Be Aware of the Well-Dressed Thoughts - 13th October 2017

From this space, Ashtavakra says, 'You are the one solitary witness of all there is.' And just before that he said, 'You are not earth, water, fire, or air. You are not even the space in which they happen.' All phenomena you are not, and yet you are the one solitary witness of all there is. Before you must be something which is beyond phenomenon. And if you are beyond phenomenal, then you witness that all phenomena is a coming and going, is an appearance and disappearance. That is why it is called appearance, because it appears and it disappears. Reality does not appear and disappear; therefore, reality is not phenomenal.

So I'm happy you asked this question because many are confusing this, this witness of the Ashtavakra, with the perception which is the functioning of consciousness using the power of attention to bring objects to life, in a way. Then you ask: Who is the witness self-aware, aware of itself, witnessing all other phenomena and of its own existence too? Yes, because if it wasn't, then we would never be able to say 'I am aware.' Then awareness would be an unknown notion. So not only is the Self self-aware, even in its dynamic play as consciousness, it comes to the recognition of this awareness.

So if its dynamic play is coming to this recognition, if in the inquiry, if in the Neti Neti—not this, not this—you are coming to the recognition of this, then you that is coming to the recognition of this is also just an aspect of awareness. Then how can it be that an aspect can come to this recognition but the whole never had it? Some of these things, I know, might seem a bit confusing right now, but it's simpler than what you might think it is. It's completely... in fact, it is the all-knowing. It is knowingness itself. Then how would it not know this basic fundamental truth about itself? But it doesn't know it in a conceptual way. It doesn't need to know it in a perceptual way.

All of this is part of the phenomenal aspect, consciousness, which has played with this knowledge conceptually, experientially, as objects of perception. Now it is going beyond all that. That's why this is so unique. You see, here there is no experience on offer. That is why it is unique, and yet it is a non-phenomenal experience. To the mind, there is no such thing as a non-phenomenal experience because experience itself means phenomena. But to you, you are recognizing this as you are emptying yourself of all conditions, all that is false about yourself. You will see that all of these insights are self-evident, so you don't have to force them. Very good, very happy with this.

Just continue to not fill the blank 'I am ____' with anything in that dash, and you will find that all of these insights become clearer and clearer. This inquiry must be done in a very natural, playful way. I feel like too many are doing inquiries: 'Who am I? Am I the body?' Sincerely, who am I? Am I something that is changing? And if I am the changing, then what witnesses change? Is that itself changing? Just like simple one or two questions like this, and allow the questions to do the work themselves. The main part of the inquiry is not to get in the way; just allow it to unfold.

The question 'Who am I?' is so potent that it doesn't need any other support. And what can seemingly obstruct it is our conclusion. So if you're reaching a conclusion, then drop it. You will reach a non-conclusion, the same thing as your intuitive insight, and you will struggle to mobilize it until your intuition itself puts the words in your mouth, and then they are coming from the space of your true seeing. I know that this inconclusiveness can seem a bit frustrating for some time because in this world we've been taught that you must know things. If you don't know, then you're dumb or something. It is not true. You will not know who you are conceptually. You will not know who you are as a phenomenon. You will see that you have always known who you are.

I don't say these words with the intent of making them sound confusing. In fact, if there is intent here, it is only to make it sound very simple. But as I hear them, I know that many times they can sound like a bit of a riddle. That is the play of trying to share this non-phenomenal truth in a phenomenal way. Yes, 'don't believe your next thought' helps me a lot. I feel that's more than enough. Yes, otherwise it all gets very confusing to me. Whatever works to help you keep that 'I am something' empty of that 'something' is good enough.

Father, there is still fear to show myself. I watch satsang with Nitya and sometimes alone, but I still like to hide myself. That's why I'm writing here, but I'm seeing you every day.

She laughs the best at my jokes, so that's why I like to see her often during satsang. Very welcome here, my dear. And I know sometimes this fear of hiding and not showing yourself, these things can play out, but these will not last. We will outlast them. Yes.

In reading your book, 'Can You Stop Being?', it's like reading one of the Gitas. Oh, thank you so much. In reading your book, 'Can You Stop Being?', it's like reading one of the Gitas. Could you read and elaborate on that?

Perhaps you're a bit strange; maybe one of you should do that. It's a little bit strange. Commentary will be unique, but we can look at some parts if you like, some passages which you feel could need some elaboration. I'd be happy to do that. You said in your book that if you just do this one thing—don't believe your next thought—everything else will be taken care of. Everything will reveal itself to you. It cannot hide, you say. Is it really enough, Guruji?

Yes. Let's start now in this moment. Before going to your next thought, you are not confused about who you are. How and why is that? It is not your natural state to not know who you are. It is like you were auditioning for a play, but you got so involved in it that it is the character which is now... the play character which is now trying to find its own source. You see, what has happened is that the audition became so sticky that it left this mind to remind you of your dream character. So if you just keep that aside for some time—not with the sense of aversion or pushing it aside, it is not 'don't believe your next thought' with the sense of fear, 'No, no, I must run from my thoughts' or something—just with a simple, natural openness, just allow one to come and go.

Don't pick up a notion about yourself because all notions are limitations. You are here effortlessly, and you are aware of this existence effortlessly. A thought is a step, an offer to take a step somewhere, an offer to take a position, to make a reference point about yourself. Before you take this offer, where are you? You are here as what? Thoughts do not have answers to these, even if it claims it does. Those answers are not true, but your insight is true. That is why it is very simple.

I used to say very often, almost every day, there are three main pointings to be rid of suffering. Because suffering is the play of the limited self, and the only limitation can happen when you pick up a limited notion about yourself. So to be rid of suffering, all that one has to do—if it is a doing at all, actually it is a non-doing—all that one has to do is not believe the next thought. And many have said that, 'Yes, I cannot suffer unless I believe what this mind is telling me.' It always has to do with this limited notion about myself.

Then you might ask me, 'Okay, this is fine, I'm not suffering anymore, but what about God? Can you show me God?' Then I would say, 'Yes, I can show you God if you just try for one moment to stop being. Don't exist for one instant.' You will see that this existence is here, and this existence doesn't have any boundary. It doesn't have a definition. It doesn't have shape or size. I exist. I am. This existence is consciousness, what most people call God.

Then you might ask me, 'But what about that which is the Absolute?' There's this old Sufi story about 'higher than God I am.' What is this? And mostly there will come a disbelief when I tell you that to come to this highest, all you have to do is inquire into this simple question: Am I aware now? This 'I' that is aware, which one is this one? Now, the questions are very simple, but if you allow the same old techniques to hijack them—which is trying to answer them conceptually or use some prior knowledge, even what you learned in previous satsang—if you try to apply that, it won't work. It must be completely fresh, like an infant child. You cannot use these questions from a position.

I know actually that many have also tried 'don't believe your next thought' from a personal position and reported it back to me and said, 'It doesn't work.' Because you're trying to solve something personally and you're trying to use this master key to open that lock. It's not a personal strategy. It will not help. It's not a cheat code to having a prosperous life or something like that. It's more pristine than that. So, completely empty of all positions, all notions. Yes, it's pristine.

How you say... yes, it's just that your mind won't agree with how pristine it is. Why is it pristine? Because if I ask you, 'Is there a computer in front of you?', you have to perceive it as an object. Then you say, 'Yes.' All objects are perceived in this field. But this awareness you don't perceive as an object, and yet you say, 'Yes.' You don't have to use the concept 'I am awareness' to say yes. You have not had a taste of awareness as if it is a phenomena, and still you say yes. What is the basis of that yes? It is not conceptual, it is not perceptual, it is not emotional. It is something much deeper than that. And don't give this insight over to the mind because the mind will come like a jealous friend. You're trying to tell them about your wonderful vacation... 'Yeah, yeah, I did that five years ago.'

As an object, and yet you say yes. You don't have to use the concept 'I am awareness' to say yes. You have not had a taste of awareness as if it is a phenomena, and still you say yes. What is the basis of that yes? It is not conceptual, it is not perceptual, it is not emotional. It is something much deeper than that. And don't give this insight over to the mind because the mind will come like a jealous friend. You're trying to tell them about your wonderful vacation; 'Yeah, yeah, I did that five years ago and also, by the way, I also did this. Did you do that?' It will try to find reasons for why you are not there yet. Don't go to the mind for the freedom certificate. Just see that you are aware of your very existence.

Which one is this one? Father, when I interact with my 29-year-old daughter regarding trouble with boyfriend, I feel like I'm talking to her within the play of her drama, and yet sometimes insight will come for her and I say profound things. Yes, and this play—so it confuses me how to interact with her like this.

It's fine because naturally some things will come. The parental role can continue to be played with this body or not. In this life, it continues to play, and mostly those in the satsang also, it continues to play. So we don't necessarily have to become all Advaita and everything that we say. You know, life is moving. Even the words are being put there by this higher force, and this higher force knows exactly how to play parent, child, boss, employee. All the roles that need to be played can happen in their own natural way. Okay, 'I feel like I am talking to her within the play of her drama, yet sometimes insight will come from her and I say profound things.' Yes, and it arises naturally like this, then it's very good. 'I'm going to display it, so it confuses me how to interact with her.' This 'how to' we can drop, because when you pick up this idea 'how do I do this?' then we are picking up again the limited emotion about ourselves. God does not need a 'how to' guide as to how to run this life. So anytime the question comes 'how to,' then we must be referring to this play of consciousness as a play of something individual.

So we are speaking like this, and yet if you ask me some practical questions—in fact, your daughter is 29, so maybe I should be asking you how do I deal with my children who are a bit younger. That's a bit different. So I'm not trying to create any level confusion. I'm just saying that from what you are saying, what we are talking about in satsang, you notice that all these words are coming on their own. Just like these words in satsang, then same way the interaction with other roles, other assets of this life, can happen very naturally. How many of you are confused about, or not completely clear about, what I mean when I say it's all about dropping the 'something'? 'I am something.' It's all about dropping this 'something' or not picking up this 'something,' and it becomes apparent when this 'I am' remains empty of the 'something.' The truth is so apparent. Is this clear to you? Because this is very, very direct and straightforward.

So this 'I' that is the primal witness that we spoke about, that is the unchanging. Now what happens? What is suffering? What is... can you have suffering in your sleep? So first, what needs to be there for you to suffer? Before thought, can a thought come unless you are there? I should be there, but I as now this consciousness, you must exist. So you cannot have a thought in your sleep state. You cannot have any phenomenal taste in your sleep. In fact, it is the appearance of this sense that 'I exist' which is the basis for all of this. So let's call this 'I am,' okay? In the Android version, this has been your direct insight or not? For two minutes, just take my word for it. In the moment of your waking up, there is just 'I am.' Before even time and space, you are just 'I am.' Then all this play of time and space, all of these times now. If this 'I am'—existence, presence, consciousness—was just left as 'I am,' would you suffer? Therefore, you must attach something. 'I am an employee,' 'I am mother,' 'I am father.' Something must be put in that box for you to suffer.

Now, how does this 'something' get put in the box? Right now, you are empty of 'something.' Now, if you had to put it in the box, in the blank, then what would you have to do? I know you're in a safe environment; try to pick up something. Can you do it without a thought arising? So first the thought has to arise. Then there must be... just with the rising of the thought, is there something there? Because many thoughts, they come and go all the time. Thought can come, but 'I am' places something when it gives its 'yes' to the thought. It gives its assent, it gives its belief to the thought: 'Yes, this is true about me. I am a good spiritual seeker.' Suppose the thought came right now. If it was just coming and going, no truth value given, no assembly, nothing, it doesn't get retired. But the minute we latch on to it—as Guruji would say, 'log in'—you log into it, then it becomes 'I am this good spiritual seeker,' 'bad spiritual something.' Now, if you attach to the concept 'I am a good spiritual seeker' and somebody tells you, 'Rama, it's not happening to you. What's happening? You're not a good seeker.' But somebody who is not in satsang, you know, they're only interested in building a building or something like that, you say 'You're not a good spiritual seeker,' they say 'I don't care.' So it is these concepts that we have about ourselves that become the root of our suffering.

So to be free from suffering, we come to this unassociated 'I am.' What is the way to come to this unassociated 'I am'? Two ways which are usually prescribed on this path, which are self-inquiry or surrender. Surrender means what? Whatever that 'something' offer might be coming from the mind, just let it go. So 'I am' alone cannot suffer. In this emptiness of 'something,' who are you is very apparent. You don't have a 'but,' you don't have a concept. Now some say that it doesn't come naturally for me to surrender. 'I cannot just let things go. I have to make these things a thing.' These days I've been saying my favorite teaching now today is: don't make any single thing. Which means like that the same thing: don't put something into that box.

Some say that it's not natural for me to say, 'I'm more of the inquisitor type. I have to ask why, what's going on.' So for them it is prescribed that you better do the inquiry because the letting go doesn't seem to be easy. When you inquire, you say when the thought comes 'I am not a good spiritual seeker,' then you ask yourself: who is the 'I' which is not the seeker? Is the body the seeker? Is a thought the seeker? Is an emotion? Who is the seeker? Then you will see that it's a mythical notion. It's a mythical concept. It is not true. Therefore, then again this 'something' does not get attached to 'I am' and we remain empty of that. As long as we remain empty of that, then nothing, no matter what is happening, we cannot suffer in this play. For us to suffer, there must be a notion of limitation that we have picked up about ourselves. That's why most of spirituality, if not all, is about how to be empty of this 'something.' That's why when I say remain open, don't take a position, don't give yourself a reference point, don't go with your mind's offer, don't believe your next thought, let go, forget about it—all of this means the same thing: don't give yourself that 'something' position. Simple.

So once this is understood, then all that we will find is that some two, three main 'somethings' still seem to be sticky and they just come and habits to grab onto. So when we come to satsang, you will find naturally that that is getting lighter and lighter. And if they're really sticky, then we can really put them in the inquiry and say, till that particular 'something' becomes laughable, we can inquire into it. If we are not of the inquiring temperament, then we can just surrender to the Guruji. But either way, it is not something that you pick up as a notion about yourself. So then if both of these seem alien—surrender or self-inquiry—then other parts of their practice, something, chanting mantra practice, mindfulness, do meditation, do various other things to keep yourself empty of this 'something' emotional. But ultimately at the end, all spirituality will come to this truth: I am this Atma, this consciousness, empty of the notion of a limited egoistic individualistic idea, notion of yourself that 'I am something.' And this is wrong no matter which path you follow, which practice you do. It is all about this.

Now that is what I have been saying, that even in spirituality, because our habit is to pick up something, then even the spiritual concepts you can pick up. So we can hear in satsang 'I am awareness,' so we can just pick it up as a concept and put it there. So we remain empty of even spiritual concepts. We use all spiritual concepts just as thorns to remove other things. In this way, whatever is the easy... actually this is the pathless path because, you know the good news? Good news is that right now you are empty of that 'something.' It's just that we got used to buying from the salesman who's been selling us fake goods for so long. But now we are learning how to say no—not even no, just move on, move along. That's how that's happening. That is the meaning of when the Zen masters have said, 'Let all thoughts come and go, don't serve them.' Don't pick up that 'something' and attach it to yourself. I feel like this, in this very simple way, you can get to the root of it. Otherwise, I know that many times words of satsang can seem contradictory. We don't know this way or that way. All of satsang is basically an attempt, so if your 'something' is of this type, then what you will hear in satsang is the opposite type so we can empty you of that 'something.' If it is the opposite type, then we have to say, if you're going too much right, right, left, left shift and say come right, right. We're going too much right, right. So the point of concepts is not that you will learn something; actually it is to unlearn everything. Satsang, the point of concepts is other. I remember that you read someday 'I am neither associated nor unassociated being.' Not that it bothers me. The ultimate is not even the being is passing production. Beware of well-dressed thoughts. Okay.

The part of the flower, the bud, the flower bud might also feel like when the change comes and it is transforming, it's opening up, it might feel like it is done. 'All my petals are just opening, opening, they might just fall off.' This resistance to opening up is like that. You don't know what is happening. That is why sometimes it is said that the devotees have the easiest time of it because they feel like whatever it is, it's the Master's problem. Come to your motionless existence and see that these words are just from your own inner insight. Nisargadatta Maharaj was a seller of small cigarettes called bidis. No education, no Advaitic background, did not go to any school. Just in his unfolding, he saw that it is so clear. Then his words, this uneducated bidi seller, his words have become the revered scripture almost. You can see his advantage was maybe that he didn't know, and he continued not to know. From that not-knowing, you can speak of the true Knowingness, capital K. If there is a claimant to this, then you know that it has become mental, it has become a position. Empty of one to know, only the Knowingness is there. There is nobody who decided to be aware. There's nobody who suddenly has become aware. This awareness that we speak of is prior to all of this. All that can change.

Yes, yes, yes. Nithya, thank you my dear for reminding us. Holy feet. Thank you for being such a beautiful son of Bhagavan Sri Ramana Maharshi. Thank you for giving us your most pristine beautiful son. So, so grateful. This play of consciousness. Thank you.

He says thanks. If you aren't tired today, if you are please leave it, not so important. Can you talk about the importance, if there is any, of the bhajan? Then bhajan is actually an invocation, and it is a choiceless invocation almost in the sense that the one who calls, something arises in their heart and the call arises, and the one that responds has a...

Such a beautiful son of Bhagavan Sri Ram Namar. Thank you for giving us your most pristine, beautiful son. So, so grateful for this play of consciousness. Thank you.

He says, 'Thanks. If you aren't tired today—if you are, please leave it, not so important—can you talk about the importance, if there is any, of the bhajan?'

Bhajan is actually an invocation, and it is a choiceless invocation almost in the sense that the one who calls, something arises in their heart and the call arises, and the one that responds has also no option. So, that aspect of consciousness—and maybe I can share more about what all these aspects are, whether real or not, here on some other day—but that aspect of consciousness which is being invoked with no expectation of phenomenal gain in mind, just out of this beautiful space of devotion, and whether you are invoking Krishna or Jesus, it doesn't matter. That aspect of consciousness serves your presence, this location that we call. Bhajan is a beautiful part of the play. There's a sweet point of the play that is still enjoyed here very much. It is just singing, with very bad singing usually from here, but what arises and to enjoy that taste of consciousness that we might call whatever name that you might give to it. Just like invoking the holy presence of Guruji, invoking the holy presence of Bhagavan, invoking the holy presence of Papaji, you can taste their flavor, isn't it? You can taste their presence.

The same way it is with anything that you have devotion in your heart for. So, besides the joy of the singing and the beautiful words and melody, all of these things, bhajans are an invocation from the heart to that aspect of the formless one which appears in these most beautiful forms. And just like the Master is an appearance of this aspect of consciousness which is so empty of concepts about himself or herself, and we invoke the beautiful presence of the Master, they are there, always there, but even their flavor becomes apparent. It's nice, very beautiful. And whatever your starting temperament might be, you will find that as true knowledge dawns, then true devotion is a byproduct of that. Devotion flowers. You will find that with all these beautiful insights, true knowledge also appears. Like Kabir Ji, all he had was his devotion to his Master, and yet he spoke right from the place of the Absolute. So, many, many, many rivers which lead to the same ocean. In the same way, all paths lead to yourself because the Self is always there. Okay? Thank you all so much for being in satsang today. Om Shanti Shanti Shanti. Jai Guru Dev.