Don't Go To The Measuring Tape
Don't use the mind's measuring tape of feelings and concepts to determine your spiritual progress - the Truth is already complete and untouched by any mental phenomena.
So, right now, the second bird [referring to Sri Mooji's metaphor of the birds] is there, and third bird also. Both are there and it's beauHful, but the person thinks it's the person. So, I don't have the, like, recogniHon that I am the Self.
I see, I see. Okay, thank you, this is a beauHful quesHon. So, let's really look at this. So, there is a body-mind in the realm of acHvity and it's doing all of whatever happens in the realm of the waking state. So, that is the first bird. There is a mind which interprets that first bird to be 'me', 'myself'. That interpretaHon, or belief in that interpretaHon is what we call the person. Yes? But you found out that that which is perceiving all of this, the Being which is perceiving all of this, remains untouched by any of that play. And beyond even the Being there is Awareness, which is aware even of the percepHon that the Being is having, isn't it. Now all of this that you're saying, you say that you recognize this, isn't it?
Yes, I recognize both, the witness and the Absolute, I recognize right now.
Yes. So, when you say the recogniHon is not here just because the mind conHnues to take itself to be, or tries to present a proposal that you are a person, doesn't mean that you have not recognized the Truth, isn't it? Because you are saying I recognized that I am this Awareness which is aware of, which is perceiving the acHvity of this body.
As Guruji [Sri Mooji] said, the Truth is even beyond two and even beyond one.
Exactly.
My quesHon is now, so I have right now a bit of feeling of One-ness and a bit of a feeling of person, like a mixture. And of course, the Truth is there, the Absolute is there.
Yes. So, don't expect your feeling to confirm the One-ness. Expect only the Truth to confirm your One-ness. And you're saying the Truth is always there. So, what effect does the change of feelings have on the Truth?
No effect.
Nothing, isn't it. So, our job then is not to provide a set of feelings which the mind can interpret as your stability in your Freedom. Because those benchmarks are not ones that you can use for your Freedom. It is just to see that in Reality it is so apparent to me, that I am this pure witnessing that is aware of this immense Beingness that is here, within which this play of the body-mind and all the acHvity of the Universe happens. Which includes the play of feelings, thoughts, emoHons, all of these things. It has nothing to do with which branches the bird can pick up or not, isn't it?
Yes, it has nothing to do, no, no.
So, then to say that because the nest looks like that, I'm not fully free, because it doesn't have the right leaves and branches - which means I don't have the right emoHons and feelings or thoughts - then that would be a fallacy.
Yes, but someHmes I have, like, more that in the mind it appears that somehow I'm not so much the doer and somehow even the doer is less there. So it's like the soluHon of the doer a liZle bit, but then the mind likes it and says 'Ah, this is One-ness'.
Yes [chuckles].
And suddenly I'm out of that and I'm totally the doer and I know Truth is there and I then want to have the One-ness. But I think, yes...
It is that you're using the wrong measuring tape, you see. The measuring tape will only take you in a loop all the Hme. SomeHmes it will tell you, you're there, someHmes it will tell you that you have lost it, someHmes it will tell you that you are almost there, someHmes it will tell you that you are not ge^ng it at all. All of this will come. So, whatever you can use to measure your Freedom, if you throw that away, then that is Freedom.
Even throw away One-ness or two-ness of the mind?
Definitely. In fact, everything that you can throw away, throw away. That is Freedom.
Yes, yes. Yes [smiles, then gets a 'thinking' expression].
No, no [chuckles]. You're doing very well, and then you started going to the measuring tape again. So, don't do that, let it go. It's fine.
Ahh, you saw from my eyes that I would go to the mind again.
Yes.
Okay, okay, yes. So just recognize Truth all the Hme?
No, no. Even this idea you can throw away. Tell me about yourself which doesn't include the mind-intellect.
I can't. I don't know. There is maybe...
Okay, pause. So, wherever you went for that answer, just forget about that.
Forget about what answer?
The place that you went to, let's call it a 'place' where you went to determine that answer, don't go there, don't worry about that. Whatever is happening in that playground, let it happen, you don't be bothered by it. It is not telling you the Truth over there.
Yes. It's the conceptual version of the Truth, it's a mind version of the Truth.
And the mind will call Truth, what is the false.
Yes, of course, even of the Truth. Yes, but then it will come. So right now I have really the feeling to be like One, but it will come...
Are you just hiding a thought behind the word 'Feeling'?
Yes. I did make the mistake again, that I took the mind versions of the One-ness for the Truth. Thank you, thank you.
So good, so good. You see? That's it, so simple, so simple. That's my version, don't make any conclusions based on that [chuckles]. [The talk conHnues later in same Satsang:]
So, I am all the Hme really One beyond the concepHon of 'One-ness' with that?
Not even that.
Not even that?
Where do you know that? Don't go there. Wherever you know that 'Beyond the concept of One', that is also a concept. Leave that also.
Yes. It makes me so happy because it's so simple.
Yes, very good. I'm glad to see you so happy. Then some fear can also come, which is also natural. It's okay, either way it's good.
Yes. Then my quesHon is, should I now be as second bird even or should I just let go and do nothing? I don't know now if there is second bird or no second bird, it doesn't maZer for the Truth. And if there is a seeker, or if the seeker is, like, less in the view of the second bird. It doesn't maZer to the Truth as well. Should I even do second bird or...
Everything which is in your intellect, just leave it, it's fine.
So, even not the intellectual one of second bird pracHcing?
Nothing, nothing.
Yes, okay. Because, before my pracHce was like staying more or less in the second bird [posiHon] while Truth is there, and now you say all this pracHce [makes dismissive gesture with hands].
No. I'm only saying that anything which is in your mind or intellect, leave that. Then, if pracHcing has to happen, pracHcing can happen, if pracHcing does not have to happen, it can not happen. Either of them is okay. I'm just saying, don't determine what you are and what you should do and what you should be, leave any intellectual or conceptual idea of doing, or Hme, or any of these things.
Yes, yes, okay. But now, even if pracHcing second bird took place, I kind of would now start as true pracHcing, and before I started as a person pracHcing.
Don't make any conclusions my dear. You don't have to determine your posiHon. In fact, you cannot. [Pauses] Just don't think about it, that's all.
Yes, okay.
What do you think? [Chuckles]
What I think, is your quesHon?
No, no, not seriously, I'm just having some fun. I was just thinking about what do you think about not thinking [chuckles]. Are you now thinking about it?
Yes, I thought about how I oeen think about not thinking [smiles].
Stop it.
Yes. Kind of, the person has now more fear to lose it, because it don't control the enlightenment any more.
Do you know this without the mind? Do you know the state of the person without the mind?
No. Without the mind I cannot know person.
Then we cannot report on the state of a person, if it is only from the mind, if it is just conceptual.
Yes, yes. Now, some fear comes from the person, someHmes I have it when I talk to people, this insecurity and fear.
You're doing well, don't worry about this. Allow it to come and go, it's fine
Key Teachings
- The Truth is always present and unaffected by changing feelings or mental states - don't use emotions or thoughts as benchmarks for spiritual freedom
- Throw away the 'measuring tape' - any concept (including One-ness, two-ness, or spiritual practices) that the mind uses to measure progress is a trap
- The mind will call 'Truth' what is actually false - don't trust the mind's interpretations of your spiritual state
From: The Way to Live Life in God’s Presence - 17th February 2023