Where Is This Oneness? - 12 Feb. 2015

This is good to see like this. And that's why we often talk about this example of awareness and appearance, you see. So in this, what happens is that what is really happening is that we want this separate appearance like one, isn't it? You want these separate appearances—my body, this body, another one, anyone I should meet—they should all seem like we are one, you see. So it's another invented idea of Oneness. This is the invented idea of Oneness.

The Oneness we speak of is to see that yes, awareness is here, and awareness is the root of all of this. Even Consciousness is born from this awareness. So this being is here. So there's one seeing, one being, and then in this one being there seem to be the rising of all these multitude of billions of appearances, but it's still one being. You cannot testify to the validity of another being. You can only say 'I am.' You can never say 'you are.' In this way, it is seen that this one is here. This is Oneness. It's not a forced Oneness that I must see everyone as one, I must love everyone equally. See, all these kind of questions can come: 'If I'm free, then my children and any other children must seem like they're the same to me, but I feel that I have to be a parent to my children and I don't feel like I have to be a parent to every child. Why is this so?'

The mind can play these kind of tricks. It is just that Consciousness is playing those roles within the appearance itself. All these roles are being played. So don't expect that the movie will change. All that is going to happen is that you see that all of this is happening in the light of my being. This movie is projected in the light of my being, and this is one. You can never prove the existence of two. This pure unassociated being can be experienced here, and from this vantage point, then you cannot show me any two. All we can say is that all this is just appearing and disappearing, appearing and disappearing, and we are not concerned with the appearances.

You will also see that there is never the appearance without you. You see, some of it might sound a little silly, but you must look at it because the mind will resist. It's not silly; it's very beautiful and subtle to see that in this world of appearances, first there must be a presence of me, the presence of 'I am.' For any experience, first there must be this 'I am-ness.' It could be dream experience, it could be so-called waking experience; there's always a 'you' for this. This being is there, and then all the appearances can dance around in the way they want, but this being is not split up in any way.

And then it might happen that once you see this, once you marinate in this, then you might feel like hugging everybody around you. Yes, but that does not mean that that is more Oneness, you see. It might feel like you want to go live in a cave; either is okay. That is just a movement in the appearance; that has nothing to do with the reality of freedom. Don't let your mind dictate what freedom looks like, because the mind knows nothing about it. Billions are trying to find peace, they're trying to find happiness through the mind, and nobody's finding—not lasting peace anyway. What is everybody doing? 99.9999% of humanity is just dancing to the tunes of the mind, isn't it? Are they finding everlasting freedom from suffering? Anybody you know? It doesn't work like this. It doesn't work like this.

So even in satsang or even in spirituality, if you're going to dance to the tunes of the mind, then we'll just keep dancing. See, we'll not come to rest. We'll keep running on this treadmill which is not going anywhere. So don't tell me what your thoughts are saying; tell me what you are saying. That smile says a lot, you see. It says much more than the thoughts can say. Drop any concept about freedom. There is nothing like freedom. Forget about it. Papaji used to be even stronger. Papaji would say that it's not going to happen to you, just forget about it. At least he used to say, 'Not in this lifetime at least. Wait for your next birth, then we'll see what happens.'

And many would say this is so much relief. It sounds like something strong, you see, then so much relief comes because the seeker identity is dropped. And then no possibility of all this specialness and arrogance and nothing can come. Freedom, freedom—what's that? I don't know. Don't go for freedom. Don't go for freedom. Just stay here now, this moment, right now. Going for freedom is still going somewhere, trying to go somewhere, trying to get something. Okay? So if any of you want to go somewhere, get something, at least first tell me what you're going to find. What are you looking for? What is missing here now? And then we will see. I'll give my stamp of approval. Say yes, you go. Give me a good answer to what is missing now and where you must go to find it, and my blessings are with you to go and find. Any of you, not just satsang-ga on the hot spot right now.