Talks 17 (II)

D.: What is Jnana Marga?

M.: Concentration of the mind is in a way common to both Knowledge and Yoga. Yoga aims at union of the individual with the universal, the Reality. This Reality cannot be new. It must exist even now, and it does exist. Therefore the Path of Knowledge tries to find out how viyoga (separation) came about. The separation is from the Reality only.

D.: What is illusion?

M.: To whom is the illusion? Find it out. Then illusion will vanish. Generally people want to know about illusion and do not examine to whom it is. It is foolish. Illusion is outside and unknown. But the seeker is considered to be known and is inside. Find out what is immediate, intimate, instead of trying to find out what is distant and unknown.

Talks 17 (I)

D.: Which posture (asana) is the best?

M.: Any asana, possibly sukha asana (easy posture or the half-Buddha position). But that is immaterial for jnana, the Path of Knowledge.

D.: Does posture indicate the temperament?

M.: Yes.

D.: What are the properties and effects of the tiger’s skin, wool, or deer-skin, etc.?

M.: Some have found them out and related them in Yoga books. They correspond to conductors and non-conductors of magnetism, etc. But it is all immaterial for the Path of Knowledge (Jnana Marga). Posture really means location and steadfastness in the Self. It is internal. The others refer to external positions.

D.: Which time is most suitable for meditation?

M.: What is time?

D.: Tell me what it is!

M.: Time is only an idea. There is only the Reality Whatever you think it is, it looks like that. If you call it time, it is time. If you call it existence, it is existence, and so on. After calling it time, you divide it into days and nights, months, years, hours, minutes, etc. Time is immaterial for the Path of Knowledge. But some of these rules and discipline are good for beginners.

Talks 20

Mr. Evans-Wentz: Is solitude necessary for a Jnani?

M.: Solitude is in the mind of man. One might be in the thick of the world and maintain serenity of mind; such a one is in solitude. Another may stay in a forest, but still be unable to control his mind. He cannot be said to be in solitude. Solitude is a function of the mind. A man attached to desire cannot get solitude wherever he may be; a detached man is always in solitude.

D.: So then, one might be engaged in work and be free from desire and keep up solitude. Is it so?

M.: Yes. Work performed with attachment is a shackle, whereas work performed with detachment does not affect the doer. He is, even while working, in solitude.

Talks 13 (III)

D.: Does my realisation help others?

M.: Yes, certainly. It is the best help possible. But there are no others to be helped. For a realised being sees the Self, just like a goldsmith estimating the gold in various jewels. When you identify yourself with the body then only the forms and shapes are there. But when you transcend your body the others disappear along with your body-consciousness.

D.: Is it so with plants, trees, etc.?

M.: Do they exist at all apart from the Self? Find it out. You think that you see them. The thought is projected out from your Self. Find out wherefrom it rises. Thoughts will cease to rise and the Self alone will remain.

D.: I understand theoretically. But they are still there.

M.: Yes. It is like a cinema-show. There is the light on the screen and the shadows flitting across impress the audience as the enactment of some piece. Similarly also will it be, if in the same play an audience also is shown. The seer, the seen, will then only be the screen. Apply it to yourself. You are the screen, the Self has created the ego, the ego has its accretions of thoughts which are displayed as the world, the trees, plants, etc., of which you are asking. In reality, all these are nothing but the Self. If you see the Self, the same will be found to be all, everywhere and always. Nothing but the Self exists.

Talks 13 (II)

D: What are the aids for realisation?

M.: The teachings of the Scriptures and of realised souls

D.: Can such teachings be discussions, lectures and meditations?

M.: Yes, all these are only secondary aids, whereas the essential is the Master’s grace

D.: How long will it take for one to get that?

M.: Why do you desire to know?

D.: To give me hope.

M.: Even such a desire is an obstacle. The Self is ever there, there is nothing without it. Be the Self and the desires and doubts will disappear. Such Self is the witness in sleep, dream and waking states of existence. These states belong to the ego. The Self transcends even the ego. Did you not exist in sleep? Did you know then that you were asleep or unaware of the world? It is only in the waking state that you describe the experience of sleep as being unawareness; therefore the consciousness when asleep is the same as that when awake. If you know what this waking consciousness is, you will know the consciousness which witnesses all the three states. Such consciousness could be found by seeking the consciousness as it was in sleep.

D.: In that case, I fall asleep.

M.: No harm!

D.: It is a blank.

M.: For whom is the blank? Find out. You cannot deny yourself at any time. The Self is ever there and continues in all states.

D.: Should I remain as if in sleep and be watchful at the same time?

M.: Yes. Watchfulness is the waking state. Therefore the state will not be one of sleep, but sleepless sleep. If you go the way of your thoughts you will be carried away by them and you will find yourself in an endless maze.

D.: So, then, I must go back tracing the source of thoughts.

M.: Quite so; in that way the thoughts will disappear and the Self alone will remain. In fact there is no inside or outside for the Self. They are also projections of the ego. The Self is pure and absolute

Talks 13 (I)

“Is a Master necessary for realisation?” Mrs. Piggot asked first.

M.: The realisation is the result of the Master’s grace more than teachings, lectures, meditation, etc. They are only secondary aids, whereas the former is the primary and the essential cause.

Devotee: What are the obstacles which hinder realisation of the Self?

M.: They are habits of mind (vasanas).

D.: How to overcome the mental habits (vasanas)?

M.: By realising the Self.

D.: That is a vicious circle.

M.: It is the ego which raises such difficulties, creating obstacles and then suffers from the perplexity of apparent paradoxes. Find out who makes the enquiries and the Self will be found.

Dissolving Karma

T.P. Ramachandra Iyer (TPR), was an efficient lawyer. He represented the ashram in court cases from 1938. In the latter half of the 1940s, he retired from his profession and came to stay with Bhagavan in the ashram for good. He also had the golden opportunity of serving Bhagavan as one of his personal attendants till Bhagavan‟s mahanirvana. During this period he had many intimate dialogues with him, mostly when they were together while walking, or resting at night inside the hall.  During TPR‟s last days, I had the privilege of winning his confidence and bringing him into the ashram premises. He lived in Chadwick‟s cottage. He was very kind to me and shared with me many unrecorded reminiscences of rare happenings that took place in the presence of Bhagavan.   While walking on the hill, TPR asked Bhagavan whether it was ever possible to totally eradicate one‟s karma or fate, summarily, in this birth itself. “Oh, yes,” replied Bhagavan. “It can be done, one hundred percent, if you do as I tell you!”. TPR readily agreed.  “The totality of one‟s karma,” said Bhagavan, “is divided into two: (i) the past, i.e., memories of incidents, success, failure, change, pain, pleasure, growth and decay, etc. (ii) the future, i.e., desires of impending ambitions, achievements, plans and their executions, etc.  If one is prepared to completely erase the past, that is, all that has happened to one till this present moment, then fifty percent of one‟s karma will be warded off!” TPR interrupted and asked, “what about the other fifty percent?”  Bhagavan smiled graciously and said, “If you have succeeded in giving up the past, that is, fifty percent of your karma, you will yourself realize that the remaining fifty percent is also destroyed. Simultaneously. With past and future erased, there will only be the NOW!”  “How does one achieve this almost impossible act of completely eradicating the past?” pleaded TPR. The ocean of grace and compassion that Bhagavan ever is, replied, “Accept and see without any trace of doubt or reaction, that whatever has happened up to the present moment is only through God‟s injunction. One will then get tremendous energy to totally erase one‟s past, on the valid ground and inner understanding, that no one through one‟s effort can ever change or alter one‟s past”. 

'DROPS from the OCEAN' by V. Ganesan