Enlightenment Guaranteed

To d a y 's s u b j e c t is En l i g h t e n m e n t - G u a r a n t e e d . I n t h e p r e v i o u s c h a p t e r w e s a w , En l i g h t e n m e n t - i t is p o ssi b l e .

Th e first t h i n g t h a t w e n e e d t o u n d e rst a n d is t h a t e n l i g h t e n m e n t is p o ssi b l e . Fr o m t i m e im m em o r i a l , t h e r e h a s b e e n a c o n fl i c t o r fi g h t am o n g o u r s a g e s. On e g r o u p o f Sa g e s s a y s t h e r e is s o m e t h i n g c a l l e d a s e n l i g h t e n m e n t . Th e o t h e r g r o u p s a y s t h e r e is n o s u c h t h i n g a s e n l i g h t e n m e n t .

Th e Pe o p l e w h o s a y t h a t t h e r e is s o m e t h i n g c a l l e d e n l i g h t e nm e n t st a t e t h e f a c t . Pe o p l e w h o s a y t h a t t h e r e is n o s u c h t h i n g a s e n l i g h t e n m e n t st a t e t h e tr u t h . Th e first g r o u p g i v e s t h e f a c t t h a t t h e r e is s o m e t h i n g c a l l e d e n l i g h t e n m e n t . Th e s e c o n d g r o u p b y s a y i n g t h e r e is n o e n l i g h t e n m e n t , c r e a t e s a t e c h n i q u e f o r e n l i g h t e n m e n t .

Th e i d e a t h a t t h e r e is n o e n l i g h t e nm e n t is a t e c h n i q u e t o ma k e u s e n l i g h t e n e d . J u st b y h a v i n g t h e i d e a t h a t t h e r e is e n l i g h t e n m e n t , w e ma k e e n l i g h t e n m e n t o u r g o a l . Th e mo m e n t w e ma k e i t o u r g o a l w e miss t h e g o a l . A n y b o d y w h o ma k e s e n l i g h t e n m e n t a g o a l a l w a y s miss e s i t . En l i g h t e n m e n t is n o t t h e g o a l . It is t h e v e r y p a t h i ts e l f.

Pl e a s e u n d e rst a n d : If w e a r e n o t a b l e t o r e a l i z e t h e tr u t h w h e n t h e Ma st e r s p e a k s, if w e d o n o t f e e l t h e e f f e c t o f h is wo r d s t h e v e r y mo m e n t t h e a i r t h a t c o m e s fr om H i m r e a c h e s o u r e a rs, w e c a n f o r g e t

a b o u t t h e w o r d s. Wh e n w e c a rr y t h is a s a mem o r y i n o u r mi n d , w e w i l l a l w a y s g i v e i t o u r ow n me a n i n g .

Wh e n we st a r t g i v i n g o u r me a n i n g fr o m t h e mem o r y o f t h e wo r d s w e c a rr y , we wi l l c r e a t e t w o tr o u b l e s: O n e , w e w i l l t o rt u r e o u rs e l v e s a n d n e x t , v o m i t t h e s e wo r d s o n o t h e rs a n d t o rt u r e o t h e rs.

I o f t e n t e l l my a u d i e n c e w h e n I s p e a k i n Ta m i l (l a n g u a g e s p o k e n i n s o u t h e r n I n d i a ), t h a t p e o p l e w h o d o n o t u n d e rst a n d Ta m i l a r e l u c k y ; t h e y d o n o t u n d e rst a n d t h e me a n i n g o f t h e w o r d s I s p e a k . Th o s e w h o t h i n k t h e y u n d e rst a n d w h a t I s a y , a c t u a l l y d o n o t . Th e ir d i c t i o n a r y is d i ff e r e n t fr om mi n e a n d t h e y d ist o r t my wo r d s. Th e y mis u n d e rst a n d a n d misi n t e r p r e t me w i t h t h e fi l t e r e d p r o d u c t o f t h e i r mi n d s a n d i n t h e p r o c e ss, l o s e t h e tr u t h . Th o s e w h o d o n o t u n d e rst a n d t h e w o r d s a t l e a st f o c u s o n t h e e n e r g y a n d a r e b e n e fi t e d .

Fr o m t i m e im m em o r i a l i n t h e V e d i c s y st e m o f I n d i a , t h e s p ir i t u a l n e r v e c e n t e r o f t h e w o r l d , I ' v e s e e n t w o k i n d s o f ris h is, t w o k i n d s o f s e e rs. O n e g r o u p c o n t i n u o u sl y s a y s t h a t t h e r e is e n l i g h t e n m e n t ; t h e s e a r e t h e d e s c e n d a n ts o f Sh a n k a r a . Th e o t h e r g r o u p s a y s t h a t t h e r e is n o s u c h t h i n g a s e n l i g h t e n m e n t ; t h e y a r e t h e d e s c e n d e n ts o f Bu d d h a . Th e f o r m e r s a y s Pu r n a ( c o m p l e t e ) ; t h e l a t t e r g r o u p s a y s S u n y a ( v o i d ). Bu t b o t h o f t h em a r e l e a d i n g t o t h e s a m e r e a l i t y .

O n e g r o u p st a t e s t h e f a c t a n d t h e o t h e r g r o u p st a t e s t h e tr u t h . We n e e d t o u n d e rst a n d t h e s e t w o w o r d s: Fa c t is t h e i d e a st a t e d a s i t is p l a i n l y , a s w e u n d e rst a n d i t . Tr u t h is t h e w o r d t h a t w e ma y n o t u n d e rst a n d wi t h o u r mi n d ; b u t t h e mo m e n t w e w o r k w i t h t h a t w o r d , s u d d e n l y s o m e t h i n g o p e n s u p i n o u r b e i n g a n d w e e n d u p i n t h e tr u t h .

A l l t h e Hi n d u p u r a n a , t h e e p i c s, a r e b a s e d o n t h e tr u t h a n d c a n n o t b e t e st e d f o r f a c t u a l a c c u r a c y . Wh e n Va l km i k i ( a u t h o r o f Ram a y a n a , H i n d u e p i c ) t a l k s a b o u t t h e p o p u l a t i o n o f mo n k e y s i n K is h k i n d a , i t is im p o ssi b l e t h a t s o ma n y mo n k e y s l i v e d i n s u c h a sm a l l p l a c e . V a l m i k i is t a l k i n g a b o u t t h e tr u t h f u l e n e r g y o f t h e mo n k e y s, n o t t h e f a c t u a l n u m b e r .

By t h e wo r d s o f Sh a n k a r a , w h e n h e s a y s t h a t t h e r e is e n l i g h t e n m e n t t h e Pu r n a , h e i n s p i r e s y o u t o wo r k t o w a r d s i t . H e c r e a t e s tr e m e n d o u s i n s p i r a t i o n . Wh e n t h e tr e m e n d o u s i n s p i r a t i o n is c r e a t e d , a u t o m a t i c a l l y a l l o t h e r g o a ls, a l l o t h e r i d e a s a r e d r o p p e d fr om y o u r mi n d . Th e mo m e n t Bu d d h a s a y s i t is S u n y a , t h e r e is n o s u c h t h i n g a s e n l i g h t e n m e n t , t h e r e is n o s u c h t h i n g a s Pu r n a , t h e r e is n o n e e d f o r y o u t o r u n . Th e r e is n o n e e d f o r y o u t o s e a r c h . Im m e d i a t e l y t h e tr e m e n d o u s e n e r g y , w h i c h is c r e a t e d i n y o u i n t h e n a m e o f s e a r c h , st a r ts f a l l i n g i n t o i ts e lf . It is d i r e c t e d t o w a r d s i ts e lf . Th e mo m e n t t h e e n e r g y is d i r e c t e d t o w a r d s i ts e lf , i t b e c om e s e n l i g h t e n m e n t .

D e si r e w i t h o u t o b j e c t is e n l i g h t e nm e n t . Wh e n y o u h a v e s o m e str o n g d e sir e wi t h o b j e c t , y o u w o r k t o w a r d s t h a t o b j e c t . Bu t if t h e o b j e c t is r e m o v e d t h e s a m e str o n g p u l l , d e sir e a n d e n e r g y - t h e s a m e e n e r g y , t u r n s t o w a r d s i ts e lf a n d y o u r e a l i z e y o u rs e lf . Wh e n Ma st e rs s a y t h a t t h e r e is n o t h i n g c a l l e d e n l i g h t e n m e n t , t h e y a r e b r e a k i n g o u r g o a l o r i e n t e d mi n d a n d t h e y a r e b r i n g i n g u s t o t h is p r e s e n t mo m e n t .

Ram a n a Ma h a rs h i t a l k s o f t h is p r a c t i c e i n I n d i a : I n t h e I n d i a n v i l l a g e s t h e y b u r n t h e d e a d b o d i e s i n t h e g r a v e y a r d . Wh e n t h e y b u r n t h e d e a d b o d i e s, t h e y u s e a st i c k . Th e y u s e a b a m b o o st i c k t o b u r n d e a d b o d i e s, s o t h a t t h e b o d y d o e s n 't f a l l o v e r t o o n e si d e o r t h e o t h e r . Wh e n t h e b o d y is c o m p l e t e l y b u r n t , t h e y t h r o w t h e st i c k a ls o i n t h e s a m e fir e a n d b u r n i t .

Sa m e w a y w h e n Sh a n k a r a s a y s t h e r e is e n l i g h t e n m e n t , h e u s e s t h a t w o r d a s a st i c k . Wi t h t h a t st i c k h e wi l l b u r n a l l o t h e r d e sir e s o f y o u . A u t o m a t i c a l l y t h e i d e a o f e n l i g h t e n m e n t a t tr a c ts y o u s o mu c h , a l l o t h e r d e sir e s a r e b u r n t . Fi n a l l y t h is o n e d e si r e , e n l i g h t e n m e n t is a ls o d r o p p e d i n t h e s a m e fir e ; t h a t a ls o d is a p p e a rs. Th e n y o u a r e e n l i g h t e n e d .

Th e o t h e r si d e , Bu d d h a - wh e n h e s a y s t h e r e is n o e n l i g h t e n m e n t h e si m p l y c r e a t e s a s p a c e . H e c r e a t e s a n i n n e r v o i d , i n w h i c h y o u c a n d i r e c t l y d r o p . Mi l l i o n s a n d mi l l i o n s o f s a i n ts a n d ris h is h a v e c o m e t o t h e p l a n e t e a rt h . Th e y c a n b e c a t e g o ri z e d i n t o t h e s e t w o g r o u p s: On e

g r o u p t h a t s a y s t h e r e is e n l i g h t e n m e n t a n d t h e o t h e r g r o u p t h a t s a y s t h e r e is n o e n l i g h t e n m e n t .

Wh e t h e r y o u b e l i e v e i t o r n o t , ma st e rs fr om b o t h t h e g r o u p s a r e l e a d i n g t o t h e s a m e g o a l . I c a n g i v e h u n d r e d s a n d h u n d r e d s o f e x a m p l e s i n t h e tr a d i t i o n o f Sh a n k a r a : Sh a n k a r a , Ma d h v a , Ram a n u j a . Y o u ma y a s k , ' Ma d h v a , Ra m a n u j a a n d a l l a r e d i ff e r e n t . H o w c a n t h e y a l l b e i n Sh a n k a r a 's c a t e g o r y ? ' Wh o e v e r s a y s t h e r e is t h e u l t i m a t e st a g e , w h o e v e r fi x e s t h e g o a l , a l l o f t h e m c o m e u n d e r t h e c a t e g o r y o f Sh a n k a r a . Ma d h v a , Ram a n u j a , Ram a k r is h n a , Ch a i t a n y a , Me e r a - a l l t h e s e ma st e rs t a l k a b o u t Pu r n a . Th e y a r e a l l i n t h e tr a d i t i o n o f Sh a n k a r a .

A n d i n t h e o t h e r g r o u p , w e c a n a g a i n g i v e s o ma n y e x am p l e s: Bu d d h a , N a g a rj u n a , Bo d h i d h a r m a , a n d a l l t h e Ze n ma st e rs. I n mo d e r n d a y s t h e ma st e rs l i k e J. K r is h n am u r t h y a n d U . G . k ris h n a m u rt h y a r e a l l a g a i n j u st p l a y i n g w i t h wo r d s. If y o u r e a d J. K r is h n am u r t h y 's w o r d s, y o u c a n c l e a r l y s e e a g a i n a n d a g a i n a n d a g a i n h e i n sist e d t h a t t h e r e is n o s u c h t h i n g a s G u r u . Bu t j u st b y s a y i n g t h a t h e h a s b e c o m e a Gu r u a n d y o u w i l l s e e a b i g g r o u p o f d is c i p l e s a r o u n d h i m . Wi t h me t h e ri t u a l is b o w i n g d o w n ; w i t h h i m t h e ri t u a l is s h a k i n g h a n d s, t h a t 's a l l . By s a y i n g t h a t t h e r e is n o G u r u , t h e y ' v e b e c o m e G u r u s.

So m e ma st e rs s a y t h e f a c t ; s o m e ma st e rs s a y t h e tr u t h . Bu t b o t h a r e l e a d i n g u s t o t h e u l t i m a t e , w h i c h si m p l y is e n l i g h t e nm e n t . I c a n s a y

t h a t b e c a u s e t h e w o r d is l o a d e d w i t h t o o mu c h me a n i n g , t h e wo r d is c o m p l e t e l y c o r r u p t e d . Be c a u s e o f t h a t s o m e ma st e rs h a v e t o s a y t h a t t h is w o r d c a n n o t b e u s e d .

Wh e t h e r w e u s e t h a t wo r d o r w e d o n o t u s e t h a t w o r d , t h e e x p e ri e n c e t h a t w e a c h i e v e i n t h e e n d , t h e Pu r n a o r t h e u l t i m a t e b l iss d o e s e x ist . It is p o ssi b l e t o b e i n t h e st a t e , wh e r e w e f e e l w e a r e n o mo r e b o u n d b y t h e b o d y a n d mi n d ; t h a t st a g e d o e s e x ist . Yo u ma y u s e s o m e w o r d s, y o u ma y n o t u s e s o m e w o r d s; t h a t is u p t o y o u . Wh e t h e r y o u u s e t h e w o r d o r n o t u s e t h e w o r d is t o t a l l y u p t o y o u .

U . G . K ris n a m u r t h y a g a i n a n d a g a i n s a y s t h a t t h e r e is n o s u c h t h i n g a s e n l i g h t e n m e n t . Wh e n s o m e b o d y a s k e d , ' Di d y o u h a v e e n l i g h t e n m e n t ? ' h e s a i d , ' Y e s, I h a d e n l i g h t e n m e n t . ' O f c o u rs e , h e g i v e s a d i ff e r e n t me a n i n g t o i t - e x p l o si o n . H e u s e d a d if f e r e n t w o r d , e x p l o si o n . Yo u ma y u s e d i ff e r e n t w o r d s. Bu t t h e r e d e f i n i t e l y is s o m e t h i n g c a l l e d e n l i g h t e n m e n t . Wh e t h e r w e s a y i n t h e l a n g u a g e o f Sh a n k a r a o r i n t h e l a n g u a g e o f Bu d d h a t h e r e is s o m e t h i n g , wh i c h is b e y o n d o u r b o d y a n d mi n d . Th a t is w h a t I wa n t t o em p h a si z e i n t h e n a m e , b y t h e n a m e o f t h e d is c o u rs e , ' En l i g h t e n m e n t - It is p o ssi b l e . '

N e x t - i t is g u a r a n t e e d . Y o u ma y a s k h o w i t c o u l d b e g u a r a n t e e d . Wh e t h e r y o u b e l i e v e i t o r n o t , a c c e p t i t o r n o t , t h e s e t w o f a c ts - t h a t y o u c a m e d o w n a n d t o o k b i rt h i n I n d i a a n d t h e s e c o n d f a c t t h a t y o u a r e si t t i n g i n t h is h a l l o n t h is s e c o n d d a y o f t h e d is c o u rs e a r e e n o u g h t o s a y t h a t y o u a r e w o rt h y o f e n l i g h t e n m e n t . Pl e a s e b e v e r y c l e a r , t h e s e t w o f a c ts a r e e n o u g h . I am n o t g i v i n g y o u a n y f a ls e g u a r a n t e e s.

Be very clear that I am speaking the truth. And one more thing: See, in the outer world the big problem is, whenever you give something, whatever you have will reduce. That is the problem. It is not that people don't want to give. They want to give but they want to have also, what to do? The conflict between having and giving is the whole problem. That's why we can't even criticize the people who go around making promises and guarantees, which they don't intend to fulfill, because each one has got their own understanding, their own lives. We can't criticize any individual being; each one has their own idea. See, if they give what they have, it will reduce. But let me be very clear: What I have will never reduce even if I give it. That is the reason I can continuously give.

I can't take pride that I give because what I give is never lost. When I share it, it only grows. It is the quality of the object, not the quality of me. Let me be honest: It is because of the nature of what I am giving that I am constantly sharing. By sharing, it only grows. If I too have the same objects of the outer world, which would reduce when given to others, I don't know whether I will give or not.

Suddenly if you come and ask me for this Rudraksha mala (rosary made out of beads from rudraksha tree) that I am wearing, I don't know whether I will give it or not. But I can say one thing: What I am giving always grows. By sharing it only expands, it only grows.

If you can realize these words, if you can understand these words that I am uttering, you may also have the same property, the one that expands by giving. You can have the wisdom or knowledge, which will grow by sharing. So all I request you is to try and understand it this very moment. If you miss it, don't bother about it. But do not carry the corpse; do not carry the dead words to the house. Try to forget everything after going to the house. That is the reason I always create a lot of contradicting statements, so that you will stop thinking about it. Either you understand now or you will never understand. By just carrying the words with you, you will never be able to understand. You will only create one more philosophy.

When Shankara said there is enlightenment, if the disciples had understood, there would have been no need to create any books. Half of his disciples who did not understand, took some notes and created books. Taking notes and creating books caused the whole confusion.

The whole problem is taking notes and creating books. When you take notes you can catch only the verbal language; you cannot catch the body language. Be very clear, verbal language is not going to help. Only body language is going to help. When I utter these words, it is the confidence radiated in my eyes, the honesty radiated in my body language that is going to work on you, not the words that I am uttering. If you want the words that I am uttering, there are hundreds of books written.

Once I went to the bookstore, Landmark. For three months after that I did not publish any book. I felt that when there is so much of literature, so much of books already, what is the need for me to add more confusion.

When the disciples start taking notes and publishing books confusions start, the whole problem starts. The enlightenment becomes philosophy; it becomes a theory and it becomes a goal. People start working towards it and start creating more and more conflicts. Once that one conflict or one problem is created, immediately all the other problems are created. Understand that now itself.

The technology of Ashtavakra, the words of Ashtavakra are so powerful. It is pure technology. There is no need for you to work on these words. These words are so powerful, simply they will work on you. And one more thing, the words are so powerful, just listening to them can make the ultimate happen in you.

In Vedanta there are three steps: śravaṇa, manana and nididhyāsana - listening, contemplating and expressing the truth in your life. Śravaṇa means listening, manana means contemplating, nididhyāsana means expressing.

With Ashtavakra you have only two steps. Just listen; you will express. No manana, just śravaṇa and straight away nididhyāsana. One more thing, your mind is already completely polluted and corrupted. How can you do manana with this mind? Any manana done with this mind will create more and more trouble. Already mind is filled with fears, worries, and sorrows.

That's why yesterday one person asked me, 'If I drop the mind and I become enlightened, and I say I am working without mind, will it not become one more ego?' This question is like asking, 'If my son gets married, and then his mother-in-law comes and calls me , how will she address me, and mother-in-law's daughter-in-law or daughter-in-law's mother-in-law, what will she be calling me? How should the relationship be? How should I talk to them?'

First have the son, then let him get married, then let the mother-in-law come and then you will see, naturally some sort of relationship, some sort of attitude will develop. Before anything happens, imagining too much and creating too many hypothetical questions is because of your fear of entering into the experience.

When you are afraid to enter into the reality, when you are frightened to face the truth, you create hypothetical questions. Hypothetical questions are shields that you use to protect yourself from the truths. The mind, which creates hypothetical questions is deeply centered on fear. When you are centered on fear, not only do you create problem for yourself, you create problem for others also.

A small story: A newly married couple went to a hotel. For some reason the wife was afraid that the hotel room was bugged. She ordered the husband to check the room. You know how these newly married guys serve their wives. He runs this side and that side. He starts checking behind the curtain, near the window, under the carpet, under the bed sheet, under the bed, under the cot and everywhere.

Finally under the cot, he found a mysterious plate bolted. With all his power he removed the nut, took the bolt out, threw the plate away and then they felt very relaxed.

Next day morning the hotel manager asked, 'Sir, how are you? How is your room, is everything ok?'

The guy asked, 'Why are you asking me so many questions?'

The manager said, 'Sir, we don't know how it happened. The people who stayed in the room below you were complaining that the chandelier fell on them!'

When you are centered on fear, you create problems for yourself and create problems for others. Be very clear, anything done based on fear will only create more and more problems. When you are centered on fear, you are constantly creating hypothetical questions to shield yourself from the truth, to shield yourself form the reality.

But you are not so powerful than reality; you are not so powerful than truth. The truth or reality forcefully takes away the shield from your hands. That is what you refer to as 'depression' or 'feeling lonely.' Whatever you use as a shield, whatever you use to protect yourself from the truth, the truth snatches it away from you.

Vivekananda says beautifully, 'Renounce gracefully, otherwise it will be snatched from you. Rise gracefully, otherwise it will be snatched away from you. Relax gracefully, otherwise you will be made to rest. Either you go to the church or six people will carry you there. Don't

wait till six people carry you there.' Understand, either you do it gracefully or simply the truth will make it happen.

The Parashakthi or the existence, the truth, is so powerful you cannot go against it. You cannot do anything against the reality. You may try your best. It's like, some fishes swim along the current, they flow along the river. Some fishes always like to go against the current.

There are some people, who have only one word in their mind - 'NO'. Anything you say, their response would be, 'No, you don't know, you don't know, no.' It's like when people get married, they start as 'Sona' (gold). Just after few years, just one 'I' will enter, 'Suniye' (listen). First it will start with sona, and then it will end up in suniye. When you have this attitude, constantly you will say, 'No, no, no.' That will be the standard response.

The mind that constantly says no can never grasp anything. It can never see the reality. The constant no, what for you are saying no, you don't know. Actually you feel that you are great when you say no or when you criticize someone. You feel you are important.

Let me tell you a small story: There was a young guy living in a village. The big problem for him was, the whole village knew that he was a fool and nobody respected him. Everybody called him a fool and buddhu (dumb); even kids called him buddhu. He wanted some solution to his problem.

He heard that an enlightened master was coming to his village. He went to the master and said, 'Master, please teach me something; give me some technique or some method, so that people would think of me as an intelligent person; they should call me an intelligent person.'

He did not ask, 'I should become intelligent'. If he had asked that he should become intelligent, the master would have given the right technique. But his request was that people should call him an intelligent person. He said, 'Just teach me something to make them think that I am intelligent.'

Master said, 'In that case, all right, I will give you one technique. Practice the technique for one week. Within a week the whole village will think that you are the most intelligent person. Be very clear you will not become intelligent; but the whole village will say that you are intelligent.'

He said, 'It's okay, that is what I wanted. I do not bother about anything else. I am not asking that I should become intelligent. Just make sure that the whole village considers me to be an intelligent person.'

The master says, 'You need to do only one thing. Anything you see, simply criticize. If somebody says this moon is beautiful, tell them, 'Ha, what is there, where is the beauty? Prove to me where the beauty is.' If somebody says this rose is beautiful, catch their neck and ask them, 'Where is the beauty, rose is a rose; where is the beauty in it?' If somebody says it's ugly ask them, 'What, it is so beautiful, where is the ugliness?' Simply, constantly criticize; whatever people say, criticize. Nothing else needs to be done.'

After one week the master came back to the village. The moment he entered the village he saw the scene, under a big neem tree. This guy is sitting on the throne, on the stage. All the elders are sitting down and listening to him. Practically he has become a guru.

The master went up to him and asked, 'How are you?' This guy who has now become a guru says, 'Who are you?' Master says, 'I am the Swami who came one week ago.' And the guy says, 'Oh, is it so, now I am busy with the class; meet me after the class, please wait.'

The man has become so popular and the whole village has started respecting him. It's a simple technique; just start criticizing anything and everything. The whole crowd will start respecting you as an intelligent being.

Please be very clear about the mind that says no. People may respect you as an intelligent person. But inside, not only will you have a void but constantly you will also have confusion, because you are trying to protect yourself from the truth.

The moment you start saying yes, truth will come inside you and work on you and teach you the lessons. That is why I always tell people, 'Even though you are exploited try; try to say yes.'

You may say, 'What is this Master, you are asking us to be fools.' I am not asking you to be fools. Be very clear, sometimes you are protecting yourself too much. Whatever you think as others exploiting you, is simply you trying to exploit others and they are not letting you to exploit them, that's all. When they don't allow you to exploit them, you say that they are exploiting you.

See, all the countries claim that their army is defensive army. Then who is offending? If every country claims their army is a defensive army, then who is offending? Similarly everybody claims their anger is just to defend themselves. Then who is offending? Be very clear, that's the reason I tell you, either your mind will cheat you that you are being exploited or somebody else may cheat when you are really exploited.

Somebody else may cheat you only once in a while; but your mind will cheat you completely, constantly all the twenty-four hours. If somebody else cheats in few incidents, you can count it. But if you let your mind cheat you, your whole life is cheated, over. It will swallow the whole life. Your whole life will be swallowed by your mind.

The attitude of saying no will not let you protect yourself. It will constantly torture you inside. The weapon that you create to protect yourself will start killing you. Like the electric fence that you create to protect yourself may kill even you; it could kill you. You create this weapon of saying no just to protect yourself. But most of the time, actually I can say all the time it just kills you.

Listen with complete, open attitude. Ashtavakra's words are so powerful they can straight away work on you. It can do miracles - what Shankara calls as enlightenment, what Buddha calls as Nirvana, what U. G. Krishnamurthy calls as explosion. I bring U. G. Krishnamurthy inside the system, because he also belongs to the group of Vedic seers even though he claims that there is no such thing as enlightenment. In Bharat the beauty of the Vedic culture is that we make people into two categories. One is, people who accept Veda and the other one is, people who reject Veda. Both belong to the Vedic culture. That's the beauty of the Hindu system.

When I travel in other countries many people ask me, 'Why are there so many enlightened masters only in Bharat? Why so many swamis only in Bharat? Why so many spiritual gurus only in Bharat? Why not from other countries?'

People ask me, 'Why there are so many enlightened masters in Bharat?' I always tell people, 'For premature babies - I'm not saying immature; we are all immature babies, but I'm talking about premature babies, like the ones born in the seventh or eighth months - premature babies need incubators, which supply oxygen and all the other needs to take care of the babies. Same way, Bharat is a spiritual incubator for enlightened masters to land.'

It is true that only from Bharat, so many spiritual masters travel all over the world. Only Bharat represents spirituality in the whole world. Only in that field Bharat is highly respected. Whatever other field Bharat tries to represent, there is always competition; there is always a problem. In this field Bharat has no competitors. In this field Bharat is the leader; Bharat is the Jagadguru, guru for the whole world. Bharat continuously produces enlightened masters. I tell you, as long as Bharat produces enlightened masters, nobody can shake this culture.

You may say there are thousands of problems in Bharat. You may say, 'Master, there are political problems, social problems and economic problems.' See, each country supplies or contributes something to the planet earth. Unless the whole humanity feels the need of that country, that country cannot exist. As far as Bharat is concerned, humanity needs Bharat just for enlightened masters.

Whether you want it or not, whether you accept it or not constantly spiritual talks will always be reaching your ears. If I am not here, tomorrow some other swami will be sitting here and speaking. Day after tomorrow some other swami will sit and speak. And let me tell you, by abusing one swami or by disturbing one master, Bharat's spirituality can never be destroyed.

People think that by disrespecting one spiritual person or by disrespecting one spiritual master, Bharat's spirituality can be disturbed - no. If I am not here, tomorrow some other Ananda will sit on the throne and speak the same words. Spirituality has become the backbone, life blood of the Hindu system. Constantly whether you want it or not, these kind of words - enlightenment, meditation, temple – all these words will constantly come to your ears. You can't do anything about it. When these words constantly fall in your ears, naturally you start thinking about them; you start analyzing them.

Either you fall in the category, 'What he says is the truth' or you fall in the category, 'No, what he says is wrong'. But both categories lead you to the same goal; you cannot escape.

I always tell people: in America when you travel, the moment you enter a city, you see the McDonalds arch. No wonder there's so much of obesity - eating so much of fast food. I was shocked at the size of the coke cups. When I showed my surprise at the size of the cups, the devotees who were with me said it was only a medium size cup! And the burger is seven-storey high! Don't think two or three people eat that burger, one person does!

In Bharat when you travel on the highway and enter into any village, you will see two or three temples. Then you know that there is a village close by. From a distance when you see two or three temple towers, then you know you are approaching a village. In America you will see a big McDonalds arch, the big capital letter M in yellow color. Then you know that you are approaching a city.

Whatever you see continuously, that will start working on you. In Bharat when you travel on the highway continuously you will see temples. And if you live in any Hindu village, constantly you will be hearing these words - Ramayana, Mahabharata, meditation or something you will hear, which will inspire you and direct you to the ultimate.

Be very clear, so many of you are sitting here and listening to Ashtavakra Gita, because you all have heard enough of Ramayana, Mahabharata, Purana and all these basic level things. That's why I gave the title, Ashtavakra Gita - because you are ready. You have already heard enough of basic level things and now you can straight away start working on yourself. In Bharat whether you want it or not, whether you understand it or not, whether you accept it or not, constantly these ideas are sent inside. They are presented to you one way or the other.

See, the cream of Bharat's intelligence, its best intelligence is used to promote spirituality. In most of the other countries, the cream of their intelligence, the intelligent men of the country spend their energy doing business. In Bharat the intelligent men, the cream of the country spend their energy, spreading the spiritual truth.

All over Bharat, hundred million people, thirteen million holy men, Swamis are there. One more thing - the other day BBC and CNN were reporting about a huge spiritual or religious gathering. I don't want to mention the name of the country or the occasion. They were mentioning that it was the biggest spiritual or religious gathering. Hardly two million people gathered and they were referring to that as the biggest religious gathering in the world. I was shocked; in one village in Bharat, two million people will gather for spiritual functions. You don't have to go to a city; one village is enough. For Kumbha Mela, the sacred Hindu pilgrimage, seventy million people gather. Bharat is a spiritual incubator.

Please be very clear about why I am insisting on talking on this subject. The moment you are in Bharat, be very clear that you have done a long journey. Your soul has chosen to take birth in Bharat because you are a seeker. I am not talking about any mysterious thing. I am not saying anything that you cannot understand. Whether you understand or not, this is the truth. I am just opening up the truth. If you are intelligent enough, receive it and let the truth work on you. But if you don't feel connected to this idea, relax and do not bother about it. If you can allow this idea to work on you, you can open your being and experience the truth of Ashtavakra, this moment. I am opening the book; opening yourself is up to you.

Let us enter Ashtavakra.

You do not belong to Brāhmaṇa or any other caste or to any āśrama, You are not visible to the eyes. Unattached, formless and witness of all are you, be blissful.

Virtue and vice, pleasure and pain are of the mind, not of you.

Oh all pervading, you are neither doer, nor enjoyer.

Verily you are ever free.

Yesterday one of my devotees asked me, 'Master, for the last two years I've seen you speaking. First time I am seeing you using a book when you are speaking. I've never seen you using a book before.' To tell you honestly, after all I am speaking only about two or three sutra every day. It is simply possible for me to repeat the sutra directly. Why am I bringing the book?

The words in these sutra are almost like my own words. If I am asked to write a sutra, I will write only these words. People should not think I've written these sutra; Sutra is from Ashtavakra. Just to make people understand it's not from me, I bring the book. Ashtavakra is using the very words, 'be blissful.'

Ashtavakra says to Janaka: You are not a Brāhmaṇa. You need to understand this important statement.

You do not belong to the Brāhmaṇa or any other caste or to any āśrama.

You are not visible to the eyes. Unattached, formless and witness of all are you, be happy.

Ashtavakra wants to tell Janaka that he does not belong to any community or any dharma, any āśrama; he does not belong to any varṇāśrama-dharma: Varṇa means the four categories of social divisions: Brāhmaṇa, Vaiśya, Kshatriya and one more category. Āśrama means four different stages in life: Brahmacharya, grihastha, vānaprastha and sanyāsa. There are four categories in Varṇa and Āśrama each.

Ashtavakra tells Janaka raja that he does not belong to any of these four categories. One more thing: Vedic seers are the only courageous people to say that the system, which they themselves have created, is not sufficient. Vedic rishis are the most modern minded people.

The secret of the successful CEOs is two facts that are becoming very popular in the modern day. One is that knowledge is free; major software companies in the west have declared that knowledge is free. Anybody can download software and start using it, no problem. The Second one is that anybody can update the software. These two qualities are the reasons for all the success in the IT field in the west. The success of the IT field can be attributed to these two qualities: one, knowledge is free and two, allowing people to update the software. Our rishis had both these qualities.

Likewise in Bharat firstly, knowledge is free; whether you receive it or not is up to you. Constantly the masters are speaking about the truth. Continuously the teachings on spirituality are given. Knowledge is free. Secondly, Hindu rishis are so courageous, that they keep the whole thing open. They say we can update their work; we are free to interpret their work.

Rishis are the most courageous people. Here Ashtavakra is declaring that the Vedic system is not the truth. He is declaring very clearly that the community system has also been created by the rishis. He is so courageous to say that we are beyond that. See, the community system is created for utility; it is used only for certain utilities. It is not the life itself. If you are a doctor, only your profession is doctor; you are not a doctor. Do not identify yourself with your profession.

One more thing, whenever I travel outside Bharat, I am constantly questioned about the caste system. Everywhere at least one or two people question me about this caste system. The media in some countries focus only on these two things – they think Hindus are superstitious people, who are swinging from tree to tree or riding on elephants and they speak about poverty in Bharat. People who want to exploit, bring money from elsewhere and do service here and just put their big names in the name of service and they constantly project Bharat's poverty.

I was so happy when Hindu Government declared it would not take any help for Tsunami relief; I was so happy. Constantly Hindu masters are abused and disrespected on the international stage, because Bharat's poverty is projected all the time. And why should they project the poverty? There's no need to do so. There's no need, Bharat has enough; all that the Hindu people need to do is need to do is share amongst themselves. Bharat has enough; just sharing is necessary, nothing else is needed.

Because of this image projected by the media in some countries to the whole world I am always questioned, 'Master, you speak about so many things, it is nice; but why have the Hindus created the caste system? Why have they created so many superstitions?'

Be very clear about two things - I am not justifying the caste system. But let me explain why it is created, and how it is supposed to be used, and how our masters expected us to use that system, but instead how we abused the system. Just because we do not know how to use the knife, we cannot blame the person who created the knife. Just because we got a shock, we cannot blame the person who invented the electricity.

Please be very clear why the system was created and how we abused it. The system is created basically to make us grow, to help us grow from step one to step two, from step two to step three - to make us grow.

One important thing you should understand, human being is a social animal. He cannot live alone. He has to live together with other humans. When we live as a group, naturally we will create a social system; we will create a group, we will create a system. At least in Bharat, the community system is created based on the knowledge and intelligence. In many other countries, their community system is created based on money and power.

A simple example: When you get into a flight, walk through the business class to the economy class observe how people sitting in the business class look at you. It is the same disrespect or the same way in which, in the older days, the higher community people looked at the lower community people. At least in Bharat, the community system was built based on knowledge. In the other societies, in the other social systems, it was based on money and power, that's all. In Bharat a person who has only knowledge and doesn't have anything else is respected.

Ashtavakra is a great rishi. He is not speaking today; it was ten thousand years ago. This book was written at least five thousand years before Bhagavad Gita and Bhagavad Gita is at least five thousand years old. So ten thousand years ago he is boldly declaring, 'You are not Brāhmaṇa and you don't belong to any other community. You are beyond all those things.'

Note one interesting thing - when Ashtavakra addresses Janaka he should have said, 'You are not Kshatriya' (the warrior class), because Janaka is a king. But Ashtavakra says, 'You are not Brāhmaṇa' (intellectual class). What does that mean? It means that in those days community system was based on the knowledge, not based on the birth.

You see, a master constantly observes how a person is showing his energy and interest towards knowledge, how he is working, his intensity and his attitude and then decides whether that person is going to be a spiritual preacher or a merchant or a person who is going to rule the country or one who is going to be assisting in the other three categories.

A person who has nothing else except his time, who shares his time belongs to worker class. A Person who has intelligence and creates some products in his time and who shares his products is called Vaiśya - he belongs to business class. A Person who has got confidence and shares his confidence with others and gives a sense of security is called Shatriya - person who rules. A Person who has got knowledge, spiritual wisdom and who shares that with community or the society is called Brāhmaṇa.

J a n a k a w a s s h a ri n g t h e w is d o m ; h e is mo r e o r l e ss l i k e a y o g i . H e w a s r u l i n g t h e wh o l e k i n g d o m a s a y o g i , n o t a s a k i n g . Th a t 's w h y A s h t a v a k r a s a y s, ' Y o u a r e n o t a Br a h ma n a , n o r d o y o u b e l o n g t o a n y o t h e r c a st e o r a n y a s h r a m a . Y o u a r e n e i t h e r b r a h ma n a , S h a tri y a , Va is h y a o r t h e f o u rt h c a t e g o r y n o r a r e y o u Br a h ma c h a r y a , Gri h a st h a , Va n a p r a st h a o r s a n y a s a . Yo u d o n o t b e l o n g t o a n y o f t h e s e f o u r c a t e g o ri e s; y o u d o n o t b e l o n g t o t h e f o u r a s h r a m a o r f o u r v a r n a . Y o u a r e b e y o n d a l l t h e s e t h i n g s. Y o u a r e n o t v isi b l e t o t h e e y e s. ' It 's a b i g i d e a t h a t y o u n e e d t o u n d e rst a n d .

St r a i g h t aw a y A s h t a v a k r a s a y s: Yo u a r e n o t v isi b l e t o t h e e y e s.

If I t e l l y o u t h a t y o u a r e n o t v isi b l e t o t h e e y e s, y o u wi l l t e l l me t o g o a n d h a v e a n e y e c h e c k u p .

A sm a l l st o r y : A ma n e n t e rs a b u i l d i n g a n d a s k s s o m e o n e t h e r e , ' D o c t o r , d o I n e e d g l a ss e s ? ' Th e p e rs o n r e p l i e s, ' Y o u s u r e l y d o , b e c a u s e t h is is a b a n k . '

Si m i l a rl y , if I s a y t h a t y o u a r e n o t v isi b l e , y o u w i l l a s k me t o g o a n d c h e c k my e y e s. Bu t A s h t a v a k r a t e l ls J a n a k a : Yo u a r e n o t v isi b l e .

Th e r e is a g r e a t - e n l i g h t e n e d ma st e r N is a r g a d a t t a Ma h a r a j , w h o l i v e d i n c e n tr a l Bharat. O n e o f h is d e v o t e e s a s k e d h i m , ' Ma h a r a j , y o u s a y e n l i g h t e n e d p e o p l e d o n 't h a v e k a r ma . Th e n h o w is i t t h a t y o u r b o d y is f u n c t i o n i n g a n d h o w a r e y o u wo r k i n g ? '

Ma h a r a j s a y s, 'I am n o t w o r k i n g , I am n o t f u n c t i o n i n g . '

D is c i p l e a s k s, 'Wh a t is t h is, y o u a r e t a l k i n g t o me , w h a t a b o u t t h a t ? Y o u ma y n o t g o t o a n o ff i c e , y o u ma y n o t h a v e a n y r e s p o n si b i l i t i e s, b u t y o u a r e t a l k i n g t o me , wh a t a b o u t t h a t ? '

Ma h a r a j s a y s, 'I am n o t t a l k i n g t o y o u . ' H e u t t e rs t h o s e w o r d s a ls o a n d s a y s, ' I ' m n o t t a l k i n g t o y o u . ' It is v e r y d i ff i c u l t t o u n d e rst a n d b u t i t 's t h e tr u t h . He s a y s, ' Y o u f e e l a s if I am t a l k i n g b e c a u s e y o u s e e . It is b e c a u s e y o u s e e , t h a t y o u s e e me ; a n d i t is b e c a u s e y o u wa n t e d t o h e a r me , t h a t y o u h e a r me , t h a t 's a l l . ' It is a v e r y s u b t l e c o n c e p t .

Le t me t e l l y o u a b o u t a sm a l l i n c i d e n t . Th e n i t ma y b e p o ssi b l e f o r y o u t o u n d e rst a n d w h a t A s h t a v a k r a s a y s a n d w h a t N is a r g a d a t t a Ma h a r a j s a y s.

O n e o f o u r d e v o t e e s is tr y i n g t o wr i t e my b i o g r a p h y . H e h a s l ist e n e d t o me s p e a k i n g a b o u t l o t o f sm a l l , sm a l l i n c i d e n ts fr o m my l if e a n d h e st a r t e d c o l l e c t i n g t h em . H e h a s d o n e a r e a l n i c e j o b . I n t h e l a st t w o a n d a h a lf y e a rs fr om J a n u a r y 2 0 0 3 , a l m o st t h r e e t h o u s a n d D V D s a n d v i d e o s h a v e b e e n r e c o r d e d o f my s p e a k i n g . H e p a t i e n t l y we n t t h r o u g h t h em a n d c o l l e c t e d ma n y i n c i d e n ts fr om w h a t I t a l k e d a b o u t . Th e b i g p r o b l em f o r h i m w a s t h a t if h e tri e s t o wr i t e a l l t h e i n c i d e n ts t h a t h e c o l l e c t e d c h r o n o l o g i c a l l y , I s h o u l d b e a t l e a st si x t y y e a rs o l d . Bu t I am n o t e v e n t h ir t y y e t . N o w , w h a t t o d o ?

H e a s k e d me , ' Ma st e r , h o w c o u l d s o ma n y t h i n g s h a p p e n i n h a r d l y t w e n t y - e i g h t y e a rs ? H o w c a n I e v e n t e l l p e o p l e s o mu c h h a s h a p p e n e d i n s u c h a s h o rt s p a n o f t i m e ? It is si m p l y im p o ssi b l e . ' Th e n I t o l d h i m a sm a l l st o r y o n h o w i t h a s t o b e u n d e rst o o d .

Th e r e is a sw a n fl y i n g i n t h e s k y a n d i ts r e fl e c t i o n f a lls o n t h e l a k e b e l o w . Wh e n t h e r e fl e c t i o n f a lls o n t h e w a t e r , t h e fis h e s i n t h e l a k e st a r t j u m p i n g , ' O h , a n e w fis h h a s c o m e , a n e w fis h h a s c o m e ' a n d g o a r o u n d i t , a d m ir i n g i t i n t e n s e l y . S o m e fis h e s st a rt j u m p i n g o n t h e s w a n , s o m e fis h e s st a rt d a n c i n g a r o u n d t h e sw a n , a n d s o m e fis h e s st a rt s e l l i n g l a n d a r o u n d t h e sw a n . So m e st a r t ma k i n g a f e n c e s a y i n g t h is is t h e a s h r a m f o r t h e sw a n . So m e fis h e s st a rt g e t t i n g h o l d o f p l a c e s a r o u n d t h e sw a n s a y i n g t h e y w a n t e d t o b e a r o u n d t h e sw a n , wi t h o u t k n o w i n g i t is t h e r e f l e c t i o n o f t h e sw a n . Th e y a r e t h i n k i n g t h a t i t is o n e mo r e fis h .

So m e fis h e s st a r t j u m p i n g o n t h e r e fl e c t i o n s a y i n g , ' Oh , t h is fis h is s o l o v i n g , s o c a ri n g , s o g r a c e f u l a n d s o b e a u t if u l . ' So m e fis h e s st a r t

j u m p i n g o n t h e o t h e r si d e a n d st a r t s a y i n g , ' Se e , t h is r e fl e c t i o n is n o t a t a l l t a k i n g c a r e o f me , t h is fis h is n o t a t a l l p a y i n g a t t e n t i o n t o me . Y o u a l l s a y i t is c a ri n g a n d l o v i n g , b u t i t is n o t a t a l l c a ri n g a n d l o v i n g . '

So m e fis h e s a r e h a v i n g t h e i d e a t h a t t h e r e fl e c t i o n is v e r y c a ri n g a n d l o v i n g a n d s o m e fis h e s a r e h a v i n g t h e i d e a , i t is n o t l o v i n g a n d c a ri n g . So m e fis h e s t a l k g o o d t h i n g s a b o u t t h e r e fl e c t i o n a n d s o m e fis h e s t a l k b a d t h i n g s a b o u t t h e r e f l e c t i o n . So m e fis h e s st a r t c r e a t i n g t h e a s h r a m ; s o m e fis h e s e v e n t h r o w f e w st o n e s.

Th e fis h e s s e e t h e r e fl e c t i o n mo v i n g b y t h e v e r y c o m mo t i o n c r e a t e d b y t h em . Th e v e r y c o m mo t i o n o r t h e mo v e m e n t c r e a t e d i n t h e w a t e r b y t h e fis h e s - b e c a u s e o f t h a t mo v e m e n t , t h e fis h e s t h i n k t h a t t h e r e f l e c t i o n is mo v i n g . A ft e r a w h i l e t h e fis h e s e v e n st a r t fi g h t i n g a mo n g t h em s e l v e s s a y i n g , 'I am c l o s e r t o t h e sw a n . '

Th e n sl o w l y t h e sw a n mo v e s t o t h e o t h e r si d e , t h e Am e ri c a n si d e . A l l t h e Am e r i c a n fis h g a t h e r a n d b u i l d o n e mo r e a s h r am . Th e n t h e Sw a n fl i e s o v e r t h e Ca n a d a si d e . A l l t h e Ca n a d i a n fis h g e t t o g e t h e r a n d b u i l d o n e mo r e a s h r a m .

Su d d e n l y t h e sw a n st a r ts fl y i n g o n t h e g r o u n d . Th e r e f l e c t i o n h a s d is a p p e a r e d ; i t 's n o t t h e r e . A l l t h e fis h e s n o w st a r t s a y i n g , ' O h , t h e r e fl e c t i o n h a s d is a p p e a r e d , t h e r e fl e c t i o n is n o t h e r e , w h a t t o d o ? '

O n e im p o rt a n t t h i n g : So m e fis h e s p r a isi n g , s o m e fis h e s b l a m i n g , s o m e fis h e s c r e a t i n g a s h r am , s o m e fis h e s p l a y i n g a r o u n d , s o m e fis h e s g o i n g aw a y , s o m e fis h e s j u m p i n g o n - t h e sw a n is n o t e v e n aw a r e o f a n y t h i n g ; sw a n d o e s n 't k n o w . Sw a n is n o t aw a r e , n o r is i t i n t e r e st e d . If a t a l l y o u a r e a n i n t e l l i g e n t fis h , t h e mo m e n t y o u s e e t h e r e fl e c t i o n , if y o u u n d e rst a n d t h a t t h is d o e s n 't s e e m l i k e a fis h , t h e n y o u w i l l wo n d e r, ' Fr o m w h e r e is i t c o m i n g ? ' If y o u t h e n l o o k u p a n d s e e t h e sw a n , y o u c a n a ls o st a r t fl y i n g , t h a t 's a l l . Y o u c a n a ls o j u st st a r t fl y i n g .

If y o u h a v e st a r t e d fl y i n g , y o u a r e i n t e l l i g e n t . Th e p u r p o s e o f t h e sw a n is a c h i e v e d . If y o u a r e j u st fi g h t i n g w i t h o t h e r fis h e s, p l a y i n g w i t h o t h e r fis h e s, p l a y i n g wi t h t h e r e f l e c t i o n , p l a y i n g i n t h e a r e a wh e r e t h e r e fl e c t i o n is h a p p e n i n g , b e v e r y c l e a r, si m p l y y o u w i l l b e c h e a t e d , si m p l y y o u w i l l miss. Si m p l y y o u w i l l miss.

N o w fr o m t h e a n g l e o f t h e sw a n , fr o m t h e p o i n t o f v i e w o f t h e sw a n , t h e sw a n n e i t h e r k n o w s t h a t t h e fis h e s a r e j u m p i n g , n o r d o e s i t k n o w t h a t t h e y a r e fi g h t i n g o r t h e y a r e p r a isi n g . Sa m e w a y , A s h t a v a k r a s a y s, fr om t h e v isi o n o f t h e A t ma n , y o u a r e n o t v isi b l e . Fo r t h e sw a n , y o u a r e n o t v isi b l e .

Be v e r y c l e a r , t h e fis h e s a r e n o t v isi b l e t o t h e sw a n . O n l y e a g l e s s e e t h e fis h e s. Sw a n s d o n ' t s e e t h e fis h e s, b e c a u s e t h e y d o n ' t h a v e t o e a t . Ea g l e s h a v e t o e a t t h e fis h e s. Th a t is w h y c o n st a n t l y t h e y s e e t h e fis h e s. Sw a n s d o n 't h a v e t o s e e b e c a u s e t h e r e is n o n e e d f o r t h e sw a n t o s e e . It j u st fl i e s.

So m e t i m e s f o rt u n a t e l y o r s p o n t a n e o u sl y t h e r e f l e c t i o n f a lls o n t h e l a k e . Fe w i n t e l l i g e n t fis h e s t h a t g e t t o s e e t h e r e fl e c t i o n , tr y t o l o o k u p a n d s e e t h e sw a n . Th e o t h e r f o o l is h fis h e s j u st j u m p a r o u n d , o r d a n c e a r o u n d o r fi g h t a r o u n d t h e r e fl e c t i o n . Wh e t h e r y o u fi g h t , b l am e , p r a is e , j u m p , d a n c e , si n g o r wh a t e v e r y o u d o , t h e sw a n is n o t e v e n aw a r e o f a l l t h a t .

H e r e A s h t a v a k r a s a y s, y o u a r e n o t v isi b l e , b e c a u s e y o u a r e b e y o n d e v e r y t h i n g . A l l y o u c a n d o is o n l y o n e t h i n g . Th e mo m e n t y o u s e e t h e r e fl e c t i o n , t h e mo m e n t y o u a r e s u r p r is e d s e e i n g t h e Ma st e r a n d w o n d e r h o w s u c h a t h i n g c a n h a p p e n , i t 's h u ma n l y im p o ssi b l e - b e v e r y c l e a r, t h e mo m e n t y o u a r e s u r p r is e d , y o u r i n t e l l i g e n c e s h o u l d st a r t wo r k i n g – ' Fr o m w h e r e is i t h a p p e n i n g ? ' D o n o t tr y t o b e p h y si c a l l y a r o u n d ; d o n o t st a r t w o rs h i p p i n g . Wo rs h i p p i n g is t h e w o rst f o r m o f c r u c i fi c a t i o n .

Rom a n s a v o i d e d J e s u s j u st b y c r u c i f y i n g h i m a n d H i n d u s h a v e a v o i d e d K ris h n a b y w o rs h i p p i n g h i m , t h a t 's a l l . Pe o p l e s a y , ' K ris h n a is g r e a t

a n d w h a t e v e r h e s a y s i n t h e Bh a g a v a d G i t a is tr u e , b u t w e c a n 't f o l l o w i t . He is g r e a t , s o h e c a n t e l l a l l t h e s e t h i n g s, b u t w e c a n ' t f o l l o w . ' Be v e r y c l e a r : D o n o t a v o i d t h e ma st e rs b y w o rs h i p p i n g t h em .

Wh e n we st a r t w o rs h i p p i n g , t h e first t h i n g w e d o is t o a v o i d . So m e t i m e s r a r e l y w h e n w o rs h i p p i n g i n s p i r e s u s t o f o l l o w t h em , t h e n w o rs h i p p i n g is a l l ri g h t . Bu t if i t c r e a t e s a f e e l i n g o f d ist a n c e , b e v e r y c l e a r, t h e n t h e first t h i n g t o d o is t o d r o p wo rs h i p p i n g . If w o rs h i p p i n g ma k e s y o u c o n n e c t e d d e e p l y , t h e n i t is a l l ri g h t . If t h e w o rs h i p p i n g d o e s n o t ma k e y o u f e e l c o n n e c t e d o r if i t is n o t a c t i n g a s a n i n s p ir a t i o n t o f o l l o w t h e p a t h o r t h e t e a c h i n g s, b e v e r y c l e a r t h e n wo rs h i p p i n g is n o t g o i n g t o h e l p .

Fo r t u n a t e l y w e h a v e n o t ma d e st a t u e s o f A s h t a v a k r a a n d t h a t is w h y t h e s u tr a i n t h e A s h t a v a k r a G i t a is s o p u r e . If w e h a d n o t st a r t e d ma k i n g st a t u e s o f Kr is h n a , w e w o u l d h a v e a l l st a r t e d f o l l o w i n g t h e Bh a g a v a d G i t a . Th e mom e n t w e st a r t e d t o ma k e st a t u e s, w e h a d d e c i d e d n o t t o f o l l o w t h e Bh a g a v a d G i t a .

A p e rs o n c a m e t o me a n d s a i d , ' Ma st e r , I am t o o str e ss e d a n d t h e r e is t o o mu c h p a i n i n my l if e ; g i v e me s o m e s o l u t i o n t o o v e r c o m e i t . '

I g a v e h i m a Bh a g a v a d G i t a b o o k . I h a d r e c e n t l y s p o k e n o n t h e e i g h t e e n v o l um e s o f Bh a g a v a d G i t a a n d I g a v e h i m a CD a n d D V D o f t h a t a ls o . I

t o l d h i m , ' Pl e a s e l ist e n t o t h is; I' v e s p o k e n o n Ka r ma y o g a - t h e b e a u t y o f p u r p o s e l e ss n e ss. Pl e a s e l ist e n t o t h is a n d u n d e rst a n d . Th e n t h e i n n e r h e a l i n g w i l l h a p p e n i n y o u . Th e c o n st a n t irr i t a t i o n t h a t y o u c a rr y w i l l d is a p p e a r . ' O n e r e a s o n f o r t h is c o n st a n t irr i t a t i o n t h a t a p e rs o n c a rr i e s is str e ss.

I t o l d h i m , ' List e n t o t h is c a ss e t t e a n d w a t c h t h is Gi t a D V D . '

Th e n h e s a i d , ' Ma st e r , I h a v e a G i t a b o o k a ls o i n my h o u s e . I k e e p i t i n my p u j a r o o m ( p r a y e r r o o m ) a n d w o rs h i p i t e v e r y d a y . '

I a s k e d h i m , ' If y o u h a v e a g l a ss o f mi l k i n y o u r h o u s e , w o u l d y o u d r i n k i t o r k e e p i t i n t h e p u j a r o o m a n d s h o w a a rt h i ? ' ( O f f e ri n g o f p r a y e r )

Gita is a glass of milk; drink and enjoy. Do not keep it in the puja room and start doing aarthi; Krishna is milk. It's based on this concept Jesus says, 'Drink me, do not worship me.' You are supposed to drink Krishna, not worship. If your worship inspires you to drink, then it's OK. But if the worshiping creates a distance, something is seriously wrong in your understanding.

Here Ashtavakra says, you are not visible.

Sutra:

Unattached, formless and witness of all are you. You are unattached, you are formless and witness. You are beyond this body, you are beyond this mind, You are formless, unattached.

Unattached - it is a beautiful word. Ashtavakra says, you are unattached. I am also saying that you are unattached. Please don't start believing it, that's the big problem. Understand it as to how you are unattached.

One person came to me and said, 'Master, I constantly suffer because of my smoking habit. The moment I get up from bed, I cannot do anything else but smoke. I have to smoke, but after one hour I have a deep guilt. After two hours when I get ready to go to work, again I have to smoke; again an hour of guilt, what to do? Constantly I am suffering with this guilt, constantly I am suffering with this habit, what to do?'

First thing I told him, 'Please be very clear, either you should drop the smoking or you should drop the guilt. Drop any one thing; you will be liberated from this habit.'

He was shocked to hear that. He said, 'Master, you know that I am not able to stop the smoking. If I drop the guilt, how do you say that I will drop the smoking?'

I told him that it is a vicious circle. When you have guilt, what will you do? You will keep repeating constantly, 'I should drop smoking, I should drop smoking.' Naturally what will happen? You will give power to the word smoking also in your mind. When you use the words, 'I should drop smoking' you will remember the smoking also. So the memory of smoking is again and again engraved in you deeper and deeper. The memory of smoking is engraved in your inner space, deeper and deeper. Then how do you expect that you will be able to drop the smoking?

I always tell people, when they want to get rid of any disease, never repeat to themselves, 'I should get rid of this disease; I should get rid of this disease.' Instead create the words, 'I should become healthy, I should become healthy.' Learn how to think; learn how to create words in you.

Please understand, the words that you create inside are so powerful; straight away they become reality. The words, which you repeat again and again in your life, will become a reality in your life. If you constantly repeat the words, 'I should get rid of this disease, I should get rid of this disease, I should get rid of this disease you will constantly remember the disease also.'

For example if you have a headache, if you constantly think, 'I should get rid of this headache, I should get rid of this headache, I should get rid of this headache,' you give power to the headache also.

In the epic Ramayana there is this character called Vali. Vali has got a special power; he has a boon. Anybody who stands in front of Vali will lose half of his power to him. Same way, when you repeat these words, 'I should get rid of this disease,' half of your power is given to the word 'disease' also. Then you will never be successful. Create the right words: 'I should become healthy.'

Try to be aware of the words that are going on inside you. Especially the words that you create unconsciously - like early morning when you are brushing your teeth, you will be repeating some words inside you. When you are taking bath you will be constantly talking to yourself. Anybody here who says, 'No, I don't talk to myself when I am taking bath?' You may be singing that's all. Either you'll be singing or you'll be talking to yourself, that's all. Constantly you will be talking to yourself, especially in the bathroom because nobody can hear. So sometimes you will even start talking loudly. It's a good practice

actually, to talk alone once in a while, so that others will be liberated. Otherwise you will catch people and constantly vomit on them.

Be very clear, nobody listens to you. They are polite so that once you stop they can start talking. Conversation never happens. Be very clear, on the whole of planet earth, no such thing as conversation happens. The other person is just waiting so that he can start speaking. The moment your voice is low, the moment you are slightly tired, the moment your vocal chord is little bit tired, immediately he gets hold of the mike. Even when you are supposedly listening to the other person, you are just preparing your answers so that you can start once the other person stops. Actually you are not listening. So once in a while, it is good for you to talk alone; you will spare others.

The words, which you speak when you are speaking to yourself, when you are alone, should be proper words. They should be right words. Otherwise constantly you will be hurting yourself; you will be torturing yourself.

Here Ashtavakra says, you are unattached.

I was talking about the incident with the smoker. I told him either to drop the smoking or to drop the guilt. He asked, 'How could I drop

Part 2: Enlightenment Guaranteed_English_part_2.md

smoking by dropping the guilt? How can just dropping the guilt heal me?'

Please understand, morning the person smokes when he gets up from the bed. Then after three hours, he smokes again. These two incidents are actually un-clutched. They are two separate incidents. But the guilt that he carries, clutches both the incidents and makes both incidents as one shaft.

Please understand, that I am speaking about the way in which your mind is working. If you can understand this one truth, this moment you can be unattached. This moment you can become un-clutched. All your habits, all your activities, all your thoughts are un-clutched, individual incidents. But by carrying the guilt about the habit or the pain about the habit, suffering about the habit, fear about the habit, worry about the habit you make that as a shaft.

See, if our car is un-clutched, our vehicle simply cannot move. Even if the engine is functioning, our vehicle cannot move. If it is clutched, if it becomes one shaft it starts moving. In our mind also, everything that is happening inside is completely unattached. They are individual, independent, separate incidents and separate happenings. The morning smoking and the afternoon smoking are two separate incidents; they are two different happenings. But the guilt clutches both the incidents and

creates something called mind and creates the suffering and pain for you.

You create a shaft. You connect two incidents and create suffering for yourself through worry, guilt and fear. If you can have just a little bit of courage and drop these unnecessary fears and worries and guilt, suddenly you will realize that you are always un-clutched. Each and every statement or thought that is happening in your mind is completely un-clutched. It is an independent experience. You can neither judge nor connect or do over hold them or categorize them.

Every single happening in our lives, even our everyday activities like eating and drinking are un-connected. Each and every experience is independent by its own right. Drinking yesterday and drinking today are completely two different incidents. Either through pain or through pleasure, you connect these two incidents and say that it's a habit and create a mind, which doesn't exist in reality. The food that you took yesterday and the food, which you take today are different. You will not be able to eat the same food; fortunately you will not be able to. Only bats can eat the same food; bats vomit and eat the same food.

The food that you ate yesterday and the food that you eat today are different; they are completely independent. But your mind creates the shaft between these two incidents and makes the whole thing as a single shaft and it categorizes and says, 'I eat every day.' Please be very clear, you don't eat every day. You may use the same word 'eating' for both the experiences; but they are not same experiences. Do not be cheated by the words that you are using. Yesterday's eating, today's eating and tomorrow's eating are separate incidents, separate experiences. They are completely independent and unattached. But in your mind you start thinking, 'Oh, I eat the same food; I eat the same thing.'

When you are in a low mood, you constantly start connecting all these incidents. Either through pain or through pleasure, you connect them. Then you start saying, you start thinking, 'I am suffering or I am enjoying.'

A beautiful incident from an enlightened master in central Bharat: Last ten years of his life, doctors had asked him to eat a particular kind of food. He was not allowed to eat everything. He was asked to eat the same kind of food.

After two years the person who cooks for him came and complained, 'Master, even I am bored of cooking the same food. How are you able to eat the same food?'

THE SUPREME PONTIFF OF HINDUISM BHAGAWAN SRI NITHYANANDA PARAMASHIVAM just laughs and says, 'I am not eating the same food. How can I eat the same food? I can eat this food only today. Tomorrow's food is totally different.'

Your mind connects every independent incident, every independent thought with pain or pleasure. With your idea of pain or pleasure, you connect it. If your food is not right, you connect, 'Oh, same food, same suffering.'

A wife who is stressed too much with her work, tells the husband, 'If somebody sees my suffering, they will think you married me only for my cooking; I am here only as a cook.'

Husband says, 'Not after eating your food!'

You see, all your negativity has only one power; your faith on them, that's all. Whether it is your mind or your ego, or whatever, all negativity has only one power, your faith in it. Understand that it's just a simple game. You do not need to work for un-clutching. Just do not clutch and do not create a shaft.

People tell me again and again, 'Master, I fail when I try to un-clutch.' I ask them, 'Why are you connecting your past failure with your present failure?' When you connect all the past failures, you create one more word - failure. Why do you connect all of them and create the next experience also?

Just relax and stop connecting and suddenly you will see such a deep inner healing happening in you; such a deep peace happening in you. Suddenly you will see that you have dropped out of the war, the constant running. Just relax.

I tell you, when you become a drop out, when you drop out of this war, when you drop from this whole game, you will suddenly realize the whole thing is just a psychodrama happening. Because you constantly support it, through pain or through pleasure you connect the incidents and create these shafts. Be very clear, because of your memory of pain or pleasure, you think you have a constant mind and a continuous thought flow.

Please understand, I am not saying that tomorrow or day after tomorrow or after your enlightenment, you will become unattached - no. This moment you are unattached. Simply this moment you are unattached. The thought that appeared in your mind one minute ago and the thought that is appearing now are not connected. These two are complete, independent thoughts. If you had some experience of pleasure as you think, whenever those kinds of incidents are repeated, immediately you connect that pleasure and this pleasure.

Understand, by the time you connect that pleasure and this pleasure, you have created a shaft. Now you are trying to fight with the shaft. If you think that shaft is painful, you want to break the shaft. If you think that shaft is pleasure, you want to extend the shaft. But you can neither break the shaft, nor extend the shaft, because the shaft does not exist.

Just understand that there is no such thing as continuity between one thought and another thought. You are unattached now. You do not have to practice renunciation. Your very nature is renunciation. Whatever happens in you, you are constantly renouncing, you are constantly replacing yourself. At every moment when a thought appears in you, whether it is fulfilled or unfulfilled, you renounce that thought. It is only when you drop them it comes out and disappears. All you need to do is allow the constant renunciation happening in you. This moment, just by this very understanding you can un-clutch yourself.

Here is another way to look at this process: You are constantly trashing your e-mails in the trash bin. After that, you suddenly pick up an email from your trash and clutch it.

All your thoughts are going to the trash every moment. But suddenly you pick up some from the trash and try to clutch them and create a shaft. Just stop picking up thoughts from your garbage bin, nothing else is needed. Nothing else. Just leave the garbage bin alone; the city will come and clean it. But you do not feel comfortable. After ten minutes you run to the garbage and pick up couple of things saying, 'I think this is nice; I'll keep it near my bed.' After one hour you run again and pick up one more thing, 'I think this is nicer.' You collect more and more trash and put it next to your bed, add little perfume and try to keep it nice. You try to decorate it and feel good about it.

Constantly you are trashing your thoughts. That is why new thoughts are appearing. The very truth that new thoughts are happening in you means that the old thoughts are renounced. So the appearance of new thoughts means that the old thoughts are disappearing. Do not be afraid to trash the old thoughts. Do not be greedy to pick them up, clutch them and create a shaft.

Your knowledge about your past plays a major role in creating your future. Be very clear about your past. Here I am analyzing, how you create an identity about yourself. This is the identity about yourself: This pain shaft is an identity about yourself, which you are constantly creating. You always think, 'Once in a month I fall sick. Once in two or three days I'll be in a low mood. After eight o' clock I will get irritated,' so many things. You strongly believe in the pain shaft. These shafts create all conflicts, all disturbances in your life. Even your physical health is terribly disturbed by these shafts. Same way you create a joy shaft and create an identity about yourself.

You think that unless you carry your identity you cannot protect yourself. But that identity, which you carry does not really exist.

The moment I say that your identity is a lie, a tremendous fear rises in you: 'If I un-clutch, who will take care of my life? Who will take care of my day to day living?' Be very clear, you need to understand a very important truth. Even though it hurts, it is the truth. We have an automatic intelligence in us that constantly runs our lives.

For example, to sit in car and drive back to your house do you mentally plan? While you drive you have to do thousand and one things: Using the clutch, pressing the accelerator, looking at the directions, looking at the traffic or respecting the traffic signals, to name some. If you mentally create a word and plan for each of these: 'I have to take my key and turn the key, start the car, turn 20 degrees to the right, 30 degrees to the left, press the accelerator one time, press the brake one time, look at the traffic in the front and stop for the signal' - if you have to plan verbally and if you have to do the whole thing in your mind, will you be able to drive?

You are able to drive without creating all these words in you. Not only that, your car is your restaurant where you have your breakfast every day, that is your club for listening to music, that is your phone booth to make your phone calls – all this goes on. You drive, you take care of the traffic, you listen to the music and you talk on the cell phone. The whole thing happens.

Understand one important thing: We have an automatic intelligence, which can run our lives, which can take care of our day-to-day life. Not only can it run our lives; it can maintain, it can extend or expand our lives.

Just as for driving you do not need your mind, you do not need your planning, you do not need your thoughts, your mind is not needed to run your day-to-day life. Many times you get into the car at your house and when you stop the car at the office parking lot, suddenly you will realize you have finished driving. From your house to your office, you would not have had a single thought about your driving. Suddenly when you stop your car, you know that you have finished driving. You have traveled so many miles without even a single thought that you are driving or thoughts related to driving. This shows that there is an automatic intelligence in you. In Sanskrit we call that as prārabda karma.

The Vedic sciences says that there is an automatic, programmed intelligence in us, which can run our everyday lives, which can manage our everyday lives, which can run and expand our lives and energy. This is a revealing and an important truth. Please understand that you are not needed to run your life. You, what you think as you, are not needed to run your life. Again and again Vedic masters are revealing this truth; the eastern rishis are expressing this truth.

What you think as you, your constant psychological planning, psychological worrying, your constant fears, constant greed, whatever you think as you, is not needed to run your life. Your very automatic intelligence is more than enough.

But from the young age our society conditions us. You are taught to think that you cannot run without planning; you cannot run without fear or greed. Your self-respect is taken away from you. You are not made to trust that you can lead your life spontaneously without fear or greed. You are always trained to think that you can run only with fear or greed. That is why constantly you are trying to infuse greed or fear in yourself. You try to use fear and greed as fuel to make your life run, to make your life alive. Be very clear that you cannot run your life based on fear and greed.

If you are driven by fear and guilt, you will carry a constant irritation in you. From morning till night, from the moment you wake up to the moment you go to sleep, you carry a constant irritation in you. That is why you are just waiting for a reason to explode. You are waiting for some reason to vomit. Just one small touch is enough; you are ready to jump on the other person. He does not even need to make any mistake; just coming in front of you is enough to trigger you. Coming in your presence is enough; you just pounce on the other person.

Any simpler reason is enough. The wife placing a coffee cup down with a little force, a little sound is enough. Husband starts shouting at her, 'What, do you think you've brought all these things from your father's house? I am working hard for it.' Then she starts, 'For the job that you are doing, coffee itself is too much. Keep quiet and drink.' Then the whole drama starts. You know what the next statement will be; I don't have to tell you.

The constant irritation is in you because you try to fuel yourself by fear or greed. Neither fear nor greed can make your life run smoothly. When you un-clutch, suddenly you realize that you are not needed to run your life. When you can drive without using your mind, why can't you live your life this way? You can. All you need to do is just trust that automatic intelligence which is in you and relax. That is what we call in Sanskrit as sharanāgati - surrender. The English translation would be surrendering to your own higher intelligence.

Please understand, 'Surrendering to your own higher intelligence.' When the eastern rishis say surrender, they mean surrendering to our own higher intelligence. Only when we surrender to our own higher intelligence, we can surrender to God. Surrendering to the higher intelligence is what we call surrendering to God.

When you surrender and let go of both the identities that you carry, you will feel a tremendous freedom. If you understand both the identities are not needed to live your life, to run your life, to run, protect and expand your life, you will suddenly realize a tremendous freedom. You can be alive without these two identities. Freedom from these two identities is what I call liberation, enlightenment, moksha and nirvana. Whatever words you may use, it is nothing but liberation from these two identities.

These two identities is the bondage. When you understand that you are something beyond these two identities, you are jeevan muktha, liberated while living. What you think as you is not necessary to be alive. I tell you, if you drop what you think as you, only then you will become alive. Till then you will be living, inhaling and exhaling, breathing, but never think you are alive. Breathing is not a symptom of living; never think you are alive living this way.

Just because you have a key to your house, do not think it is a home; it is a tomb. We are all waiting for death, not living. There are two categories of people: One is living and another one is waiting for death. We are just waiting for death. We do not have the courage to commit suicide; so we are just waiting for that to happen by itself, that's all.

Living means freedom from the two identities, one that you carry inside yourself and the one that you project to the outer world - ahankar and mamakar. When we relax from these two, we achieve what is called Jeevan Mukthi.

One more thing: We do not even need to relax from it because constantly new thoughts are replacing it. The moment the next thought has appeared, we have renounced the earlier thought. Every moment we are renouncing thoughts. Every moment, we are getting unattached. Every moment we are constantly replacing all our thoughts.

If you think you are tortured by your fears, you are wrong. If you think you are tortured by your greed, you are wrong. We are neither tortured by our fears, nor are we tortured by our greed because every thought is constantly getting replaced. Your thought that you are getting tortured is the only actual torture for you.

If you feel, 'I am getting tortured at this moment,' try to understand it is the thought that is torturing you, that's all. Do not believe it will come back. By believing it will come back, the belief itself will bring it back. Even if you have a strong desire, a strong greed, another single thought can just replace that greed; one single thought can replace fear. Then where is the question of desire and greed being strong?

One more thing: Unless you carry some suffering, you will not be a follower. You will become a leader. Leaders are dangerous people. That is why society never wants you to be independent, creative and alive - a leader. Be very clear, a leader will be a person who is creative, who is expressing, who is on his own. However, society does not want that.

It is very difficult to handle a leader; it is easy to handle followers. It is easy to handle masses if they are kept as followers. That is why the great wisdom, the great truth - by your very nature you are un-clutched, is kept a secret. It is kept a secret because if you understand this truth, you cannot be exploited; there is no way you can be exploited.

I always tell people that all self-development programs do is give you the 'feel good feelings.' Your self cannot develop, because it does not exist. When it doesn't exist, where is the question of developing it? If the shaft exists, then you can chisel it, polish it, rub it, paint it, gold coat it and keep it. But the shaft does not exist. What will you develop? Even if you try to develop it will be nothing but taking something that you have trashed, arranging it properly, adding little perfume and trying to feel the scent, nothing else. Understand that you are constantly trashing your thoughts.

Be very clear, what you think as you or self is nothing but the trashed thoughts - that also randomly picked, unconnected, illogical and un-clutched thoughts. You pick from those, create a shaft and think you are those thoughts and try to develop that self, which does not exist.

I can tell you one thing, because I am an insider. I worked to develop myself for a year. Understand, all these techniques, whether they are spiritual practices or self-development practices - they are all trying to create a consistent shaft in you. When you say something is good or something is bad, you start becoming greedy for the good and get the fear about the bad. You start encouraging something and suppressing something.

The moment you choose to do either, you have created a problem for yourself. Now whatever you suppress will be constantly coming up in your mind. Whatever you want will constantly disappear from your mind.

A small story:

A young novitiate, a brahmachari goes to an elderly monk, a senior monk and asks the senior monk who is 90 years old, 'Swamiji, I am suffering with too many bad thoughts; too many bad thoughts are coming to my mind. How long do I have to suffer before getting rid of these bad, dirty thoughts?'

The senior elderly monk looks this side and that side and says, 'I don't know how long it takes, but one thing is sure, not till ninety.'

Whatever you are avoiding is going to exist in you. Whatever you are trying to encourage is going to be disconnected. You can neither break a shaft nor can you elongate a shaft because the shaft does not exist. Because your life needs an identity, you need an identity, you are always afraid. If I say you are inconsistent, by your very nature you are illogical, you are unconnected, and un-clutched, you feel a tremendous fear rising in you. People again and again ask me, 'Then how can we live without mind? How can we live without identity?'

Be very clear, your identity has convinced you. Your mind has convinced you by showing few examples that you cannot be alive without it; you cannot survive without it. It is like - if you convince your boss that he cannot run his business without you, then you can do whatever you want. You can exploit him.

In the same way, your mind has convinced you by giving a few examples. A long time ago you would have committed some mistakes and something would have happened in your life as a result of that. Your mind will constantly show you those and tell you, 'See, you did not listen to me, that's why it happened. You did not follow my planning, that's why it happened. You did not follow it up, you did not plan, and you did not worry about execution. You did not execute, that is why it happened.'

Constantly it will show you those few incidents and it will convince you that you need to have a mind. Once you are convinced that you cannot be alive without your identity, your mind will exploit you. Now your identity will swallow your whole life.

There will be continuous conflict between the two identities that you carry - that is what I call mobile hell. Wherever you go you carry them, just like how you carry your tent when you go camping. Same way you carry your mobile hell. Whether you go to beach or anywhere else on vacation also you carry your mobile hell with you. Continuous conflict between these two identities is a tension.

Please try to understand these few concepts – that you have two identities: One is based on inferiority and the other one is based on superiority. There is a continuous conflict between these two, which is what is called tension and the next important truth – you are beyond these two identities.

Be very clear, if you just understand these few concepts intellectually even the experience of your eating will be transformed; even the taste, the sensitivity in your body will be transformed. Even the sensitivity will be awakened once you understand that you are beyond these two identities. These two identities limit you, put you in boundaries, do not allow you to update yourself. Updating yourself is not possible if you put boundaries based on these two identities.

Only when you understand that you are beyond these two identities, the two identities cannot disturb you. You can get out of suffering only when you relax by understanding that you are beyond these two identities. If you want to heal your life physically, mentally or emotionally, the one and only way is realizing that you are beyond these two identities, because all your problems are related to only these two identities and conflict between these two identities. Unless you realize that you are beyond them, you cannot experience the balance or the silence or the peace or bliss in your life.

The Hindu masters have created a beautiful formula to reproduce the same experience that happened in them, in you. The experience that you are beyond these two identities happened in them and they created a formula to reproduce the same in you. It is that formula that I call, 'Be un-clutched.'

Now the next question is, how to un-clutch? Let's first understand how we clutch, how we connect and only then we can understand how we can un-clutch. Only if you understand how the knot is created you can remove it. If you do not know how the knot is created you cannot undo it. You will be just pulling, pulling and pulling and what will happen? Knot will only tighten more. We are doing just that.

Just like the knot the conflict between these two identities exists, and we are pulling from both the identities side. Either you are trying to satisfy this identity that is working in the outer world, making more and more money, blasting the identity which you show to the outer world bigger and bigger, having more wealth and bigger things. You are trying to pull this identity to try to solve the problem. Or you enter into the other side, trying to do different types of religious practices, trying to do this, that and so many things. And try to pull in the other direction.

You can neither pull in this direction, nor you can pull in that direction. If you try to pull in either direction the knot will only get tighter.

Understand how you created the knot. Understand the depth of the knot and how you created the knot; only then you can get out of the knot. Only then you can un-clutch.

When Ashtavakra says, you are unattached he means that there is no shaft. There is no shaft; simply independent thoughts, independent, unconnected, illogical thoughts appear separately and disappear. Because of your idea about pain or pleasure, you connect these thoughts and create a shaft and feel as if there is a shaft. Just understand this very moment that the shaft does not exist and be liberated.

Constantly you are unattached. Automatically by your very nature you are unattached. The moment you understand that you are unattached you are just liberated. A tremendous inner healing starts happening in you. A tremendous sense of rest happens in you. You'll think, 'Oh God, what for I was fighting? I was fighting with a person who does not even exist. All my energy was wasted. It was wasted unnecessarily fighting with a person who doesn't exist.' Your idea of pain, your idea of pleasure, your idea of ego does not exist. Simply it's not there.

In the Vedic system we say kshana. Kshana does not mean a second as it is generally thought. Kshana means the gap between one thought and the other thought. Atman is also called as kshana. Between one thought and another thought, we drop into the atman. There is no connection between one thought and another thought. The moment you understand that there is no connection between one thought and another thought, you drop into the source of thoughts, from where all the thoughts appear. You go to the source and come back.

This very moment you can just un-clutch yourself. Relax from the fighting. But a tremendous fear rises: 'If I stopped fighting, then how will I develop my life?' It is only when you stop fighting, the transformation can happen. Be very clear, the mind can never be developed. Either you have this mind and suffer, or drop this mind and transform yourself. Only two things, either mind or no mind; you can never develop your mind.

I will just give a simple example to show how you are tortured by your identity, how you suffer with your identity. This will show how you are afraid to un-clutch yourself, why you are not ready to un-clutch yourself, why you are not just opening up and understanding this truth.

In the forests of Northern Bharat, hunters use a trap to catch birds. There will be sticks hanging between the trees. They tie a rope between two trees. In the middle of the rope they secure a wooden stick. The rope is tied at the mid-point of the stick. This is actually the hunter's trap. This is to trap birds.

You may think 'How can a bird be trapped with a small stick, how is it possible?' Actually, all they do is just hang the stick, that's all. When a bird comes and sits on the stick, by the bird's own weight, the whole stick will turn upside down; it will turn topsy-turvy. Now, the bird will also be hanging upside down.

The bird is so afraid, that if he lets go of the stick he will fall and die. The poor bird does not know that if he lets go of the stick he can simply fly. He starts thinking that if he relaxes, he will fall and die; he will fall and break his head. Understand: by the bird's own weight, the stick turns topsy-turvy, upside down. Once it becomes upside down, the poor bird starts thinking, 'If I let go, I may fall and break my head, I may fall and hurt myself, I may fall and just die.' It just hangs and hangs there.

After one or two hours, the hunter slowly comes and puts it in his bag and takes it away. The bird does not know and he does not have the intelligence to realize that if he just relaxes, if he lets go, he can just fly. At the most it may take one or two moments to catch his balance, that's all. Have any of you heard of any bird falling and dying?

No! There is no record that some bird fell and died. There is no record that some bird fell and broke his head. But the bird does not have the intelligence to realize that. It keeps hanging on and does not relax. The poor bird hangs upside down, holding on to the stick, thinking it will fall and die if he lets go. However, by not letting go, not only he loses its freedom, he loses his life too. Just like that foolish bird, you are also thinking that you can be alive only with your identity.

You do not understand that if you let go of your identity, you can become Paramahamsa, great swan; you can just fly. Just like the bird, which does not know he can fly only if he lets go, you also do not know, you can become enlightened if you relax from your identity. The poor bird holding on to the stick for security, not only misses its freedom, when the hunter comes the bird will be taken away from that stick as well.

Same way, whatever you think as your identity - your education, your mind, your life, your relationships, your bank balance – whatever it is that you think as your identity, you think that is your security. By holding on to these, not only do you lose your freedom, not only you lose your enlightenment, but when Yamadharma, the lord of death arrives - he is like the hunter - when he comes, you lose even the stick that you are holding on to for security. Even that will be taken away from you.

So understand, what you think as security is not security. It is a prison. You think your identity is your security. You think it is protecting you, just like the bird thinks that the stick is protecting him. Be very clear, your fear and the bird's fear are just one and the same. The bird does not know that if he relaxes, he can fly; he can escape and have his freedom. In the same way, you do not understand that if you have the courage and let go, if you have the courage and open yourself, you can simply fly. You will be Paramahamsa.

Please understand this one thing: Just like how the bird is not able to trust, how the bird is not able to understand that by letting go or opening up he can fly, you also suffer. You are also afraid, 'If I stop connecting all my experiences in a linear way, if I stop connecting the incidents of my life with pain or pleasure, I may constantly suffer, I may fall into the pain, people may exploit me, how will I maintain my bank balance, how will I maintain my house, how will I extract work from my subordinates?' You have one thousand fears just like the bird.

Please understand, I am telling you from my experience, I was also holding like that. I was also holding like you. Let me tell you, simply let go; you will fly. You will simply fly. Understand this moment, that you are unattached.

Just like how the birds are hanging until the hunter comes and takes him away, you are also waiting for Yama, the Lord of death. Of course, when he comes, you have to let go of the thing to which you are holding on to and he will help you to let go, that's all. Please understand, do not wait for Yama to come. Just let go, just open up. You can simply fly like a bird. You are unattached.

Realize this truth and be liberated. Be established and be in eternal bliss, Nithyananda.

Q : Master, where do thoughts come from, what is their origin? A : I can say how to get rid of the thoughts, but I do not know, I cannot say what the origination is. What causes the origination itself is the question still unanswered. Whoever tried to answer that question created philosophies, not solutions. Whoever answered the question how to get rid of thoughts, created techniques for enlightenment. I do not want to create or contribute to some more philosophy. There is enough of chaos.

See, to create philosophy, all you need to know is three instructions: Just talk whatever you cannot practice. Second, never speak in a simple way and third, never give a solution - you can create philosophy. And if I answered the question, 'What is the origin of thought?' I will be creating one more philosophy. Actually, this question does not have an answer.

Q : How can we leave everything and survive here in this world? We need to make an effort. We need to have our living and everything. How can one do that?

A : Nice question. When you drive, do you plan every step, do you raise the word drive …

Q : There is the practice of driving - you drive, drive and drive. A : In the same way you are trained to be alive.

Q : No. Alive is one thing, but you need to earn a living, you need efforts.

A : Do you know how to breathe? You are programmed for breathing. Let me tell you clearly from my experience and even Vedic rishis have said again and again repeatedly, that if your body is programmed to breathe, your body is programmed to make your living also.

Q : Can I just sit here and earn my bread and butter?

A : First thing, you will not be able to sit here like that. Try to be unclutched. You will have an intelligence, which is simply making your body move and work. Be very clear, always the moment I say un-clutch, you associate it with laziness. No, you have a deep hatred towards working. So you go towards the opposite direction of resting or laziness.

See, the moment I say un-clutch, you think of just lying down on the bed. But you will not be able to just lie down on your bed. Try to unclutch and suddenly you will see, so much of creativity will be expressed through you. So much intelligence will happen through you. You will not become lazy. Be very clear, you will not become lazy.

I talked about the bird earlier. Understand if that bird has little intelligence and flies, relaxes and balances, the bird will know how to escape from this clutch, the trap. Then the same trap will become a hammock for the bird. It can just come and swing; it can come and sit on the same rope and use it like a hammock. The same trap will be a hammock for the bird.

In the same way, when you un-clutch from your identity and fly, you will know how to handle your identity. Now your identity will not be a prison any more. It will become a hammock for you.

Do not think if you un-clutch, you will not practice your profession or you will not do your job. If you are a doctor, do not think if you unclutch, you will not do your doctor's profession. If you un-clutched, there will be only one difference. You will not have the constant irritation, which you carry in your life from morning till night. Whatever profession you are in, the deep irritation, vengeance and arrogance that you carry will be expressed in your body language, in your words, in your step. That is what you are expressing in your body language, in your words, in your questions, in your steps.

If you have little intelligence, I can tell you, just try this simple experiment. Try to be un-clutched just for ten days. Surely in ten days I do not think you will lose your job. Will you lose all your wealth in just ten days? Surely you must have savings enough for ten days. Try to be un-clutched just for ten days. Suddenly you will see that you are not able to be lazy. The tremendous energy you are wasting in worrying, the psychological worrying, and the irritation will become creative energy. You will not work hard, but you will work smart. Understand, clutched person works hard, un-clutched person works smart. Even your idea of doing hard work is pure myth because of clutching.

What is hard work? Before doing simple work, if you plan psychologically ten times, worry if it will happen or not ten more times, and after doing it if you talk and brag about it ten more times, it will become hard work, that's all. Hard work is nothing but doing a small,

simple work, talking about it ten times, planning about it ten times, worrying about whether it will happen or not ten times and after doing it, bragging about it. Otherwise whatever you call hard work is pure myth out of arrogance.

Be very clear I am not sitting quietly. I am not a lazy Swami or a lazy monk in Himalayas. I travel hundred thousand miles per year and I run eight hundred centers in twenty-four countries. Let me tell you honestly just because of un-clutching, so much of creativity and power is being expressed. As of now you waste 90% of your energy in psychological worrying. When I say 90% I mean 90%.

When your ego is hurt, you try to defend your philosophy. Please be very clear about what I say; your ego is hurt. Have little intelligence and look in and be a new being. Just take ten days, not more than that. Drop your idea, hard work myth. You feel important only if you feel you are doing hard work.

In the initial level you have to convince your boss that you are doing hard work. By and by you yourself get convinced that you are doing hard work. Hard work is the ultimate myth.

Let me be very clear, you are not doing hard work at all. That is the first thing you need to understand. You keep on telling your kids, 'I did this for you, I did that for you' so that you can create guilt in them and make them do what you want them to. Actually one father and son came to me. Father said, 'I did this for him. I did that for him. He is not obeying me Master, please tell him.' Son asked me, 'Master, who asked him to give birth to me? He did something and as a by-product I happened. After giving birth he goes on saying, 'I did this and I did that for you.'

Be very clear, we do not do anything for anybody. Not only for others, but also even for ourselves. Hard work is pure myth. Let us understand this simple fact and try just for ten days. Ten days just try to be unclutched. You will see the amount of energy and creativity that comes out of you and expresses through you. You will not able to keep quiet. Just un-clutch; you will not work hard but you will work smart. Thank You.

Q : My question is why do we have questions in the first place if we are un-clutched?

A : Nice question. First thing let us analyze two things. If you understand that you are un-clutched, you will not have questions. If you have questions, at that moment you are not un-clutched. You are trying to clutch on to something.

If you look in and understand that you are un-clutched, naturally you will not have any questions. Where is the question of having questions ? You will not have any thoughts. Just look and see that you are unclutched by your very nature.

THE SUPREME PONTIFF OF HINDUISM BHAGAWAN SRI NITHYANANDA PARAMASHIVAM ("SPH"), Jagatguru Mahasannidhanam ("JGM"), His Divine Holiness ("HDH") Bhagavan Sri Nithyananda Paramashivam, is recognized as the 1008th living incarnation of Paramashiva as per Sanatana Hindu Dharma ("Hinduism") and by His predecessors of enlightened masters and adepts.

The SPH THE SUPREME PONTIFF OF HINDUISM BHAGAWAN SRI NITHYANANDA PARAMASHIVAM is reviving Hinduism as the 1008th Acharya Mahamandaleshwar (the head for all spiritual leaders) of Atal Akhada (ancient apex body of Hinduism), coronated as Mahamandaleshwar (Supreme Spiritual Head) of Maha Nirvani Akhada (largest apex monastic order) and the youngest Mahamandaleshwar, ordained as the 233rd Guru Mahasannidhanam (Pontiff) of Thondai Mandala Aadheenam, ordained as the 293rd Guru Mahasannidhanam (Pontiff) of Shyamalapeeta Sarvajnapeetam, ordained as the 23rd Guru Mahasannidhanam of Dharmamukthi Swargapuram Aadheenam, and coronated as the 203rd Emperor of Suryavamsa Surangi Samrajyam.

The Srimad Karana Agama, Purva bhaga, Patala 71, Sakalotpatti vidhi, Sloka 8 & 9 (Sacred Ancient Hindu scripture) declares:

इत्येवं नि ष्कळं प्रो क्तं परं भा वमि ति स्मृतम्। सृष्टि स्थं लो करक्षा र्थं लो कस्यो त्पत्ति का रणम्।। सा धका नां हि ता र्थं तु स्वेच्छया गृह्णते तनुः ।

In this way (Shiva) who is Nishkala - without any body and parts, who is the Ultimate Supreme Being, who is established in the Creation, who is the Cause of the creation of the Universe, assumes a body out of His Free Will for the protection of the Universe, and for the welfare of the Spiritual seekers and Devotees.

The SPH THE SUPREME PONTIFF OF HINDUISM BHAGAWAN SRI NITHYANANDA PARAMASHIVAM is the reigning spiritual emperor of 17 ancient traditional Hindu kingdoms and the reviver of the most ancient, most peaceful, still-living and long-lasting demonstrable system that shows the possibility of peaceful co-existence amongst people. Following the coronation to establish KAILASA worldwide at the age of 16, for the past 27 years, The SPH THE SUPREME PONTIFF OF HINDUISM BHAGAWAN SRI NITHYANANDA PARAMASHIVAM, as the face of the unified Hindus, has been single-handedly, tirelessly inspiring the dispossessed Hindu Diaspora to reclaim their Hindu centric freedom and stand unified for the centuries-old Hindu genocide.

The 1008th living incarnation of Paramaśiva, The SPH THE SUPREME PONTIFF OF HINDUISM BHAGAWAN SRI NITHYANANDA PARAMASHIVAM stands as the unifying force for the 2 billion born and practicing Hindu diaspora worldwide and established the Hindu State, KAILASA for the persecuted Hindus in over 100 countries.

The SPH THE SUPREME PONTIFF OF HINDUISM BHAGAWAN SRI NITHYANANDA PARAMASHIVAM has made resolute efforts towards recognizing and legitimizing the Hindu genocide which has been receiving scant consideration by global leaders and international bodies, The SPH THE SUPREME PONTIFF OF HINDUISM BHAGAWAN SRI NITHYANANDA PARAMASHIVAM founded KAILASA Uniting Nations. For the past 27 years, this international body has been responsible in building relations, bridging dialogs, inspiring leaders, uniting nations towards acknowledging the Hindu policies which are universal, life positive as referenced from the ancient text of Hinduism. This is the 'ahimsa' (non-violent) way of bringing acknowledgment to the horrors of the Hindu genocide, the untold facts of the darkest act of mankind on Earth to the most contributing civilization - KAILASA.

KAILASA is an apolitical nation whose vision is enlightened living for all. Towards this goal, KAILASA is the only Hindu nation on planet Earth today bringing legitimacy to the principles of Hinduism. Social principles, economic principles, judicial principles, Hindu medical principles, and Hindu economic principles. KAILASA is THE SUPREME PONTIFF OF HINDUISM BHAGAWAN SRI NITHYANANDA PARAMASHIVAM's response to humanity's global problems of poverty, hunger, illiteracy, disease, violence and global warming and the continuing ethnocide and genocide of over 80 million Hindus worldwide since 7 centuries.

Over the last 50 years, the effects of meditation and its significant impact on stress, crime rates, violence, political decision making and even war in local and global consciousness is well established. Unfortunately, in the last two hundred years, forcibly we are made to believe Hinduism is a functional principle only for enlightenment and spirituality. It is absolutely dysfunctional for the political, social, economical system. Making Hindu family structure, Hindu social structure dysfunctional is the greatest crime done against humanity.

Sanatana Hindu Dharma has faced both historical and ongoing religious persecution and systematic violence, in various forms including assassination attempts on living incarnations, targeted elimination of Hindu pontiffs through bio war and lawfare, cyberbullying, Hindu phobia, forced conversions, documented massacres, demolitions, desecration and grabbing of worship temples and monasteries, looting of Hindu temples properties, destruction of Hindu educational institutions, elimination of well known Hindu libraries, the gross violation to the freedom to practice the Hindu school of liberated thinking (Sankhya), Hindu schools of living enlightenment (Jeevan Mukthi), gross violations of the right to freedom of religion that includes violations of the right to life, personal Hindu integrity or personal Hindu liberty, mass execution, looting and enslavement.

Hinduism was once practiced freely in over 56 nations across the continent from Afghanistan, Bharat, Nepal, Burma, Sri Lanka, all the way to Singapore, Malaysia, and Cambodia and Indonesia, and in 200 states, 1700 samasthanas (provinces) and 10,000 sampradayas (traditions). Over several centuries the combined forces of foreign invasion, political upheaval, colonialism and religious persecution systematically ended millennia of Hindu Swarajya, or self-rule. Today Hindu temples remain in a few countries but the Hindus who worshiped in them have been ethnically cleansed.

The revival of Hinduism through the civilizational nation of KAILASA globally irked vested interests of atheistic terrorist militant elements, caste supremacist terrorists and other anti-Hindu forces who executed a massive persecution and genocide on SPH and His followers on

2 March 2010 that continued for the next whole decade and comprised of over 70 assassination attempts, over 250 sexual assaults on SPH and his monks and disciples, lawfare of 120 false cases over 10 years, massive hate propaganda in electronic media of over 14,000 hours and print media of over 25,000 articles in 5 years, destruction of heritage properties worth over 27 million USD, and the continuing ethnocide and genocide of over 80 million Hindus worldwide since 7 centuries. Specifically, the lawfare involved:

Delegitimizing SPH by hate propaganda, disenfranchising Him of His civil and human rights, prejudicing Him from fair representation and fair trial

Repeated illegal imprisonment, with brazen torture, custodial assassination attempts, supported by system justification in various forms, including the common processes of bureaucracy, indifference, self-deception, diffused responsibility and has resulted in continued systemic complicity with torture, murder and genocide

Well-planned multi-layer false hate propaganda by the 'fourth estate' media sustained by moral disengagement, leaving the broader public in a state of willful ignorance, motivated denial, out-group victim-blaming, dehumanization and bystander apathy to even genocide.

THE SUPREME PONTIFF OF HINDUISM BHAGAWAN SRI NITHYANANDA PARAMASHIVAM stands in solidarity with the untold, multi-level social, political, intellectual, religious, cultural, linguistic, economic, legal, digital persecution done to Hinduism and faced by Hindus and Hindu minorities worldwide for the past several thousands of years continues through the modern day. THE SUPREME PONTIFF OF HINDUISM BHAGAWAN SRI NITHYANANDA PARAMASHIVAM has been recently acknowledged by the United Nations for the persecution of The SPH and the KAILASA global community, especially the affected women and children.

The KAILASA with de facto spiritual embassies operating across over 100 countries and having presence across the globe as the largest spiritual knowledge source on Hinduism is spiritually governed with the life positive, all-inclusive, universal policies sourced from Hinduism revived by THE SUPREME PONTIFF OF HINDUISM BHAGAWAN SRI NITHYANANDA PARAMASHIVAM. Having enriched and enreached more than one billion individuals over the past 27 years the KAILASA raises the voice to protect Hindus, defend Hindus and preserve the Hindu narrative for the world.