The man did so and lived in completion, happily and blissfully again from that day on.

What the king said applies to all of us. Go back home and see if you have yakṣa's jar or not, and if you do, complete with it. If you are worrying, if you are suffering with incompletions, there is every chance that you have the yakṣa's jar of incompletions in your house. The yakṣa's jar never gets filled, it is always incomplete!

Of course, when I say yakṣa's jar, I mean it may not literally be there in your house. But it will surely be there in your head as incompletions. Sometimes yakṣa hands over the jar in the form of a bank balance. Sometimes he hands it out as knowledge. Sometimes he hands it out as name and fame! It may be in your mind, in your inner space sitting as complicated patterns, as incompletions claiming over your own power.

Listen! Yakṣa's jar is made out of the Brahmakapāla—meaning one of Lord Brahma's heads that Lord Śiva, in the form of Māhākāla, destroys. Mahādeva assumes the form of Kālabhairava to destroy the incompletions of Brahma. Brahma once got into the hypocritical incompletion of thinking he is Sadāśiva. Sadāśiva had five heads, Brahma also had five heads. But Brahma forgot that Sadāśiva had one more space in Him, which is called *Adho Mukha*—the Superconscious, Enlightenment, *avyakta*—the unmanifested. Brahma had not realized his unmanifested side. So he suddenly started behaving like Mahādeva, saying, 'So what? I have five faces. He also has five faces.'

Mahādeva then took the form of Māhākālabhairava and removed one of Brahma's heads. Once Mahādeva removed the head, Brahma automatically settled into the space of completion. But all the incompletions of Brahma were stuck in Mahādeva's hand in the form of that Brahmakapāla or skull, which simply swallows anything that is put into it and asks for more. Then, Devi offered food to that skull and completed it. Viśveshvara, Viśvanātha became Kālabhairava to complete Brahma. Mahādevi became Annapūrni (mother who bestows completion with food) to complete the Brahmakapāla.

Understand the truth from this powerful happening! The yakṣa's jar is the head of Brahma that makes us feel that we are not enough, that we are not complete, that we are not powerful and joyful. Our head makes us continuously feel powerless, insecure that we are not enough unto ourselves and we are not complete.

On one side, no matter how much we have, in ten days, we feel it is not sufficient. In ten days, Brahma's head, our incomplete mind, will take everything for granted. On other side, it makes us cunningly believe that we know, when we *don't* know.

Yakṣa refers to an incomplete, powerless person with complicated patterns, who has wealth and the power of completion but neither does he enjoy his powerful space nor does he enrich to share it with the world. In Bharat, they keep a few dogs in many agricultural fields. The dogs will neither eat the grains nor will they allow other animals to come and eat. In the same way, if we have the power of completion and enriching, and we neither enjoy nor share it with others, we are called a yakṣa.

One of the biggest problems is, in spite of reminding you again and again, you put all your energy to support your incompletions saying 'If I don't support my incompletions, people will exploit me because others are in incompletion.' If you feel insecurity, be very clear, you have already become Brahma. Now you need Kālabhairava to happen in you. Any form of insecurity is Brahma. Remove that insecurity and incompletion from your life. Be like Kālabhairava when you have to complete with all your incompletions, because your incompletion always behaves like Brahma. Even though it does not know, it acts as if it knows.

When accumulation of wealth or knowledge is done greedily, there is never an end, like the yakṣa's jar, because there is always scope for more. And secondly, when one is so preoccupied about accumulating, completion and joy never happens. The greed of wanting more and more power and the fear of losing the power hinders the true power and joy of the wealth. Why are we accumulating possessions if we do not stop and enjoy them?

**I tell you, Kālabhairava is power and joy.** These two qualities complete all your incompletions. All your incompletions will be complete. Your very DNA should be programmed with the space of Kālabhairava, power and joy! Mahākālabhairava is embodiment of power and joy! Only power and joy brings completion and keeps you alive, awake, aware.

I always tell people, 'Either you do *dāna* (charity) or you achieve *mahādāna* (the final and grand sacrifice or death). If you do *dāna*, you share some of your completion while also enjoying and enriching yourself. You will be enriched and so will others. If you don't do some *dāna*, you will achieve *mahādāna*. This means you will leave everything and go away carrying the mahādāna of your incompletions once and for all when you die.

Ramaṇa Mahaṛṣi says beautifully, 'Before achieving it, even a mustard seed will look like a mountain.' It will seem like your life will not move without it. It will seem like it is the basic and most important thing for your life. 'Once you achieve it, even a mountain will look like a mustard seed.' This is because something else looks like a mountain now. We get caught in the trap of achieving, and lose the ability to relax and enjoy what we have achieved.

### **Karma or Sannyāsa, What is my path?**

Here, Arjuna asks: 'Kṛṣṇa! Now, will you please tell me surely, which of the two: *karma*, action or *Sannyāsa*, renunciation is more beneficial?'

*sannyāsaṁ karmaṇāṁ kṛṣṇa punar yogaṁ ca saṁsasi* (5.1)?

Again and again, all of us ask ourselves this question. The mind is in dilemma! The mind asks for a single instruction! Our mind will be alive as long as we are caught between any two extremes. The moment we come to any single conclusion we will be liberated. We will be ignorant as long as we are moving from one extreme to the other. Don't say 'Ignorance is bliss.' If ignorance is bliss why are so many people suffering on this planet? Ignorance is not bliss. Innocence is bliss.

#### **Innocence means we will not carry a scale with which we are continuously measuring our life. Ignorance means we will have a scale but we will not be able to fulfill our life according to that scale.**

We have made our mind itself a disease, a dilemma. Dilemma is the disease of incompletions with which man starts his life and ends his life too. Even 'ends' is not the right word to use because he is in a dilemma about whether or not to end it! But death comes and his life is just taken away from him. Here, Arjuna is in a dilemma as to which of the two is *more* beneficial for him. If we look into life as a utility, as some means to a benefit, then we are creating our own hell. If we reduce life to this, we will be in hell.

**Listen! Life has no separate benefit. Life itself is a benefit.** There are people who have achieved all that they wanted in life. But they feel a deep void, a deep incompletion in them. This is what I mean by the term 'depression of success.' They feel something is deeply lacking and are unable to comprehend what it could possibly be.

This is because they ran the rat race of life without carrying the space of completion, without stopping to complete with their root patterns of desires, of fear and greed, without any self-inquiry. They ran foolishly because everyone else was running. They never stopped for a minute to question—'why am I doing what I am doing', 'what do I really want', 'why do I feel the way I feel'. So, without finding the root patterns that drive them in the rat race, when they stop running or when they can't run anymore, they fall back into their incompletions.

They suddenly find themselves diseased with their own being. This is what becomes depression or disease. So, if you constantly look for some benefit from life, if you don't achieve, you will feel life is a failure and if you achieve, you are bound to face the depression of success. Either way it is trouble.

**Life itself is a benefit.** If we constantly try to see which of two things is *more* beneficial, it means we have a pure business mind. We can't do business with life. At some point we need to relax from the business mind. I always tell people, 'For at least half an hour per day, do some enriching which will not get dollars for you—some painting, some writing.' When you start painting, don't think of a big gallery with your paintings! Do some creative work without bothering about how to show off your artwork to people. Even before starting to paint, we will think, 'My friend will come home. I will show him how I developed this concept.' You will decide how to bore your friend with your plans.

**Do something enriching just for the sake of enriching, not for any purpose.** Enrich just for the sake of enriching. You will see that during that half hour, you will fall into your very being; which is the space of completion!

You can also enrich at some place of worship by cleaning it without expecting anything in return. Engage yourself in any form of selfless enriching activity. Serve food to people. Even while volunteering, we do it so that we can tell others about it and get applauded for it. So now at least for 30 minutes, authentically enrich with responsibility, without the cognition of getting yourself any benefit. No money or name and fame should come to you from that half an hour. If you can just do this, you will start tasting the real power of life. Enriching is the power of living, *ātma śakti.*

**Listen! With enriching, you will achieve the ultimate result of establishing your existence into everything. You establishing your existence into everything is what I call 'serving.' In any form of serving or enriching, you expand and become part of it.**

As long as you are in your own head, continuously calculating, you will only be bargaining with life, 'What is *more* beneficial? What am I going to achieve by this?' You will see the power of living—a different dimension of your being, if you practice this technique of enriching. I promise you that this enriching will lead you to Kṛṣṇa consciousness, the consciousness of completion.

**When you stop calculating for getting benefits, you will start tasting the fruit of life. Listen! Enriching is enjoying and sharing the fruit of life!** When you enrich others you will come alive. A mango does not achieve its ultimate, if you just eat the fruit and destroy the seed. The fruit realizes itself only when the seed is able to give more fruits.

Life is not and can never be business. Here, again and again, Arjuna is stuck because he thinks that life is business. Of course, Kṛṣṇa is very compassionate. He is the embodiment of kindness! Literally, inch by inch, He brings Arjuna up without giving up on him. He does not lose His patience. He does not say, '*I told you earlier…*'

I can say that Kṛṣṇa uses at least 100 verses to explain this one concept of *Karma-Sannyāsa yoga*, the paths of responsibility and renunciation. But He does this without losing His patience at any point. Not once does He shout at Arjuna. He is an embodiment of compassion. He comes down to the plane of Arjuna and gradually transforms him by enriching him with the same teachings in different ways.

The question concerning *Karma* and *Sannyāsa*—responsibility and renunciation—has been asked from time immemorial, and each time it has been answered. Yet this question remains.

Somebody asked me, 'Why is the *Gītā* still relevant today?'

I said, 'Because we never learned it.' Although *Gītā* was uttered at least 5,000 years ago it is still relevant today. Why? It is simply because man has not listened and he has not learnt his lesson yet! History repeats itself.

The unconscious process never comes to the conscious energy. Man as such is governed to a large extent by the unconscious. He is not even aware of what he is going after. He thinks he wants something and runs after it. But by the time he gets his hands on it, he wants something else. So there is a constant restlessness, powerlessness within. This puts man in constant incompletion, dissatisfaction and depression.

Listen! By merely flooding completion into this depression you can

get out of it. I always tell people, if you just allow a single instance of depression, powerlessness to work on you and you face it consciously with the process of completion, in the process you will become enlightened. Nothing else is necessary. A single instance of depression is enough. It will completely burn you and you will become enlightened. But we never allow anything to work on us completely. We are scared to confront our own selves. We just allow the unconscious space of powerlessness to overpower us instead of boldly facing it with power and joy, and seeing it through its completion. Look into every moment you feel powerless in your life even now. Don't try to escape from those moments! You can never escape!

Life is the greatest Master, it continuously teaches us. But we never learn from it. We never mark the spot where we stopped our journey in this birth. That spot where we stopped life's journey is the root pattern. When we stop our journey, if we at least mark the spot in this life saying, 'I covered this distance, I learnt all these things. In the next birth I will continue from where I left last,' it is enough.

Please listen. The moment your root pattern is born, your life is destroyed! Your growth is stopped! Only when you find your root pattern and complete with it, you come back to life again. When I say birth, I do not mean just the totality of our life. I am referring to each day and night. Each day and night is a birth. It is a life cycle. We die and are reborn every day.

#### **Do Self-completion, SvapūrṆatva**

Everyday at least for forty-two minutes, consciously decide to do the self- completion process, *svapūrṇatva kriya*. Decide consciously to be complete: 'Let me sit and face my powerlessness and complete with my patterns. Let me restore my space of completion today.'

Tell yourself, 'I will allow the cognition of completion to enter into my consciousness this week. I will solve all my problems only with this complete cognition. I create the space of completion.' If you had completed with all your patterns before sleeping every night and allowed the cognition of completion to enter your consciousness every week, you would have been enlightened by now. Your life would have been blissful. But the problem is we do not take the responsibility for our possibility. Instead, we always mark the spots of our life's journey in the wrong places—in our patterns.


We mark our patterns, not our possibilities. We never mark where we should in the bigger picture of our lives. We are so caught up with marking our small desires and goals fueled by our incompletions. We never mark the spot of our peak possibilities. These markings of desires and worldly goals continuously get washed away and new markings are made. They update themselves based on inputs from the world around us, based on what society has to say. We forget that these markings are temporary and do not reflect *the space of possibility* within, which comes only from completion.

What truly matters is inner transformation, which we never bother to think about. We never allow any understanding of completion to work on us. If we are consciously aware of our root patterns, why we are doing what we are doing and what our pitfalls are, we can start to complete with them and grow to be powerful, complete individuals. But again and again we make the same mistakes. The scale may differ but the mistakes are the same!

A leader is one who commits mistakes on a large scale and hides them, whereas a follower is one who commits the same mistakes on a smaller scale and justifies them. That is the difference between a leader and a follower. To be honest, we are not intelligent enough to create new patterns. We are not creative and innovative enough to make new mistakes. Even if you merely decide not to make the same mistake out of the same pattern once more, your life will be transformed. But again and again, we make the same kind of mistakes because our mind works in the same route. That route is only called *saṁskāra*: a recorded route, an engraved bio-memory or a root pattern. If we take up the life of either *karma* or *sannyāsa* based on an incomplete recorded bio-memory, we will never achieve completion, bliss.

#### Surrender to experience Karma-Sannyāsa as One

Let us deeply analyze these paths of *Karma* and *Sannyāsa.* Karma is normally out of greed and desires. Sannyāsa is always invariably out of fear, *bhaya*. There is a fear of life. When you are not ready to take the risk, you renounce everything. The fear of getting hurt is the first reason for *Sannyāsa*. *Sannyāsa* is a way of escapism, turning away from the responsibilities that life presents. When a person is bogged down by responsibilities of life, he takes *Sannyāsa* as an easy escape route. In the name of renunciation, he covers his deep fears. This is not true *Sannyāsa*.

Then we have people running after material wealth in the name of *karma.* On one side are the people who are running away from fear. On the other side are those who are running towards their greed. Both categories of people are not going to achieve eternal bliss or consciousness. Both are not on the right track of completion.

In the entire world, only three types of human beings exist: One who has surrendered to greed, one who has surrendered to fear and the one who has surrendered to the supreme intelligence, divine consciousness. The person who has surrendered to greed gets lost. Such a person runs after many things in life to possess them, which in turn leads to more greed. He literally becomes a slave to greed.

There is a beautiful story in *Muṇḍaka Upaniṣad*:

There are two birds on the same tree.

One bird, a completely satisfied and fulfilled being, is sitting calmly, enjoying the silence of its own inner space.

Another bird is sitting a little below, busily pecking at the fruits. It keeps flitting from place to place, trying to eat the fruits. When the fruit is tasty, it enjoys. When the fruit is not tasty, it suffers. It continuously oscillates between enjoyment and suffering.

Suddenly, this bird looks up and sees the bird that is sitting silently and thinks, 'How is this bird so calm and beautiful? Let me go closer and see. Let me talk to this bird.' Slowly, the small bird moves towards the peaceful bird.

As it goes closer to the other bird, it continues to taste more fruits and suffers because the fruits are sour. Suddenly, when it is close enough to the other bird, it realizes that the other bird is nothing but its own *self,* which is sitting silently and beautifully watching the small bird getting distracted in its path, suffering with sour fruits! The small bird simply becomes one with the other bird.

This is a beautiful story!

In the same way, as long as you are a *jīvātman,* an ordinary soul, you struggle between fear and greed. You go from one extreme to another. The moment you realize there is something inside your being that is untouched by your greed and fear, you start traveling towards it. When you get closer to it, you realize you are that Consciousness.

Here, Kṛṣṇa explains the same thing, we are caught between fear and greed. Either we constantly surrender ourselves to fear or we surrender ourselves to greed. Very rare individuals surrender to intelligence, to Divine Consciousness.

Arjuna asks here, 'Which is more beneficial for me?' Keeping track of accounts is good in business but not in life. People come and ask me, 'Why should I surrender to the Divine? If I surrender, what will I get?'

If you don't surrender to the Divine, you will be surrendering to your fear or greed. I am not asking you to surrender to the Divine just to get something out of it. When it comes to life, profit and loss doesn't work. Life is beyond calculation. The moment we ask, 'What will I get by surrendering to the Divine?', we miss the whole idea of surrender.

Venkaṭeśvara (incarnation of Lord Viṣṇu) holds the cakra (discus) in one hand, and this represents fear. In the other hand, He has the śankha (conch), which represents success. The conch is blown when you achieve success or victory. This represents greed because man is constantly seeking success in everything and is never satisfied.

If you don't surrender to Venkaṭeśvara's pāda (feet) and His pāduka (sandals), you will surrender to His conch and discus. In other words, you will surrender to fear or greed. Those who constantly approach God for fulfillment of their desires or for refuge for their problems are actually surrendering to greed and fear. Only very few surrender to the feet of Venkaṭeśvara, which is the ultimate surrender.

Our whole life is spent running behind greed or fear. The path of *Karma Yoga*, seeking liberation through action or responsibility, happens because of greed. The path of *sannyāsa yoga*, seeking liberation through renunciation, happens because of fear. Neither the path of *karma* (action) nor the path of *sannyāsa* (renunciation) will enrich us unless we complete with our greed and fear and transform our very space into the space of completion. If we change the incomplete space to that of completion, *karma or sannyāsa* or anything can enrich us. All we need to know is this—it doesn't matter if we are a *karma yogi* or a *sannyāsa yogi*. It is the attitude, the space from which we approach and live life that is most important. Let your inner space be the space of completion.

Listen! When you are in incompletion, you constantly feel powerless and anything you do comes out of powerlessness. Anything done out of incompletion, be it *Karma Yoga* or *Sannyāsa yoga*, leads you to more and more incompletion. Anything done out of completion, leads you to more and more completion.

I am defining Sannyāsa.

#### Sannyāsa is you living in the space of completion and constantly enriching everyone to be in the space of completion.

Again and again, Kṛṣṇa is placing the emphasis on the space of completion, on the being. If we don't know the root cause of our actions, why we are living with *karma* or why we pick up *Sannyāsa,* we will not be able to solve our problems. Our suffering is neither because of *karma* nor because of *Sannyāsa.* Suffering is because of our wrong attitude of incompletion. And with this wrong attitude of incompletion, be it *karma* or *sannyāsa*, the path will feel only like a punishment. With the right space of completion, any path will feel like a true blessing for you and for others.

With the wrong space of incompletion, if you take the path of *karma* or *sannyāsa*, you will struggle and suffer, and make others suffer as well. If you decide to enter *karma,* drop the goal. Just enjoy doing the *karma* and don't worry about the goal. Living itself is beautiful. Realize that life itself is beautiful. On the other hand, if we decide to take up *Sannyāsa*, again drop the goal. The goal of a *Sannyāsi* (monk), which is renunciation, is also a goal and it must be dropped. The karma yogi runs towards the goal, the *Sannyāsi* runs away from the goal.

Kṛṣṇa says—*sāṅkhya yogou pṛthagbālāḥ pravadanti na paṇḍitaḥ* (5.4). Indirectly He tells Arjuna that he has yet to learn, that he is still ignorant. Only the ignorant man says that *karma yog*a is different from *sāṅkhya yoga*, the *Sannyāsa.* Here, the words *karma* and *sannyāsa* are equated to *Karma Yoga* and *Sāṅkhya Yoga*.

The experienced say that both *karma* and *sannyāsa* lead to the same truth. Through both these paths, one achieves the results of both. If we complete with the pattern of greed in *karma yoga* and complete with the pattern of fear in *Sannyāsa Yoga,* we will drop into eternal consciousness. Through both, we will achieve when we create the right space—the space of completion.

So Kṛṣṇa says here, 'Only the ignorant person says that one is superior to the other or that they are two different paths. Both the paths are one and the same.' A person who can travel alone, who is courageous enough to live in the space of completion and decides to enrich others with completion takes the life of *Sannyāsa*. A person who decides to live in the space of completion and who wants to enrich others by sharing his life takes the life of *karma*. It is up to us. Both the paths are one and the same.

What is important is having the right reason and the right space, not what we are doing. What we are *doing* is not important, who we are *being* is important. These three words should be understood: *being, doing and having*. If we are continuously *doing* only for *having*, we will never *have* it. Even when we are *having*, we will be *doing.* The man who is doing just for having will never be able to experience or enjoy life because even when he is having, he will be doing. The man who is established in his *being* will enjoy both *doing* and *having* at the same time. By just *being*, he will enjoy *doing* and *having*. All we need is a simple technique. The whole idea is now reduced to a one-line message.

#### *Let all our feelings, let all our mental thoughts, let all our physical deeds be directed towards gratitude to the Divine.*

Don't work out of fear or greed, because no matter how much we achieve out of greed, we will not be fulfilled. It is like pouring ghee (clarified butter) into the fire. Can we quench fire by pouring ghee into it? Never! All our actions that are done out of greed will only create more desire and make our senses weak, tired and incomplete. In the same way, all our laziness born out of fear will only make our mind restless and incomplete. We may not be doing things physically, but our mind will be worrying.

If we have become a *karma yogi* out of greed, our senses will be weakened. How much can we run? If we become a *Sannyāsi* out of fear, again, we may not do anything physically but the whole day we will be worrying.

A simple truth:

When a man doesn't have money, the problem is money. When he gets money, the problem is sex. When he gets sex, the problem is comforts. When he gets comforts and everything is going well, he starts worrying about death. Some incompletion or the other will always make his mind powerless.

Don't think that all the *Sannyasis* sitting in the Himalayas are in bliss. No! Unless they create the space of completion, they cannot experience power and joy. Unless the very space changes, they cannot experience bliss. Bliss is directly related to our inner space. Our whole life will be spent in doing and having if we are caught in fear and greed. If we surrender ourselves to being, doing and having both will happen to us with tremendous ecstasy.

Never work out of greed because whatever we achieve is going to be taken away at the time of death. Never become silent and inactive out of fear because there is really nothing to lose. Whether we are afraid or not, everything is going to be taken away at the time of death. So why be afraid? In either case, why not be blissful?

One important thing: Working without motivation is completely unheard of today. All psychologists, psychiatrists and scientists always emphasize that we cannot work without motivation. That is why there are so many motivational Gurus today. These people have come to the conclusion that 'work without motivation is not possible' after analysis on diseased patients, not on enlightened beings. They never had a specimen of a Buddha! They never encountered an enlightened person. That is why they say that work without motivation is impossible.

I tell you, work without motivation is the only real work. It will never make us tired! Every moment we will be working out of bliss.

# Devotion Above Action

*   5.5 He who knows, knows that the state reached by renunciation [sāṅkhya] and action [karma] are one and the same. State reached by renunciation can also be achieved by action, know them to be at the same level and see them as they are.
*   5.6 Renunciation without devotion afflicts one with misery, Oh mightyarmed one. The wise person engaged in devotional service attains the Supreme without delay.
*   5.7 The person working in devotion, who is a pure being, self-controlled and having conquered the senses, identifies his Self with the Self of all beings. Though engaged in work, he is never entangled.
*   5.8, 5.9 One who knows the truth, though engaged in seeing, hearing, touching, smelling, eating, going, dreaming, and breathing, always knows within himself that—'I never do anything at all.' While talking, letting go, receiving, opening, closing, he considers that the senses are engaged with their sense objects*.

*yat sāṅkhyaiḥ prāpyate sthanaṁ tad yogair api gamyate I ekaṁ sānkhyaṁ ca yogaṁ ca yaḥ paśyati sa paśyati II 5.5*

One who knows that the state reached through *sāṅkhya yoga* and *karma yoga* are both one and the same, and that the state reached by *sāṅkhya yoga* can also be achieved by *karma yoga*, sees both of them in the same level and sees things as they are.


### Drop Greed and Fear, Live Power and Joy

Beautiful verse! Not all of us are *karma yogi* or doers and not all of us are Sannyāsis or monks. No Sannyāsi is a Sannyāsi for 24 hours. When he surrenders himself to the greed, he is a doer. No *karma yogi* is a doer for 24 hours. When he surrenders to fear, he is a Sannyāsi. So, whenever we make an optimistic decision, we are a *karma yogi.* Whenever we make a pessimistic decision, we are Sannyāsi. It is we who play both the roles.

Who is an optimist and who is a pessimist? An optimist is a man who created the airplane. A pessimist is a man who created the seat-belt. In life you always play both the roles. Sometimes you are an optimist and sometimes you are a pessimist. Here, both can lead to the same goal if the inner space is pure and complete. Anything created out of greed will create more greed. Anything created out of fear will create more fear. Anything created out of incompletion will create more incompletion.

Please listen: Whenever we move our body while feeling a particular emotion, that emotion gets settled inside our system. That emotion will become part of us and get created again and again in our system. Jiḍḍu Kṛṣṇamurti, an Enlightened Master from Bharat, made a wonderful statement about emotions. He says, 'If you can, try to remain centered, silent, without moving your body when a particular emotion rises in you, without co-operating with it. Within eleven times, or I can say within eleven emotional upsets, if you have managed to be this way, you will be liberated from that emotion.'

For example, if you are caught in an emotion, say lust or fear, then for eleven cycles, whenever that emotion rises in your being, don't allow your body to co-operate. Don't allow your body to flow or move with that emotion. Within eleven cycles, I assure you, you will be liberated from that emotion. You may think, 'What is this, *Swamiji?* Just eleven times! Is it so easy?' It is easy. All great things are easy. Only we complicate them because we don't believe that anything is easy.

A small story:

A person goes to the doctor and asks, 'Doctor, how much will you charge to pull this tooth out?' The doctor says, 'Ninety dollars.' This person asks, 'Ninety dollars just for a two minute job?'

The doctor says, 'I can do it more slowly if you like!'

We don't believe in simplicity. We want to complicate things.

I can tell you with integrity and authenticity, eleven times is too much. When that emotion rises in you, don't cooperate. Let your body not go after that emotion. Don't be taken away by that emotion, whether it is anger, irritation, depression, lust, fear or anything else. Just decide, 'I am not going to be taken away by this emotion. I am completing with it.'

I tell you, within three or four times, you will be liberated from that emotion because you will learn the technique of completion. You will have the key now in your hand: How not to be taken away by that emotion, how to be complete, rooted in your Self, in your being. Whether it is anger or fear or greed, it gets more power and strength if your body cooperates with it. With whatever emotion your body moves, that emotion gets recorded inside your system. And that emotion will happen again and again, and much more intensely. Both frequency and intensity of that emotion will increase.

There is a movie, 'What the Bleep Do We Know?' In this movie, they show this idea beautifully. It is a truth from *Vedānta*. They say that whenever an emotion happens within your system, it is like a shower of rain. The emotion pours like rain. It happens inside your system, in your being. There are particular cells that catch these emotions. For example, if you think with anger, there are particular cells that catch anger as an emotion. Not only do they catch the emotion, they start reproducing as well. Each cell will create at least four or five more cells that can catch this emotion.

Listen. An important truth is that the basic quality of life is reproduction and expansion. This is the survival instinct governed by the *svādiṣṭhāna cakra*, the fear energy center within our body. Reproduction is governed by the *mūlādhāra cakra*, the sex energy center in our body. These cells that catch the anger emotion start reproducing and each cell creates five or six more cells. Next time, when the anger shower happens, all these cells will also catch the same emotion. They grow to the same original size. Now these cells also start reproducing. The third time, when the shower happens, all these cells catch the emotion and start storing it. That is why, every time we experience the same emotion, it becomes stronger and stronger. We are addicted to that emotion. If we are affected by anger for ten minutes the first time, then the next time, it becomes twenty minutes, then half an hour. This is how the emotion becomes stronger and stronger.

In our being, again and again, when we cooperate with these negative emotions, we create the same type of mood, the same type of pattern and lifestyle in us. Not only will this emotion get recorded in us, but we will express the same thing to others also. What we have within us is what we will vomit on others also.

#### **Drop Greed and Fear, Live Power and Joy**

If we are working to strengthen our greed, we will be caught by the emotion of greed and we will radiate that emotion. Next, if we strengthen our fear, again, we will be caught by that emotion of fear and express that emotion, torturing others with it. Be very clear: Warriors are caught in fear. That is why they torture others. They give fear to others. Warriors are the most cowardly people. A real warrior is a person who has conquered his being; who has won his being. Only he can be the only real warrior. If we do anything out of fear, we will reproduce the same fear in others.

Now, take a few minutes to sit and analyze, 'Throughout this life, all these years I was driven by greed and fear. What have I achieved? What have I got? Where am I standing? What has really happened?' Consciously and actively think about it. Consciously allow this idea to work on you. Decide, 'From today, I will not do anything out of greed or out of fear.' Immediately the fear will rise in you, 'What will happen to my bills? What will happen to my house? Who will repay the mortgages? What will happen to my car? My kids, who will feed them? What will happen to my social prestige and name and fame?'

Understand, you have enough energy and strength to maintain yourself without fear and greed. All you need is trust that you don't need energy from fear or greed to run your life. That is the first thing you need

to understand. You have enough potential energy to live your life and to achieve what you want.

When you come down to this planet, you bring enough energy to live all your desires or to achieve whatever you want to achieve in this life; to create your reality as you want. You have already brought enough fuel. You don't need fuel from fear or greed. You always think, 'If I stop fueling myself with fear or greed, I may stop working.' No. There is enough reserve fuel in you. But psychologists can never believe that unmotivated action is possible because they have never seen a Buddha. They conclude, 'Only with motivation can a man work.' What motivation have birds got to sing? But modern day psychologists are so focused on sex that even for that, they have started giving a meaning! They say that the bird is calling out to its partner. They can't see anything as it is.

That is why here, Kṛṣṇa beautifully says—'*yaḥ paśyati sa paśyati'*. The man who is beyond the pull of fear and greed is the only one who can see things as they are. If you are caught in fear or greed, you will see things only as you *want,* never as they *are*. For example, on seeing a beautiful, tall building, a man who is caught in greed will think 'If I have at least one building like this, how nice it will be!' The man caught in fear will think, 'I should not see these things. They stress me out. I should go and live in the forest.' But only a person who is liberated from these two emotions will see it as it is.. His seeing will be a pure perception of *seeing*, beyond any patterns.

Now, decide strongly, 'Throughout my life, I have been either pushed by fear or pulled by greed. Do I want to continue that?' For someone trained and conditioned by society, it will be very difficult to believe that you don't need energy from greed or fear to live. I know you are thinking, 'He is talking, so let us listen. What can be done?' I know thousands of questions are rising in your mind. But let me tell you: Your whole past, whatever your age may be, you lived only fueled by fear and greed.

Just decide, 'For the next ten days I will trust the words of Kṛṣṇa. I will practice this truth with integrity and authenticity. I don't need fuel from fear or greed because I have brought enough energy.' When the Divine sends you to earth, He sends you with whatever you need. In *Vedānta,* that is what we call *prārabdha karma*. When you come down you bring enough of energy for your senses and body to acquire whatever it needs to live life blissfully. The only problem is you don't trust that you have brought everything. And after coming down, you accumulate more and more desires from others and then you try to fulfill all those desires too.

Work only for your desires. Don't waste your life working for others' desires. Decide clearly, 'For the next ten days, I will work only out of my power, my joy and bliss. I will do everything out of my completion.' I can assure you, it will transform your life. Anyway, I am going to be here even after ten days. If it does not work out, come and catch me! I tell you, just living ten days out of joy and bliss rather than fear and greed will transform your whole life. This one idea can liberate you straightaway from all bondages.

When you start practicing this, for the first few days you will feel a little unsettled because a new inner space is created. Say 'No' to any desire or any fear that comes up. Initially, you will feel some emptiness, a vacuum, but don't worry. In a few days you will beautifully settle with the new space. Don't worry when you fail a few times. Starting this way is much better than staying in fear of failure. So start! At least you will know the technique. If you don't even start, you will not even know where you are failing. I tell you with integrity, it will transform your whole life. It will give you such great strength and courage that invariably you will be liberated. Don't be bothered about the initial feeling of emptiness. It is like this: If we don't have anybody to nag us we will feel we are missing something! So, when you practice this, you will feel you are missing that constant nagging. Don't worry. You will settle into that new consciousness. Your whole being will become new.

It is important that you trust that you have enough energy to run without fear and greed. Only children need candy to make them work. For you, trust in power and joy of completion should be enough. Now, you are all grown-up. If you still need fear or greed, then you have grown only physically and not mentally.

One more thing: In just ten days, you will not lose your wealth. Is there anybody who thinks, 'If I practice for ten days, I may lose all my wealth?' If that is the case, that wealth is not worth having. It is better to lose it. In ten days if you can lose it, do you think it is worth having it? The earlier it is lost, the better it is for your being.

**Remove the tremendous stress and load from your inner space. Decide, 'For ten days, I will do all my actions out of deep bliss, out of a settled mood of powerfulness and joy.'** If you practice this, the constant irritation that remains in you will disappear. Knowingly or unknowingly, you carry constant irritation in you. That is why all of us are just waiting to burst and explode even for small things.

Look into yourself: How many of you can authentically cognize, agree that you carry that constant irritation in you? Raise your hand (A few raise). Others are not authentic! Everyone carries it. This irritation we carry in our inner space is because of fear and greed. There is uneasiness between you and your being. That uneasiness expresses itself continuously to others. That uneasiness is what I call dis-ease.

Let you be liberated from it from today. So, decide that just for ten days, you will not fuel yourself with fear and greed. You will suddenly feel a new energy coming up from your being—pure enthusiasm and causeless auspicious energy. Causeless auspicious energy is what we call Śiva.

**In Saṃskṛit, 'Śiva' means causeless auspiciousness, reasonless energy.** It is possible to live with that reasonless, unmotivated energy. Only two things are needed for that. The first thing is trust that you have that energy. The next thing is starting to live it. Only these two things are needed to reach the Divine Consciousness. When we start working with the causeless auspicious energy, we become Śiva. Otherwise, we are Śava (dead body).

Here, Kṛṣṇa does not refer to renunciation the way we traditionally understand it. Normally we think renunciation is giving up everything, especially responsibility. Just by so-called renunciation without completion, if we just go to the Himalayas and try to meditate, we will not become a Sannyāsi. When we use the word 'renounce' the way we understand it, we exclude something. Exclusion can never be the solution. When we say 'I should give up or avoid something', we exclude some creation of Existence. When we try to renounce the world, we are renouncing the creation of Existence. We are trying to prove that we are more intelligent than Existence. Our renunciation then becomes a show of our ego, even though this may not seem very obvious to us.

Actually, we try to renounce because we want to escape from the situation. The outer world, situations or people are never the cause of trouble in us. How can they control us? It is our patterns of fear and greed and the projections of our mind that are really the cause of all the trouble. Ever minute, our mind continuously creates subtle expectations of how things should be, how people should be, how life should be. The thought pattern needs to change from running away from something due to fear of it to facing the reality. Running away from material pleasures due to fear of facing reality or guilt imposed by society cannot be called renunciation.

Just sit down for five minutes and be aware of how you perceive situations. With completion and awareness, look at everything you think and do, and you can understand what I mean. When we come to an understanding of our own self and are able to live as a witness to everything that goes on around us, unaffected by situations and people around us, we become a realized soul, living enlightenment. If we do things fueled by fear and greed, we become hypocrites.

**Brahmacarya literally means living with reality. It does not mean celibacy, as you understand it. When we are complete and ecstatic, flowing spontaneously in tune with the wonderful symphony of Existence, we are true brahmacāris.**

When we are completely in the present space of completion, totally involved in what we are doing, we become the action itself, we no longer exist as the doer. That is when we have truly renounced the sense of 'I am doing', or the ego. Then we are true *Sannyāsis*. All we need is to experience that behind the shallow emotions that exist in the periphery, at the very core of our being is a complete, solid, silent center that is absolutely unaffected by external incidents. It is a pure witness to everything and is eternally pure. Don't try to go to the Himalayas to escape from the world. Create the Himalayas within you. Realize the silent, complete center in you. Create the space of completion in you! Look at the cause and address the root pattern in *your world* rather than addressing the symptoms of *the world.*

You see, renunciation, *Sannyāsa* is going beyond desires, including 'desirelessness.' Apart from material desires, the desire to be spiritual and attain God is also a desire. The mind always hankers after something in the future. Only when we drop all desires, when we are completely at ease and ecstatic in the present moment of completion, we have gone beyond the clutches of the mind. Only then do we see reality as It exists here and now.

Seeing this reality *as It exists* is what Kṛṣṇa beautifully calls—*yaḥ paśyati sa paśyati*. Otherwise, we always live in our world of illusion, *māya*, because the future is unreal; it is an illusion. The real, the present, can never be perceived by the mind because it is beyond logic. That is why Existence can never be understood and experienced by the mind. The truth can only be experienced. How can the limited mind even come close to understanding the vastness and the splendor of Existence? How can we desire God or Enlightenment, which we have never known? We can always desire Enlightenment in a way that fits our limited, inadequate cognition, but that is still our imagination.

#### **Experience Your True Nature**

You can never possess or achieve Enlightenment. It is only Enlightenment that can possess you. It happens to you when you drop all desires. Actually, our true nature is neither pure nor impure. Whether we accept it or not, believe it or not, we are bliss. Our very nature is bliss. Our true nature itself is self-control. When we realize and experience that our being is pure bliss, the other emotions automatically drop.

When we allow ourselves to be our true nature, to be bliss, we live spontaneously and respond with intelligence instead of programmed unconscious reactions. Then there is no need to control the senses because they are under the control of the ultimate Existence. There is no question of having to control them.

In the Mahābhārat war, Kṛṣṇa drives Arjuna's chariot. The horses represent the senses held beautifully in control by the divine charioteer. He drives the being represented by the warrior, in the body represented by the chariot towards victory, towards bliss. When the individual consciousness surrenders control to the Divine, the Divine controls the body-mind-spirit and steers one towards one's true nature, bliss.

We have programmed reactions, default cognitions about everything. We see a situation and we react based on others' expectation from us, *anyakāra* and our expectation from others, *svānyakāra.* We can only react by looking up our database of the past records, referring to the reaction of people then. If what we did was appreciated, we will react the same way. If we are not appreciated and there is a gap between others' expectation from us and our expectation from others, we create a self-doubt and feel uncomfortable and restless. And to remove the discomfort, we now react in a different manner, one that we think will be acceptable to others.

We have forgotten what it is to respond with intelligence. No situation can be exactly the same as before. How can it be? Can a river flow in exactly the same way at two different points? The very water would have changed from the time it flows from one point to the other. Life is like a river. It is continuously changing.

**Existence is energy. It can never repeat itself. Every moment is unique**. We see it from the limited perception of our mind, and organize life into different categories. We say, 'These are pleasant situations, those are unpleasant situations, this is good, that is bad, this is right, that is wrong, this should happen, that should not.' It is not Existence that makes these distinctions but us. If we can allow this new cognition to penetrate us, we can simply relax. We will then allow our consciousness to respond.

Have the courage to live life with intelligence, with consciousness and completion, with spontaneity. Just this small shift in your space can do wonders for you; every moment will then be a celebration! When the intelligence happens, the compassion also descends. Compassion for the whole world automatically happens in you because you see yourself in every one. How can you feel anything but compassion then? That is why Masters can only feel compassion and responsibility towards the whole world.

When we flow in tune with Existence, we become a channel for the divine energy to flow through us. If the bamboo can remain hollow, it will become a beautiful flute and simply the air from the lips of the Divine will come out of the flute as heavenly music. Instead, if the bamboo is blocked with dirt in the form of ego, it will remain dead and can only be used for carrying a dead body!

These verses of Kṛṣṇa are very powerful, but often misinterpreted.

'One who knows the truth, though engaged in seeing, hearing, touching, smelling, eating, going, dreaming, and breathing knows that he never does anything.' It is like you commit a murder and then claim you didn't do it but your hands did it! Be very clear: Not being the doer does not mean we give up responsibility for our actions. It means exactly the opposite. When we are so involved in the action, when we are completely relaxed, we are overflowing with compassion and love, and we just do out of the blissful energy in us.

Listen. When we are complete and total in what we do, our whole intelligence, our whole energy will be behind the act; we become the action. The action and we are no longer separate. Energy is intelligence. So, when our energy is not total, our intelligence is not completely behind the action. When the energy behind the action is total, whatever we do will always radiate the blissful energy that is behind the action.

Another important understanding from this verse: Every moment, every action, whether it is talking or breathing or seeing, should be done with awareness and completion. That is true meditation. Many people claim that they have been meditating for thirty or forty years. Even after so many years, the person inside remains exactly the same. Absolutely zero transformation has happened. Meditation is actually a quality that needs to be added to our life. It should permeate the very way in which we view life, the space from which we perceive everything. When we infuse the space of completion into every action, we are in meditation.

 So how to be in completion? We can be complete only when we can distance and disidentify ourselves from what is happening now and what we think happened in the past. When we can witness the past happening without identifying and getting involved in it ourselves, only then can we watch the scene as It Is. Otherwise we assume some role in the scene. When that happens, we create some incomplete cognitions, some vested interest in it. We have some expectation that things should happen in a certain way. The moment we get involved and identify ourselves with the happening, the distance between the scene and us has dropped and we can no longer be the witness to see things as they are.

It is just like when we are in a dream, we don't realize it is a dream. We think everything that is happening is reality. The moment we wake up from the dream we realize in a flash that it was just a dream. The way we are living life now is exactly the same. We are living life in the dream of the future and the past. And we think that the dream is reality.

The reality is actually in the present, which is the space of completion. When we realize this, we simply wake up to the true reality from the dream of illusion. Then, we understand that the senses, body and mind are not us. We are something much beyond these. With this awareness we become complete and blissful.

## Controlling The Mind

*5.10 He who acts without attachment, giving up and surrendering to the eternal consciousness, he is never affected by sin, in the same way that the lotus leaf is never affected by water.*

*5.11 The Yogis, giving up attachment, act with the body, mind, intelligence, even with the senses for the purpose of self-purification.*

*5.12 One who is engaged in devotion, gives up attachment to the outcome of one's actions and is centered, is at peace. One who is not engaged in devotion, attached to the outcome of one's action, becomes entangled.*

*5.13 One who is controlled, giving up all the activities of the mind, surely remains in happiness in the city of nine gates (body), Neither doing anything, nor causing anything to be done.*

Time and again Kṛṣṇa talks about detachment. This is the whole essence of the *Gītā.* This detachment is renunciation. Renunciation of attachment is true renunciation. You can give up all material possessions and move into a forest or an ashram, but if the mind still hankers for those possessions, renunciation has not happened.

One can still be very much in the material world, busy with wheeling and dealing, and yet be totally detached about the outcome.

Kṛṣṇa says here, '*saṅgaṁ tyaktvā karoti yaḥ* (5.10)—Action without attachment is renunciation.' It is only this renunciation that leads to liberation.

If you see the lotus flower, it grows in a dirty pond; its stalk is

completely inside the dirty water. The flower is so beautifully above the water and the dirt around it is hardly noticed! Similarly, when you are neck-deep in the activities of the world and yet unaffected by what goes on, when your core is undisturbed, you have reached the goal of renunciation.

A small story:

A Master was walking with his disciple when they came to a river.

The disciple asked, 'Master, are we going to cross this river now?'

The Master calmly replied, 'Yes, we are. And be careful not to wet your feet.'

The Master was trying to tell him that spirituality is all about crossing the ocean of life without getting your feet wet. Spirituality is *not* about running away from worldly things. Be very clear about this.

A beautiful history about Swāmi Brahmānanda, a direct disciple of Śrī Rāmakṛṣṇa Paramahamsa:

> One day Swāmi Brahmānanda was meditating in Briṇdāvan.

> A devotee came and placed a costly blanket before him as an offering. Swāmi said nothing. He just silently observed what was going on. A couple of hours later, a thief came by, spotted the blanket, and took away the blanket. Still, the Swami watched in the same way, silently, with no reaction. Some of the junior disciples were very perturbed that a costly blanket had been stolen.

However, it made no difference to Brahmānanda.

These realized souls were so centered in themselves that the outer world incidents happening in the periphery did not affect their core in any way. When we can become like this, we won't identify with outer world incidents. We will not get caught in the sway of emotions.

The basic truth behind creating this space of centeredness and completion is really this: Existence is a loving Mother caring for us every moment, providing all that we need. When this understanding happens, we surrender to Existence. The wave drops into the ocean, blissfully aware that it is a part of the ocean. It no longer feels it is a separate entity trying to fight Existence, thinking that the ocean, the Whole, is its enemy.

Surrender needs to happen out of a deep understanding, not out of a superficial acceptance of the inevitable. If it happens out of acceptance, it will be just a compromise out of fear. There is no point in saying, 'Oh, it is destiny. It is written on my forehead and it is foretold by the stars.' This is not true. We have free will and we can do what we want. We neither have to accept nor reject, but surrender to the flow of life with the true understanding that we are being taken care of. When this completion happens out of deep understanding, it is beautiful, total and it is true.

Listen. One more important truth. To whom or to what we surrender is not important. What is important is the surrender itself. Swāmi Vivekānanda says that all our prayers to God do only one thing: they awaken our own inner potential energy. When we pray intensely, our own inner potential energy is awakened and it showers its blessings on us in the form that we believe as God, irrespective of what form we worship. Having the wisdom or *buddhi* to understand that Existence cares for us, and surrendering to Existence is the ultimate intelligence. Realizing that Existence is not just a brute force or power but that it is intelligent energy is the key to a life of bliss.

#### **Witness and Be Complete**

Again and again, Kṛṣṇa is repeating a single point in various ways: action without attachment—*saṅgaṁ tyaktvā karoti yaḥ* (5.10). He emphasizes that life happens only when we live as a witness to everything that happens, when we do not identify and attach with external incidents. We just have to watch what is happening in and around us without letting what happens outside affect our inner space. The moment we catch this thread and start living life in the space of completion, we will find that all our incompletions simply disappear. It is not that anything outside has changed. It is just that what we wish to see has changed.


# Guaranteed Solutions - For Lust Fear Worry

**PUBLISHED BY THE SUPREME PONTIFF OF HINDUISM BHAGAWAN SRI NITHYANANDA PARAMASHIVAM PUBLISHERS**

*The meditation techniques included in this book are to be practiced only under the direct supervision of an ordained teacher of THE SUPREME PONTIFF OF HINDUISM BHAGAWAN SRI NITHYANANDA PARAMASHIVAM Dhyanapeetam and in consultation with your personal physician to determine your fitness and ability to do the techniques. They are not intended to be a substitute for medical attention, examination, diagnosis or treatment. If someone tries these techniques without prior participation in the meditation programs of THE SUPREME PONTIFF OF HINDUISM BHAGAWAN SRI NITHYANANDA PARAMASHIVAM Dhyanapeetam and without the direct supervision of an ordained teacher of THE SUPREME PONTIFF OF HINDUISM BHAGAWAN SRI NITHYANANDA PARAMASHIVAM Dhyanapeetam, they shall be doing so entirely at their own risk; neither the author nor THE SUPREME PONTIFF OF HINDUISM BHAGAWAN SRI NITHYANANDA PARAMASHIVAM Dhyanapeetam nor THE SUPREME PONTIFF OF HINDUISM BHAGAWAN SRI NITHYANANDA PARAMASHIVAM Publishers shall be responsible for the consequences of their actions.*

Published by:

#### **THE SUPREME PONTIFF OF HINDUISM BHAGAWAN SRI NITHYANANDA PARAMASHIVAM Publishers**

# **Guaranteed Solutions for Lust, Fear, Worry...**

**G** u a r a n t e e d S o l u t i o n s

| Interaction                   | 3   |
|-------------------------------|-----|
| Introduction                  | 33  |
| Be a source of love energy    | 61  |
| Live without worries          |     |
| Transform lust to divine love | 191 |
| Face the Fear                 | 253 |
| You are unique                | 303 |

| Drop the ego          | 365 |
|-----------------------|-----|
| Flower in gratitude   | 441 |
| Appendix              | 521 |

**G**uaranteed **S**olutions

# Interaction

I welcome you all with my love and respect.

You have all come here with some expectation, some hope, to enhance your knowledge; to get a new perspective of life; to see if you can live your life in a better way.

I want to tell you a few things before we get into the subject so that you can get the maximum benefit from your stay here.

# *Become Empty First!*

You might have gone to many other places, listened to many other lectures, practiced many other techniques before coming here. All that is alright. Just one thing: when you are here, just be totally here, that's all.

Leave behind all the knowledge that you have gathered in other places and then come in here. You would have seen a board outside that said, 'Leave your shoes and mind outside'. You might have wondered what it meant. It means: when you leave your shoes outside, just decide and leave your mind also! Leave all your gathered knowledge next to your shoes and come in. You can take it back when you go out. Don't worry, no one will take it away. It will be perfectly safe. At least your shoes, people might take, but your mind, people will not touch; I will guarantee you that! People are unable to handle their own minds; they will surely not touch yours!

When you come in with an empty mind, with no prejudice, you can absorb what I am saying in its totality. If you come in with your knowledge, you will be constantly comparing every word of mine with what you know about it, with what you have heard about it from someone else earlier, and you will simply miss what I am trying to tell. You can absorb me only if there is some space in you. If you are already full, you cannot take me in.

A small story:

A learned professor from the West went to meet a Zen master in the East, in Japan.

The professor had done a lot of research in many areas of study.

He went to meet the master to get some spiritual knowledge, to understand spirituality in a better fashion.

He arrived at the master's place and found the master brewing tea.

The master saw him and gestured to sit, and continued to brew tea.

The professor sat down and after a while, started talking of his background, of all his studies, his discoveries, his travels around the world, his experiences with different people, his conclusions on various subjects and what not.

The master finished brewing the tea and placed two cups between them.

He began pouring tea into the professor's cup.

He poured and poured and slowly the cup started overflowing. The tea spilt over the saucer and flowed onto the table. The professor was watching what was happening. He could not contain himself any more. He screamed out, 'Master, what are you doing? Stop pouring! The cup is overflowing!' The master stopped and calmly said, 'So are you.'

The professor was shocked but understood what the master was trying to tell him.

The professor was so full like the teacup! Anything that the master might tell him would only overflow outside, not into him. The professor understood from that one word of the master, what he meant, what he was trying to tell him.

So understand: if you really want to gain something, just be like an empty cup here. Be totally open and receptive. Be like a child, innocent and curious; like a sponge, ready to absorb; that is enough.

# *Three Types of Knowledge*

You see: there are three types of knowledge. The first is intellectual knowledge – the knowledge of the mind. For this, you need only your mind, nothing else. If you are attentive and have a good memory, it is enough. If you can apply logic well, if you have a little common sense to connect things and understand, it is enough. This is the kind of knowledge that you gain in school, with your books. To learn mathematics and science, your mind is enough. You can become a great mathematician or a great scientist.

The second type of knowledge is knowledge of the heart. Here, you need to use your heart also, not just your mind. Art, music, poetry, dance – all these come under this category. If you use only your mind, nothing will happen. You have to use your heart also. To paint, to write poems, to sing, you need to emote. All these are creations. They are expressions from your heart. Can you write a poem with no feelings at all? Can an artist draw and paint with just his mind? No! He needs to connect with his heart, then he will simply flow.

With only the mind, you can pick up certain points, certain techniques about writing poems or about painting, but ultimately the stuff will come from only your heart.

The third type of knowledge is spiritual knowledge – knowledge that is neither of the mind nor of the heart, but of your being! Actually, we can't even call it knowledge; it is just a deep understanding beyond your logic. It can neither be taught nor picked up. It can happen simply out of a deep communion - at the being level.

I always tell people: I cannot teach you spirituality, but you can learn! You can learn by just absorbing these words at the being level – like energy. The energy behind the master's words is so powerful that if you allow it, it can penetrate you and touch you at the being level. It can bring about a transformation that cannot happen with just words of the mind and feelings of the heart.

#### **G**uaranteed **S**olutions

When I talk, I talk from my experience of the ultimate truth; from my being. So when you listen, listen totally, from your being. Only then can you get a glimpse of the experience behind these words. I am not here to give you just words. I am here to take you beyond words. If you are here with acute awareness and silence, you can go beyond words and get a glimpse of your own being.

### *Trust and Be Open*

Alright, let us alter the seating arrangement a little. When you sit, don't sit with your relatives or friends or people known to you. Sit at random, next to anyone whom you don't know much, with whom you are not very familiar. When you sit with familiar people, you will be compelled to exchange glances, exchange words while I am talking. If you sit with strangers, you can absorb me better, by yourself.

One more thing: When the session is happening, there will be a beautiful flow, there will be an energy that is created and vibrating in the room, a deep communion between you and me. Don't interrupt it by coming in late. The flow will be broken. It is just like encountering a speed breaker when you are going smoothly on the highway. The speed breaker is only a small interruption, but to cross it, you have to slow down, go over it and pick up speed again. The smooth flow will be broken.

And please switch off your mobile phones. They are another very common speed breaker today! In fact they can cause the journey to be totally bumpy, one speed breaker after another! I am sure each of you has a cell phone here!

Next, when you are here, don't be serious and heavy. Be sincere in listening and listen with an open mind. Don't expect that in the very first session, you will experience God! Just be with a light and easy mood, without expectations, you will be able to receive much more.

The next thing: decide and leave your social ego outside and try to be an ordinary person while you are here. The ashram and the presence of the master is the best laboratory for you to experiment with yourself, to let go of your ego, to shed your illusions, and understand that you are just a beautiful part of Existence. So even if you are somebody in society, try to be ordinary here and mix with everyone from your heart. Not only my words, but every moment of interaction, every moment of just being here, can cause a transformation in you. You just need to be aware, that's all.

A small story:

There was a great Zen Buddhist monk, an enlightened master.

One day, the Governor of Japan came to visit him.

The Governor sent in his visiting card to the master.

It had the words, 'Zak-San - Governor of Japan'.

The master took one look at the card and said, 'I have no business with this idiot!

Ask him to leave this very minute!'

Zen masters can be very harsh when they want to break somebody's mind, somebody's ego. They will never hesitate to use harsh words. The energy behind their words can simply pierce and transform a person.

The disciple came back to the governor, gave back his card and repeated what the master had told him. The Governor saw the card and understood. He was an intelligent man…not just intellectual, but intelligent also! He quietly struck out the words, 'Governor of Japan', and gave back the card to the disciple, who took it inside again. The master took one look and said, 'Show him in!'

All our titles, our designations, are mere labels pasted on us by society. And we go about thinking that we are these labels. We forget that we are not the labels but the stuff inside! We feel great about the labels. But you can never approach a master with these labels. You can never know Existence with your labels! A master is Existence in human form.

What the Governor did cannot be called wrong. It might have been the right way to approach society, to be in accordance with the social protocols, but with a master, awareness must step in and you must leave your ego behind!

Something transpires between the master and the seeker. They share something of the inner world. When this happens, labels of the outer world will stand in the way. Forgetting your personality is spirituality, because personality is societal. We are here to find our individuality – our inherent nature, our aloneness that we enjoyed in our mother's womb, our connection with Existence – the only connection we need to find and celebrate!

# *Decide to Experiment!*

When you listen to whatever I say, there are two ways in which your mind will work. One is with doubt and the other is with belief*.*

Doubt is the way of the intellectual mind. With doubt, too much logic and reason will come in the way of receiving. When this happens, you will miss the whole thing.

With belief also, if you straightaway believe, you will miss. Understand: you don't need to believe in anybody, let alone in me. The so-called believers are the weakest people, because it takes great courage to live without beliefs. When you don't have a belief, you don't have a fall-back system to support your actions. You don't have a readymade idea to tell you what to think and how to act. To be without a belief requires great courage, because then you have to depend on your own intelligence for everything and this makes you feel unsure and insecure.

Both doubt and faith are two sides of the same coin – that is your mind. At a very deep level, your greatest doubt will carry some faith and your greatest faith will have some doubt in it. I can assure you that!

Then what should you do? How should you listen?

Just listen with an open mind, with a readiness to experiment, that's all*.* When you are ready to experiment, you are ready to translate teachings into practical life. When I tell you, 'The sun rises in the east', you neither need to believe nor doubt; just get up the next morning and see for yourself – as an experiment!

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That is the right way. Just take in everything with an open mind and experience what I am saying every moment. There is no need to have faith. Just the willingness to experiment is enough. Take what I say as a hypothesis, integrate it into your life and see for yourself whether it works or not. To know that an apple is tasty, you don't have to believe or doubt. Just take a bite and you will know!

# *Stop Seeking, you are already bliss!*

Time and again, ancient *rishis* and masters have said that man's true nature is bliss. Over the years, so many masters have happened on planet earth. Whether it was Buddha or Christ or Krishna or Mahavir, the core of their message was the same. They all said that man's true nature is bliss and they all gave techniques to connect to that bliss.


How does the mind work? Just look at this diagram here. It is a diagram to show how the information that enters through the eye is processed; actually, not just the information through the eye but information through all the fives senses - nose, ears, tongue, touch and eye. As an example, we are taking the eye. Let me explain it to you.

When you see something, first, the eye sees it. There is something called *chakshu* in Sanskrit, which digitizes the information seen by the eye. It is something like a digital signal processor – the DSP. The signal or the input is converted into a digital file by this *chakshu*. This conversion happens to the information received through all five senses, not just the eye.

Then the file goes to the memory. In Sanskrit, we call this portion *chitta*. In the memory, a little more work is done on the file. For example, if you are seeing me now, the file is processed through the *chakshu*, then taken to the *chitta*, memory and the memory starts analyzing the information. It does a process of elimination on the file received. It starts saying, 'This is not an animal, this is

not a plant, this is not a rock etc.' The process of elimination is done by the *chitta*.

Then the file goes to the mind or *manas*. The mind does the job of identifying the file. It says, 'This is a human being; a human being who is conducting a class.' The mind concludes, 'This is it.'

Next, the whole file takes a quantum leap to the ego and your ego decides based on your past experiences what your next action or decision will be. If you have past experiences with similar classes, say yoga or meditation, and they have been alright for you, if you think that it has helped you, you will decide to sit here, or else you will think it is better to leave!

Just try to understand this process: you are seeing me. The eye passes the information to the *chakshu*. The *chakshu* converts it to a digital signal. The memory then does all the elimination on the file – 'This is not…', 'This is not…' Then, the mind does the identification of the file – 'This is it.' Then the whole file takes a quantum leap to the ego. Here, you decide based on your past experiences, whether to sit here or leave the hall.

The process of elimination versus that of identification can be more easily understood by understanding this:

Let us say you want to find the word 'Home' in the dictionary. You start from the letter 'A' and you eliminate: not A, not B, not C, until you come to the letter 'H'. Until you come to the letter 'H', it is only an elimination process. Once you come to 'H', it is an identification process. You start identifying 'HO', then 'HOM', then you come to 'HOME'. Even in the identification process, there is elimination, but that cannot be considered elimination, because your whole attitude is changed during this time. Until you come to 'H', you don't even look at anything; you only eliminate. Once you come to 'H', 'H' becomes a standpoint. Then you start looking for HO, HOM, etc.

So, it is like this: you have thousands of files stored in your mind. Now let us say that you are seeing me. You will first start eliminating: this is not a stone, this is not a tree, this is not an animal. Then you come to the conclusion, 'This is a man.' Once you come to man, you start identifying: saffron clothed, my master, THE SUPREME PONTIFF OF HINDUISM BHAGAWAN SRI NITHYANANDA PARAMASHIVAM etc. So through elimination you find the right classification. In identification you go in-depth into that classification. Elimination is breadth, identification is depth. The elimination process is like handling many files. The identification process is like going deeply into a file.

Now, the process between the eye and the mind is logical and conscious. You are completely aware of this process. It happens with your awareness.

Now, the quantum leap from the mind to the ego is mostly unconscious. That is the time when the actual decisions are made and is mostly an unconscious process for you. It happens without your awareness. During this time, you decide illogically. You make an illogical decision.

Why does this happen? Why do you decide unconsciously and regret it later?

The reason is, this unconscious zone is filled with negative memories and restlessness; all your past memories which we call

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*samskara* in Sanskrit. All your past thought patterns are stored in this zone as files. In the field of psychology they use the word ito denote these stored memories. There are so many files stored in this zone. Without any logical connection between them, these memories or incidents are stored here.

What happens is, when the file takes a quantum leap to this zone, there is so much data stored, which causes so much restlessness in you, that the file does not even reach the ego properly for a decision. These stored engrams simply start playing upon the information received. They just impose themselves and cause havoc in the decision making process.

As a result, the ego just makes a hasty decision - purely at the instinct level, and passes the file back. The decision is taken through an unconscious process.

For example, according to the data that you have collected, you know that smoking is injurious to your health; it is not good for your body or your mind. You hold on to this decision as long as you are in the conscious zone. But once the mind takes the leap to the ego, the engrams just instruct you to smoke; you simply decide to smoke! The conscious process says, 'No, it is not good for health.' But the unconscious process says…actually it doesn't even say, it *just* takes the decision and you execute it! It is a pure instinct-level decision.

This unconscious area is very powerful. It can be used in three ways – at the instinct level, at the intellect level or at the intuition level. As long as the unconscious is overloaded with negative memories and restlessness, it works at the instinct level, as we just saw. You simply decide instinctively, unconsciously.

When you are at the instinct level, you always end up regretting most of your decisions. You wonder, 'Why did I behave in that fashion? This is not me! How did I allow this to happen? How did I make that decision?' This happens because the unconscious is working at the instinct level. At this level, you just associate things without any logical connection and jump to a conclusion unconsciously.

For example, if you have been disturbed by somebody who was wearing a white dress, the moment you see somebody wearing a white dress, the past memory simply comes up without your knowledge and you feel anger. This is the instinct level. Without your conscious mind, without even you understanding, just like that it happens.

In the mind map diagram, when you have to plough through many files in the quantum leap to the ego, you are at the instinct level. When the file goes to the unconscious, the decision is made with many distortions. You will be continuously passing judgment on the pending decision. Your unconscious will be overloaded with your memory files. When you function this way, you will also feel tired.

It is something like this: when your hard disk is loaded with all high-resolution photographs, there is no scope to work further on your hard disk. In the same way, when your unconscious is loaded with many past thoughts, it becomes inefficient and makes superficial and illogical decisions.

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The next is the intellect level. Here, you are conscious; you make decisions logically, but you do not have any extra enthusiasm or energy. You are not creative or innovative; you don't take big steps; you don't grow. You are like a faithful servant. Einstein says, 'The intellect is a faithful servant.' You can be a servant throughout your life. You can be just a servant, but nothing more or big can be done through you.

At this level, you will just be collecting the data, processing it and delivering it; you will be nothing more than a computer. You don't make wrong decisions out of restlessness; you make decisions in a logical and conscious way. You are in a break-even state. At this level, you are still not using your potential to the maximum – the extent to which it can be used.

The next level where you can actualize your entire potential is the intuition level. If you can infuse a deep silence and awareness into the unconscious zone and replace your engraved memories or files with silence and awareness, you can be at the intuition level.

If you can be free from your memories, be empty and blissful in this unconscious zone, if you can be alive and fresh every moment without the burden of your past, without the burden of these engrams, the energy of your being will express itself in its purest form. When this happens, we can say that your intelligence is at its peak, because energy IS Intelligence. Then, you make decisions out of an energy called intuition, where you simply *know* with tremendous clarity. Understand: The past memories are themselves not the problem. The bondage to them is the problem.

When you are at the intuitive level, you will make decisions from the energy of your intuition, from deep awareness and peace, from bliss!

This concept needs a deep understanding. You need to go deeply into the whole science, only then will you be able to understand what I mean by the word, 'intuition'. Intuition is something which happens in you beyond your intellect.

# *The power of intuition*

What is intuition?

Let me explain. Suddenly you know for sure that something is the right thing and you feel that you have enough energy also to do it, but you don't know the steps involved in doing it. You don't know the steps that led you to the conclusion but you know for sure that your conclusion or decision is right. This is intuition.

This energy of intuition is needed when you are faced with a situation with no precedent. When you are stuck with minimum data and you need to make decisions, or you have many choices and you are not able to decide, in such situations, the energy of intuition helps you. Not only in such situations…if you can be in this zone of your being continuously, you will be totally present in every moment and you will give birth to future moments also in the same fashion.

If you try to assimilate what I am telling you now, if you can just spend a few minutes sitting with yourself and feel how your stored engrams are causing havoc in you and burdening you, if

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On the other hand, the religion of gratitude is based on just an overwhelming gratitude from within, towards God or Existence. It is quite contrary to what is taught to us from childhood. We have always been taught to thank only for what we receive, that's all. We have been taught gratitude as social etiquette; nothing more than that!

How then can we be thankful all the time? It is too much to digest! That is why these religions of gratitude are followed only by a select few.

Only a few meditative religions, like Buddhism, Sufism, Hinduism and Jainism touch upon gratitude. These religions have very few followers, but the quality of the followers is high.

There is nothing wrong with prayer, but getting stuck in the act of asking while praying is where the trouble starts. Prayer should be used as a jumping board to enter into meditation; a meditation where gratitude becomes prayer and your being becomes bliss!

You might think, *'Giving your gratitude can be a social habit, but how can it be a meditation?'* You will understand what I mean when you actually *start* giving your gratitude. When you start giving your gratitude, you will understand the value of your life.

I tell you: You are only aware of the people who are directly responsible for providing and caring for you. But during all these times and thousands of other times that you are not even aware of, you are helped, protected, and cared for by Existence, by the cosmos, by the universal energy.

You always think that whatever was given to you was either because you deserved it or because it was an accident. When you start seeing and feeling the invisible hand of Existence taking care of you, you will understand that you are wanted here by Existence. Only then you will understand that you are being showered upon continuously by Existence.

The fact that you are *alive* is enough to show that Existence wants you here and cares for you. It is only when you don't understand this, you feel dull and depressed and keep asking as if you are the most deprived person in the world.

If you listen from your being to what is said here, you will be able to tune yourself and become sensitive to the wonderful giving ways of Existence!

# *God is loving, not terrifying*

Most of us pray with fear to God. You can see mothers telling their children that if they don't do certain things, God will get angry with them. These statements take root in the child at a very young age, and give them a wrong concept of God. This is the conditioning that you give your child at an early age. When they grow up, they face serious dilemmas because of this. Instead of embracing Existence with love and gratitude, they stand apart from it with respect and fear.

Religion, if followed out of fear, will not take you anywhere; it will not pave the way for a transformation to happen in you. You might progress materially by the faith that you have in your asking, but you will remain where you are at the being level. The purpose or real fulfillment of life can never happen on the material path; it can happen only at the being level. People who undergo what is called depression of success will be able to relate to what I am saying in a better way. We have discussed depression of success in the earlier sessions.

Religion has to be followed out of deep love and gratitude for the divine or Existence. Although society teaches you to worship God in the name of fear, I tell you: never do it. Always pray with love and gratitude towards the divine.

A small story:

A Sufi Master, Junnaid, used to pay his gratitude to God five times a day.

One time, he and his followers were wandering through some villages where Sufism was not accepted as a religion. In the first village, people accused them of begging, and threw meagre alms at them.

The next day, in the second village, the people refused to give them any alms.

On the third day, the village they passed through was so hostile that the villagers drove them out with sticks and stones.

That night as usual, Junnaid knelt down and offered his gratitude to God.

His disciples were watching him. It was too much for them. They could not understand why Junnaid was thanking God. They were furious.