Seeking Is Realizing The True Nature

Talk & Practice.

Happiness is here and now | Seeking Is Realizing The True Nature | Happiness Here and Now is talk from the greatest master Astavakra. It is step-by-step understanding or simply understanding in an open session that helps achieve the highest meditative state. The teaching is free from yoga, mantra, tantra, meditation, mindfulness still helps us achieve freedom, permanent happiness in life.

Transcript

So,

Nirpek chu nira nirpek chu nirvikaru nirbhara shitala shayah.

This one?

Yes.

Agad udthir shubdo bhavacchin maatravasana.

So the easy translation is,

Master is saying to the seeker,

You are unconditioned.

You are changeless.

You are formless.

You are immovable.

You are only awareness.

Hence you cannot be disturbed.

So the master says,

Are you clear who you are?

The seeker says,

Yes,

Then hold on to this consciousness.

This is what is the literal meaning of this verse.

So let us understand through different one or two examples.

How much time it takes one to know and realize the true nature?

That is the question.

Are we unqualified to know our real nature?

Is this the question to us?

Or how should we qualify to know our real nature?

Is this the question?

Yes,

Sam has joined.

Very good.

So you see that how much time it takes one to know and realize our true nature?

Let me ask you a simple question.

You have dogs in your house and they are,

They can attack.

So what signboard do you put before your house?

Beware of dogs.

Now,

You are coming from outside to your home.

You also read that sign.

Do you stop?

You don't stop.

It is your house.

You enter simply inside the house.

You know everything.

That is the nature of our real self.

It is my nature.

It is me.

Nothing to be aware of.

That is the qualification.

Do I have the intense aspiration to know my real self?

So how much time it takes?

No time.

So then what is preventing me to know my real nature?

And it is the wrong notion in the mind.

What is that wrong notion?

That I am the body,

I am the sense organs,

I am the mind,

I am the intellect.

We don't need IQ to know our real nature.

Same example,

Beware of dogs.

IQ cannot be a qualification to discover our real nature.

Let us go a little deeper.

He says you are unconditioned,

Immutable,

Nirpikchu nirakaro,

Nirbhara shitalasaya.

That you,

You,

Your real nature.

What it is?

What is the nature?

It is unconditioned.

It is formless.

Nirbhara,

It is immutable.

And shitalasaya,

It is full of coolness,

Anger,

Anxiety,

Duality,

Conflict,

Enters into the mind but it cannot touch our real nature.

This is what is the meaning.

Aagaad abudhir.

So he says that intelligence,

It is unfathomable intelligence.

Higher consciousness alone,

Holding on to the consciousness alone,

The knower alone is the way to succeed in meditation.

What is the impurity?

Because we say that the mind is impure that is why we cannot realize our true nature.

So what is that impurity?

That impurity is thinking of others than the real self.

My mind never thinks about what is my true nature.

We always think about others.

But due to the illusion,

We claim this body is me and mine.

But this body belongs to others.

This body consists of the matter,

Sense organs are not me and mine.

Breath is not me and mine.

Intellect and ego is not me and mine.

I am the real self.

So what the master is saying?

He uses a symbolic expression.

In this verse,

He says,

Chinma Travasana,

Let me hold on to the consciousness behind,

Sitting behind the mind,

Sense organ,

Body and this world.

The moment we are holding on to that consciousness in our thought,

In our awareness,

We are in the state of meditation.

We don't need to practice.

How long mind should be pure,

When the mind will be pure?

It can happen in a moment.

There is no time.

The moment I say my real self and that real self is a pure consciousness.

And what is that pure consciousness brings the first person experience.

Little not very difficult,

But little typical language to understand.

When I say I know you,

First thing is sure that I am a conscious being,

Then only I can know you.

So we hold on to that consciousness,

Leave I and you.

So behind that I and you,

There is a pure consciousness that is my nature.

Going back to again one more thing,

When the mind becomes impure,

When mind claims and working for the objects is me and mine.

Knowing real self,

It does not mean that you are not performing your duty and responsibilities in the material world.

But you are aware that which is not me,

When the mind runs after it.

So on Mondays and Thursdays our journey is how to purify that mind.

How to understand the different layers of the impurities in order to reach to the real self.

So here the master is saying it's a different approach.

Here the master is saying the moment I become aware of that consciousness which goes through the mind,

Creates I,

My,

Me,

Mine,

World outside.

Hold on to that consciousness and when you hold on to that consciousness you are already there.

We need to do practice,

We need not to do any practice.

So what happens?

A layman listens to this and he says no I need not to do any practice.

What happens to him or her?

He builds an ego sense.

It is the same mind that creates an ego sense which says no.

This beard guy says I have to do nothing.

So I had I have to do nothing.

I remain lethargic.

I seldom think about the real self and I fall back into the impurities that causes suffering.

It is in between it.

Have you seen the pendulum?

You leave,

You push it at one corner and leave it.

So it moves to the pleasure and then pleasure moves to the pain.

Pain moves to the pleasure.

But the master is saying hold on to the consciousness in the middle neither this nor that.

Neither this nor that.

This is also impurity and that is also impurity.

This is what happens when we say oh you need not to do anything you you are pure.

Then when I'm already pure consciousness then why should I do it?

That is not the problem.

Problem is do you recognize it?

Do you know it?

Do you live in it?

Do you think,

Live and work with reference to the pure consciousness or not is the question.

We work with reference to our ego,

Our preferences,

Our desires,

Our clinging.

So when I work with my clinging and abundance it causes the impurity in the mind first followed by the problem and the suffering.

So the master says Shrotabhv,

Mantabhv,

Nidhityasatv.

I have to listen to this principle again and again and again until the mind reaches to that state.

I have to contemplate again and again and again during the day not only one hour weekly.

And the moment you contemplate and reflect on it the time comes that mind throws out all the impurities and we are there.

So he goes beyond all the practices.

He says understanding,

Knowing it,

Throwing out the wrong notion created in the mind and see from the other point of view we talk of permanent happiness.

For how long we are seeking happiness,

Where we want happiness?

Everywhere,

Not only in relationship,

Also at home,

At work,

Before sleep and after waking up,

During all the activities,

During our relationship where we want happiness,

Everywhere.

From home we want happiness.

From everyone.

What is the meaning of permanent happiness?

Just you know we are inquiring do we want happiness by hard work or without any work?

So you may have different answers.

Do we want happiness by hard work or without any work nature?

Do we want happiness that we should know or do not know?

Do we want happiness always near us or too far?

Do we want happiness forever?

So when you answer all these questions then what is the common element?

Find out.

A common element is I and that I is my real nature and that real nature is full of continuity of happiness because if I'm not present here how can I be happy?

I'm repeating again think of it for how long we are seeking happiness?

No time forever but if I'm not present how can I be happy?

And who is this present?

This is consciousness,

This is not the body,

The body will not remain forever.

Where we want happiness?

Everywhere.

Everywhere.

Okay minus I.

Nothing is left.

From whom we want happiness?

From everyone.

So where lies that happiness?

If I'm not there I am present but that I is not ego.

That I is the pure self.

Moving on to that seer and the knower in me leads us to happiness.

So it means now see the happiness.

Happiness all the time,

Everywhere,

Without any invitation I should know happiness from everyone and that is my real nature.

What is preventing me not to realize that happiness is ignorance.

Last point pay attention to it.

I want happiness all the time means what?

All the time means what?

It is beyond time.

That is why all the time at every place.

What is the meaning of this?

Means there is a sense of completeness undivided.

That is the meaning that at every place if it is complete that is what we are covering step by step on Mondays and Thursdays from everyone.

What does that mean?

It is total.

That is the meaning of that I am seeking happiness from everyone.

It is total,

Natural,

Self-directed,

Self-revealing and that is our real self and that is pure consciousness.

This is what Master says.

You are unconditioned,

Changeless,

Formless and immovable.

This is what the Master is guiding to the seeker.

Question is are we a seeker?

So when we are a seeker we become one pointed.

When we are a seeker we filter out what is not me.

When we are a seeker we move with awareness in all of our thoughts,

Speech and action.

With that awareness this thought is not it.

This thought pertains to others.

This thought pertains to me.

The moment we are living into that awareness we are in the state of meditation.

Let me repeat it again the verse again so that you can contemplate.

Nirpik show unconditioned.

Master is saying you are unconditioned.

Come on,

Realize it,

See to it.

You are immutable,

You are formless and you are the coolest.

You know we talk in our country how cool you are.

Are we really cool with reference to consciousness or with reference to desire?

See that how you know he understood the meaning of cool more than 3,

000 years ago.

Now we are using how cool you are.

Ask yourself am I cool?

Forget about others.

Unfathomable intelligence and undisturbed.

Hold on to that consciousness.

That will take you to awakening.

That will take you to realization.

That will help you to realize your true nature.

And one thing is sure the moment we awaken to our real self it is irreversible process.

It cannot be reversed.

So ask yourself can that be reversed?

It means you are not there yet.

You may claim you have understood you are not there yet.

Now while sleeping before going to sleep after you wake up in all the activities in every thought speech and action that you are aware that no one is behind working unattached formless.

That is what meditation is.

So let us start our journey of meditation.

Close your eyes.

Eyes are closed.

So when the eyes are closed means symbolic expression.

What is that symbolic?

I just told you the glasses do not see you.

There is someone sitting behind that glasses or the eyes inside is seeing this word means what?

When you close your eyes you are aware of all the sense organ that is giving you some sensation.

But these sense organ is neither you nor your real nature.

That is the meaning of close your eyes.

You know you see you have heard many meditation teachers they say close your eyes gently.

Gently means with awareness that you are not your eyes you are none of these sense organs.

That is the meaning.

Otherwise we normally blink our eyes gently.

What a big deal.

You may ask the question and become aware of the body from the top to the bottom.

In that awareness you experience the body is steady.

The steadiness in the body.

You see the paradox logic that works here.

I believe you might have noticed body cannot be made steady.

What we are saying steadiness in the body.

Body is constantly moving every cell fluid is there.

Movement is life.

But we are going beyond.

So when you are aware of the steadiness in the body you see steadiness in the body.

So the mind is holding on to that steadiness.

This is what the master is talking about in this verse.

Akshubdha.

Unperturbed.

Now look deep inside the heart in the space.

Normally in Eastern wisdom the space is of a greater significance.

When you are aware of the space we may see that as if there is no object.

So the mind jumps directly deeper into the higher consciousness.

That is right.

We say become aware of the space.

In that state let us be comfortable.

So now being comfortable you can take it holding on to consciousness or preventing the mind to move to those objects of the world which is not me not mine.

So looking at the neck joint let us do it in three pointed awareness.

We are not doing anything in fact I have to use I'm using the language that is my limitation or limitation of the language.

You see you look at the neck joint object.

Be there.

Experience sensation.

Being comfortable and steadiness.

So steadiness is already there.

Comfort you cannot create a comfort by doing anything.

You have to discover the comfort.

See that.

That's why it is not a practice and sensation comes by default.

I'm alive.

I'm a conscious human being.

When I am conscious the sensation is already there.

But why I don't feel it mind is running outside.

And what we understood when the mind is running outside it causes the impurity.

That itself is the impurity.

And what is beyond being comfortable sensation and steadiness.

It is all the space.

Look at the shoulder joints.

Shoulder joints being there.

Feeling sensation.

Being comfortable and steadiness.

Do you still remember what we discussed today?

You are holding on to consciousness.

So we have when you become aware of the space the space is awareness and the awareness is space.

That we will take up deeply in our following sessions.

And the entire look at the hip joint being there feel.

What you feel sensation being comfortable and steadiness.

And what is beyond that there is a space.

What is that space?

The entire body.

From the crown of the head to the toes.

Move the mind on all the joints of the body.

You see that moving?

When I say move the mind may feel as if you are going to do something.

You are not exactly doing anything.

The mind is everywhere.

But that is the limitation of a language I have to speak out.

The mind moves on all the joints of the body.

There is an awareness of all the joints.

Feeling sensation.

Being comfortable and steadiness my friends.

And being carefree.

So when you understand the very import of the meaning being carefree.

You are already carefree.

It is only the understanding that is required.

What it means?

Free from all the cares.

Who cares me?

The mind.

So it cares by the thoughts,

Feelings,

Desires that makes the mind run outside.

So what I am doing?

Not doing anything.

I am just knowing that these thoughts,

Feelings,

Images,

Desires at this time is separate from me.

How do you separate from me?

How can you say?

When you claim an object is me and mine then it cannot be separate from me.

The birds are flying in the sky.

The birds does not claim that it owns the sky where it is flying.

Oh yes.

Does your mind say I got it?

So thoughts are coming and going.

Let it come and go.

How simple it is.

It's a play and fun.

That is the meaning of being carefree.

You know when you understand because we are a conscious being so we realize here and now.

And that is the purity of the mind when you are not at all associated clinging with any thought idea pertaining to others.

And you entertain every thought that pertains to the real self and the consciousness.

At the same time,

See that.

That is why we say we are not doing anything.

So when you are into that state of being comfortable and carefree,

Let us see.

Look at the head and the neck.

Simply looking.

Looking is not doing anything.

Looking means being aware.

Looking means also the feeling.

Looking also means the sensation.

Because consciousness has many synonyms used differently in a different context.

So we are still holding on to that consciousness.

And then I say look at the head and the neck.

Be there.

So when you are simply there,

Where?

On the head and the neck.

So something behind the mind sees through the mind,

Experiences through the mind.

What is that experience?

Sensation is definitely there.

Sensation is there.

And the stillness is there.

The stillness in the body,

Not of the body.

When we drive,

We remain still.

We do not go anywhere.

The car goes everywhere.

That car is the body,

The breath,

The mind,

The intellect and the ego.

Can you recognize that?

I am trying to give a lot of similes.

So once that,

Now look at the right arm.

Be there.

Feel someone that is really you.

Going through the mind.

Recognizing sensation,

Relaxation and stillness.

Means what?

What you experience is not you.

Pain,

Pleasure,

Happiness,

Joy,

Everything that is happening in the mind is not you.

Clear?

Look at the left arm.

So when you see the left arm,

You look at the left arm.

Means what?

You cannot be the left arm.

First point of awareness.

And now someone that means you,

Consciousness,

Moving through the mind goes to the left arm and experiences sensation,

Relaxation and stillness.

What a beautiful way this master has been teaching us.

Look at the middle portion of the body,

Shoulder down to the rib cage in the belly and shoulder down to the entire spine until the middle portion of the body.

Looking.

Yes,

I am looking and experiencing the middle portion.

Means I cannot be this one.

And then we are there.

We are there.

We feel.

What do we feel?

Sensation,

Relaxation and stillness.

Sensation,

Relaxation and stillness.

Now the right leg.

Same way,

Are you aware?

First not me.

Second,

You are aware.

What you are aware?

Not only you are aware of sensation,

Relaxation and stillness,

But you are aware that you is sitting behind the mind,

Going through the mind,

Reaching to the middle portion,

Experiencing sensation,

Relaxation and stillness.

Right leg.

So same practice with little variation.

We are what we are doing?

We are understanding with reference to the teachings of the master.

I'm just a catalytic agent passing on that message.

So looking at the right leg.

Now do you understand the exact meaning of looking at the right leg?

Being there means what?

You and the right leg are different and separate.

That right leg is other than your real nature.

And in between we experience sensation,

Relaxation and stillness.

Left leg.

You know,

Just become aware.

What happens when I say left leg?

You start feeling the sensation of the left leg.

I didn't say it,

But you feel it.

See that?

It's so natural.

We have destroyed the naturalness of the mind by claiming the world is me and mine.

So again check when I say simply the left leg,

Whether I say move your mind on the left leg or whether I say left leg,

You simply become aware.

Who is that awareness going through the mind?

Moving and then it sees the left leg.

Sensation,

Relaxation and stillness.

See that?

And entire body,

Entire whole body from the top to the toes.

Being there sensation,

Relaxation,

Natural and stillness.

And now looking at the breath.

So let me use this verse what the master is saying with or in the awareness of the breath.

Just simply look at the breath.

What do you see?

You see the breath is going in and breath is coming out.

What is the meaning of this breath is going in and coming out?

Breath is changing.

Is the mind clear the breath is constantly changing?

So who recognizes that breath is changing?

There has to be one changeless entity within that knows the breath is changing.

This is the true breath awareness.

Usually we talk of breath mindfulness.

So you are constantly aware that someone inside is constant,

Not changing.

Looking at the breath which is changing.

You see that separation in the field of awareness takes us to meditative state.

So you see when you have this understanding the mind does not become bored.

You know sometime when you are repeating one thing again and again the mind says it enough is enough.

But when the mind says enough is enough it means the mind wants to change the object from breath awareness to something else.

Why?

Because the mind is running outside.

When you understand this subtle point you simply enjoy not being any change.

You are aware of the changeless entity within.

And that changeless entity,

Formless entity is our pure consciousness.

That consciousness is one in the same in every being.

Then how we are different?

Because of the mind.

Sun is one.

Your windows are tinted,

Colored.

So you see the sun with different colors.

I you and everyone are exactly the same pure consciousness of the nature of permanent happiness.

Yes.

When the mind is looking at the world of change,

Get caught,

Creates a wrong notion,

That I am subject to change.

And when the mind has not only looking outside the world of change,

But is also looking inside.

When it looks inside means going beyond the mind.

You realize one consciousness is there,

That does not change.

You are still looking at the breath,

That is a language restriction,

But looking at the breath means you are also aware of who is looking at the breath.

Another way to understand and experience this verse,

Unconditioned,

Immutable,

Formless,

The master saying you are the coolest guy,

Who is that you?

That real you,

That consciousness,

Shitalashaya,

The Sanskrit word means of cool disposition,

Unperturbed,

You,

That real you cannot be disturbed by anything.

What you do,

You hold on to your real nature,

Drop the rest.

So we picked up the breath as a tool to become aware.

Even you continue to be aware of the space inside,

That space is awareness and awareness is the space and you are looking at the breath which is constantly changing and you know the space,

Never change awareness,

Never change,

You are already there.

We do not need too much,

Too many steps when we listen,

Understand and realize the import of this verse.

You are already into the state of meditation.

Do nothing,

Remain as you are.

We will share our experiences once we return.

Shanti,

Shanti,

Shanti,

Shanti.

Om Shanti,

Shanti,

Shanti Om Shanti,

Shanti,

Shanti Bring your mind on the right hand,

Your mind on the left hand Lift your Buddha palms,

Place it on your eyes,

Open the eyes inside,

Know your experiences and then bring the hands down How are you Terry?

No problem,

It's okay Machine,

We should not get upset by the machine because we created them,

They did not create us No issue,

How are you?

Yes,

Yes Terry you got it I couldn't get the microphone icon to stay up I was sitting in this wooden chair and I was very comfortable so I forgot to get into a comfortable chair So as the thing went along,

Which did seem to go pretty quickly Ah,

That's a deeper Even though I was uncomfortable,

I was experiencing some pain So I just asked myself who was experiencing this pain Yes,

Right question I said well I can get up and get a different chair or I can stay here and make it about that Which I didn't really want to do but I just did it No chair,

Even if it is golden chair Contain that peace and happiness,

Peace and happiness lies in you The pain is very distracting but But at the same time what happened,

You said that the practice went by so fast so you were already there And the mind returned to the chair again How are you Vaibhav?

So I feel very peaceful,

I'm just sitting there and then everything is coming,

I'm projecting to that thing And then I come back and then I'm peace Peace,

That's a good way to explain How are you Sam?

I'm good,

I also would say it went by very quickly I would say because I wasn't really thinking,

I was just being And the one thought that came into my head is about 3 seconds before you click that button It says the recording stopped,

It says it's going to stop now And it stopped and that was my only thought of the whole time That's good,

That's also a point of awareness I'm leaving your mind When it went very fast it means you were already there,

You were experiencing That's beautiful,

That's beautiful How are you Stephen?

I'm good,

It was a timeless meditation,

Very very quick,

Very peaceful I did not have any thoughts outside of the fact that my dog decided to want to sit between my legs while I'm meditating,

Which he's actually still here So I had to reposition so he'd be comfortable That's good I mean literally he's still here And I'm in a new position in this room not realizing that the sun is moving so you can see that I've got a little bit of sun And that's all I felt,

I was like oh there's some sun That's beautiful You know you see the mind is clear and when the thought creates that clear understanding That leads to awareness deeper inside So even anything happening outside do not disturb us So that is the point of learning That is beautiful,

Beautiful How are you Ashok?

I'm totally relaxed and good Good,

Very good So you see,

You know Jerry and David seldom missed the session,

You know today they were not there I don't see so shobha otherwise You know there are some people who complain no I will not share my experiences So other complain why should I,

You didn't ask me It's a problem for me But anyhow I go with the problem,

How are you sova?

I'm fine sir,

It is really nice feeling light,

Peace Yes,

Live in that light and peace Now see that you listen to this talk again and do the practice,

After the practice Allow the mind to live into that state because it is a known practice Can I my mind live into that state while communicating with my honey at home,

At work,

While driving,

While being with the dog While living with the pain also Pain pertains to the body,

Pain is not you Because body is not you There is a symbolic I remember and then I'll bring an end to this today's session It's quite interesting for the young to know that there was a great epic known as Mahabharata So there was a character known as Bhishma So in ancient days we used to have bow and arrow So the enemy hit hundreds arrows to his body So what happened?

Half the arrow is in front and half the arrow at behind and he fell on the ground So his body was hanging on the arrows Then what?

What a big deal In that state also he was absorbed into a deeper meditative state How do we know it?

He created a very small book which was noted by his other students and which is also available Can you write a poetry on meditation in that state?

Terry you had only one arrow not 1000 arrows in the body Did you get it?

So you see that the pain is in the body,

Experience in the body but I'm not the body Because of clinging and attachment we identify we we lose hold of the our real nature Think of it.

That is all for today.

Thank you and we will meet on Monday