A Simpler Way

What happens in most of the classrooms and what we call learning traditionally in the world? We had an idea which we took to be real, that is shown that it is too constrictive or small, then a bigger idea is given then we feel like ‘Ahh, I learned something, I made progress’. But what happens in Satsang is that throw away the old story and don’t replace it with a new one, including Freedom, Self-realization, any of these. The only guarantee I am giving to you now is that ‘What is true will not go’. What is real does not come and go. [Silence] So this identity, which we now have a new story about that ‘I want to be rid of it’ then in this story of getting rid of identity itself, identity can live. So these are subtler things, which I am telling all of you, so look at that because for most spiritual seekers it is actually it is the spiritual seeking itself, which is left as the obstacle. [Smile] It is a strange sort of irony. What is your favorite story? [For] most of you is Freedom, Freedom is your favorite story. But if you dig in if you really deconstruct say what Freedom? What are you talking about? Then you say ‘I want to be free of the mind, free form the identity, free form these constraints, these limited notions of the Self. I want to be free from that’. But what is holding it up? The idea of Freedom itself, that is your main story left for most of you. But the thing is that, don’t replace this with another one. You say ‘I don’t need Freedom, anyhow Ananta said no point it’s just a story, so let me just now focus on my work and get my life in order…all new story no? Same obsolete stories, that is why first I said ‘No old story not allowed.’ [Smiles] Choose a fresh one and that was also jokingly. [Smile] It is not that I am really saying ‘Choose a fresh one’ so I will become a tattoo artist or something. [Smiles] That is not the idea. ‘I am no longer seeking Freedom now, go to Goa and become a tattoo artist’ - That is not what I am talking about. I am introducing you to the staleness of the mind and how although it can seem like very smart and tricky and things like that, most of it is very old stuff that we seem to be carrying. It’s like an old attic which is not been cleaned up. And now one of the oldest stories that we are holding on to is some conceptual idea of Freedom. And if we were to really explore that, because in these broad terms we miss what we really believe in no? Everybody in these rooms wants Freedom presumably. But if I ask each of you ‘What it is?’ Each of you will have a different idea – This should happen; suffering should go; there should be no identity; I should not feel anger; my lust should dissolve. All, everyone can have a different, different idea. ‘Oh, that experience I had a day before yesterday it should constantly be like that.’ Everyone will have a different story of what they think Freedom is. And we only suffer from these un-enquired ideas, un-enquired stories. In our minds, we are full of concepts and we have not really deeply looked at those before taking them to be true. That is why they are called beliefs. You look at any concept and you will find that no concept can face the light of your enquiry, can face the light of your looking. You will find over there a presumption, an inference at the base of it. That is why the Zen-koans are so effective because all your fundamental concepts about possible, impossible, about time, about space, about cause and effect all of those are questioned, all of those, you can’t hold on to them. And you are forced to look because if your primary story is about Freedom and you are promised Freedom - Make the goose escape then you will be free. [Referring to a Zen Koan] Then because your love for this presumed Freedom is so much that you will be willing to let go of your stories. [Smile] [Silence] But maybe the simpler way… is to just trust a little bit [of] what is been said in Satsang and recognize that these are just ideas, stories, fantasies that I have about myself, they cannot stand up to any scrutiny and let them go. So this is what the resistance comes from. When we are caught up in a story, most of you have told at one point of time ‘I know Father you will just say, but who are you?’ But the resistance is really not to the inquiry, the resistance is your now attachment to that story. If you feel like you know in your heart that if you look, really, and you look at who you are, you will find that the story looses its value.