Talk 328.

[Guest guest]

Talk 328.

 

A European gentleman began in measured tones and spoke clearly

and slowly: “Why should individuals remain caught up in the affairs

of this world and reap troubles as a result? Should they not be free?

If they are in the spiritual world they will have greater freedom.”

M.: The world is only spiritual. Since you are identifying yourself with

the physical body you speak of this world as being physical and the

other world as spiritual. Whereas, that which is, is only spiritual.

 

D.: Do the disembodied souls, i.e., the spirits, have a deeper insight

and enjoy greater freedom?

M.: Because you identify yourself with this body, you speak of the

disembodied souls as being spirits. From these limitations you

talk of their limitations and seek to know their capacities. Even

the disembodied souls have subtle bodies, otherwise, you would

not say “disembodied souls”. Disembodiment means “divested of

this gross body”. Inasmuch as you endow them with individuality

they are centred in their subtle bodies. Their limitations will be

according to their own state. Just as you feel the burden of your

limitations they also feel the burden of their limitations. What I

meant by spirit and spiritual world is the absolute spirit and not

relative. If you realize yourself as the spirit you will see that this

world is only spiritual and not physical.

 

D.: Are their bodies temporary as our bodies are? Do they reincarnate?

M.: These questions arise because you think yourself the body. This

body has birth and death and when this body falls another body

arises which is called reincarnation. But are you the body? If you

find that you are not this body but the spirit, you will be free from

gross or subtle bodies, and then there will be no limitations. Where

is the world, physical or spiritual, in the absence of any limitations?

How will the question of reincarnation arise?

Again, consider it from another point of view: You create a dreambody

for yourself in the dream and act with that dream-body. The

same is falsified in the waking state. At present you think that you

are this body and not the dream-body. In your dream this body is

falsified by the dream-body. So that, you see, neither of these bodies

is real. Because each of them is true for a time and false at other

times. That which is real must be real for ever. But you say ‘I’. This

‘I’-consciousness is present all through the three states. There is no

change in it. That is alone real. The three states are false. They are

only for the mind. It is the mind which obstructs your vision of your

true nature. Your true nature is that of infinite spirit. That was the

case in your sleep. You note the limitations in the other two states.

What is the difference due to? There was no mind in sleep, but it

exists in the dream and the waking states. The feeling of limitation

is the work of the mind. What is mind? Find it. If you search for it,

it will vanish by itself. For it has no real existence. It is comprised

of thoughts. It disappears with the cessation of thoughts.

 

D.: Do I remain then?

M.: What is your experience in sleep? There were no thoughts, no

mind, and yet you remained then.

 

D.: When I try to meditate, I am unable to do so because my mind

wanders. What should I do?

M.: Your question furnishes the answer. First, with regard to the first

part of the question, you say you concentrate, but do not succeed.

‘You’ means ‘the Self’. On what do you concentrate? Where do

you fail? Are there two selves, for the one self to concentrate on the

other? Which is the self now complaining of failure? There cannot

be two selves. There is only one Self. That need not concentrate.

You ask, “But then, why is there no happiness?” What is it that prevents

you from remaining as the spirit which you are in sleep? You yourself

admit that it is the wandering mind. Find out the mind. If its ‘wandering’

stops, it will be found to be the Self - your ‘I’-consciousness which is

spirit eternal. It is beyond knowledge and ignorance.

 

D.: I am hard-worked and find little time to practice concentration.

Are there any aids for it? Is control of breath a good aid?

M.: Prana and mind arise from the same source. The source can be

reached by holding the breath or tracing the mind. If you cannot do

the latter the former will no doubt be helpful. Regulation of breath

is gained by watching its movements.

 

If the mind is watched thoughts cease. Peace results and it is your true

nature. King Janaka said: “I have now found the robber (namely the

mind) who has been robbing me of my ‘I’-ness. I will instantly kill this

thief.” The perturbation owing to thoughts appears to rob the Self of

its peace. The perturbation is the mind. When that ceases the mind is

said to take flight. The Self remains as the undisturbed substratum.

Another person interposed: The mind must kill the mind.

M.: Yes, if there be the mind. A search for it discloses its non-existence.

How can anything that does not exist be killed?

 

D.: Is not mental japa better than oral japa?

M.: Oral japa consists of sounds. The sounds arise from thoughts. For one

must think before one expresses the thoughts in words. The thoughts

form the mind. Therefore mental japa is better than oral japa.

 

D.: Should we not contemplate the japa and repeat it orally also?

M.: When the japa becomes mental where is the need for the sounds

thereof?

 

Japa, becoming mental, becomes contemplation. Dhyana,

contemplation and mental japa are the same. When thoughts

cease to be promiscuous and one thought persists to the exclusion

of all others it is said to be contemplation. The object of japa or

dhyana is the exclusion of several thoughts and confining oneself

to one single thought. Then that thought too vanishes into its source

- absolute consciousness, i.e., the Self. The mind engages in japa

and then sinks into its own source.

 

D.: The mind is said to be from the brain.

M.: Where is the brain? It is in the body. I say that the body itself is a

projection of the mind. You speak of the brain when you think of

the body. It is the mind which creates the body, the brain in it and

also ascertains that the brain is its seat.

 

D.: Sri Bhagavan has said in one of the works that the japa must be

traced to its source. Is it not the mind that is meant?

M.: All these are only the workings of the mind. Japa helps to fix the

mind to a single thought. All other thoughts are first subordinated

until they disappear. When it becomes mental it is called dhyana.

Dhyana is your true nature. It is however called dhyana because

it is made with effort. Effort is necessary so long as thoughts are

promiscuous. Because you are with other thoughts, you call the

continuity of a single thought, meditation or dhyana. If that dhyana

becomes effortless it will be found to be your real nature.