
Maharaj: During the state of beingness there are two main states, waking and sleep. What was before these states? Are you born, or is it the waking and sleep states that are born? The waking state is the reminder that “I Am,” and deep sleep is forgetting “I Amness.” What else is there except the birth of these two states? Why don’t you talk on this, these states of memory and no-memory? If these are not there, what is it you want? For acquisition of which knowledge have you come here? If you agree with what I say, why do you want to come here tomorrow? To get what?
Questioner: I don’t want to gain or acquire; I want to lose. I want to get rid of this realm of concepts.
M: If these two states are not there, could there be concepts?
Q: Without waking and sleep states what remains?
M: Whatever That is—without memory and no-memory—That remains. The waking and sleep states are impermanent. It is all the greatness of that chemical, that great Spirit. Out of that principle these states and this manifestation, this world, comes.
You are not the deep sleep and waking states, and without these you are not. Wherever you may roam, this talk will occur to you again and again.
In the womb this “I Amness” in the form of ignorance is there. The child is born and after a couple of years that ignorance becomes knowledgeable—'*1 Am.” Before understanding this “I Amness,” there is Balakrishna, the child ignorance. Later on it understands itself—that is knowledge. This knowledge cancels out the Balakrishna ignorance. In this Krishna state, Lord Krishna expounded the knowledge, and after that he merged in his original state, the Absolute.
So long as that ignorance-knowledge is given, each cancels the other. Like this flame, so long as that ignorance is there, that flame of knowledge will be there. When that ignorance is exhausted, finished, that flame of knowledge will also be finished.
Who directed you to this place?
Q: Anandamayi, Krishnabai, and some friends at Sri Ramanasram.
M: What is your native place?
Q: We are both from France.
M: Having performed all this physical and mental discipline, what is it that you want to be?
Q : My own Self.
M: Has your Guru indicated what your Self is?
Q: It is something which is already there and we have to find it out.
M: Who is to search for it?
Q: I have to remove all the obstacles which prevent me from really living in the present.
M: Who is going to remove the obstacles?
Q: I am.
M: Who are you?
Q: There is an element of consciousness which is trying to find out.
M: This consciousness—who told you about consciousness?
Q: I have been longing for this path, there is something which drives one, leads one to this path.
M: Why do you get entangled in words? You know that you are. No one has to tell you that you exist, you know it automatically.
Q: Obstacles prevent this consciousness. . . .
M: Let us deal with these obstacles [samskaras] later. Deal with the Self, the knowledge “I Am.” This “I Amness” is there first, isn't it?—primary. That “I” must be there first before you receive this sickness of samskara. How long will you be in Bombay?
Q: Just five more days.
M: If you are already in the queue and get the number for this spiritual knowledge, then any amount of obstacles will be brushed aside. But if you are not in that line, you will be roaming about. Initially you have to understand that the knowledge “I Am” is the product of the food essence. When you know that you are, the world also is.
As salt is in seawater, similarly, in the body, in combination with the vital breath, the consciousness appears. It is the consciousness that feels pain or pleasure, not the body or the vital breath. Once you know that you are not the body, all the concepts about pain and pleasure will disappear by themselves. Are you convinced that this is true?
Q: Yes.
M: Here you get the knowledge of what you are, now you have to experience it yourself. To keep quiet and watch for yourself is called meditation. Remaining in what you have heard here is called spiritual practice.
The Guru, God, your own knowledge—these three are one. If you know that, you become quiet. Guru means knowledge and knowledge means “I Am.” “I Amness’ is itself the Guru.