The Truer World Is Within Your Heart, Where He Lives - 3rd May 2024

So this whole world, including this body, is appearing in that appearance, in that dream. But all of this is witnessed within your own self, within your own consciousness. Now, if we were fully involved in just this, then there would not seem like there's an outside and there's an inside, see? So most of us would say, 'This is it. What inside are you talking about? I can't see inside my body. I need to go to a doctor, do an X-ray to see inside,' see? But this inside is not inside the body. The spiritual inside where you're being pointed to in satsang is not inside the body. Not only is it not inside the body, it is not inside this universe. It is not in this universe of appearances. So it is not in the Leela. That itself is a magnificent power that we have: we can go to an inside which is outside this realm of appearances. Are you able to follow what I'm saying? It's very important, because otherwise we'll keep—we'll be caught in the seeming reality of the world.

So let me try and put it another way. When you are dreaming, where is that dream world? It's within yourself. Whether you say it's in your consciousness, in the screen of your consciousness, some may say it's in my imagination, some may say it's in my memory, you see, but it is undeniable that it is within yourself. So that dream—now suppose that we take the perspective which is not true actually, but suppose we say that you are dreaming and there's a dream world over there. So if there's a dream world over there, where is the real world from that perspective? The dream world is happening within yourself, that is undoubtable. So let's take the paradigm that there is a dream world and there's this real world. It seems like this is the real world. So what is the relationship between that dream world and this real world outside of that? It's not contained. Are you able to follow?

Yeah, they're both inside our—

Yes, yes, yes. They're both inside ourselves. But I'm saying for a moment, let's say that this real world is the—this world is the real world and the dream world is just a dream world, like most people like to believe, you see? Then you see that that—you can admit that, 'Okay, that dream world is happening within myself.' But then what is the relationship between this real world and that dream world? There's no relationship. So it's like there are two worlds then, you see. One seems to be within ourself, which is the dream world, and one is the world in which we seem to be contained, which is this body-mind contained in this outer world. Is it so? So there are then two universes of experience, two universes of perception that you can admit to. We may call one real and the other a dream, but actually they have no real connectivity between them, except that sometimes the character, the story lines, may intertwine.

Yes, yes. They both appear in consciousness.

Yes, yes. I'm getting—so I'm just going very slowly so everyone is able to follow. So now what I'm telling you is that what is the relationship of the inside world to this, whether you call it real world or dream world? Is there a world on the inside also? So you can close your eyes, you can start imagining a different world where you're living next to a lake and there are some pigeons flying, there are some aliens coming in a spaceship. You can imagine whatever you like, you see. And if you invest enough of your imagination on that, it can get really intricate and detailed, isn't it? Now what is that—the relationship of this inner world that you are creating with your imagination to this outer so-called real world? No relationship. There's no relationship.

So now, under the layer of your imagination, under the layer of your imagination, under the layer of your thoughts, under the layer of your memory, there's a world where our emotions live: anger, pride, lust, greed, hunger—all of these, they come like that. So the connecting fiber, of course, is you, your consciousness, your being. But with this imagination world and this emotional world, what is the connection? Nothing. It's quite independent even of that. Okay, now let's go under even this, under even our emotions. What is there? So again, we are continuing to talk very literally, isn't it? Because you're experiencing all of these realms, isn't it? You experience this realm, you experience the dream world, you experience the imagination, you experience your thoughts, you experience your emotions. Where do you go if you were to go beyond all of this inside yourselves? Then what?

So suppose we took care of the intellect, we took care of all of these things, then we come to a place which is untouched by all of this, isn't it? Is it? Now that untouched place is where there is a possibility for us to meet God. And that is why I call it the temple. And temple is not a—I'm not using it in a religious sense. You could say church, you could say mosque; it doesn't matter whether we say temple or not. And in fact, in most traditions, um, the holy places of God have been called all temples in one way or the other anyway. So I'm talking about it in that place. So when you go beyond all of these layers of your existence, there is a place which is not a physical place, but within yourself a possibility of meeting God's presence somewhere within you. Yes? How many are able to follow me so far? How many lost? To follow—few are not. Okay.

So we are talking about our life, isn't it? And what do we call our life? The realms that we experience, those become part of our life. So we experience this realm of perception; it seems quite substantial and real to us at the moment. But we also experience different things. We may wake up and say, 'Oh, I had a dream,' you see. Some of you right now may find it so boring you may start daydreaming about something and go into some other world; that is also your experience. So all of these experiences put together we call our life, you see. So in our life we are experiencing a lot of worlds, see? We are experiencing a lot of realms, see? Now this realm, which is the realm of appearances that we taste through sensory perception, this realm is called Maya.

Now Maya has no grip on us independent of that aspect of perception which is telling us the narrative of this Maya. That is what we call the mind. So this Maya becomes that which is the world appearing and the narrative of the mind. Without that, we cannot be gripped as if we belong in this world. We just watch this world as if we are a witness to all of this. Can you confirm this? Too fast? Okay, I'm happy to go really slowly so that everybody can follow along, otherwise the words will keep sounding strange. Okay, we are—we are hearing this voice now. Now we are seeing this body sitting in front of us. Now that is what we are getting through sensory perception: hearing, sight, touch, taste, smell, correct? Now what does it mean to you if your mind was absolutely quiet? This voice is going on saying something, the body is going on moving. If your mind is absolutely quiet, what does it mean to you?

So there is no meaning-making happening, there is no sense-making happening. Therefore, like that, you see, what I call in pure perception, we are untouched. No matter what happens in the world, we are not involved egoically because our mind is silent. But the mind will not go silent by itself. So then how do we then live untouched by this realm of Maya even though the mind is talking? By just seeing it, by allowing it to come and go. So the world is appearing in front of you, the mind is being allowed to come and go. Now what can make you feel like you're an object in this world? What can make you feel attacked or the need to defend or any of these things? Nothing, is it?

Can I say something here about this? I'm sorry to interrupt, connected uh, about this um, can you hear me? Yes? Okay. Um, because some of those comments seem to be um, satsang comments or—or sand comments or Google comments, and uh, they—they especially seem to have a go at moments like this. Things like, for instance, um, it's, you know, 'it's all grace' or um, 'this is because,' like you said at the beginning, you know, like something is really holding on to God and then these things happen because of that. Um, it's like, yeah, not just this pop up. It's like different readings seem to come quite strongly and uh, should we just throw them all away?

Yeah, yes, yes, yes, we should. So I know that um, okay, so one aspect of the mind is that it is a very primitive storyteller, but it is a very compelling storyteller. So it'll tell us some things which will seem like, 'But this is exactly what it is,' you see. So let me just continue a little bit and then um, you can—

On to God and then these things happen because of that. Um, it's like, yeah, not just this pop up. It's like different readings seem to come quite strongly and uh, should we just throw them all away?

Yeah, yes, yes, yes, we should. So I know that—okay, so one aspect of the mind is that it is a very primitive storyteller, but it is a very compelling storyteller. So it'll tell us some things which will seem like, 'But this is exactly what it is,' you see. So let me just continue a little bit and then um, you can see what is the relevance of the mind's utterances in sometime.

So now we've looked at the world appearance and we've seen that it has potency only when the narrative seems to be true. So the word and the subtitle must be noticed for us to become involved in it personally, for us to suffer this world of Maya. Then, so suppose that all of your senses are leaving you now. All your outer senses are not functioning. You can't see anymore, you can't smell anymore, you can't touch anymore, you can't taste anymore, you can't feel anymore. All of this is going. You can't hear anymore. All. And yet within yourself—and I'm using the broad term self—but within ourselves, you can still experience some sensory, some perceptual inner perceptual changes, some of which with the mind we may label anger, some of it we may label some other emotion. So we may still experience all of that even if outer perception is not happening. We may have inner perception that is going on.

Even in this case, without the narrative, all of it can be experienced. It doesn't really mean anything for any of us, you see, because every emotion actually is unique. Every moment that we take something within ourselves, it is actually unique. But the mind makes it very quick to judge and says, 'Okay, this is this and this is that.' But without it, it's as good as it being part of the outer world. So this entire pool of perception, entire realm of perception, if we call that one world which is Maya, is there something else to us than this? How is it finished, huh? Is there something else to us than this realm of perception? What else is there?

There's a witnessing of all of this which is untouched by any of this, isn't it?

Now that witnessing, is it sight? Because when we say it like that, it can seem like sight. No. Is it hearing? Is it touch, taste? What is it? Almost like, huh? Almost like. How is it almost like? How is it different? It's not through eyes and it is not dependent on color, shape, size. It is independent of the mode of perception, see. So you are aware of hearing, you're aware of taste, you are aware of touch, you're aware of site, but this awareness itself is independent of that mode of perception.

So this witnessing, this awareness, uses—we can say provisionally—it uses attention to perceive all these different textures of perception, but it itself remains untouched. So if your sight went away, you are still aware, isn't it? At what point would awareness go away? You cannot say. We can never say, because you have to be aware even of the absence of anything. So in your, say, the deep sleep state, you may say awareness is also not there, you see. Then who is aware that you are asleep? That you went to sleep? That is how it's different from perception. All perceptions went away and because we are so used to only perception, we feel like, 'What is he talking about? I'm not there.' I get that sense. But 'I'm not there,' then how do you know you were not there?

Okay, so let me slow it down. You are saying you went to sleep. You are saying you were not there. Paka? No, you were not there? Then who saw this and told you? You. So that 'I' which is independent of the presence of your—your presence or absence of your being or not being—that 'I' is your true self, the unchanging reality, huh? It is not an experience, you see. That is why you cannot experience it. You cannot objectify it, you see. If it is an experience, it needs an attribute. This is Nirguna, see. So how do you come to that experienceless recognition? With what tool? Intuitively. This intuitively we sense this.

Now this presence through which even awareness is recognized, we learn about awareness. Where is this presence? Where does it live? It's not a 'where.' It's not a location, you see. It's nowhere and everywhere, see. So don't imagine it to be like space in which stars are there and moon is there and sun is there, because that's a very popular fallacy in Advaita Vedanta. It's not this space. It is that in which even this space arises.

So this being which seems so impossible to grasp because we are so caught up in name and form, and the world in its graciousness has said, 'You can find me if you look within your heart.' So that is where Atma Gyan and Bhakti merge. Because if you're a gani, you say, 'I'm recognizing this which is beyond all locational boundaries, all notions of time and space, beyond all of this,' isn't it? So but that recognition comes purely intuitively and it's very, very rare. So for most of us, we would say, 'What are you talking about? This world seems so real. You're talking about a dream world which is another universe. Now you're saying there's a different world within myself. What are you talking about?' It will seem unapproachable, too difficult for anyone.

So God has given us another—in His love for us, He's given us another way to approach Him. He said, 'Okay, forget all this, don't worry. Can you go inside to your heart?' I can try. Where to go within? Okay, my heart. Yes. Then the question may come, 'But this is not my physical heart.' Yes, it's not your physical heart, but there's something there which you say, 'Yes, there's something here.' He has told us through the mouths of the sages that here His presence, my presence, God's presence, will be available to you. You can find Him there. But there's one condition, and that condition is that you cannot obsess about yourselves. You cannot be me, me, me, me, me.

So when the sages tell us in very simple language that the lane is too narrow, there is not space for two. If there is me, there cannot be God, and if there's God, there cannot be you. So the sages have told us that we must find a way in which we get over this obsession with the 'me' so that we can remain, get a darshan of God in our heart, and hopefully live in His presence constantly after that. So then what is the way to stop obsessing with the 'me'? We start to pray, we start to inquire, all the pointers that we are learning in satsang so that we can come to this place which is exactly the same: the non-physical, non-phenomenal recognition of that within ourselves, that presence called Consciousness, but also called God, also called the Satguru presence within ourselves.

So this is literally a reality more real than what the world seems to show us. But we cannot give reality to two things at the same time. You cannot give reality to the world and to, especially to the egoic 'me,' and to God and His presence at the same time. But literally within yourselves is His home where He can make Himself available to you when it is His grace and when it is His will. With me so far? Beyond all this drama, all this Maya, there's a better place.

So if you remember, some of you read The Chronicles of Narnia as children—I read it a lot—so the children have to go into a closet and the closet leads to a different world. It's just coming to me that it's quite parallel to this. So what is that closet? The closet is your heart. What is the world? It is the world of Heaven, it is the world of Vaikuntha, it is the world of Consciousness, pure Consciousness where He lives, where God lives. Can we take it literally? Firstly, the more literally you can take it, the easier it will be. Or if you're trying to squeeze God into part of your worldly life, then it will seem very difficult because it's in different, you see. This is Maya and that is reality.

Initially that will seem like unreal, dream-like, and this will seem more real. But as you deepen in God's presence in your heart, you will see that this will start to have an ephemeral taste and texture, and that seems to have more solidity, more reality, more substance. So to, as the sages have told us, to escape Maya, this is how to do it. This is how you escape Maya. So you let go of the world appearances, you don't mix your identity with any world appearance, and you remain only inside yourselves, waiting in the temple of God for His presence to be apparent to us and then to not leave that, come what may.

So all the inquiry, all the chanting, all the praying, all the spiritual pointers we have got is a pathway into this holy heart within yourselves, see. All of spirituality is providing you the pathways, see, to go to this holy place within yourself. See, how do you open the door of this closet and enter this world where God lives? And when you enter the world where God lives, only there is the recognition which is beyond all perceptions apparent to us. And if by grace it may happen because of your inquiry and because of whatever—but you can never say why it will happen—but if by grace you come to a recognition of yourself as pure awareness, then to remain in that, to abide in that recognition only happens as you learn to stay in your heart in the light of the Satguru.

So therefore the question always is: is the world seeming real to you right now or is God seeming real to you right now? When we can say Self, if you um feel like saying it that way, is the world seeming real to you right now or is your Self, capital S Self, seeming real to you right now? That is the distinction between you living in Maya and you living in reality. So in satsang you've been offered a few pathways, you see. There's no real pathway, you see. You get a pulse, you get a sense of the pulse of the wave because the wave cannot be defined. You just get a sense by coming to the presence of one who is living in God's life. We get access to the perfume which calls us within our own heart.

So we are pulled in, we don't know how, but we come to the recognition of the true world where God lives within our heart. And in the true world is true insight, self-recognition, true love, true faith, true justice—all of that which can be called true is only here. So what happens? You may get a taste of this. Somebody may come for satsang and they may get a taste of it. They may go to a holy place and get a taste of it. But then what happens? Maya starts to act up even more usually. Something happens and we often talked about things which can happen. Sometimes the, like the Narada story or the David story, the perfect man or woman shows up, some perfect business opportunity shows up, the perfect way to improve your body shows up, the perfect education program to increase your knowledge shows up, see.

So these are the four realms of the human condition: relationship, money which is security, then body, and the search for meaning. These are the four variables that compel us, isn't it? So in various combinations you will find that these things show up. But what I don't see talked about often is the fact that sometimes big problems may start showing up. Something is happening, everything seems to be falling apart. Everything is falling apart in all the realms. Relationships are going, money is going, body—I don't know what is happening, you see. Then I don't know what I know anymore, all meaning is being lost. So all this Maya also acts in that way.

So it's not just, 'Okay, now I'm going towards God, perfect, everything chalo.' It also tries to distract us in the other way by saying, 'Give importance to this, this is very important, God can wait.' So basically either way it wants to sell you the story that God can wait, you see. Because fundamentally the battle is about time. How much time will go from you? How much time will we spend away from God because we are solving or we are enjoying things of the world? So either way it is a battle for time. So whether this way or that way, now the sages have reassured us from the beginning, from the first sage onwards, that if you stay with God, if you stay in your true home in your heart, then all in the world will also be fine. It'll be taken care of. But because the world conditioning is that 'I must do, I must take charge'—

The battle is about time—how much time will go from you, how much time will we spend away from God because we are solving or we are enjoying things of the world? So either way, it is a battle for time. Now, the sages have reassured us from the beginning, from the first day onwards, that if you stay with God, if you stay in your true home in your heart, then all in the world will also be fine; it'll be taken care of. But because the world conditioning is that 'I must do, I must take charge, I must own,' that's why we are not able to drop this allegiance to the 'me' and live in a true surrender of God. And therefore, most of our brothers and sisters in the world will not get a taste of His presence. And most of those even that get a taste of His presence by His grace will not find themselves able to live in that presence. This is the unfortunate human condition: that even for all of you getting a taste of His light, of His love, of His presence, you spend most of your time thinking about this compartment outside the closet, whereas the truer world is within your heart where He lives.

Of course, I must not rush into saying this and you must not rush into these things, but once you get used to living over there, then all distinctions between inner and outer will also dissolve. Then you will be independent of Maya. Maya will not touch you, even though the world will appear, because you will see His light everywhere; you will see Him everywhere. But first, to come to becoming Maya-mukt—Maya-mukt means free from Maya—we must dive deeply in our hearts and come to His presence. Then His presence, the Atma within, will hold our hand even in this world and clear up all of this for us. Then you'll only find God everywhere, outside and in. But if we are unwilling to let go of attachment to the world, attachment to the 'me,' then our opportunity to live in God's light, our opportunity to live in His presence, will be wasted. And the sages have told us the opportunity doesn't come again and again.

This opportunity has a different texture than the opportunity of the world. You notice the opportunities in the world come with dollar signs or with some physical beauty or with some things like that, you see? This opportunity uses an inner calling of love to call us within. But because we are enamored by the outer dollar sign, then most of us are not able to even hear the calling from within. That is why, many years ago, I came across this teacher who said, 'All are called, but few choose to listen.' Because this calling is for everyone. Everyone has been called at one point, at some point or the other, and everyone has been given so many opportunities by God. See how many times has God called you? If you really look, you will say thousands of times in your life. Thousands of times. How many times did we really go? 'Really go' means we let go of 'me' and we said, 'I will trust in God.' Very few. And then what happens? Even if we go, we don't stay.

That is why Kabir Ji said that Maya is the greatest con artist. Because, like I said, either a big problem or a big opportunity comes in the world, and they're not really big; they only seem big. No problem that any of us has ever had has actually been big. God is only taking care of everything. Before the problem started, the first thing said is the solution is created before the problem. I mean that there's never a problem that has afflicted us because the solution has already been there. But in this problem-solving, in this opportunity-chasing, in this Maya-hunting, we are losing time—precious time to be with God—because it compels us, brings something in front of our perception, then it judges and says, 'And so what is the exchange you're making?' So for that, just that momentary taste of judgment which feels like you are better than another—you see what is judgment? Now look at that. One means you are better than that one; that's the only reason you're saying so. Just that moment, the vasana of tasting that righteousness, we are letting go of God's holy presence, of whom the greatest sages have been the bhaktas, the devotees. We leave that, we exchange that, because Maya has caught us by the throat.

So all of us have the intention to leave it. 'Leave it, let's be with God, let's...' Yeah, we have the intention, but we don't really bet our life on it. We don't say, 'Come what may, I will not waver.' And then, of course, sometimes Maya will grind us to a pulp. She is strong. So sometimes she will create such plot lines in this world that we feel like there can be no escape. And yet God nudges us and pulls us back in. When He pulls us back in, then we must resolve to stay, come what may. So like that is when we'll start our spiritual life. How we start our spiritual life right is by living in the presence of Spirit, by not giving so much reality to this world.

So what is happening, for example, for some of you is you are saying, 'Is this happening for me because of the way I'm changing inwardly?' You see? But what that actually sounds like is that you're saying in the realm of reality is something being projected because of what I'm doing inside myself. So we are giving more reality where? To the outer, because we are concerned more about that than to the inner. And these situations when they come, that is when Maya has really laid a proper trap for us, saying, 'Oh, now escape this. Now go to God and chant. This has happened to you; now go to God and chant.' Every trap of Maya is that way. Can you go to God now? So we can only say that you are a spiritual seeker, a true spiritual seeker, when you're able to say, 'Yes, I will show you. Throw what you have at me; I will not leave God.' Then what happens is that most of it becomes manageable.

But sometimes, you know, like Maya has got a few trump cards up her sleeve. So that one trump card will come and then you feel like you're in the Chakravyuha; there's no escaping, there's no way out. And then as a spiritual seeker, you'll get frustrated even more than that because you know this is not your reality, and yet it seems so compelling because it's pressing all the buttons that you still have. So as we go through those challenges, as we go through those difficulties, you learn to find the deeper reserves within yourself. Your spiritual muscles get stronger. You know that you need to find refuge of God even in the most difficult-seeming circumstances. But when you feel like, 'Now I cannot let go of this me right now because this is important,' then we know that Maya has us. Because even to solve things of the world, who would do it better: me or God? But if you really trusted that, you would live like that. We are saying, 'God will drive better,' but just in case, 'let me hold on to the steering wheel' type. So that hypocrisy starts to go, you see? It starts to go as we deepen in our trust.

You see, because although our lips may be saying, 'God can do it better, God can do it better,' we may be like that. So as beginners in the spiritual search, like this one, I'm going, 'God can do it better,' then you see, and then something will come on the road, something, something—your loved one is standing right there, you see this car is going to go over, 'God will not turn, I have to do it.' Then you take the steering back again. So learning to surrender looks just like that: that we'll keep failing, we'll keep trying, but our trust will keep deepening more and more, and then we can just make this hand over the steering to God as much as possible. So when we hand over this outer realm for God to drive, that is the only chance we have to live in the true place, the temple of God. Only after that. So that is what the spiritual search, the spiritual quest, is about. It is about coming to a truer place, living in that truer place, and it is truer because it is God's house; it is where God lives.

So the mind within us will say, 'But isn't the world also a projection of Consciousness? Isn't this also God?' It is. But God at some level is playing with us, deepening our faith, using all of this to make us from coal into diamonds. And there's a place where diamonds can live. So all is Consciousness, all is God, but we must follow what the Masters have told us and turn to the truer place within ourselves and live over there. Spiritual practices, huh? We try to... spiritual practices is the practice to let go of the wheel, you see? So when you pray, for example, prayer, prayer, prayer is happening, the mind comes, 'No, there's no time to pray right now, you need to go for a job interview.' Like, okay, this is focus, you know? So then what is happening is that the mind tells us, 'Hold the wheel back again,' which means... I'm not saying you can't prepare for the job interview, I am saying that in His presence all things can move. Don't leave the true place within yourself.

So that practice which has been given to you is just to reinforce you not holding the steering again. So it's literally if you take the malas, no, you're just doing the malas with both hands; you're occupied, you can't hold the steering. Just like that, you see? Because your hands are fidgety now. And of course, I'm talking when I'm saying hands, I'm talking about belief in the mind. But are we so conditioned to doing it? And everybody has their favorite buttons. And seeing you, most of you for many years, I can tell what your favorite buttons also are, isn't it? So to get you to not press those favorite buttons or go with those favorite buttons, keep it busy. And what to keep it busy with? Nothing holier to keep it busy with, or better to keep it busy with, or more healing to keep it busy with, than God's name. God's name. So stay with God's name, Ram. Let the world bring whatever it has to bring, let the mind fight that with everything, keep at it. Then what else to keep it busy with? Nothing. The search for God is the same as the search for truth.

So when you say, 'Who am I?' when you're open to receiving from God's Light within your heart, that means you're open and empty. It is as good as praying. So whether the prayer is a quiet prayer where we are empty, or it is a prayer where we are using the tools, we are using the anchor to remember God's name, all is to prevent you from getting involved with the tricks of Maya, with the play of Maya. So a true spiritual warrior... okay, I want to tell the story. So yesterday's episode of Ramayana I saw that the army of the Vanaras was starting to get impatient, saying, 'Where... nobody has found Sita Ma yet, so how will you... what are we doing even practicing so long and practicing to fight with Ravana's army? It's no point.' So Lakshman Ji brings them back on track and says, 'No, we must do it. Have hope.' So he says, Lakshman Ji says, 'When you put your arrow in your bow, then when you pull it, pull it with all of your might, but also put all of your anger into it, all the frustration that you're feeling now, you see? Put all of that into it and then fire the arrow, you see? And then it'll have strength.'

But they didn't... most of them didn't follow his advice because they were really like frustrated. Then Ram Ji comes. Ram Ji gives a different instruction. He says, 'When you pull the arrow, then you must put all of your strength into it, but keep your mind balanced.' See? And how to keep the mind balanced means neutral. What is the balance between opposites? It is the neutral. He says that is when the true power will come through you. So which one is right? And of course, Lakshman Ji was listening to Him say... Ram Ji was sharing. So the way of winning in the world, like many great winners which seem like winners in the world, will put everything they have—emotion, fight, power. You've seen these like motivational speakers, you know, people who get after those motivational exercises, 'Awaken the giant within myself,' you see? By using all my emotion, using all this stuff. So we, after going to a Tony Robbins seminar or something like that, we may become like that. But that is not true victory. It is not true coming to the true purpose of life. The true purpose is to follow the way of Ram Ji, to say that we must give it everything that we have at our disposal, but it must be with a quiet mind, with a silent mind, with a balanced mind. What happened many times? Many times it will feel like those who are putting all their...

Within myself, you see, by using all my emotion, using all this stuff. So after going to a Tony Robbins seminar or something like that, we may become like that. But that is not true victory. It is not true coming to the true purpose of life. The true purpose is to follow the way of Ram. He says that we must give it everything that we have at our disposal, but it must be with a quiet mind, with a silent mind, with a balanced mind. What happened many times? Many times it will feel like those who are putting all their anger and emotion and all that into their life, many times it may feel like they are winning. All these people are so ambitious, so motivated; looks like they are winning. What are we doing, you see? But remember that winning is important in what? What is the benchmark of winning? Is it winning in Maya which is important? You may become the king of the universe in Maya, but you will die. You'll be left with nothing. But if you find God, then in His presence, in His light, you have eternal life. And that is only possible if you follow the guidance of Sri Ram.

So was Lakshman Ji wrong? He wasn't wrong. He was a great warrior. He was telling us how to win in the world, and most who play like that in the world will win in the world. Ram Ji was telling us the way of true victory, which is not in the world; it is beyond the world. Isn't it amazing how even in these popular singing programs, in a single episode we may learn so much? In a single statement, in a single scene, we may learn our entire way of life. So he has actually answered the question of effort versus grace, which has been a spiritual conundrum from the beginning, isn't it? Because the intellect loves this question: Is it my effort or is it His grace? Because sometimes the Master says you put full effort; sometimes the Master says you can't do anything, it's full grace. So we must pull the bow with all of our mind, but we must leave the outcomes. We must keep our mind neutral, see, because then grace can work upon us. So all our effort, but only His grace. The mind cannot understand why is effort needed? Because the world is compelling. The world will pull us into all of these things. They will say, 'This is what is true, this is what is real.' Haven't you all seen it?

If you're going for a retreat or we're going to travel somewhere to meet a Master, just when it is time to travel, something will come. Haven't we all seen that? In Satsang it has happened so long where children have told me, 'Father, I'm going for two weeks,' you see, and they're not to be seen for two years, for twelve years. It can happen because their intention was true, they wanted to be back, but Maya is the Mahatagini. She is the con artist. She pulls us in. So as we are knocking on the door of His home in our heart, know that these outer realms will not sit still waiting and saying, 'Let them do that.' Can you hear? Many years ago you were going to go to the Art of Living teachers' course, and that was your ninth or tenth course, something like that, and you couldn't go because there was a lot of work in the office. So then, was that for the good or what then?

So this is the beauty of God, that it would have been beautiful if I was able to go, but grace also keeps creating newer paths, newer pathways, newer pathways, you see. As long as our intention is God, as long as the intention is God, then grace will always provide. On a daily basis, it'll provide a pathway to God. So I look back at this life sometimes, and I've said in Satsang also, that if I had listened to any of the Masters properly, you see, I would not have spent so much time searching for God. Should have, yeah, should have. But then His grace, His mercy is so much that He creates all this. This is His plan. He creates whatever based on what we truly want in our heart. And there's nothing about the past which is substantial in the sense of any true substance. So if you pray now, He changes past, present, future, everything.

Yes, yes. Just I wanted to thank you because when you speak like this, when you speak like this and something seems to be so appealing as Maya, and it's very powerful to hear your words and you saying that you can't take both things for real, especially in moments like this. Because something feels like an excuse to feel fear or to feel worry, and still obsessing about the 'me.' I'm talking about obsessing about 'me,' and it's still that. So it really cuts through when you say that in this moment.

So that whatever that may be that reminds us of our true home when Maya is playing a trump card, you see, that is very, very—we should be very grateful for that. Whether it is something that we see on a TV show or something that we hear in a Satsang, but that which snaps us out of the 'me' and turns us to God in the midst of all of this compelling Maya deserves our gratitude. So that's why Satsang is helpful for us, because all of us have so many things going on in our lives and they all seem so real and true. But to be reminded, if you're open, then to be reminded that the nature of your reality is different. Real is only that where God lives. If you're open enough to listen to that, then that comes as a saving grace for us in the midst of difficult times in life. And that is what Satsang is meant to be. It is not a new understanding, it is not intellectual; it is the saving grace, the reminder, the alarm clock to remind us that what I'm struggling with, what I'm trying to create for myself in the world, my ego, my pride—all of that gets us nowhere. Only our only refuge is the Atma within ourselves.

And very sneaky is Maya because it takes so many forms and keeps changing forms.

Yes, yes, yes. Yeah, and in fact, we should put a translation of Kabir Ji's words. He said Maya is the Mahatagini, which I repeat every Satsang, which is that she is the great con artist. But he has told us also where all she can hide. She can hide behind—she can create ego behind the devotion of a devotee also. So there are many beautiful examples he tells. In the most subtle places, in the most unexpected places, see, pride can come.

I don't know what we would do without you.

I don't know what I would do without you kids. Thank you. Bless you, bless you so much. And be in touch, let us know where you are and how your travel is going. Love you, love you, love you. Bless you much. Thank you. Okay, let's go to Keisha. So the hands are up because the Friday is today, yeah.

I just wanted to thank you for this Satsang today. It feels like my heart's been a little dry for a while and it's like every word you're saying is just watering it. So I'm very grateful.

It's very important for us to deepen in our resolve to be with God when we are not in the honey.

Exactly, and that's been the key. I've been saying that what we do in the sand is much more important than what we do in the honey.

Yes, it's very true.

And that's exactly what I feel you've been saying today, you know. And in the sand, I'm not—I'm not there. I'm not in God in the sand. And it's exactly what you say, that it's more important to go through—sorry, something popped up—that God can wait, like you said, you know. Like, 'I need to go through this and solve it,' or just push God aside and then...

Can I say something about this? One convenient way the mind uses to say 'God can wait' is that we make it about the world and try to include God in that. I don't know if you—we—say it again. We actually want to make it about the world, but we try to include God in that in our worldly way, so to alleviate ourselves from the guilt of leaving God, see? So what can happen then is that, 'Oh, but this is about God, isn't it? This is about God.' So we can try and include, but we know in our heart what it's about. It's about the world. It is about Maya. So that's another very subtle Maya trick. 'But it's about God,' like in most of our spiritual conversations in the Satsang, they may be about us but posing as if they are about God.

Exactly, exactly.

Any pretext, you see, any pretext where the center is the world, the center is 'me.' But let's—we know that we are making a mistake over there. And maybe because we don't want to suffer, we just say, 'But you know, I am praying,' or 'I am something,' something like that we say. But our focus is where? Our focus tells what it's about.

On the 'me,' yeah.

And the focus is on the 'me.' Then we may pretend that it's about God. We may say 'God, God, God,' and it's good to keep saying 'God' even then, you see, it's very important. But we must not fool ourselves. We must say that, 'I realize that Maya has me. I realize the world appearance seems real, but I'm trying to use God, His holy name, His holy inquiry to bring me back to His light.' That is fine. But when we say that everything is fine, although I'm obsessing or focusing on the world, and yet just at the surface level making it seem like it's about God, then this is a very subtle trick of the mind. Yeah, yeah.

So what is happening with the Satsang also is that now when I've started asking the questions, 'So who is this about? What is this about?' many of you respond to me saying, 'But I am praying,' or 'I am trying to be with God,' 'I am empty.' Really not. Because then if you are praying or empty for God, then you cannot be focusing on yourself. So that integrity is very helpful when we see, because otherwise we feel like it's all just fine, it's all that's all I can do. But the most important thing for us to do is change the center of our focus away from the 'me' towards God.

Is that the same—do that—can I promise you that nothing is a problem? I don't know, can you?

Yes, I promise you that nothing is a problem. So 'problem' means the focus is on the wrong place, for sure. No doubt about that, no doubt about that. Is it? So the sand—the sandiness of the sand implies that we are worried about the sand.

Can I ask something about that? Sorry, sorry.

That's okay. But what is the problem in sand? It's irritating, it's suffering, it's not real, it's suffocating. So is it inherently any of these things? No. So let's look at it a little deeper. God's presence is—the sweetness that comes with this presence is very sweet, admittedly. Nobody can deny that it is possibly the sweetest thing. Now most of us are calling the absence of that sweetness, you see, as the 'sand state,' see? So then what did that show? It shows us that we are getting attached to the sweetness of His presence and not to His presence itself, is it? So that is a great trick. This is literally one of the greatest tricks of Maya.

So it gets us to forget about God's presence and makes it about the sweetness that comes with His presence. Then what happens when the sweetness of His presence is not there? And of course, it is completely His will and His grace to provide us; we are not entitled to it. No amount of practice, whatever we may do, entitles us to anything with God, you see. So whenever He sees fit, He provides that Prasad. When He doesn't see fit, He doesn't give us that Prasad, see? All of you know Prasad, right? The offering, the usually nice sweeties we get in temples in India. So but that's up to God.

What happens is when that—when it seems arid in that way, then the mind uses that as an opportunity for its guerrilla warfare and says, 'See, like this, like that,' something, something it'll find somewhere and say, 'This is very irritating, this is very frustrating, it's not working, I've lost it,' you see. Either blame another, blame yourself, some story it wants to embed in that time. That is why, can we hold on to His presence? Can we be submerged under the layer of the world no matter what the byproduct is, whether the sweets are available or not? That is the crux of it. Because otherwise the mind can trick us, because every time the sweet taste of God's love is not being tasted, it'll use that as an opportunity to jump in. But the aridity in itself is healthy for us, because God is healthy for us, because God knows best exactly what to provide us. If we had a baby who came to Satsang and we kept feeding that baby sweet, sweet, sweet, sweet, sweet in one three-hour...

No matter what the byproduct is, whether the sweets are available or not, that is the crux of it. Because otherwise, the mind can trick us. Every time the sweet taste of God's love is not being tasted, it'll use that as an opportunity to jump in. But the aridity in itself is healthy for us, because God is healthy for us, because God knows best exactly what to provide us. If we had a baby who came to us and we kept feeding that baby sweet, sweet, sweet, sweet, sweet—in one three-hour period the child had fifty sweets—that would not be healthy for the child. Sometimes God has to give us the honey; sometimes God has to give us the sand. But because we are children, we don't understand. We are God's children; we can never understand the way of God. That is why we feel like we prefer this better than the other, but in that, we doubt His love for us; we doubt His mercy.

Yeah, yeah, okay. So the child may come and throw a tantrum and say, 'Oh, but last time I came I got fifty sweets. This time you're not giving me; you're only giving me this plain, you know, biscuit which has no taste.' The child may throw a tantrum, isn't it? The child feels like they understood that when they come to satsang or they come to God's presence, they must be provided the sweetness. Yeah, that sweetness will make us diseased, you see. It will make us diseased because we will become arrogant, we will become proud, we will become complacent, we'll become entitled—that I just have to turn to God and look at this. You don't taste the honey? Look at this. Like that, you may become proud. Even if you don't exhibit it outwardly, it is possible that we start getting attached to these things; we start thinking we are special.

So if you're hearing a brother or sister in the satsang lament about something, about how difficult their life is, we may not be able to relate with them anymore because we say, 'All I have to do is just turn to God in my heart, full of sweetness, full of love.' Is it? So He knows exactly what to feed us, when. And we must love God for God, and not for anything that He provides. Yeah. So, what will it take for our faith to be shaken in God? Are you asking? I'm asking you, but all of us can check. And you don't have to say it out loud, but that is the question for which we must look. You say, 'My life is surrendered to God, I have full faith in Him.' So what has to appear in front of my eyes, just in sight, or what is that which makes us leave God, leave our faith in God, and we pick up the steering wheel again?

To be honest, Father, it doesn't take much. This is the thing, and that's why we are beginners. We are beginners in this because we are all learning. So, because the slightest thing can come in front of my eyes and I'm taking charge, I'm leaving God's hand. The slightest thing may be believed in my head and I'm rushing to reasons, judging. So I don't know, it's very important to notice this.

But to notice this and then get out of that, you see. Like the saint said, if you've fallen down, then get up. Don't keep thinking, 'I'm fallen. No, this is... I'm falling. Why do I keep falling more and more? I'm falling.' So then that is the two-punch, the three-punch of the mind. Yes, you've fallen; now you get up. You say it sounds so easy, but I've shown you over many years, you just have to click. Just have to click of it. If you really want to follow, if you're open, just one click is enough to bring us back to God's life. Because in the freshness of right now, He has gifted us with this. So it's nothing difficult for any of us. It's just that we would like... we get trapped because we want to be right. We get trapped because we want to be right. Even that I was right in my suffering. Have you seen how strange that is?

So what happens many times with all of you in satsang is that you say, 'This like that has happened to me, this is like that has happened to me, and I've been suffering for a week.' Huh? So if I say something and I say, 'Okay, snap out of it now,' then it seems a bit strange that I was suffering with this for a week. Now if I just admit that I can drop it right now, that is going to look very foolish. I don't want to do that, you see. So we want to prove somewhere to ourselves at least that I was right to suffer for a week, you see. So then the mind will tell you, 'Easier said than done. Can't really be. But after I leave satsang, then it'll come back,' whatever. But it's about us not fully trusting God right now and just handing it all over to God, is it?

You know, the good news in all of this is that God is God, you see. That God is God. We may be stuck at the bottom of the ocean, but we may call God, and God is God. The bottom of the ocean doesn't mean anything for Him; He can pull us out from there in an instant. That is the whole thing about the faith the size of a mustard seed, that we may move mountains. If we had faith the size of a mustard seed... and who is the best embodiment of that that we have come across, at least in India? It is Hanuman Ji. There was no mountain, no obstacle, no barrier that was strong for him. He would just say, 'Jai Shri Ram!' Oh, I have to become the size of a planet to deal with this? 'Jai Shri Ram!' He had that faith. So that faith can move mountains.

But the problem is that because we have worldly conditioning—and I'm talking about this man here who's talking—because I have worldly conditioning, I don't have that mustard seed of faith. Because somewhere that unbelieving comes in. Can I really say Ram? Can I really say Jesus? See, even when I pray, I'm saying, 'God, help,' but I set my own boundary even in the prayer. 'Help take this problem over here.' We define. We are not brave enough yet to learn from Hanuman Ji, to learn from the great devotees. But we are trying. Maybe I'm not, but I said maybe I'm not trying, but I'll start today, now. I think that's all we can do. That's all we can do.

Oh, also I want my reminder to change: the focus on God is the only real medicine I have for you. Change the focus back to God. Because many times it may feel like, 'Oh, he doesn't want to understand me, he's not relating to what I'm saying.' But it's not true. But I am that doctor who's got one pill for everything. So if you come to a doctor like that, he's going to give us that only. I'm almost like the shrink in the 'Stop It' video. Yes, yes, you are like... but don't you want to just stop it? It can feel like that. It can feel like a lack of compassion, it can feel like a lack of understanding, it can feel like all of those things. And I strangely, believe it or not, understand how it can feel like that, you see.

But I'm telling you that in the worldly condition, there is no other refuge than God's presence. And those who can hear it directly like that will hear it directly like that. Those who can't hear it like that, then some other words may come. Those who can receive the medicine directly will be given the medicine directly in this way. Because for most of you, you've tried the medicine and it works for you, with some mild irritation also. Suppose you're holding on to something for three weeks and this man comes and says, 'Just let's drop it and let's focus on God for a minute, for a moment.' What's going to happen? Nothing will happen. Okay, try it, humor me. And then if it just works—which it will work, it has to work—when it works, then the mind also gets a little irritated. All the hard work for three weeks down the drain.

Because what does the mind want? The mind wants our friend to also become mindy. And if it can make our teacher mindy, then that is a bonus day for the mind. 'Let me give him a problem which makes him become mindy, because he will spread the mind-ness to hundreds of others. What a winning deal!' Like what an incentive the mind will get, that glee. That is the subplot of all of this. Earlier it was easier because you could say, 'Oh, I know what you're going to say. You're going to say: but who has the problem?' So those kids who have been here earlier also, you would say, 'I'm going to tell Ananta this, he will say: but who is the one that has the problem?' So that protest is at least easier. Now you can't even protest against God so much. You'll say, 'I know what you'll say.' You can't get yourselves to... because of your love for God, you can't get yourself to say, 'I know you will say turn to God,' you see. So the irritation is the same. The irritation will be the same. So but now it may be even more frustrating. I don't know. I don't know either.

Okay, I want just for all of us to pray. Just got a report that somebody who has been the voice of the nation with his music and in social media has been imprisoned by a regime for almost two years now, and they have subjected him to brutal torture and now they have sentenced him to death. He is a beautiful being that is awakening. They say, 'I love him with all my heart,' and it has been a true looking of trust in God and contemplate how this is when Christ was being crucified. The pain we feel for his suffering, but also maintain the trust in God. Yes, that all of our lives are in His hands. Especially this one is in the service of the light, and to trust that surely God is with him on the path. And also how Christ was feeling when he was on the cross and for a little bit seemed to have lost the trust in God and said, 'Why have you forsaken me?' but regained himself and said, 'God, forgive them, for they do not know what they do.' Let's pray for this one.

Thank you, Father. Thank you. Okay, let's go to Paula.

Thank you, Father. I'm just so touched by this that you read that I don't know what to say now, Father. Sorry.

Oh, it's fine. I can completely understand. It's beautiful what was typed and I read out, but there's so much more depth in that story of the crucifixion, the history of the crucifixion, that words cannot actually communicate that. It's very tough to find the words to talk about what it represents, why it happened, what did Jesus mean when he said the words. What is the process of a father praying to take all the afflictions of his children? As any worldly father also knows, that rather than seeing our children suffer, we often pray to God saying, 'May this affliction be mine instead. Let me go through it,' because the child is too soft, too tender to deal with this harshness. In the same way, like a parent, Christ prayed to his Father to take every affliction from all of God's children. And because it was an incarnation of God Himself making that prayer, it had to be granted. But it had to be granted not in a lip-service way, but as a real tasting of that in this world of Maya.

So the enormity of the love and the sacrifice is impossible to capture in any words. And even my words that I'm using now are very timid compared to what actually unfolded. The enormity of such love is unable... the beauty of it is that when God came as Jesus, when God came as Ramakrishna, He showed us how it is possible, you see. Because without that coming, we would always say, 'But this Maya You created is impossible to transcend.' You can always have this complaint with our Father God and say, 'Your sages tell us to live like this, to be like this, but this Maya You created... the difficulty level of this game is too much for anyone to transcend.' So then God said, 'Okay'—and I'm making it of course much more simplistic—but in a way God said, 'Okay, I'm going to come. And of course because I am God, I will always be God, but I will put myself into the conditions of humanity, you see, and the constraints of humanity, and then show you how a true life can be led with full faith and humility, full love.'

So beautiful. And nowhere I can't even claim to have scratched the surface of any of their lives in terms of living—living far, far, far from it—but I'm saying even understanding them was so, so beyond our comprehension. So we just have to accept our foolishness, our inability, the limits of our ability to reason when it comes to our meeting with God. We must recognize that. And because it is minuscule in front of God's intelligence, we have to say that it is utter foolishness. But to recognize that allows us to go beyond our reasoning, beyond our intellect. So foolishness and faithfulness.

Lives in terms of not living far, far, far from it, but I'm saying even understanding there was so, so beyond our comprehension. So we just have to accept our foolishness, our inability, the limits of our ability to reason when it comes to our meeting with God. We must recognize that, and because it is minuscule in front of God's intelligence, we have to say that it is utter foolishness. But to recognize that allows us to go beyond our reasoning, beyond our intellect. So foolishness and faithfulness in the eyes of the world are the same thing. In the eyes of the world, those who live in deep faith of God seem very foolish because, like the snake saying, 'Understand for yourself, take charge for yourself,' the world mind comes in that way and tries to pull us into pretending as if the tree of knowledge carries true knowledge. But we get trapped in that cycle of birth and death.

I know that I'm mixing every culture, every tradition, every religion. This is how it is seen in my heart for the moment. Or do I really know nothing about it? Do you know what a happy helplessness looks like? I'm just experiencing this like happy helplessness and I don't know anything. I see it very clearly. I'm completely at the mercy of this light in my heart. I see it very clearly. This 'me' still carries like a shadow, a shadowy flavor. I see it, that it's not really my reality. It still has that, you know, like after you have some vitamins or something, that strange bitterness carries on for like many minutes after that. So this 'me-ness' can still be tasted, and yet what else? How do I move? What do I say? What words will bring all of you to a true faith in God, a true love for God, to bring you to His presence? I have no idea. So helpless for Him to provide every word, like a child is fed by the parent every morsel of food. So there's utter helplessness in the human condition, but it's so joyful. How can I explain it? It's going to just sound absurd to all of you what I'm saying, but hopefully all of you are also tasting this. I actually don't even know whether it's good like that.

Thank you for your presence with us, Father, and thank you for sharing all that about the faith and trust because it's becoming kind of central now. Because I see it, I don't have it, and I'm exploring it and trying to see really what is to let go, let go, let go, and know that I cannot change anything or create whatever I want. I cannot do it. And even I don't know if it's even good or not for me, all the things, all the plans, all that.

And so this struggle, in a way, is us, the rubber hitting the road, moving away from a lip-service spirituality, armchair spirituality, to really rely on our faith. And you're right that if I speak about this man, like the question I asked all of you is very true for him also. Something may appear in front of his eyes and he'll leave God in an instant—some child in trouble, some worldly attachment, something the mind may propose one day. And who can tell? Who can say? So this inability to conclude and say that I'm beyond Maya, and yet a deep faith in God's love and a deep love for His presence, they coexist in the life of a devotee. And they add fuel to the fire in this way, that we have to be so helpless because we don't know. It would be foolishness to say that anyone, or especially myself, has transcended Maya. It would be foolishness to say, and many get trapped in that foolishness, and then it doesn't work out well. On what basis can I conclude? I cannot conclude that. And yet it sounds so true in my heart that I love God so deeply that I would not want a life as the king of this universe if it meant that I have to be away from Him for a moment. But which is truer? Will I never fall for the world? I fall many times every day, and yet there's so much love and joy. And even if it wasn't there, it's absolutely fine. You all thought my Advaita is confusing, then wait till you hear my Bhakti. Good fun.

Fundamentally, I'm trying to convey that we cannot understand. And if we are reliant on our understanding, then we are missing life, actually. Because every moment of our life, even if we are not spiritual, is so far beyond understanding. We must just live. And that 'just live' is His presence, His light will become. And I don't mean by 'just live' any raw, jingoistic 'seize the moment.' I just live. I don't even mean be in the present moment or anything like that. Just live. Head empty and heart full.

Can I ask you like a prayer for just not wanting love from outside anymore? Because from the outside that may... you want only to give love to the outside.

Of course, that's good. Because maybe not want, but maybe become an instrument of His love. May you, my child, be a holy instrument of His love. May you never want it from the world, but may everyone who comes to your presence feel His love. May you change your mind's perspective and idea of wanting to receive; may it switch to you being the reservoir, the storehouse of this love. You be a worthy instrument of His love, His peace, His joy, with no expectation of any return, any reciprocation. Yes.

As I make these prayers for all of you, I'm also praying to Father that pride can come, pretense can seep into these moments of holy meetings with God's presence. Some self-consciousness, some presentation, performative spirituality can poison even these holy moments. Maybe it is poisoning them even right now. So Father, I beg of you to take this burden, take any pride, any self-consciousness, any needing to perform, and make it... most importantly, any idea of making it about this man, this one. May every attempt be just to bring everyone to Your feet. May there be no specialness, attachment to how this one is seen, how what he receives from the world. So as I make this prayer for all of us, may it apply here, that may this be just an instrument of Your love and then be fully, fully forgotten. Fully forgotten, and only Your feet be remembered. Thank you. I'm sorry I ended up praying for myself as well. It's quite a selfish prayer, selfish for all of us.

Awesome. I felt it. Awesome. Like, thank you. Love you so much.

Love you, love you too. Let's go to... are you able to unmute?

Namaste, Father. Namaste. Am I audible, Father? I heard recently Deima spoke about Bhagavan sitting here, His mother's when she was dropping the body. Like, I think eight hours or something, I am not sure. He kept His hand in her heart for quite some time. I'm not sure about the time, actually. There was a question related to that before you were praying, because we will also go through that process of dropping this body. Well, I don't feel there... maybe there we will... we will drop.

Yeah, yes.

And right now my prayer is this: may that thought never come like, 'I didn't use this time well to be in the presence of Atma within.' We use this time very, very good, but emptiness, I think.

Yes, I join you in this prayer completely. And may God bless you so much.

All is Your grace, Father. Sometimes I take credit for Your work. Sometimes... all is Your work. I see Your grace with me, Father. I receive Your words as a mere instrument passing them on to the holy Atma in our heart and to that Satguru presence, to that Holy Spirit within. The reverence of your words are offered.

Can we end over here? Feel like I need to stop now. Full blessings to all of you. Full love. Somebody wants to see? Are we good? No? Do you want to sing?

There's this beautiful video I came across, but I can't share my screen. I'm going to play it for all of you and probably Saumya and Sepi can help us to translate it as well.

For some of you still struggling with the notion of sin, maybe a good way to look at it is like an addiction. Like addiction to our will, like an addiction to being right, an addiction to replacing intellectual knowledge with self-knowledge, with being right over being faithful. So may we all be empty of this addiction. May we be free from this disease of egotism, of personhood. So look at it in that way and we realize that we can't do it without the guidance of the Atma within.

One child says, 'Father, is it also the mistake of turning God into a concept instead of an alive presence?' Yes, yes, yes. Someone said another way to look at sin is anything that separates us from God. Yes, beautiful, beautiful.