This is What You Must Inquire Into - 4th April 2016

So it is clear at least that 'I am not it'. If you don't know the hiding place of something, then you can definitely not be it. The person is only the identity that I have given myself. So the minute you say 'I can't find it,' already it proves that you are not it. The person implies that I am an entity that makes a person. So can we find this entity that I'm presuming myself to be? You see? So already when you say 'I can't find it,' it means what? You cannot be it. If you can't even find it, how can you be it? If you can't even find it, how can you be it? And already you say 'I can't find it,' therefore there must be an 'I' which is not it.

You see, sometimes it is said, 'If you can't convince them, confuse them.' That's not what I'm trying to do here. I'm just simply looking and saying: cannot find the existence of this entity or a person, therefore the person cannot be what I am. Therefore the ego or this identity is not me. And it relies only on the sense that it is me; therefore it doesn't exist. If the ego doesn't have the sense 'it is me,' then it is not the ego anymore. Ego relies on the sense that 'it is me'. So the minute you say 'I can't find it,' it means already the identity is not there. Okay, so very good.

So if this one you cannot find, if this one is not here, then with it must go all concepts of personal problems, personal desires, and other person-related stuff. If the person is not there, then all that the person wants and is averse to—likes and dislikes, plans about life, ambitions and goals, regrets and fears, pride and guilt—all this must go. Because who can they belong to? All these are personal, you see. So around one lie, it is said that you have to keep a hundred lies to keep the one lie alive. So around the lie of a personal existence, we've reinforced this one main lie with so many other lies about what we want, what we don't want, the way my life should go or not go—all these ideas.

So you say, 'Right now I cannot find the person.' Therefore, at least till we find this person, can we keep all that the person wants aside? I'm not even saying forever for you, especially. At least till we find this person, can we keep all that the person wants aside?

Yes. Yes.

That is the next step. So we walk together over there. So at least till here we are together. As long as we don't find this entity called the person, let's at least keep all that is personal aside. And what does that mean? How to keep? Because you should have asked, 'How do I do this? How do I keep all that is personal aside?' I said very simply: let's keep all that is personal aside. I'll give you the simplest way. Right here, right now, there is no 'personal'. So how does something that is personal come up? How is it bought? Because the person has a messenger. It is selling you stuff that the person wants. This messenger is the mind.

Without believing what the mind is saying, you cannot pick up any personal concept about yourself. It's as simple as that. Without believing what the mind is saying, you cannot do it. Therefore, to keep all that is personal aside, all that is needed is for us not to believe our thoughts. And then the thought itself will come and say, 'But that is too much! How can I not believe my thoughts? There's so many, so many, they come all the time.' So that's why I say: okay, to keep it aside right now, just don't believe your next thought. Next. We can do it even if it feels like effort. Don't admit this too quickly, because very quickly you come and say, 'Oh, he just said there's no person here, who is there to do all of this?' I'll demystify that for you. But for now, just know that even if it feels like work, even if it feels like a choice, if it feels like effort, then make the effort to not believe your next thought.

And the thought itself will come and say, 'Easier said than done. How am I supposed to live?' All these are thoughts. And most of you will be able to just let most of them go. Not believing a thought does not mean that we are somehow resisting them. It only means that we are completely open, allowing them to come and go without giving them a paying guest room. Don't pay them. 'You believe I knew'—that's also a thought. Or 'Okay'—so don't believe this one. Exactly, exactly.

So in the process of disbelieving, it dissolves. Why? Because it is made up only of beliefs. Therefore, that which is made up itself of beliefs cannot be the one who has the power of belief. There must be... if the power of belief is playing out in this realm, then there cannot be the non-existent basket of beliefs which is giving belief to something. Just a basket of beliefs. This basket of ideas—can a basket of ideas give belief to something? Can it go to the shopping place and add some more to the basket? No. So what is that? What is that?

So this is the second step. So first we found that no person exists, but that which gives belief must be here. If it is possible to give belief or to withdraw belief, then that which gives belief or withdraws belief must be here. We already said that no person I can find, and yet I am, I exist. So this 'I' that exists is with... who lost me? I can rewind and go slow. Who lost me? Lost me? Who lost? Okay, but who lost me in the Hangout?

So we seem to be together in this. We found first that no entity called a person is here. Second, we found that that which convinces me of my personal existence is only my next thought. And we said that the way not to buy this personal idea is not to believe the next one. And the question that I was expecting now, it's come from Usia. She says, 'What if the belief has a strong momentum and goes out of control?' What does this mean? It means that it feels like when the thought comes, it just has so much momentum that belief goes. So for these kind of thoughts, I call these the 'trump card' thoughts—the ones that have been nourished with so much past beliefs that there is interest about them.

So for these kind of thoughts, we must pull them into our inquiry. It's like the popular seeker thought is 'I'm almost free' or 'I'm not there yet'. When this thought comes, we can pull it into our inquiry and say: Who is not free yet? Can we find such a one who is bound? And I've been saying recently that we must do this with full integrity and really look: Who is the one that is not free? Till it becomes a laughable idea. And once it becomes a laughable idea, then you find that belief doesn't seem to have the same kind of magnetism or momentum. And even these thoughts will come and just... this is the end of suffering. You cannot suffer without believing a thought. And the good news is it's never about what you believed in the past, even a second ago. It's only the next one. Because in every moment you start fresh. You are the Self right now.