The Biggest Scam: Losing God

So Kabir Ji said, 'Maya mahathagini hum jaani.' Why is it a mahathagini? You're a Hindi teacher, can you tell us what is mahathagini? She's cheating always. Yes, biggest con, biggest cheater. How is she cheating us? What could be the biggest scam that can happen to us? Huh? Let's see that way. If somebody took all my money away, then would that be the biggest scam that can happen to me? If somebody gave me a very fatal disease, would that be the biggest scam? No, not even that. If somebody took all my possessions, all my family, everything, would that be the biggest scam? No. The biggest scam is if somebody took away God from me. And this mahathagini tries to do that. Sometimes even hiding—what a beautiful line—even in the devotion of the devotee it can hide that 'I have become such a big devotee. Look at all these people, I'm just sitting in devotion of God all day.' You see? So there Maya comes.

See, so Kabir Ji said, 'Maya is me.' When 'me' comes, then we are stuck in Maya. In the devotion of the devotee also, this 'me' can come. So that is why everywhere it can hide. So we have to be careful of this Maya, this 'me' coming. Because why is it a narrow lane? Why is the lane too narrow? When there is 'me,' there is no God, and when there is God, there is no 'me.' And whatever we do, no matter how many dips in the holy river we take, what pilgrimages we do, what holy mountains we walk around, no matter what we do, if our attempt wholeheartedly is not to get rid of the 'me' from my heart, then we cannot be with God. Do whatever you want, because this Maya is the mahathagini; he will come everywhere. Does that mean it's a bad thing to do, go to these places? No, it isn't. It's very beautiful. But remember that it is beautiful if our project is to be empty of this 'me.' But if our project is to elevate this 'me,' is to grow, is to attain something, then it doesn't matter. It may only make it worse. Huh?