What is the question you would ask? - 15 April 2015

The person is a second-level delusion. Even in the phenomenal realm, it does not exist. So we have seen already that when we get attached to some phenomena—be it the body, be it another being, be it anything—any attachment is bound to lead to some suffering. But imagine the kind of suffering that comes because we are attached to something which is not even to be found in this phenomenal realm. It is just an idea. It is just an idea. This 'I, me, person' has always been an idea, not even tangible like a table, so to say. To say that 'I am a table' is better than to say 'I am a person,' because at least a table you can touch; some senses can respond to it. At least phenomenally it has a tangible existence.

Therefore I say that even if you were completely in the belief that 'I am the body alone,' then there would be not so much trouble, because the body is just one part of suffering, a minor part. Most of the suffering is about relationships, work, money, me—'Why did he do this to me? Why did she do this to me?' The body is not concerned with any of this. So the body identification is not such a big trouble. The bigger trouble is when we identify as the body-mind combination, or a person, or the person idea.

What is the person? If I were to ask most people, first they will start by saying 'body.' Very quickly they will see that, okay, it's not just the body. Because when I say 'tell me about your last three problems,' you'll find that maybe one of them was about the body—in some cases more, but mostly you say that only a small percentage is about the body, unless you had some body trauma or body-related fears while growing up. Mostly it will not be a very large percentage. And then, so if one problem was about the body and two problems were about relationships and about money, then who is the one who is concerned about relationships and about money? The body doesn't know about their existence.

So very quickly it is seen that I don't truly believe that I am the body. Even for one who seems like they are deeply identified with the body, they are deeply identified as an entity which is the owner of the body, you see? Because the body itself is not concerned about the future of the body, what is going to happen to the body, the safety of the body. It is not the body which is concerned about it; it is this pretend owner or the imaginary woman who says, 'Oh, what's going to happen to it?' All this fear is just from the same person idea. So who is this person? That's all that we speak about. All that we're doing is shining a light on whether there is this person entity that exists or not. All concerns, all trouble, all problems, all worries stem from this person idea.

Shanti also very nicely, she's saying, 'The master of doubt seems to be visiting right now, but if satsang ended for me right now, I would still not believe this doubt.' See, because doubt also comes from the person. We can doubt what appears. Can we doubt our own existence? If I say 'Are you or are you not?' you will say 'I am.' See, unless you give it to some mind trick, just innocently you will say 'I am.' So there is no doubt about yourself. There can be doubt about the teacher, about the teaching, about the world; there can be all these doubts which come.

So here we are bringing you to a place which is beyond doubt because we are talking about your own self. Because ultimately it doesn't matter whether you're with Ananta or not, whether you are in this satsang or that; it doesn't matter. What matters is that you stop confusing yourself from being a person, stop confusing yourself pretending that you are a person, and seeing what you are just in this one moment. And to see with this clarity dissolves this sense of personhood to a point that it can never come back to its former seeming strength, because it is just a belief. Just like you had a belief, or you could have had a belief, that the world is flat or the sun rises from the west, but then when you experience the truth, this belief cannot last. The person was just a belief, just an idea.

It's very good, actually. Doubt is not a bad thing. Doubt can come, but a wise one, when the doubt comes, will say, 'Let me verify this. Let me just not go along with doubt; let me verify whether this is true or not.' The doubt is saying, 'Is this really possible? Can I really be self-realized? Does he really know what he's talking about? Has he understood all these things?' All these things can come, you see? All these doubts can come, and you must then look at them. When it comes, then don't try to shove it under the carpet, you see? Even doubt about the teacher—don't shove it under the carpet. Say, 'Does he really understand what he's saying? Does he really feel it in his heart?' And then when this kind of doubt can come, you look at it and see, you smell for it. And I'm telling you that all of you have wonderful noses; if you were to use them, you can smell egotism from a long distance.

So let your mind provide this fodder for inquiry. Let's not run from anything, including doubt. Let your mind provide this fodder and then you verify it for yourself. Whatever the doubt might be, then it is now Grace, because even doubt you have used for your inquiries. And then Shanti says, 'I would ask to stay in truth no matter what is going on in the appearance.' This is the wonderful news, isn't it? That actually you cannot leave the truth. You are the truth. You are That. It is just your attention and belief that can play around like this, and that is completely fine. As long as it is truly freedom that you want in your heart, then none of this play will really have much power over you. But momentarily it might seem like, 'Oh, this is coming up and it is strong.'

And Nitya says, 'There is something... there is nothing I can say. Somehow I lost the ability to speak. Cannot find anything which has a meaning, and I don't even know if this is true. Only thing I know is I have to be here.' Very good, yes. And this is called the switching over of the power. What's happening is that you have lost your trust in the mind. You cannot trust this perpetrator of personhood anymore. And because most of our lives all of us have just been repeating what the mind is saying, there seems like there's a time where 'I don't know what to say anymore' because I cannot trust what this mind is saying. And very soon you are discovering this voice in your heart which is accompanied with love and peace, and this one sounds like the voice of your Master. This one you can trust, see? And then this entire body becomes just an instrument for your Master's voice. So this sense of 'I don't know anything' does not go, actually, but it's no longer troublesome because all that is needed comes on its own from your own heart.

Let's see what's happening on the YouTube chat. Tan is here; he says, 'I would say, and I am saying, that I love you very much and thank you.' Love you too, my son. Very happy to see you here. Wonderful, wonderful. You say, 'You know best, you give before I ask, I will be done.' Jerome says, 'All my beliefs are from the past. I bring you them. This mind is too late. I can't bring you no worries, just peace.' The mind, all concepts are about past or future; it cannot say anything about the now. Therefore, when I ask you to look at what is here right now, many of you find a lot of mind resistance that comes because the mind knows that it is in trouble when asked to just look at what is here now.

Namaste, Namaste. Tina says, 'Sometimes mistrust towards a spiritual teacher can also come from the truth, isn't it? I have learned to listen more to my inner voice and let it guide me from there.' Yes, and that is why I said that when a doubt comes, don't run from it. You verify it. You check if this is true. In this way, it becomes part of your inquiry. So a true teacher will always say that you must start by doubting me completely. A true teacher will always say, 'Start by doubting me completely and get through all your doubts, everything. Do your complete due diligence.' And I'll tell you also what to check for.

So you can check first if you feel a sense of love, if you feel a sense of peace, if you feel just some resonance of truth, of presence. So first check for this. Then check about the pointings. Check about the pointings—do they seem to resonate? Then also check around and try to figure out if there's any sort of exploitation that is happening around the teacher. Is there any sort of exploitation happening, either monetary, either any sort of exploitation that is going around? Check for all of these things and satisfy yourself in your heart completely, see? Then you will find that this opening comes. You're open to the resonance, you're open to the transmission, you're open to the truth. So let's not run away from any doubts which might come. Yes, but you don't have to be a chronic doubter. Sometimes it becomes just a mental condition, a mental habit just to be skeptical about everything always, see? But this chronic doubt will not continue if you're very open with it and say, 'Okay, what is it that you want me to check?' And if there's something strong, I have always said bring it up in satsang. Whatever it might be, it might also be that, you know, 'You did this or you said this and I don't like it, therefore I'm doubting you.' Please expose it in satsang. There is no trouble. We are open here. The satsang is completely open, so anyone can come and share that 'This is what I did not agree with. Can you explain this?' Always happy to look at any of this.

And Shanti says, 'The doubt... the doubt is not about you, the reality. It is about the person, which is a good doubt, I suppose, because the person is not real.' Very good. 'I hope and pray this is not the last. When you speak, it takes away any doubt. My love for you burns it very quickly.' And Nani says, 'The prayer arises that let whatever action that is arising be the Master's, and let whatever words arising be the Master's. Let me be replaced with the Satguru's head at your feet, Father. It is done.' It is done. And because says, 'The only purpose of the doubt is to force it to come in the Master's presence for him to burn your forest of desires and let you be free of all the illusions.' This is very good. But many times do you find that once doubt takes over, then you refuse to come into your heart? See, it is like you give the mind a lifeline, you give the person a lifeline. If you can come with this doubt, either physically in satsang or just in the satsang of your own presence, then no doubt can survive. Like you said, then it is burned in the light of the truth.