The Guidance Received Independent of Mental Interpretation Is Your

Yes.

So, just to make sure I understood correctly: What is it that you are trying to confirm ? That you are the Self ?

Yes, yes. And how do you try to confirm that ?

I see, I see.

Now, the trying to control attention way to do it is a very popular way to do it. Here, I was very unsuccessful with that way. And, maybe (attention) I did not feel like I have such a strong hold over attention because the more I tried to like, Maharaj [Nisargadatta Maharaj] said, 'Just keep your attention on the sense of Being', and his Master told him that, and he said, 'I only had to do that for three years and I was free'. And I remember reading that and saying: 'Three years? I can`t keep it there for three minutes! How to keep it for three years?' [Chuckles]. So, and that is why most of my pointing and advice comes from the other key which you need to unlock identity, which is the aspect of belief. So, you need both attention and belief to take yourself to be limited. You see?

...to be limited or to take yourself to be the 'me' or the person you need both, isn`t it? Like, I can say: 'Don`t think of a pink elephant' – the classic example. No? 'Don`t bring any attention to a pink elephant' and naturally for most of us a pink elephant will start to show up. The more we try to resist it, the more it comes. 'Now, don`t think of a banana.' The banana – you see, it`s there. So, but it`s easier to not take ourselves to be a pink elephant or a banana. You see? So, if I say, don`t take yourself to be that which attention is showing you, then that seems to me to be a simpler way to play, and yet for you, if it is natural to divest your attention from thoughts and to be able to keep it on the sense of Being, or to stabilize it in a mantra or something like that, whatever you may be trying to do with your attention, then, if it is natural to you, that is fine as well. Because identification is not possible unless you bring attention to a thought first. You see? But I only found the attention game a bit difficult. I found surrender or letting go to be much easier. So, that`s why I always point to your belief in what the thought is saying – not, that the thought should not appear. Because, controlling attention means the thought should not appear. Unless your attention is on it, it cannot appear, isn`t it? Only through attention do we perceive, you see? Perception and attention are part of the same play. So, but, I found it here, very easy to not take myself to be what the thoughts were presenting me to be, rather than try to not think or try to push thoughts away.

Okay I have some advice for you on that one. Because, over the years I met many who say 'But, there is no time to believe or not believe', you see, that the thought comes and immediately I`m identified with the thought. That is a very common complaint. [You see ?] But it is not with all thoughts. If the thought came to you and said: 'Oh, you have to lie a hundred k...(52:39?) today', like a power lieer or a body builder or something, then you may not be identified with it so immediately. You may just say 'Oh, what a strange thought, let it go'. You see? But if a thought comes about something that you are identified with, or you have an interest in, then that seems to get belief faster, for those are the ones which seem to exert more magnetism on our belief. So, what you could do, is there a recurring theme of thoughts which seem to get your belief oeen?

Yes, yes, so these unworthy sort of …

Unworthy spiritual seekers, a very popular thought construct in spirituality. So what you could do with this is, that this particular theme you can inquire into. You see, you can inquire into and ask yourself: 'Who is not worthy?' And the mind will say, 'I know, I know, there is nobody like that', but still inquire, really look: 'Is there somebody there who is not worthy?' Now, when is the inquiry done? When is the inquiry finished? When the thought arises, if it has become light and laughable, then you are over that. And you don`t need to inquire into it any more. You see? That is one Hp. If this kind of inquiry doesn`t seem natural to you and you are more of a devotional temperament, then you could just say, ´My worthiness or unworthiness is all my Master`s problem, his problem to deal with'. Just surrender it. You see? With your full heart. With your full heart, just surrender it. Now, depending on your temperament, and not just temperament, but moment to moment, sometimes you are more open to inquiring, sometimes you are more open to surrendering, sometimes you can use both, like, at different times do the inquiry, at different times just surrender it. And both of these will make that thought lighter and lighter and soon it will become laughable. You see? So, those are the two main, let`s call it techniques on our path, self-inquiry and surrender.

You`re saying that it doesn`t seem as easy or natural to inquire?

Yes. And you feel like you`re blessed with some devotion in your heart?

Then, that`s easy, that`s easy. For those who are blessed with devotion, then just hand it over at the Master`s feet. It`s nice, it`s a beautiful way, yes.

Very good, very good. So welcome.