Maya - the endless illusion, part 3 | In Quest of Truth - Q&A with Babaji, No.210

Register your free place for the live online meditation and Q&A with Babaji: https://www.shivarudrabalayogi.org/online-satsang 

Peace: The Recommended Goal | In Quest of Truth  - Q&A, No.163
Recorded on 09 December 2023 with worldwide participants.

Read the full transcript at https://shivarudrabalayogi.org/qa/peace-the-recommended-goal-online-qa-no-163/

0:00 Introduction from Babaji
2:40 What is peace and why is it the recommended goal?
3:58 Can there still be peace when the mind is active?
5:05 Are happiness and peace related?
7:20 How the truth of existence cannot be found through thinking 
10:46 How when you stop the mind you find out who you really are
14:47 Is the 'matter in the mind' the imagination habits which have to dissolve?
19:50 First the mind has to be stronger than the thoughts in the mind, then does the mind have to be stronger than the world?
21:17 How is the peace in the mind maintained when a Yogi moves in the world?
28:06 Is Babaji aware that this world is not a reality?
30:13 Is pain and suffering two different things?
31:12 How to achieve peace when working in the world, should we remind ourselves that we need peace or is practice of meditation the only way?
33:37 Should we accept the desires we have since they are habits out of our control?
34:50 How to encourage newcomers to stick to the meditation practice even though they have yet to experience peace in the mind


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Transcript

Maya - the endless illusion, part 3 | In Quest of Truth - Q&A with Babaji, No.210

Recorded on 14 December 2024 with worldwide participants.

Question: Our topic today is to end with the session of Maya - the endless illusion. So, to start with, a couple of quotes from Yoga Vasistha. The first one is, “In every atom of existence, there are countless universes”. So, can Babaji, comment on that? How can every atom of the existence have countless universes, the essence of that quote? 

Shri Babaji: You see, we need to understand, space is vast, boundless. When we are inside the solar system on this earth, we are a small micro speck, but when we see solar system, Earth, it all appears very big. But if you grow to a higher space, to the vastness of the space, then our solar system, or the galaxy, or the Milky Way, might appear as a small dot. Even in some of the atlas, if you remember having seen, lot of dots will be there in the space, and they would simply mention with an arrow, “Our solar system, Milky Way is somewhere here.” So, that is the vastness of the space. Imagine. So, based on this only, what Vasistha… they were all like great scientists. So, that’s what He said. 

In every atom, every small atom also, a minute thing also, a big universe exists. For us, it is a big universe. But for the atom, it is minute, much more smaller than the atom also. Means, compared to the vastness, you have to understand. So, that’s what it is. But if we just get to see the planet Earth closely, if we go to space, within the earth's atmosphere if we go around the earth in a space station then the earth will be very big. It appears so wonderful. But if we go out of solar system, into the space if we get to see, then we will have to imagine our solar system is somewhere as a dot, somewhere there. So, that is what Vasistha also mentioned; so many universes are there. It is never ending. Galaxies, Milky Ways, universe, all and all and all. So, that's what He mentions. 

Same Questioner: Thank you, Babaji. So, the next quote will be, “No one dies here, nor anyone is born. Those are notions arising in the consciousness.”

Shri Babaji: Yeah. So, this is what – the entire creation is simply arising in the imagination of consciousness only. It's a different matter how big potency that consciousness is. When we talk of consciousness, we might try to understand that in this physical body we are that small consciousness, how can that happen? But if it is a higher consciousness: in that. So like, just like in the mind, all the things arise as a world, as a character, as a personality based on its imagination technology. And then it disappears also. It comes and goes. It is there and it goes into subconscious state. Only when we pick it up as a big habit, become obsessed with a particular imagination, then that might appear again and again. That might start appearing as if it is a solid thing. Whereas, it is not. Just like everything that appears in the mind is not at all solid, and simply an imagination, it simply rises and goes down. 

This is what Vasistha is mentioning. The entire creation, all universes, all Milky Ways, everything, just like a micro speck, it rises in the large, absolute consciousness. And then it merges, dissolves then and there itself. So, in this, nobody really is born and nobody really dies. Just like in a movie when the director shows, there is a hero, there is a villain, some side actors, supportive actors, this, that, so many things. So, when you consider that movie as a reality and get sucked into that movie in your consciousness, that would appear as so truthful for you, can generate such emotions within you, in your consciousness, of happiness and happiness, panic, fear and emotions, sadness. All things can get created. Whereas, in the cinema, actually nobody is dying, nobody is being born, nobody is killing anybody. So, it’s only a make-believe. 

What Vasistha talks, this universe is also like that only; nobody is really born, nobody really dies. And that is the truth of science. This one can experience only through practice of meditation and Tapas when you reach the higher consciousness. So, then when the final merger happens, then only you can realize. Just now it may not appear to be very truthful. It is not possible to demonstrate. So, you have to reach that higher consciousness, then only you will be able to experience that. Being just as an ordinary human being in this world, you cannot experience that higher consciousness. For that you have to do Tapas. So, that's what Vasistha mentions here. 

Same Questioner: Thank you, Babaji. One more quote that Vasistha is teaching King Prajnapti, and he says, “If self-awareness is one of the characteristics of physical body, then why does a corpse not experience anything?” 

Shri Babaji: Just because there are thoughts and visions in the physical body appearing through the help of the brain's reflections. And the mind itself, which itself is the truth, is totally so preoccupied with those thoughts and visions. That's why it doesn't remember. It doesn't get to see itself as that pure consciousness of existence. That is why meditation's basic idea, aim is, first clear all thoughts and visions, then achieve the silence of the mind. Then you will notice the consciousness of existence is there. So, this is what every day we keep teaching, we keep teaching, based on our experience. Because simply, just like if you are totally preoccupied with a book, with a movie, with something, with a video game, audio game, anything, you won't be able to notice anything surrounding you. Your mom would have kept a bread for you to eat the breakfast, but you are busy in a video game and you are so sucked into that and you don't even eat, remember to eat the breakfast. Something like that is what has happened in the human body. The mind, which is the Real Self, which is the Pure Consciousness, has become attracted and preoccupied, watching and getting involved with every thought and vision, as if it is a fundamental reality. So, that's why it doesn't notice itself. It has forgotten. 

Same Questioner: Thank you, Babaji. So, now one question that I have; in Yoga Vasistha, it refers once and again about the natural order. Can Babaji say what is the natural order that Vasistha refers to in the book? 

Shri Babaji: Natural order? 

Same Questioner: Yes, that something is managing all the natural order of the creation, of the power, of the Self. 

Shri Babaji: Yeah, you see, whatever universe or Milky Ways, galaxies, anything that we get to see has not simply appeared from nothing. It has to be something. That something may appear as if it is nothing. Like the space. So, that is the pure, absolute consciousness. I'm using the word ‘absolute’ to give you an idea of the highest consciousness, the Divinity. Also, I have said, the universe is happening not according to Divine’s wishes. ‘Managing’ means, people might think the Divine as a human personality that is managing by thinking, “Let this person have this, let this person not have this.” But the universe is happening due to the Divine. The energetic presence, the all pervadedness of the Divinity. That is the Parabrahman, that is the Supreme Consciousness. Due to that, all these things are happening. 

And it is managing, definitely. Though it may not manage according to our personal wishes all the time – it's a different thing, because every human being will try to match or tally that Divinity or that higher consciousness which is managing the universe, and universes in fact. So many universes. It won't be acceptable to a human mind if the things are not managed according to one's own wishes, an individual’s wishes. But the rule of nature is totally different, nature is in itself very huge. It's totally different, it's managing. So, everything happening; the start, and the sustenance, and the end, it is all being managed. Because nothing to worry, nothing will happen, because nothing has been created, and there is nothing else there other than the pure consciousness, other than the Divinity. 

So, everything is being managed. Things are happening. Every moment things are changing; this happening, that happening, this happens, that happens. And then that comes under control. Things appear as if everything is going out of control. But actually, it is in control. It might appear as a big destruction for us, but it is under control. This may appear very funny, puzzling, or unacceptable to an ordinary human mind. But if one does the meditation and Tapas, those great sages also experienced in great samadhi times of all these happenings. In the subconscious state, the Supreme Consciousness. So, that's why Vasistha talks of this, that the universal oneness of the consciousness is managed. The things are being managed by that. Manage means, that's what it is; it is taking care of everything. Everything is under control. 

So, the killing button is there. Whenever it has to be stopped, the withdrawal will happen. Just like everything is happening in the mind. It is being taken care. Temporarily, simply you feel as if you are lost. You are subjected to a lot of stress and sadness and sufferings, all these things, because temporarily it appears as if you have lost control of your mind. You don't know what to do. Then you simply become quiet. You don't have to do anything. You don't bother about any universe, any touch, anything. Just, you have to become quiet in your consciousness. So, if you don't have that strength, you need to practice. That is what is spiritual exercises, meditations that these great sages of Rig Vedic era evolved. They came with that one. Because they understood, if we keenly observe then we don't get involved with the universe. If we don't get involved with the thoughts, with the universe, then it gets withdrawn. It gets dissolved. It evaporates. It disappears. This is what happens. 

As long as we are involving ourselves in consciousness with recognizing, analyzing and making a judgment, the universe is there. And it can be troublesome for us, because if we are unable to handle it properly, temporarily we would have lost control over that one. And we are confused, “What is happening? What is happening?” Everywhere conflict, wars are happening, innocent people are being killed, killed. It will not be acceptable to ordinary human beings. But it is simply that consciousness has lost control for a while. Once it takes control of the things, for that you have to meditate. If you meditate, everything will come under control. 

So, that's what the managing and inner consciousness things appearing, what Vasistha talks in this. It's a great science actually. Not a simple religious teaching, not a spirituality ordinary thing. This is a great science of existence that Vasistha is talking. This is a psychological thing. How the mind can create havoc. Your own mind can create havoc. And subject you to all sorts of stress, fear, panic, suffering, everything! Once you realize and you just become quiet, you don't do anything, then you transcend all this suffering, and you overcome everything, and you achieve that peace that is your nature. 

Same Questioner: Thank you, Babaji. My personal opinion about this managing, about the Divine or the Self is managing everything is that is what is happening, but it seems that it wants to create the trouble, to create the insecurity or the doubt in us –tis that because of the fate, like until the last moment, this thing won't get sorted out?

Shri Babaji: Yeah, you see, one thing, if you start enjoying your thought, you will never stop thinking. That's how you get involved. But you get involved into the duality, you start thinking of happiness and unhappiness also, suffering also, all these things keep happening. So, you feel confused, you feel you are suffering. And last moment that you are talking, any moment, any time that you feel tired, “Enough is enough. Shaolin let's go home”, type. You start thinking of, “Enough of this suffering mentally, enough of this thinking, my God, I want to stop all these things”. Simply, you have to stop your mind and that is the last moment. Till that moment, nothing is revealed. Because you are preoccupied with all your imaginations. That's why you have lost consciousness of what has to happen about the truth. That this will come to an end, that belief also you lose, and you get so much of confusion. 

Even if somebody, a teacher like us tells also, you won't want to believe it. “Arrey, I am suffering, all these things are happening. How can you say that nothing is happening?” I'm saying you just become quiet and then see. Achieve that quietness through this meditation. You just go on just watching. Don't think about anything. People get excited, “Oh, I am getting the green color. I am getting the pink color”. They want some explanation, some meaning for that. If a guru is imaginative, he may talk colorfully, “Yeah, because of this green color, this is what it is. This pink color, this is what it shows”. And the person gets excited and starts to go on imagining more colors and he comes back with ten more colors. “Now Guruji, I have developed more colors. I think I have advanced now. Instead of two colors, I am seeing ten colors”. But all these are simply nonsense. All these are simply ideas. These ideas need to be dropped. A real Master, a Yogi says, “Just don't bother about anything. Become quiet. Then everything will be alright”. 

So, you are unnecessarily imagining. You are building stories after stories, stories after story. Where there is no meaning, you are building a meaning. And where there is no meaning, you are building meaningless definitions. Just nothing. You are there. That's all. You just learn to exist in yourself. And you have the Supreme Peace. That is what you want actually. But you don't know that truth. That path you don't know, that's why you are suffering. So that's what Vasistha also talks, the same thing. Beautifully He has told this, wonderful.

Same Questioner: Thank you, Babaji. Now, one question about how ignorance and wisdom are acquired in this world, and how those two act also with us in this creation? 

Shri Babaji: You see, it is the same consciousness which has generated ignorance and forgetfulness. And the wisdom also starts getting applied when it looks for, when the suffering is too much, when you are pushed to the wall. When you imagine – for this in the beginning itself I have told; when the mind imagines, a thought appears. Watching that thought, mind forgets that this thought is there because of my imagination. Instead, the mind starts considering that thought to be a reality. And whatever that mind has thought, it starts believing that imagination as a truth. And with that imagination that it is the truth, it suffers also. It can be in negativity, it can be about some suffering, it can be something bad, anything it can be. And it suffers then. And that suffering happens in imagination. 

Then another imagination crops up. “How to come out of this suffering, my God. There must be some way. There must be somebody who can protect me, who can help me.” Then looks for a Master. Thus the same ignorance, the wisdom starts working when the suffering happens too much. And you go here to one guru, another guru, you don't get satisfied. You don't see that anything useful is happening. Because those gurus themselves have not achieved the truth. They try to tell their own stories. And they try to bind you as a client. Then you are frustrated. Then you go to another guru, another guru. Finally, when you reach a right Self-Realized Guru, that Guru guides you. So that is how the wisdom application also happens within you only. Ignorance happened, and then because of the ignorance, a wisdom also needed to come into existence. Only that wisdom could take you out of that suffering. So that is how in this world, in your consciousness only ignorance and wisdom both gets generated and they play. They make you to suffer and they take you out of suffering. 

Same Questioner: Thank you, Babaji. About self-effort, how important is self-effort to overcome this illusion? And self-effort, would it be considered as unreal also because it is in this world through this unreal body? 

Shri Babaji: You see, say for example this world is unreal, and you want to put self-effort to overcome and realize yourself. You can consider that effort also as unreal. But what it is here; to overcome a negative unreality, you are taking the help of a positive unreality. Taking the help of the ladder to go on the terrace. The same ladder, you came down the terrace and forgot to go up. You are looking for the ladder. The same ladder will take you up on the terrace. That is the knowledge and wisdom. So that is how things happen to you. So, when you go into suffering, it has gone into negativity, it has gone into forgetfulness. Then again it starts looking for how to get out. So, these are all the self-efforts. 

You get up and come to Babaji. That is your self-effort. And then Master guides, then you have to do that. I initiate you all, I will tell you the path, give you instructions. Then that one hour, it is your effort. All of you will have to just practice and learn to only watch and not do anything. The first point is, first stage, you have to understand what the Master is telling, what watching means. Watching means just keep quiet and keep watching. That’s what it means. So that you have to understand and in that one hour your effort should be in that direction. That is the self-effort you are putting. See, nobody else can meditate for you. If anybody else meditates, Lord Shiva meditates, or your Guru meditates, Guru's Guru meditates, your mind will not become quiet. It has picked up its habit of imaginations. 

The Master gives you, initiates you. Lord Shiva initiated Satyaraju into Tapas. When Satyaraju had to do the Tapas, Lord Shiva tested for eligibility. That is what many people resist. They don't want to put in efforts. They want that somebody touches them and they become Self-Realized. They don't know what Self-realization means. Self-Realized means, they start thinking as if it is a vision or some personality. It is not. Simply you have to become quiet in the mind, in your consciousness. Then you realize yourself, you become aware of your Real Self. And this process has to happen. For this process, only your self-efforts can lead. You have to practice to become quiet. Nobody can give you. Nobody has done it. It is all false if anybody says, “I will give you”; Swamiji used to tell. “You tell that, “I will give you Self-Realization”, 50,000 people will come. You tell, “You have to do one hour meditation”, only 10 or 20 will be there. The rest will run away.” That is the weakness. 

Because we want somebody else to do it for you. And that never happens. They get cheated. Somebody else can give you some magical things only. A temporary relief. That is all. Then you get revolving in that, life after life, life after life, life after life. You don't want to put in efforts. The Master says, “You have to sit down. Close your eyes and just keep watching.” That watching: until you are able to watch in between the eyebrows, your meditation imply can continue 50 years, 100 years and 100 lives, life cycles, anything. So, the mind will not become quiet. The consciousness will not become quiet. So, you have to understand the technique, what the Master says, then just watch. 

Forget about all experiences. That is the real experience when your mind becomes quiet. Nothing else is a welcome experience. Any visions, any thoughts, any colors, any sounds, any visions. Any sound and sight connected to anything, is not at all… It is only temporary attractive so that you sit again to meditate. That many times teachers try to employ them, encourage them, “This vision comes. This thing. If you keep watching, you can get that such vision”. But at least when they go on watching, their mind will become quiet. But that doesn't happen because they don't go on watching. They look for some vision only all the time. They will be searching. In that process, they go on imagining a vision, imagining a vision. And they get excited, “I am getting this vision. I am getting this message.” Nothing has any meaning at all if you want to realize the Ultimate Truth. If you want to be a great spiritual scientist, you want to go for the existence value. If that’s what education has given you, you have to achieve silence in the mind. The rest is all simply video games. That is all. It will not fetch you anything. Simply, 40 years, 50 years you can be meditating. No transformation comes in your personality, in this world also. You won't even become a good human being also by sitting like that. Only if your mind becomes purified. Only if you achieve silence. Only if you are able to simply watch. That is the self-efforts that has to happen. 

Same Questioner: Thank you, Babaji. One quote that Vasistha also says. He says, “This creation has no cause at all. The belief that the world was created by God, etc. is a play of words. There is nothing that illustrates this truth as the experience of the dream. Thus, if the creation as the dream is not clearly understood, there is great delusion. If it is rightly understood, the vision vanishes.” 

Shri Babaji: Yeah, He uses the dream state, you see? Simple way you all understand. When you dream, as long as you are dreaming, that dream appears so solid and reality. But once you get out of that dream, at the most if the dream was of a very strong picture, you will remember what you dreamt. But where that dream has gone? You cannot even show that the dream happened here, or the dream happened here, or the dream happened here. There may be hundreds of researchers on the brain, “This creates dream, this creates dream.” Finally, it is all illusion. It disappears. It goes back to the nothingness. That’s what happens. In the same way He talks, when you go to the higher consciousness that we keep talking, then this universe, you will experience the universe also disappearing. But not as long as you are dreaming. Vasistha has used the language beautifully; this universe is a longer dream. When you sleep and you dream, is a shorter dream. Sometimes jokingly I have said, like when you are sleeping in your bedroom and you are dreaming, you won't remember even that you are sleeping in the bedroom and dreaming. That dream appears so solid and reality. In the same way what we are dreaming now, this world, suppose this is also a dream. We might be sleeping somewhere and dreaming and we have forgotten. Until we don't get up from this dream, we won't know where we are sleeping. 

Same Questioner: Thank you, Babaji. So, the last quote to end with the theme of Maya is, Vasistha says to Rama, “Hence, the question, ‘how has this unreal come into being?’ is improper. There is meaning only in inquiring concerning the reality. Not the unreal, Rama”. So, after all the teachings, all the days that Vasistha is teaching Rama about the illusion, He says that all inquiring about the illusion itself is improper. So, can Babaji say the real meaning of this, and if it is the essence of the Yoga Vasistha, this last quote? 

Shri Babaji: You see, one needs to understand by paying apt attention, what Vasistha means here. This appearance is there. One of the days I was also telling, this universe has appearance value, not the existence value. Only the Self, the consciousness has the existence value, because it never appeared. It is always there. This universe has appeared and it will disappear. Thus, we don't consider it as an existence value. It is not permanent. It is impermanent. For now, we try to stop at this point, because further if we go, people can get confused. What Vasistha talks of ‘improper’ means to consider this a reality is improper. To consider that somebody created also is improper. When you dream, you will wonder, you wouldn't have planned. Before going to bed you won't plan, “O let me dream today like this.” Every day you won't work out a script, and “I should dream like this only” – things will not happen. You don't know what type of dream will come to you. 

So, that's what Vasistha talks. It is improper to say that you created a dream. So, don't get involved. You did not create. You did not do anything. Have this firm faith and don't bother that anything got created at all. Otherwise, in other words also, if you consider this universe as a reality, your mind will get involved. You will never get out of this unreality to the truth of your existence. You will always be in the bondage of this world. Bondage, why we tell; this binds you to an effect of birth and death of the physical body, whereas no such thing is happening at all. However, you see, that birth and death appear so real. Once death happens to the body, the person who dies simply becomes unconscious of the surroundings, of his own body and doesn't get to see that ever again. If he has more imaginations based on those imaginations, he might attain another birth, but all the previous births he would have forgotten. 

That is the truth, though majority of the worldly people keep going on to this nonsense of previous births, and that person remembered his previous birth, and that person coming back to the same family. This type of myths and all things have been told and told which is not a truth at all. Once that person leaves the body… just like you all don't remember your previous lives, in sincerity. If any human being tells, “I remember my previous birth”, he is not a reliable person, he is telling a lie. Because human beings don't hesitate when they want to tell a lie, they insist that is the truth, but they can easily tell a lie. So, that is not the truth at all; nobody can remember. With the death of the brain that goes away. So, like this, this happens finally. So, nothing is there actually. So, this is what Vasistha is trying to tell. 

Finally, to get out of this bondage, you have to work, and you have to become quiet. That is important. But if you get involved of ‘why’ and ‘how’… Always teachers tell, that’s what to Arjuna Sri Krishna also tells, “Before death shall claim thee Arjuna, go to the knowers of the truth,” that means a Self-Realized Master, “Understand what they advocate, and adopting such methods, get rid of the imagination and you achieve the truth for yourself.” Otherwise, you will be simply revolving in the imagination of ‘punarapi jananam punarapi maranam’. Again and again you are born, and again and again you experience as if you are going to die. You are going to be born, you are going to die. So, this effect keeps going on in imagination and illusion only. But once your consciousness stops, this circle of effect also stops, everything. The movie stops. You have to stop the switch of the projector, that’s all. Then it stops. Don't bother scratching the screen unnecessarily, or tearing the screen unnecessarily. Simply go to the projector, press the button to switch off, then everything is done, finished. 

So, like that, this is the truth one has to realize. And instead of going for reasons… In this Yoga Vasistha also, Vasistha also tells, “When you achieve Nirvikalpa samadhi on your own, you will understand.” Understanding capacity also is important. Till then you will be scratching your head and you won't understand. So, that's why masters advocate, do not bother why and how and when it happened. Just as soon as possible, get rid of that imagination, because this physical body you are in has its own limitations. Sooner or later it will disappear, it will fall, it will die, what we call it. Before that you have a chance. Once in a life cycle opportunity is there. You have imagined a Master sitting in front of you. You have imagined a zoom class and a Master is answering your questions. You should consider yourself lucky. So, get rid of that imagination, that which is within you, your consciousness. More than that, if you keep bothering, how, when and why, there is no end. It is inconclusive, mind-boggling. So, amazing things that the mind… because it all has to happen in imagination only. It can go into such mind-boggling, line after line, line after line, mirror after mirror, mirror after mirror, mirror after mirror appears. But there’s only two mirrors, one opposite the other. And both are illusions. Either one of them is removed, then everything ends. 

Same Questioner: Thank you, Babaji. So, this was the end of the topic. Before we go for the participants, some devotee has sent a question. So, if I can ask that question, Babaji and then we open to the participants?

Shri Babaji: Okay, good. 

Same Questioner: So, he says, or she: Pranams Babaji, how is one able to keep the mind balanced in this material world and not get sucked into this illusory world. And at the same time, in spite of others, one can lead a balanced life in this Maya, or illusion?

Shri Babaji: So, you need to consistently practice meditation every day. One hour you sit down. Step by step. First, you practice to sit comfortably one hour in your physical body. Then, that should become natural in that one hour, you should not feel discomfort. In any such way possible, you sit down. Next, then, take care that your body doesn't shakes, keep shaking unnecessarily. Gently close your eyes is the third. And then, just keep watching in the front portion. Without bothering what you see and what you don't see. Remember this sentence. With good faith, if you take this and understand; just keep watching that is in front of you when you close the eyes. Without bothering what vision is there, what thought is there, what color is there, what light or darkness is there, don't bother. Don't go into dualities, just watch. Then you will become quiet. So, don't get involved. 

So, this is very important. This can take care of you in one hour when maximum you are able to keep quiet. Then that can keep your mental balance intact. No matter this type of hundred worlds can be there. Let alone this one world. This one world will be just nothing for you to deal with. Anything happens, you will not lose your mental balance. You will be able to deal with the situation. Simply, you see, whatever is possible, you have to deal with that. Whatever is beyond your possibility, you have to accept that situation. Either way, don't keep bothering about it. That's it. These three formulas, you understand and adopt. That's what is acceptance. You put in effort to remain balanced and to deal with the situation in the world that keeps happening near you, surrounding you, further from you, everywhere that you get to see the news nowadays. You getting the news is not difficult. You sit in the social media, every news come. All these things are happening. Try to deal with it. Means, don't get involved too much. See what you can do. Is there anything that you can help somebody, you help. Then keep quiet in the mind. And in the mind also, don't allow your mind to go beyond acceptance. Whatever is not possible for you, you have to accept. 

See, if two countries are fighting a war, we are just an individual. If there is a forum, we can express our voice, that let the humans live peacefully. Everybody understands the effects of pros and cons of the conflicts and war. So many innocent people are dying. You can express, but that doesn't mean that you yourself go into a depression. These two are two different things. If you get a forum, you express your thoughts. And then you have to accept if you are unable to stop the war. If you are the lord of the world, then perhaps you could have stopped countries to not to fight. You could have ordered both leaders of the world, “Stop warring, enough, no more.” And if you had the power, “Let all weapons disappear. Let all minds become quiet.” It doesn't happen, right? That is when you have to accept. The higher consciousness is working and it will be alright. Like this when you go, you will achieve your peace and the reality also, you will realize. 

Same Questioner: Thank you, Babaji. So, I think we can open to participants to ask questions. Thank you. 

Question: Pranams, Babaji. While my mind is still active and not quiet, is it faith that I'm relying on to believe that the higher consciousness is benevolent, is kind? 

Shri Babaji: You need to have that faith, because that will enable your mind to calm down. It will not go into too much of agitation. When you assure yourself, “There is a higher consciousness; we need to have faith on that. Everything is under that control”, then your mind will become quiet. You will have some hope of balancing your own consciousness. That is important. 

Same Questioner: And are there clues before I'm able to have that direct experience of merging with that higher consciousness? Are there clues that it's benevolent, the higher consciousness, that I can see? 

Shri Babaji: You see, in meditation, eventually when you achieve silence, then you become aware, you will notice that you are that consciousness of existence which will not disappear. It will always be there. All thoughts and visions will disappear, but that consciousness of existence will always be there. Then you further practice to remain focused on that only, that you are focused on the awareness of your own existence in other words. Then slowly as you reach the higher consciousness, when samadhi comes to happen, then you will get that experience and realize. 

Same Questioner: I think I understand. So, in meditation, when there is that brief moment where I do feel a connection and it's so peaceful and so beautiful, that's my clue that the higher energy is.. 

Shri Babaji: Yes. 

Same Questioner: Thank you. 

Question: Namaste Babaji. My question is, why is this mind of mine falling into this illusion? Why is this higher consciousness having this play? What is this play?

Shri Babaji: You see, there is no particular reason because the higher consciousness has no use of creating like this also. So, it is not creating out of any wishes or any such thing. This has happened as an illusion. Just like, sometimes when you have a good sound sleep in the night, get up in the morning, your mind will be refreshing and quiet. You enjoy the peace. Suddenly unknown to you, your mind starts imagining. In the beginning, it imagines all the pleasurable things; nobody wants unpleasantness. But slowly as the day passes by, it slips into happiness, unhappiness, good and bad, all sorts of imaginations. So, to say, it has just happened like that. So, as soon as possible, you have to practice to achieve quietness of your mind and get rid of the imagination that is in you, so that you can achieve that truth. You can become one with that truth. That truth itself is unaffected. So, this is what is the thing you need to understand. More than this, you must not try to know because it is inconclusive. It can be very mind-boggling. Simply your mind will get involved. 

Question: Jai Babaji. My question is about all this imagery. Everything we are imagining around everywhere like a dream – my question is if this is a reflection of somewhere or are we just imagining it? Where is this imagery coming from originally? Or we are creating it? 

Shri Babaji: You are creating just now. You have become habitual, and lost your connection to your own reality, the Ultimate Truth. So, thus, you have got involved into imagining and that has gone out of control. Means, your own consciousness has become mind, has gone out of your control. So, that is where it has happened. So, you just have to get rid of this by stopping the mind. That's what the meditation practice is taught for.

Same Questioner: OK, thank you Babaji. 

Question: Pranams, Babaji. How to realize the higher consciousness or God consciousness? 

Shri Babaji: So, when your mind becomes quiet, then it achieves samadhi. You have to quieten your mind first. Then only you will be able to realize the higher consciousness. 

Same Questioner: So, higher consciousness and God all same, Babaji?

Shri Babaji: All same, same.

Question: Pranams, Babaji, so grateful to be in your presence. I have two small questions. One is, when I am meditating, there are times when I can see the awareness at the forefront and the noise at the background, but I am not focused on the noise. I’m focussed on the awareness… or the awareness is on the focus, however we put it. But there are other times when the noise comes to the front and the awareness goes at the background. Is there anything specific I can do or is this just part of the process? 

Shri Babaji: This is part of the process. This is like a dual battle. Like a tennis match. You hit and the opponent hits, like that. Your mind also is equally strong. It doesn't want to give up its imaginations. So, it tries to maintain all the noises, etc. And your mind coming, your consciousness in the front, is a good sign, a progressive sign. So, you continue with that. Try to concentrate on the awareness of existence. Then slowly one day all the noises will disappear. It is all losing its strength, so keep going. 

Same Questioner: And Babaji, second is, very recently what I have started doing is, even when I am at work, for very short time, every hour or two hours for say two or three minutes, I just try to bring my focus here. Just to stay in that field. Is that the right thing to do? 

Shri Babaji: Yes, yes. That's where the watching has to happen. 

Same Questioner: Thank you. 

Shri Babaji: Good. 

Question: Babaji, is it good to ask for blessings? Or should we just assume that we are going to get blessings because we do to practice? 

Shri Babaji: If you want blessings, you just ask. Don't keep bothering whether it is good or bad. No problem. You can always ask Divine for blessings. 

Same Questioner: Okay, thank you. 

Question: Thank you. It was really brilliant what you said today and very moving for me. Mostly in spiritual discourse there is not a lot of maturity about facing issues of life and death and rebirth and all of that, so I really appreciated this. My question is about the notion of self-effort. In Sanskrit discourse, there's two terms they use, one is swata prayatna, which is literally self-effort. But opposed to that is either daivam or fate, destiny, or parata prayatna, literally the effort of another, which usually means Bhagawan. And I'm just wondering that if we're so dedicated to self-effort by sitting and intending our intentions in meditation and we're so in a lifetime habit of swata prayatna, of self-effort, is it really possible ever to allow that to relax and to turn it over to the other side? And on the other hand, if we depend entirely on daivam or fate, then as you said, to have somebody touch you on the forehead with a feather or something like that, because that makes us very sloppy. But on the other hand, self-effort will make us more fixed and dedicated to our imaginations. Is there a happy medium between these? 

Shri Babaji: Finally, what we need to understand, a process has to happen. When that process has to happen, the things happen. What you want to consider; you want to consider it as the grace of the Ultimate Truth or purushaarta, swataprayatna, self-effort – it is all the same. Like you study and achieve very good academic qualifications. But if somebody asks, you would like to give the credit to your teachers and your parents or somebody else who would have inspired you; it's all their blessings and grace. That is the worldly manners. We sat and did Tapas, but it was with the help of the Guru who guided us, who inspired us. So, we'd like to give credit to the Master, always. 

So, this is there. Both goes, automatically it goes. Whatever is destined also, you will put an effort when the destiny works. If you don't put an effort, when the destiny has to happen, simply the things get delayed. What you have to consider. Like for example, a teacher has come in your life and is advocating, “This is what you have to do”. That also you have to consider, “This is the grace working, and now, next, I have to do”. So, the grace and the purushaarta has to go together. Together it has to go; it has to happen. I initiate, and you do it. So, this is what all the things is. It is debatable. Simply people want to debate. Some people want to recognize it as the one side, “Oh, without the grace, nothing would have happened. It is always the grace”. It's okay. No problem. We have no problem in that. Or you tell that, “We put an effort and then you achieve.” That's also no problem, either way. So, when you become a Yogi, you would have risen to the higher level. These two things loses its significance actually. When you watch it, efforts are also happening, grace are also descending. Efforts are also. You put an effort to come to this Zoom class. And the grace is there that luck favors that you are able to come. So, this is how the consideration happens. So, anything you can consider is no problem. 

Question: Namaste Babaji. While sitting for one hour, there will be all sorts of pains and numbness throughout the body. This happens more while sitting for one hour in meditation. How to deal with this Babaji? 

Shri Babaji: First, I would advise that you try to practice one hour of comfortable sitting. If necessary, after 20-30 minutes you can change the position of the legs a little bit so that the numbness goes away properly, the circulation of the blood happens, trying to keep the concentration. Like that, if you practice. Achieve perfection in that one hour. Then you can raise more, more like that one. If necessary, if it's comfortable, you change the positions like sitting on a chair, on a sofa. Just take care that you keep your back and neck straight. Like that, you can try several ways so that the meditation goes unhindered. That is more important than the position itself. That's why we always allow that you can sit in any comfortable posture for yourself. 

Same Questioner: Okay, thank you Babaji. Namaste.

Question: Small and basic question, Babaji, and thank you for this class. So, the cycle of birth and death and growing up is necessarily an illusion. Is that true? 

Shri Babaji: Yes. The consciousness, whatever you feel, you experience that as if it is happening. It is the body which is born. But you experience as if you are born. And you keep thinking that you are going to die. It is simply the body dies. You become unconscious and achieve next birth if you have still imaginations. Like that, it's all imaginations finally. But this, you can experience only when you achieve samadhi state in meditations. So that's when the practical things get revealed.

End of Session