I Am That Session 62 Ch 22 Love Is Life Life Is Love Part 1

Listen to Ektaji talk about Nisargadatta Maharaj's book I Am That. Nisargadatta Maharaj was a teacher who did not propound any ideology or religion, but gently unwrapped the mystery of the self. I Am That preserves his dialogs with the followers who came from around the world seeking guidance in destroying false identities.

Transcript

I am that. Chapter 22. Life is love and love is life. Question is the practice of yoga always conscious or can it be quite unconscious below the threshold of awareness. Clarification he is not talking about yoga asanas. He is talking about this samadhi practice. The practice of being the witness. Yeah that's what he's calling yoga. Union. Union with the primordial awareness. So he's saying is it always conscious like I do have to consciously remember that you know I have to be the witness. I have to be the witness. I have to be the witness. I should not pretend to be this body mind. Does it have to be conscious or can it be become even unconscious. So let's see what Maharaj says. In the case of a beginner the practice of yoga is often deliberate and requires great determination but those who are practicing sincerely for many years are intent on self-realization all the time whether conscious of it or not. Unconscious sadhana is most effective because it is spontaneous and steady. I like that. What does he mean by unconscious sadhana? You know you're longing to be in a silent retreat. You're longing to understand yourself to know yourself. That itself is a part of the sadhana. Yes and then you heard this knowledge about the witness consciousness maybe a few years ago and unconsciously you learned to be the witness. Only in some dramatic situations you get completely pulled out but unconsciously a lot is happening. Yes so that unconscious sadhana is most effective and it happens automatically. You cannot do anything about it. You just become very young. For so long unconsciously this has been happening. I know I am the witness but I slip I fake it. I know that I get some accolade. I get some award. I get some success. The happiness wave is only so much and then it recedes but somebody comes and says oh aren't you happy and then I fake it. Truth was the wave was only so much. Yes that was the only feeling that I really experienced from that accolade from that award from that success. Similarly when a mistake happens through the body there is only one wave of guilt but if you have somebody come and tell you we really did wrong. Now you fake it that oh yes I really did wrong. I should be feeling bad. Do you see this? So at an unconscious level you knew reality that no I'm not so attached to this success or I'm not so attached to this failure but because of my own projections that come and reflect the way I have believed in the past that my entire reflection that itself pulls me back into the fake and pretence because I believed it in the past. Now as these beliefs shed away what will happen? Reflections will also start changing. Do they change immediately? There will be a little delay because they are operating from past few you know lots of fuel from the past. So these reflections have a delay. I have lifted the hand up like that that reflection will also have to lift the hand up like that. There will be a delay but it will happen. So now you start acknowledging the unconscious unconscious wisdom that you have. It is already there. You see the truth. Big drama situation going on at home. There's some part of you that's completely disconnected just witnessing all the drama that's going on. Then there's just this mistake that happens where you shift back into this body mind person and you say oh I am the family member. I'm supposed to be involved. Supposed to be. The moment I hold on to that fake idea supposed to be then I start faking it that yes I'm involved. I'm taking this decision. I'm telling you don't do this. Let's do this blah blah blah. Yes. Hasn't this happened with you? There's a moment where you recognize I'm totally disconnected from this whole drama. That was your unconscious sadhana. Is there anybody who has no glimpse of unconscious sadhana at all? So you've all recognized it at least in one instance. Yeah the same thing happens happens in a pleasurable event. I gave you an unpleasant example right? When in a pleasurable event where you're loving something. You're with the kid, The spouse, The beloved. You're very happy. You're totally there. You're consumed by his or her love. It's a very loving environment. Ego's guard is very low. Very quiet. No resistance. Happy at peace and then also you feel the disconnect from it. As if it is happening somewhere else. Not to me. Then again you come back to oh I am the family member. I'm supposed to feel this love. I'm supposed to experience this passion. I'm supposed to acknowledge this touch, This beloved. Then the pretense begins. Are you becoming aware what he means by unconscious sadhana? This is totally at another level. So he says unconscious sadhana is most effective because it is spontaneous and steady. Question. What is the position of the man who was a sincere student of yoga for some time and then got discouraged and abandoned all efforts? Maharaj says what a man appears to do or not to do is often deceptive. His apparent lethargy may be just a gathering of strength. The causes of our behavior are very subtle. One must not be quick to condemn, Not even to praise. Remember that yoga is the work of the inner self. Vyakta on the outer self. Vyakti. All that the outer does is merely in response to the inner. This is the crux of this chapter. Vyakta. Vyakti. Vyakta is the witness consciousness. It's manifest. Yes. It is the manifested form of the pure consciousness, Which is avyakta. So pure consciousness is avyakta. Witness consciousness is vyakta, Which is manifest. And the person is the vyakti. Person means body, Mind complex. This is very, Very clear. So what does he call inner? The witness consciousness. What is the outer? The body, Mind complex. The last sentence is the most important. All that the outer does is merely in response to the inner. What does that mean? Whatever the inner has projected, That projection is recognized by the outer. That the outer is the projection of the inner. Suppose a subtle thought occurs. A very simple subtle thought occurs that let me just go out, Let me just go out, Take a breath of fresh air and come back. I'm sitting here for many hours, But then you don't get up. No, I'm writing these notes. I'll break my link. I better continue writing. Yes, The subtle thought again comes back. No, Let me just get a breath of fresh air. All the windows are closed. Again, You ignore. No, Let me continue writing. I'm making my list. This is very important. You're writing, Writing, Writing. You don't realize when the body gets up, Opens the door, Takes a breath of fresh air and comes back and sits and continues writing. Subtle thought manifested as a gross manifestation. Are you getting this? The inner is the one that projects and it reflects in the outer. Did this become clear? Inner is the vyakta. It's the vyakta that projects and it reflects in the vyakti, The person. That is why projection is inside out. So he says, All that the outer does is merely in response to the inner. So the questioner says, Still the outer helps. Maharaj says, How much can it help and in what way? It has some control over the body and can improve its posture and breathing. Over the mind's thoughts and feelings, It has little mastery or it is itself the mind. This is very important. That which is lower can be controlled. The body is lower than the mind. So who is the vyakti? The mind is the vyakti. Mind is the person. So the mind can control the body. Okay, Let me do so many yoga asanas. Let me run so many rounds. Let me keep the body healthy. The mind has more control on the body, But it has less control on thoughts and feelings itself. So again, Recognize what is the mind with less consciousness. Forgetting its real nature takes on the stand of the mind. That is the vyakti. Okay, So I'll read that again. How much can the outer help and in what way? It has some control over the body and can improve its posture and breathing. Over the mind's thoughts and feelings, It has little mastery or it is itself the mind. It is the inner that can control the outer. The outer will be wise to obey. Yes, Is it clear? If at the source, I correct my position, Stay as the witness. Yes, Previous reflections that were following me will now also correct themselves. The outer will follow the inner. It has to obey. There will be a dealing because of some past fuel, The past patterns that fuel the past patterns that you have forced this outer reflection to follow. But eventually, The outer will follow the inner. So the questioner says, If it is the inner that is ultimately responsible for man's spiritual development, Why is the outer so much exhorted and encouraged? Maharaj, The outer can help by keeping quiet and free from desire and fear. You would have noticed that all advice to the outer is in the form of negations. Don't, Stop, Refrain, Forego, Give up, Sacrifice, Surrender, See the false as false. Even the little description of reality that is given is through denials. Not this, Not this, Neeti, Neeti. All positives belong to the inner self as all absolutes belong to the reality. Which is very clear, Yeah? Look at the instructions that are given to the person. Don't jump in, Don't indulge. This is vasana, This is desire. If you get into this, Then you're getting into drama. Don't do this. What do you say for the witness? Just stay, Just abide as yourself. Be the pure consciousness, Be the pure swaroopa that you are. So the positive affirmations are for the absolute. All the negative ways of explanations are for the bhakti, The body mind person. So all that the outer can do is just listen to that. Don't, Stop, Refrain. That's all it can do. So questioner says, How are we to distinguish the inner from the outer in actual experience? So Maharaj says, The inner is the source of inspiration. The outer is moved by memory. This is very important. I keep having these mind stories. Where are the mind stories? What are they related to? To the outer, To the bhakti, To the body mind person. That is all based on memory. It is the mind stories that pull me away from the truth, That make me fake, That make me pretend. These mind stories are based on memory. So the inner is the source of inspiration. The outer is moved by memory. The source is untraceable while all memory begins somewhere. Those who've started practicing, All their memories, List of attachments they're bringing up, They begin somewhere. She did this from that day onward. She's been doing this only. And you go on and on in your mind story, Caught up, Withdraw, Withdraw. That's all the outer can do. Don't, Refrain, Stop. Exactly the same thing is in the samadhi shlokas. Just be a sakshi, Just be a witness to it. With focus on the consciousness, Not focus on that attachment. Thus the outer is always determined while the inner cannot be held in words. Why is the outer determined? No, I'm telling you, She's like this only. I'm telling you, This story is like this only. So determine. The inner can't find the unknown only. The mistake of students consists in their imagining the inner to be something to get hold of and forgetting that all perceivables are transient and therefore unreal. Only that which makes perception possible, Call it life or brahman or what you like, Is real. So he's telling you directly what is the mistake that you can fall into. So highlight that. The mistake that I can fall into is imagining that I can see brahman or make pure consciousness an object of seeing, Object of hearing, Object of knowing. This is the mistake that students do. Can you know pure consciousness? No. In the previous chapter, Maharaj says, To know the source, You be the source. That is the only way. There is no knowing of it. It cannot be an object because it is the subject. Hence the mistake of students consists in their imagining the inner to be something to get hold of. Means to see, Hear, Taste, Touch, Perceive, Know, Understand, Comprehend. You cannot. Don't even try. Why? Because you're making a mistake that all, You're forgetting that all perceivables are transient. If you perceive it, It's temporary. It's transient. It cannot be that. What does this tell you about the sense of I am? It is transient. It is temporary. Yeah, It collapses. I see the collapse. I see the arrival. Yeah, I am beyond. I have to just become very clear in my seeing of this and make that impression very strong. Only that which makes perception possible, Call it life or Brahman or what you like, Is real. Only that is real. So, Questioner says, Must life have a body for its self-expression? Maharaj says, The body seeks to live. It is not life that needs the body. It is body that needs life. This is really beautiful. He's saying that did pure consciousness have to take a body or project a body to express itself? So, He's saying the body seeks to live. It is not life that needs the body. The body seeks to live. It is not life that needs the body. It is the body that needs life. So, He's trying to understand then why? Why did it project the body? This question comes to you also. Why this whole projection? So, He's saying, Does life do it deliberately? Brahman, Does Brahman do it deliberately? Does pure consciousness do it deliberately? So, Maharaj asks the question in return of questioning. Does love act deliberately? Yes and no. Life is love and love is life. What keeps the body together but love? What is desire but love of the self? What is fear but the urge to protect? And what is knowledge but the love of truth? The means and forms may be wrong but the motive behind is always love. Love of the me and mine. The me and the mine may be small or may explode and embrace the universe but love remains. Yeah, So what is the answer? Why this whole projection? Love. That's it. There's no other answer to it. It's just love. Yeah, Whatever fear arises, Whatever desire arises, All of that is love. Fear is love in order to protect. Yes, Desire is love in order to receive. That is just love. Life is love. Love is life. So, Stop questioning the projection and seeing why this projection is there. You question the projection only when you are unhappy with it. Can the witness be unhappy? That means the stand is wrong. It's the person that is questioning it. Wrong stand. Again, Take the correct stand. From there, Is there a question of it? My projection, What's the point? What is this? It is all done by Brahman only. Witness consciousness cannot even do so much. It is a reflection of Brahman. It is Brahman itself that is expressing its love. And there is this little story also where Brahman, To express its love, It creates the not Brahman, The not self. Atma creates anathma and plays with it. Those are nice, Cute stories for kids. Understand the real meaning of all this. It's just the power and the power is man. Manifesting on its own. It's the power of Brahman. To project, To wail, To perceive what has been projected, To withdraw the entire projection. It is its power. It's manifesting its power. And that itself is love. Like I was explaining to somebody today, The sun has the power to give warmth and to give light. It's just manifesting its own existence. That's the way it is. There's no questioning why. How is there a question for that? Why is the sun there? Why so much heat? That is its expression. Similarly, This is its expression. It's expression of love. Beyond this, If you try to look for the logic, There is no logic that you're going to find. The questioner says, The repetition of the name of God is very common in India. Is there any virtue in it? Maharaj, When you know the name of a thing or a person, You can find it easily. By calling God by his name, You make him come to you. He's talking to somebody at that IQ level. Okay, Remember. So, The questioner says, In what shape does he come? Maharaj says, According to your expectations. Yeah, Because I'm the projector, No? I am only projecting. So, I'm projecting a form of God over you. Now, He comes in my only expectations. I want God to give me this particular thing. So, That God comes as the giver. Yeah. So, Maharaj says, If you happen to be unlucky and some saintly soul gives you a mantra. Unlucky. Please be aware of the word. If you happen to be unlucky and some saintly soul gives you a mantra for good luck and you repeat it with faith and devotion, Your bad luck is bound to turn. Steady faith is stronger than destiny. Destiny is the result of causes, Mostly accidental and is therefore loosely woven. Confidence and good hope will overcome it easily. So, He's saying, Basically, Whatever you believe, That is what will project. That is the short answer of this. You have projected a God that God will give you what you want. You have projected an Advaita retreat. It does tell you exactly what you want her to tell you. Are you seeing this? Have you recognized this? Whatever you project, Your projection gives to you whatever you expect of that projection. So, Similarly, Your faith in whatever comes from that projection now becomes stronger than all your previous seeds that you had thrown, Which you call destiny. Yeah. And those reflections weaken and this is the new action in front of the mirror. So, That reflection has to now follow this new action. That is why he says, Steady faith is stronger than destiny. So, Questioner says, When a mantra is chanted, What exactly happens? Maharaj says, The sound of mantra creates the shape which will embody the self. Self means the witness consciousness or the sense of I am. The self can embody any shape and operate through it. After all, The self is expressing itself in action and a mantra is primarily energy in action. It acts on you. It acts on your surroundings. Very simple. I holds on to an evil thought. Yeah, It takes on the evil thought. I holds on to a mantra, Which is a holy thought. It takes on the holy thought. Very clear? Just like the evil thought would affect the I and act on it. Similarly, The holy mantra will act on the I. So, Then he says, The mantra is traditional. Must it be so? Yeah, Means it would used to be in Sanskrit and used to be some God's name or some good meaning word. So, Maharaj says, Since times immemorial, A link was created between certain words and corresponding energies and reinforced by numberless repetitions. It is just like a road to walk on. It is an easy way. Only faith is needed. You trust the road to take you to your destination. So, This is a European noun. He says, In Europe, There is no tradition of a mantra, Except in some contemplative orders. Of what use is it to a modern, Young Westerner? Maharaj says, None. There comes the real Maharaj. None. Unless he is very much attracted. If you are attracted, Then what can Maharaj even do? He is going to just let you be. For him, The right procedure is to adhere to the thought that he is the ground of all knowledge, The immutable and perennial awareness of all that happens to the senses and the mind. If he keeps it in mind all the time, Aware and alert, He is bound to break the bounds of non-awareness and emerge into pure life, Light and love. The idea, I am the witness only, Will purify the body and the mind and open the eye of wisdom. Please highlight this. This is the only instruction given to the one who is not attracted to mantra and other things. He says, Anyway, If you are attracted to it, Then that's fine. But if you're not attracted to it, Great. You know it anyway doesn't work. What works? I am the witness only. This will purify the body and mind and open the eye of wisdom. Again, Please don't imagine an eye opening up here. This is not a depiction in comics. No eye will open. It just means that you will experientially see the truth. Like you have been experimenting now for four days. You've been really seeing what reality is and how you were faking it, How you were pretending. You were just ignoring what was real. It is not continuous. You were saying, No, This is continuous. You're holding on to a wrong belief. So this is the meaning of the eye of wisdom is seeing the truth, Which you ignored earlier. Then man goes beyond illusion and his heart is free of all desires. Just like ice turns to water and water to vapour and vapour dissolves in air and disappears in space, So does the body dissolve into pure awareness, Chidakasha, And then into pure being, Paramakasha, Which is beyond all existence and non-existence. A lot of people then read this and think, Oh, This body is going to die or the world is going to die. Everything will end for me. No, No, No. I don't want to do it like that. Then your understanding is not clear. Your recognition that projection is inside out. I project this body every morning. I am born every morning. If I consider this as eye, Then this body is born every morning. And at the end of the waking state, This body dies. So daily there is birth and death. So body disappearing into Paramakasha means what? Just recognizing that, Oh, I'm not this body. I am not this mind. I'm not even that witness consciousness. I'm not even the sense of I am. I am the Paramakasha. So your eye shifts to Paramakasha. Now there is no more a personal eye. There is only a universal eye. That's the only identification remaining. That's how the body disappears into water vapor. Water vapor disappears into space. That's how you disappear into Paramakasha. It doesn't mean that the body is going to die. The world is going to end. That is the wrong understanding. It's just the shift of eye. The eye that was attached to the body-mind is no more attached to the body-mind. It shifts to Paramakasha, Pure consciousness or primordial awareness. This is very, Very clear, Right?

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