Keep quiet! Keep quiet! Keep quiet!

A man wrote to me from Germany, saying: "Although we have never met physically, I have heard your words on a video tape. The words were, 'Keep quiet, keep quiet, keep quiet.' I can't describe the effect these words have had, or what has happened to me since hearing them. I have never heard this quietness described before in any of the books I have read in my life. Other teachers don't speak in this way. Some force has had a tremendous effect on me, such that I was able to keep quiet."

We will examine this: the nature of this quietness: How to have it. How to practice it.

Seven thousand years ago, Arjuna asked Krishna how to quiet the mind. "It is just like the wind," he said. "You can't hold it in your fist. It is so turbulent, how can it be controlled?" Krishna's answer was simple: It can be done through detachment and practice. These two words are very significant. How can one easily discover viragya, detachment? Everyone wants to enjoy the objects of the senses — seeing, hearing, smelling, touching, tasting — that is all they are interested in.

So how can the mind be detached from its sense objects, and brought to quietness? It will happen only when you know that all these objects do not bring abiding peace and rest, that thinking again and again of your desires cannot bring satisfaction. Through repeatedly seeking pleasure and never finding peace you are creating some sort of displeasure with these things. Naturally you want to detach yourself from the things which have not brought you peace and rest.

There was a famous saint, a poor man, about five hundred years ago named Thyagaraya. People interested in music know his name. He is the king of artists, the king of singers and musicians. He says,

Santham laka soukhyam ladu.

When there is no quietness, even kingdoms will not bring you happiness.

When we know that sense objects cannot bring us permanent happiness, the mind will slowly withdraw from these objects.

In the Vedas it is declared, "Neti neti." [Not this, not that.]

Whenever the mind goes out to an object of the senses bring it back to peace, bring it back to quietness. Whenever it goes out, quiet it down. Be very careful to bring it back because you have seen that the objects of the senses have not given you peace. This is the rahasya, the secret which Krishna gave to Arjuna — detachment. Wherever the mind goes, detach it from its respective sense objects again and again.

Detachment must exist side by side with gyana, with knowledge of Brahman, with knowledge of freedom. The desire for freedom and detachment from the senses must run concurrently. Detach yourself from those things which are not permanent, and rest in that which is always permanent. Let your focus be always on this — on Brahman, on the desire for the attainment of enlightenment. Remain here in this desire for freedom. Reflect continuously from here on this. The desire to be free has already arisen in your mind. You have spent millions of years so this desire for freedom can arise. Now listen to it, reflect on it continuously, meditate in it. This process has to continue constantly.

Many people ask me what will happen when they return home. They say they are all right here because they are repeatedly hearing this truth every day, but reflection has to continue all the time. Wherever you are, when you sit, meditate on the Self, on Brahman, on Truth, on Peace, on Shanti. Contemplate this all the time, speak about this among yourselves. This is how your time in this universe is to be spent. Those who can instantly embrace this truth carry a mountain of merits as large as the Himalayas. They are led to satsang. Those who cannot recognize this will have to wait.

Some come to satsang and want to escape; they want to go somewhere else. Something incomplete is carried from previous lives and this karma is taking them to their next birth, hence they escape from satsang. I hear of people who want to return to their previous centers and ashrams. They had found much peace, happiness, and joy there from their friends. I advise them that this satsang is not for everyone. I don't find fault with them. This is the weight of karma. They have some more work to do, some more incarnations. It doesn't matter, you can work some more. Sooner or later you will have to arrive in satsang.

Those who come to satsang are not coming for the first time. They have merits. They have already completed millions of incarnations and it is that which is now compelling them to sit here in satsang. It may be very few but that doesn't matter. All others will have to wait; satsang will not work for them now. Every realized saint has declared that you need good karma — experience of satsang in previous incarnations that will bring you here for satsang, for quietness.

Buddha was born as a prince, Gautama Siddhartha. On his first visit outside of his father's palace he was confronted for the first time with disease, old age, and death. Instantly he decided to keep quiet. This is what I mean by detachment from the enjoyment of sense objects. As soon as he was faced with the reality of life outside he decided, "No, I don't want this kind of life." He returned home and a detachment arose towards his life.

Tukaram, a great saint, says that man becomes attached to his house, to his wife, to his son. This is what all the saints have said. Tukaram advised watching all these kinds of attachment. He says that for a man there is no greater attachment than to his wife; for a woman there is no greater attachment than to her husband. The same is true of prosperity, the desire for a house. And every man has a great desire for a son, to continue his lineage. These three words mentioned by Tukaram: spouse, house, and children comprise the whole arena of attachment. Buddha returned and woke up from all this. He saw the nature of life and he withdrew from the attachment to his wife, to his son Rahul, to his palace and luxuries. He kept quiet. Under the bodhi tree he kept quiet and he was free. This is what is meant by keeping quiet. Kabir says,

Chit thir man thir budhi thir.
Quiet down your mind, your speech, intellect,
and then... find out what happens.

September, 1992

* * *

The Desires Are Dancing

The desires are dancing. Let us see this dance. This universe is only the dance of desires.

Whatever your desires are, they manifest as objects so you can enjoy this dance. Your own desires are dancing in this samsara, in whatever you see in this manifestation, in all these objects. The rise of this everlasting dance depends upon ignorance. Samsara is just ignorance. We observe this dance because of ignorance. How is it possible to get rid of this dance? Objects attract the mind and we run after these objects — we run after our projections. Then the mind joins company with these objects, with this dance, and forgets how to wake up. This drama and this dance can only end when the sun rises. When the sun rises this drama will be over. This sun is inquiry — vichar. When the sun of vichar rises in your mind this drama immediately ends there, and it can not end otherwise. We have come here for freedom only; to end this drama. Therefore again and again we are coming and going. We forget why we came and we get lost in the enjoyment of the senses.

I remember a story. There was a king who had no issue, no son. He was getting old so he decided to adopt a prince to succeed him as the king after his death. He fixed a date with his sentries that on a particular day the gates of the palace would be open from eight in the morning till eight at night. The king would be seated in the palace and he would conduct interviews to find the most suitable person to be chosen as his prince. So on this day the gates were opened and people went inside. Everybody was allowed to enter and see the king in person.

When the gates are opened to see the king you have to be looking your best. So a very good shower-bath was arranged for everyone who entered the palace and then there were all kinds of perfumes for them to use. Then there was a place with many different kinds of very expensive dresses. You should be well dressed to see the king, so you could choose your own clothes from a huge variety of different kinds of gold and silver gowns and dresses. Then some lunch was arranged, to be well fed before seeing the king. And then there was music and then dancing. After all this you are ready to see the king — you are fully satisfied.

Some people who were entering the palace were very fond of showers, so they spent their time in the sauna and taking different kinds of baths and showers. Some were fond of perfumes, so they were trying out all the different perfumes that were there. Some were busy with all the different kinds of dresses. Some were gluttons; they were very fond of eating and drinking, so they were trying all the different varieties of food and different dishes which were there. Here in India when food is served there are a hundred and one types of dishes in a good lunch, and everything was included here. After lunch there was music and then dancing. Everything was provided beautifully by the king.

The time was getting close to eight o'clock so a siren alerted everyone to get ready to leave. The people who were fond of perfumes had collected bottles and had filled their bags with those perfumes. Those who were fond of food had taken something for their wives and other relations and friends; they were packing food to take away. Those who were fond of dresses were carrying bundles of dresses on their shoulders. Some were listening to the music, some were dancing. The sentries of the palace told them, "Now your time is up. You have to leave. You're not allowed to take anything away with you. You were supposed to only eat and to use the perfumes here and enjoy the music." But people were so engaged, "Oh let me sit a little longer. It's such nice music." Those who were dancing said, "Please let us have some more time for dancing. We cannot leave this company." But nothing was allowed. They were all pushed out of the gate. The time was 8 p.m.

The king called his secretary and asked, "What happened? No came to me for an interview. What happened? Did you open the gates?" "Yes, yes, the gate was open for twelve hours," replied the secretary. "How is it that no one has come to see me?" asked the king. "They were engaged in their own luxuries and needs," came the reply. "We do not know if anyone went to see you or not."

Samsara is exactly like this. No one went to see the king. If someone had gone and had been accepted everything would have belonged to him. It is not allowed to take anything away from this. We came here to see the king but we got lost in luxuries, in fulfillment of desires. When the time comes for the gates to be closed we will not be able to carry anything with us. The king is waiting but no one goes. This dance drama is exactly like that. We came here to meet the king and sit on the throne, but we forgot why we came and we got lost in infinite distractions.

Palaces, you see, many palaces are here in India. You can go to Delhi, Jaipur and other places. You see how comfortably the kings wanted to live. And they are lying there… they are lying there dead. Nobody could recreate permanency, and they had diamonds. The kings had everything. No one could take anything, you see. Even the greatest conqueror of the world, Alexander, who had conquered three fourths of the world; only China was left, you see… China was left. But due to some sickness he had to go back to Greece. On the way he died. That's a long story, how he went back. It's a long story I have told you already. He met some yogi and told this yogi, "I am going. I am waiting for the monsoons. After the end of the monsoons I will cross the river Jilam (since Punjab had already been conquered by him) and then I will proceed to China." That was his intention.

And then there was one yogi who was sitting at the bank of river Jilam, meditating. Alexander had never seen anybody in this posture, sitting day and night. So some of his army men informed Alexander, "There is one man who is always sitting like this thing, not moving." Alexander said, "Okay, you bring him to me. I will ask him what is this, what is he doing." And they took one interpreter. They shook the yogi and asked him, "The king of this land, Alexander the Great, wants to see you. You please come." He says, "The tradition of this country, the tradition of India is, whosoever wants to see someone, it is he who should go to the other person. I don't need to see him. If he needs to see me let him come and see me."

That's what he said. So they said, “Okay, he has to be forcefully removed. So some five, six people tried to lift him by hands and feet, to take him to the camp where Alexander was staying. And then a man who was carrying him by the hand, the hand came out of the body; the feet, the leg came out of the body and the body rested on the ground and they were taking only legs; and they were afraid and they threw the body parts and ran away. This… this has happened.

Now Alexander himself opted to come and see this man, and again he was sitting like this thing. Because of Alexander's teacher, a disciple of Socrates, you see, who told him, "When you go to India you will see some yogi." He was not happy with his teacher. (Tutor he was, you see.) He was not happy because when he told his tutor, "I want to conquer the whole world," the tutor replied, "You conquer the mind. You conquer the mind and everything is conquered." Alexander said, "You are stupid," and he put him into prison.

"Okay. When you go to India please see some saint… some saint in India, and bring me Gita from this country — Gita, book of knowledge — and a part of Ganga water." That was what he wanted. "Okay, I will do that." So this was the first instant he saw this yogi, so he goes there. The yogi is sitting and Alexander is standing with his army generals, you see.

"Who are you?" "I am Alexander, from Greece." "What for you are here?"

"I have conquered all Europe; now I have to conquer India. Because of the monsoon this river is in spate, so I am waiting for the river to come down and then I will go to China." That's what he said.

"Listen, listen my dear boy. In twenty days you have to leave this world. That's how it will be." Alexander said, "Let him be arrested." because he was very young. At that time thirty-three years old. "Let him be arrested, but may be true anyway. My mother told me, 'When you're sick, you feel that your death is coming near, you come to your own country and die.'" you see.

So then he goes on very fast horses to reach Greece. On the way at Barbarun, I think that's where, he has a very simple diarrhea. He is dying, and the generals ask, "What is your will? What is your last will?" He says, "Keep my hands out of my… out of the coffin so that the people will know I am not carrying anything with me."

That's what his desire was. And this monarch, Alexander the Great, had to leave this drama empty-handed. So coming to the point, as long as your vasanas are dancing, samsara is going to stay forever. You can't have rest with this dance — you cannot have rest. Who is there in the world, from king to a worker, who says, "I am happy, I am in peace?" No one will tell you, you see. Even if you may be king, no one is happy, you see. Now also you go around and see different countries and the heads of the countries, how happy they are, you see. Tension. So only one thing will help you to be happy, that is to check this vasana, check this vasana, check this desire for enjoyment, and perhaps you will have the highest degree of enjoyment if you check your desire. If you don't give rise to desire you will have utmost peace, love and beauty you will see for the first time, and even with your desire something what happens? In desire also, it is the end of desire that gives us peace.

Supposing you need something. "I need a new model car. So I am not happy because I want to have one, so I go to look at it. I have no money so I borrow money from the bank, from friends. Now the car is in front of my house." You are happy. Has the iron given you this happiness? Or the rubber tires? Or the benzene? What has given you happiness? Because the desire to have the new model Toyota is now over. So then this desire is gone then you are happy. So for all — every desire, in every case, you see — it is not the object that you desire. Having that object will give you happiness only because your desire has ended. After the desire has ended and that emptiness is giving you happiness, you see.

If you know it was the emptiness, it is the desireless-ness, thoughtless-ness that gave me happiness, why not have this happiness here and now by not giving rise to a thought? Any thought, you see. First thought is, "I am the body, I am mind, I am intellect, I am senses." So even this: If you don't give rise to thought… and then you have to know how to do it also — inquire. There can be no any other method, maybe yoga, or anything else, even going to the pilgrimages, or chanting the formulas, meditating, practices — nothing is going to help you. Only you have to inquire at the root of the first thought. That is, we every day speak about I-thought, you see, so this ‘I’ and samsara. There is no difference, you see. To create samsara there must be rise of ‘I’. Then only you see samsara. And when you don't give rise to this I-thought… in the sleep there is no samsara, no objects, no birth, no death, nothing ever, you see. So this ‘I’ itself, just ‘I’ is samsara.

To get rid of all this sorrows and troubles and miseries and what is called cycle of birth and death, for kalpas it has to stay — it is going to stay, mind you, billions of years. This samsara is there billions of years. Eighty-five billion years is the age of this samsara, according to last results. Eighty-five billion years, but these billions of years are also a concept only, you see, is also a concept. Only with the rise of the ‘I’ you count billions of years. When you don't give rise to simply ‘I’ there are no billions and no millions, because this mind instantly will create past, present, future, and this bondage is mind only, you see. So anyone who desires, he can stop it here and now, and those who want to play, they are very, very welcome to play and dance a dance. If they're happy let them dance. But I don't think — no gods are even happy in this, no god even is happy.

You sit quiet, you make a try. If not for long, for few minutes you spend and see — just for a minute, you see. Sit quiet — don't give rise to thought and first of all you see what's going to happen. So listening is not going to help you. Immediately you have to get into it. You have to be… be it.

And this happiness is your nature. Consciousness is your nature. Existence is your nature. Love is your nature. Peace is your nature, you see. So you can do whatever you want. So the sages, they suggest to be happy. We have to get rid of vasanas, you see. Enough of the vasanas, you see. Millions of years we have spent with the vasanas and we have been troubled, and now we have a very beautiful human incarnation, very good intention – bromjignasa — very good intention. What more you need? "Now I want to be free." Very good, excellent vasana. So you are most lucky, merits are great, therefore you are here in satsang, and I don't think you will lose anything, and or gain anything.

You will return to your own kingdom which is your birthright — not to suffer suffering. We simply imagine that there is suffering because we want to play with the projections of our own mind. We want to have swim into the mirage, hallucination, illusion. So once we decide, "I want to be free." it's enough. “I want to be free.” This decision has to be very firm decision, as firm as this universe is real. Firm decision, firm conviction, “This is real,” you see. So we have this kind of firmness in our Now. Very new desire, "I want to be free." This desire we did not desire, you see, previously; and now we are here because we have decided to be free this time. Therefore, my dear friends, decide once and for all that we are here and freedom is our right.

And we have to win it — just doing nothing, just to get rid of this one vasana — one vasana — get rid of one vasana only: "I want this." That's all. “I want this.” And perhaps if you don't give rise to this vasana everything will be added onto you. Even if you don't want, it will be offered to you. The kingdom of three universes will be offered to you… so?

Om shanti.

September, 1992

* * *

Death

We are going to speak: What is death? Fear of death? There are beings, bodies everywhere — under the water, under the ground, over the earth, in the air. They cannot be counted — billions, trillions of bodies. All have to die. And this death is after each body. Even after death and this death is following this body; even after, death will bring another body and then again death. That's repeated for millions and millions of years unless you remove this fear of death.

Because what is body? Earth, water, fire, air — that's all. This is the body and these are the elements outside also. Somehow integration has taken place of earth, water, fire, air; and then you have to disintegrate at the time of death. So if we realize it, always understand it – “These are the elements, but I am not the elements. I am not this body. I am not perishable. I am imperishable – Brahman”. Then perhaps you have solved this problem once and for all and you will not wear this body once again.

And how to do it? First of all, when you have found conviction of ‘I’ don't talk of reality. When you speak: “I am this ‘I’.” When you use, “I am this ‘I’." and you have firm conviction of ‘I’ — and this ‘I’ is identified with the body — don't talk of enlightenment, freedom or reality or truth or bliss or ananda whatsoever. It's not possible. And this ‘I’ is universe, bondage. When ‘I’ arises the universe arises, the bondage arises. And when there is no ‘I’ — no concept of ‘I’ — that's called freedom.

So how to get rid of this concept of ‘I’? There are various ways described in the book of knowledge, Upanishads, sutras also. So everybody says, “I am...” everybody says, “I am so and so, you are so and so, he is so and so, and this is the world.” No one ever questions, "What am I? Where do I come from? Where do I return to? What is the purpose of my coming here? What have I done?" So this question is never asked. "Who am I?" is never asked. So you have to question, "Who am I?" And then you have to search for its answer by yourself here and now. And this is going to free you.

And through yoga also you can do it. Just with the count of eight breaths — inhaling, exhaling — just for 8 times. How much time it takes? One minute you have 16 breaths, one minute — just half a minute and you are free. How? During these 8 inhalings or exhalings do not associate with any object and you are free. You can do it here and now. Just for 8 counts of your inhalings, no association with any object and you are free. Freedom is here and now, always, everywhere. You have been postponing for millions of years because of vasanas — "I want this, I want that. I am attached to this person, and that person is very much attached to me." This is all and this is called the cycle of birth and death, and this is universe, and this is bondage, suffering. And actually it doesn't exist — only vasana.

There is no difference between vasana and samsara. Vasana is, "I want this." That's all. When you don't give rise to simply, "I want this or that." Where is samsara; where has it gone to? So this vasana is samsara, and this vasana is time, this vasana is mind — which is past. Samsara is past. Mind is past. Vasana is past.

So we have never looked into this present moment, not ever. We have never tried it. We have never been told, no one ever taught us, what is Presence.

We speak always of past and future. Everywhere there is a talk of past and future. Who could speak of this presence? And this presence, this present instant is called freedom, enlightenment, wisdom, bliss. And you can do it without any effort, here and now. Without any effort and without starting any thought either. No thinking. So simple it is. And this simplicity has not been recognized therefore we have to suffer endlessly.

Even this suffering does not exist. As in the dream where we are attacked by robbers… attacked by robbers, and we are suffering. They are threatening us with revolvers in hand so we want some help… nobody helps. What can anybody do? So there comes a tiger — a roar of the tiger! The robbers run away, fearing their own death. And with the roar of the tiger this man who was attacked by the robbers wakes up… wakes up, you see. Now where are the robbers? Where is the fear? Where is the tiger? Where is the suffering? In the dream everything was there. There were robbers, fear, tiger. Everything was dream visions, illusions, hallucinations. But on waking up, nothing existed.

Likewise, the same is the case here. There is no difference at all. So you are all sleeping, and when we dream we must have previously slept. Before we must have been sleeping, then in the sleep we dream. In the dream we see objects — sleep, dream, objects, you see. So when we see objects we are dreaming. When we are dreaming we are sleeping. So here also, when we see objects we are dreaming and we are sleeping. Wake up! What is this wake-up now? Is the roar of the tiger that made you wake up from the dream, from the sleep, like this thing? When you want to be free, "I want to be free!" is the roar of the tiger.

First of all, no one wants to be free and this is a fact. No one wants to be free. Some fear is there. They need some help. Go and join meditation retreats. Go to some teachers for some help. Help to solve their problems, not for freedom. Who? Who comes for freedom, first of all?

We are 6 billion people tonight. How many are there? How many buddhas? How many enlightened people have we produced for quite billions of years now? Because we don't want freedom we want to enjoy, and this enjoyment, and this enjoyment. Each time is taking away from us; then again we make up our mind. The desires unfulfilled are waiting will give us next birth to enjoy the same; again not fulfilled. Whose desires are fulfilled? Not even the emperors have fulfilled their desires, not even the kings. Nobody has fulfilled their desires. So each man thinks, "I will fulfill my desires." and later on no one speaks of freedom at all. Some fear there, perhaps no one wants freedom.

And this is a fact, because he who wants freedom has to be free in the same moment when he wants to be free. Because the wave rises from the ocean, is the ocean, within the ocean — not separate. So when the desire for freedom arises it arises from Freedom itself, from Self itself, and is the Self itself, you see. If it is an ocean there has to be a wave not separate from the ocean itself. And in the desert if it arises it's a mirage. In the desert also there are waves. People run after it to have a soothing bath, swim in that. So that also is a river with waves but it is not real. It was not there in the morning neither in the evening, only for some time it is there. So this pleasure is for sometime. Just in the waking state or in the dream state that you can enjoy is not abiding, is not permanent, is not eternal peace. And after having enjoyed and found peace, you want to run for something else. So it's not peace at all.

Peace — once attained — you are peace itself. So when you run here, there, it is something else; it is sensual pleasure, not peace, not bliss — sensual pleasure because it is the nature of the mind. Having enjoyed one thing it wants something else and then something else, and this is called samsara.

So if you desire freedom make up your mind, if not today maybe at the end of this life if not next life. Don't postpone it. This postponement is called samsara. Samsara means postponement. And if you stand on your toes and decide, "I want to be free." who can stop it, first of all? Decide once and for all: “I have to be free.” Because freedom is within and when you say, "I want to be free." who speaks? Who is it that wants to be free? From where does it rise? Even this desire — I want to be free — where does it rise from? Where does it stand? Where does it subside to?

Just you have to understand this thing: You have not to go anywhere. Even you have not to desire anything. Only just understand that you are not bound. “I am suffering, I am bound,” you have heard from someone else. It's not real experience. You find out yourself. This suffering, this death, these tensions, you have heard from someone else; it's not your experience. Because when you sleep all what you have heard, of what you have read, is not there; and you are happy even in sleep, though this is ignorant state. You are happy because all that you have read or heard, experienced, and tasted and smelled and seen is no more there, and you are happy. So if you free yourself of what you have seen, smelled, heard, tasted or touched, just for one second — maybe half of the second, maybe half of the half will do. That's how, you see.

What is… I remember just now in this context, Ekentari. I will translate Hadigari:

Adi se puni aab. Sungabetide sadu ki, botukatain abrad.

So he says,

One instant or one second, half of the second, half of the half of the second.

If you associate with a saint, a perfect teacher; perhaps you are all the kalpas,

but all the bondages are completed, severed away and you are free.

That's what Goswamitutishida says. And Kabir also says the same thing, you see. He also says,

Chetiter, manter, boditer.

He was an illiterate man. Kabir was illiterate. He says that, I have never touched ink on the paper, nor have I held pen in my hand.” That's what he says — that was his education.

Chetiter, manter, buditer, isfalavsherid.

Batche, batche halfkerain, kahat Kabir Kabir.

So he says — I will translate:

Do not start a thought in your mind. Keep your intellect quiet.

Chetiter — mind — also quiet. Senses also quiet. And then enlightenment itself will be calling you from behind. Enlightenment itself will be inviting you from, “Dain ohkabir — Wait, I am following you.” That is how it happened.

So don't start a thought, one single thought. Don't discriminate between this and that, and no mentation, and one second, half second, half of the half. How could it be difficult now? It is difficult for those who are yet attached to something more precious than their own Self — more precious, more beautiful, more worth acquiring than your own wisdom, than Self, than eternity, than bliss. Therefore how can they ask for freedom? So he who wants — whatever he wants — he is drawn by that particular object, you see. So wherever your attachment is, wherever the object of your attachment is, there you are. Doesn't matter where you are; you may be in satsang.

September, 1992

* * *

Worship

During the lifetime of some enlightened beings worship began. Even during the time of Lord Buddha people worshipped stupas, worshipped statues of the Buddha. Some people don't believe in worship through statues. Those who invaded India at the time when Buddhist dharma was strong, demolished most of the statues and Buddhist monasteries were burnt. But during the time of Buddha himself he accepted dharma and sangha. Monasteries were established during the time of Ashoka; statues and stupas were built. Even today in many countries statues of Buddha are being built. Recently a statue 60 feet high was built in Bodhgaya by the Japanese.

Worship has been advised from time immemorial. Here we generally speak about consciousness, which is omniscient, omnipresent, in everything, every atom. There is no place where there is no consciousness. So what does worship mean? Many people get confused. Those who have been enlightened, free, they have worshipped through stupas, through statues, and that is how dharma has been living till today and it will live. I do not know of any religion which has not included worship. Buddhism is already 2,600 years old. Vedic Dharma is 25,000 years old. In Peru they have found a Shiva lingam 25,000 years old.

We are dealing with consciousness only, but it's very important to consider this matter. Many people write to me from The States and Europe. They say they are all right here, but when they return they forget it they lose peace and consciousness. I advise them to playfully worship whatever comes into their day-to-day life. Whatever they see has to be worshipped as the same consciousness — it cannot be other than consciousness. Eating food, whatever you do. Listening to music, worship through the ears. Whatever you see, it has to be worshipped, adored, honored. Like this, you will not forget consciousness. When you see that consciousness is everywhere this Cosmic Being has to be adored and worshipped in every being, every non-being, in every situation; when you are happy, in happiness; when you are not happy, in unhappiness. In all situations engage yourself. People say, "Sometimes I am happy; sometimes I lose it." Beyond both is consciousness, their own Self. The Self reveals itself to itself. This Cosmic Being which resides in all beings, in human beings, and animals, and birds, in everything — is conscious within you. In the cave of your heart is the Conscious Being that directs you to see, smell, hear, activate your activities. This has to be worshipped, adored, honored wherever you go, whatever you do, whatever you hear, whatever you see. Then how can you forget? Wherever you are you are in consciousness and consciousness is within you. Worship this purusha — this cosmic being within you.

I do not know how this cosmic being has become an individual being. If it has become an individual being then the cosmic being is residing within it. This knowledge that, "I am individual being." must be in the cosmos. This cosmic being has entered the cavity of your heart. Somehow you feel separated. You feel that, "I am an individual being, a different personality." Where does this knowledge that, "I am an individual being." come from? This knowledge is quite enough to be worshipped. Worship this knowledge at least, that "I am this individual being." If you can't agree that, "I am cosmic."

Many times I've made attempt to express. I have failed. It is said the mind cannot reach, the senses cannot describe. Somehow I have to do it.

This longing will arise — it is not enough. You will have to go and see a teacher and listen to the teacher. First you choose, "I have to return to effortlessness, I want to be free." This longing is not enough. This longing rises from ignorance only; it's not wisdom. Any choice is from ignorance; any longing is from ignorance. Good longing also is ignorance, but it takes you to a teacher who tells you whatever he tells you, and that is also ignorance. It is ignorance because it cannot be conveyed through words. Your mind can listen. This experience cannot be had by the mind or senses. When the mind and senses admit their defeat, then you will have this experience.

Let the individual dissolve and adore the Supreme Being. Let it merge into the supreme being from where it arose. Individuality must come from somewhere; a wave arises from somewhere. The individuality rises when you say, "this individual." You have returned with this thought. Now, this moment, where did this thought rise from? Individuality. This moment go back and see. Don't make any effort — it will drop by itself. Don't make any effort, don't think; it will drop by itself. Your longing will cease. My instruction will cease.

November, 1992

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