the ordinary is not in a position to distinguish bet
ween a genuine manifestation and a fake. Therefore it is harmful. Someone who to
ok part in spiritualistic sances became insane. Against his mother s wishes he conti
nued to do so. To actually get individual into touch with the spirit of the dead
one is difficult for the average person. Do not let your mind be occupied with
any such matter. On the level of the Self (Atma ) you are one with sour deceased
daughter. In this world happiness alternates with sorrow. Bear in mind that, as
the Self (Atma ), she is with you within you. This is the truth, not fanciful t
hinking. Birth and death happen in fulfillment of the divine Will. In all shapes
and conditions is but He alone.

97

God s Holy Name is Itself the rite for exorcising undesirable influences. In the p
resence of God s Name ghosts and evil spirits cannot remain.
98

Do not give in to your inclination to think about ghosts and apparitions; rath
er keep your mind solely on God s Name and meditate on Him. In the presence of His
Name no other power can function. This is the truth, be firmly convinced of it.
The moment you have recourse to God s name you should feel that no lesser power
can touch you. If at that time you are aware of any physical anxiety, be quite c
ertain that it is merely a bodily reaction.
99

When he retires for the night, he should repeat the Lord s Name and fall asleep do
ing so. If he be afraid even then, let him place a sacred book like the Bhagava
d Gita, the Candi or the Ramayana near his head. Besides he should unceasingly
sustain the flow of God s Name and remember that where Scriptures are, there is He
Himself, and no fear of any kind can exist is His Presence.

PART
II

THE PATH OF SELF-REALIZATION

100

The Self, Self-contained, calling to Itself for its own Revelation

ness.

this is happi

101

The intense desire for God-realization is itself the way to it.

102

God, the Self, is all-pervading. Where is He not? In all forms and in the formle
ss, in all names and the nameless, in all places and conditions, at all times is
He. When the desire for Realization awakens, this is an actual manifestation o
f Him, the indivisible One. Since all names are His indeed, He will let Himself
be grasped by any one of them.
The keen desire to attain to the Goal must be conceived. The very fact that
Self-realization is one s goal means to seek and to find.

103

Whether it pleases you or not you will have to make the Eternal your constant co
mpanion just like a remedy that has got to be taken. Without loving God you will
not get anywhere. Remember this at all times.

104

If you are able to love God really

this is the consummation of all love.

105

Be truthful in every way. Without purity one cannot advance towards Divinity.

106

Speak the truth to all. Secrecy, slyness and deception amount to cheating. They
only taint the mind and set one floating on a sea of misery.
A truthful, pure and holy life tends towards joy and happiness supreme.

107

Truth itself will assist in every way him who has gone forth in search of trut
h.

108

On the journey through life in this world nobody remains happy. The pilgrimage t
o the Goal of human existence is the only path to supreme happiness. Try to trea
d that path which is your very own, where there is no question of pleasure and p
ain, the path that leads to freedom from egotism and to the highest Bliss.

109

Everyone runs after happiness and enjoyment. Yet, supreme happiness and bliss- ar
e ever There and nowhere else. That which is eternal must be revealed, and then
the question of going in search of anything does not arise.

110

Be anchored in fearlessness. What is worldly life but fear! When you live in th
e grip of fear, must you not be afraid? It is futile to expect fearlessness ther
e. That you may be delivered from all sorrow you should endeavour to let God be
your one and only support.

111

To forgo the shelter that the life of the householder (grihastha a

srama)
affords in order to devote, one s days wholly to the Supreme Quest is difficult.
If you are capable of this very well. But examine carefully the promptings that
come from within. His Will be done.

112

How can one be a human being without fortitude? To attain to Truth one has to en
dure all hardships, ever abiding in patience. It is the obstacles that give birt
h to patience.
113

Those who, prompted by a deep yearning for the vision of the Supreme Being
this long and difficult path, can do so only by His grace. To take refuge
tience is the only acceptable attitude of mind. One must never lose hope.
r you may be placed and under whatever circumstances, let your thinking be
ed in Him and in Him alone.

tread
in pa
Whereve
centr

114

Write to my friend and tell him that he must become a traveller on the path upon
which Peace is found. He will certainly have to undertake the pilgrimage to whe
re no death exists and no decay, where everyone is ever present. Who is it that d
ies and who that appears in the guise of death? Unless these things are known by
direct perception, there can be no release from this ocean of misery. Let my fr
iend strive without ceasing to abide in the presence of Him, the remembrance of
Whom for ever puts end to sorrow.
115
A pilgrim on the path of Immortality never contemplates death. By meditation on
the Immortal, the fear of death recedes far away; remember this! In the measure
that your contemplation of the One becomes uninterrupted, you will advance towar
ds full unbroken Realization.
116

He who yearns for God will find Him, and for the man who has found film, 4eath d

ies. One should look forward. to the vision of God which is the death of death a
nd endeavour to let one s, mind at all times be engrossed in activities or practic
es that may prepare one for such a vision. You do not know in what shape or mann
er God Himself is with you. Ever try to spend all the twenty-four hours in the co
ntemplation and remembrance of the Supreme Being, in, the repetition of God s Name
or the study of books of wisdom. By some realization, by a divine mood or appear
ance, even by tears shed in longing for Him, the One at times makes His Presence
felt. Endeavour to keep your mind absorbed in the thought of Him and in readine
ss to experience His touch in all forms and modes of being. The day that is gone
will not return. Try to make the best use of every precious moment, being ever
intent on the realization of your own Self.
117

When you first began to learn to read and write, you surely did not examine the
reasons for and against doing so, did you? You accepted what you were told.
Even if all sorts of critical thoughts arise, call to mind that they are only du
e to your lack of understanding. They are certainly not the outcome of pure wisd
om. Try to accept as much as you can, as is appropriate to the occasion. Discard
laziness and exert yourself. It is natural that the mind should find all sorts
of reasons for not doing sadhana ; yet your aim must be to persevere in it. Reje
ct such thoughts as
I shall not be able to do it ; it will not be possible.
Suffering is of the body only. Despite all such discomforts officials and busine
ssmen attend to their work. How painstaking they are! Create time for everything
! The purer, the more transparent you can make your mind, the greater will be yo
ur possibilities of spiritual progress.

118

It is the pure, undefiled flower that finds a place at the Feet of the Lord and
nowhere else. Take great care to spend your life in spotless purity, worthy to b
e dedicated in worship to the Lord. Speak about Him. Meditate on His Glory, try
to see Him in everyone, Him Who is the Self, the breath of life, the heart of h
earts. You feel lonely? In very truth you are not alone. Does the Supreme Friend
ever forsake His friends?
119

Ishvara, the Lord of the world is not a thing to be perceived by the senses or g
rasped by the mind. By contemplating the Divine, peace is won. God Himself draws
you towards Him.

120

That from which spiritual inquiry has arisen and which has created you and all t
hat is manifest is Ishwara, the Lord of the Universe.
To be sure there is a way of approach even in terms of gain and loss: not to asp
ire to God-realization is loss and to aspire to it is gain
although He is Self-l
uminous (and therefore no effort can bring about Illumination). He and He alone
is the one thing needful, all the rest is worthless. Without Him man cannot live
, where is the place where, lie, is not? Therefore, to leave Him is impossible,
He cannot be excluded. Because He is All in-all. Such is the nature and the mode
of His play. Through illusion (moha) you forget Him. All trouble is due to ignor
ance alone.
If man endeavours to live his life in the world according to dharma, the dictate
s
of religion and righteousness, he will gradually overcome sorrow and
will progress towards peace. Without Him Supreme Peace cannot be found.
121

In everything and in everybody is but the One Himself. Try to be constantly awar
e of the fact that whatever is perceived at any time, in whatever way, is but a
manifestation of the Supreme Being. How can the perceiver be excluded? Exclusion
and non-exclusion are also none but He. Even the feeling of the absence of God
is His manifestation so that His presence may be realized.

122

We should not allow our attention to wander at large, but stick to a particular
aim or object. Nevertheless to begin with we shall have to choose an object that
is suited to our sadhana. To live in solitude means to be solely in the company o
f the one beloved, does it not, father? Only when one is unattached and without
cares and worries can there be freedom from conflict and perplexity. Write to hi
m that he has no cause whatever for worry. The grace of the Lord flows down unce
asingly at all times. A person, who has made God-realization the one and exclusi
ve aim of his life, has already found refuge in Him
even though He may, for the
time being, declare Himself by His absence.

123

Keep your thoughts on Divine things (Hari katha,). To surrender mind and heart a
nd body to Him Who is their Lord gives peace; but to expect peace from the world
will of a certainty bring sorrow in its train. Try to live a life of holiness a
nd simplicity, in other words, be established in godliness and virtue. Why dissi
pate mind and body by useless worry? He unfailingly does what is for the best. W
hy, by harbouring only longings and desires invite sorrow? In whatever circumsta
nces you may be placed, reflect thus : It is all right, this was necessary for me
; it is His way of drawing me close to His Feet, and try to remain content.
By Him alone should your heart be possessed!

124

When there is constant effort to grow into the awareness of THAT which IS, there
is hope that in time this awareness may become permanent.

125

Always keep yourself in a state which is favourable to the contemplation of the

Divine. Thus will be provided the right sustenance for the mind.

126
Who am I ? With this attitude endeavour to let the mind stand back as a witness.
Search after your Self. As long as may be, sit immersed in meditation, becoming
quite still, steady and fully concentrated.

127

Throughout the twenty-four hours abide in the awareness of the Presence of God.
Then only can there be hope of Realization. Who can foresee at what moment He ma
y choose to reveal Himself? This is why one must ever keep wide awake.

128

Let your thoughts dwell constantly on the Supreme Reality

mind be absorbed in THAT.

endeavour to let your

At all times be truthful in speech, uncompromising in self-discipline, and devot

e yourself to the study of books of wisdom and to satsang. Cherish the company o
f those who are helpful to your quest, avoid those who distract you
in other wor
ds, hold fast to the Good and shun the merely pleasurable. If you live in this s
pirit, the help you need will come to you naturally unasked.

129

Day and night should be spent in the quest for God (sadhana bhajana ). The desir
e to find Him has to be specially fostered. To be a human being means to place f
irst and foremost the desire to know One s Self. Except for the little time necess

ary for the service of the family, all the rest must be devoted to japa, meditati
on, the reading of scriptures, worship, prayer, self-dedication. Yearn and cry f
or Him for His own sake. If opportunity arises, seek satsang. Whenever this is n
ot possible strive to keep the constant awareness of God s presence enshrined in y
our heart.

130

To frequent the company of saints, sages and seekers after Truth is incumbent on
man. Association of this kind will help to awaken his interest in That which is
Real. The more consistently one seeks the fellowship of the spiritually-minded
the greater will be the benefit.

131

To associate with pilgrims on the path of Self-realization means to open oneself

to good sense, to right discrimination. But taking a wrong path leads to distra
ction and restlessness.

132

When no opportunity can be found for coming into the physical presence of the
holy and wise, it behoves one to contemplate Vasudeva, the Divine Dweller in ever
y human heart. By cultivating His Presence one prepares oneself. One should sele
ct activities and surroundings that are apt to induce divine thoughts and aspira
tions (sad bhava).
133

Just as without the help of teachers and experts one cannot become proficient in
the worldly knowledge that is taught in universities, so the sublime knowledge
of the Absolute does not come without the guidance of a competent Guru. To find
Him is the problem, whether it be for spiritual progress, liberation, or any oth
er matter, however insignificant it may seem.
134

In one form or another grace of the Guru must be obtained. Until the Guru is fou
nd it is man s duty to invoke and try to realize God by looking upon all forms as
His Form, all names as His Name, and all modes of being as His.

135

If you can give your undivided attention to the Goal and remain concentrated on
it with unwavering steadiness, you will hold your ground in spite of everything
that may be opposed to it. The kind of world in which one lives and the company
one keeps, in that particular World will naturally exercise a powerful influence
on one s mind and character. When one has entered into close contact with one s real
Guru - provided He has let this close relationship be established then the respon
sibility for one s actions rests no longer with oneself, for He can do everything.
In what manner He may choose to impart His teaching to a particular person for s
ometimes a child is taught to walk by catching hold of his hand at other times b
y being left to himself the aim will always and in every case be the same, for t
he disciple is the Guru s very own. He Himself selects the method by which to draw
His children close to Himself, the method that is best suited to each one. Such
is His own free and absolute Will. Those who, taking the responsibility upon th
emselves, wish to judge from their own level, will reap the consequences of thei
r way of proceeding. Quite obviously it is difficult for the ordinary person to u
nderstand all matters for he does not know what course of action is right for wh
ich purpose. This is why the One appears to him in the guise of disappointment an
d failure.

136

Placing your trust in you Guru, practise the seed mantra you received from him a
nd contemplate the Beloved [ Ishta] It is imperative to have unswerving faith in
one s particular Ishta . What is the use of seeking initiation again and again?Ra
ther is it not of the utmost importance to strive strenuously after the full reve
lation of the form* under which He has manifested Himself to you?
Whenever practicable seek satsang.
*The mantra and the Ishta are one, the mantra being the sound aspect and the Ish
ta the form aspect of one and the same thing.
137

To the enquiry whether diksha [ initiation by mantra] is necessary, Mataji repl

ied:
When diksha is necessary it comes about at the appointed time. Keep one s mind on t
he thought of God and have unshakable faith that at the right moment He will giv
e all that is needful.
138

The realization of Divine Power may be induced by any means that suits a particul

ar
person. If one feels inclined that way it may be brought about by initiati
on [ diksha] or else it may be effected by the Guru s touch. It is immaterial by
which method one chooses to develop the capacity to live a life dedicated to Go
d. The important thing is ever to remain immersed in the contemplation of Him an
d to derive bliss from it. Indeed, this is a cause for great rejoicing.

139

It is only natural that ever more bliss should be experienced while practising y
oga. So long as the One has not been revealed, distractions will come. But the G
uru alone can point out whether one is proceeding in exactly the right manner. T
ransformation means that worldly interests have lost their hold. To the extent t
o which one becomes indifferent to worldly pursuits will one progress towards re
al Bliss.
140

Silent japa should be engaged in at all times. One must not waste breath useless
ly: whenever one has nothing special to do one should silently practise japa in
rhythm with one s breathing -in fact this exercise should go on continually until d
oing japa has become as natural as breathing.
It is of great value to read sacred texts and books of wisdom. Speak the truth.
Bear in mind that God s Name is He Himself in one form; let it be your inseparable
companion. Try your utmost never to remain without Him. The more intense and con
tinuous your efforts to dwell in His Presence, the greater will be the likelihood
of your growing joyful and serene. When your mind becomes vacant, endeavour to
fill it with the awareness of God and His contemplation.

141
One may well say: What harm can there be in doing kirtana, japa, meditation, etc
. together with others? But to feel the attraction of company constitutes an obst
acle. It will naturally bring about unsteadiness.
Moreover, if a desire lurks or arises in one to be the head or leader of the
congregation, it is also harmful. This holds good in the case of both women and
men. If you ask this body for advice, it will tell you to stay quietly in one pl
ace, and practise sadhana as a sincere and earnest aspirant and first of all to
fill your own emptiness; then the treasure you have accumulated will of its own
accord seek an outlet and thus communicate itself to others Whereas, if you star
t distributing right from the beginning by serving and giving spiritual instructi
on to others, you will soon be empty yourself and repentance is bound to follow.
Of course, if serving and teaching is your aim, then it is quite a different ma
tter. But if you want to attain to perfection, your method of proceeding is not
right, for it creates obstacles. This body [ Mataji ] maintains that you should
abide by whichever of the two paths you prefer. To change one s mind again and aga
in will not lead anywhere. Whatever one does must be done one-pointedly. Having
turned away from worldly enjoyment and started advancing towards the Goal of hum
an life, one should endeavour to arrive at Self-realization.

142
It is by seeking to know one s Self that the Great Mother of all may be found.

143

Your mother may not show her affection outwardly, yet she
is and always remai
ns your real
mother. Even though you may want to put God the Mother aside, Sh
e will not leave you. Are you not Her offspring? Keep in mind that everything is
under Her dispensation; She provides, for each the right thing, at the right ti
me, in the right way. Yes, certainly, it is to be welcomed if the desire for the
Real awakens. A mother is she who has the capacity to know precisely and measur
e out to her child exactly what he needs. It is because she knows how to make al
lowances for Her child s mistakes, how to forgive, that she is called mother .

144

Yes, if you can observe silence and be in harmony with everyone all round, it wi
ll be excellent. Try to remain without the help of signs and gestures for as lon
g as possible.

145

To begin with keen up your habits regarding bath and diet, so that you may get u
ndisturbed sleep. This will make it easy for you to think of God and meditate. W
hen the body is healthy it helps to fix your mind on Him. As you progress in you
r sadhana, your diet and sleep will automatically undergo certain, necessary cha
nges.
146

According to one s strength one should try to set apart a day for self-restraint (
samyam), if not once weekly, then once a fortnight or at least once a month. On
those days strict control is to be exercised as regards food and drink, speech a
nd conduct, going to see places and people in fact in every respect whatsoever. I
n this way one may gradually succeed in developing self-mastery and be able to l
ive according to these rules quite effortlessly, or at any rate with some measu
re of ease even for two or three months every year. Later it may perhaps become
possible to sustain permanently such an attitude of life, which will set in moti
on a current leading to Self-realization. The consequence of indiscipline and se
lf-indulgence is sorrow it means moving away from one s own true Self.

147

To see Mahadeva appear and dissolve Himself into your body, accompanied by a man
ifestation of light are undoubtedly good signs. Even the faint vision of a spiri
tual form [ cinmayia murti] is very auspicious. The appearance of Kasi Viswana
tha in the centre between the two eyebrows does happen to those who practise me
ditation. The seeing of figures from the waist up to the neck in a great variety
of shapes and presenting themselves in many different guises is quite common
with sadhakas [ spiritual aspirants] . When you have ho definite proof as to th
e identity of a particular apparition, you Must not, at the mere sight of his fo
rm, take it for granted that it is the one you assume it to be and no other. The
fact is that the sadhaka s spiritual Energy (sakti) manifests itself in countles
s ways according to his special method of approach. If contemplate the form see
n, which represents the outer manifestation
although in an obscure way
of that
spiritual Energy which is intimately connected with man s innate urge towards God
(bhagvad bhava ] it will lead you to God-centredness and help you towards the
things that favour a consecrated life. It must be borne in mind that He manifest
s Himself in everyone in this way through the development of His divine Energy (
Tat Sakti).- Heart and soul have to be put into the attempt to convert religious
practices such as puja, japa , dhyana into living experiences so that their i
nner significance may be revealed.

148

When you feel power within yourself, when new light dawns on you from within, th
e more you can keep it concealed in utter calm and stillness, the more will it g
row in intensity. If it gets the slightest opening, there is always the Fear of
its escaping. Be vigilant. He Himself will provide everything that is necessary i
nitiation, instruction whatever it may be.

149

Indolence and lust these two are the greatest obstacles on the path to Self-real
ization. It is patience and fortitude that are most helpful. If anyone has been
so blessed as to feel that the spiritual path is all-beneficial
if God bestows Hi
s grace en anyone in this way
it is necessary that he should exert his will-powe
r to the utmost and devote day and night to the service of God.
The various activities that aid the spiritual life have to be knit together clos
ely with ever renewed effort just as in a flower garland carefully strung the th
read cannot be seen. No sooner does the mind find a gap in the garland than it w
ill direct all its actions downwards, towards the perishable. Therefore, even t
hough meditation may never be successful, persist to the limit of your capacity;
one should engage in japa, worship, recite holy texts (patha] , sing the praise
s of God (kirtana), or read books on spiritual subjects.
Choose carefully and. abide strictly by such occupations as awaken godly thought
s and feelings. Be very firm in your resolve to cultivate as much as possible th
e actions that are helpful to a God-centred life. Engage in them even when there
is no desire so to do, as one takes medicine. With or without inclination perse
vere in their performance, so that there may be no- time at all left for the dis

play of restlessness.
To indulge in physical comforts is to turn aside from the communion wi
th God; to yield to the likes and dislikes of the tongue and to taste in order t
o satisfy the palate is to deprive oneself in equal measure of the relish of the
Divine. Therefore, whatever food or drink is taken should be consecrated to God
and partaken of as His prasada. Do not eat what does not agree with you. Take a
full meal at midday, milk in the afternoon and fruit or some light refreshment
and water at night.
Keep your thinking on a very high level. Praise and blame, filth and sandal pa
ste must become alike. Nothing in the world should be repulsive to you. Look int
o your own heart and become repelled by the repulsion.
It is only so long as the mind is filled with the thought of G
od, with the awareness of His Presence that there can be real rest.
Food, sleep, toilet, clothes, etc, should be given only as much attention
as is needed for the maintenance of health. What is the use of a merely well-nou
rished body? Rather should it become an aid to spiritual endeavour. Exclusively
to this end must the current of life be diverted, away from the world, moving en
tirely in the direction of the Divine. Take pains to discover for yourself the v
arious things that you can do with real joy and that will bring you nearer to Go
d. Has anyone ever become great by sitting down and saying I cannot ?
Anger, greed and the like must be altogether abandoned. Neither should you be sw
ayed by praise or prestige. Do not retort in a spirit of contradiction to anythin
g that is said. Reply politely with; smile and say no more.
All work must be done as a service to God. The longer you can remain stirred inw
ardly by the feeling of His presence, the more will your body, your mind and you
r actions progress towards the Divine state of being (divya bhava). Attune yours
elf solely to- God. Where the thought of God is, there He Himself is present in
the form of that thought: To seek Truth is man s one and only duty.
Learn by heart hymns and verses in praise of God and repeat them .Whilst y
ou move about. Never allow your mind to, be idle. Keep it engaged in the repetit
ion of a mantra, of God s name, of sacred hymns and the like, or else in pure Reme
mbrance.
One thing more: joys and sorrows are time-born - and obviously cannot las
t. Therefore do not be swayed by them. Keep in mind that they must pass in time
. Aiming at the Highest, hold your course and attend your work, totally unconcer
ned with the results.
And yet another thing: It is He, verily, who manifests Himself in all temperam
ents and forms: whomsoever you may hate, you hate but your own Beloved (Ishta ).
In the whole universe, in all states of being, in all forms is He. All are His n
ames, all shapes His shapes, all qualities His qualities, and all modes of exist
ence are truly His.
To help towards Self-realization He appears to different individuals in differen
t ways : in the shape of the Guru, of the mantra, of the Ishta (the object of on
e s worship] and of Bhava ( devotion, inspiration). Even if devotion and reverenc
e are not natural to you, try to cultivate them by recognizing the need of them.
Do all your work with this attitude. The greater the difficulties and obstructio
ns, and the more intense your endeavour to cling to His Feet, the more will your
power increase from within. And when the time is ripe, you will gain mastery ov
er this very power.

Time is precious and must be used well. The day, the hour, that is gone, returns
not.
150

It is necessary to try and dedicate to the Supreme every single action of one s da
ily life. From the moment one wakes up in the morning until one falls asleep at
night one should endeavour to sustain this attitude of mind. By so doing one wil
l gradually come to feel: How can I offer Him greed, anger and other undesirable
.qualities of this kind? To Him who is so infinitely dear to me, who is my very
own? Does one give that which is bad to one s loved ones? As one continues to ref
lect in this way, one finally becomes incapable of doing anything bad or undesir
able. Then, when at His Lotus-feet one has sacrificed without reserve whatever s
mall power one possesses, so that there is nothing left that one may call- one s o
wn, do you know what He does at that fortunate moment? Out of your littleness He
makes you perfect, whole, and then nothing remains to be desired or
achieved. The moment your self-dedication becomes complete, at that very instant
occurs the revelation of the indivisible, unbroken perfection which is ever rev
ealed by the Self.

151

Whatever comes to pass by the will of Him who is Will itself, is beneficent. In
a life that moves within worldly consideration, conflict is natural. To perseve
re with steadiness in the movement that ends in Self-realization is man s duty. A
glimpse of one s own essential nature gives bliss. The mind that aspires after bl
iss is really aspiring to its own Self, which is its mother
even though the view
that the mind is the child of its own Self may be imaginary. Whose, after all,
are the movements of the mind? If one remains ever steeped in the rhythm of one s
true nature*, how can one possibly go wrong or experience misfortune or lose one s
way? Where is the chance to even think of these possibilities? When one treads
the path, in other words, practises sadhana, is it not one s duty to keep one s gaze
constantly fixed on one s chosen ideal? It has to be admitted that without the ta
ste, the experience of inner joy, one does not find the energy to go ahead. Yet,
if sadhana is one s purpose in life, one must not allow it to become shriveled an
d emaciated: to keep it well sustained by nourishing food is man s unceasing duty.
It is interruption that produces ill-health. Although it is true that without H
is touch the child sadhana cannot reveal itself, nevertheless one must keep one s
winkless gaze fixed on the light obtained so far. Every moment is pervaded by Hi
m, by His contact, His touch, His advent, His acceptance, His victory .
* Man s true nature flows towards God alone.

( Words of Sri Anandamayi Ma )

152

Write to the father some of this little girl s unconventional talk:

This small child* [ * Mataji ] is ever near her father . The mind s agony, listeni

ng to people s talk and speaking, all happens within oneself. Near and far are als
o but within oneself. You should not only be sadhaka at the time of your spirit
ual exercises albeit everything is contained in everything. The capacity for uni
nterrupted sadhana is also potentially in oneself: it will be discovered by wise
discrimination. One should continuously be immersed in the particular sadhana t
hat will enable one to become possessed of the Supreme Treasure which is by its
very nature one s own. At all times it is the Self that plays within Itself as ego
(ahamkar ) and as intelligence (buddhi). Use the present with great skill. The
One who manifests in the (impure) actions of the I-ness, He Himself also appears
in Pure Action. In order that this may be revealed, intelligence becomes aware
of stability in motion, where in the movement of Self-action, wise discriminatio
n would realize its own true Nature. When this happens, then, in stupidity as we
ll as wisdom, He is recognized, the One who becomes revealed, who who IS. He is
infinite and also with end. Towards Him one should try to advance steadily witho
ut ever halting, having become free from obstacles and obstructions. When one ha
s entered the Stream, any form that is perceived by the purified mind and intell
igence may be accepted as an experience on the way to Self-awareness.
When one has become still, that is to say one has
state of tranquility, then the activity of nature which
nt in sleep and in waking and is part of the movement of
th to death, this and the thinking mind become caught in
ly remain floating in it.

become established in a
continues at every mome
the pilgrimage from bir
that Stream and eternal

Ever to keep the mind poised in the Self, wide-awake in the current of Rea
lity, where the Unfathomable, the One-without-end is ever revealed in His Infini
ty this must, with the intensity of an obsession be your one and constant endea
vour.
153
If one does not arrive at a state of stillness, the agitation of one s whole
system will manifest through every nerve and fibre of the body and render one i
nefficient. If one s energy is not retained, the harmonious functioning of this en
ergy in perfect tranquility is not possible. Interest in the Supreme Quest and p
ractices performed in search of Truth naturally have a calming effect. The prese
rvation of energy is essential; if he finds kirtana helpful, he should, at the t
ime when kirtana is sung, try to sit absolutely still in a fixed posture and con
centrate. A disturbed state of mind and body is not favourable.

154

Those who attempt to be brahmacharis must live a life of renunciation. Sloth, g

reed, impatience, praise and fame are serious obstacles. Taking great care to av
oid these, all work should be done in the nature of a service. Furthermore, the
rules enjoined on brahmacairis and sadhus have to be given special attention. W
hat might seem an offence in the eyes of others should not be pursued, nor what
is likely to cause even the slightest harm to oneself.

155

Merely to assume the robes of a sadhu while the spirit of renunciation is lackin

g will not do. Taking samnnyas and becoming a samnyasi spontaneously, are certa
inly not one and the same thing.
156

Inward samnyasa is real samnaysa . To become a samnyasi is very fortunate

, is in fact a matter of supreme rejoicing. But do you feel that the right momen
t to take such a step has come for you? samnyasa signifies complete renunciation
, the annihilation of everything: even the idea of annihilation has to become exti
nct.

157

How can a man who is harbouring thoughts of suicide expect to become a samnyasi?
The idea of suicide does not even enter the mind of those who consider themselv
es candidates for samnyas. A spirit of extreme self-denial and renunciation is t
he attitude that affords the greatest aid towards this exalted state. Vow to be
truthful in speech, and refrain from letter-writing. Do not talk to women nor al
low your gaze to rest on them.
158

What does catering into one s own True Being (svarupa) signify? To realize wha
t IS: that He, the Self-effulgent One is all-pervading, present in all shapes, s
tates of mind and modes of existence. There speech, words have no place. For, c
an Essential Form ((svarupa) or formlessness (aruapa) be described in any langua
ge? He and He alone IS.

159

When people talk about the vision of the Self (atma darsana ) and Self-realisati
on, it only from hearsay; still, it is necessary to find a way to such first-han
d knowledge. Thus we have to adopt any method that may help us to attain to it.
You can see for yourself---just think: there is air and without air our body cann
ot keep alive. Grasp this: does not the air pervade everything? Plants, minerals
, animals, in fact all creatures? You differentiate between the earth, water, fir
e, air, ether and so forth, do you not? Viewing them each separately helps us to
understand them. It is said that in essence there is Truth-Consciousness-Bliss
[ Sat-chit-ananda ]. Only when consciousness is rooted in Truth can there be Bli
ss.
From our worldly point of view we everywhere perceive animate o
r inanimate things; but in reality He who is Truth, He who is Consciousness, per

meates them all; only this cannot be realized- by the average person. As soon as
the mind understands the fact of His immanence, then, just as when an image is
to be worshipped, life has first of all to be instilled into it through prana pr
atishtha , so He becomes ,as it were, active within us, at first through the veh
icle of the breath, which is an expression of the life-force (prana] The word wi
thin has been used only because we think in terms of within and without . This is why
we speak of I and you , of God with form (sakara ] and without form (nirakara ] .
Be ever aware of the following: what is called life-breath is really an
aspect of a universal, all-pervasive power that functions continuously. It is He
in one of His forms; He who is Truth-Consciousness reveals Himself in this mode.
If with the help of a mantra received from the Guru we can remain concentrated
on the breath, or even if, at any time there be no mantra, we simply keep on wat
ching the movement of the breath, this will help to steady the mind and may also
be an aid in our search of Him, who is the Life of
our life, who is t
he Whole, the Eternal One.
The vision of the Eternal play (lila) of the Supreme Being whose essen
ce is Consciousness and Bliss is impossible, unless one has seen His delight in
His own universality and self-sufficiency and finds this joy repeated within one
self in union with and as part of the Whole. Until the senses have been mastered
and passion transcended, how can we become identified with the Supreme Self?
The ever-moving breath changes its rhythm according to what we do, feel and thi
nk, with the precision of a clock s pendulum, which works without a break although
it may at times go fast or slow. With a similar constancy endeavour to concentra
te on the breath; this will exercise a check on the mind and prevent it from wan
dering away to outer objects: Look, when a restless child is caught hold of, tak
en inside the house and given toy, he will cry for a short time at least remain
quiet and absorbed. In order to calm one s restlessness it is necessary to keep bu
t one single end in view.
Divine thoughts and aspirations (sadbhava) are the essence of satsang; to the de
gree that we foster these, the craving of the heart will be fulfilled and the mi
nd stilled. With the help of your intelligence and individual capacity try to un
ite the mind with the breath. Do you know what the essential thing is? To realiz
e that the unbroken current of aspiration itself is a revelation of Him who is t
he indivisible Whole.

160

Mahasunya
the Great Void is alone His Form. But it has to be distinguished from
the ordinary void that belongs to the world; where this functions, the Great V
oid cannot be comprehended. What is and what is not? Yet everything is and is al
so not and neither is it not, nor is it. Albeit, to find all by losing all, this
is what is wanted.
161

God alone is Truth, Happiness, Bliss. Do not set your hopes on anything

except Supreme Beatitude, the Bliss of the Self. Naught else exists. What seems
to exist outside of It is merely illusion. Try to find your Self! All this cl
amouring is but natural to man. He cries out again and in the endeavour to get r
id of his sense of emptiness.
The true aim of man s life is to realize God. The question of renunciation a
rises obviously only in regard to what has to fall away in any case. That which
is Eternal that which is Truth has to be embraced.
He who is himself bound will ever be attracted to the bound. This is the
very nature of the individual. With the help of the Guru one comes to realize t
he impermanence of things. Everything is possible through the power of the Guru.
Even when you feel you have lost patience, do not relax your efforts but try ag
ain and again. To your last breath never leave off striving. Pray to Him that yo
u may continue to remain at His Feet all the twenty-four hours.
He who has been initiated by a Guru must, under His direction, try to keep his
mind every minute of his life engaged in spiritual pursuits, such as worship, j
apa, meditation, the perusal of sacred texts, kirtan, satsang and the like. Exer
t yourself to the limit of your power, however feeble it may be. He is there to
fulfill what has been left undone.

162

O Will Supreme, Thy Will prevails.

The Fountain of Goodness accomplishes everything when the time is ripe.
To aspire to That which is Eternal Truth is right for everyone.
Of Thee alone must be the spoken word,
All else is but futility and pain.