Ramakant Maharaj USA Talk of October 3rd Part II

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Ramakant Maharaj USA Talk of October 3rd Part II

Ramakant Maharaj: You’ll get some courage, power, energy to tolerate all these things. Not even that, I’m telling you, you’ll overcome all the difficulties of your physical problems also.

I’ll tell you a real story, about Guru Ranade, a devotee, a disciple of Bhausaheb Maharaj, it is fact. In those days, say about one hundred years back, he was suffering from tuberculoses, and in those days it was an incurable disease. Guru Ranade’s mother took him to Bhausaheb Maharaj, and he (Guru Ranade) was really surprised that out of meditation he was completely cured. Really, it is a miracle. Though it is not Reality, it happens, it can happen, because you have tremendous power. What I want to tell you, the principle behind that is: you’ve got tremendous power. Anything can happen. You’ll get courage to tolerate all these body-based concepts, all these body-based problems.

And therefore I’m insisting, in the beginning stage, you have to devote some time for meditation, it’s very basic. Only discussion is not sufficient. Now the ball is in your court. But it doesn’t require any conditions, any restrictions, what you’re eating, what you’re doing.

Through meditation you can identify yourself in a real sense. Basically identification is most important. All these concepts appeared upon your Presence.

Q: I have a question.

Maharaj: Yes?

Q: I’m finding the more quiet I get, and the quieter my mind and ego get, that my desire to be of service is the only thing that matters. Money’s not mattering, food’s not mattering, just being of service to others has become a priority. Is that natural progress, or…

Maharaj: What happens is we’re counting ourself, measuring ourself in body-form. So many desires are bound to be there, expectations, needs are bound to be there. So for which, after having strong devotion and meditation, all desires will be dissolved. You remain untouched with the world.

What do we want exactly? In the human life, what do we want? We want happiness, peacefulness, tension-free life, and fearless life. But everybody is having fear of the death, (inaudible). After knowing ‘what is death? Exactly what is death?’ – in deep sleep are you fearing? In deep sleep: “Oh, let me go alone!”, you want deep sleep, no? So like that, why to fear death? There’s no death at all. Prior to beingness have you got any fear?

So to have a fearless life, you have to undergo meditation. Meditation gives you courage to face these things. It is placing before you your Reality. And thereafter, I’ll tell you, meditation is also illusion. Until you’ve got Spontaneous Conviction, meditation is a must. Then meditation will be spontaneous afterwards – that Mantra is going on throughout. It creates a vibration, it’s reminding all the time: “You are Brahman, you are Brahman, you are Brahman”, knocking on the door all the time.

Yes, any questions? It’s very simple. Yes?

Q2: Can you be specific about the meditation? When we do meditation, it’s not just like closing our eyes and concentrating, but we have to repeat the Mantra? And another thing is: what kind of thinking we should have when we meditate?

Maharaj: Yes, it’s a good question. I’ve placed before you the Ultimate Truth, the body is not your identity at all. I’m not the body, I was not the body, I’m not going to remain the body, it’s a fact. Through meditation, through involvement, through devotion, you’re reminding all the time to your Selfless Self: you’re not the body at all. And after having continuous involvement and devotion, there will be Spontaneous Conviction.

I’ll give you a simple example. This body is called man, you accept it as a man, you’re dreaming as a man. You’re not saying “I’m a man, I’m a man, I’m a man”, some name is given. That conviction that this body is called man, this body is called woman, we accepted it. So you’re neither woman nor man, you’re Brahman, you’re to accept the Reality. And for which you have to undergo the meditation. Through meditation you forget your body-identity, you forget about your body-concepts.

Q2: So are we supposed to recite the Mantra at the same time?

Maharaj: All the time, all the time, you can recite Mantra all the time. When you’re sitting for meditation, sit in that fashion, what I told you. At the initial stage, I’m telling you again: Mantra, meditation are required at the beginning stage, until you’ve got Conviction, until you remain untouched with the body-based knowledge, body-based concepts. Then all your actions will be spontaneous, untouched with the world. Though you’re holding the body as a man or woman, male or female, you’re untouched with the world. No concern. You’re living in this body, doing all activities, as if you’re acting in some drama, as if you’re acting in a dream. Are you taking any ego saying “I’ve done a good thing or a bad thing” (in a dream)? There’s no deed, there’s no doer. No experience, no experiencer. Even if you have the experience ‘I am Brahman’, it is also illusion. Where everything ends, there you are! Everything came out of nothing, everything dissolves within nothing! If at all you want to compare, compare just like sky or space. Space is everywhere. Is American sky different and Indian sky different? Sky is sky.

Those who are here holding these bodies, the Spirit and Presence is one, there’s no difference. When I’m talking with you I have to take ego that ‘I’m something else’. There’s no difference at all. How we are prior to a hundred years, just remain, nothing, we don’t know. After a hundred years, how will you be? “I don’t know”. ‘I don’t know’ means we are shapeless, no birth or death. The body is only the media to identify yourself.

It is very simple Reality, it is the Listener’s Reality. Not to run after miracles. You don’t need to go anywhere. Everything is within you. But we’re not giving importance to ourself, we’re giving importance to something else. Your Spontaneous, Invisible Presence is having tremendous power. It is the Master of Masters. And again I’m repeating, to dissolve all body-knowledge, all body-based concepts, you have to undergo the meditation at the beginning stage. Whatever experiences are happening during the process of meditation, just ignore it. Good experiences, bad experiences.

And as I told you, spiritual science says there are three types of experiences. ‘Darshan’ means you can see the Gods and Godesses and idols. ‘Sparshan’ means you feel the touch also, and ‘Sambhashan’ means talking. It happens, it can happen, but it’s not Ultimate Truth.

So not to come across with such elements that will distract you from the Reality. Such elements may be that you come across some miraculous experiences, or unpleasant experiences. It happens. Where were those experiences prior to beingness? And after leaving the body, any experience remains? Nothing.

Prior to beingness you’re unknown to yourself, after leaving the body you’re unknown to yourself, and at present also. This is Unknown, Invisible Identity, Anonymous Identity, Unidentified Identity. Thoughts are flowing, not to struggle with the thoughts – good thoughts, bad thoughts. We’re struggling with the thoughts: “Why are these thoughts coming!”, “I’m meditating all the time, some unpleasant atmosphere is there, depressive thoughts are there, why are they coming?” Okay, you’re experiencing depressive thoughts, bad thoughts or good thoughts. The thoughts which are tolerable you say ‘good thoughts’, the thoughts which are not tolerable you say ‘bad thoughts’. What is not tolerable? The body is not tolerable, body-based knowledge is not tolerable. When there was no body, there was no question of toleration.

And after having Conviction, I told you, people say “How can I identify if I’m realized or not? I’ve got knowledge, spiritual knowledge, how can I identify if I’m realized or not?” Some feeling will be there. As I told you last time: six stages are given by spiritual knowledge, spiritual science. Shama means ‘forgive and forget’. I am giving the example of Jesus Christ, you know? When they were nailing him, what did he say? “Oh God, forgive them, they do not know what they’re doing.” Then ‘Dama’ means tolerance and patience, no irritation, no excitement. It happens spontaneously. Prior to knowledge, suppose for a small matter you’re getting excited, now no excitement. You’ll get spontaneous tolerance, patience. I’m giving the example, in Maharashtra, of Saint Eknath. He was a very calm and quiet Saint. So one person said: “I will make him irritated.”

Every day he (Saint Eknath) went to take a bath near the river. After coming from that bath, he (the person) spit on him. Calmly and quietly he went back to the river. Like this, forty times he spit on him – then he got irritated! And he bowed down to him (Saint Eknath). And what did he (Saint Eknath) say? “Because of you I got to bathe forty times.” This is patience and tolerance. And he (Saint Eknath) invited him to come for lunch with him. Exceptional silence will be there, it happens spontaneously.

And the third thing, ‘Titiksha’, means just to know the Reality. Total involvement, total devotion. And the fourth thing, ‘Uparati’, means you remain untouched with the world. Whatever happens whatever doesn’t happen, you remain untouched with the world. Even though you’re holding the human body, and a good thing happens or a bad thing happens, you’re not concerned. Then devotion (Bhakti), complete faith. This happens after having strong devotion.

The body is an opportunity for us, because we forgot our identity. There are so many concepts: ‘you are born’, ‘last birth’, ‘future birth’, ‘hell or heaven’, ‘karma’, ‘dharma’, so many things are there. Our identity is wrapped up in all these concepts. You have to break the circle of all these concepts.

It is very simple. You are not required to spend a single penny. And if you’re Realized, make others Realized. Siddharameshwar Maharaj says:  “If you’re Realized spread out your carpet and go on talking. Share the knowledge free of charge, not to commercialize it”.

Yes, do you have any questions? Yes, yes.

Q3: How do you increase your devotion? I mean, how does one become more devoted? If you find you get distracted by the world and then you forget to meditate, or you need to increase devotion…

Maharaj: You have to accept it. Reality is placed before you, the Reality of the Invisible Listener within you. When you accept this totally, it is devotion.

So this body is called ‘woman’. Are you saying “I am woman, I am woman, I am woman”? You accepted it. I say you are Brahman, but you’re not accepting it, you say “Oh, you’re making fun of me”. I’m placing before you the Listeners Reality, but you’re not accepting it. But if anybody says anything wrong, you’re immediately accepting it, you’re immediately reacting.

So it is now up to you. Reality is placed before you, you have to accept it. You were not the body, you are not the body, you’re not going to remain the body, it’s a fact. Who is holding this body? This is the Invisible Listener’s story, the Reality. It’s called Brahman, Atman, Paramatman, God, Master, it’s not separate from you. You’ve got tremendous value, but you’re not giving that value, you’re underestimating yourself. Why to go here and there in search of any Masters? “Oh God bless me, Oh God bless me”, why? To say ‘God’ your Presence is required. If there’s no Presence who will talk about the ‘God’? Are you not the father of God? ‘God’ is a concept. Okay, it’s not bad, I’m not criticizing that God concept. If your Presence is not there who will talk about the ‘God’, how can you talk about ‘God’ and ‘Masters’? The moment that Spirit clicked with the body, you start identifying the entire world. The entire world is projected out of your Presence, it’s fact.

And therefore I’m insisting: to have this Spontaneous Conviction regarding your Selfless Self, you are to undergo the meditation. Meditation is not only sitting, again I’m repeating it. Total involvement is required. Recite the Mantra all the time, and you’ll feel some miraculous experience within you, you’ll feel some exceptional peacefulness, you’ll remain unconcerned with the worldly things.

Yes, okay?

Q2: I just have a little technical question about the Mantra Japa. A person can do Mantra Japa while breathing in and breathing out…

Maharaj: Correct.

Q2: …and also he can (inaudible), and he can also do the same Mantra, (inaudible), ten or fifteen times, so which one is…

Maharaj: Why ten or fifteen times, there’s no limit of ten or fifteen times. It can be continuously, it is your property, you can use your property.

Q2: But then if I take breath in and breath out, I can repeat more than one time…

Maharaj: See, when you’re sitting for meditation, at that time, this principle is there. All the time you can recite the Mantra as it is, be simple.

Q2: So if I can do five…

Maharaj: Yeah, yeah, yeah, no problem. I told you, when you’re sitting for meditation, you sit as per the instruction given to you, as for all the time you can recite the Mantra as it is. Be normal. And even then, there’s no hard and fast rule, I’ll tell you. This is the beginning stage, just like when you’re learning some language you write ‘a’ like this, ‘b’ like this, ‘c’ like this, when you’re a student. After having some stages, you’re no longer a student, you’re a master of that particular language.

So when you’re sitting for meditation, you sit in that fashion for half an hour, one hour, two hours, it depends. And according to the breathing it will give more effects, it will be give more absorption. But all the time you can recite the Mantra as it is, not concentrating on the breathing and all. And thereafter also, you’re not required to sit like this also, your meditation will be spontaneous within you. So without your knowledge, even within deep sleep, that meditation is going on inside. This is the beginning stage, the initial stage, but you have to do it.

So be practical. As I told you, this is an opportunity, the body is an opportunity to identify yourself in a real sense. Basically you’re formless, this form isn’t going to remain constant. This is a shape, a form (Maharaj refers to his body).

Yes, anybody have any more questions? Be free.

Q4: I have one. Does a certain type of diet help calm your mind? Like a sattvic diet? Vegetarian, not many spices?

Maharaj: No, no, no. No question of diet, diet is not a restriction, it is not a concern. Whatever physical requirement is there is unconcerned with the Reality. What you’re eating, what you’re doing, what you like for the feeling of the body, the requirements of the body, you can do it. Whether you take non-vegetarian or vegetarian is not a concern. How you are identifying yourself, that is most important. You’re not the body, what is required for the body, you can do it. Whether you take the pure water, whether you take other water, this is unconcerned.

So many concepts are there, therefore I’m telling you, you have to come out from all these concepts, body-based concepts, you have to undergo the meditation.

Q5: So the yoga, the postures, is another body-based concept then?

Maharaj: Yoga? Yoga is good for health. But it will help you, pranayama is giving some good (effects). There are some types of yoga, padmasana also gives good effects. Yoga is also helping. But it is not Ultimate Truth, it will help you. Pranayama is good for you.

Q6: Maharaj, I just want to make sure I understand or elaborate a little bit more on what this gentleman had asked you. There’s a lot of chaos and drama in my family during the course of the day, and I’m trying to repeat the Mantra during all this drama, because in Reality there’s really nobody there…

Maharaj: Correct, correct.

Q6: …correct, and I just want to understand: I don’t have to focus on the in and the out breath while I’m repeating the Mantra, while experiencing or seeing the chaos and the drama that is going on. As long as I’m aware and repeating the Mantra, that’s all I have to do. I don’t have to be aware of the in and out breath at that time. I do take time to meditate by myself, but I’m talking about all the other time that all this is going on. Do I have to be aware of the in breath and the out breath….

Maharaj: It is only the beginning stage only, until you’ve got conviction. Breathing, reciting the Mantra – only at the beginning, initial stage. At the Ultimate stage it’s not necessary, not necessary to recite the Mantra also. It happens spontaneously. What is a Mantra? It is reminding you, trying to identify yourself. Where was the Mantra prior to beingness? Any Mantra was there when you came into this world? After leaving the body, any Mantra will remain? The Mantra is also a concept, it is illusion. But to remove one illusion, you have to take the help of another illusion. Just like a thorn, you know a thorn? To remove one thorn you take the help of another thorn and then throw away both the thorns. But you have to do it at the initial stage, I’m telling you the initial stage, the beginning stage.

Q7: Maharaj, really I do have one question. Now I know you had said to (another devotee) that you pick one Mantra and you really stick with it. What I’m finding is that I’m drawn equally to two. The Naam Mantra, because I received it from you, and also ‘I am Brahman, Brahman I am’. And I’ve been trying to settle on one. I’m doing one quite intensely for a week and then I’m switching to the other one quite intensely for a week, and I can’t settle…I mean I’ve settled very much into doing Mantra, but I feel pulled to one then I feel pulled to the other.

Maharaj: You have taken the Naam Mantra?

Q7: Yes.

Maharaj: Whatever Mantra has been given to you, you recite that Mantra only, not any other Mantra. The meaning of that Mantra is ‘I am Brahman, Brahman I am’. So whatever Mantra has been given to you, you recite that Mantra only. Not to confuse, not to confuse.

Q7: I realize it doesn’t matter which one, but there is this confusion because I feel drawn to one, and then I feel drawn to the other…

Maharaj: No, no, not necessary. You’ve been given a simple Mantra. Whatever Mantra has been given to you, you recite that Mantra and that is sufficient for you. If you find it difficult, you can recite the other Mantra, but that Mantra which was given to you, you recite that Mantra, a very simple Mantra. The purpose of the Mantra is just to remind yourself.

Q8: (To Q7) Naam Mantra is what the message is, forget the other one. Naam Mantra was given by Maharaj to you specific…

Q7: Right, so that’s why I’ve been drawn to that one. But the other one, I guess maybe because it’s in English, it seems to make more sense to me…

Q8: But Naam Mantra is your Mantra.

Q7: That’s my Mantra, okay, thank you. So I’ll stick with that one.