While you still believe that you are a doer that there can be things done, this is a concept, but you can use that concept to do Mantra, to do this remaining with your Selfless Self. To pull the attention back in. To put forth effort. The Truth is there is no effort, there is no deed, there is no doer. Until you are convinced of that truth you can use the concept believed in of being a doer of Mantra. Then by doing Mantra you will erase this concept of doership. Don’t try to be more than what you are or how far. You hear people and they say ‘OK, I am at complete peace my mind is very still’ and you compare OK ‘I need to be at complete peace.’ No you just need to recognize. Like Maharaj says “Where do I stand?”
‘Am I doing Mantra enough?’ ‘Do I have a sense that I can do Mantra?’ and ‘If I still have a the sense of doership’ let’s use that concept to do Mantra. To listen to Bhajans. To do meditation. To be with my Selfless Self. If I am still having the concept that I have a ‘busy mind’ let’s listen to Master who says “Ignore this mind. This mind is a flow of thoughts” If it is still flowing, that’s fine, not to take the touch, not to worry about it, OK this mind is flowing. That’s where I am now. See where you are. Because I think, a lot of times it may be that I am trying to hear what is happening, or what, the Master is giving the perfect Reality. And I am trying, from where I am, access this perfect Reality. But in Reality I need to access where do I stand, where am I? Like Maharaj says “Am I fearless? Am I tension free?” If not then I need more Mantra, I need to use these concepts of being a doer, of being a spiritual discipline, devotee. I need to use these concepts to further my spiritual development. I need to invite the attention of the invisible listener. I need to listen to what Master says. And I need to move forward from that position. I can’t move forward, like if I am climbing up a set of stairs, I can’t go from step one to step ten. And just do a super high dive. And even if I do, it’s very stressful I could still fall down the stairs. But if I put one feet and I admit, OK, here I am at this point right now. This is so important, this is where I am right now. And so I am going to, ‘OK, I still have busy thoughts.’ ‘I still sometimes get lost in the day, where I totally forget Mantra, and then I say Ah, I should have been Mantraing.’ Like ‘Oh, I should have had a V8’. But, in the middle of the day I say ‘Oh, OK, that’s OK., Back to Mantra.’
Because the more I do these things, the more I use my sense of doership while I am still seemingly a doer, the more the attention is invited of the invisible listener. The more that spontaneity is coming, the more I’ll see that what Master says is true. I will start to see things and say ‘Oh, ya. I remember Maharaj said this would be occurring.’ But don’t jump ahead, be where you are now, and fully be there. Like Maharaj says “Ask yourself, where do I stand?” ‘If I am reading too much books and I am getting lost in all these different teachings, maybe this is not so good for me.’ ‘Am I doing Mantra as much as I want to do Mantra?’ And I don’t want to sit there and say ‘Wait a minute I am not supposed to be a doer. So I shouldn’t be doing Mantra.’ No because as long as there, unless you can absolute have conviction that there is no deed and there is no doer, then use the conceptual belief that you’re able to do something. By furthering the Mantra and the spiritual practice to invite the attention of the invisible listener, So That, So That I.
Of course, except your Selfless Self there is no God, no Brahman, No Paramatman, no Master. Nothing is there. And the next time somebody cuts you off in traffic, that should automatically be ‘There is nobody there, nothing is happening, everything is OK.’ Unless there is a me that is involved. But see, if it is not that way, that is OK. Then we step back. We say ‘OK, I got irritated.’ But remember, the cool thing is, all these stories that Maharaj has told. Like the guy who spit on the other guy fifty times and he had to go take a bath. Now, surely none of us are going to allow ourselves to be spat on fifty times and then invite the guy for lunch. I would not do that right now. But that is showing you the most extreme case. When somebody is giving you a hard time, or cuts you off in line, or is rude to you, you think but they did not spit on me fifty times. You know, so, OK it is a little bit not good but it is OK. I remain with my Selfless Self there is no reason to get involved in that. And like when Maharaj talks about Jesus being nailed, no one is nailing me to a cross in this moment. I feel very disturbed, but that is the extreme, so I can remain with my Selfless Self. And see these are the things.
When Maharaj talks about Eklavya. This was very important to me in India, but Maharaj talked about Eklavya. The fact, he said, the Master didn’t teach anything. But the full faith and trust in the Master the internal Master did all the teaching. Because it was directed at that statue. So the same for you. Let that internal Master teach you and guide you. And now know that you can have Maharaj’s voice, teaching and guiding you. See, that is so important. That sense of Presence. You felt Maharaj adn you felt that Presence when you were with him. You felt at one time that this body is feeling that bodies Presence and the Presence is very strong around Maharaj. Now Maharaj is not here in physical form but that Presence is still just as strong when you concentrate on the concentrator. When you say, OK here is Maharaj. His picture is here, his picture is here. Yes, Master. ‘I feel like having my attention out here, but you said no. You said don’t take the touch. I’m here, I remain with my Selfless Self.’ This is, because it is the Reality. See, even if you use these conceptual beliefs, to kind of baby step into the Reality, you know that it is the Reality. Then as you are moving forward you will start to see, Yes, this is the Reality. Because now I am experiencing something that Maharaj talked about me experiencing. And it is happening for me right now. Without of course taking the touch and making a big production. Because experiences come and go, but the idea is you will be feeling more fully, your Selfless Self and less and less taking the touch of the illusory individual in the illusory world.
John Richards
Sadguru Shri Ramakant Maharaj Dakshina