The Behaviour of the Seeker: Yoga Vasistha | In Quest of Truth - Babaji Q&A, No. 244

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

The Behaviour of the Seeker: Yoga Vasistha | In Quest of Truth - Babaji Q&A, No. 244
Recorded on 19 July 2025 with worldwide participants

0:06 The end of pleasure is liberation.
10:17 Why are we all after the desires if it is the cause of unhappiness?
16:17 Countless universes have been created in our own mind - how can we realise the truth of this creation in one moment?
22:57 Destiny and self effort.
32:58 Why should we not weep daily over the inevitability of death?
38:51 The relationship between self effort and Divine will.
43:51 Believing stories written about Mahabharata.
45:23 Is god in non-living things also?
46:48 How to integrate a worldly life with peace?
48:41 How does a Yogi in the physical body experience mind and the ego?
52:46 If we are disturbed by external sounds in meditation, do we watch the sound?
54:09 Increased sensitivity to sounds
55:22 What is Grace?
56:58 Can I chant the name of Krishna with an image of Swamiji in front of me?

___
Website: http://www.srby.org
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/shivarudrabalayogi
Twitter: https://twitter.com/SRBYmission
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/shivarudrabalayogi/

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

Website: http://www.srby.org
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/shivarudrabalayogi
Twitter: https://twitter.com/SRBYmission
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/shivarudrabalayogi/

Transcript

Discourse: In Quest of Truth – online Q&A no.244
 The Behavior of the Seeker
You tube Link: https://youtu.be/czOZU37tFIM   
Recorded: 19 July 2025

Start of Questions and Answers

Question:   So, today we will continue with the Yoga Vasistha book. The next chapter is ‘The Behaviour of the Seeker’. We introduced last session this chapter with the story of Shuka Maharishi with Janaka, when he had a doubt about how he could conduct himself while being a king. So, the next question is, Sage Vishwamitra says in this chapter; “The surest thing of a man of the highest wisdom is that he is unattracted by the pleasures of the world.”  So, all the yogis, they say that “The end of the pleasure is liberation.”  So, can Babaji comment on that, how this pleasure is responsible for us to be in this maaya? 

Babaji Maharaj:   You see, the body urges are one of the most difficult for people to get rid of or overcome.  So, here, we need to understand a minimum that is required to sustain the body – you have to give the food to the body.  But when a time comes, when a test happens, you should be able to keep quiet, not demand, not jump, not lose temper.  That’s what when Shuka Maharishi came to King Janaka, with all humility – that was what His father, Sri Veda Vyaasa had taught Him.  “Consider King Janaka as a Guru because you want to learn a certain thing you have a doubt on which.  So, you go, and seeking His permission; when He permits, then you put this question in an intelligent way and get the answer.  Then you will understand.”  So, first thing, King Janaka wanted to test the patience of the seeker.  Patience of the seeker means when He came to know that Shuka Maharishi is coming towards the kingdom of King Janaka, He had ordered His servants “Do not receive Him in a proper way and do not offer Him anything.  Just keep quiet, and see His reaction, how He is going to be.”  

So, thus, for two or three days, He was kept at the gates of King Janaka’s palace.  After three days, King Janaka enquires with the servants, “How did Shuka Maharishi behave?”  They said “Maharaj, He is quiet and silent, at peace all the time, composed.  He did not demand anything, He did not lose temper also.  In fact He said that He understands that we are just following the orders of our Master.  So, He did not blame us also.  He just blessed us in fact.  He was very compassionate to us.”  On listening this, King Janaka was very happy.  He came and  received Shuka Maharishi and took Him inside, gave Him proper reception of washing His feet, and a shower, bath, everything was given.  So, that was how…  you see, here, for three days, even water was not given.  In today’s world we cannot expect anybody to be like that.  And I hope our students when they invite me to their home will not test me like that, making me to stand outside their house for three days, like that.  The body will die if they do so.  But in those days, there was that strength, mental strength, physical strength, everything was there.  

So, He had done lot of tapas, sadhana, Shuka Maharishi; He was a Realized soul.  And He always remained in the aatman.  His consciousness was always absorbed into His Self.  Thus, when He was stopped by the gatekeepers of the King, He just kept quiet and stood there.  He said “It’s okay.  If they give, they give; if they don’t give, they don’t give.  If they allow me to go inside, I will go, if they don’t allow me, I won’t go.  Let me see.”  Like this for two, three days He stood like that.  So, this was the great austerities that He had practiced, so He had overcome the greed for body urges; even to the extent that He was not asked for any food also, no water was given.  That is the minimum need for anybody’s body, right? To sustain your physical body.  So, you don’t have to give luxurious things, but at least you have to give some food, a little bit of food so that body to be sustained.  Otherwise, body will not be sustained.  But in those days, they tested a student severely.  

This is one thing.  You have been with me several years now.  You would see what I try to test is – first thing is your patience, that you must not lose patience.  Then you will be able to focus on the things you are asked to do.  And if you are focused, your mind also will be single pointed, then in meditation it becomes so easy to go introverted, for the mind to go introverted if it is not attracted for anything.  So, this is important.  This comes when you would have developed a reverence to the Master, a real love to the Master, that you love Babaji; only that can help you to win.  Otherwise, any boy can abuse and leave me and go away, “O, this Babaji keeps doing all the time, all the time scolding me.  Why does he do it?  He pulls up and finds faults with me.  I try to do something and he tries to say something else, “No, that is not the thing.  You do like this one.”  This is not good.  I am not going to stay here.  I will go away.”  

So, such people will be the losers.  They come and they come with their own agenda.  They want to get involved into the body pleasures.  If this happens, so then they left me, abused and went away, because they got attracted to body pleasures.  Celibacy is very important on this path to achieve mental peace, mental concentration for anybody.  So, those who are able to sustain themselves like this with the Master, then they stay back.  Otherwise, they won’t stay back.  They will fall out.  So, this is what happens.  If they have their own desires, their own attractions and their own things what they want to do in the world… and they will tell “I don’t have any role here to play.”  If anybody wants to serve, plenty is there that can be served.  Serving has no end.  Everyday, every moment you can find something, somewhere you can be helpful.  You get an idea, “Let me do here, let me do in the garden, let me do in the kitchen, let me do anywhere.”  Like that you can always plan.  If this thing doesn’t happen, so then you will lose that focus, concentration and you fall out from the Guru.  

That is the important point Vasistha is dealing here, not to get attracted to bodily pleasures.  And if possible one should try to see to the extent, if there is any time you need to exercise patience, that you are hungry but it will take some time for the food to be served and then only you get to serve all others, you help all others to have food, then finally you have the food.  So, that is what is important.  Like that you should be able to accept and exercise patience.  So, this patience is the virtue.  This is what Vasistha talks here, to overcome bodily pleasures.  Otherwise, you see, bodily urges are very dangerous.  We spoke about the food only, mannerisms, restraint, ability to restrain yourself.  And it can get attracted to other worldly pleasures also; body pleasures also it can get attracted – “O, I have money, I must live happily with some other way of life.  This is very bad to live in the Ashram.  This is not for me.”  Like that if one goes away, they will be the losers.  They will never be able to achieve anything spiritually.  So, they are happy in the world.  So, let them go happily.  They will understand one day how futile this world is, how impermanent, how it will always give you stress, tension, fear, agony, all these things only.  So, that is very important.

Question:   Thank You, Babaji.  And then just following up with this.  Why all of the human beings, it seems like they are after these desires, even if it is the source of this unhappiness and suffering and everything.  But everybody is still going behind them and no one is really interested in giving everything away and just going to the spirituality.

Babaji Maharaj:   Yeah.  You see, knowingly or unknowingly everybody is looking for peace and happiness, definitely.  If you don’t get peace and happiness, you won’t like to go to any place of worship also, or you won’t like to go to any marketplace if you are not happy, you are dejected and you want to remain to yourself.  But if they don’t know the right path, where to achieve that contentment, how it comes…  See, if you are, means you as the mind are the aatman, if you can remain contented, all the time you can be happy.  Anything comes or doesn’t come, you are happy; you get anything or you don’t get, but you are happy.  Somebody behaves very badly to you, somebody misbehaves, criticizes you, but you are happy at all times.  So, our happiness must not depend on any external anchor, on any one matter, one subject, one object or any such thing.  We are always happy whether we get it or we don’t get it.  If we get it, we will sustain the body, otherwise whatever God needs to give, God gives.  Otherwise, even in spite of ten and twenty varieties of items there, you are unable to eat if your health is not alright.  Sometimes, that happens – it is there but you cannot eat.  But when you could have eaten, it never came.  These types of funny things happen in this world.  

So, if you do regular austerities of sadhana only, you can restrain yourself and control and just whatever, whenever available then you it.  But for that reason you don’t go into a craving and you don’t go on banging your head, and you don’t go crying and you don’t go on killing somebody, just that you are interested to have some food.  Food is necessary; you have.  It will come.  When it comes, you have the food.  So, like that.  This is what Vasistha talking in those days; they were very blunt.  We may not talk in today’s world.  Because when you adopt a way of life, even if you come to monastery certain needs are there for the body; food and rest sometimes is also needed.  You cannot afford to go on working all the twenty-four hours.  You need some rest.  So, the Guru takes care of that.  He knows.  He will give some rest to them, “Okay, you rest now.  At this time you come, then we will do some meditation.”  That is how we always do if you have watched this in me, staying with me all these years.  And when that work is done, I will tell “Now you go and rest.”  At that time you must not waste time in gossiping, unnecessarily roaming here and there; go and rest.  Then once the rest is done, you are fresh, you come and start working, you do sadhana, you meditate.  Like this if you do, then only you will gain and you will get Self-Realization one day, you will gain control over yourself.  

So, that is how things will have to work.  So, for this you have to dedicate yourself and apply.  Otherwise, you go after the world, matters and objects, materialistic things, then your mind is always disturbed and it cannot sit into meditation.  Then one day you will say “This meditation is not for me.  This is a very wrong thing.  This Master is not good.  Always wants me to meditate, always wants me to work and serve.”  One boy used to say “See, is this all that I have come?”  He expected that he would be given a separate quarters and allow him to be in the room and do whatever he wanted to do.  We  wanted to train him in the proper way of spirituality, but he was not ready to take the training, and he abused and left us.  Like that these things keep happening, anybody.  So, this is what Vasistha is talking there.  If now, the question finally comes – if it is Self-Realization and liberation is what you want really, then you will have to give that much of time for sadhana.  If you have already adopted a way of life it may be difficult, but still you go on doing some sadhana.  When once you reach that state, then you will be able to dedicate more time; whatever is possible you need to dedicate more time to service and sadhana.  Service at the Guru’s place can help you to overcome the ego and attachment to materialistic things.  This is what Yoga Vasistha tells.

Question:   Thank You, Babaji.  The next point is, Vasistha tells Rama that countless are the universes that are created now, and that all of that can be realized in just one moment because all these universes have been created from our own mind, like castles built in the air.  So, how can we realize all this Creation in just one moment? What does that mean, that stage?

Babaji Maharaj:   You see, if you look into the universe, just now your mind is a micro speck thing; there is a Supreme Consciousness which has created.  That has the capacity; that consciousness is supreme, it is all-pervaded compared to the mind.  So, the mind can create only what it is capable of.  It cannot create the different universes so much like that.  But however, whoever has created, they will take care of that one.  What you need to take care is the universe that you have created within you, in your mind.  Your mind is into imagination; it has created a separate universe in itself.  In your mind also, a big world is sitting.  All the twenty-four hours your mind is working on that, scattered and working like a monkey.  It wants this, it wants that, it wants to get into this story, it wants to do like this, it wants this thing to happen, and what and what not; there is no end.  That you need to attend and get rid of.  You can make your mind quiet and then you achieve peace.  Thus, you will achieve the highest consciousness also, will be possible when you quieten your mind to such an extent that it merges with its higher consciousness.  So, then only you will experience all the universes simply disappearing.  

See, even astronomically also if you see, every now and then, everyday some new planet comes, some system comes, outside solar system they say, this comes, that comes, it all keeps happening, keeps happening.  So, it keeps happening just like that.  In the same way, when the mind is into imaginations a world keeps building up in your mind – everyday there is a new story, everyday there is a new world in your mind.  So, this world can always give you unhappiness, tension, and fear, all these things.  Stress it gives – O, you want a certain thing to happen.  If it’s not happening, then you are stressed out, you are angry with yourself, “Why is it that this thing is not happening?  I am not going to allow anybody.  I will beat them up if they don’t do it.”  So, it is not possible.  Nobody will listen to you.  Everybody has their own selfishness, their own things they want to go.  

So, like this you have built a world.  First you have to get rid of this world that you have built, means you have created in your mind.  Your mind also creates.  At every level different, different consciousness potencies, they keep creating.  Your mind is on a certain level which creates a story, a universe, a world for itself and keeps imagining.  Then there is this highest consciousness which is also creating the universe, galaxies after galaxies, and universe after universe is coming and coming, coming.  People try to count how many universes are there, how many worlds are there, then they have realized that it is impossible; it keeps coming.  An exoplanet now and then keeps happening, it comes into existence, a fireball comes and then the fire comes down, then a world appears in that.  But so far life species have not appeared.  We have not come across or seen; in thousands and thousands and thousands of light years distances we have not come across.  I always feel that it is nice.  Otherwise, unnecessarily we go into conflict.  This is what human beings do; human beings have no peace. In the world also, in this universe, so much is given by God but we are always into conflicts, always into conflicts, want to kill each other.  That’s what we call as terrorism.  Everybody can live peacefully and happily, but people don’t want to.  So, these type of things we have to get rid of.  

   So, that is why in meditation a silent watching is taught.  If you silently watch, means slowly you are taking control of the main switch.  If your mind becomes quiet, then it merges with the higher consciousness, that also becomes quiet, then all the worlds, universe, everything will disappear. You will get to see that everything disappears; nothing really existed ever.  It was all the mind or the consciousness’s imagination.  When you imagine, the things appear to be so.  If you don’t imagine, there is nothing – simply you are quiet.  But this is not an easy thing.  You have to do sadhana.  First you have to meditate so that you get rid of the things that your mind has created.  First your mind has to become quiet, silent and watch and watch and become silent, watch and become silent.  Like that you keep going, then you will see only the silence and tranquility is there.  Only one single Self that exists in itself.  So, that is the truth yogis always achieved and experienced in due course of time.  That is why meditation and tapas is recommended.  That you have to do if you are interested in that Self-Realization.  

Question:   Thank You, Babaji.  The next point they talk about is one thing Babaji also gives a lot of importance – faith and self-effort.  Well, faith, destiny and self-effort, purushaartha that Babaji says.  And they said “In this world whatever is gained is gained only by self-effort.  Self-effort is of two categories.  That of the past births and that of this present birth.”  Vasistha says that the latter effectively counteracts the former, because the destiny is none other than self-effort in a previous incarnation.  So, the present is infinitely more potent than the past.  There is no power greater than right action in the present.”  And then it ends saying “Whoever says fate or destiny is directing me to do this is brainless and the goddess of fortune abandons him.”  So, can Babaji comment on this quote?

Babaji Maharaj:   This particular thing many people keep wondering and get agitated “What is it?” and the two words that they use are ‘destiny’ and ‘self-effort.’  ‘Everything happens according to destiny,’ means their expectation is that other than we, there is some higher potency consciousness which plays and creates a destiny for us.  But at the same time an opportunity also is given for you to put self-efforts; every moment is there.  Say, suppose about 150 people have come to participate in this Zoom meditation class, it was with self-efforts.  You wanted to come, you are interested to sit in meditation class, you are interested to learn something, you want to listen to Babaji’s answers so you have put an effort and got into internet links, and then you are there.  Thanks to technology is another thing that you are able to sit at your home and feel me live and get my answers and I am able to conduct meditation.  So, here, at least to some extent, some self-effort has to happen.  If you sit in a corner, “Whatever I am destined it will happen, what to do” –  it is not like that.  

The destiny also, if at all we have to take destiny, what happens is that it will not allow you to sit down quietly, it will induce you to keep acting, keep acting; nobody can sit quietly in a corner.  They will be tired and they start doing something; they want to do.  So, both simultaneously keep going.  When they are tired, they want to rest for a while.  Once they have rested they want to get up and do something.  That is what the consciousness is used to and it induces the body also to be active in such a way.  Until you don’t merge with the actual Parabrahman that is the Self, then you become quiet, and no effort; there is nothing.  So, then now, I was talking and discussed many times with students, I have told “It is neither destiny nor self-effort.”  This may appear strange because we have spoken about destiny also.  Whatever you acquire in your mind, those imprints induces you to behave in a particular way and creates circumstances for you.  So, that is destiny.  From previous lives it is coming.  But this life’s action also is happening somewhere, so if we are more strong mentally – this one thing everybody needs to learn.  When you meditate, your mind becomes more strong in concentration, in remaining focused and applies self-efforts.  This will happen automatically.  So, everybody must meditate, then self-effort will pick up very strongly.  

Then there is every chance for you to overcome the destiny, and you can see your light of the day when you put in efforts.  Even if you want to meditate, it is a self-effort that you have to do.  Nobody can meditate for others.  When I meditated, I achieved Self-Realization, but I cannot meditate for you.  You have to meditate for yourself, then only your mind will become quiet.  I can give you the clues, I can give you the knowledge, I can give you the wisdom, I can inspire you, I can tell you “You do like this.  It will come.”  So then, you have to do it.  So, that is what the purushaartha, self-efforts.  Unknown to you, automatically both keep happening.  Means you put an effort also, you cannot keep quiet, everybody in the world, they keep putting efforts.  Whatever they want to achieve, they want to do; and the results keep coming, results keep coming.  So, sometimes the results may be conducive according to your effort and you achieve whatever you expected.  Sometimes, the results may not be according to your expectations and it may be a failure for you.  

So, now, how your mind is going to react is more important here.  If your mind becomes disappointed, dejected and goes into depression then you lose the game.  You won’t be able to put an effort more.  You will become weak.  But instead you keep going, don’t give up, put an effort again.  It has not happened; when the opportunity comes, again you put an effort.  So, this is what can happen.  So, when you an effort, it will pick up somewhere, it will pick up somewhere.  So, this is what we all get to see.  Whether we are defending the Ashram, we want to see that an ashram develops, we have to keep trying a hundred times.  There are obstacles.  Others don’t like it to happen.  They delay, they don’t want to help, so these types of things are all happening.  But we need to have patience, try again and again, try again and again to bring them.  So, this is the self-effort and destiny that go together.  Finally, when it is beyond our capability of self-effort, then we have to accept it as a destiny – “It was destined to undergo like this.  This matter was supposed to get destroyed like this.  It is destiny.”  But before that we must put an effort, we must fight it out, never give up like that easily.  A soldier thinks, ‘do or die.’ “Let me fight.  To fight to protect my country, either I will do it or die, no problem.  If I die somebody else will take up.  I die, no problem, but at least I fought for it.  I worked out for it and then I died.”  So, like that the things have to go, together it goes.  

   So, you cannot tell either of the two.  You cannot tell always whatever is destined only will happen, and you cannot tell whatever you put an effort only will happen.  You do your job.  You put an effort.  That is your purushaartha; is important.  Then let the destiny take its own turn.  When the results come, that is destiny.  So, either way there is no one conclusive definition that you can tell.  Self-efforts also are very necessary – purushaartha.  This, even in Bhagavad Gita also, it talks “Aatman is the best friend of aatman, and aatman can be the worst enemy of aatman.”  That means you can be your best friend if you keep trying and don’t feel disappointed, accept it as destiny, again keep trying simply, don’t look back.  Then you are your best friend.  When you are unable to work it out, you don’t want to put an effort, and you start drinking alcohol and you just lie down in a corner, you spoil your physical health, mental health, everything, so then what happens?  Neither self-effort nor destiny and that becomes your destiny that you become a drunkard and don’t achieve anything.  

So, this is what one needs to understand and think, that both destiny and self-effort go together.  This is what Sri Krishna tried to tell, “Aatman is the Aatman’s best friend,” means you can be your best friend if you are more positive, if you put an effort always.  You can become your worst enemy if you don’t put an effort and you become simply lazy, sit in a corner.  That’s how things happen.  So, that’s what Vasistha is trying to tell here.

Question:   Thank You, Babaji.  The next point also with the self-effort they mentioned, they give the example of “If a farmer’s efforts are made fruitless because of the hailstorm, it means that the farmer did not put enough efforts. So, he has to put now more effort to overcome that circumstance.  So, he should not grieve over the inevitable loss.  Because if such grief is justified, why should he not weep daily over the inevitability of death?”  So, can Babaji comment on this, please?

Babaji Maharaj:   Yes, same thing that I have been telling.  See, that is why at that place, ‘destiny’ word is used by some great teachers of the ancient times.  Because when you put an effort if something happens that you would not have expected, that if somebody dies, then it could be very shocking.  You can go into a depression, you might start crying.  We understand anybody’s emotion when the body goes, how it can happen.  Like all of you would be so much attached to Babaji also; if anything happens to Babaji, you won’t be able to take it easily, you will cry, you will feel so sad, but fact has to be accepted is what Vasistha is trying to tell.  You realize, reason it out.  So, this has happened, and it won’t come back.  We have to accept it and look for the future.  Like many times we advise, give counselling to people – so, those people who have gone are gone, they won’t come back; nobody has seen it.  Now, whoever is here in this world they may need you, they may need your affection, they may need your attention.  If you keep crying and don’t eat anything, if you are in a corner, you will also perish.  That is useless.  You have to.  

So, you have to look for those people who are alive, because one day they also will go; we all will go, everybody will go, but when they are there we need to respect and look after.  This is what many times I have felt personally, when our dear ones, people are alive, we neglect, we don’t take care of them.  We don’t appreciate their presence, but when they die, then we try to express all sorts of regrets and sadness, “O God, if they were there, how nice it would be.”  But when they were there you did not attend to them.  So, these types of things also happen.  So, that is why when somebody is there, let us take care of them.  So, when Babaji’s body is there, if you take care of the time, do not waste.  Every Saturday when Babaji comes…  You see, sometimes that can get disturbed by destiny.  If I am travelling, if my health is spoilt or something happens then I might not be able to hold these Zoom sessions.  You will lose that one day.  You will lose enthusiasm.  Many people, they back out, “O, Babaji is not there personally, we will come when Babaji comes.”  Many people make it their point instead of practicing.  They should practice!  

When Babaji comes they want to come; you have to come.  Don’t give up the time.  It is very precious and essential.  I keep telling, not to panic you all; when the body is there, utilize this.  Listen to the answers, listen to the teachings and practice meditation.  I keep telling, a one-hour opportunity is being given to you so that mentally you can become silent.  So, now also, if you are listening to me, dumbfound.  Such is the truth of philosophy and existence and it can be dumbfound for you, “What is this Babaji is talking?”  You will be composed, at peace, don’t even want to raise any voice, you don’t even want to ask.  So, this is what happens.  

So, without wasting the time, we need to utilize to do sadhana and achieve the Self-Realization, is the foremost important thing because this human body has come, is the most important gem that we have obtained.  This has a well-developed brain there; we are able to discriminate right and wrong, permanent and impermanent, we are able to understand, we are able to think, whereas in the animal body, this thinking may not be possible.  They may have their own way, but they may not be able to think of the universe or the things that are surrounding.  So, this is what one needs to understand – without wasting, need to practice meditation and dedicate self so that you do not waste the time.  That is what Vasistha talking to Sri Rama tells about these things.  Because of this only, mind runs away.  If you can stop this, then the mind can come back; then the mind is at peace.  This is what He basically teaches.  So, listening to this, Sri Rama had achieved Self-Realization, nirvikalpa samadhi at the end of the talks that Vasistha gave.

Question:   Thank You, Babaji.  The last quote for today will be, Vasistha says, “Engaging self-effort to reach the Supreme Truth, knowing that self-effort alone is another name for Divine will.”  So, can Babaji explain this relationship between self-effort and Divine will?

Babaji Maharaj:   Yeah, you see, people tell “If I am destined, then I will become Self-Realized, so why should I put in effort?”  I tell, “Idiot!  When a Master has come in front of you and He is talking about the Self and self-efforts, why don’t you consider this as your destiny?  Your destiny was there that you got a Self-Realized Master and He is talking to you.  He is giving all clues, He is answering your questions.  Consider this and get into the meditation job quickly.  Don’t tell that you are not given an opportunity.  Every moment God gives opportunity to us.”  When you see the nature, you can think about things of impermanence, things that go away.  What is the permanence, what is it that can give us total happiness.  I also want to be happy.  I didn’t go for Self-Realization so that I can be unhappy or any other thing – happiness.  It should be your existence right, your birth right.  Always you should be happy.  But if you anchor it with the world, depend on this world, then you are likely to become disappointed, dejected, become sad and sorrowful, all these things follow; it happens, it keeps happening.  

It is another thing – this does not mean that you need to be indifferent to this world.  That is not the thing we are teaching.  You can take care of the world.  When somebody is being attacked by a terrorist, you need to feel sad, you need to raise a voice, you have to try, everybody has to try.  But you don’t have to lose your peace, whatever you try.  So, when I am talking to you all, I want that all of you achieve that happiness, that which I have achieved.  So, if this happiness was not in there, why would I have recommended?  So, I want all of you also to achieve the same happiness which I have achieved, and that is why I am talking to you.  I am answering your questions.  I want to help; “You practice like this and then you can achieve.”  So, this is such an important thing.  So, this is what Vasistha tells, “Self-efforts”.  

Now, when you put in self-efforts, consider that as the Divine’s will.  You sat and did one-hour meditation.  That was the Divine’s will.  That is what you have take things positively.  There is no such thing that there was no Divine’s will.  The Divine wants you all to go to the Self-Realization, realize the Self as it is.  You have come out, you have lost your path, but you have to put in efforts without losing time.  So, that is what Vasistha is also trying to talk about these things.  So, about self-efforts, and when you put an effort, consider that as the Divine’s will, that is the destiny that means.  You are listening to me; consider listening to me as your destiny, as Divine’s will.  Divine wants you to listen to me and then you meditate.  Understand that the Divine wants you to meditate and that is why you are meditating.  So, at that time don’t go into these definitions whether it is self-effort or whether it is destiny, which is the one.  “If we are destined, we will get it, if we are not destined we will not get it” – don’t get into such depressions.  Everybody is destined to go back to the Self.  Simply, you have to work it out, you have to work – self-efforts are necessary.  That’s what Vasistha, repeatedly they talk of purushaartha here.

Question:   Pranaam Babaji.  In Mahabharata there was Baarbarik and Baarbarik was given a boon by Lord Krishna that he would be prayed to as Krishna only in Kaliyuga.  And that is happening as Khatu Shyam in this area of the northern belt of India.  Nowadays it is getting popular and everyone is praying to Khatu Shyam.  So, how is this thing happening from Mahabharata time to now?  The boon is taking place which was given in Mahabharata time by Lord Krishna?

Babaji Maharaj:   Somebody writes a story that Krishna told like this, and after reading that, somebody claims that “This is Khatu Shyam”, and everybody goes there when they want to believe.  That is all that is happening.  God is always there, everywhere, so it doesn’t have to be like this only.  That is not the only God.  Even if you go anywhere else, and take a stone and worship it as a Shivalingam, then also you will be protected and achieve Self-Realization; will happen.  Simply whatever you believe, things will appear to you like that.  

Same Questioner:   We have been told since childhood that God is in everything.  So, that means that matter has God, every material thing has God… Every living thing has aatma, so all non-living things also have aatma?

Babaji Maharaj:   Look at me.  You are all educated.  Think about one simple thing.  Whatever you create in your mind, in all those objects your mind is also there.  That means your consciousness, you are watching.  In the same way when the Divine is all pervaded, everywhere, in everything, as everything God is there.  Simply, you have to visualize, you have to practice that by devotion and sadhana and then you will be able to see.  Like Vasistha tells, “I get to see only aatman everywhere.”  We have practiced like that.  You have to practice sadhana.  Before practice it won’t appear like that; you will be doubting yourself.  So, you have to meditate first.  

Question:   Thank You, Babaji.  These teachings are quite to the point.  The simple path, maybe not easy, but simple.  I love what You are saying about devotion and not having any specific idea of what the Guru is going to ask, just do what’s asked and do it with love in your heart.  But for me, I still feel this strong attachment to worldly things, just a worldly life.  So, what I am wondering is how does a person integrate the worldly life and then still experience peace?

Babaji Maharaj:   When you practice meditation and remember the Divine, then only you will have peace.  So, as you go on living in this world, even if you have desires or attractions, no problem, but try to remember God as much as possible; increase the duration.  Means your mind getting attracted to worldly pleasures and then your mind getting attracted to the remembrance of God should rise above the levels.  Means your remembering the God should take maximum time of your mind’s preoccupation.  Then you will be able to see God and then you will achieve the Supreme Peace also within.  If your attention to the worldly pleasures go minimum, that is very much necessary and your attention is most of the time, maximum time on the Divine, then you will have more peace, not otherwise.

Question:   Namaste Babaji.  Babaji, mind needs thoughts to survive and the ego needs other objects without which it will collapse.  How does a yogi in a physical body experience the mind and ego?

Babaji Maharaj:   You see, these sentences are not correct actually.  Mind requires thoughts to be in the form of mind, not for its survival.  Even if there is no thought or anything or visions, mind is always eternal.  It is there; it won’t get destroyed.  So, when the thoughts and visions are not there, we use a different terminology for understanding.  It’s a pure consciousness; it is no more mind.  That is all.  But the substance is the same, it is the same there.  It won’t collapse, it will not go.  Simply, ‘manolaya’ is what is called; it gets withdrawn to the Self.  This is what happens.  

   Now a yogi, when He does tapas, as long as the body is alive He is known as the jivanmukta, ‘the liberated one while alive’.  This is one thing.  But His mind is always the silent one.  Even if He talking a lot, His consciousness would be silent.  It won’t be reverberating or it won’t be picturizing anything.  It won’t keep thinking everything that we talk.  If anybody else also talks to me, I cannot keep anything into the mind.  It is just like you write on a white paper and it gets erased instantly.  So, that type of thing.  So, there is actually, really, no ego there.  However, sometimes in my answers or teachings I have told we try to keep a little bit of sattvic ego so that a little bit of consciousness is in touch with the brain, to apply the brain and the body is alive.  Thus, you are able to teach in this world; will be possible mechanically, but you need to keep in touch with the brain, otherwise the brain will perish if the mind is not in touch.  

This is one important thing you have to understand.  Along with the supply of blood and oxygen, mind’s application also is very important for the brain to survive.  So, like that you will learn.  I have told, you can live in this world with a little bit of consciousness.  Unknown to you, you might be spending so much of consciousness energy, it is getting wasted.  So, thus if you practice meditation, then your mind will not get involved.  It will be the silent one, but you will be able to operate.  That is why I always encourage people asking a question.  If a question is asked, spontaneously it comes.  So, before that I would not have planned what I am supposed to answer, I would not have read anywhere; it spontaneously comes, an answer.  So, that is why I tell, “Be clear in your question, anything connected to spirituality, mind, consciousness; then I can answer, “This is my opinion, this is my experience”.”  Like that it comes, but there is no planning, there is no preparation, “O, such a question might come, I need to know what the question is, I need to prepare for that by reading” – it doesn’t happen.  Spontaneously the answer comes.

Question:   Pranaam Babaji.  When I am doing the meditation and focusing in-between the eyebrows and watching the thoughts coming in, recently, I am feeling that the noise or the sound is creating lot of disturbances. I try to watch the sound but I get confused in watching the sound or ignoring the sound.  So, I just wanted Your advice, Babaji.

Babaji Maharaj:   Both are same.  If you just watch the sound but do not analyze, then you are ignoring the sound actually.  You are not getting involved, engaged into such a sound effect that might be appearing.  So like that if you just watch it then sound will disappear, it will go away, then your mind will become quiet again.  As much as possible try to keep watching in-between eyebrows even when a sound appears, then you will see that sound coming in-between eyebrows only, and then it will disappear.  

Same Questioner:   And when I am working on the laptop and close all the doors and windows for minimum sound coming in, but I can still hear there is a truck going on the road, so in those times… I feel like in these past few weeks the ears are getting more sensitive than the thoughts coming in.  Is that a little strange or…?

Babaji Maharaj:   It not actually strange, it happens.  The mind picks up.  Any sound comes, say some scooter is going, then mind will run after the scooter then it will pick up that picture of the scooter, tries to visualize and tries to think something.  So, these types of things happen.  So, at that time even if that sound effect comes, try just to watch and do not think what it is, whether it is from the scooter, from a car, from an aeroplane, from anywhere that is coming, that means you are ignoring the sounds and just trying to watch and then it will disappear.  Then meditation will progress further, smoothly.

Question:   Pranaam Babaji.  What actually is ‘grace.’

Babaji Maharaj:   Listen, there is really no conclusive answer.  Nobody can understand what this ‘grace’ means.  People have their own definitions, so many Gurus might have spoken, but simply, if anything happens in your life, if it is according to your expectations then you would like to call it as the Divine’s grace.  But if a certain thing happens, even if it is not according to your liking, you should know that is also the grace of the Divine.  Because the ultimate goal is that the Divine’s grace needs to take you towards the spiritual height or the Self-Realization.  Just like a mother, if the child is stepping onto the wrong path, she would like to pull up the child and bring it to the right tracks.  At that time the child may not understand.  It may feel upset, “O, my mother is pulling me up.  She is not allowing me to play like this.  She is not giving me this thing.”  But mother wants it to be on the right path.  So, that is the grace.  That’s how grace always is there.  Anything that happens, you have to visualize that it is the grace of the Divine, and then you will see, eventually you will always be taken to a higher elevated plane of Self-Realization. Then you will understand. 

Question:   Pranaam Babaji.  Nowadays, for the last month, I keep on chanting “Hare Ram, …” but the images of Babaji and mostly Swamiji is in front of me.  Like when I am working, this chant comes and I keep on singing this chant, but the image of Swamiji comes and I am working.  So, isn’t it contradicting?

Babaji Maharaj:   Nothing is contradictory.  Let anybody chant about Rama, Rama, you chant Swamiji, Swamiji, is all the same.  So, many hundred thousand times I keep telling, “God is one but different names and different forms, you must never get confused.”  You chant whatever you want to do.  Let anybody, others chant…

Same Questioner:   No, no, no Krishna and Rama chanting and image of Swamiji in front of me, is it same?

Babaji Maharaj:   Yeah, it is okay.  No problem.  

End of Questions and Answers

End of Session