Who Is The One Who Is Not The Doer?

Very Good, very good. I’ve no doubt that Guruji’s [Sri Mooji] grace will make the best use of every life that is surrendered to this grace; there’s no doubt at all about that. Whatever may be the best, most auspicious use, so-called “use” [makes air quotes], of a surrendered life, Grace is only moving that way. So, you don’t have to worry at all about that. Just make sure that you’re not determining very strongly what that looks like, you see, because life can surprise you. You can carry the feeling, the almost intention, in your heart, but don’t determine what that looks like in outward expression too strongly. Leave life a bit open because then you will find such a graceful expression, non- resistive—because if you have too strong a box in terms of where you want your life to go or what it should do, then it can become in resistance to that pure auspiciousness, which is playing out anyway, which will also ultimately be auspicious alone. But if there is any guidance that can be provided about this…so, the intention, the feeling in the heart is very beautiful; don’t try to determine what that should translate into in life. Let life determine that for you. Here, for example, I felt like even if one day I become free, I don’t want to share Satsang; I’m too introverted, too private. I would rather sit and read a book, you see, than to sit in front of all of you and share words—that did not feel natural at all. But I left it open and to Guruji’s grace. So, how it has to play out, you can leave to the Master’s grace.

Yes, yes. Very good, very good. It is just a recognition of how it always is, just a recognition of how it always is. Like, can you move your body as you personally? Move your body, move your finger. How do you do it? So, the idea of automatic or with volition, you see, is just an idea. So, when you’re empty of that idea, then you see that ah, it’s just moving in that intelligence of Consciousness, everything is just moving. So, those moments when we recognize the absence of individual volition or agency, they can seem very freeing. But remember that the I who could control doesn’t exist at all, so it is not that you are not the doer, it is that that which could have been the doer or non-doer doesn’t exist. You see, you’re with me, no? So, many times we can just get into this sort of frame of mind that no, no, but I am not the doer, everything is being done for me automatically. But there is no such me. And that is important to see because otherwise what can happen is that we can still feel, if things are not going so well according to our minds, then we can start feeling like we are the victim to this, like I have no doer- ship but I am subject to all this that is happening to me, oh, dear God, why are you doing this to me, please stop. You see? These kind of ideas can come if we still hold ourselves separate or the one who is not-the-doer in some way. [Laughs] Who’s the one who’s not the doer?

Yes, exactly, exactly. So, if there could be a non-doer, then we must investigate who is this non-doer, you see. But if one has no such assumption, which you rightly said, then there is nothing at all, there’s no individuality at all. Remember to not assume either doer-ship or non-doer-ship because either way there is identity.

Yes. This is a common trap in Advaita these days where we take on the identity of being the non-doer too strongly, but who is that one who’s the non-doer? Who’s not the doer? Is there still a me, a little ol’ me who is now a puppet in God’s hands? As a provisional statement of surrender, that could be alright. You see, as a provisional statement of surrender, that could be alright. But it’s not a true statement in any sense of the word.

[Laughs] Oh, yes. I’ll just call my wife and she can tell you all the imperfections. [Laughs]

This is a recurring theme in today’s conversation—it’s where will we go to determine perfection? And we talk about this actually, this idea of perfect. Where will we go to determine perfection? What will be the true way to measure perfection? Like, to be able to determine, oh, this is perfect or this is not so perfect, we must have a great sense to be able to measure it. So, what gives us the ability to measure perfection or imperfection? Like, if we met perfection, how would we know it? It’s worth contemplating because otherwise we can get stuck in an idea of what we think perfection is, and we say wow, that is so perfect, and your friend looks at the same thing and says: What? That? That is not perfect at all, that’s terrible. And it happens many times in our life, so what’s going on? What is the discrepancy?

And even our own ideas, they change over the years. Like five years ago, you may have thought that Cristiano Ronaldo is perfect or some sport person that you admire or something like that. Today you might find that a spiritual master is perfect, tomorrow you might find some other idea of perfection, you see? But what is the basis on which we can say okay, this idea is truly true, it’s really valid? [Pauses] It’s a tough one. [Laughs]