Contemplation on the Ashtavakra Gita Ch. 1, Vs. 14- 20 - 4th August 2017

So this is the knowledge I'm speaking of which comes from your recognition about yourself. And what if you say, 'But how to come to this recognition?' He says you are not any of the five elements. You are not anything phenomenal, although they might arise from you and dissolve within you. Yet your greater position is that of a witness to these. So what is this witness? And you have to clarify for yourself: 'Am I this witness?'

Many times when I say witness, the mind will come to you and say, 'Create a visual of like an entity sitting over there and witnessing all of this.' That's the trouble with the term witness. I use the term witnessing, or awareness itself. It is not an entity which is on the way, not somebody being aware. Beingness is within a range, whereas the witness is on the river. Our job is just to check: who witnesses all that is phenomenal, all that is the realm of change? Who witnesses the world, which includes this body? If there's something which is witnessing the movement of your body right now—'something' is not an accurate term, but we'll do that for now—something which watches the movement of your thoughts. When one thought goes and the other one has not yet come, I am still here in the space between thoughts. The witness remains. Therefore, I must be independent of my thoughts.

Mind will convince you that you are the mind. The mind is nothing, as the Sage said, nothing but a bundle of thoughts. But even in the space between two thoughts, you remain. Otherwise, how would the Zen master say 'no mind'? If you were just the mind, then who would be here to taste no mind? You cannot be this body; we already spoke about that. The world we know is changing already. Oh, then what about emotions, sensations? What about all of these? They are also changing. What about the witness of these? Does that one also change? In this entire realm of phenomena—can I give my participation? Okay. In this realm of changes, you cannot find anything which remains unchanging. We must look at who witnesses the change. If we are looking for truth, if we are looking for reality, we must find the one that witnesses all that is changing.

And already all of us know, we've been in Satsang long enough to know, that when we attach to that which is changing, what's going to happen? We will suffer because that is the nature of attachment. Therefore, what can be attached to? If all phenomena is changing, what is it that can give us the stability we are looking for? Are you aware now? Did you have to learn how to be aware? Can you forget how to be aware? How many of you are waiting to say, 'Oh, but even this awareness I am not'? It's the funniest thing. Whatever you think—'I am aware'—then 'even awareness I am not.' But I know that. But even knowingness I am not. So in that moment when you were not awareness or knowingness, what knew that you are not that? That is the mind game. Better you forget about this concept because you haven't experienced the future of the Self and you want to cling to a fantastic idea of truth that you will discover. You can pick up this idea that 'I am beyond even awareness itself.' Because if it was your experience, you cannot have an experience unless you are aware.

So the Sage says, 'Let the knowledge "I am awareness" alone be the sword that frees you.' Now, 'I am awareness alone' does not mean that we do not experience the presence of consciousness. It really means that even consciousness is made up of the Self, made up of awareness itself. All that is, is awareness itself. Verse 16: 'You are now and forever free, luminous, transparent, still. The practice of meditation keeps one in bondage.' You are now and forever free, luminous, transparent, still. The practice of meditation keeps one in bondage.

So let me look at the second part first, because those meditators will be getting worried now. What does this mean, 'the practice of meditation keeps one in bondage'? So often when I get this question, 'Can I continue to meditate?' or 'Is meditation helpful to me?' I usually say this—of course, it depends on the questioner—I usually say yes, it is, but the meditator is not helpful. Too many times it is the practitioner identity which itself becomes so strong that all of this thinking of the Self depends on how long I have meditated today, or what are the experiences I had in my meditation, what colors of light did I see, which astral worlds did I travel to. It becomes all about this thing. So it becomes another type of game. Like this world again, you can experience everything here also, so then we want to experience other worlds and that itself becomes identity.

So the meditator identity, the practitioner identity, is what the Sage is pointing to—that not even this can we be attached to. There is nothing wrong with the meditation, except the meditation is one again... it is a Satsang. It is to be in the company of the Self. Meaning, to be in the company of the Truth, that is true meditation. So it is not meditation which is the problem; it is the idea of being the meditator, the spiritual ego associated with meditation. Also, other cycles can come. Within one day of meditation, and this I speak from my own experience of the past, one day of meditation you can feel like it's so stable, so much peace, but even that is there, everything is gone. Then you can have an idea that 'Today I will make it even better.' And what happens when you start meditating? All the thoughts about relationships and money, all of these things were getting more motivated. 'Oh, yesterday was so good, I want that.' So that's why memory is very essential for us by giving us a full wiring with simple contemplation: 'Who am I?' Because in this inquiry, you cannot even hold on to the identity of the inquirer. Even that will be squeezed out of you. There is no potential to keep the identity of the practitioner.

So this is a general point, but I want to talk to you because I feel like you can hear it. I want to talk to you about the subtler, which is: what is it that you are before the intention to meditate or the practice of meditation? In this moment now, before you even pick up the idea of meditation or the practice of meditation, are you not the Self? So then the idea of something to do to get somewhere itself is bondage, isn't it? Which reinforces the idea again that you are a limited entity that has to do A, B, and C, X, Y, and Z, then you will come to this point which is freedom. What are all the masters saying? One first thing: that you are free right now. You don't have to be equal, but the least you can do is check if this is true. One of you says you follow the master. The least we can do within this moment is check what is here. Is there something which is bound? Before you can go to the content of the next thought, before you can worry about any emotions, before giving anything to do, what is this that you are, empty of all of these concepts?

Before the intention of any doership, what are you here and now? Are you something which is bound by the sensations of your body boundaries? If it really is, are you something that is bound by the sensations of the body which might seem to you like they are boundaries of things? Are they not another energetic appearance within your own being, within your own existence? And if you are beyond this body boundary, which is just another appearance within you, how long will we identify as just this pocket of flesh and blood? That's why the Sage said, 'You are now and forever free, luminous, transparent.' And I explained the other day that if you keep looking for attributes—'Let me find the transparent one, let me find the luminous one'—if you get confused, you are not to search for these attributes in that way. You only have to search for yourself. And then as you come to this recognition, see that it is true what you find about yourself is free of images, it is transparent, still. These things are all to be used to check and to inquire into the truth.

And what we are finding, like a very beautiful one that the Sage said, 'Oh, here you are not earth, water, fire, air.' Quickly the mind, what does it give you? It gives you the picture of some space. 'If I am not earth, water, fire, air, so I must be this space.' So quickly the mind says, 'Even this space you are not.' Now the mind is lost because it cannot define or visualize anything which is beyond space. It keeps doing different visuals of different types of space, maybe some dark space, maybe some white space, some colorful space. If you say 'not even space,' then at that moment the question comes to you: are you going to keep the allegiance to this mind? Now we come to a point where the mind cannot help you at all. The mind is going to admit that if you try to visualize, it will keep trying to conceptualize. We can even hang on to the concept that 'it is beyond the mind.' But what you are looking for must go beyond.

Different visuals of various types of schools, some dark space, some white space, some colorful space. If you say not even spirit is being perceived at that moment, the question comes to you: are you going to keep the allegiance to this mind? Now we come to a point where the mind cannot help you. The mind is going to admit that if you try to reason, or if you keep trying to conceptualize, we can even hang on to the concept that it is beyond the mind. But that which you are looking for must go beyond even that. So, if the mind is giving you a visual of some dark space or some white light or whatever it is, what is aware of that? Not yourself who is aware of this? That with which we begin, does that have a color? Is it transparent? That's what is sometimes in the translation; they mean it can seem a bit confusing. So, that which is the witness of all things, does that itself have color? That one is which one? It is you. So, you don't have color, size, shape, age. Then what must you be? You are this awareness which is not an object. If you cannot find yourself objectively, who are you? You are pure consciousness, the substance of the universe. The universe exists within you. Don't be small-minded.

Yes, you are pure consciousness, the substance of the universe. The universe exists within you. Don't be small-minded. What does it mean, you are the substance of it? It means that the universe is made up of you. Just like the dream is made up of what? Your own consciousness. Within you, will you be willing to accept that supreme state? And you feel like there's something special about this waking state, but this exact same moment, this exact same thing would be happening in a dream tonight also, where you find that the potential within you, within consciousness, to project all this movement is there. And if this insight seems too much to you and makes for some frustration, then forget about it. Don't force yourself to recognize that you are the substance of the universe. You just keep finding out who you are. Let these insights speak up. At times, the clues which are meant to help sometimes become the obstacles. So, what to do? If anything gets too confusing, too far out, too radical, or you cannot relate to it, just leave it. Don't bother. Go back to the inquiry: Who am I? Find out about your self that will remain unchanging.

And upon finding the Self, have you noticed that every master still has a different report about the phenomenal world moving? That is the play of this phenomenon, where every aspect of consciousness is experiencing it differently. So, don't try to get consistent reports about phenomenal appearances. But one thing you will find consistently with those who come to the truth of their Self is that 'I am this unchanging, witnessing, unborn Self which is beyond the realms of birth and death.' The landscapes of the waking dream may vary, but the one who is speaking is beyond that. Leave these states alone. Too much trouble, too much turbulence to try to give some consistency to the part of the play of consciousness. It is created in this unlimited expression, and then noticing all these aspects of itself, trying to give some consistency to the phenomenal appearance—there is none. In the truth of what you are, there we can meet as one.

Okay, I should explain the term 'don't be small-minded.' Traditionally in Vedanta also, we define it like big mind and small mind. Even consciousness itself is sometimes defined as a big mind. So, when people say everything is mind, everything is mind, all the appearances are mind, what is it? Okay, I'll involve this because terminology can become confusing. You can get the idea that this is some solipsism or something like that. It is not that. We are talking about consciousness itself being the big mind. I remember many years ago, long before I met Mooji, I met another very sweet master, a German master. I went to him, and at that time I was reading a lot of Seth's books. So, I went to him and I felt like I had very fancy questions. I took the idea to him: 'If I am creating this realm, then why can't I decide to create like a palace for myself and unlimited wealth in my life?' And he said to me, really not impressed with my question at all, he said, 'You are confusing the big mind for the small mind.' And I didn't understand the answer at all at that point.

It is this consciousness which is the projecting light, which is the screen, which is the actor, producer, director—everything of this world appearance. And in many places in Vedanta, even back to the first two, 'mind' is at least that on which the first two is mind. That can cause confusion. Any time we will see quotes from even Bhagavan Ramana Maharshi, they say everything is a projection of your mind. Another time he will say, 'Oh, the mind is but a bundle of thoughts.' So, in these variations in terminology, this confusion can happen. So, what is the smaller mind? It is this mind that we speak of as the mind which is the words, or your limitation, the voice of your individuality, that voice which seems to be within our head. So, I am telling you that you are vast. When Ashtavakra is saying 'don't be small-minded,' he is saying the same thing: don't be a person. Don't pretend to be limited. You are unconditioned, changeless, and pure.

Now we see a very important thing. When we hear it like this, it is like a rule. You say, 'Not beautiful,' but every word is very useful. How many of us are trying to get rid of our conditioning? You don't have to raise your hand, just look. How many of us are trying to get over our tendencies and our conditions? What is he saying? You are unconditioned. So, which voice are you going to believe? Our voice which is saying, 'You must get over your conditioning, you must do this and this and this and get over your greed and your lust and your need for money and power and all of these things,' or are you going to look at this one where he says you are unconditioned? What is your experience right now? What I do almost every day, I ask you: before you think about it, are you conditioned by any concept? It is impossible to have a condition without a thought. Right now, you are empty as a baby. You are empty in this moment. So, you pick up the thought, and unless it moves you, really, how can an idea become the condition?

They were saying, 'I am sitting out the bad news.' But you are unconditioned. Not only that, conditioning comes before the identity of the person. Some things never really come; it never really comes at all. All my history, all my stories, all my wounds, all my holes—within hearing that you are unconditioned, this whole identity seems to be dissolved. The good news is what Ashtavakra is saying: you are unconditioned. I like to say that you have the services of the best cleaning lady or best cleaning man in the world with this one. It is consciousness itself. In this moment, all the cleaning up happens. So, you will try to re-condition; you can pick it up only now. Or you can even not do that. What difference does it make? If you feel like you have a choice, make the choice not to go along with what the thoughts are saying. Or as I repeat for you non-stop: just don't believe the next thought. Why? Because the Self is already here, unconditioned. Being you are not associated consciousness, if you are starting at the destination, you have never left the destination.

In this moment, cover your insight. If you leave the past aside, if you forget about the projections of the future, for just one moment, don't go further or judge anything that appears in this moment. Everyone can do this. The power to do this is here with you. Don't buy the idea that you are not able to do this now. Leave the past aside. All thoughts which are coming about the past, let them come and go. Future also, don't be concerned about it. Let it be whatever is here and now. Don't make an inference out of this. Don't make a judgment about it. So, in the main video, in the insight, you will find that effortlessly we exist. No past, no future. Past or no past, you exist. You will find that you are aware of your existence. Don't grasp at anything. Don't push anything aside. Don't worry about any sensation that might be coming up. Don't interpret it or judge it. Let the interpretations and judgments come and go. It doesn't mean you have to resist anything. Make this effortlessly. Your identity is dependent on your thoughts; your existence is independent of anything that the mind might be throwing at you. Don't take concern with it. Who witnesses that?

Imagine that you have a basket. Everything that is changing, we are going to put into that basket. So, this world which we are perceiving goes into the basket. The body with its sensations and visuals goes into the basket. All our thoughts, imaginations, memories go into the basket. All the emotional sensations, pain and pleasure, all go into the basket. I witness even my presence, I am aware of my existence, so even that goes into the basket. Are you in the basket? At which point did you go into the basket? You remain without any attributes, without any quality. You are unconditioned, changeless, formless. You are solid, unfathomable, cool. Remain what you are.

Again, this unfathomable, unconcerned with the movements of this phenomenon. Why does he say the word 'solid' while at the same time saying that you have no quality? Solid here must imply that it is the ultimate experience. It is not just some airy-fairy story. This unconditioned, changeless, formless, you are solid, unfathomably cool. Desire nothing. You are consciousness. To put the second one first: if you are consciousness, I am already all there is. I am that I am. What is? That which has form is not you. Only the formless is permanent. Once this is known, you will not return to illusion. That which has form is not you. It doesn't mean it is not appearing, but that appearing is what? Appearance is as appearance. Right in the beginning, we defined reality as that which is unchanging. And they clarify that also from the next angle: that which has form is not you, only the formless is permanent. Once this is known, you will not return to illusion.

Just as a mirror exists both within and without the image reflected, the supreme Self exists both within and without the body. See a reflection in the mirror; the rest of the reflection is also in the mirror. The reflection itself is also in the mirror. The supreme Self is the substratum of this appearance of the world, but it is not contained by it. You are that large. Not large in a phenomenal way, but that which creates that magnificence that nothing can contain—not the universe, at least for sure. So, another definition of Satsang that I like, which is quick and easy, my style: it is the company of the truth of your existence. So, that Satsang is not a voyage outside into the world. You don't have to climb into a spaceship. You don't have to buy a ticket to anything. But when you find yourself, you find that you are beyond this universe of time and space, beyond any hesitation of name and form. People spend billions of dollars and years in space missions, and they don't guarantee that it will succeed or they'll actually ever come back, just to experience being out of this earth. The thing is that Satsang, in one moment of clarity, you are out of the dream. It is not a discovery; it is discovering the Self.

This is the concluding verse: 'As the same space exists both within and without a jar, the timeless, all-pervasive One exists as totality.' It's on a very clean level. We talked about this, that you are the substratum and all that appears is occurring in the space within you. It's like the sheer space is the substratum of this phenomenal world with all objects, including a jar, appearing within it. And guess what? Space is outside and inside the jar. If you think your separation is the jar, then see this: no separation has ever happened to your existence.

Within space exists both within and without a jar, the timeless, all-pervasive one. This as totality. It's very clean. We talked about this, that you are the substratum and all that appears is occurring in the space within you. It's like the sheer space is the substratum of this phenomenal world with all objects, including a jar, appearing within it. And guess what? Space is outside and inside the jar. If you think most apparition is after, then see this: no more separation has ever happened in your existence. So this is the end of Chapter 1.

If you choose here today, only gravitation, electricity, magnetism—all of this is in what? It means nominally. Waiting is the sleep state. Is there any gravity, electricity, magnetism? You presume that you're an object sleeping on a bed, but that's because of ideas we have after waking up. The sleep state will be devoid of variable phenomena, yet I am aware of this. I know verification. So gravity, electricity, gravitation—all of these are there if there is something to contemplate about. You do something to contemplate about these created things, like the gravitational constant. Who decided that two objects of mass will apply a force upon each other which is proportional to the distance between them? Actually, this version of gravitation, Einstein gave it to us. The time, time very long, such goals didn't leave that space-time actually curls, and that curls, and some objects fall towards each other.

I want to stay with another topic for the next time as I'm finishing it. Mysticism, I mean science, that's it. Space, first filling of the space makes it that beautiful. Einstein gave the name gravitation, not in the way that it is with the beautiful sights. Yes, it is not mythical society, but it makes itself apparent because it's curved. Otherwise, we go so essentially then. People like Newton, which had to find out this force of gravitation and how it worked, we said that it all happens in the substratum of space. He had no idea whether there is something like space or not. When this curvature of space will... wow. Then we saw if it is space and it is also objective and some... let's say objective in working that it curves, we saw it has an attribute it created.

When I say, for example, that time and space were your playthings, the playthings, the function ultimately even the purest of the nominal scale, it's phenomenally absolutely as an attribute which in these curves. If I have a great mass, it could be a small object with great mass depending on density, and space could curve and there could be a gravitational field forms here. Either there is a... there is not a substance. Substance with something substantially on space is that goes because it was like a bedsheet would curve as you know, if you put a heavy ball on it. It becomes a pattern is what you hear, that it is an objective quality like a track. So the ball in the track can't leave you for the heavy object. A little track between the curve is the force. If you throw the table like this with a little bit of momentum, then it goes around in space. It goes around and they voted. Om Shanti. Thank you so much for being in Satsang today. Satguru Sri Moojiji Ki Jai. Sachcha Satguru Ki Jai. Okay, we'll like to do some chanting and over here. Welcome to join if you like. Whatever, whatever you say to you. Okay, it's Ram. Do this, relaxing grip.