Lord Krishna´s Birthday Celebration - 24th August 2019

So, and this sort of desire and intention can lead to a lot of spiritual selfishness. And we were just half-joking the other day when I said suppose that you did your best sadhna, your best spiritual exercises, and the rest of the world became enlightened. Everybody had a halo. Suddenly you open your eyes and everybody had a halo and you were very expectant that you will have one too, but you went to the mirror and you saw that you're the only one who doesn't have one. Would you be happy because you discovered that there is no individual me, or did you feel that my sadhna did not work? So if the discovery of being egoless or empty of the 'me' is supposed to help this 'me', and if it's not supposed to help this 'me', then who is it supposed to help? What is it that we are in this form? I mean, in this discovery that I am not the body-mind, so that the 'me' of the body-mind can be helped? So to be empty of this 'what's in it for me' for one moment is to come to the recognition of the ultimate truth or reality. To be empty of this expectation of what the truth must do for me or change my life is to meet the truth. It is that simple. To be empty of having to think about it, empty of the desire for some great spiritual experience, and especially empty of 'what's in it for me', then what remains is the truth.

What is apparent to you right now is the truth, and the truth is not separating itself into the manifest and unmanifest. This is a good angle going on. It has no distinction even between appearance or reality, even between truth and falsehood. So that truth that we are speaking of is beyond the intellectual truth of true and false, of right and wrong. That which is beyond time, beyond space, beyond the states of waking, sleep, and dream. That which cannot be contained in any conceptual notion. It is not even contained in the greatest Vedanta sutra notion 'I am Brahman', which at best is a beautiful pointer. So this little discourse now is pointing to, and I feel like we must reveal that first before we can get to the celebration in the way he said that that which is you, you know, does not come and go. It cannot be cut, cannot be harmed. And that which is not here never really existed.

The journey gets elongated or too long only as long as we are expecting the truth to do something for the false, expecting the Self to do something for the non-self. And that is where the emphasis in satsang over the last few days has really been about: What is this for? Who is this about? Would the truth help the false? How can the Self help 'me' if the 'me' is false and the Self is true? Then is it the truth's job to help the false? And this is the most difficult part of this journey: the letting go of what we take to be ourselves, the letting go of our deeply conditioned belief system where we try to contain everything within our belief system. And use the term today, use the term ROI, and if there is no ROI on something—basically there is no 'what's in it for me' is not apparent in something—then it seems like it is pointless. What if it is the other way around? Whether the point was to find that it has nothing to do with 'me'. It is all for the wrong reasons that we could not. So in that way, if the 'me' is false and satsang means the company of the truth, then we must come to that satsang where there is nothing for this 'me'. But we feel that we must go to that satsang where the 'me' is getting the most, and that is emblematic of the struggle.

So what is that which is beyond concept and perception? Because now many of you, of course, are advanced seekers. You've been in satsang for long times, some for fifteen, ten years, twenty years. They've publicized every aspect of spirituality with zones and designs, without charities, although some of you studied this greatly. And hopefully you come to a similar conclusion that that Self or that God or that Absolute that we are looking for is not contained in any concept, is beyond any concept, and it is beyond any perception. Krishna also constantly pointed this out in the Bhagavad Gita, and yet what does Arjuna say? 'Show me a great form of yourself so that I can really believe that you are God.' And we won't get into whether Krishna was disappointed or not, but let us not disappoint him at this moment. What is this discovery? It must be about something which is beyond our conceptual and intellectual understanding and beyond anything which is perceptual, because everything that is perceptual, it comes and goes. So this reality that we are looking for must be beyond coming and going, because it is this coming and going which is making us suffer.

So how do we get to this? What I'm really saying is that there is no getting to it once you are no longer searching for something which is conceptual or experiential. When you're no longer searching for anything which is conceptually experiential, then there is no searching. But if it seems like there is, it's very hard. Then there are many pointers which are available in satsang. One of the simplest pointers is: Are you aware now? Sorry, are you aware now? And this awareness is going to be the really discovery which is at the opposite end. And here it doesn't have to be pointed out, but this primal witnessing is your own Self beyond your being and body. The absolute reality is so simple. There is no happiness. Are you aware now? How is this awareness confirmed or known? Is there anything besides itself which confirms itself? Is there any confirmation even necessary? If your mind was not being so worked up about 'what now?', it is trying to put the same awareness into the linear story of your individual lives. So it's the best if you can forget about 'so on' and 'what now?'

Remember that the truth has nothing to do with the false, and it is no guarantee of helping the false. So don't expect life to change anyway. And this was probably the most popular teaching of Krishna: Don't worry about the outcome. And yet what happened to the spiritual seeker? Every spiritual seeker knows this, and yet we're constantly worried about the spiritual outcome. 'Am I free yet? Am I getting it yet?' What is most apparent? Don't be scared to look at this direction and don't compute that you already know this. It is apparent even to Acharya that okay, let's start. It is apparent to you that you are sitting. What is even more apparent? 'I'm sitting.' Okay, what is even more apparent to you? 'That I'm breathing.' Okay, what is even more apparent? We can take an intermediary step. This one: 'So I am sitting.' Then it is apparent that 'I am'. And it is even more apparent, this 'I'. This is before any other condition of 'I am this way' and 'that way'. 'I am sitting', 'I am standing', 'I am a man', 'I am a woman', 'I am good', 'I am bad'—all this conditioning which needs this substratum of 'I am', of the beingness, to exist. But the substratum is more apparent. It is more simple. And there is a substratum even to this substratum of mortal illness, and that is the true essence. It can never be forgotten or remembered; it just is. It can never be found or lost; it just is. As all the sages have said, the diamond is already in your pocket, that you are already sitting on the treasure chest.

I'm sitting down, standing, I'm a man, I'm a woman, I am good, I am bad—all this conditioning needs this substratum of 'I am,' of the beingness, to exist. But the substratum is more apparent; it is more simple. And there is a substratum we are leaving, this substratum of mortal illness, that is the true sense. It can never be forgotten or remembered; it just is. You can never be found or lost; it just is as well. All the sages have said that the diamond is already in your pocket, that you are already sitting on the treasure chest begging for more sermons because really we have not looked. We have hardly ever looked in this direction of before 'I am.' The only bit concerned with it is after 'I am,' but they instill the word is before 'I am.' It is apparent that you don't try to fit this into any idea which is after 'I am,' then there is no trouble. Rather, there is no time, so we can't even see a world. This awareness, this solution, the subsidy which is the substratum of every state that you've ever experienced—it is the substratum of still making, never coming and going. It is you; it is your own service.

So let me say a thing today. This sentence or theme, the sense 'I am,' is a portal which goes both ways. It's like a gift. You can travel outside, which is originally the term outside, which means everything that we can attach to the sense 'I am.' 'I am existent,' 'I am a person,' 'I am good,' 'I am a man,' 'I am a woman,' 'I am doing well' and 'badly,' 'happy' and 'unhappy.' So this is the portal going outwards, and we have attached ideas to it. This is called a coup, but one sheet. I'm going to tell you, the notion 'I am something' is the root of all troubles. And this 'something' is like the variable which you can fit anything into. But what about the portal going the other way? Not attaching anything after 'I am,' but just looking for which is the 'I' which is a term which is existent, which 'I.' This is the very fun because in this Leela, in this play, that which comes after being seems to be very comparable. We seem to be wanting particular states; we seem to be hankering after happiness, joy, even peace. But that which is before to the even sponsors, that is very, very important.

What is the point of the formless? All of us know that God is formless, so the formless has been pointed to in this contemplation as what is before 'I am,' because after 'I am,' it's all concept and form. Now, what is the point of the discovery of something formless? They have to have a point in the level of form. So, 'I have now discovered the formless, so now in the level of form and jelly...' This is the main marketing of spirituality: come to the discovery of the formless so that now in form you can be very happy, if you lose tops of all. But unfortunately, it is this marketing which seems to serve us initially, but at the end, even this expectation has to be thrown away. Because as most of you know, the cat's to me. Now, this is what keeps us in the cat identity: wanting to be a free cat rather than gaining freedom from the cat. So the idea that the formless must mean something for me in the level of form, this is one of the final notions that needs to be dropped. Otherwise, what will happen is there is madness. 'I was promised Sat-Chit-Ananda, where is my hand? I was told that light, he become both it with my partner still fighting, my job still has troubles, will never enough money in the bank.' These conditions which we apply to the Self, then the journey seems to be endless. We're still being that Christian living selfish spiritually, now expecting the Self to solve all materialistic problems.

We try to explain to most people... like I met some other parents, friends of my son at university, and they asked me about Satsang. I realize it's a very difficult conversation to have because the question then becomes, 'So, but what is the point of self-inquiry? What will you get if you discover the Self? They just find that there you are not this you, then how does that help me?' This is the question that remains. And I would really point out to these parents who I just met that this is what I am calling spiritual selfishness. These teeth, the discovery of the Spirit or the discovery of God or the Self, must help the false me. Reflection on the spiritual seeker, that's why we use the term good for Tutsi. Is the truth not worth it for itself? Are you... would you prefer a lie even if the lie amidst utopia to you? Hold off on endure, no problem in any full spheres of your human existence: relationship, money, health of the body. So it's so that we call it the Matrix conundrum. If you could find a way to lie to yourself and come to a utopian life, would you pick that? Or would you still pick a truth which had nothing to offer you? Would you take acceptable?

And the point is not that I'm sitting here on a pedestal to make a judgment about you, you know that. But at least looking this way, you can have integrity because most of you say, 'I just want the truth.' Suppose it was, what would you teach? That is the point. If we all of us know that it doesn't work out that way, the false always leads to something, suffering that is, and that is clear. But suppose this now came and today he said that condition is gone, the false will lead to utopia, would you pick it? Yeah, but suppose this consciousness which is defined it that you know, let's say provisionally all things are possible for consciousness. If consciousness in the form of Krishna said, 'I am so happy with you, you can get a utopian life, you don't have to find the truth.' Yeah, but now he's telling you, 'I can make it your experience.' Would you pick that or would you pick the truth? Again, it's not a different that is telling your lady that the response is memetics continue because I am going to take some of you see, most of you see in the movie he says that 'I know it's a program, that's a computer poop, but I can still taste this wine.' But now it will work because telling you all changes. Buddha said the world is suffering, young forget me had everything for utopian life. Yeah, but now you could have ananda's like you could be very satisfied also with the false.

So that would come to spirituality. Now suppose there is a final gift, is it in spirituality? So let me use the story of the Katha Upanishad. In the Katha Upanishad, there is a little boy, Nachiketa, who says that 'I want to discover this truth of the Self which is beyond.' And then Death comes to him and he says to Death, 'Show me that which is beyond it.' And Death says, 'See, it's okay, you can have that, but you have another option. I can give you the perfect life, you will have everything that you ever desire.' So a new little boy, enjoy yourselves with these things. Why do you want this business reality? So in a way, all the spiritual seekers come to this point. They dare to say, 'Am I English to help myself even if what was offered to myself was not utopian life which could be available to experience all that?' Where I really want something which is beyond all these appearances, even if it was not about suffering and lots of June which admittedly brought us to spirituality. Between the final games, if it was asked, 'If I can give you something which you know in your heart is false but you will have a satisfying life,' most of them, how would you think that which is truth?

And now this special condition to this truth, unlike all the spiritual marketing which is it, nothing has to change further life. I will change your life, but will you be aware? You will be aware of. So if it is truthful to see, then you will not ask ourselves all the objections with the mind comes up with. In fact, to cookie on wood the same, not only will you be aware of the truth, you will be aware that you are this awareness itself. Ramana Maharshi said awareness is you. Awareness is just another name for you, but not in the way that the word awareness sometimes is used also in a world EB. Maybe it was designed actually to be used in the world away, we have co-opted it to be used in the spiritual way. Is it there? Do we like relying? No wait, conceptually, or we like know it as an experience? You will know it, but it will be beyond any conceptual or experience in the morning. And for a while initially it may sound a bit strange to you because maybe you have not heard it this way before, and you may think that the only way to more things is through function or through perceptual experiments. But the discovery of the Self, the coming to self-awareness, is neither of these. It is beyond both T.

And that what makes it the simplest and the most difficult. Simplest for you in reality, but most difficult for you if you are trying to get it as the mind. What is that going with resilient any concept? What is that knowing which doesn't need any perception, independent of whatever you think you know and independent of how many experience that you have? You see, there is a greater knowledge which is self-knowledge or Atma Gyan, and it is more direct and even what is usually called experience. That experience which is beyond even perception. And this is the reading that this will be fully available to everyone for Satsang more million. Certainly doesn't matter, the simplest discovery related to me that which is more obvious and most obvious. The truth is that pattern beyond hidden in plain sight and just is business, just this. And becoming to this discovery as part of this Leela play, just have to notice that your mind will attack you in all kinds of ways and attack their ideas about yourselves. They'll attack the voice which is speaking these words, in the time the Sangha will attack everything that you can use to try and distract you away from the simplicity of this. And you don't have to try and change your mind, just don't mind. Because if you mind, then you're back to leaving yourself to be something.

The self-knowledge is to come to self-knowledge is to come to a freedom from the norm on what we think. If you want to make the Self an object of your knowing or even the subject of your novel, it's going to see me use it. If you return to the innocence of a child, if you come to the beginner's mind as the Zen masters Scott buzzing that, 'Dear Father, can you think that I try with our mind will not be of any help in discovering myself?' Good. But do I need my mind's help to go beyond the mind? No. I know it's contradictory, but negating everything, allowing things to be that comes up is also mind activity. But right now, before the sound of the click, don't need any mind. In a way, what you're saying is ayat you need to intellect to negate, 'not this, not this.' I'm fluent in 1080. So the way the highest thing to let them come to that is to say that this is not an intellectual endeavor. But once that is understood, then to try and intellectualize it or to BYD about it, it only keep us stuck.

So in the mind, the highest we can come to that is that it's not about the mind; it is beyond the mind. And the intellect we can say it is not, it is beyond my reasoning capacity. You know, reason your weightages. But after that is understood, then we don't need to keep saying 'not this, not this, not this, not this.' Just let the mind come and do. Just let all intellectual boots values, yes and no, right and wrong, coming and the truth is the most policeman, the substratum of all of this. That which is aware of the coming and going of the mind, that cannot be lost; it just is. So if you're using the definition of mindless mind being the bundle of thoughts, then no thought is needed for this discovery of that is witnesses all towers which is aware of all perception.

Krishna Govinda Govinda, Krishna Govinda Govinda, you see.

Krishna Govinda Govinda. Krishna Govinda Govinda, you see. Thank you so much for being in satsang, you see me.