Radical Abandonment In God’s Grace - 18th March 2026

So how is it stolen? When we look back at what bothered us three years ago or five years ago, we see that we could have spent that time much more with God. You see, so now don't worry about three years ago. Look at today. Now what is the mind saying? It is saying: but see what is happening to my life. And see what's happening to my life. See what's happening to my relationships. See what's happening to my body. See what's happening to my financial security. These three, four topics. You see, so in the same thing, we've spent the last 40, 50, 60 years worrying about the same topics. But we have not. We could have spent the last decade focused on God. So today we do not hand over to Maya.

What happens many times is we feel that what is the fruit of spending time with God? Although the fruit is also apparent to us, but in Maya it gets hidden, it gets forgotten, you see. So what is the fruit? Because the heart transmission, because the process of our antahkarana, our soul transforming, is not visible to the mind, visible to the intellect, visible to our perceptions. So because this is not visible, when we look for evidence in our lives, many times we may not find it. You see, what is the evidence? In fact, many, many, if not most, sages spend their lives in abject poverty, abandoned by family, abandoned by society, abandoned by everyone. You see, so what is the point of your spirituality? Because for them that is a suffering life. So Kabir Ji said that he is now falling in love with being a beggar for God. So just falling in love with just being a humble beggar for God.

So that poverty can seem to apply in all aspects of our lives. The mind may say: but you are poor in terms of your relationships. You're poor in terms of the health of your body. You're poor in your bank balance, you see. And you're poor in terms of even your conceptual understanding of things. Can you repeat the Bhagat Gita end to end? After so many years in spirituality, you can't even repeat the main scripture, talking about myself. So the that which seems like a worldly lack can be very godly, if our life is for God. I'm not saying automatically, if you're poor in other things, then your life is godly. But if your life is godly and as a result of that all our attachments, all our things are being seemingly taken away, but we find ourselves closer to God and we can't explain to the world what is happening to us. You see, then we can't even explain to ourselves what is happening to us. That is why it needs a lot of faith. You see, to give moment after moment to God with nothing to gain in the world needs a lot of faith.

So there is a danger when I say, when I use the term that the sages have also used, which is the spiritual wealth, because we can even attach, the identity can get attached to a spiritual wealth. You see, so is the focus really on God or is it on you growing spiritually? So I said this for years. Is it God for me or is it me for God? You see, so does this moment really belong to God? Am I empty of the me?

The thing with Bangalore rains is that most often when it rains the lights go. So we can be prepared for that. Let's see what God has in store for us today. So this is very important. Remember that Maya is the stealer of time. The stealer of time. It'll make the best reason, the best excuses, the best, sometimes the worst reasons and the worst excuses. But in that moment they seem most tempting to us. So it may seem like: let's spend the next two hours on Instagram. Can that ever be the best reason or the best excuse? It can't be. And yet something in us tempts us. It becomes about: let me spend just five seconds. And speaking again about myself, that five seconds is already an hour. Not Instagram so much but YouTube things like that in my case and it could be different platforms in yours. So so when we say the best reason the best excuse it sometimes it doesn't need to even. So yes, Bangalore rains lived up to their reputation. So listen. Audible? Oh yes. Okay. Is the light okay? Can it come from a different side?

So how do we go through life then? That is the question. And there are many things which it seems like we will have to do in the world. Then the sages have told us that the way to do that is to use the protection of God's name, use the protection of the truth, to immerse ourselves in that and to lead the rest of our life based on that.

So it is the remembrance which is important. And the name becomes a beautiful medium for that remembrance to happen. You see, so when we take God's name, we end up remembering God, and Maya doesn't work, cannot work, because it cannot bypass his holy name. It may try to circumvent and bypass every other mode of, but if we stick with God's name diligently, then it really can't hold much sway over us. True. It is inevitable that a remembrance of God. It may sound like a very basic thing to say, but the forgetting of God has to be accompanied by the forgetting of his name. So even if it seems like it is just mechanical, you see, it has great power. So we must continue to stay with his name even if it feels like I don't feel like too much is happening, I can't do it in all of these situations, what is it that we can't do? Our lips can still move Ram, Ram, even if we don't mean it. Even if we stuck in a relationship thing, our lips can still move Ram, Ram. Our tongue can still Ra. Even our mala can still go. So at whatever level of grossness we need to turn back to the remembrance of God. It is possible actually in every moment if we make the decision to keep inward focus, to keep our focus and remembrance on God.

But it won't happen if you haven't practiced. We can't wait for just the difficult times and then say: let me now, Ananta said it's very powerful to take God's name, so now that I'm in a difficulty let me try. It's very good to do that, but you will find that your mind will keep tempting you away from God's name if you haven't made it a very deep groove within yourself. You see, you have to replace all the grooves which are turning towards the me, to the grooves that are turning towards Ram, or whatever aspect of God, expression of God, resonate with you the most. You see, so you are creating a deep pipeline to your heart. Is it that tight line to your heart then becomes your transport to the heart, instead of the grooves which are pulling you towards the me. So in every situation, stay with God's name, stay with your inquiry. It's possible to bear a bit of heat for a few moments. We can close that sound from there.

So what is the power of one repetition of God's name? What is the power of one repetition of God's name? It is more powerful than the entire force of this universe. Even if it is spoken mechanically, you see. But what happens? Why does it not seem to be the case? I took God's name. So why am I still in trouble? Why am I still suffering? Because just because the power of remembering God for one moment, or taking his name even mechanically once, is more than this entire universe, it doesn't mean that it becomes a convenient tool for us to not face the challenges or tests which we have to face to become humble, to become innocent, to become faithful in our lives. You see, otherwise that would be too convenient. And we would not grow. You see, so if it became a wish-fulfilling engine, everybody would take God's name for selfish reasons alone. You see, so God knows best how to heal the situation, help you in the situation fully. And yet it doesn't have to be according to what the mind wants.

So but what is then the point of me saying it is more powerful than the entire universe?

Exactly. It is so that it adds to our faith, and to know that I'm taking God's name, and if this is still there, it must be only for me to grow, only for me to learn.

You see, so that which seems oppressive then becomes a path, a path or a doorway to growth, to a deeper spirituality, to a deeper love for God, to a deeper faith in God. Now there comes a point in the lives of the great sages that they become unshakable by anything that happens, because they live in so much faith in God's name and God's presence that they are not shaken by anything that happens. You see, that deepening needs to happen in our lives as well. So can you trust, while it develops into a full faith, can you trust that your remembrance of God's name once has already taken care of everything that needed to be taken care of?

Remember who we are remembering. Remember who we are remembering. For him, this universe is nothing but a tiny pebble, not even a pebble. And he is the, he is said to be the devotee of the devotee. He is said to be the devotee of the devotee. He is a devotee of any true devotee. So if we are a devotee of God, then he is devoted to us. Our remembrance of him is bound to work in that very instant, but not work according to what our mind wants, not work according to what Maya wants. This is the faith we need to grow in, that the outcome also has to be left to God.

Are we really calling him in that one invocation? Even if we are calling him mechanically, is it his name that we are using?

So if you are on the roads in India, a policeman catches you and you say that this one is my uncle. You see, even the policeman leaves you. Now, quite a crude example, but if Maya catches you, okay, then by remembering God's name, do you feel like Maya will have the courage to push it any further? Not at all. Not at all. If you remember, if you say I am in the refuge of Ram, I am in the refuge of Radha, I am in the refuge of the sages, I'm in the refuge of Bhagwan, I'm in the refuge of Valmiki Ji, I'm in the refuge of Saint Teresa. Then we don't ever have to worry. Father also gives us the right attitude to take the name, like the right moment, the right way of taking it.

Yes. But I'm saying that even if it is not taken sincerely, it must be taken sincerely.

It must be taken sincerely. But even if it is not taken sincerely, it is much more than what Maya can throw at you. Yes. So it is like the remembrance of one whose even in the most trivial way has the power to transform the entire universe. You see, and yet the more deeply you offer yourself to him, the deeper you are growing spiritually. But for worldly things, even the most mechanical remembrance is more than enough for what the world can throw at you.

This is really so empowering. So our deepening sincerity, our deepening love for God, is so that we remain at the doorway of the heart temple waiting for the revelation of God to happen more and more. But for small things like the world, even the most simplest trivial or mechanical remembrance is more than enough.

The power of God's name. The sages that told us, Tukaram Ji, we were reading the other day, said that God's name is God himself. It's quite an explosive thing to say that God's name is God himself. What a thing. But do we have the faith that I have taken his name? I am taking his name. I have no reason to worry about anything in the world.

When you say there's no reason to worry and you say that whose name are you taking, then no more mechanical. Father, that's what I was saying.

I'm saying that even if you're taking it mechanically, I'm saying that even if your Maya has got you and you seem to be trapped, then just one Ram is enough. Not that you have to stop. And so what I'm saying is not that I'm saying just take that Ram and stop. I'm just saying that it's enough. It has more power than anything that Maya can throw at you.

Even if you worry?

Then there is no reason to worry. There's no reason left to worry. You've got God into the picture.

How come he's on your side even if you just take his name?

Is it that in the taking of his name he knows that we remembered him or we took his name, or we need to dial a special hotline that comes after we do it 108 times?

I don't know.

You see, so till we don't know, we need to trust. What reason does he have to be on our side if we just take it? Reasonlessly? That's why he's so merciful. What reason does he have to be on our side? Even if we take it full-heartedly, there's no reason. We cannot provide a good enough reason for him to be with us. Love doesn't need reason. So it's unconditional meaning that it needs no reason.

So now if two termites are fighting and a cat comes into the room, who's going to win that fight? You see, so if the cat is on your side, you won. Again, very silly example. You see what I'm saying? That we need to have faith that he responds even to the meekest, weakest, faintest of callings that we can make. And even that is enough to deal with Maya.

The other termite might live the very virtuous life, and I just took his name once. Who are the two termites?

The other termite might live the very virtuous life and I just took. Who are the two termites? Talking about your soul and the and not, I'm talking about two people and when you use God to come. Thank you for asking for that clarification. What am I talking about? I'm saying your soul is wrestling with Maya, you see, and it remembers God even in the meekest way, then your soul has nothing to worry.

Today is the kind of Satsang where like one very sweet child, she used to come to me when I started sharing Satsang. So she asked me a question and I gave her an answer and she said: are you sure? Not that I'm beyond asking that question, because but it rarely happens. But today when I'm saying this, I see on your faces: can it really be like this, that I just remember, not even full faith, I just remember his name mechanically, and it's enough, can it really be like this?

Are you sure?

Are you sure? I'm sure. I'm certain. You would also, instinct, if something happened, most people might go and say God's name. Yeah, and that's a very good habit. That's a very good habit. Sometimes it comes from our parents, sometimes it comes from someone else. In India it's a very common thing. I don't know if my parents used to say it, or my dad used to say, but if my body is a bit tired and I sit down and you know something, then literally I end up saying Ram or something like that. It's a very good habit.

In Los Angeles it has turned into OMG.

It's become OMG now. Yes. It's fine. You see, but we must then be very careful how we use and take God's name. OMG is good, but the way in pop culture and cinema and music how we use God's name is quite atrocious, with all kinds of things. And it's the worst thing. I may feel I'm very stupid, but I'm watching a movie with the kids and it seems to be quite nice and engaging, then one character says something atrocious like that, and I just feel to shut it off and go from there. But my kids will say I'm really losing it now. So then I'm trapped in that situation. I'm weird. I'm weird. So sorry.

Father, I feel like this is an 'are you sure' kind of question. So if I've fallen into an old groove, you're saying that all I need to do is take God's name to make a new groove.

Yes. All you need to do, take it. The situation is handled already in your taking his name in whatever way, even once.

But if I've gone into the old groove, that means I've fallen for Maya somewhere, right. So while I've fallen for Maya and if I still take God's name, do you see what I'm trying to say?

Yes, yes. So you've fallen into your condition and you've taken God's name. Now that you have this information that you're taking it once is enough, does it make a difference to you coming out of the groove? You see, the groove has nothing to do with what's happening in the situation. How do I explain this? Our conditions are our conditions, we see, there because of the world. But the world has, we conclude that it is not a condition that I have, it is because of the. Okay. So our grooves, our conditions are our. Right. Let's see. Let's see what happens. The situation happens in our lives for one minute, two minutes, five minutes. The grooves last for decades sometimes. Isn't it? So it is the breaking of these grooves, which are the vasanas, which are the conditioning, so that we learn to return to God in every situation. In fact, we learn not to leave his presence in any situation.

Okay. So it is the breaking of these grooves which is important. So now that you know the power of his name, it is easier for you to snap out of the groove. It did not add value to his name. His name is already almighty.

How great is his name? What conditions are needed for his name to be great?

Our faith. Our faith is needed for his name to be great.

His name is Almighty. His name is Almighty. So what conditions are needed for for his name to be almighty?

No conditions are needed. What does our, what does our mind say? Many conditions you have. It has, it puts all the conditions you don't have devotion you don't have faith. So it is divesting power from his name. You see, all I'm saying that his name in spite of your mind's expressions of whatever condition is still the name of the almighty. The sages said the name is him himself. The sages could not be lying.

The sages are known for humility and not for exaggeration. So when they say something, then Tukaram Ji said that his name is him himself. Tulsidas Ji said that Ram follows his name. He is a servant to his name. We read that part that Ram Ji is a servant to his name. He has to follow where his name is. Ram sa Ram, bigger than Ram himself is Ram's name, which I was reading a beautiful story. And both, whoever doesn't take the mic while asking the question will be given transcription duty for questions.

So, so everyone's in ecstasy because they're singing and chanting God's name. And then this king comes and says: I forbid you from doing that because I want to know how true is God. You're saying he's your lord and his name and all of that. So he says, and if you haven't, and so he, there's a buffalo there. It's that same the buffalo who was chanting the Vedas. So he kills that buffalo and then he says: now if your god can make that buffalo alive, I will believe you. So Namdev Ji prays to God, that he tells the king in 4 days I will do this. So 4 days he's feverishly feverishly praying and saying: why aren't you coming? Why aren't you coming? Don't you hear me? Are you entangled in some other devotee's work that you're not listening to me? So on the fourth day, God resurrects the buffalo. And he says but why it took so long? He says because you told me four days, if you had told the king immediately, I would have done it immediately. I have to keep man of your name, of what statement you made, I had to follow that. If you had said do it right now, I would have done it right now. I just found it was just so touching. And apparently the buffalo recited the Vedas. Yeah, no, but that, that was. So he and Nam they were together. They had a close relationship with buffaloos. They were together. The buffaloos were together. And the other one, he said that Walmik's made a prophecy and I had to deliver that because I have to make true what my devotees actually say. I have to make their words true. That was also quite something.

And the other one, Valmiki Ji made a prophecy and God said: I had to deliver that because I have to make true what my devotees actually say. I have to make their words true. That was also quite something. So if we don't devalue the greatness of his name and we live in that faith, what will happen? Not that the power of his name will go up. We will break out of our grooves more easily. Not that the power of his name will go up, but we will break out of our grooves more easily. The grooves have nothing to do, or let's say minimal to do, with our situation.

So our mind makes this condition that God's name will be great only if you say it with faith. Or you repeat it often enough. Or you are that deeply devoted like a sage. All of these conditions. Okay. Now I am telling you that it is great independent of whatever preconditions. Now knowing this doesn't add any value to his name or to its power. But knowing this helps us break out of our grooves more easily.

Yeah. But what's the situation connection?

Yes. I'm saying that the situation is taken care of by remembering his name even once. But our groove has nothing to do with the situation. The situation happens in our lives for one minute, two minutes, five minutes. The grooves last for decades sometimes. Isn't it? So it is the breaking of these grooves which are the vasanas which are the conditioning so that we learn to return to God in every situation. In fact, we learn not to leave his presence in any situation.

How is it easier to come out of this?

Yes. Because now you may have had, you may have bought the mind's precondition, and you may say it won't help me because I'm not truly devoted enough. It won't help me because I haven't repeated it enough. I haven't learned to sit in my heart temple. All these conditions it will make about his name which are not true. His name inherently is him, as Tukaram Ji said. So if it is inherently him, then how can it lose its power? It cannot lose its power. So now that you know that, even if I may be unworthy, I may be foolish, I may be the stupidest one, but his name is still all-powerful, then I break out of the groove of fear. I break out of the groove of wanting something more to change. I'm not waiting for the outcome that my mind wants. All those grooves are broken. If you have faith in what is being said, then the situation may happen again, but how I react to it is the breaking out of the groove.

So remember that we all would want something, you see, that we just say God's name and it goes according to what our mind wants. But is going according to how our mind wants better for us? No. If you still think there's a situation, take his name once. Take his name constantly. But if the situation is worrying you then know that your one repetition of his name took care of it. Sorry, can I say? No, please, please. This question can be repeated often, the name has to be repeated once.

If the situation happens again which triggers that groove, and I don't even remember my question anymore and I go back into suffering, I take the name again.

Yes. So let's go deeply this time. What is the thought in that situation which makes you suffer? Don't, you don't have to name names or say specifically.

Fear. Something without me.

Yes. So this because there is a situation in the world, you see, which makes me feel, makes me oppressed. Isn't it? So whenever it is about the situation, know that you've taken God's name once, everything about the situation is now exactly as it is meant to be.

Repeat is tough. Let me say it freshly. So I've tried to explain that no matter what the situation in the world is, you see, taking God's name once is more than enough for that situation. Prahlad's life is the best example of that. His own father was trying to kill him in ten different ways, but every time he just took God's name and the situation was taken care of. Now the situation is not taken care of in the way that our mind wants, but the situation is taken care of in the best outcome for us to grow spiritually, you see, for us to deepen in our love, for us to deepen in our surrender. It is taken care of. Just one repetition of his name is enough. Remember that I'm saying it's enough doesn't mean you stop there, please. That would be an absurd interpretation. So one repetition of his name is not enough for us to come to Atma darshan. It could be for some, but for most of us we need a constant life spent in taking his name. But we are talking about the worldly situation. So the worldly situation is taken care of. Every time we think there's a worldly situation that is giving us cause to worry, we've taken his name, and then we can rest assured that he's taking care of it. He's in the picture. He's taking care of it.

So that is done. Now our grooves want to keep scaring us. You see? Now when you know this and you have faith in this, then they can't scare you anymore with this.

I think father, there's some idea that if I suffer in that situation, then I'm, something is there over there that I shouldn't suffer.

The grooves will make us suffer, not the situation. Any situation actually doesn't make us suffer.

If the situation happens, I take God's name.

Suppose you were the oppressor in this situation and I'm the one being oppressed. Okay. So now the situation is happening. Suppose you're saying some very hurtful word. I have no groove about it. Then it's like a madman screaming on the street. Makes no difference. I don't take it personally, because personally means there's a groove to the me. There's a pathway to the me there. You see, now, now that you know, so you are being oppressive. I am saying Ram. I have said Ram, I am assured now that he's in the picture, not my problem. Everything is perfectly as it is meant to be. You see, but we may not, if we don't fall into that faith and we still continue to worry about it, that's not the situation issue. It's a groove issue. You see, so knowing this now, if you have faith in this, you'll be able to break out of the groove more easily. The power of his name has always been the same. Knowing this is not changing the power of his name.

So there are two options in that situation when you're suffering: that you forget to take God's name. No, suppose I don't forget to take God's name. Okay. You've taken it. Yes. Then you've forgotten that it's taking care of the situation. Or I still suffer because, no, I'm saying that so you remember to take God's name but you've forgotten that it is taking care of the situation. Okay. Let's say. You see, then you can still be in that groove of suffering. You see, because you just feel like: yeah, I'm taking, but what's happening? I'm taking, nothing is changing. I'm taking. You see, all of that. So that is a lack of faith. Now upon hearing this, you know in which direction your faith has to grow. And as your faith grows, how did the sages get to the point of unshakability? Because they said that I'm taking God's name. How did Saint Nectarios not react when his children in the Satsang were being thrown about by the police? And he, he just pointed to God.

Okay. Keep asking. It's very important because the questioning is the breaking of the groove. Questioning, the receiving of the answer. Yes. Exactly.

In that moment when you're suffering, I feel attacked basically. Now suppose I take God's name and I'm still feeling attacked. That's the problem.

Being attacked means you're thinking you're believing your thoughts which are telling you that you're being attacked. That's very important. We often put in the label of feeling what we are actually thinking. So we are thinking, the mind is providing us thoughts which are telling us that we are being attacked, and we're believing those thoughts. Just one belief is needed to fall into that condition.

So we get attacked and we take God's name. Now we have faith that taking one name, he's heard it, she's heard it. I know every time I take her name, she's heard it. Now does that mean that she's heard it but she's waiting for like 107 repetitions more? No. Even if not that once if I, now you said that what behavior happens next or what plays out. She knows for my good that if I have to, some kind of behavior has to play out. Now that behavioral part is what, like because there you're saying from your side you're saying or from the other from my side, from your side, what has to play out, does that mean that it's a full switch or has to be whether you continue to remain in your heart following God's will. So that switch has to happen by taking that one name. Hopefully it was already, you already there. But if if by taking God's name that switch happened. Yes.

But how can we already be there if we're stuck in Maya? I'm just.

If you're feeling attacked then that's true. What I'm saying that we must not wait for a situation for us to return to the heart.

Yeah. But in this case when Maya is attacking us, that time we already in our mind right, like we already we've left God and then we take one name. And you said what I heard was that even though my invocation has reached her, I might not even realize it. No matter what's playing out in Maya my invocation has reached her. So this part about like I have, I have to go through what I have to go through. What is that part?

You have to go through what you have to go through, because you took Radha Ma's name. Yeah. Now what does she want for you? When she gives, she gives fully. She wants, she won't just say okay now let's fix the situation. Say okay let's fix the situation in a way that this child is helped to grow deeper in what is the meaning of her life or purpose of her life. So for that what follows the invocation is not always maybe returning fully to the heart, it's maybe struggling a little bit more.

I'm saying that what we face in the world we don't have to worry about in that situation anymore. It doesn't take us away from our responsibility of only following God's will and staying in God's presence. Father, our inner environment changes. That's what you're saying, right? Like, inwardly we make a switch and we change our worry to faith. And outwardly we are suffering like Saint Nectarios was suffering outwardly. He did not necessarily fight that.

Let's make it simple. So suppose the one called atma is angry with you. Not atma. This, the the one called atma is angry with you. So she's angry with you. She sent you some angry exchange. So now you remembered God. You remember Radha. So now whatever happened in the atma situation you don't have to worry about after that. But so father after that? No, that is up to the groove. So if you remember that I don't have to bother with the situation anymore because God is here. Then suppose atma sends you another and she calls you and shouts at you, then you know but I've already got God into the picture. This is for my growth. It's for my deepening. I don't have to worry about it anymore.

It's the faith. No, it's just so good, father. So whatever situation we may be facing in our life, no. So suppose that we had a breakup. We had a breakup, we remember God's name. Know that in remembering God's name, in praying to God, he has taken care of that outer situation. You don't have to worry about the breakup situation anymore. It's done with. You see, now if your former partner or the breakup in that breakup process whatever is happening sends you an angry message or calls you angrily, whether you still fall into the old groove is still dependent on whether we really feel that I don't have to worry, or we go back into the old pattern of worrying. Father, this thing that grew is actually a nagging for attention, right? Like every groove, every thought is designed to nag us for attention. And it tells us that if we don't look at it, it's not resolved. And this that you're saying, that if I've invoked Radha, then I don't need to look at it no matter what the outcome, right? Because I've invoked her. So I don't need to. It's so beautiful for us. It's a relief actually. And it's also switching out of my personal will, right? Like letting go of my full will at that moment, right?

Absolutely. It's a radical transformation. You see, for years I've been saying: let's not suffer from the same things in Maya. Let's at least get Maya to work hard and give us new topics to suffer from. So this is one way to look at it. You know, the transcript thing has really worked. Rather, you were saying that how did people, how did people get there, like when Guru Gobind Singh Ji lost his four sons, the last two were walled up, and he said. He said yeah. How Saint Job said the same thing.

How did people get there, like when Guru Gobind Singh Ji lost his four sons, the last two were walled up, and he said. How Saint Job said the same thing, that when his entire family was killed, he said: if I take good from the hand of God, why would I not take suffering?

This is the way. This is the way to rely on him entirely and to have faith that I don't have reason to worry. All four. First let's start with neutral, then we'll go to meet. So let me translate that. You think the great sage, because that's why he was a great sage, the great sage said that even the death of his children he said that you have done this, it is the great sweet gift you've given. It feels sweet to me. She's saying that is too much, that is too much. So I said for us let's start with neutrality first and then maybe that converts through sweetness.

What are you calling the problem in the situation? The problem is the groove that I get. But what is the problem in the situation?

You don't have to worry about the situation anymore. What is the last situation you worried about? Now you remembered God once. Stop worrying about it. No, that's the groove. So I'm providing that which will give you the faith to not fall into this groove or break out of the groove. The power in his name is not being changed by what I'm sharing.

The problem is the groove, right? Not the situation. Of course. So what do you mean by fixing the situation? So we, if we know that the situation, we don't have any reason to worry about it at all because we remembered God once, we don't stay in our groove, we break out of our groove of worry. So that's one groove, thinking the situation is the problem, that we've broken out of. You're saying. Yeah, that's huge. It's not minor. It's huge because if Maya could no longer use situations to worry us, that would transform my life. And you're saying I can break out of all my grooves if I just trusted that.

And if you break out of this major one, Maya really will have to struggle. Tell me one excuse that is not tied to situations.

What can you talk more about that, father? Like, all my grooves I can break out of if I have faith that the name will do it.

Let's apply this in life and see what grooves are left. Like say my grooves, I don't have faith, we don't have to, let's see. All that you're saying I thought right now we'll do it. No, no, I'm saying we'll apply it in life. And I don't have to. This is the reparation by taking God's name and having faith that he's taking care. Figure out of how to really like for example. Figuring out our grooves is to create new grooves about the old groove. Figuring out is not a surrendered process. The healing of our groove is to turn it to the new groove, the new pathway to the heart, to God.

I want to so when you say that taking his name once takes care of that situation, I, it's quite a bomb, a good bombshell, because it's like showing you that, like when you used to tell us that you think God can't look after that situation, and I've been applying that, that he can. Every time I have more deeply. Now it was that once you said that when you met your guru, something that you felt that everything would be taken care of. And before we began Satsang today, it sounds horrible but today for the first time I really felt that you know that everything will be taken care of. Yes. And I, you don't need to worry. Yes. For somewhere you just didn't have that trust. And today you talked so much about that, just even that one name can help you.

Yes. I know that to be true because I lived through that just quite recently, and when I came back I saw my folly and I saw that he will look after it. Why can he not look after something as simple as this? I mean, why am I going on and on about it, and seeing my attachments to the things which are creating that groove? The groove is created because of that attachment.

Something is giving me and will take away, and I'm becoming poorer by having that. Once I was having this conversation with someone and she was so confident that she would be saved. I was like: why don't I have that confidence? What must that inner feeling be that makes that one feel so confident that she will be saved? And then of course my mind said: you don't pray enough, and gave me the whole litany of everything. But today when you're saying that that one name has fixed that situation for me, is it wrong if I have that confidence that I would be saved? That's the question.

So with that, God's name even once, even half, even like, is enough for any situation in the world. But is it enough for the soul to be merged into spirit? That only the revelation has to show us. The soul to be merged into spirit, or to see the oneness of our reality with God, whichever way you want to look at it. So but the taking of his name will lead us closer to that revelation, to that merging, to that divine union. That's for sure.

I think you mentioned, father, that if I don't have faith and I still take my own abilities and take the responsibility, then that can go on and on. Can you elaborate a bit on that part?

Yes. If I don't have faith in God and I rely on this boy who's sitting next to me. Huh? This boy sitting next to me. If I rely on him, what will happen? Nothing will happen because there's no boy sitting next to me. So if you rely on the illusory one, on the me which doesn't actually exist, what will happen? It's a waste of this life. So Maya is, the me seems real. Me. So when the me seems real that means that I rely on this non-existent entity, you see, to lead my life, to run my life. And our grooves are caused because of this reliance on me, you see, because then the me takes on the running of this world, because for me to be happy I need to control everything in this world according to exactly how I want it. So then there's so much worry, there's so much struggle. All the ignorance, all the avidya, is about the me being at the center. Isn't it? That can go on and on because how much will you handle? It can seem like I handle one variable, you add one more variable, by the third variable all of us are at breaking point. You see, and we start complaining with everybody around us: there's too much on my plate, there's too much. It comes automatically very fast. So we can hardly handle. The non-existent one can't handle, but the delusion of handling also doesn't stretch too much. So then we come to a breaking point.

So one of the obstacles to developing greater faith earlier on in life is when you see the trajectory of people's lives who've had faith and they've still suffered, and things haven't changed for them. On the other hand, people who don't have faith, their lives might be quite fun. And so this gives you pause. It it makes you wonder is this very good. So in fact we, I feel like you had to go for something. We started Satsang with exactly this point. What is the evidence of our growth in spirituality?

So in fact, we started Satsang with exactly this point. What is the evidence of our growth in spirituality? Many times it can seem like those who become spiritual become poor in monetary ways. They become poor in relationship, become poor in physical health. You see, so in terms of the outer evidence of what was given to them by turning to this path, it can seem like a complete waste, a complete waste of life. In fact, when I was starting to get into spirituality, one of the older ones who was my father's colleague said to me that the one who was bitten by the spiritual bug, just know that their life is a complete waste. So that's a very common thing.

So when Kabir Ji said that, or when we come to the recognition that I'm so happy in my outward poverty, you see, but why am I happy? Because I'm finding something which is a treasure beyond what the world can give to me. You see, so it is not possible. Like people may look at my life and say that oh, here was a young achiever who was slated to do big things and now he just wasted his life. You see, how to change their opinion? Can't change their opinion. Now, when you say suffered, is it suffered in their own eyes or suffered in the eyes of others? That is the important question. I don't feel like anyone who has taken refuge in God and continued to stay in the refuge of God can really be suffering in their own eyes.

I've seen people suffering in their own eyes. In their own eyes if they continue to suffer then maybe it's a question of spiritual pride or like the me wanted to take on the spiritual project too much. Maybe through some reason getting into the wrong path. This person who I'm thinking of, she believed that she had done something wrong and she was being punished by God for it. So she, she didn't probably even pray for that suffering to end, and she used it to become closer and closer to God because she, she was so, some things she would say that just happened. You know, you could see there was a connection. But then this one situation or would not change. So she have taken, so the situation not changed or her suffering with regard to the situation not changed?

So the situation not changed, or her suffering with regard to the situation not changed? Because if you prayed, then the situation is always perfect as it is. The groove maybe was not getting broken for some reason. Suffering is because of the grooves.

Father, I'm very, I have to do a variety of things to try remembering God. So if I'm not able to say it, if I write it, is it the same?

Yes. Absolutely. The sages have told us that their lives become lives of leading a life in radical abandonment in God's grace. Bai said that he has immense faith in his grace no matter what happened. And many Christian sages have talked about this radical abandonment to God's grace. See how would that come? By knowing that in that remembrance, in that remembrance, everything is taken care of. More than enough. I'm just going to ask you, just going to repeat, because when you were telling me the last thing I kind of blanked out because over.

Your main objection should be: am I saying that God is not taking care of us otherwise, before we take his name? You see, now of course he is, of course he is. But do we live like that? No, we don't. So at least live like this. We worry because we don't feel he's taking care of us. You see, now you've got a way out of that.

When you said that revelation will happen by God's timing and however long, but then I must have had lack of faith, saying that if I took his name, it has to happen now or it should happen or not. So if I leave that out and just continue with my prayer and seeing that it's becoming more loving, it's enough.

I'm just saying imagine if it was to be like that. You see, and we were not like the sages. No, imagine if it was to be like that. Oh, this one causing me trouble, out of my life. Money issues, put a billion dollars in my bank. The worst thing that could ever be. God is not that unkind. You're reminding me of that story where whatever he touched became gold, and then it was so horrible at the end, everything became gold. That's true. You're saying: by knowing that in that remembrance everything is taken care of, inside everything does become gold. That's what you're saying, not outside.

See, there is no space in our life for both things to happen, for us to take care of worldly situations and for us to come to Atma darshan. So when God has given us a radical way out of it, just remember him, finish, forget about the world, forget about the world. You see, so when that lane, it is said the lane is too narrow, only God or me, or the me can walk. This is the way to be empty of the me.

Yes. In this space, suppose your mind has got three ambitions. So you cannot do, focus on the three ambitions and come to the revelation of God's presence, the atma dan within. We cannot be focused on, we cannot serve two masters at the same time. So that's what, so once we've given his name to be rid of any worldly concerns, then we can focus on the true project at hand. It doesn't give us card blanch over the spiritual project. Don't misunderstand what I'm saying. Doesn't mean now okay now atmaagan also yeah like that, no. It is to give you the space to focus on the true project at hand. And then still be guided to do things without emotion that will help the situation perhaps.

Yes, you will be guided to do things which will help the situation, to bring more love into the situation, to bring more kindness into the situation, compassion into the situation.

Just a few lines before this, father, you had said that God has given us this radical way out, where we just stay with his name and ignore everything which has to do with world affairs. Don't worry about any any situations. Don't worry about any situation. Stay with his name. And if the mind comes, would we rather worry about something or pray about something?

Pray. That's it. But we do end up spending a lot of time worrying. So now this is the way out of that. And this will take us to becoming less and less and less, you see, because we'll become less and less and less. And he will become more and more.

For him to increase, I must decrease. Saint John the Baptist said: for him to increase, I have to decrease. For Christ.

Exactly. Everyone is basically saying the same thing. Whether it's a narrow lane or the me has to reduce, all of it, it's the same lessons everywhere. You just said that you take his name once and he is taking care of everything wholly. Like Mirabai was saying about Radha, she will take care in the best way possible, all of it. And then you have added that if you take that name, then you don't need to let your mind think about anything else, because that name is then taking care of the whole.

Yes, but you have to tell yourself that. All of us have to tell ourselves that, because we end up worrying about particular situations. If we can live in that unified way that God is taking care of this entire universe and nothing for me to worry, then I would not worry about specific situations.

I hear you, father, where I'm feeling is that for some reason when I was in Vrindavan I let go, and the Lord indeed took care. Are you worrying about this situation right now? Yes, so what I'm worrying about right now is that I'm not being able to surrender. So that's the worry that's coming. Yeah. So the surrendering, if you could guide me on, give me, when I was in Vrindavan I was able to take care of, I was able to surrender everything but when I'm in Bangalore I'm not able to surrender everything.

Take God's name once and he is taking care of that situation. Thank you. I'm going to repeat, have to repeat it. I was not good that, this is, this is God's name. He can make Bangalore into Vrindavan and Vrindavan into Bangalore. Conceptually that's yes you're right, you're actually right. That it is faith is what goes from just conceptual spirituality into becoming lived heart knowledge. You see, so we are all deepening in that again. I am saying all of this as it is revealing itself to me, it's not that I'm living like that. I'm not saying it from the top of some mountain. So we have to remind ourselves of the same thing.

So I'm just going to say that you said that when he can look after it all so that Maya can't thieve away my time anymore. So I'm really left free to deepen in my faith and my prayer and not worry about foolish things. God's name was always powerful always but we had not realized its power because we had not had that faith. And like now you've told us and we just have to have that faith. Faith is not so that his name has more power. Yeah, that's what, like his name has always had power but I never had that recognition or that faith. And that's what you're pointing to us today. So it is like that that even one, his name has just always been powerful. You didn't know that.

And is this reminding everyone of this fact? Because you look at now if you know, and hopefully now or in a few days when we look at this conversation it will seem like the most natural one. Right? Because once our mental limitations that we've put to God's name have dropped away, then what is being said will seem very very natural.

Yes. We only cut off our mind's idea of how limited God's name is. Whereas the sages have told us it is him itself. Like what struck me was first, what struck me was Tulsidas Ji saying, Tulsidas Ji who is the greatest lover of Lord Ram that you can ever come across, he himself saying that Ram is a servant of his name Ram. For him to say that about his lord, it really struck me. And then as I've been reading Tukaram Ji, and him saying that his name is him. Bai also. Actually even that, when we, when you told us about Tukaram Ji, it struck us again and again that God's name is God right there now.

Exactly, it is him itself. There are different ways of saying it is him. It's worth contemplating: my name is not me, but his name is him. My name is the me, therefore not me in reality. It identifies the little me. But his name itself is so great that it is him. Quite insane stuff. We just had this conversation in Satsang.

Because his name itself is so great that it is him, and only his name is true. True means him. Beauty, truth and knowledge, that capital-T truth is him. So in all traditions, all religions, we've been told they are saying how great is your name. Your name is the truth. We're just scratching the surface of it now.

I was telling her: tell me how to do focus. She says: okay, you take Ram Ji's name. So one end is your mouth and where is it going to the other end? Then I said it's going to Ram. It's going to what Ram is. And then I said okay, when I, so then I said okay if I say my name, then where is it going? And it didn't, I said it should go to the essence of who I am. It just came out of my mouth and it goes to beingness. It should go to what the truth is. No father, when I'm calling somebody I'm calling their truth actually if you see it. I don't want to meet this this body. I wanted to meet the beingness inside that, the living entity inside that body. I was like, that's so it was so strange because I don't know, I just just had this thing today with her, you know.

Maya is said: it is name and form that is called Maya, you see. So now what is the exception to that? It's Lord's name. What a great gift. And that's why in so many traditions his name is revered so much. What a great gift. What are the words for that? If I call my children's names, many times they don't come, depending on the mood they may come. So but God has given us his name where he said that if I am called I will come in the way you want. Whether it is Ram, whether it is Radha, whether it is Krishna, whether it is Jesus, whether it is Allah, you call, I will come in the way that you call.

Please say more on this. What a great gift we have. How privileged are we?

Of course he does. He does. No, that's what I'm saying, that in just the R of Ram, Ram Ji is here. You see, now what is purely met in faith initially become more and more palpable, or we can say our faith then takes on textures which become more and more palpable. I don't want to say that he's met beyond faith or something like that, you see, but faith itself deepens into a greater sweetness, into a greater revelation. But what a gift it is that I may call anyone in the world and they don't they don't have to come because their worldly name is not who they really are. But God through this ages, through the incarnations, has made his name, it himself, available, to his names available to us. What did I say? Our faith I don't becomes more and. Yeah, the faith is not like a, like when we speak in Satsang many times just feel like, because God's recognition is unperceivable, atma as both perceivable and unperceivable, then the mind can make it very, very lifeless in a way, you see. But the textures of our faith keep deepening.

The faith is not like, when we speak in Satsang many times, just feeling like, because God's recognition is unperceivable, and Atma is both perceivable and unperceivable, then the mind can make it very lifeless in a way, you see. But the textures of our faith keep deepening. The realms that we visit in faith become more and more enticing and beautiful and stunning. Although we may not be able to report on them in terms of colors and shapes and sizes. You see, so this path, this path is full of so much beauty, and that beauty is very much different from what the mind's idea of what this revelation is about.

So according to the mind, if God is unperceivable, then what's the whole point? According to the mind, I can never meet him because he's unperceivable. But those are the limits of the mind. That is not the limit of your soul. You can meet God beyond perception. And that meeting beyond perception is not your mind's definition of what that meeting is. It is full of beauty. How can that which is unperceivable be full of beauty? Talking about Brahmananda that day: there is ananda which can be received from objects in the world. I'm obsessed with mango. So there's ananda that you get tasting the mango. Then there's ananda that you get out of bhajananda, which is when you remember God, there's the bliss that you feel. But there is a Brahmananda which is beyond even the bhajan, beyond the bliss that we feel in remembrance of consciousness, of beingness, of God in any particular aspect. What, how can that Brahmananda be? Because it's, there is no, there, there is no attribute there, Nirguna. So how can there be ananda there? You see, so this ananda is met in the depth of our soul, in the depth of our antahkarana. So it is not lifeless.

It may seem in the eyes of the world that one has wasted their life in God. What a wasted, lifeless life they haven't lived. But those who enjoy what has been given to them unperceivably in faith, there is no worldly joy that can match that. No worldly joy can meet that. Now Bai said that there is anand which is beyond Brahmanand. So that is because he's Bai, beyond, beyond my pay grade for sure. Still have the question. Okay. Anyway, don't worry. Just feel at home. Okay. If you feel like asking, ask next time. Whatever you feel.

I keep telling everyone: first, when you come to Satsang, just find yourself relaxed, because in relaxation we'll be able to go to the deeper realms that are being spoken about. If you're concerned about doing the right thing, saying the right thing, asking the right question, have to worry. Take your time, whenever it has to come. We all get riled up and you're just worried about managing the variables in Satsang, then what I'm saying won't really hit home. These inner realms need a lot of outer relaxation for us to be able to receive. So don't ever have to worry about what I am thinking or whether I'm judging you in some way or any of that. And if I am being foolish like that, then that's my Satsang to resolve. But you can just come to the safest space. This is your safest space. You can come here and just be so relaxed of not being judged or doing the right thing, wrong thing, nothing. So that's how you just fall into your heart.

So if ever there's any expression of anger and irritation from my side, then that is because I'm still so foolish. I still have to work on that. It is never something that you have to take on any guilt for.

So you said one repetition is enough to take care of the of the situation? Yes. But not the conditioning, right? Exactly. Exactly. Yeah. And sometimes we we are so immersed in in deep conditioning and saying the name feels like nothing. So it is, you want it to be heard. It doesn't feel like you can summon the faith. It feels like what you're saying is, saying the name is remembering our faith that he is taking care. So we replace the conditioning with which we are responding to the situation with our faith.

Exactly. And sometimes we are so immersed in deep conditioning and saying the name feels like nothing. So it is, you want it to be heard. It doesn't feel like you can summon the faith. It feels like what you're saying is, saying the name is remembering our faith that he is taking care. So we replace the conditioning with which we are responding to the situation with our faith.

And yeah, and sometimes I can't summon that faith. I'm too immersed. Sometimes I can't summon that faith also. But in these conversations, in these reminders that we are making to ourselves, at least we are growing. We are deepening in our faith little by little every time.

I understand what you mean. But in every Satsang, as long as we are making a tiny dent in Maya and we are growing in our faith the tiniest bit, then that's all that we can do.

Is this a situation? That we cannot, we cannot deepen in our faith. Is that a situation? Is it a situation to worry about? If it is a situation to worry about, you just take once. I felt, I felt lack of faith like yesterday because this conditioning has been there for so long. And I seem, when I'm immersed in it, I seem unable to to break out of it. And there's lack of faith in God. And there's also lack of faith in my wanting, wanting things to be different.

Father, are we still, sometimes I feel like I'm not even on the on this path, you know? Are we still on the path if we feel like we're not? I also feel that I just feel that at 51 now, I'm just starting. What was I doing all these years? Apparently I've been in spirituality since I was 23 and I realized now that I've just, what am I doing? I'm just starting. Have faith, father. It's a situ. I was just going to say if this is a situation, God is taking care of it.

That's actually good that it feels so fresh. And that's a good part of it. I never want to feel spiritually mature, because that seems very, just, something every day, you know, all of you know something every day. This is so cool, isn't it? This is so great. God is so great, every day something. And it doesn't stop. We never climb the top of that mountain. Thankfully, like you said, thankfully.

Is there anything that we can do to break out of a conditioning or a mental conditioning other than praying? Is there anything else that we can do?

Praying is more than enough. Hearing Satsang is enough. All of these things are helping us. All of these things are helping. Today's Satsang, every time when the heart speaks, of course, even if it has the slightest impact. So suppose that all of you today are hearing me fully skeptically. You see, but even that skepticism is a start, at least starting to contemplate what is being said, which sounds too far-fetched to the mind. So I remember when I was starting to introduce the path of prayer and Satsang, everybody was a bit like, 'hmm.' And it's taken a few years for us to get to this point. So now when we're talking about radical abandonment, it will seem more and more outlandish initially, and then as time goes along it will seem more and more natural. But then there'll be something else that comes which will seem very radical. Thankfully.

What do you mean something else?

Like I was saying, something every day, you know, reveals itself, and we go into: wow, really, how haven't I looked at this for the last 28 years? That's a great gift. Like suppose one day we feel like we got the measure of God, then that would just be our spiritual pride.

What is the point of tension in the sense that when there are, I posted something in the contemplation group also about that, sometime that tension is good because there's a concept and there's an opposing concept and we don't have to try and say this way or that way alone. You see, but sometimes that just cleans us up somewhere. Is there a worry that the path seems too, too much and it feels like will I ever be able to succeed at this? Is it something like that or yeah, I feel like, sometimes I make it worse by comparing myself to to a standard to, yeah, even comparing myself to myself. Oh yeah. Oh to what we speak about in Satsang.

Is there a worry that the path seems too, too much and it feels like will I ever be able to succeed at this? Is it something like that or yeah I feel like, sometimes I make it worse by comparing myself to to a standard to, yeah, even comparing myself to myself. Oh yeah. Oh to what we speak about in Satsang. It's a beautiful tension between seeing our beginner-ness which is our humility and we and having radical abandonment in God knowing that he's fully taking care of us.

It's a beautiful tension between seeing our beginner-ness, which is our humility, and having radical abandonment in God, knowing that he's fully taking care of us. Our humility may say that you're such a beginner. Our faith may say that I'm so well taken care of, I don't need to worry.

I guess when I'm lost and I know I'm lost, I compare myself to, I remember moments where I felt that God was, that God was taken care, and I think I I had more pain by by that, like I can't reach that standard, and that creates more pain, like as if spirituality was causing more pain.

I have never come across any sage who did not have these ups and downs. We'll talk about that but let's take King David for example, a great sage, a prophet. That is to have constant lamentations and then constant reassurance: okay I'm on a good path now. That's what it seems like. So after Satsang we'll talk about that particular topic. Sorry, I I I missed the last thing. Yeah, I missed the last. Did you just say something else? No, no. Atma said what about Bhagwan Ramana Maharishi? So I said I don't want to broadcast something. So I, which is not a slight on his greatness at all. And they're saying that every sage in their lives have had moments of these ups and downs. So what I'm trying to say is that if it is true for these great sages then it's all right. We have to go through these things also. We have moments of great faith, radical abandonment. Then we have times where we worry so much. It's all right. As long as we are doing better today than we were doing last year, it's all right.

These last few days, it feels like there is a reset when I come to Satsang, but other than that, I'm having trouble.

Just stay as much as you can with God's name throughout the day. Taking God's name is like inviting a Transformer into a cat fight. You know the Transformers? They were my favorite cartoons growing up. Those transform into, suppose cats are fighting, and you invoke and transform, what is Optimus Prime? Come. At least one is nodding. Just this one line from the sage Tukaram Ji: that his name is him himself. That's too much. It's just too much.

Maybe the next Satsang someone can remind me, and if our feeling stays the same, can you just open that theme about the name and name chanting and read through some of his writings on there. On the website, you can sort his teachings by theme. So if you go to the theme of name chanting, then you'll be able to browse through all his teachings by that theme. I want to go through a bit of that.

Let me go through the messages. Samya says it's a tradition, a habit to say bismillah, short version of bismillah, before doing or starting any small thing: to wear, to cut vegetables, open a jar, anything. Sometimes we fall, we fail at doing something, and we ask a friend for help, and they remind us: did you forget to say bismillah? And then by saying it, it is indeed achieved. So sweet to remember and understand these things. Now bismillah means: with the name of Allah. Very good. Thank you.