89. Mind survives on Past and Future🔗

Many times people ask me, 'Swamiji, what is the beginning of spiritual practice, and what is the end of the spiritual practice?' I tell them, 'There is no such thing as beginning or end. Beginning and end are both the same, which is NOW. All you need to have is intensity.' When intensity happens, suddenly you will not bother about the end. You will be in the end now! You will be in the present moment.

Meditation is all about penetrating the mind and going beyond it. As long as you have an idea about the future, as long as you have an idea called future, your mind will continue to survive; it will continue to be alive. It will continue to postpone the happening. It will play all possible games. Same way with the past. Sometimes I hear people saying, 'Do you know? I have been meditating for the last twelve years. I have been a seeker for last thirty-five years.' Actually, there is nothing to brag about it in that. It is not a matter of pride. It's a shame! Please understand, this is the way your mind cheats you. As long as there is a beginning or an end, as long as there is a boundary, be very clear, you are bound.

As I said, your mind always wants some change. As long as there is some hope for change, your mind will continue to survive. It will say, 'Twelve years; after that I can relax. I will be enlightened or I will be whatever, and I can relax.' It will wait, wait, wait. Every day it will push, 'Oh, one day is over. Two days are over.' That very hope keeps it alive. When you decide to meditate forever, the mind understands, 'Anyhow, I have to meditate forever. Then why not do it now, intensely?' That is what happened for Buddha. One day Buddha understood this game of the mind. And the click happened, and he feel into the present moment and was

enlightened.

CONTEMPLATION

As long as I have an idea about the future, my mind will continue to survive.