blog 1

Three types of aspirants

Synopsis

There are three types of aspirants: Uttama, Madhyama, and Adhama Adhikaris. To three classes of aspirants, Raja Yoga prescribes three kinds of Sadhana. To the Uttama Adhikari (first-class aspirant), Raja Yoga prescribes Abhyasa and Vairagya. He practices meditation on the Self; he practices Chitta-Vritti-Nirodha (restraining the modification of the mind-stuff) and soon enters into Samadhi. This is practice (Abhyasa) sustained by Vairagya.

By Swami Sivananda, ET

Raja Yoga is the royal road to freedom from misery.... Practice from today. Never miss a day. Remember, each day brings you nearer to the end of earthly existence as human being. The cause of this misery is Avidya. When the sun of discrimination arises within, the Purusha realises that He is distinct from Prakriti, that He is independent and unaffected. Raja Yoga gives you a most practical method of bringing about this exalted state.

According to Raja Yoga, there are three types of aspirants: Uttama, Madhyama, and Adhama Adhikaris. To three classes of aspirants, Raja Yoga prescribes three kinds of Sadhana. To the Uttama Adhikari (first-class aspirant), Raja Yoga prescribes Abhyasa and Vairagya. He practices meditation on the Self; he practices Chitta-Vritti-Nirodha (restraining the modification of the mind-stuff) and soon enters into Samadhi. This is practice (Abhyasa) sustained by Vairagya.

To the Madhyama Adhikari (middling aspirant), Raja Yoga prescribes the Kriya Yoga: Tapas, Svadhyaya and Ishvarapranidhana. Tapas is austerity. Egolessness and selfless service are the greatest forms of Tapas. Humility and desirelessness are the greatest forms of austerity. Practice these through ceaseless, untiring, selfless service.

To the Adhama Adhikari, lowest kind of aspirant, Raja Yoga prescribes Ashtanga Yog, or the eightfold Sadhana: Yam, Niyam, Asana, Pranayam, Pratyahar, Dharana, Dhyan, and Samadhi.

experience

ENLIGHTENMENT (3 stages of)
Osho in I say unto you, vol.1

Mini-Satori: This is when the first glimpse happens. When, for the first time, for a single moment mind is not functioning, there is a gap -- no thought between you and existence---and the meeting, merging, the communion... but for a moment. And from that moment the seed will be in your heart and growing.

Satori is what I call the second stage. It is when you have become capable of retaining this gap as long as you want. For hours together, days, you can remain in this interval, in this utter aloneness, in God, with God, as God. But a little effort is still needed on your part. Whenever you want you can create that milieu in you which brings it. You can relax, if it comes in relaxation; you can dance if it comes in dance. You can go under the sky if it comes there. You can watch a rose flower if it happens there. You can go and float in a river if it happens there. That's how all the methods have been discovered. They have been discovered by people when they found out that in a certain situation it happens. It is almost like your radio or like your TV: it is always there, sounds are always passing; you just have to tune the radio to a certain station -- and the song, and the news. But still, effort is needed to tune. You are not continuously tuned on your own, you have to work it out. Some days it is easy, some days it is hard. If you are in a negative mood it is hard, if you are angry, it is hard. If you are loving it is easier. In the early morning it is easier, in the evening it is more difficult. Alone on a mountain it is easier, in the market-place it is more difficult.

Samadhi: When you become so capable of finding it that any moment, whenever you want it -- not a single moment is lost -- you immediately can pinpoint it, then the third thing happens. It becomes a natural quality.

Self

We go round and round in search of atma [Self] saying, 

`Where is atma? 

Where is it ? 

till at last the dawn of jnana drishti [vision of knowledge] is reached, and we say, 

`This is atma this is me.' 

We should acquire that vision. 

When once that vision is reached, there will be no attachments even if one mixes with the world and moves about in it. 

When once you put on shoes your feet do not feel the pain of walking on any number of stones or thorns on the way. You walk about without fear or care, even if there are mountains on the way. 

In the same way, everything will be natural to those who have attained jnana drishti. 

WHAT IS THERE APART FROM ONE'S OWN SELF ? 

 Q: The natural state can be known only after all this worldly vision Subsides. But how is it to subside ? 

 A: If the mind subsides, the whole world subsides. Mind is the cause of all this. If that subsides, the natural state presents itself. 

The Self proclaims itself at all times as `I, I'. 

It is self- luminous. 

It is here. 

All this is that. 

We are in that only. 

Being in it, why search for it ? 

The ancients say: 

`Making the vision absorbed in jnana one sees the world as Brahman.`

~ Be as you are. The teachings of Sri Ramana Maharshi edited by David Godman.

who i am

 When you have time and you're not concentrating on your work, 

ask yourself again 

“Who works? 

I do. 

Who am I?" 

You do this all day long. 

When you go home, 

you're eating supper, you ask yourself 

“Who eats supper? 

I do? 

Who am I?" 

As you’re going to sleep, you ask yourself “Who’s going to sleep? 

I am? 

Who am I?" 

By the way, if you've got insomnia this is the best thing you can ever do for yourself. It’ll make you fall asleep right away. 

As you practice this way, something very interesting is going to transpire. As the days pass, as the weeks pass, you 

will notice that you're asking the question less and less. 

You're saying “Who am I?" and now five minutes pass, ten minutes pass, and there are no thoughts. 

In the effortless no-thought stage there is total happiness. 

You find you're just happy for no reason at all. 

You can be going through the worst calamity physically, but yet you have a happiness you've never felt before. And your work is being done more efficiently. You're no longer reacting to  person, place or thing. 

You just feel good. 

How long does it take before you become awakened and liberated? 

This is determined by the effort you put into it. 

If you inquire only in the morning, you've got a long way to go. 

If you inquire all day long, you can never tell what's  going to happen, but I can assure you that your life will change drastically. 

It has to. You know why? 

Because you  have no time to think of your problems. You have no time to think of the world. 

When your mind is not thinking of 

your problems or the world, it becomes weaker and weaker, and your problems become less and less important. You 

become a blissful, beautiful person. 

You have to do it. 

I can lead you to the goldmine, but you have to do the digging. I can share these things with you, 

but unless you do it yourself, you will never know that your real state of mind is consciousness. 

Your mind is really consciousness. 

You are pure awareness, absolute reality. You are sat-chit-ananda. 

You were never born, you can never die. You will live for ever, just as you are now, as the self. 

Prove this to yourself. 

Find out for yourself. 

Do not believe what I say. 

Do the practice and see what happens. 

~ The Collected Works of Robert Adams Volume 1

# Absolute Nothingness

Liberation

What is meant by liberation? Do the heavenly worlds and heavenly bliss exist somewhere else in the sky? Are they to be experienced in some other world and some other body after leaving this world and the body?  The Heart alone is the supreme world.  Tranquility, in the form of supreme silence, is alone the supreme bliss or the happiness of liberation. The cessation of all worries is the attainment of the supreme truth. By the state of being - consciousness the great life of supreme bliss can be attained at all times in this world and in this very body.

The Power of The Presence

no effort

Making an effort is easier for you because

this is what you are accustomed to. You

have been trained in effort, and you want

to continue in that effort because this is

all you know how to do. You come to

the spiritual path and you think you

can succeed here by effort.

I am telling you not to make an effort.

For freedom you don't need to make an

effort, you just need to keep quiet. Forget

everything you have learned so far. Forget

everything that you have heard or read;

forget any advice that people or prophets

have been giving you. Forget everything

and look at your own Self. Forget

everything that has happened up to the

present moment, and then tell me, 'What

do you lack?' If you forget everything,

everything you have read, heard and

done up till this present moment,

what's left?

🌺 Papaji

think

Think about the events that happened to you ten years ago. 

What remains of all that occurred, all the suffering and heartbreak, all the joy and affection? Where has it all gone? 

It has disappeared just as though it had never existed. The same thing is happening to your experience today. This very moment has arrived, bringing with it its particular experience, only to disappear almost instantly. When death comes to the body, what will the whole life have amounted to? What will be the sum total of reality that has been accumulated through these passing experiences? 

The answer is zero. Nothing happens and nothing has ever happened. It was all a dream. Only the unchanging background, against which all these experiences appear and fade, is real. 

🌷 Ranjit Maharaj

The Way of The Bird

God

 Swami Yogananda with four others arrived at 8.45 a.m. He looks big, but gentle and well-groomed. He has dark flowing hair, hanging over his shoulders. The group had lunch in the Asramam.

Mr. C. R. Wright, his secretary, asked: 

How shall I realise God?

Maharshi.: God is an unknown entity. Moreover He is external. Whereas, the Self is always with you and it is you. Why do you leave out what is intimate and go in for what is external?

D.: What is this Self again?

M.: The Self is known to everyone but not clearly. You always exist. The Being is the Self. ‘I am’ is the name of God. Of all the definitions of God, none is indeed so well put as the Biblical statement 

“I AM THAT I AM” in EXODUS (Chap. 3). There are other statements, such as Brahmaivaham, Aham Brahmasmi and 

Soham. But none is so direct as the name JEHOVAH = I AM.

The Absolute Being is what is - It is the Self. It is God. 

Knowing the Self, God is known. In fact God is none other than the Self.

🔱 Talks with Sri Ramana Maharshi.  Talk 106.

post 8 osho drop knowledge

 Drop knowledge, forget scriptures, forget religions, theologies, philosophies… be born again. Become innocent and it is in your hands. Clean your minds from what you don’t know for youself, all that is borrowed, all that has come by tradition, convention. Given by others, parents, teachers, universities… drop all that. Once again be simple, a child… and this miracle is possible by meditation. Meditation is simply a strange surgical method which cuts you away from what is not yours. Saves only that which is your authentic being and burns everything else, leaves you standing naked, alone under the sun, in the wind. As if you’re the first man, who knows nothing, who has to discover everything, who has to be a seeker, to go on a pilgrimage.

🤍 OshO

post 6

When you really understand the limitations of your physical level and your mental level, then you become really thirsty to get into the spiritual level. Then, you know that what you have known, what you have learned and what you have understood all these years is just NOTHING. You become, actually, NOTHING, in the words of the Zen philosophy: you have to become nothing. Until this stage, you feel that you are something. Don't we hear people saying, "Oh, he or she is really something"? But that something should become nothing. When we really become NOTHING, then we get into a sphere where we become EVERYTHING. And that nothingness is expressed as devotion, faith, respect and humility. It really takes a lot of courage to let go and to be nothing.

-Sri Swami Satchidananda

🕉️🙏🪷

post 5 mooji faith

"If in your heart you have chosen Truth, then trust your experience because something guides and protects you. When your search is genuine and your heart is humble, life protects you. But if you keep some arrogance, be sure trouble will come." Mooji

post 4 give up body mind ego

Never allow anything in this world to ever frighten you. Allow things to unfold as they may. Remember you just watch and observe, hold on to the truth. Happiness will come of its own accord. When you hold on to the truth, when you do not react to life's conditions, person, place or thing, when you leave things alone and you stop fighting life, you're not giving up.

In the Western psychology, we're told that you never give up. We are taught to keep on fighting. But I'm telling you there is nothing to fight, and the only thing you're giving up is your ego. Western psychology has never gone beyond this. Therefore they do not know of life beyond this. Western psychology works in the presumption that you are a body and a mind, so naturally they tell you never give up, fight to the end. Stick up for your rights.

But in the highest teachings of the truth we learn that you have no rights. You're giving up your body, your ego, your mind, and when this happens, you go beyond psychology. Something happens that psychiatry, psychology are not aware of whatsoever. And that is you rise to a higher dimension, where there is happiness, and peace, and compassion, and love, joy, that is naturally yours. You begin to feel these things instead of the things you felt before. Prior to this, when you were fighting life, when you were sticking up for your rights, when you were trying to get even, when you were working as an ego, you were never able to feel happiness or joy or peace. Only sometimes, when you won, when you got your point across, when you won an argument, when you won a fight, when you sued someone and won, you felt happy for a while, but it didn't last long, and you have to go through it again and again. But this is as far as the world goes. It doesn't know anything else but this. 

What I'm saying to you, let go of everything. Do not hold on. Stand naked before God, without any crutches, without anything to hold on to. When you can do this, from this moment on you will begin to rise. And you will become aware that you are not the body, or the mind, or the world, or the universe, but you are effortless choice-less pure awareness. You are boundless space, infinite like the sky. You have become everything, and everything has become you. Work on yourself.

Robert Adams

post 3 i am not body

From ~~~ Shankaracharya : Vivekachudamani.

This work by Shankaracharya, together with the

Drik Drisya Viveka, was translated into Tamil prose by Bhagavan

while he was still living in Virupaksha Cave. It is a very free

translation, even the order of the paragraphs being changed

to some extent. (The Collected Works of Sri Ramana Maharshi.)

The ‘I am the body’ idea is the seed of all sorrow. Therefore,

just as you do not identify yourself with your shadow body,

image body, dream body, or the body that you have in your

imagination, cease also to associate the Self in any way with

the body of skin, flesh, and bones. Make every effort to root

out this error and holding fast to the knowledge of reality as

the absolute Brahman, destroy the mind and obtain supreme

peace. Then you will have no more births. Even a learned

scholar who perfectly understands the meaning of Vedanta

has no hope of liberation if, owing to delusion, he cannot

give up the idea of the nonexistent body as the Self.

~~~~~~

post 2 i as awareness

Devotee.: Seeking the ‘I’ there is nothing to be seen.

Maharshi.: Because you are accustomed to identify yourself with the body and sight with the eyes, therefore, you say you do not see anything. 

What is there to be seen? 

Who is to see? 

How to see? 

There is only one consciousness which, manifesting as ‘I-thought’, identifies itself with the body, projects itself through the eyes and sees the objects around. 

The individual is limited in the waking state and expects to see something different. 

The evidence of his senses will be the seal of authority. But he will not admit that the seer, the seen and the sight are all manifestations of the same consciousness - namely, ‘I-I’. 

Contemplation helps one to overcome the illusion that the Self must be visual. 

In truth, there is nothing visual. 

How do you feel the ‘I’ now? 

Do you hold a mirror before you to know your own being? 

The awareness is the ‘I’. 

Realise it and that is the truth.

D.: On enquiry into the origin of thoughts there is a perception of ‘I’. 

But it does not satisfy me.

M.: Quite right. The perception of ‘I’ is associated with a form, maybe the body. There should be nothing associated with the pure Self. 

The Self is the unassociated, pure Reality, in whose light, the body, the ego, etc. shine. 

On stilling all thoughts the pure consciousness remains over.

Just on waking from sleep and before becoming aware of the world there is that pure ‘I-I’. Hold to it without sleeping or without allowing thoughts to possess you. If that is held firm it does not matter even though the world is seen. The seer remains unaffected by the phenomena.

- Talks with Sri Ramana Maharshi. Talk 196.

silence

SILENCE, WHICH IS DEVOID OF THE ASSERTIVE EGO, ALONE IS LIBERATION.

The pure state 

of being attached to grace [Self], 

which is devoid of any attachment, 

alone is one's own state of SILENCE, 

which is devoid of any other thing. 

Know that one's ever abiding 

as that SILENCE, 

having experienced it as it is, 

alone is true mental worship [manasika-puja]. 

Know that the performance 

of the unceasing, true and natural worship 

in which the mind is submissively established as the one Self, 

having installed the Lord 

on the Heartthrone, 

is SILENCE, 

the best of all forms of worship. 

Silence, which is devoid of the assertive ego, alone is liberation. . 

- The teachings of Sri Ramana Maharshi. 

Be as you are edited by David Godman.

ego

On the other hand, when the jnani's ego rises, he enjoys his transcendental experience with this ego, keeping his focus always on its source. His ego is not dangerous — it is only the ash-skeleton of a burnt rope; although it possesses a form it is ineffective. By constantly keeping our focus on our source, our ego is dissolved.

- CONSCIOUS IMMORTALITY

born alone osho

"We are born alone, we die alone"
Aloneness and silence are two aspects of one experience, two sides of the same coin. If one wants to experience silence one has to go into one’s total aloneness. It is there.
We are born alone, we die alone. Between these two realities we create a thousand and one illusions of being together — all kinds of relationships, friends, and enemies, loves and hates, nations, races, and religions. We create all kinds of hallucinations just to avoid one fact: that we are alone. But whatsoever we do, the truth cannot be changed. It is so, and rather than trying to escape from it the best way is to rejoice in it.
Rejoicing in your own aloneness is what meditation is all about. The meditator is one who dives deep into one’s aloneness, knowing that we are born alone, we will be dying alone, and deep down we are living alone. So why not experience what this aloneness is? It is our very nature, our very being.
Osho,
The Sound of One Hand Clapping, Ch 14
An inside journey is a journey towards absolute aloneness; you cannot take anybody there with you. You cannot share your center with anybody, not even with your beloved. It is not in the nature of things; nothing can be done about it. It is easier to go to the moon because you can have company. Even if you don’t have a company you can have a connection with the earth; you can phone the people here. You can get directions from the outside, from the far away earth, but still, you are connected. The moment you go in, all connections with the outside world are broken; all bridges are broken. In fact, the whole world disappears.
That’s why the mystics have called the world illusory, Maya, not that it does not exist but for the meditator, one who goes in, it is almost as if it does not exist. The silence is so profound; no noise penetrates it. The aloneness is so deep that one needs guts. But out of that aloneness explodes bliss. Out of that aloneness, the experience of god. There is no other way; there has never been any and there is never going to be.
Osho, ❤💞🙏🙏😍❤
Just the Tip of the Iceberg, Ch 18

truth Robert

Never allow anything in this world to ever frighten you. Allow things to unfold as they may. Remember you just watch and observe, hold on to the truth. Happiness will come of its own accord. When you hold on to the truth, when you do not react to life's conditions, person, place or thing, when you leave things alone and you stop fighting life, you're not giving up.

In the Western psychology, we're told that you never give up. We are taught to keep on fighting. But I'm telling you there is nothing to fight, and the only thing you're giving up is your ego. Western psychology has never gone beyond this. Therefore they do not know of life beyond this. Western psychology works in the presumption that you are a body and a mind, so naturally they tell you never give up, fight to the end. Stick up for your rights.

But in the highest teachings of the truth we learn that you have no rights. You're giving up your body, your ego, your mind, and when this happens, you go beyond psychology. Something happens that psychiatry, psychology are not aware of whatsoever. And that is you rise to a higher dimension, where there is happiness, and peace, and compassion, and love, joy, that is naturally yours. You begin to feel these things instead of the things you felt before. Prior to this, when you were fighting life, when you were sticking up for your rights, when you were trying to get even, when you were working as an ego, you were never able to feel happiness or joy or peace. Only sometimes, when you won, when you got your point across, when you won an argument, when you won a fight, when you sued someone and won, you felt happy for a while, but it didn't last long, and you have to go through it again and again. But this is as far as the world goes. It doesn't know anything else but this.

What I'm saying to you, let go of everything. Do not hold on. Stand naked before God, without any crutches, without anything to hold on to. When you can do this, from this moment on you will begin to rise. And you will become aware that you are not the body, or the mind, or the world, or the universe, but you are effortless choice-less pure awareness. You are boundless space, infinite like the sky. You have become everything, and everything has become you. Work on yourself.

Robert Adams

silence

SILENCE, WHICH IS DEVOID OF THE ASSERTIVE EGO, ALONE IS LIBERATION.

The pure state 

of being attached to grace [Self], 

which is devoid of any attachment, 

alone is one's own state of SILENCE, 

which is devoid of any other thing. 

Know that one's ever abiding 

as that SILENCE, 

having experienced it as it is, 

alone is true mental worship [manasika-puja]. 

Know that the performance 

of the unceasing, true and natural worship 

in which the mind is submissively established as the one Self, 

having installed the Lord 

on the Heartthrone, 

is SILENCE, 

the best of all forms of worship. 

Silence, which is devoid of the assertive ego, alone is liberation. . 

- The teachings of Sri Ramana Maharshi. 

Be as you are edited by David Godman.

book 1

Sacred Guide eBook:
"We are born alone, we die alone"
Aloneness and silence are two aspects of one experience, two sides of the same coin. If one wants to experience silence one has to go into one’s total aloneness. It is there.
We are born alone, we die alone. Between these two realities we create a thousand and one illusions of being together — all kinds of relationships, friends, and enemies, loves and hates, nations, races, and religions. We create all kinds of hallucinations just to avoid one fact: that we are alone. But whatsoever we do, the truth cannot be changed. It is so, and rather than trying to escape from it the best way is to rejoice in it.
Rejoicing in your own aloneness is what meditation is all about. The meditator is one who dives deep into one’s aloneness, knowing that we are born alone, we will be dying alone, and deep down we are living alone. So why not experience what this aloneness is? It is our very nature, our very being.
Osho,
The Sound of One Hand Clapping, Ch 14
An inside journey is a journey towards absolute aloneness; you cannot take anybody there with you. You cannot share your center with anybody, not even with your beloved. It is not in the nature of things; nothing can be done about it. It is easier to go to the moon because you can have company. Even if you don’t have a company you can have a connection with the earth; you can phone the people here. You can get directions from the outside, from the far away earth, but still, you are connected. The moment you go in, all connections with the outside world are broken; all bridges are broken. In fact, the whole world disappears.
That’s why the mystics have called the world illusory, Maya, not that it does not exist but for the meditator, one who goes in, it is almost as if it does not exist. The silence is so profound; no noise penetrates it. The aloneness is so deep that one needs guts. But out of that aloneness explodes bliss. Out of that aloneness, the experience of god. There is no other way; there has never been any and there is never going to be.
Osho, ❤💞🙏🙏😍❤
Just the Tip of the Iceberg, Ch 18

Never allow anything in this world to ever frighten you. Allow things to unfold as they may. Remember you just watch and observe, hold on to the truth. Happiness will come of its own accord. When you hold on to the truth, when you do not react to life's conditions, person, place or thing, when you leave things alone and you stop fighting life, you're not giving up.

In the Western psychology, we're told that you never give up. We are taught to keep on fighting. But I'm telling you there is nothing to fight, and the only thing you're giving up is your ego. Western psychology has never gone beyond this. Therefore they do not know of life beyond this. Western psychology works in the presumption that you are a body and a mind, so naturally they tell you never give up, fight to the end. Stick up for your rights.

But in the highest teachings of the truth we learn that you have no rights. You're giving up your body, your ego, your mind, and when this happens, you go beyond psychology. Something happens that psychiatry, psychology are not aware of whatsoever. And that is you rise to a higher dimension, where there is happiness, and peace, and compassion, and love, joy, that is naturally yours. You begin to feel these things instead of the things you felt before. Prior to this, when you were fighting life, when you were sticking up for your rights, when you were trying to get even, when you were working as an ego, you were never able to feel happiness or joy or peace. Only sometimes, when you won, when you got your point across, when you won an argument, when you won a fight, when you sued someone and won, you felt happy for a while, but it didn't last long, and you have to go through it again and again. But this is as far as the world goes. It doesn't know anything else but this.

What I'm saying to you, let go of everything. Do not hold on. Stand naked before God, without any crutches, without anything to hold on to. When you can do this, from this moment on you will begin to rise. And you will become aware that you are not the body, or the mind, or the world, or the universe, but you are effortless choice-less pure awareness. You are boundless space, infinite like the sky. You have become everything, and everything has become you. Work on yourself.

Robert Adams

CONVERSATIONS WITH ANNAMALAI SWAMI

Q: I am trying to surrender to the Guru. How can I tell if I am succeeding? It is very easy to say ‘I’ surrender' but this is only a verbal statement. It doesn’t mean that real surrender has taken place. I think that I have achieved some success with my practice but how can I be sure?

AS: If you have really surrendered to the Guru you will see the Guru in all forms. Wherever you go you will only see the Guru.

If your mind is not steady it means that your surrender is not complete. Your Guru may take several forms. If your destiny is to go to several different places, your Guru may take the form of different saints. But even if he does there is still only one Guru because the Guru is the formless Self. You must learn to see the Guru in all things; you must learn to see the Guru everywhere.

Kunju Swami once visited Quilon Math. On returning he told Bhagavan that he had not done namaskaram to the Guru of the math. Bhagavan told him, 'Why do you limit Bhagavan to this form? The Guru is one not many.'

Seshadri Swami was once seen doing namaskaram to a donkey. When he was asked why, he replied, ‘This is not a donkey, it is Brahman.’
On another occasion when somebody asked him why he was staring at a buffalo he replied, 'I don't see any buffalo, I only see Brahman.’

- Living by the Words of Bhagavan, p 292, 293
- photo: Seshadri Swami

"If in your heart you have chosen Truth, then trust your experience because something guides and protects you. When your search is genuine and your heart is humble, life protects you. But if you keep some arrogance, be sure trouble will come." Mooji

“ Live life in a relaxed way ,
with no hurry , with no worry ,
as if nothing is serious ,
living life joyously , playfully ,
from moment to moment ,
not bothering about the past ,
not bothering about the future
either ,
not bothering at all !
Whatsoever happens is good ,
and whatsoever does not happen
is also good.
Taking things
with such calmness
and equanimity brings
a restful spirit.
Slowly slowly
the whole turmoil settles ,
and suddenly there is bliss
out of nowhere ,
it starts welling up.
You become flooded with light ,
with life , with love.
Those are the three dimensions
of bliss.
It makes you more lightfull ,
makes you more lifefull ,
makes you more lovefull.
And when all these three ‘ L ’s
are learned ,
one has arrived home ! ”

  ------- Osho

The sage experiences that he is the body, just as the ignorant person does. The difference is that the ignorant one believes that the Self is confined to the body, whereas the sage knows that the body cannot remain apart from the Self. The Self is infinite for him and also includes the body.

A jnani does not feel oppressed by his body. Did those jnanis who lived in bodies and wrote sacred books cease to be jnanis?
The realized ones do not think or plan for the future. They let the future take care of itself. For them the future is in the present.

A jnani crushes the ego at its source. It rises up again and again, for him too as for the ignorant, impelled by nature, i.e. prarabdha. Both in the ignorant and in the jnani, ego sprouts, but with this difference: the former's ego is quite ignorant of its source, and is not aware of its deep sleep in the dream and waking states.

On the other hand, when the jnani's ego rises, he enjoys his transcendental experience with this ego, keeping his focus always on its source. His ego is not dangerous — it is only the ash-skeleton of a burnt rope; although it possesses a form it is ineffective. By constantly keeping our focus on our source, our ego is dissolved.

- CONSCIOUS IMMORTALITY

self papaji

When one abides as the Self, 

some divine power takes charge of one´s life. 

All actions then take place spontaneously, and

are performed very efficiently, without

any mental effort or activity.

~ Papaji

renunciation

Renunciation is always in the mind, not in going to the forest or solitary places, or giving up one’s duties. The main thing is to see that the mind does not turn outward but inward. It does not really rest with a man whether he goes to this place or that, or whether he gives up his duties or not. All that happens according to destiny.

All the activities that the body is to go through are determined when it first comes into existence. It does not rest with you to accept or reject them. The only freedom you have is to turn your mind inward and renounce activities there. Nobody can say why that freedom alone and no other freedom is left to man. That is the Divine scheme.

Giving up activities means giving up attachment to activities or the fruits thereof, giving up the notion ‘I am the doer’. The activities which this body is destined to perform will have to be gone through. There is no question of giving up such activities, whether one likes it or not.

~ Sri Bhagavan

osho

silent Robert Adams

The whole idea is to be silent. Not to add affirmations or words to your garbage pail. It is already filled with garbage. By garbage, I mean preconceived ideas, dogmas, opinions, samskaras from previous lives, you're filled with these things, and you are a reacting machine, you react, that is what you do all day is react, react, react. Therefore, when you try to learn more knowledge and you read more books, all you're doing is adding on to the garbage pail. Of course, most of you realize, the highest truth is to delete, not to add. To get rid of the things you believe in now. So empty yourself out totally and completely. All of your ideas, your feelings, all have to be emptied out of you. When you become totally and completely empty, there is nothing you have to do to fill it up again. 

Emptiness is realization. 

Emptiness is Brahman. 

Emptiness is the Self. 

Emptiness is your real nature.

~Robert Adams

osho

Osho Says:  "I have seen people doing just the wrong thing. From the very early morning they get out of bed complaining, gloomy, sad, depressed, miserable. Then one thing leads to another -- and for nothing they get angry... it is very bad because it will change your climate for the whole day, it will set a pattern for the whole day. 

Zen people are more sane. In their insanity they are saner than you. They start with laughter... and then the whole day you will feel laughter bubbling, welling up. There are so many ridiculous things happening all over! God must be dying of His laughter -- down the centuries, for eternity, seeing this ridiculousness of the world. 

The people that He has created, and all the absurdities -- it is really a comedy. He must be laughing. If you become silent after your laughter, one day you will hear God also laughing, you will hear the whole existence laughing -- trees and stones and stars with you. 

And the Zen monk goes to sleep in the night again with laughter. The day is over, the drama is closed again -- with laughter he says "Goodbye, and if I survive again, tomorrow morning I will greet you again with laughter." 

Try it! Start and finish your day with laughter, and you will see, by and by, in between these two more and more laughter starts happening. And the more laughing you become, the more religious."

OSHO

solitude

“Without solitude God cannot be found. Those who are striving to attain to the Supreme Being by meditation in silence and freedom from ties will find the Himalayas a most congenial abode. Braced by the grandeur and magnificence of nature, enve­loped in its stillness, it becomes easy to contemplate Infinity, one spontaneously dives into the depths of the Self.

Those, on the other hand, who are devotionally inclined will prefer to stay by the seashore. Inspired by the music of the rolling waves, ecstatic emotion surges up high until, engulfed in the boundless love of the Lord of Love, one is carried away straight to one's Goal.

For those who have no special line but are eager to be wayfarers on the path to Enlightenment, any beautiful, secluded spot will be suitable. Householders should set apart a corner in their homes kept sacred as a shrine for divine contemplation.

But for one who has forsaken everything for the love of God, who everywhere sees Him alone, all places are equally good.

Endeavour to control your rambling thoughts and rise above the changing circumstances of life; then the problem of having to select a suitable site for your sādhana will cease to exist.”

 ~ Anandamayi Ma

surrender

𝑾𝒉𝒆𝒏 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒔𝒖𝒓𝒓𝒆𝒏𝒅𝒆𝒓 𝒉𝒂𝒑𝒑𝒆𝒏𝒔 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒃𝒆𝒄𝒐𝒎𝒆 𝒂 𝒈𝒐𝒅, 𝒃𝒆𝒄𝒂𝒖𝒔𝒆 𝒔𝒖𝒓𝒓𝒆𝒏𝒅𝒆𝒓 𝒎𝒆𝒂𝒏𝒔, ”𝑵𝒐𝒘 𝑰 𝒂𝒎 𝒏𝒐𝒕 𝒄𝒐𝒏𝒄𝒆𝒓𝒏𝒆𝒅 𝒘𝒊𝒕𝒉 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒓𝒆𝒔𝒖𝒍𝒕, 𝑰 𝒂𝒎 𝒏𝒐𝒕 𝒄𝒐𝒏𝒄𝒆𝒓𝒏𝒆𝒅 𝒘𝒊𝒕𝒉 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒇𝒖𝒕𝒖𝒓𝒆, 𝑰 𝒂𝒎 𝒏𝒐𝒕 𝒄𝒐𝒏𝒄𝒆𝒓𝒏𝒆𝒅 𝒘𝒊𝒕𝒉 𝒎𝒚𝒔𝒆𝒍𝒇 𝒂𝒕 𝒂𝒍𝒍. 𝑰 𝒔𝒖𝒓𝒓𝒆𝒏𝒅𝒆𝒓.” 

𝑾𝒉𝒆𝒏 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒔𝒂𝒚, ”𝑰 𝒔𝒖𝒓𝒓𝒆𝒏𝒅𝒆𝒓”, 𝒘𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒊𝒔 𝒔𝒖𝒓𝒓𝒆𝒏𝒅𝒆𝒓? 𝑰 – 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒆𝒈𝒐 𝑨𝒏𝒅 𝒘𝒊𝒕𝒉𝒐𝒖𝒕 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒆𝒈𝒐 𝒉𝒐𝒘 𝒄𝒂𝒏 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒌 𝒂𝒃𝒐𝒖𝒕 𝒑𝒖𝒓𝒑𝒐𝒔𝒆, 𝒓𝒆𝒔𝒖𝒍𝒕? 𝑾𝒉𝒐 𝒘𝒊𝒍𝒍 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒌 𝒂𝒃𝒐𝒖𝒕 𝒊𝒕? 𝑻𝒉𝒆𝒏 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒂𝒓𝒆 𝒊𝒏 𝒂 𝒍𝒆𝒕-𝒈𝒐. 𝑻𝒉𝒆𝒏 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒈𝒐 𝒘𝒉𝒆𝒓𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒓 𝒊𝒕 𝒍𝒆𝒂𝒅𝒔. 𝑵𝒐𝒘 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒘𝒉𝒐𝒍𝒆 𝒘𝒊𝒍𝒍 𝒅𝒆𝒄𝒊𝒅𝒆; 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒉𝒂𝒗𝒆 𝒔𝒖𝒓𝒓𝒆𝒏𝒅𝒆𝒓𝒆𝒅 𝒚𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒅𝒆𝒄𝒊𝒔𝒊𝒐𝒏.

𝐓𝐨 𝐰𝐡𝐨𝐦 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐬𝐮𝐫𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫 𝐢𝐬 𝐢𝐫𝐫𝐞𝐥𝐞𝐯𝐚𝐧𝐭. 𝐀𝐧𝐲 𝐨𝐛𝐣𝐞𝐜𝐭 𝐰𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐝𝐨. 𝐘𝐨𝐮 𝐜𝐚𝐧 𝐬𝐮𝐫𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫 𝐭𝐨 𝐚 𝐭𝐫𝐞𝐞; 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐜𝐚𝐧 𝐬𝐮𝐫𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫 𝐭𝐨 𝐚 𝐫𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐫; 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐜𝐚𝐧 𝐬𝐮𝐫𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫 𝐭𝐨 𝐚𝐧𝐲𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠 – 𝐭𝐨 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐰𝐢𝐟𝐞, 𝐭𝐨 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐡𝐮𝐬𝐛𝐚𝐧𝐝, 𝐭𝐨 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐜𝐡𝐢𝐥𝐝. 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐛𝐥𝐞𝐦 𝐢𝐬 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐨𝐛𝐣𝐞𝐜𝐭, 𝐚𝐧𝐲 𝐨𝐛𝐣𝐞𝐜𝐭 𝐰𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐝𝐨. 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐛𝐥𝐞𝐦 𝐢𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐬𝐮𝐫𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫. 

𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐩𝐞𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐩𝐞𝐧𝐬 𝐛𝐞𝐜𝐚𝐮𝐬𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐬𝐮𝐫𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠, 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐛𝐞𝐜𝐚𝐮𝐬𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐰𝐡𝐨𝐦 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐬𝐮𝐫𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐝. 𝐀𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐢𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐦𝐨𝐬𝐭 𝐛𝐞𝐚𝐮𝐭𝐢𝐟𝐮𝐥 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐨 𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐝: 𝐰𝐡𝐨𝐦𝐬𝐨𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐬𝐮𝐫𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫, 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐨𝐛𝐣𝐞𝐜𝐭 𝐛𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐆𝐨𝐝.

𝐖𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐰𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐟𝐢𝐧𝐝 𝐆𝐨𝐝 𝐭𝐨 𝐬𝐮𝐫𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫? 𝐘𝐨𝐮 𝐰𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐧𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐟𝐢𝐧𝐝. 𝐒𝐮𝐫𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫! 𝐀𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐨 𝐰𝐡𝐨𝐦𝐬𝐨𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐬𝐮𝐫𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫, 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐆𝐨𝐝 𝐢𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞. 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐜𝐡𝐢𝐥𝐝 𝐛𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐆𝐨𝐝, 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐡𝐮𝐬𝐛𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐛𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐆𝐨𝐝, 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐰𝐢𝐟𝐞 𝐛𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐆𝐨𝐝, 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐠𝐮𝐫𝐮 𝐛𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐆𝐨𝐝, 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐧 𝐚 𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐜𝐚𝐧 𝐛𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐞 𝐆𝐨𝐝.

𝐒𝐔𝐑𝐑𝐄𝐍𝐃𝐄𝐑 𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐏𝐄𝐍𝐒 𝐎𝐍𝐋𝐘 𝐖𝐇𝐄𝐍 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐃𝐄𝐒𝐈𝐑𝐄, 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐇𝐎𝐏𝐄, 𝐃𝐈𝐒𝐀𝐏𝐏𝐄𝐀𝐑𝐒. 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐛𝐚𝐬𝐢𝐜 𝐬𝐮𝐫𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫 𝐢𝐬 𝐚 𝐫𝐞𝐥𝐚𝐱𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧, 𝐚 𝐭𝐫𝐮𝐬𝐭 – 𝐬𝐨 𝐝𝐨𝐧’𝐭 𝐛𝐞 𝐦𝐢𝐬𝐠𝐮𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐝 𝐛𝐲 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐝. 𝐋𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐮𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐲, 𝐬𝐮𝐫𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫 𝐦𝐞𝐚𝐧𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐬𝐮𝐫𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫 𝐭𝐨 𝐬𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐛𝐨𝐝𝐲, 𝐛𝐮𝐭 𝐫𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐢𝐨𝐮𝐬𝐥𝐲, 𝐬𝐮𝐫𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫 𝐬𝐢𝐦𝐩𝐥𝐲 𝐦𝐞𝐚𝐧𝐬 𝐭𝐫𝐮𝐬𝐭, 𝐫𝐞𝐥𝐚𝐱𝐢𝐧𝐠. 𝐈𝐭 𝐢𝐬 𝐚𝐧 𝐚𝐭𝐭𝐢𝐭𝐮𝐝𝐞 𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐧 𝐚𝐧 𝐚𝐜𝐭: 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐥𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡 𝐭𝐫𝐮𝐬𝐭.  𝐓𝐑𝐔𝐒𝐓 𝐌𝐄𝐀𝐍𝐒  𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐟𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠. 

𝐓𝐫𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐧𝐞𝐞𝐝𝐬 𝐧𝐨 𝐆𝐨𝐝: 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐢𝐧𝐟𝐢𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐞 𝐥𝐢𝐟𝐞, 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐭𝐨𝐭𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐲, 𝐢𝐬 𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐧 𝐞𝐧𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡. 𝐎𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐭𝐫𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐫𝐞𝐥𝐚𝐱. 𝐓𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐫𝐞𝐥𝐚𝐱𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐢𝐬 𝐬𝐮𝐫𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫.

𝐂𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐬𝐢𝐦𝐩𝐥𝐲 𝐦𝐞𝐚𝐧𝐬 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐭𝐫𝐮𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐞𝐱𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞; 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐭𝐫𝐲𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐨 𝐛𝐞 𝐜𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐟𝐮𝐥 𝐨𝐧 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐨𝐰𝐧. 

𝐘𝐨𝐮 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐚𝐟𝐫𝐚𝐢𝐝. 𝐘𝐨𝐮 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐲𝐞𝐭 𝐚𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐞𝐱𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐜𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐬 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐲𝐨𝐮, 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐢𝐭 𝐦𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐲𝐨𝐮, 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐢𝐭 𝐟𝐚𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐲𝐨𝐮

Once you start feeling the mothering, the fathering that surrounds you, in the air, in the sun, in the moon, in the stars, you drop caring for yourself. There is no need to be worried. 

You start flowing with existence. You drop pushing the river. And then, Sagar, you will be able to understand what Zen is. 

💓𝑶𝒔𝒉𝒐

self

**Q: Why do I never remember that I am the Self?**

**A:** People speak of memory and oblivion of the fullness of the Self. Oblivion and memory are only thought-forms. They will alternate so long as there are thoughts. But reality lies beyond these.

Memory or oblivion must be dependent on something. That something must be foreign to the Self as well, otherwise there would not be oblivion. That upon which memory and oblivion depend is the idea of the individual self. When one looks for it, this individual ‘I’ is not found because it is not real. Hence this ‘I’ is synonymous with illusion or ignorance (maya, avidya or ajnana]. To know that there never was ignorance is the goal of all the spiritual teachings. Ignorance must be of one who is aware. Awareness is jnana. Jnana is eternal and natural, ajnana is unnatural and unreal.

*Ramana Maharshi – Be As You Are – by David Godman*

Energy

𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐨𝐬 𝐦𝐞𝐚𝐧𝐬 𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐫𝐠𝐲 – 𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐫𝐠𝐲 𝐨𝐟 𝐰𝐡𝐢𝐜𝐡 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐮𝐧𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐜𝐢𝐨𝐮𝐬. 𝐈𝐟 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐛𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐞 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐜𝐢𝐨𝐮𝐬, 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲 𝐩𝐡𝐞𝐧𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐨𝐧 𝐨𝐟 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐜𝐢𝐨𝐮𝐬𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐢𝐬 𝐚 𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐬𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐩𝐡𝐞𝐧𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐨𝐧. 𝐘𝐨𝐮 𝐧𝐞𝐞𝐝 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐝𝐨 𝐚𝐧𝐲𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐞𝐥𝐬𝐞; 𝐣𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐛𝐞𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐜𝐢𝐨𝐮𝐬 𝐢𝐬 𝐞𝐧𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡.

We learn from chaos only if we go inwards, if we enter into the chaos consciously, deliberately, knowingly.

Close your eyes and let your mind function as a screen of a movie or a television, and whatever passes on the mind you simply remain watchful, doing nothing, not even judging.

The simplest method of meditation is just a way of witnessing. 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐚𝐥 𝐜𝐨𝐫𝐞, 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐩𝐢𝐫𝐢𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐦𝐞𝐝𝐢𝐭𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐢𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐧 𝐡𝐨𝐰 𝐭𝐨 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬.

You are seeing a tree: You are there, the tree is there, but can’t you find one thing more? – that you are seeing the tree, that there is a witness in you which is seeing you seeing the tree.

𝐖𝐢𝐭𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐢𝐬 𝐬𝐮𝐜𝐡 𝐚 𝐦𝐞𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐢𝐭 𝐜𝐚𝐧 𝐬𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝 𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐭𝐰𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐲-𝐟𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐝𝐚𝐲.  𝐄𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠, 𝐝𝐨𝐧’𝐭 𝐠𝐞𝐭 𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐟𝐢𝐞𝐝 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐫. 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐟𝐨𝐨𝐝 𝐢𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞, 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐢𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞, 𝐰𝐚𝐭𝐜𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠. 𝐖𝐚𝐥𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠, 𝐥𝐞𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐛𝐨𝐝𝐲 𝐰𝐚𝐥𝐤 𝐛𝐮𝐭 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐬𝐢𝐦𝐩𝐥𝐲 𝐰𝐚𝐭𝐜𝐡.

𝐒𝐥𝐨𝐰𝐥𝐲, 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐤𝐧𝐚𝐜𝐤 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐬. 𝐈𝐭 𝐢𝐬 𝐚 𝐤𝐧𝐚𝐜𝐤, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐨𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐜𝐚𝐧 𝐰𝐚𝐭𝐜𝐡 𝐬𝐦𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬…. 

𝐓𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐜𝐫𝐨𝐰, 𝐜𝐫𝐨𝐰𝐢𝐧𝐠… 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠. 𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐬𝐞 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐭𝐰𝐨 – 𝐨𝐛𝐣𝐞𝐜𝐭 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐬𝐮𝐛𝐣𝐞𝐜𝐭. 𝐁𝐮𝐭 𝐜𝐚𝐧’𝐭 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐬𝐞𝐞 𝐚 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐰𝐡𝐨 𝐢𝐬 𝐬𝐞𝐞𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐛𝐨𝐭𝐡? – 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐜𝐫𝐨𝐰, 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐫, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐢𝐬 𝐬𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐰𝐡𝐨 𝐢𝐬 𝐰𝐚𝐭𝐜𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐛𝐨𝐭𝐡. 𝐈𝐭 𝐢𝐬 𝐬𝐮𝐜𝐡 𝐚 𝐬𝐢𝐦𝐩𝐥𝐞 𝐩𝐡𝐞𝐧𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐨𝐧.

𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐜𝐚𝐧 𝐦𝐨𝐯𝐞 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐨 𝐝𝐞𝐞𝐩𝐞𝐫 𝐥𝐚𝐲𝐞𝐫𝐬: 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐜𝐚𝐧 𝐰𝐚𝐭𝐜𝐡 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐬; 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐜𝐚𝐧 𝐰𝐚𝐭𝐜𝐡 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐞𝐦𝐨𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬, 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐦𝐨𝐨𝐝𝐬.

There is no need to say, “I am sad.” The fact is that you are a witness that a cloud of sadness is passing over you. There is anger – you can simply be a witness. There is no need to say, “I am angry.” You are never angry – there is no way for you to be angry – you are always a witness. The anger comes and goes; you are just a mirror. Things come, get reflected, move – and the mirror remains empty and clean, unscratched by the reflections.

Witnessing is finding your inside mirror.

And once you have found it, miracles start happening. When you are simply witnessing the thoughts, thoughts disappear. Then there is suddenly a tremendous silence you have never known. 

When you are watching the moods – anger, sadness, happiness – they suddenly disappear and an even greater silence is experienced. And when there is nothing to watch – then the revolution. 

Then the witnessing energy turns upon itself because there is nothing to prevent it; there is no object to your witnessing, it simply comes around back to yourself – to the source. And this is the point where one becomes enlightened.

Then there is no misery, no frustration, no meaninglessness; then life is no longer an accident. It becomes part of this cosmic whole – an essential part. And a tremendous bliss arises that this whole existence needs you.

Time and place are not there in being — space and time both disappear there. You will be grounded only when you come to a certain state within: where you cannot say who you are, where you cannot say where you are, where you cannot say when you are. Everything has stopped; time does not move.

The clock may be moving: tick-tock, tick-tock; it may be moving. You can listen, but time does not move — only the futile gesture of the clock. Something deep within you has stopped. That is the point I call ‘the point of no-when’. And there is no space.

You can look at space, but you are not in space; you can look at time, but you are not in time. Then you are grounded. This is what I call ‘being’; this is what Jesus calls ‘the kingdom of God’: this is what Buddha calls ‘nirvana’.

But it would be better to say, “You are already grounded. You just need awareness.”

💓𝑶𝒔𝒉𝒐

purpose

Your purpose is to be at peace,

to love all beings, and to know who you are.

This is the purpose of life.

Slowly you will know this and get through.

Q. What is peace?

See things with an open heart and you will see what peace, love and beauty are and at that moment you will forget everything.

Have you heard of Saint Kabir? He says, "If you keep quiet for an instant, for half an instant, for even half of a half of an instant, then the whole world will run after you." That is the attraction that you will become if you keep Quiet. You will be the most beautiful person in the whole universe will run after you to have peace of mind. You will become That and it is not difficult.

~ Papaji

joy

Saraha says: BE AVAILABLE TO JOY, WHEREVER IT COMES FROM. Never deny it. Don't condemn it. When it is of the body, so what? Then God is knocking at your body. When you are eating and you feel a certain joy, you enjoy your food, it is God; you are swallowing Him.

WHEN YOU HOLD THE HAND OF A WOMAN OR A MAN or a friend, or anybody, with tremendous love AND THERE IS A THRILL IN YOUR BODY ENERGY, there is a dance, a deep dance in your body energy; when you are stirred -- LIKE ELECTRICITY SOMETHING VIBRATES, something renovates, rejuvenates you, something which makes you more alive than you have ever been before -- it is joy. IT IS GOD COMING THROUGH THE BODY. When listening to music you feel tremendously happy, it is joy through the mind. 

Looking at a flower without touching it and without bringing your mind into it, A MOMENT COMES WHEN THERE IS BLISS -- subtle, silent, profound, benediction. But all are different manifestations of JOY.

—Ôshó—

The Tantra Vision

Vol 2, Ch #9: No-Mind is the door

am in Buddha Hall

(_via Bodhisattva Shree Amithaba Subhuti_❤️)

source is self

Where or how were you before being born? Were you in sleep? 

How were you? 

You exist then too without the body. 

Then the ego arises, and 

then the mind which projects the body. ‘I-am-the-body’ idea is the result. 

Because the body exists you say that it was born and that it will die, and transfer the idea to the Self saying that you are born and that you will die. 

In fact you remain without the body in sleep; but now you remain with the body. 

THE SELF CAN REMAIN WITHOUT THE BODY, BUT THE BODY CANNOT EXIST APART FROM THE SELF.

‘I-am-the-body’ thought is ignorance; that the body is not apart from the Self is knowledge. That is the difference between knowledge and ignorance.

The body is a mental projection, 

the mind is the ego; and 

the ego rises from the Self. 

So the body-thought is distracting and strays away from the Self. 

For whom is the body or the birth? 

It is not for the Self, the Spirit. 

It is for the non-self which imagines itself separate. 

So long as there is the sense of separation there will be afflicting thoughts. If the original source is regained and the sense 

of separation is put an end to, there is peace.

Consider what happens when a stone is thrown up. It leaves its source and is projected up, tries to come down and is always in motion until it regains its source, where it is at rest. So also the waters of the ocean evaporate, form clouds which are moved by winds, condense into water, fall as rain and the waters roll down the hill in streams and rivers, until they reach their original source, the ocean, reaching which they are at peace. 

Thus, you see, 

wherever there is a sense of separateness from the source there is agitation and movement until the sense of separateness 

is lost. 

So it is with yourself. 

Now that you identify yourself with the body you think that you are separate from the Spirit - the true Self. 

You must regain your source before the false identity ceases and you are happy.

Gold is not an ornament, but the ornament is nothing but gold. 

Whatever shape the ornament may assume and however different the ornaments are, there is only one reality, namely gold. 

So also with the bodies and the Self. 

The single reality is the Self. 

To identify oneself with the body and yet to seek happiness is like attempting to cross a river on the back of an alligator. The body identity is due to extroversion and the wandering of the mind. To continue in that state will only keep one in an endless tangle and there will be no peace. 

SEEK YOUR SOURCE, MERGE IN THE SELF AND REMAIN ALL ALONE.

- Talks with Sri Ramana Maharshi. 

Excerpt from Talk 396.

happiness

अहोभाव 

We ask for happiness but what we get is unhappiness. We all put our efforts into trying to be happy but we make a fundamental mistake: happiness is not related to the effort, happiness is related to not asking for  it…

 

“Experiment with this a little. During these days that you are here with me, don’t nourish any desire for happiness, and then see how your heart becomes filled with happiness. Don’t have any desire for peace, and see how the turmoil within you vanishes. Don’t beg for contentment and see how contentment showers down on you. Please try this – only then will you understand.

 

“This is the deepest experiment of life. And whatever has been discovered in regard to life, this is the most significant finding of all: don’t ask for happiness if you want to be happy, don’t ask for peace if you want to be peaceful. Whatever you ask for will be lost. Whatever you do not ask for you will get. You have asked many times and seen that you do not receive it. Now try not asking and see. There is no need to believe me; there is a need to experiment.”

 

Osho

The Voice of Silence

silence

BEING STILL  

D.: Cannot samsara be got rid of by any means other than making the mind still?

M.: Absolutely by no other means; neither the Vedas, nor the shastras nor austerities, nor karma, nor vows, nor gifts, nor recital of scriptures of mystic formulae (mantras), nor worship, nor anything else, can undo the samsara. Only stillness of mind can accomplish the end and nothing else.

D.: The scriptures declare that only Knowledge can do it. How then do you say that stillness of the mind puts an end to samsara?

M.: What is variously described as Knowledge, Liberation, etc., in the scriptures, is but stillness of mind.

D.: Has any one said so before?

M.: Sri Vasishta had said: When by practice the mind stands still, all illusions of samsara disappear, root and branch. Just as when the ocean of milk was churned for its nectar, it was all rough, but became still and clear after the churn (viz., mount Mandara) was taken out, so also the mind becoming still, the samsara falls to eternal rest.

Source: ADVAITA BODHA DEEPIKA Book

4. Is the state of ‘being still’ a state involving effort or effortless?

It is not an effortless state of indolence. All mundane activities which are ordinarily called effort are performed with the aid of a portion of the mind and with frequent breaks. But the act of communion with the Self (atma vyavahara) or remaining still inwardly is perfect effort, which is performed with the entire mind and without break.

Maya (delusion or ignorance) which cannot be destroyed by any other act is completely destroyed by this perfect effort, which is called ‘silence’ (mouna).

Spiritual Instruction, revised form by David Godman, chapter 2

power

“The power of the lord of the universe is breathing through you. You must find him or move on. When you find him, you will find the rest against your restlessness, a peace everlasting, an incomparable joy...”Mooji

awareness morning

अहोभाव 

.         Take a dive into that inner peace and you will be able to glimpse, to experience a new kind of youth. This is a youth that can never be extinguished; it is a youth that can never become old; it is a freshness that will never grow stale. It is a morning which is everlasting, a morning never followed by evening. It is a birth beyond which there is only life and more life and nothing but life; it is a birth beyond which there is no death. It is birth that is not followed by death; it is a morning that is not followed by night. And then there will be no more nights for you. Then, all of a sudden, you will begin to dance. And in that dance there will be awareness - rather, awareness itself will be the dance~The Master

1

A visitor: What is the difference between meditation (dhyana) and investigation (vichara)?

Maharshi: Both amount to the same. 

Those unfit for investigation must practise 

meditation. 

In this practice the aspirant forgetting himself meditates ‘I am Brahman’ or ‘I am Siva’; thus he continues to hold to Brahman 

or Siva; this will ultimately end on the residual Being as Brahman or Siva which he will realise to be Pure Being, i.e. the Self.

He who engages in investigation starts holding on to himself, asks ‘Who am I?’ and the Self becomes clear to him.

Devotee: Will the knowledge gained by direct experience be lost afterwards?

Maharshi: Kaivalya Navanita says it may be lost. Experience gained without rooting out all the vasanas cannot remain steady. Efforts must be made to eradicate the vasanas. Otherwise rebirth after death takes place. Some say direct experience results from hearing from one’s master; others say it is from reflection; yet others say from one-pointedness and also from samadhi. Though they look different on the surface, ultimately they mean the same. 

Knowledge can remain unshaken only after all the vasanas are rooted out.

- Talks with Sri Ramana Maharshi. Talk 172.

meditation self inquiry

A visitor: What is the difference between meditation (dhyana) and investigation (vichara)?

Maharshi: Both amount to the same. 

Those unfit for investigation must practise 

meditation. 

In this practice the aspirant forgetting himself meditates ‘I am Brahman’ or ‘I am Siva’; thus he continues to hold to Brahman 

or Siva; this will ultimately end on the residual Being as Brahman or Siva which he will realise to be Pure Being, i.e. the Self.

He who engages in investigation starts holding on to himself, asks ‘Who am I?’ and the Self becomes clear to him.

Devotee: Will the knowledge gained by direct experience be lost afterwards?

Maharshi: Kaivalya Navanita says it may be lost. Experience gained without rooting out all the vasanas cannot remain steady. Efforts must be made to eradicate the vasanas. Otherwise rebirth after death takes place. Some say direct experience results from hearing from one’s master; others say it is from reflection; yet others say from one-pointedness and also from samadhi. Though they look different on the surface, ultimately they mean the same. 

Knowledge can remain unshaken only after all the vasanas are rooted out.

- Talks with Sri Ramana Maharshi. Talk 172.

knowledge

A visitor: What is the difference between meditation (dhyana) and investigation (vichara)?

Maharshi: Both amount to the same. 

Those unfit for investigation must practise 

meditation. 

In this practice the aspirant forgetting himself meditates ‘I am Brahman’ or ‘I am Siva’; thus he continues to hold to Brahman 

or Siva; this will ultimately end on the residual Being as Brahman or Siva which he will realise to be Pure Being, i.e. the Self.

He who engages in investigation starts holding on to himself, asks ‘Who am I?’ and the Self becomes clear to him.

Devotee: Will the knowledge gained by direct experience be lost afterwards?

Maharshi: Kaivalya Navanita says it may be lost. Experience gained without rooting out all the vasanas cannot remain steady. Efforts must be made to eradicate the vasanas. Otherwise rebirth after death takes place. Some say direct experience results from hearing from one’s master; others say it is from reflection; yet others say from one-pointedness and also from samadhi. Though they look different on the surface, ultimately they mean the same. 

Knowledge can remain unshaken only after all the vasanas are rooted out.

- Talks with Sri Ramana Maharshi. Talk 172.

all are one self

From ~~~ Talks with Sri Ramana Maharshi, T.17

D.:

Is work an obstruction to Self-realisation?

M.:

No. For a realised being the Self alone is the Reality, and actions

are only phenomenal, not affecting the Self. Even when he acts he

has no sense of being an agent. His actions are only involuntary

and he remains a witness to them without any attachment.

There is no aim for this action. Even one who is still practising

the path of Wisdom (jnana) can practise while engaged in work. It

may be difficult in the earlier stages for a beginner, but after some

practice it will soon be effective and the work will not be found a

hindrance to meditation.

D.:

What is the practice?

M.:

Constant search for ‘I’, the source of the ego. Find out ‘Who am I?’

The pure ‘I’ is the reality, the Absolute Existence-Consciousness-

Bliss. When That is forgotten, all miseries crop up; when that is

held fast, the miseries do not affect the person.

D.:

Is not brahmacharya (celibacy) necessary for realisation of the Self?

M.:

Brahmacharya is ‘living in Brahman’. It has no connection with

celibacy as commonly understood. A real brahmachari, that is one

who lives in Brahman, finds bliss in the Brahman which is the

same as the Self. Why then should you look for other sources of

happiness? In fact the emergence from the Self has been the cause

of all the misery.

D.:

Celibacy is a sine qua non for Yoga?

M.:

So it is. Celibacy is certainly an aid to realisation among so many

other aids.

D.:

Is it then not indispensable? Can a married man realise the Self?

M.:

Certainly, it is a matter of fitness of mind. Married or unmarried,

a man can realize the Self, because that is here and now. If it were

not so, but attainable by some efforts at some other time, and if it

were new and something to be acquired, it would not be worthy of

pursuit. Because what is not natural cannot be permanent either.

But what I say is that the Self is here and now and alone.

~~~~~

self

From ~~~ Talks with Sri Ramana Maharshi, T.17

D.:

Is work an obstruction to Self-realisation?

M.:

No. For a realised being the Self alone is the Reality, and actions

are only phenomenal, not affecting the Self. Even when he acts he

has no sense of being an agent. His actions are only involuntary

and he remains a witness to them without any attachment.

There is no aim for this action. Even one who is still practising

the path of Wisdom (jnana) can practise while engaged in work. It

may be difficult in the earlier stages for a beginner, but after some

practice it will soon be effective and the work will not be found a

hindrance to meditation.

D.:

What is the practice?

M.:

Constant search for ‘I’, the source of the ego. Find out ‘Who am I?’

The pure ‘I’ is the reality, the Absolute Existence-Consciousness-

Bliss. When That is forgotten, all miseries crop up; when that is

held fast, the miseries do not affect the person.

D.:

Is not brahmacharya (celibacy) necessary for realisation of the Self?

M.:

Brahmacharya is ‘living in Brahman’. It has no connection with

celibacy as commonly understood. A real brahmachari, that is one

who lives in Brahman, finds bliss in the Brahman which is the

same as the Self. Why then should you look for other sources of

happiness? In fact the emergence from the Self has been the cause

of all the misery.

D.:

Celibacy is a sine qua non for Yoga?

M.:

So it is. Celibacy is certainly an aid to realisation among so many

other aids.

D.:

Is it then not indispensable? Can a married man realise the Self?

M.:

Certainly, it is a matter of fitness of mind. Married or unmarried,

a man can realize the Self, because that is here and now. If it were

not so, but attainable by some efforts at some other time, and if it

were new and something to be acquired, it would not be worthy of

pursuit. Because what is not natural cannot be permanent either.

But what I say is that the Self is here and now and alone.

~~~~~

post 1

I AM A MASTER WHO DOES NOT ASK YOU FOR ANY SURRENDER, ANY COMMITMENT; who does not ask anything from you, but who gives you as much as he can and is grateful that you receive his love, is grateful that you receive his silence. 

And it is absolutely your individual decision to remain my fellow traveler or to move in some other direction. 

And who knows, PERHAPS YOU MAY COME BACK TO THE CARAVAN AGAIN, or you may meet me somewhere ahead on some other crossroad. You will be welcome there. 

I ACCEPT YOU WHEN YOU ARE WITH ME, I ACCEPT YOU WHEN YOU LEAVE ME; I accept you if you never come back to me. I accept you if you want to come back to me....

I AM JUST A FRIEND. We have met on the road; we are strangers. You liked me to walk with you, I liked you to walk with me, we enjoyed being together. 

But any moment you want to say, "Now it is time to depart," I will help you to depart without tears, joyously -- because you are going to be independent, yourself. 

—Ôshó—

The Golden Future 

Ch #18: Existence is taking care 

pm in Chuang Tzu Auditorium

(_via Bodhisattva Shree Amithaba Subhuti _❤️)

post 3

There are many lessons to learn, but for whom? 

For you? 

Who are you? 

As long as you believe you are a human 

being and you are part of the earth, then you do have many lessons to learn. But as soon as you give up the idea of your humanhood and start investigating the truth, that you are never born and you never die, until that time you will appear to suffer. You will appear to go through predicaments, through situations, through rebirth, through different experiences. 

But I say to you tonight that you do not have to do this. You merely have to recognize that your personal I is the culprit. It is not you. It is your idea of I. It is the I-thought that causes every problem in your life. It is the I-thought that causes you misery, unhappiness, misunderstanding and whatever. You merely have to destroy, annihilate, the I-thought. This is the reason you came back to this planet, so it appears, to find the I and destroy it. This is what you 

should have been concentrating on all the time. This is your purpose. There is no other purpose. 

Everything else doesn't matter. It appears to matter. In reality it does not matter. That's a heavy thing for me to say, for some of you appear to have serious problems in your lives, are saying to yourselves “How can he say it doesn't matter? This is about to happen, that's about to happen. How can it not matter?" If it does matter you will spend the remainder of your life rectifying things that matter. When you're finished with this, something else will come along. 

When you finish with that, something else will come along. And it will always matter to you. In other words, you will think it's very important that you change the condition.

There is really no condition to change. When that happens to you, you should immediately remember that everything is predetermined, everything. There are no mistakes. The worst thing you can do is to feel sorry for yourself. "Why does this happen to me? Why do I have to go through this experience?" It is the experience that 

makes you turn around and investigate who you are. If everything was going well in your life, 100%, you wouldn't care about this teaching. You wouldn't realize that things are going to change sooner or later. Nothing can ever remain the same. It's only when you have a so-called problem that you begin to think “Where did this problem come 

from? Who gave it to me? God? The universe? My fellow man? Who has the problem? I do? What is this I?" and 

you go right back to the I again. 

When you realize the I is only a thought, then you also realize that your problem, so called, whatever it may be, how serious they may look to you, must also be a thought. Can you see that? Because I has the problem. And I is only an idea, a thought. It doesn't exist for real. If I is only a thought, an idea, and I have the problem, there's no problem. 

This kind of thinking in itself releases you from the clutches of your mind. Things begin to ease up. Even if your situation does not necessarily change right away, you're no longer trying to change the situation. You still have become grateful for your predicament. Again this sounds strange. You're grateful for your predicament because, again, it is your predicament that has caused you to search for the ultimate truth. As you begin to see this you start 

caring less and less about your predicament. 

Now let me make this perfectly clear. It doesn't mean you're going to give up anything. It doesn't mean you're going to give up your family, or you're going to give up your job, or you are going to not give a damn for whatever happens in your life. That's not the attitude I'm talking about. The attitude I'm talking about is simply this. You are beginning to realize that the I that you've been calling myself, is not real. 

All these years since you were born you said “I feel this and I feel that. I need this and I need that. I am this and I am that." You're now beginning to see that I is not real. 

So naturally again the I is not real. All of these years of need, of want, of desire, of belief, have been false. 

It has been like an optical illusion. 

None of these things are real because my I is not real.

~ The Collected Works of Robert Adams. 

✅ There is Nothing Wrong

post 2

From ~~~ Talks with Sri Ramana Maharshi, T.293

M.:

Meditation is sticking to one thought.

That single thought keeps away other thoughts;

distraction of mind is a sign of its weakness.

By constant meditation it gains strength, i.e., to say,

its weakness of fugitive thought

gives place to the enduring background

free from thoughts.

This expanse devoid of thought is the Self.

Mind in purity is the Self.

Sri Bhagavan continued in reply to the former questioner:

Everyone says “I am the body”.

It is the experience of the sage as also of the ignorant.

The ignorant man believes that the Self is confined

to the body only, whereas the wise man believes

that the body cannot remain apart from the Self.

The Self is infinite for him and includes the body also.

Mr. Bose said that he felt peace in His presence

which lasts some time after.

He added: “Why is it not enduring?”

M.:

That Peace is the Real nature.

Contrary ideas are only superimpositions.

This is true bhakti, true yoga, true jnana.

You may say that this peace is acquired by practice.

The wrong notions are given up by practice.

This is all.

Your true nature always persists.

These flashes are only signs

of the ensuing revelation of the Self.

In reply to the first questioner Bhagavan said:

The Heart is the Self.

It is not within or without.

The mind is Its sakti.

After the emergence of the mind,

the universe appears and the body is seen

to be contained in it.

Whereas all these are contained in the Self

and they cannot exist apart from the Self.

post 1

Don't look here and there. 

Don't look anywhere. Stop looking. 

Stop all your imagining of the future and conceptualizing of the past. 

Keep yourself in this moment, which is no moment. Find out where this moment is rising from, where time is rising from, 

where this thought is rising from, 

and you will see you have always been at Home. You don't need anything more!

~ Papaji

osho

live here now

Forget about yesterday. Forget about the way you were brought up, what happened to you, who hurt you. Don't concern yourself with the future. It makes no difference what is going on in your life at the present time, so just drop it. Leave it alone. Live in the moment. Be spontaneous. 

~ Robert Adams.

ego

The ego is never your friend.

The ego exists only to confuse you and confound you. 

That is why it appears to exist. 

But to whom does the ego exist? 

Only to the mind.

Destroy the mind by not thinking about it. 

If you do not think about the mind it becomes weaker and weaker 

and finally it's totally annihilated. 

For everything works by itself. 

It takes care of itself, in its own time and in its own place.

That is why I emphasize so much, turn into yourself. 

Never try to solve your problems. 

You cannot do it, 

rather know yourself, 

be yourself 

and see if any problems disturb you at all. 

If you would only turn within yourself and stop trying to 

change other people or 

change conditions or 

change behavior patterns. 

Leave these things alone. 

Be yourself ! 

Love yourself ! 

Worship yourself !

And then see what happens to you.

~Robert Adams

mooji

Nothing bad happen to you. Mooji

silence

Ramana Maharshi 

Silence is a powerful tool and Ramana Maharshi understood this concept well. 

He recognized that silence is truth, bliss, peace, and the Self. 

He understood that there is a deep importance in stillness

and that it can bring one closer to their sense of self-discovery and growth.

Silence can be a form of meditation, allowing 

one to connect with the innermost parts of themselves 

while connecting with the world around them. 

Silence helps to foster strong relationships with others, 

allowing each person to be heard without judgment or criticism. 

By embracing silence, one can learn about themselves and others, 

as well as develop a heightened sense of understanding. 

Ramana Maharshi's wise words remind us of the importance of stillness

and reflection and how it can help to transform our lives.

Silence is a powerful force that can bring about truth, bliss, peace, and even self-realization. 

This was realized by the Indian sage Ramana Maharshi, 

who believed that Silence is the Self. 

He believed that by stilling the mind and engaging in silent meditation, 

one could experience the deepest levels of truth and peace.

By listening to the silence, it is possible to access higher states of consciousness

 and gain insight into the true nature of reality.

 It is by going beyond the chatter of the mind that 

we can connect with our true source of inner peace and wisdom. 

This simple yet powerful truth is espoused by Ramana Maharshi 

in his teachings on Silence as a way to find self-realization and spiritual enlightenment

intellect

Do not lend your intellect [buddhi] 

as a slave 

to the gymnastics of eloquence 

[in the form of speech and poetry] and 

to the jugglery of arguments. 

Know the truth, Self, 

by turning the pure sattvic mind within

and thereby 

destroying the illusion of otherness.

- The teachings of Sri Ramana Maharshi. Guru Vachaka Kovai. Verse 526. The Practice of the Truth. Chapter 6. The Delusion of Arguments

I am truth

THE RIGHT SOLUTION

Q: How long does one stay in other worlds between birth and death?

M: The sense of time is relative. In a dream, you may live a whole day's events in a couple of hours. In the subtle body of the death-world, you may do the same and live what seems like a thousand years, although by our time it may be only a hundred years.

Q: They say that choice is offered to us to enjoy merits or demerits after our death. Is that right?

M: Why these questions relating to after death? Why ask, 'Was I born? Am I reaping the fruits of my past karma?' and so on. They will not be raised after you have been asleep for a while. Why? Are you different from the one in sleep?

You are just the same in sleep, in dream, and in the waking state. Sleep is a natural state of happiness; there is no misery. 

The sense of want, of pain etc, arises only in the waking state. What is the change that has taken place? You are the same in both but there is a difference in happiness. Why? Because the 'mind has now arisen. This mind arises after the I'-thought. 

The ‘I’-thought arises from Consciousness; if one abides in It, one will always be happy.

- Conscious Immortality

shakti

From ~~~ Letters from Sri Ramanasramam, 115

THE SHAKTI THAT IS, IS ONE

Bhagavan.:

A Jnani may do anything according to his

prarabdha (fate) but he remains unattached and maintains

a dignified aloofness. His shakti works in many ways but he

does not feel happy or unhappy over the success or failure

of his efforts. That is because he sees the world as full of

Brahman and so nothing appears to him to be happy or

unhappy. How can he have feelings of gratification or

sorrow when he does not feel that he is in this body, that he

is in this man or that this is the world? Accordingly it is

said: ‘dristim jnanamayeem kritva pasyeth Brahmamayam jagath’,

when a person gains the outlook of a Jnani that very moment

everything appears to be full of Brahman. Where then is

room for the feeling ‘I am doing?’ They will then realize

that everything is going on through the force of some shakti.

~~~~~~~

who i am

So what is the purpose of everything? 

Why do you exist? 

To die? Find out. 

Find out for yourself. 

Find the truth for  yourself, for no one can really give it to you. 

You are the power. 

You are the glory. 

You are the universe. 

You are not what you appear to be, but will you not find out? 

Ask yourself. 

When you truly ask yourself, 

“Who am  I?" 

the answer will eventually come. 

You will know. 

But yet most of you are concerned with your material life, and this is what keeps you back from finding yourself. You are concerned with your humanhood. You're concerned with the clothes you are going to wear. You're concerned with the people in your life. You're concerned with your job. 

You're concerned with the world situation. You're concerned with politics, and I could go on, and on and on. 

It is written in the scriptures, “Take no thought of what ye shall eat, what ye shall wear, or anything at all, but think  ye first of the kingdom of God, and all of these things shall be added unto you." 

That is a very wise statement. 

First find yourself. 

First awaken to yourself. 

Then see if you'll be concerned with your body. When you understand who  you are you will see if you'll be concerned with politics, or with the universe, or with anything else. 

Find out who you are first. 

Find yourself. 

Do not go around trying to straighten out your life. You can never straighten your life out, for that's the way life is. 

All of the things that are happening in the world today, have happened before, and before that, and before that, for millions of years. There have been many civilizations on this earth. They came and they went. And now you are here believing that you can make a difference. 

You hear that so much on TV. "I can make a difference.” What about you can make a difference? You are dust in the wind. We like to attach so much importance to ourselves. Our ego is so enlarged. We want to think we're somebody. Remember, after you die, within twenty years or so everybody will forget everything about you. You won't even be remembered. Your children will have children and they will have children, and you will not even be a 

memory. 

Therefore I ask you to find out, 

“Who am I? 

Who am I, really? 

What is my real nature? 

I couldn't possibly be this  body that changes, changes, changes all the time, and then dies. And if I look at the world, the same thing is  happening to the world. It keeps changing, changing, changing, never the same." And we go along with it. Never 

realizing what is happening, we become befuddled, confused. We're trying to make some kind of sense out of  livingness, but it has no sense, for you are not whom you appear to be. 

Consequently, you have to find out who you are by following the I-thought to the source. You have to inquire within 

yourself, 

“To whom do all the thoughts come? 

To whom does the world come? 

To whom does my ego come? 

To  whom does the universe come? 

To whom does God come? 

To whom does everything in this whole universe come?"

And you will realize very soon, 

“It comes to me. I feel it. I think it. I perceive it. I enjoy it sometimes. I fear it. But I  see and feel and think all these things." 

This now gives you an idea of what is going on. You begin to understand that the I is experiencing this world. Not you, but the I. You are not going through these experiences, but the I is. 

Who is this elusive I? 

Where did this I come from? 

Who gave it birth? 

How did it arrive? 

You ponder all these questions, and you finally ask, “But who am I? 

Where did the I come from?" 

Yet you never answer that question. You sit in the silence inquiring, “Where did the I 

come from?" And as thoughts keep coming to you, you inquire, “To whom do they come? Who is thinking these  thoughts? 

I am? Who am I?" This is really the highest way to remove all doubt and set you free. 

Let me remind you again. Do not try to change your thoughts, or to change your life style, or to work on your bad  habits, or to try to remove fear, and the rest of it. Rather you lift your vision high, to the highest, by following the I- thought to its source. And one day you will discover something interesting. Your body will appear to melt, to  dissolve. The world, the universe will appear to dissolve. Your God will appear to dissolve. Everything you stood up  for, everything you have believed in, all of your thoughts, your feelings, your emotions, will dissolve. And you will 

find yourself as omnipresence, all-pervading consciousness. You will discover that you've always been the ultimate  reality, ultimate oneness. You are the I am. You are free. 

You will appear the same. You will look the same. You will not be able to explain this to your friends or family, but  you will become one of the few that have transcended the world. There will no longer be an ego or mind or a thinker  left. You will know and experience unalloyed happiness, total bliss. No thing will ever disturb you again. 

Yet you will not sit still. The body will appear to move and do things. Yet you will know beyond a shadow of a doubt that 

you are not the body. You have awakened. You have become free. 

~ The Collected Works of Robert Adams Volume 1

self

DIALOGUE ON SELF-INQUIRY 

The following conversation comes from the diary of a devotee called Sri Yalamanchili who met Bhagavan in 1928 and had a discussion with him on self-inquiry. It was published in Arunachala Ramana in February 1982:

Question: How to realize the Atman?

Bhagavan: Whose Atman?

Question: Mine.

Bhagavan: Then you yourself have to do it.

Question: I am unable to do and know it.

Bhagavan: To whom is it not known?

Question: To myself.

Bhagavan: Try to know who is that ‘myself’.

Question: That is what you have to tell.

Bhagavan: [Smiling] It seems you have come here to test me. Will it really benefit you if I tell you what you are? Will you be satisfied if I just tell you? Ask yourself ‘Who am I?’ After questioning you will get the answer within yourself, and that will satisfy you.

Question: I have been doing sadhana for a long time but in vain.

Bhagavan: You will have to search for ‘I’ [aham]. Then, the apparent ‘I’ will vanish.

Question: Please give me the details of the process.

Bhagavan: Mind is, in reality, a bundle of thoughts. And every thought springs from the ‘I’. So, it is the first thought. Instead of dwelling on the secondary thoughts, the seeker has to concentrate on the primary thought, which is this ‘I’.

Question: What is the difference between a thought and the ‘I’?

Bhagavan: Thoughts are not independent. They have a standing only when they are associated with the ‘I’. But the ‘I’ can stand by itself. Actually, this ‘I’ is also not independent. In its turn, it is supported by the Atman.

Again and again, it rises from the Self and sinks there. It subsides in deep sleep and it comes out again in waking. We have to find out the place of its birth with an introverted vision.

Question: I have been questioning in this way but getting no answer.

Bhagavan: If you ask this question with zeal and proceed inward, the false ‘I’ disappears, and the real ‘I’ emerges.

Question: What is the real ‘I’?

Bhagavan: This is what we call ‘soul’ or ‘God’.

Question: When I start the inquiry numerous thoughts come in the way and obstruct me. When I eliminate one, another appears in its place. It seems there is no end.

Bhagavan: I am not telling you to grapple with the thoughts. There will be no end if you do it that way. Here lies the secret: there is the ‘I’, the source of all thoughts, and we have to catch it and see from where it arises. This is absolutely necessary. As a dog traces his master by following the track of his smell, you have to follow the inner development of the ‘I’ to reach its source, which is the [true] soul.

Question: From this, I understand that one can reach the source by one’s own effort.

Bhagavan: It is by the grace of God that you come to desire to know yourself. This desire to know yourself is itself a clear sign of the Atman’s grace. So, there is grace already working as the source of your effort. Grace is not an external quality of the Self but its very nature. It abides in your Heart, pulling you inward into itself. The only task you must do is turn your attention inward and search for the source of ‘I’. This is the only personal effort we have to put in. That is why [one can say that] where there is no grace, there is no desire at all for the quest for the Self.

Question: Is there no need for a Guru then?

Bhagavan: When it is necessary the Self itself will take the form of an external Guru and initiate you into the process. He will push you in and hand you over to the inner Guru who is already there. Finally, the Atman, which abides in the Heart, embraces you there.

Question: Now, may I know sir, what is the distinguishing feature of this method?

Bhagavan: The sense of ‘I’ is always present in us. So, it is relatively easy to find the Self through this ‘I’, which is an emanation of the Self. Further, if, before the ‘I’ ramifies into many forms, we put our attention via this method on the parent form of the ‘I’, this makes for the direct dissolution of the ‘I’ in its source.

Otherwise, if you begin the inquiry when the ‘I’ has already taken many forms, you will be swept away by its illusive power and never reach its source.

Question: The Self is nameless and formless. How then can we find it by the questioning of this ‘I’ that has a name and a form?

Bhagavan: The false ‘I’ or ego stands between the soul and the body, and connects them. Now, soul is conscious while the body is inert. The false ‘I’ binds them together. So, it is also called the knot between matter and spirit [chit-jada-granthi].

From this, we see that it has its feet in the Self and its head in the body. Therefore, by enquiring into the origin of the ego, we can easily proceed and reach the formless Self.

buddha

When Gautam Buddha was alive, he used to always sleep in the same posture; and the whole night, he would not move from side to side, he would not change his posture, not even an inch. Just nearby, in the Ajanta caves, in the last cave there is a sculpture of Gautam Buddha sleeping. That pose has become known as the ‘Lion’s pose’ because the lion also sleeps on its side without moving.

Ananda was very much troubled because every night he could see – sometimes in the middle of the night he would wake up – that Buddha was absolutely still, just as he had always been. One night, he could not resist the temptation.

He said, ”It is not good to disturb you in the night, because the whole day you have been walking and teaching, but I cannot resist. For twenty years I have been watching. You can understand how long I have waited, but now I have to ask it anyway. How do you manage to remain in the same posture that you go to sleep in, the same posture for the whole night? Do you sleep or do you simply go on keeping the posture? – because I have to move continuously.”

Gautam Buddha said, ”I have found the right posture. Now there is no need to change it. And I am as awake as anyone, even while my body is asleep. I have found the right posture for the body ... you are still searching for it. It is not simply a question of tossing and turning the body, it is because your mind is tossing and turning. I have gone beyond – there is no mind. The body simply lies down like a corpse. Have you ever seen any corpse changing its posture?”

It is your mind. Once your mind is at rest, once it disappears, your body can remain asleep but your inner eye, your inner sensitivity, your awareness, can remain burning like a small flame – not only watching your body, but also watching the silent mind, and the stillness surrounding you. The enlightened man cannot sleep in the same way that the unenlightened one sleeps. When the unenlightened man sleeps, he is simply unconscious. The enlightened man sleeps but he is not unconscious.

OSHO