The Primary Addiction - 14th June 2017

My question is: how does the Advaita teaching help when the temptation of food or to indulge in addictive behaviors is just too strong? How does Advaita teaching help when the temptation of food to indulge in addictive behaviors is just too strong?

Usually I say that I give whatever responses that come from Ram on the basis of direct experience, so let me not presume that I understand exactly how this must be. You have defined particular behaviors, but I can point out one addictive behavior which is common to most of humanity, if not all of humanity. That is the primary addiction, which is an addiction to our thoughts, addiction to the mind. It might seem like it is not that harmful; it might seem like a good life. But it is not. The minute one is asked to let go of this mind, to be empty, the majority of us experience withdrawal symptoms, wanting to rush back to a concept because it is too open. And we do not know, do not know in this input mode mentally, how to not have a conceptual position.

Even right now, notice about yourself as you are here in this Satsang, how a conceptual position would be getting formed over there, either in support of this kind of answer or in opposition to it. So what we are talking about is the neutrality which is not for this or against this. This is the not-knowing which allows the true knowing to emerge. And this knowing is a very strong addiction because even for a few moments as we are left without a conceptual position, it can feel too open and many experience a lot of fear because of this.

So although openness, or to remain open, or allowing, or neutrality, or emptiness—all these might seem like improved ideals—as you start to taste that openness and neutrality, we find this addiction to mental concepts about yourself. It can be the popular concepts like, 'What about the mind? Without knowing anything, how will I live? How will I pay our bills?' Or, 'Will I become a serial killer? What if I just lie in bed all day?' These are the most popular ones. Without the mind, the car cannot run; this is the line they pick. And they are also very subtle, especially for those who are in Satsang. Spiritual positions become very strong. I would much prefer it that we don't even call this Advaita, because even that can become an addiction.

What if addictive behavior is speaking from experience? If you are not a form of teaching—although I have nothing against Advaita—I am saying that the subtlety of taking positions with this is so strong. So we allow the dropping of all reference points to ourselves on the basis of any and all knowledge. In my experience at least, it is the strongest addiction, and many who are in Satsang have also confirmed this. Mind has been the strongest addiction of consciousness. Also, I say Satsang is like a rehab for God Himself. God Himself, becoming conscious of itself, seems to have got addicted to its own creation called the mind. And I go for this analogy with all the spiritual paths and systems: they are for rehab.