What happens, see, one thing is basic thing: we are holding human form. The moment the Spirit, Presence touched with the body, we started knowing our self “I am male or female”, correct? As a matter of fact, male and female, or any form is not your identity at all, very basic thing. Can you follow me? This form is not our identity at all, who is holding this body? It is called Atman, Paramatman, God, Master, these are names given, we are trying to identify. The Spirit which is holding this body has got a lot of experience. Through body we have a lot of experience, good experience, bad experience. Secondly, when the Spirit clicked with the body, touched with the body, we want some happiness, pleasure. We come across some pains also, pains which are not tolerable, body is not tolerable. Some wrong feelings are there. Psychological problems are there. Physical problems are there. Mental problems are there, so many problems are there.
The moment we came across with body form, problems start. And what do we want exactly? Why are we doing spirituality? Why we want Master? Why is meditation required? Because we are not happy, no peacefulness inside. Everything is there, but basic thing, our basic need is peacefulness. And for which we are searching here and there. We are searching Masters, reading so many books and doing so many things, visiting temples, why? Because we are not having pleasure inside. We are having some pain, psychological pain, mental pain, so and so, and therefore you are wandering here and there.
But in our spirituality, we are focusing on the Invisible Listener within You is the root cause of this world. The central point of this world. We are inviting attention of that invisible Presence who is holding this body. Correct? That is your Ultimate Truth. Body is not your Ultimate Truth. A lot of theories are there. I am avoiding these theories: 5 elements, Maya, Brahman, and so many things are there. Theory is ok but theory will not serve your purpose: after reading theoretical knowledge, what help do you get? Nothing.
Who wants peacefulness? Who wants happiness? Who wants a fearless life? Who wants a tension free life? How will we get these? That is the problem. Only dry knowledge, dry spiritual knowledge, any rituals, any karmas will not give you happiness. A lot of people say “do this karma, do that karma”. Some rigorous exercise is given. Discipline is there, stand on one foot. So many things are there. We say not to do anything! Try to identify yourself. Because directly or indirectly, we are having impact, impression of body knowledge. We are doing everything! Even though we are doing meditation, but we are forgetting that meditator “I am somebody else meditating”. So many questions are asked: “how to find out ‘I am’, what is ‘I am’?”. There is no specific definition of ‘I am’. The term ‘I am’ came into existence the moment Spirit clicked with the body. Prior to that, no ‘I am’ was there, no ‘you are’ was there. No language is there. No experience is there. There is no experiencer also.
In brief, prior to Beingness, nothing was there. After leaving the body, what remains? Nothing is there. So, all requirements, needs and expectations came along with the body only. Because this food body is not tolerable. This is a food body. So far you are supplying food and water, it is growing. The moment you stop supplying food and water, it will go away. So, it is open fact, even if you think intellectually: body is not your identity at all, body was not your identity at all and body is not going to remain your identity at all. But through body, and through Presence or Spirit, we can identify our Self. Apparently, it appears in duality. But, sometimes we have to take the ego, duality is required. If I don’t exercise duality, I can’t talk with you a single word. As a matter of fact, there is no difference between you and me. Different bodies are there. The speaker within this body and listener within that body, are one and the same. It is formless. No form is there. That spontaneous Conviction is required.
The purpose of spirituality… we are not having Conviction therefore realization is not near about to us. What do we mean by “realization”? “Oh, he is realized, he is a realized Master”: he identified oneself in real sense. What identification is there? Body is not my identity at all. This form is not my identity at all. I am formless. There is no birth, no death to Me. No deed, no doer to Me. After knowing this, you can live your life normally. Just like in dream. If you come to know this is a dream, then you are free. In dream you see so many things: good things, bad things, you are enjoying your dream. But in that dream, if you come to know this is a dream, then you’ll enjoy that dream. Because you know this is a dream, it is not real, correct? Same thing: at present we are holding this body, this is a long dream. It is fact, this is not going to remain. This body is having time limit, age limit, stages. You’re a small child, then you turn young man or young woman, then you grow to old man or old woman. And one or other day, willingly or unwillingly, you have to leave this body. That means this form is not your real form. We are holding this body, but who is acting through body? That identification is most important. Unless you identify yourself in real sense, again there are chances of another dream. Now we don’t want any dream, so this is an opportunity. Human body is an opportunity to find out yourself, to identify yourself.
We are having a lot of questions. So many questions are asked. Because these questions are coming through body only. Because some or other way, body establishment, body identity is there. When you come to know “body is not my identity at all”, no question is there. You are Final Truth. Brahman, Atman, God, Master, names are given to You, not to this body, the Invisible Listener within You.
This is the brief of spirituality. So, dry knowledge, dry discussion will not help you. Intellectually we understand everything. But, in practice, Conviction is required. Theoretically we are knowing “I am Brahman”. Because so many books are there, they are inviting attention that: Except your Selfless Self, there is no Brahman, Atman, Paramatman, God. It is fact. But, in spite of that, we are having some attachment with the body. A lot of attachment with the body. Suppose anybody hurts you with any words, you feel “oh he insulted me”, it happens. Suppose, any person, he hurts you by any words, bad words, you feel “I am insulted”. Because you are not expecting those words from others. That means there is some impact of the body.
Directly or indirectly, we are living with mind ego intellect. Mind ego intellect came along with the body, they are functioning authority, functioning organs. So, unless you overcome the mind, ego, intellect, unless there is confirmation “I am not body”. Until that time, you feel so many things. You will feel insulted, depression maybe there, non-peacefulness maybe there, so many problems are bound to be there.
So, to overcome all these things, some method is there, some discipline is there. What discipline? You have to undergo strictly meditation. Meditation is the base, the foundation of spirituality. You need not, nor are required, to do anything. Meditation means concentration, concentration on the concentrator. In this body, invisible concentrator is there. In this body, invisible listener is there. Body is not listening. If there is no Presence within the body, who will listen? So, that Presence, Invisible Presence, within this body, it is called Brahman, Atman, Paramatman, God, Master, that You Are. But you are not accepting it! Again, and again, mind is playing, creating some questions, not allowing to stabilize. We are unstable because mind is playing along. Mind is very crazy. Mind, what is mind? Manufacturer of thoughts, in your dream also. So, mind is one of the parts of this body, it is not you.
Mind, ego, intellect appear upon your Presence. You are supplying energy to the mind, ego, intellect. So, try to identify yourself. The basic principle of spirituality is: try to identify your Self in real sense. Though we are knowing everything about spirituality, but we are not having Conviction. To have Conviction “I am not body, I was not body, I am not going to remain body” – you have to undergo strictly meditation IN THE BEGINNING, underlined. Because that is the only way to have Conviction, that’s the only way to have realization. I am telling you meditation is also illusion. We are giving some words – “Aham Brahmasmi”, “Soham”, so many words are there. Through those words, you are hammering your Self – “You are Brahman”. Because you forgot your identity. In spite of knowing this, our mind is not allowing us to stabilize, creating some problems. There are so many questions asked “oh, my mind is doing this thing, I am not stable, some problems are there, physical problems”, because you are giving more importance to your mind.
To control your mind, to control the intellect and ego, you have to undergo strictly meditation. I am not doing any miracles. Miracles happen from you because you are miraculous source. Source of miracles starts from you. Brahman, Atman, Paramatman, God, Master, is not separate from you. I am again and again repeating the same thing. Only thing, what I am telling you, you are to accept it. What is my advice for you? We are inviting attention: Except your Selfless Self there is no God, no Brahman, no Atman, no Paramatman, no Master. You are Master. My Master Nisargadatta Maharaj says: “I am not making you disciple, I am making you Master” because you are already Master. But, you forgot your identity. You are missing yourself, trying to find out outside.
Go to this Master, that Master, that Master, read so many books…. No happiness. So, everything starts from You, everything ends within You. You are the source of this world. Your Presence is subtler than sky, space. Nothing was there prior to Beingness, nothing will be after leaving this body. Everything came out of nothing, everything dissolves within nothing, it is fact. But, we are not accepting that fact. Still we are having some ideas, some concepts, still some temptation to go here and there. Why to go here and there to find out yourself? You are there and there only.
You are not to go anywhere to find out Brahman, Atman, Paramatman, God, Master. It is a waste of time. Settle with your Selfless Self. You are the central point of this world. Entire world is projected out of your Presence. I am placing before You fact, your facts, listener’s fact. Listener has tremendous capacity, tremendous energy, you are not using your energy. Still you are living just like a beggar “oh do something, do something, give me your blessing, have some blessing, oh god, bless me, bless me”. Why?
Have your own blessing. God is not separate from you. Master is not separate from you. Brahman is not separate from you. Atman is not separate from you. But the impact or impression of the body knowledge, that is supposed to be dissolved. It is a very simple thing. And how will it be dissolved? You follow instructions given by the Master. Don’t raise any question. Meditation is the base. When you ask about meditation to someone “oh, I am doing meditation but not stable, what to do?”. Follow it. Ok, immediately you can’t be Master of the language, you have to study it. When you are a student, ‘a, b, c, d’ like that. We don’t become master of language, we study ‘a, b, c, d’ first standard, second standard, third standard. Then you’ll be Master or PHD of all this, post-graduation, etc. At that time, you need not, nor are required, to say ‘a, b, c, d’. Similarly, meditation is ‘a, b, c, d’, beginning lesson, basic lesson. You have to go through strictly. I am telling you, in the beginning you will find some difficulty. Your mind will not allow you to steady, it will create problems.
Mind means flow of thoughts. It is very crazy, because mind is in commanding nature. Now, Master says “you be of commanding nature, don’t follow instruction of your mind, don’t be slave of your mind, have command, try to go against your mind”. If mind says, “do something”, “no I am not doing”. There are some children, parents ask “do something”, “no! I am not doing this”. Try to go against your mind, that is the basic thing. Directly or indirectly, we are a slave of mind. We are following, “oh my mind is not doing this, what to do Maharaj?” What to do? Instrument is given, power is given to you, you can use your full power. Not to depend upon your Master, I am not doing any miracles. “Bless me, put your hand on my head”, why? You can put your hand on your own head. Because there is no difference at all, I am placing before you Final Truth. I am not claiming ‘I am a great man, great Master or great philosopher’. This philosopher, spiritual man is already within you, but you are neglecting it. You are underestimating your Self, that is the tragedy, don’t do this. Because human body is a Golden Opportunity for you, if you neglect, if you take casually, again there is possibility to have another dream.
Now this is last terminal. No search, not to search anywhere. Searcher Itself Is Ultimate Truth! Why to go search here and there. No Master can do anything. Knowledge is also ignorance. What knowledge? Knowledge means just to identify yourself in real sense. We are not going to become great Masters, spiritual Masters. The purpose behind that: we want pleasure, happiness, peacefulness, blissfulness that is already within you. But we are giving so much importance to body-based concepts. Unless the body-based concepts dissolve, disappear, vanish, you will not get pleasure. Fear is there always, fear of death is there, “oh what will happen?”.
So, you can have commanding nature, you are not to take egoistic thoughts. You can do it, but you are lacking courage. To have that courage, you have to undergo strictly meditation. Meditation in the beginning, until you get Conviction. Then, again the question: how to meditate? In our lineage, we are giving some words, it is language. Those words are creating some vibrations. Those words are very powerful. Those words are having so much power, energy. People are not knowing the importance of the words. It is having tremendous importance. Therefore, we are asking not to disclose that Mantra to anybody else. But try to stand on your own feet, nothing is impossible. All these great Saintly people, Ramana Maharshi, so many Saintly people, what did they do? They followed the instruction of their Masters. They digested what they read and listened. You’re reading so many books, “oh, I Am That book, Ramana Maharshi, this book, that book”, only reading books is not important. Try to find out that Invisible Reader within You, whose story is that?
Invisible Reader within You, it is Ultimate Truth. I am pointing out that Reader, invisible Reader within you, not to the body. I am inviting attention of the invisible Listener within you, not to body, you are formless. Just to accept this Reality. And to accept this Reality, you must have courage, not to follow the instructions of the mind, ego, intellect. These are only the functioning organs of the body, it is not Ultimate Truth. Because, their existence came along with the body. If there is no existence of the Spirit within the body, who will talk about the mind, ego, intellect? Therefore, I am always advising all of you: try to identify yourself, convince yourself. Power is given to you, use your power. You have got tremendous power. Not to be beggar “oh do something fair to me”, why?
No doubt, you be humble, be normal, but not to have any expectation “do something for me”. Why? You can do it. So many things. Because your power is not limited to the body. You have got tremendous power. So, don’t consider yourself as a coward or something “oh what to do?” hmm? You can do it. So many things. So, therefore, first thing you have to follow the instructions of the Master and the discipline of meditation strictly. Then there won’t be any question, all questions will be solved within you.
All questions are related to the body only. Psychological questions, mental questions, “my mind is not…”, what do you mean ‘mind’? Because we are giving more importance to mind, ego, intellect. You can stop it, you can listen to the mind, not to follow instructions. So many people advising you, you just listen to it and forget it. Things which are useful for you, you can accept it, otherwise forget it.
Not to follow mind all the time. Mind means flow of thoughts. Thoughts are appearing in your mind and go to intellect to take decision and through ego it is implemented, it is a process. So, theory is important up to some extent, until you get realization. Not to depend upon theory. You need not go to do anything because you are not doer, there is no deed at all, Ok.
So just, what I told, you follow it. Listen again and again. Because in a nutshell, in brief, I have given the entire philosophy. You need not go anywhere, you can approach your own Master within you, not to go any Master. Master is not separate from you. I am again and again repeating the same thing, same principle is there. Only reading so many books, it is meaningless. Only collecting information, is not necessary. Not to go to any other Masters. Master is not separate from you. Respect the Masters, I am not asking to neglect Masters. Respect all the Saintly people, but at the same time, that Master is within you.
So, to know the Master, to identify God, your Presence is required. If there is no Presence in the body, who can identify God or Masters? So just to follow it, that’s enough. Some problems are there with my body, but I am trying my level best to convince those who are coming to me. Beyond that no spirituality is there. Ok?
Sri Ramakant Maharaj
https://ramakantmaharaj.us/listen-again-and-again/
