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Really the main thing I’ve been pointing to these days is that we cannot solve this spiritual puzzle; we just can’t solve it. And you can’t find the Self in any sort of way of looking. So, and this if you hear, will save a lot of time. It’s just like you’re trying to measure the size of the world with a thermometer or something, you just can’t do it. So, all the struggling you can stop. You don’t even have to struggle to understand what I am saying now. Naturally words are being spoken and the mind intellect instrument may function in the way that there is some affirmation coming. Some sort of understanding may be getting created but that is the byproduct and let it happen, we don’t have to resist that. So, you don’t have to actively try not to understand, ‘So Father said you can’t understand so I am not going to understand what he said. So, while he’s speaking I’ll just be blah blah blah blee blee blee to this guy, it has to bypass all of this and it’ll hit me when it has to. So, let me just like daa-da-daa daa-da-daa ‘Who are you now?’daa-da-daa daa-da-daa’. It’s not like that. So, all that process which has to happen can continue to happen but the recognition of the Self will never be a product of your understanding. At best what will happen is you will understand that your intellect cannot get it, that your mind cannot get it. So, you will understand that you cannot understand. Maybe that is the highest understanding. To understand that you cannot understand, then you leave yourself free for sometime, you let yourself go for sometime. Instead of constantly putting you under the burden of, ‘Am I getting this, am I really getting this? Why am I not getting this?’ Aren’t these the postures that we end up taking on this apparent search, ‘I’ve been trying for so long. I’ve been with you for ten years. What’s happening? Why am I just not getting this? Maybe I am not devoted enough. Maybe I am not open enough. Maybe empty enough’? But, all of this is to make the wrong conclusion. It has nothing to do with what I am talking about. Because the only thing, the only thing is right now. What is it that is apparent to you without having to understand anything or perceive anything? So, can we start our gatherings with this subtext always, and I’ll keep repeating them first until it gets completely breathed in. But, realize we are not a traditional classroom. We will not understand really what the Self is in your mind. The Self is not that small that you can capture it in your head. And your experiences of the Self, at best, are the by-products or the prasad (offering) of the Self, never really the Self itself. Because then the Self would also be something that comes and goes. And the Self would also be something that is perceivable. Now, your mind may protest what I am saying. But, actually I am just saving you, all of you, a lot of trouble. I am just saving you a lot of trouble because without your mind and without your perception, what is apparent to you [pause]? Where will you go for this answer? Will you go to the usual place? I’ve already said without your mind. So, do you go to your mind and say, ‘Hey friend, what do we do with this question? What should I do?’ and the mind says, ‘No, no just be empty’. Is it just like that? Just cut off that, and you can do it as Consciousness, you see? Don’t bother with any of that. [Ananta snaps his fingers] Like that, see like that. More than immediate, more than instantaneously. This, hm? [Laughs] You see? At Least if nothing else, you will notice the habit to go to the mind, isn’t it? And don’t judge yourself on that. But, it’s just noticing. I say, ‘What are you without the mind?’ Where do you go for the answer? [Laughs] And that is all that conditioning is about. We feel like some value can come from there. Some Truth, some Reality, can come from our heads, but it can’t. It is bigger than that instrument. And don’t worry about what to do with that instrument, ‘isn’t that also God’, we’ll come to that in a moment.First, you experiment with what else you have. Then we will see if something has to be done with the mind or not. Don’t come to the mind’s defense so quickly, let’s see. So, you have a thermometer, you have a weighing scale, you have a kaleidoscope, you have all of these instruments. Let’s see what we will do with each of these. Have all of you heard this metaphor about the Kaleidoscope, the Radio and the Heart? How many of you have not heard? Okay, most of you are saying ‘no’. So, this may be a useful metaphor for all of you and it encapsulates most of what I am saying. So, you are looking through the kaleidoscope, you see all of these myriad forms of images and sounds and sights, all of this. So, everything that you perceive, let’s call that the Kaleidoscope; got it? Everything that you perceive, let's call that the Kaleidoscope; yes? Now, within all of these perceptions there is also one perception which is the messaging claiming reality, which is called the mind. So, the voice in our heads, let’s call that the Radio. It's also perception, it’s also part of the Kaleidoscope, but still I am going to call it out separately in the metaphor and say this is the Radio. Now, if the job in Satsang or the job in life, is to let go of the information for a moment, which the Kaleidoscope and the Radio are offering to us. Then we encounter that which we call the Heart. And it has nothing to do with emotion, it has nothing to do with perceived emotional pain, pleasure, none of that. But, the good news is that you don’t have to go to the Heart, you just have to keep the Kaleidoscope and Radio aside. Or even, you don’t have to keep them aside, just let them play out as they’re trained, you don’t have to value their inputs, what they’re telling you; this much we can do? So, let’s try. Everything Kaleidoscope, which is everything perception, let it be, don’t bother with it at all; yes? If you get stuck somewhere, any of you, just raise your hand or something and we will explain this. Everything that is perceivable is the Kaleidoscope, let it be, let it present whatever shapes and sizes it wants; yes? And every message that is coming from the head, from your mind, is the Radio. Let the Radio play, you don’t have to bother with what the radio is saying. And the Radio is just about as accurate as an actual radio would be if it was trying to tell you about your life, unless the RJ was a good friend of yours. So, the mind is just that accurate about your Reality, it’s completely inaccurate; okay? So, all perception and all messaging from the Radio have been kept aside, now what remains? Don’t rush. Don’t expect to find something that you can preempt or you can expect to have a particular shape or size or some sort of great spiritual experience; none of that. Has anyone not assimilated what I have shared so far? Happy to repeat, okay good, good. So, perception we understand? Just raise your hand. Just raise your hand if you understand. Two hands that I saw. Perception we all understand. So, everything phenomenal that shows up in the light of attention we call ‘perception’. So every perception we are using the metaphor Kaleidoscope, you know this kaleidoscope thing? Is to have this thing and to turn it [does turning hand motions], all these different shapes come. So, the world presentation is like the Kaleidoscope; clear? Okay, so one or two of you are still not clear. So, let’s see if we can catch up in a moment. Then the mind, all of you have heard this term often in Satsang for years, it is just a bundle of thoughts. So, there is no mind when there is no thought. The thought appears, that is the mind, which is a message that is trying to tell you something about something. You see it’s just a thought, so that is what we are calling the Radio. So, all of the perception, all of the imagery is called the Kaleidoscope and everything coming from the mind is the Radio. Now, is there something else besides these two that you have? [Pause] Where will you go for the answer? Some go to radio, some go to perception. [Pause] So, if some of you are lost, then put up your Zoom hand so I can see all of you. Some of you are lost; anybody lost? Okay good, let’s hear from Praharsh.

Namaste.

Yes, yes. You don’t have to go beyond, just don’t value the inputs coming from the Kaleidoscope and the Radio. [Pause]

And don’t go to the mind, in terms of the Radio, for the judgment about what is happening now; you see? So, you left the Kaleidoscope, you left the Radio, then don’t go to the reducing, ‘Is this working? Am I doing this right?’ The Radio is going, ‘Yes, yes. No, no you’re missing something; no. Why is everyone else...’. So, that is the Radio. So, learn to recognize that. That’s just the Radio. These judgments have nothing to do with your Freedom. Then what else you got, hm? If there was nothing else besides the Kaleidoscope and Radio, then there would be no spirituality. There would be no need for spirituality, there would be no true spirituality; you see? But, we have spoken about spirituality enough, I want you all to taste it for yourself, what is being spoken. So, now that you’ve left the Kaleidoscope and Radio aside, now are you lost?

Correct. Let the Radio do whatever it wants. Imagine that there’s actually a radio in the background, your daughter is playing it, you can’t turn it off because she will throw a huge tantrum. So, that has to play okay? Now, that is playing but that has nothing to do with us, for the moment. So, don’t bother with what song is coming on the radio next. The minute you ask a question, one song starts playing, so it doesn’t matter; yes?

Very good, very good. Now, that Here-ness, what confirms that? Is it Kaleidoscope? Is it perceived Here-ness? Is it a perceived Here-ness? Now, the words are not confusing. Can you perceive the Am-ness or the Here-ness?

And even if you do perceive it, you may perceive like a sense of Presence. But, even that is the Presence that is unlimited and therefore not restricted just to the sense of Presence. And all these words you can only assimilate in your Heart, you cannot see them in the Kaleidoscope or Radio.Very good. You said, ‘No, I am not lost, I am still here’, on what basis? What tells you that? Is it the Radio again?

So, the good news is you can check every instant [snaps fingers]. Truth is not going away. So, the Radio is still playing the song called ‘Self-doubt’, so let it play. It’s one of Mr. Seekers favourite all-time hits, ‘Self-doubt’, he’s number one on the Billboard charts for centuries; self- doubt. So, let that come up on the Radio but you confirm what you told me before, ‘I am Here’, where is that coming from? [Pause]

Still Here. What is the source of that knowledge, if not the Kaleidoscope or Radio? [Pause] What’s the trouble? The trouble is it seems too natural.

Just, ‘But, I just Am. Why does he keep asking this question?’. No, because it’s so original to us it can seem like an awkward question; you see? But, the thing is we’ve lost this originality in the versions from the Radio. So, to return to this knowledge which is not the usual way that we conceptualize or think about our life, is to come to spirituality. We all come to our Heart. You are Here, but you did not need something in the Kaleidoscope to change, and you did not need the Radio to say something to confirm that. Everybody is in with me on this? Clear or no? Don’t go on any other side expedition. Whatever other problems we have to solve, will get solved by this one; you see? So, mind will tell you, sometimes it will celebrate too soon as Guruji used to say, (mind will say) ‘Yeah yeah this is clear but what about that, you know, (23:19 need help with words)’. All of the spiritual questions will come, or some other life question will come; relationship question will come, just keep them aside. Everything will get solved only with this. [Pause] You are here. ‘You’ is which one? [Pause] Without the Kaleidoscope, without the Radio, which one is you? [Pause] How come you did not say, ‘There is presence here, somebody’s presence. Should I be scared, Ananta?’ I am Here. What tells you about this ‘I’?

So, natural isn’t it? And is it just an expression or is it apparent to you? It is you, that it is you is that apparent to you? Or are you just, like, saying words?

It is apparent. But, in which way; you see? This is the master key, this is the master key. It is not through Kaleidoscope or Radio and yet it is apparent.

That’s it. That is Self-knowledge, that is Atmagyan (Self-knowledge). So, now what this is telling you, let’s call it intuitive insight, for a moment, so this intuitive insight, what it is telling you, is completely different from the version that the Kaleidoscope and the Radio have about you. Can you see the contrast? The You that just Is, and you don’t need any perception to confirm that, has nothing to do with the ‘you’ that the mind is talking about. Although what perceptions of, the mind may say, are you? With me? Yes? The You that you are confirming just like that, ‘I am. I am Here’. You see? Because you said, ‘Why aren’t you saying there’s some Presence here, somebody’s Amness is here. Say I am Here’. So, I ask then, ‘ How is it?’ Are you just saying, ‘I Am’, or is it apparent? And then Praharsh also said, ‘It’s apparent’. Now that You that is apparent, contrast this with mind’s version of you. What is the difference between them?

It’s just a thought and the difference between them is Heaven and Hell. That is the difference between Heaven and Hell. The difference between what is apparent to you, without the need of these instruments, which is just naturally and intuitively apparent, verses what we take the mind’s version to be makes the same thing feel like Hell, feel like suffering. Even though it may have some momentary motions of success or progress. So, to take intuition's version, as Reality, is Self-recognition, it’s always there, it’s never missing; always there. So, the inquiry always works. Unless you have some ideas about what should show up as a result of inquiry. If you are just looking for yourself you can never lose it, you can never not find it. If you want the purpose of spirituality then you can keep chasing. So, Self- recognition is just the simplest; you don’t even have to use any sight, any sound and you don’t have to use your mind. What can be simpler than that? You don’t have to use the shovel or the pick-ax. You just have the world naturally. What better goldrush can there be? So, if it is the Truth that you want about what you are, then this Truth is available to you like this and in no other way. Every other spiritual practise, everything that is suggested in every Satsang in the world, brings you to this very point there you can to see what you are for yourself. But that Seeing is without sight, it’s not the usual seeing. The point of all Sadhana (spiritual practise), the point of all practise, is just to get to This. And whatever quote unquote ‘works’, to get us to this point is good enough. So, it could just be Ananta sitting on the Zoom screen snapping his finger [snaps fingers], or it could be ‘Who am I’, or it could be The Invitation (guided meditation by Mooji, Ananta’s Guru), or it could be some other form of practise. Whatever gets you to look at yourself in this utterly and innocent and naked way is the whole point of spirituality and Self- recognition.