Anchors Prescribed by the Sages - 14th December 2017

So my most famous teacher, Nisargadatta Maharaj, suggested that we stay in the sense of Being, the sense 'I am.' What is the sense 'I am'? I ask you to try and stop being. Don't be. And then you don't have to chase the sense 'I am.' You can see that it is so natural that you cannot stop this Being, this sense of presence, sense of existence. For the next few minutes, we will just stay with that. Keep our attention on this Being, very naturally, playfully. Not doing anything, feeling a gentle smile on your face. Is it possible? Relaxed. Actually, let's just stay with your sense of existence.

Very good. Now some of you will feel like all of this is too confusing, too abstract. 'I need something more tangible to hold on to.' Still these words, 'What is this existence? What is this witnessing?' We must at some level have integrity in our heart and just see what is the best medicine which seems to be working for us. Don't worry about what is highest, what is lowest, or what makes you the most accomplished seeker. It's not about that. Whatever is the seeming way to this conceptlessness is good. All paths lead to the same room.

So for those of you for whom all this is too abstract, then we would offer something more tangible. One generic sound or mantra that all of us can hold on to is 'Om.' But if in your heart there is natural devotion for someone or something and you know what can serve as remembrance to the Divine, as devotion to that, you can use that as you travel your path. The rest of us, we just stay with 'Om,' chanting 'Om' at our own speed, at your own pace. Let everything else dissolve in this sound. So it could be 'Om.' For the next few minutes, stay with this mantra. Allow everything else to dissolve and reduce. If the mind is wandering, don't worry. Just simply come back to the mantra with no judgment or interpretation. Naturally, playfully.

Now some of you will find that even if we decided to stop chanting, the mantra just goes on on its own. And if it does, then allow it to. This is called Ajapa Japa, which happens without the chanter starting it. As some of you on YouTube come into this notionless business, first letting go of notions means not to use any anchor, to be empty of any concept. And then for some, it can seem like, 'No, this is too difficult and my attention is wandering too much.' We are looking at various anchors that have been provided by the sages throughout history. We looked at the anchor of remaining as the primal witnessing. We looked at the anchor of just Being, keeping our attention on the sense 'I am.' And then we looked at the anchor of using a holy name to keep our attention centered when the mind is distracted.

So some of you will feel like if none of this is really working and no word actually is appealing so much, or the attention is not staying, what has been prescribed in many paths, especially the path of Buddhism, is this practice of mindfulness which employs the technique of keeping your attention with your breath. And then you go with all the actions as your interaction, being with the breath completely. But the anchor point, the main anchor point, is the breath. Let's try this for a few minutes. Just whatever might be coming and going, you remain with your breath. Some of the Indian sages have also prescribed that if this helps for some of you, as the in-breath is coming, you hear it as 'So,' and as the out-breath is going, you hear it as 'Ham.' So then it becomes the mantra 'So-Ham' at the same time. Just do it very naturally, again playfully, just having fun with your breath. And at the mind's wandering, nothing to worry about. Just gently come back to it. If it changes, come back to the breath. For a few minutes, we just stay with our breath.

Some of you will have the experience in the middle between this breath that it just stops, and sometimes it feels like it is suspended. Don't worry about it. Don't try to become all scientific about it. It's nothing to fear. Also, it is nothing special. It's no big deal at all. Don't make it a thing. Actually, as you're using any of these anchors, you will come to your existence. Just for the sake of completion, for those for whom even this staying with the breath is not going to help with this distracted trunk of the elephant, you can do something physical. Hatha Yoga, Surya Namaskar, laughter yoga—any of this. Play with yourself with integrity, with honesty in your heart. And the biggest blessing is if some moment you know flow, at least with some devotion in your heart, that can make all of this very natural and playful. Even to remain motionless without any anchor is greatly blessed. If you feel like you're always at the Master's feet, you're always in the Master's heart, all those blessings are always with you. Honestly, it's time for Ruchi's silent sitting to start, so we will close this broadcast. Pranam. Thank you all so much for being in Satsang today. Guru Sri Mooji Baba ki Jai.