What Is Meant by 'Droping the Something'? - 13th October 2017

I mean, if you are confused about—I'm not completely clear about what I mean when I say it's all about dropping the 'something'. 'I am something'. It's all about dropping this 'something' and not picking up the 'something'. And it becomes apparent when this 'I am' remains empty of 'something', the truth is so apparent. Is this clear to you? Because this is a very direct and straightforward way. So, this 'I' that is the timeless witness that we spoke about, that is the unchanging. Now, what happens? What is suffering? What is... can you have suffering in your dreamless sleep? Suppose... what needs to be there for you to suffer? Before, a thought must come. Unless you were there, I should be there, but as now, this consciousness, you must exist. So, you cannot... you cannot have a thought in your sleep state. You cannot have any phenomena you taste in your sleep state. In fact, it is the appearance of this sense that 'I exist' which is the basis for all of this. So, let's call this 'I am'.

In the end, don't worry if this has been a direct insight or not, so just take my word for it in the moment, okay? Waking up, there is just 'I am'. Before even time and space, you are just 'I am'. Then all this play of time is fueled, all of the storms. Now, if this 'I am'—existence, presence, consciousness—which is left as 'I', would you suffer? Therefore, you must attach something. 'I am'—put a 'something' in that box. Put it there for you to suffer. Now, how does this 'something' get put in the box? Right now, you are empty of 'something'. Now, if you had to put it in the box in the blank, what would you have to do? I know you see it in mind, try to pick up something. Can you do it without a thought arising? So first, a thought has to arise. Then there must be... the rising of the thought is 'something' there. There's many thoughts; they come and move all the time. A thought can come, you see, but 'I am' only picks up 'something' when it gives its 'yes' to the thought. It gives its ascent. What gives its belief to the thought? 'Yes, this is true about me. I am a good spiritual seeker', suppose the thought came. If it is just coming and going, no truth value given, no belief given. But the moment you latch onto it, as Gurudev says, you 'log in' to it. Then it becomes 'I am this way', 'a good spiritual seeker', 'spiritual something'.

Now, if you attach to the concept 'I am a good spiritual seeker' and somebody tells you, 'Ram, it's not happening', but somebody who's not in Satsang, their only interest is in building a building or something like that, you say, 'You're not a good spiritual seeker'. So, it is these concepts that we have about our salvation that become the root of all suffering. So, to be free from suffering, we come to this unassociated 'I am'. What is the way to come to this unassociated 'I am'? Two ways which are usually prescribed from this path, which are self-inquiry or surrender. Surrender means what? Whatever that 'something' of almighty coming from the mind, just let it go. Let go. Don't believe your next thought. 'Let go' means it's my Father's problem. Let go. It's His problem. Yes. So, 'I am'—God made them—cannot suffer in this emptiness of 'something'. Who are you? It may be apparent you don't have a... you don't have a concept.

Now, some say that it doesn't come naturally for me to surrender. 'I cannot just let things go. I have to make these things a thing'. These data are using my favorite teaching now today is: don't make a thing a thing. Which means like that, the same: don't put 'something' into that darkness. Some say that it's not natural for me to surrender, so 'I am more of the inquisitive type. I have to ask why, what's going on'. So for them, it is prescribed: you'd better do the inquiry. Because letting go doesn't seem to be easy. When you inquire, you see the thought comes, 'I am not a good spiritual seeker'. When you ask yourself, 'Who is the I which is not the seeker? Is the body the seeker? Is the thought the seeker? Is an emotion the seeker? Who is the seeker?' Then you will see that it's a mythical invention. It's in the mind, a concept. It is not true. Therefore, then again, this 'something' does not get attached to 'I am' and we remain empty. And as long as we remain empty of that, there's nothing... no matter what is happening, we cannot suffer in this play. For us to suffer, there must be a notion of limitation that we have to talk about ourselves. That's why you look spiritual. It's all about how to be empty of this 'something'.

I say, when I say 'remain open', 'don't take a position', 'don't give yourself a reference point', 'don't give with your mind's offer', 'don't believe the next thought', 'let go', 'forget about it'—all of this means: don't give yourself that 'something'. So when this is understood, then all that we'll find is that some two-three 'something' still seem to be sticky. They just come in habits to grab. When we come to Satsang, you will find naturally that that is getting lighter and lighter. And if they are really sticky, then we can really put them in the inquiry and see that particular 'something' becomes a bubble. We can inquire into it. If we are not of the inquiring implements, then we can just surrender to the Father. Either way, it is not something that you pick up as a notion about oneself.