For the Holy Meeting To Happen in the Heart, Your Head Has To Be Empty - 19th January 2024

So allow all this thought activity to come and go. Don't identify, don't believe, and then you have the inner spaciousness, the inner sacredness for God's presence to reveal itself, for God's presence to become apparent. And even if you cannot conclude or you cannot say to yourself that his presence is apparent, if there is just the minor, the most inkling, you see, the most minute scent, then you must follow that all the way home. You see, what is that scent? The perfume of unconditional love. To deepen in that, follow that to its very source.

But half measures will not do. If you divide yourself again and say, 'this also, that also, this, that,' so what you're meant to do is just surrender all your worldly concerns to him, and whatever remains of you must be fully devoted to the discovery of his light. When this heart temple with God's presence at the center of it becomes apparent to you, then your life itself becomes a holy life, a temple of God. And unless our life becomes that, it really has no meaning.

Then you come to his holy light, and in the light of that presence, you recognize that your reality is that you are that which is aware even of this. You are that pure awareness which is beyond even the highest. Then the purpose of Jnana Yoga, the path of insight, the path of self-knowledge, is fulfilled. And in the fulfillment of that, the false identity is mostly wiped away, wiped clean. But whatever remains must be kept in a deep love and servitude to God, which is called Bhakti.

And in that Bhakti of the Lord, in true Bhakti of the Lord, it keeps you safe. It keeps you safe from your own potential to become the spiritual ego—the one who claims insight, the one who claims understanding. Allow yourself to only live in God's will. And in living in God's will is to step away from a lip-service, armchair spirituality to a truly lived spirituality.

All of you, at least those who have been in satsang for quite some time, you'll find usually no difficulty in talking about this because you've heard it often enough. But because the words are there, the pointers are there, the concepts are there, if they're not applied in your life moment to moment, the ability to share the words means nothing because it's not coming from a place of lived spirituality. It's not coming from a place of authenticity. So allow all words about spirituality, words about God, to come in the light of spirit, in the light of God, for that is when it becomes satsang. Otherwise, it remains just words.

So insight, love, servitude—all of this. To live in this is to live a truly authentic spiritual life. So what is my job? If this project is clear, then my job is just to hold your hand and guide you when you feel, when you seem to lose the path and go with the 'me,' to just brought you back to the right way of Jnana and Bhakti, of true self-knowledge and devotion to God.

So the question really then is: Have you met him inside your heart? And as a follow-up, if you have met him, then why do you leave? Because we can't really say which is worse: to not have met God at all, or to have met God and then to leave for the ego. To come to the holy place in your heart but then to return to the mind. And when that happens, we must return home as soon as possible to the presence of God within.

So how can I help you in this project? Have you made your life about him first, so that you're not looking for assistance to become a better 'me,' to become a better somebody, to improve the life of the non-existent one? But you're looking for assistance when you seem to be tempted by this Maya, when you seem to be tempted by this 'me.' What conditions can we pluck out together? What can we clean up so that your life can become for God and lived in God? That is really what the question and answers in satsang are about.

That sometimes can become frustrating because you're saying, 'Ananta, what should I do about my job?' and I'm saying, 'Turn to God, make that your job.' You're saying, 'What should I do about my house?' and I'm saying, 'Live in your heart.' And it's not wordplay. It is only because something is recognized that the only solution, the only antidote to the human condition, is to come to this presence within yourself. You cannot resolve the problem at the level at which it is created; it has to be transcended.

So when our teachers tell us that 'I'm not interested in your domestic questions,' that is what they imply: that you make your life about the discovery of God and living in God's light. And once it is that, then if something is getting in the way—some work, some relationship, some body thing is getting in the way—then of course I can help you to pluck it out. But if it is 'me' for 'me's' sake and not God for God's sake, then that is never-ending. Today you solve one problem, tomorrow there's the next one. Tomorrow you solve this, the next one. How do we solve the human condition itself? By transcending it. By transcending the human condition and making your life about God.

So it becomes from a worldly life to a godly life. There is no solution for a godless life if it wants to continue remaining godless. The only antidote to a godless life is to make our life about God. Spirituality is the antidote to godless life. So to ask yourself: How am I serving God in this moment? Or even to ask yourself: Who am I serving in this moment? Because you're always serving something, and there really only two options. Ananta put a post that either we are in service to the mind or we are in service to God. But servitude is not an option; it's not optional. So who are you serving in this moment?

And as you deepen in his presence, then as a reminder you can ask yourself: How is this in service to God? A teacher said something very powerful. He said, 'I had this long sermon and then I overheard the conversation, some conversation that they were having after the sermon, and they were all saying how great a teacher I am. They were all saying how great a teacher I am.' And he said that he was horrified because if the outcome of the spiritual session, the satsang, the sermon, is that everyone is talking about how great the teacher is instead of how great God is, you see, then it's really not spirituality.

Remember that, maybe to John who said, 'For him to increase, I must decrease.' So for him to increase in your life, you must decrease. It is the same as the sages in India have said: that the lane is too narrow for both God and me. So what are we working on increasing at the moment in our life—him or me? What is your intention in your heart—to serve him or to serve the 'me'?

So Sonali reminded us, she said, 'Is it God for me or is it truly me for God?' Whatever meaning is left for how are we serving him this moment? This moment, how to serve him moment to moment? To live in his presence, to be in his light, allow his will to move you is to serve him. Allow his life to guide you is to serve him. It's possible to live like that. How many feel it's possible? Nobody in this room? I'm retiring this last... [Laughter]

It may seem difficult, that's okay. But at least we must have the opening within us to say that it is possible. It may be difficult, but it is possible. And sometimes all that is needed is patience, because the mind has one trick. No, I told you that the battle is about time, and in that battle for time, the mind has one trick up its sleeve, which is rush, rush. 'You need to rush, you need to finish this now, you need to decide now, you need to take action now. Don't wait for God to guide you, there's no time for that.' These are not spiritual matters? Everything is a spiritual matter.

So don't rush. That's why patience comes in. The world is after you: 'What are we going to do? What are you going to do?' And you don't know because he has not moved you yet, or he has not guided you yet. So you don't know, and you're not entitled to either of those things happening. It is not dial-a-God service. It is his mercy and his grace and his will, and our job is to have faith, to trust that even a silence is greater than what my mind could tell me.

So this patience is very important, and this patience itself needs faith, it needs courage, it needs humility. When we rush, we become mental about everything. It's like a fog, a fog of war. It's like a haze, just in that haze. And you know, 'This is what I want, this is what I need, this is what I'm going to do, this is right, this is wrong.' God is a distant notion, all forgotten. So when you start noticing these things, just return home. That is the only solving, resolving life, if there is one. Become impatient about living a godless life, that's it. Not about anything else. Turn to God with all your might. Don't waste a moment. The rest is all up to him. Anyone who feels like they can't turn to him, like 'I want to but I can't'—it's not possible. If you really want to, you can, but that must be your one...

I'm going to do this, this is right, this is wrong. God is a distant notion, all forgotten. So when you start noticing these things, just return home. That is the only solving, resolving life, if there is one. Become impatient about living a Godless life. That's it. Not about anything else. Turn to God with all your might. Don't waste a moment. The rest is all up to him. Anyone who feels like they can't turn to him—like, 'I want to, but I can't'—it's not possible. If you really want to, you can, but that must be your only want. That's what I meant when I said don't divide yourself up: this also, that also. See, because once you've divided yourself up, you say, 'I want to be like that also, I want to live in God's light also.' When the mind tempts you with the offers to live that kind of life or be that kind of person, then those will seem tempting. If you don't want anything, anything but him, what will the mind tempt you with? And if that seems too far out and too radical, let's at least agree that he's top priority. That sounds... he's not the only priority, at least can we say that he's top priority every moment? Not just now sitting in satsang hall is the top priority, or does he deserve to be top priority every moment? We may fail at it, that's fine, that we'll look at. But are you committing that he, and only him, deserves to be the top priority in our life every moment? Then you cannot suffer.

Is all suffering about... don't, huh, this? Yes, we don't honor this. I also don't honor this 100%. Therefore, all of us are learning to live like this deeper and deeper. That's why I said that we may fail, but at least can we commit that he deserves to be top priority every moment, no matter what? We must never put him in second place, and when we do, we must return home quickly. So what... when you say that I don't honor that or I don't live like that, you're saying that you prioritize other things above him moment to moment. I'm... you do. Do we commit to make him, or to intend to make him, our priority every moment?

Yes.

Do I honor that commitment? No, I don't. Yes, but are you doing better every day? I'm sorry, are you doing better every day? It's not linear. Sometimes it feels like I'm doing worse, and then after that...

And then does it go the other way also?

It does.

So if it's not linear, then at least it's nonlinear both ways. So it can feel like that sometimes. It may feel like two steps back and one step forward, but sometimes it's three steps forward. Sometimes you have days you may feel like the entire day went in his light, and sometimes in a day you may be tempted by the mind.

Many times it's not even offering anything valuable.

Exactly.

But I still go with it.

Yes, that's called a habit. You have to break that habit by realizing, by learning to live in our heart. So when we feel, come in again. Live empty, live in the heart. Then when we fail, commit again.

No, I'm just facing my helplessness without you.

Yes. And now, is his presence here? I could ask, 'Are you breathing?' If you say 'I am breathing,' then 'I am' is here. But we have to be careful that it doesn't become wordplay or just in the intellect. So when I say 'Is he here?' then what I'm asking is whether his presence is apparent, his light is apparent.

Yes. Yes, it seems less apparent than other times.

But is there a less or more possible in this? Like, what would less apparent look like compared to more apparent? Because what we are talking about is the meeting with the phenomenal-non-phenomenal one. So can we meet the phenomenal-non-phenomenal one in a lesser way or a greater way?

No, we just give more or less attention to...

Yes, and even more importantly than our attention is functioning, we give more value, belief, to the mind.

Yes, that's what I meant, value.

So stop that. So my main job is to just... everyone to stop that, because the rest of it is very organic. But if you insist on giving value to what the mind is saying, and then we say, 'But why am I not getting free? Why is my life not peaceful? Where is that constant presence that you speak of?' it is because we are not following, you see. And many of the... many of my children are stuck in this way where it's like, I feel like the instructions are pretty clear now, it's just that... break that habit, you see. To break that habit of believing the mind, to give value to the mind. I'm sure it's the same in all satsangs. But we must at least commit wholeheartedly this moment that I'm not going to follow the mind. Not going to follow. Bring it on, give me whatever you have, but I'm not going to. Are we making side bets and side deals with the mind? 'If you tell me about something, then I'll follow you, but mostly I won't.' That's why one of the tips I give is that don't fall for the same trick twice from the mind. At least make it work hard to make use of her. What do we make it? Usually we make it very easy because it's the same old baits that we keep falling for. And usually it is relationships, then it is about security, then it is about the body, health. And for many who are in satsang, especially in satsang for a long time, maybe the biggest trick is that when the mind offers a spiritual position or spiritual knowledge, maybe that becomes the most compelling. So we have to contemplate this for ourselves. We have to notice these things about how it moves in our lives. Then you can spot it. Each of you should be able to say, 'These are the top three moves the mind has in my case.' Is it when it talks about this... so once you start noticing that, then you're vigilant toward that also.

The trick is that it's... I'm in mind mode. It's very easy to see myself as something in a timeline, and frustration comes from being on a journey where yesterday it was all God and today what is happening, you know? And today it's all me, mostly.

Yeah, yesterday was all God. But how blessed are you that you can even say that you had a full day which was all God? How many of our brothers and sisters can say that, you see? So when the mind says, 'See, yesterday you were all God, but today it's all me,' the voice of the 'me' itself makes that report. Say, 'Okay, what about now?' Because there's no yesterday. What we remember of yesterday—if there is such a thing as yesterday, which there isn't—is just that you were living moment to moment in God's light. So what's wrong with this moment? And in a way, that's what you're also saying. When it becomes linear and time-bound, then it seems difficult. But you just say, 'What about now?' Now you can be. What can stop you now?

The mind says, 'But now, now it'll be okay, I'm in satsang,' you see.

So you spend two hours with God. That is much better than any answer I can give you for a seeming problem that you have, you see. So while the mind comes, how do we make sure that we consume junk food for lunch? Don't have junk food for breakfast. That's the best way, easy. So how do you make sure you always live like that? Live like that now.

Does the tendency to go with the mind or to give value, does that also reduce as we deepen? Because yeah, I know the intention is to be, to live in God, you know, but there are moments... but I just get drawn.

Yes, it does reduce. And you'll notice that it has. All of you, you'll notice if you've committed to it for any length of time. I'm sure you will be able to see the difference. That length of time can't be, 'Okay, not today.' Between today and tomorrow, you have to risk your whole life. You have to bet your whole life. Strangely, it sounds strange, but you have to bet your whole life to live in God every moment. So then we can't get frustrated and say, 'Oh, but it's been two months.' Two months is nothing. Complain when it's been two lifetimes.

It's quite clear right now, Father, that the options are either I live in God's presence or in the mind's. Very clear now. It's very clear. The project itself, I think it took some time for... also maybe the realization was there, but to be able to like really recognize...

The thing about this project is that every day I wake up still and say, 'Ah, this is the project I never knew,' you see. So just as it deepens, then it seems more fresh and more alive and deeper and more insightful than ever before. So every day I feel like, or every satsang I feel like, what have I spoken the last 12 years? This is what is needed to be said. And then tomorrow it'll be like, this is what is needed to be said. So that's the constant deepening. It's a constant appreciation of what is here, the depth of what this is, the love for who this is.

So over the past few satsangs, I've kind of brought this point up a couple of times. And you asked Georgie if God's presence could ever diminish, if it could be more or less here. So really the question, her point was that sometimes it's less apparent and sometimes it's more apparent.

Yes. I'm trying to say that when it is apparent, it's apparent. When it's not apparent, it's not apparent. It's pretty binary. You can't try to do it halfway. Can't do it halfway. The byproducts may be halfway, like you're in God's presence but today you're not feeling as much love, as much peace, as much joy. Those may be quantitative and qualitative in some way, right? But the presence itself, you see, we can never quantify it.

And so maybe based on what you guys shared with each other, I kind of saw something which I've been missing somehow. And it's the somethingness of the I-amness isn't necessarily the byproducts of the perfumes. There's a somethingness that doesn't have a quality, but it has a quality. Yes. And it was very nice because I just... for some reason, I was the somethingness. I thought you woke me up because I was just like that, and then you said it has a quality but it has no quality, and I was very aware. So thank you for that.

It's beautiful. It's beautiful because this you can report only from that insight, only from that insight. Otherwise, it's gibberish. Like, who wants to talk like that? Is it independent of the byproducts of love, peace, and joy, contentment, all of that? If you were to keep all of that aside, it itself, he himself—and I'm trying because my habit is to say 'it' because of the kind of things we've read and things like that, but actually it's him. He, he himself is the Lord and King of this entire universe. And all that we taste, we experience, are his... is his will and his light, his creation. He is a living being. He is a holy presence. The only one that is truly alive is him. When we say God is here, it is very literal. And the way to meet that is to meet his presence, which we cannot say—like we started satsang today—we cannot say whether it is Saguna or Nirguna either, and both. Something and not something is his life, his presence. So your inner heart is designed to be a temple of that light. So one tip is: don't involve yourself in any inwardly... don't involve yourself in any human trouble till you can say that I've met God. About another person or even the person that you take yourself to be. One day some words came from here, but I'll say them. It came to say: that means that one who doesn't have money to buy one grain of food is out to solve human relationships. Have you met God, that you're out to resolve your life? That is the human condition we are trying to solve, so many things. But the core basis of the human condition, of human suffering, is the seeming distance from God, the seeming disconnect from God. So first only focus on that. Then after that, there'll be plenty of time for everything else. Don't try to find your soulmate before you find a soul. How will you do the matching up? Don't involve yourself in all of these things inwardly. Outwardly, the play of life will continue whether you like it or not. It will continue. Some drama, some events will happen every day. But inwardly, make yourself only about God. That is the end of problems. Or no, it should be. If you're following, then that should be it. And if you're not following, then what to do? What are the things that the...

Don't try to find your soulmate before you find a soul. How will you do the matching up? Don't involve yourself in all of these things inwardly. Outwardly, the play of life will continue whether you like it or not. It will continue; some drama, some events will happen every day. But inwardly, make yourself only about God. That is the end of problems. Or no, it should be—if you're following, then that should be it. And if you're not following, then what to do? What are the things that the mind uses? Relationship, attractive relationships, then attractive self-image. Say like that: you look very cool, do like this, people will look up to you. Attractive self-image. Then what else? Negative self-image, for example. Yeah, so it just says you're so bad, you're never going to get this, you're a big failure, nothing. You see all that? Yes. Then health. You like that focus on the body, and in that mental state of concern about the body, the body is getting worse, you see? Because instead of doing that, if you just like got up and ran or something, it would be easier.

What else? Freedom, meaning, purpose—conceptual. The conceptual search for intellectual answers. Those seem very attractive. 'Ah this, ah that, ah he said like that, she said like that.' But if you apply just one note, two things is more than enough. You don't have to apply the whole spiritual encyclopedia. You keep it just very simple and heartfelt; it's much easier. Except if the desire is 'I want to become a teacher, I want to have followers, I want to become popular.' Maybe then those things get in the way. But to come to God, we need to become simpler and simpler. But these things, these basic three or four things, is what the mind tempts us with.

Somehow we forget ourselves. Let's say I'm with God for some time and then I have a very strong desire to watch TV or watch Netflix or my series which is going. So what is that desire to forget myself? Which category? When you watch, you lose God. I lose even me, myself also. The ego is also gone, Father, and the God is—no, I'm not remembering my problems, my ego and all, but at the same time I'm not with God also. I'm full in the head. In the head, when you think you are the character on the screen. But what is the urge for that? Why? I mean, after some time it's like restlessness. Go and—

That is the very design of this movie and the movies within it.

But it is not in any of that category, Father, of what you just mentioned: health, wealth, relationship. But I still day-to-day I want that, I want that, to get myself busy. And we used to talk about entertainment and boredom. Just like kids after a particular age, like after their five or six, their mantra is 'I'm bored.' You know, you give them anything and they have every entertainment today possible, still they say 'I'm bored, I'm bored, I'm bored.' And this boredom seems like a very humble thing, a very simple thing, but in the root of this dissatisfaction with the content of the present experience, you see, is the root of a lot of trouble. You see, an addiction to different types of experiences can happen because of that. All kinds of trouble can happen because we give a lot of value to this boredom.

What's happening now, Father? Even when satsang is over, right? Three hours, you feel some sort of relief. Okay, now I can do something else. So what is that? What is—again, even if you're in total bliss here, you really want to get out of this and then move. One child said, 'Now satsang is over, now I'm going to have a smoke and just be normal for a bit.' All that can be like that, can feel like that. Is it the self-judgment that comes? It's not just the trying to escape the boredom, but with satsang, enjoy smoking. 'Smoking? I'm so bad, I'm so...' Yeah, it all adds. It's like, Father, you are relating that to which thing? Is boredom—one can just be like, 'Enough, you know, now enough.' Like, 'Now enough God, now it's my time.' Like a child who's asking for attention. So sometimes you can play like that. Is it, Father? I mean, how do I handle that going back again?

Yes, but first ask: who wants to understand this? Who? Always use this. Okay, so I'll ask you in a different way: what will the answer give you? Ananda, for the first three years she asked me a lot of questions. If it was three years—I don't know if it's years, more probably. So every day she would have some questions ready. Question ready, I answered and answered. So after a while I felt like this is not going in the right way. So then I started telling her, 'Leave it.' Then one day she asked a question, I said, 'But what will the answer give you? What will you do with that answer?' I say blah blah blue, what will you do with that? And what is the itch that we are scratching? So imagine I give you the best answer now, what you'll do with it? Huh? Follow me? You have enough to follow.

So you say that, 'Why do I watch Netflix? Why do I want to watch movies? Why can't I just be with God?' I say da da da, then what? What will happen for you? What will change? You're getting what I'm saying? So you feel like you're doing some mseal on the leaky intellect which is pinching you with that question saying, 'But why, why, why, why?' like that. Then momentarily you put some like, you know, what is it, sealant on it or something so it doesn't bother you anymore. It's not really solving anything; we're just operating at the level of intellect then. And tomorrow it'll produce new questions. You know, this leak will never stop leaking if our attempt becomes to just keep fixing it.

And that one—I know that we are half playful about it—but that one hates the 'who' question. It loves the 'why' question. You were happy till you were saying, 'Why does it happen?' The minute I said 'who,' what changed? Only one letter, no? From the W-H-Y to the W-H-O. It is just one letter. Why is the mind completely attracted to why, why, why, why, why? But who? Pass. I pass. Thank you. It's—I can see it's never-ending. If that today is solved, something else will come. And you kids get so frustrated. That's why I took that example of the Zen students. They are given one koan for life. And Peter can confirm this, I don't know, but I heard in many schools they are given one koan and you could do it for ten years, twenty years. You're just solving that one question. So I heard in the Korean school of Zen, you would sit in front of a white wall and just ask, 'What is this? What is this?' and report to the Master. And if the Master doesn't like your answer, he gives you a Zen stick. See what happens? There will come a point where you will break out of your intellect, isn't it? You find something which the intellect is just not capable of handling. Then something will pull you deeper into that which is beyond the intellect. Otherwise, the game will just go on.

Since then, she's hardly asked me any questions. A good sign, yes. Because we have gone beyond just like a conceptual, intellectual understanding where we feel like, 'Oh, I know this.' So when this one said like that and this one said like this, what do they mean like that? Ah, then next day something else is bothering us. The intellect is like a leaky roof. We feel like we'll just fix it, we'll get—one day we'll get a final answer and our intellect is going to shut up. It just doesn't happen. How many times we felt like, 'I'm done, it is so clear.' You yourself have had those things where it's just like, 'Oh, that was the last question.' You're experiencing that freedom from the pestering intellect and that feels good. You feel like—but then what happens tomorrow, day after? Something. 'Why does this happen? Why is this like this?' This whole traffic starts. It doesn't feel so good. Then you come in satsang, you say, and the Master says blah blah blah blah. Huh? Yes, that works. So good, so good. And again the cycle keeps repeating.

But at some point we have to break that whole facade. We have to break it and go beyond the limited nature of words which at best can be pointers, but no real answers are available in words. It's all nonsense what I'm speaking. There are no real answers in the words themselves. The point is to use them to transcend them. Stay. Because otherwise we are in the realm of comedy, no? 'Why does something happen?' But nothing has ever happened. So why does nothing ever happen? It's all absurdity if you really look at it. Like, do we really know anything has happened? Even in the intellect, if you do a deep dive, no, there's no chance. But when we are just at the surface, it offers you all these questions which seem relevant and important, but really it is just to keep you distracted away from God. It takes some courage to ask a question after an answer like that: what will the answer give you?

This—like constantly something is reminding, 'What am I doing?' Whatever thing I'm doing in the day, does that have any value to be in God? So this is the mind question. I mean, it's coming from the mind. So what are you doing externally in your day so that you can help be internally in God's light?

Well, I'm not doing anything which is of any value which is bringing me closer to God. Okay, so that's a good question actually. And usually I say that remain inwardly in God's presence and don't worry about the outward. But let's pose the question in a way—let's modulate your questions to say, 'I don't know how inwardly you mean. I don't know what inwardly is. All I know is this, the outer world of perception.' So now tell me like that one: what should I do? Huh? What could still be meaningful? So then outwardly make your life about God. Pray, keep your head bowed down, do the spiritual practice, stay in like a room or place which reminds you of God. Everywhere you look, just make your outer life about God. Start with that. I know your question is not that, but I'm saying suppose it was that: 'I don't know anything what you're saying, inward and all, it's all silliness. Tell me practically in the outside world what can I do?' So listen to Godly things, satsang, listen to Veda. So whatever outer can bring you to the inner, that is valuable in the interim.

So what can you do which makes you empty? Empty for God, open to God. Like coming to satsang is one of them. There are a lot of different things like this. If I'm doing something, it says, 'Okay, this is—I mean, why are you even doing this? This is not serving the purpose to be in God. This is not true. You're not being true to yourself.' So if the hand is moving like this, like this, or like that, like that, which way will serve God better always? Then it ties about inward. So that is returning to the original answer which is that outer action doesn't matter. You don't have to judge that. If it is coming from God's light, can you be in God's light? Huh? Yes, you can. So when you are in God's light, then whatever action that flows from there is His will. But maybe it has that quality of meanness or the interest, then not in God, right?

Yeah, then it maybe it feels more—at that point you can't do both, no? Then there is an interest. Interest means what? Like a desire or some 'I want this to be my way.' So don't be interested, be Godly.

But sometimes it just—and sometimes a duality like it—see, sometimes something is seeing that this is not coming, but still maybe it just—the thing happens from that. Why am I sounding like a hostage? Something happened, something is seen, it is happening, Father, from—no, I'm doing it like by my choice, I'm doing it. It feels—I mean, you have to take that responsibility first, that I'm going with my mind and I should stay with God.

Yeah, okay. What can the mind offer us if we were to do just for one second? The mind says that which is more worthwhile than living in that one moment of God? No, I mean living in one moment of God is the—

Why are you sounding like a hostage? Something happened, something is seen, it is happening. Father, from now on, I'm doing it like by my choice. I'm doing it. It feels—I mean, you have to take that responsibility first, that 'I'm going with my mind and I should stay with God.' Yeah, okay. What can the mind offer us if we were to do just for one second? The mind says that which is more worthwhile than living in that one moment of God? No, I mean, living in one moment of God is the highest by an incomparable magnitude, isn't it? If the mind says, 'Do this and you will become king of the universe forever' versus living in one moment of God, what is more important? One moment of God. If you're clear about that, then his temptations will not be that important because, like that song goes, the mind, the ego, is just a devious impersonation of God. It wants to make the 'me' the king of the world. Go better, better, better, better, better. It doesn't stop because it feels like until you've really achieved your kingdom, it's not going to stop. Have you seen people who have everything that they could have in life—all material things, all relationships, perfect, perfect, perfect—are they happy? They are like, 'Oh, only if I had also like that. Oh, I missed that chance to do this.' So, you be in the inner heart temple as a helpless nobody, then the outer will be fine. Can you be in the temple or no? Is there a temple or no?

There is.

There is? Then why visit other places? Because that must be the best. Not so concerned, 'Oh, this happens, this happens,' and something comes—you are in the temple. So, is there a temple of God in your heart? Not poetically, not metaphorically, literally. How many don't feel like it? It is okay. So, thank you. Thank you for admitting. So, to create that temple, we must just create the space for that temple. Be empty of the 'me' and the temple will become more and more obvious. And that temple is everything. And temple is not a Hindu word; it's a temple, it's a masjid, it's a church, it's everything. It is the holy place of God, God's presence. But this temple is—so don't go there now. Yes, I don't know how to... the checker guy is me, the checker guy.

The checker is here. Okay, so don't go there now. So empty, so without attributes. That mind comes in and wants to put some flowers or to have something in it, like metaphorically, you mean? Yes, for example, like how to embellish it in some way. Yes, where the bliss and all these attributes others describe and I never experienced, just this. So I'm going back to—

Let's experiment with this together. Just stay in God's presence now. If I was to force you to answer, are you peaceful or full of anxiety?

No, no, complete peace.

Nothing. We have peace. It's something searching for an image of God. So, no image of God. Yes, yes. But it's this—the mind will... just let it come and go. See, thank you actually for saying that. It's very important because I don't want anyone visualizing anything. You could just be imagining one temple like that. No, no, no, that's not it. That's something Indescribable, unimaginable, you see? Because it's like the holy pulsation, the primordial vibration. So don't get stuck in any imagination or think. So the mind will—you see, because the mind offers us, when we say awareness, it offers a dark empty space. See, it's all dark, empty, it's all awareness. No, it's not. See, even that is perceived. Who is aware of that perception? We say beingness; it starts creating sound, light, you see, like a perceivable light. It's not that. So don't go for any visualization, imagery, except truly as just a pointer. If it's like a pointer that you see an image and it reminds you of God's presence in your heart, then that's all right. Be careful of imagination because the spiritual ego can really run away with that. No visualizing, no imagining, just organic, very natural. There's a smile on your face that conveys there must be some happiness. You don't need more experiences than in that. There is peace, there is natural happiness, contentment. We don't have to give them importance, but they're just naturally there. And we don't have to worry about other experiences what people are having.

Last time I spoke about the effort and you clarified that. So effort is done by me as in the identity, and that effort includes many things to remind myself to be in the presence. Many things, yeah. I mean, like, I do all sorts of things like putting reminders, all just like many, many things to remind me to be in the presence.

You put reminders. What else did you do?

Like I said, I had told last time, like I change the password to something that reminds me of that. So those kind of things that I add. I mean, is that the right way to approach it?

It's fine, because what happens if you're using the password, whatever you made about God, and that reminds you of being in God's presence? Good. If you set a reminder, what is the frequency of this reminder? Five minutes?

Every five—no, Guruji, the funny part is that that goes off within a day or two, then I need to remind myself, 'Okay, there was a reminder which I had kept, I need to start that once again.' So this is the process that is going on. Then I do also make notes of pointers to go through those notes once in a while. So this is creating a lot of this.

Yes, but all so that you can be in His presence, right? Right. So just make sure that the eating is as much as the cooking, at least. I can get that. The eating should be like European eating or American eating. In India, we spend a lot of time cooking, but we finish our food in five minutes. Overseas, mostly I have seen—you can correct me if I'm wrong—they spend some time cooking, but they spend a lot of time eating. They eat their dinner slowly, slowly, they'll talk, they'll have first like that, like that, you see. So what am I saying? That your project should not be just to do the cooking part. You also—you should be in the presence more. So if, for example—it's very sweet, it's very sweet actually—that if your reminder rings, you see, then it beeps for a few moments, but then you're in His presence for as many minutes, as much time. It shouldn't be that, 'Oh, God, okay, okay, yeah, yeah, I'm trying.' It shouldn't be that you're collecting—you've read this book, you're hearing satsang, you're doing all of that, you see, but you're not really... if in the hearing of satsang you find yourself just naturally in His presence while the hearing is on, then it's fine. You're hearing a bhajan, you're reading a book, but that brings you to God's presence and you like that, it's fine. But if you're just doing the, you know, 'Okay, this will help me come to God, okay, this will help me come to God, and this will help me come to God,' if you are being the collector more than the actual being with God, then you have to just watch out for that bit.

Yes, yes, I think there is a tendency to go that direction also.

Right, right. Yeah, just make sure that all of it is sounding good to me. It's better than what else we could be doing with that time. But just make sure that it just doesn't be—it's not an end in itself. Right, right, right, right. It is to bring us to God and that is important. Is it true about this European cooking and eating?

True. Latin America exactly. I see, I see. That's good. Yeah, yeah. In a way, that's what I meant, that it's important to—it becomes almost like a thing, no, that you are meeting for dinner, so you'll spend a few hours. What about the ideas? Yes, yes, yes, constantly, constantly. No hands today? They probably figured that this room is fully full today. Okay, now it's okay. Let's go to Namaste.

Father, Namaste. Can you hear me?

Yes, yes. I see the collage has grown.

What, the collage? No, the collage, the collage behind you. This is what? Yeah, I don't see my—oh, there's a 'me' at the center from coner because I have the homes in the world like that. So, okay, good. Father, I want to ask you because I feel a resistance, a resistance that I never felt before. I feel very, very confused about everything.

Yes. So the other day, I don't know if you were listening online, but I was saying to someone that confusion is very good, because the minute, instant you feel confusion, no, you should run from that place in your head back to your heart. Where do you feel confusion?

Yes, in the mind. One child said that I feel it in my whole being.

Was it? So I said, 'Do you feel it in your nose? Do you feel it in your fingers?' So better you stay with your nose. It's like, 'I don't know which way to go. I don't know what is true anymore or false, or I don't believe anymore in anybody.' Or I feel it's very—it is false, totally. All the meanings, everything.

And yes, but do you exist?

I don't know, Father. I don't. I do. I don't know who I am, this one.

But you exist, but you don't know who that is, or you don't know whether you exist?

I don't know to whom you are speaking. I don't know to whom you are addressing this question.

Are there two of you that are listening?

No. Who is the one that is listening then? If there are not two of you, who is hearing these words?

Yes, me.

How you know? How do you know?

It's because I receive your words.

Oh, it's only because you heard the words? Maybe I don't know how the correct—I don't know the correct way to answer this.

So just make it simpler, simpler, simpler, simpler. Like even a five-year-old child would say. I say, 'Who's hearing those words?' 'I am.' It's obvious it's you. There is one who's hearing these words. To hear the words, you must exist. Now the only confusion is: who is that one that exists?

Yes. Who is that one? Yeah, then that myself is also what we call God. The great teachers have said that, 'I went looking for myself and I found God, and I went looking for God and I found myself,' isn't it?

Yes. Yeah, but don't live in your head, my child. That is not going to help you. Just live in your heart.

Yes, Father, because I don't—I feel that I don't want to meditate anymore, or I don't know what is happening. I feel like a disillusion, you know, like I lost.

Yes, don't get disheartened. Don't get disheartened. So you say, 'I don't want to meditate anymore.' Is there anything else? Do you like hearing bhajans? Do you like—what is it that you want to do?

It's not—I want to forget everything, Father. I want to stop living, to forget everything, my life, everything. I wish to stop living, but to finish something because I—everything.

Suppose right now, forget everything. No past, nothing. Just forget it.

Yes, just stay like that. Forget everything. I'm with you in this, actually. Forget everything. Forget satsang, forget God, forget bhajan, forget yoga, forget meditation, forget everything.

Myself, my life, and everything.

This—don't forget to forget the 'me,' the ideas about yourself. Don't forget to forget all of these things. Forget everything. Just forget about it. I used to say often—I don't know if you were in satsang—but like all the gangster movies: 'Forget about it.' I can put an alarm in my phone with you. I don't remember, keep forgetting, like it seems that I have to do many things.

Forget about it. You said, 'I want to forget everything.' I'm supporting you. True forgetting.

Uh, true forget—forget about the true forgetting. You can't remember the true forgetting; you must forget it. Yes, you're remembering again. Don't go there. You're hearing my voice inwardly saying, 'Forget about it.' I'm going to put it in my phone. Forget about it. It's better than any alarm.

Thanks, Guruji.

But you better forget about it. Father, I have to leave and I don't know how to see. Yes, nobody knows. Imagine if—

The true forgetting—you can't remember the true forgetting. You must forget it. Yes, you're remembering again. Don't go there. You're hearing my voice inwardly. Forget about it. I'm going to put it in my phone. Okay. Forget about it; it's better than any alarm. Thanks, Guruji, but you better forget about it.

Father, I have to leave and I don't know how to live.

Yes, nobody knows. Imagine if you had to know how to live, how to heart—who can do all of these things? Nobody knows. Life is happening; you don't have to worry. You said to me two years back, 'I don't know what I'm going to do, where I'm going to live.' You're still here. You're still living somewhere. Life just goes on. You don't have to worry about this. To know how to live is how to not live. Don't worry. Don't take a position. Just forget about it. Just forget. Okay? And you yourself said, 'I want to forget about everything.'

Yes, Father, but there's a 'but' now. For me, it is impossible. I mean, the thoughts keep coming because I keep using the identity and the mind, and you know what to do with it.

I don't know, Father. I know you know. You know that I know that you know. No more than this. I charge tickets. Okay, I'm going to try. Okay, very good, very good. Thank you, Father. Thank you. Okay, let's go to ATM.

Thank you. I think I forgot a bit. You know, since the beginning, I actually had put my hands up a few times, but because something was touched, it's just for me everything is said today. Actually, we don't need anything. We don't need anything, yet I just see the—I was just feeling always the same thing. The 'me' wants to grasp something; he wants to hold something and forget about it. So actually, when you say when we get the sense of the presence, we don't need actually anything else. And I see—I love so much when you say 'the Checker guy.' The Checker guy will come even in this moment to say, 'Do you hold it?' And so I was just contemplating this. If we cannot accept the simplicity of the presence, if we want to be sure not to suffer—because the Checker guy is the one who always wants to be there, and he's the suffering, and he will compensate everything with spiritual ego, with any kind of things just to remain in place, to keep his job. So I just wanted to say that. I mean, it's just because I see how invisible the compensation systems remain. They're always coming by the back door, front door, under, by the ceiling, from everywhere. So just to see, okay, we are not aware that we are our own suffering. And as long as this own suffering doesn't want to know itself—yeah, but it cannot know itself as a Checker guy because it is the suffering itself. But today, I mean, I just wanted to mention it because just as to participate in the destruction of the castle—you know, we say in France, with playing cards you make a castle, you build. Yeah, yeah. So if you blow it, it can be blown in one go. It's actually nothing. But it's so believed in, my God, and restored every moment. Thank you. Thank you so much. Thank you. Actually, just relaxing and forgetting—forget about it is actually, at that point, very much. Yeah, I really feel that. Just, yeah. Thank you so much. Bless you.

Okay, let's go from ATM to Divan.

Namaste. I'm M. Can you hear me? Yes. I feel like I'm like the most fortunate person—if 'person' is the right word to use. But thank you so much for showing me like a place where it's untouched, you know, by this realm. It's like I just feel like every time I'm growing in the spirit. Every day I just feel like I'm growing in the spirit and actually feel like so much grace. And I see that somehow all the experiences I've been having since when I was born, somehow it's like it's contributing in a level that you can never really understand with your mind. But oh, the power of God is so great, you know? Yes. And I'm blessed enough that I'm thankful that you're here because I feel like in your words, it's not just the words, but there's something that allows me to see that I cannot really see with these eyes. Yeah, yeah. Very, very—this is like the most fortunate person actually to be alive. Thank you. And I also feel the power sometimes as well, like manifesting even in family members as well. I see the power manifesting, you know? And I'm very grateful to you because if you were not there, maybe we would have been like dead. I'm grateful that you are here because everyone is fortunate enough to have someone with that truth. Yes, yes. Bless you, bless you, bless you. Thank you so much from my heart.

Bless you always. Very good, very good, very good, very good. So happy. Let's go to Aniko.

Thank you, Ananta Ji. Thank you. Can you hear me? Yes, yes, yes, yes. I don't know. I really wanted to say something, to have a question, but now it seems so fake because you already answered. And I don't know, I just wanted to have this connection to you like this. And I don't know, I just don't know what to ask. I don't know what to say.

Don't worry, don't worry at all. You don't have to have something to ask. You just wanted to connect in some way, and this is good enough as well. Don't worry at all. All that was stopping the laughter was the problem that 'I don't know what to ask.' Once that went away, she's just happy. Control yourself! Control is coming more. Oh, do some yoga session. Thank you. No. Oh. Start to en Chila. Let's go to...

Hello, Father. Um, it was very nice to see the bangal on the screen. Thank you so much. Thank you for everything, and thank you, Sangha. I love you all very much. It was yesterday, happy birthday. Thank you, thank you. He looks all partied out. Yeah, moved from Portugal to Romania and it took 30 hours to get here, so we did have a bit of a long night. Just thank you for this. I don't know if it's—so I don't—I didn't realize I'm never to—God is trying to tell me something. Do you want to say something more, something?

No, I don't know. Anna, you want to say something? No, just want to thank you maybe for this beautiful silence and thank you all so much for being in today's Satsang.