
Maharaj: Consciousness is everywhere, latent or otherwise. First there is consciousness, then came everything, the sky, the earth, and all.
Questioner: This consciousness, it is not the same as the
M: Whenever we think of consciousness we think of the body, but that is an error. The original state was there before the waking and sleep states.
Q: The “I Am” dissolves after death, so it is not the same.
M: Are you speaking now of the individual personality or the universal consciousness?
Q: The universal Self.
M: The consciousness that prevails is the universal consciousness. The world is born out of that, and not from the point of view of the individual personality.
Q: What is the relationship between the universal consciousness and the “I Amness”?
M: The spark of the incense stick and the whole of it— that is the relationship. That consciousness which prevails before you are aware of the two states is the universal consciousness. You will not learn this through your thoughts, but when you meditate, that consciousness of being will merge into universal consciousness, and only in that way will you understand it. The universal consciousness has always been, its power always present. Its power of creation has given rise to this world, it has produced this Prakriti and Purusa, and its soul is the individual consciousness.
It is spontaneous, manifest, dynamic Spirit. It has no aspect. It is all-pervading. I am talking about that Vedic principle, Vedic raw material, out of which this flow has started. That universal life force pervades everything, but it has no personality or individuality.
Q: How does one witness the thoughts, the concepts?
M: It goes on automatically. You are always aware of those concepts and thoughts.
Q: I know it after, but not during.
M: If you suddenly want to go some place, you get up and go. You know that, so what is the question of another witness? You were sitting for meditation this morning, and when the bhajans started you got up and left. That walking out happened, didn't it? Do you want any other dimension to witness it?
Q: Again the same question: can we be a witness of our own minds?
M: In the morning your mind directed you to leave and you walked off. Is it not witnessing?
Q: Yes, I can witness one movement, but I cannot be witness to my thought during the thought process.
M: The consciousness is acting as a whole, no doer is there. We look at ourselves as doers, and therefore we want to witness it, which cannot be done. Therefore you abide in the words of the Guru, which are: You are the all-pervading subtle principle, subtler than space. Identify yourself with that.
Q: A person wants to attain peace through meditation, samadhi, etc., but it is a temporary peace, because, as you say, it is a product of the body. How is one to get eternal peace?
M: You witness that peace, so there is peace and the witness. Be there. In due course both this peace and the witness will go. What remains is the Absolute. This is very subtle, the last stage. There is nothing tangible there to understand with the gross senses. This is only to be experienced.
After listening to these talks you leave this place and tell people, “For God's sake, don't go there! My head is full of turmoil, it is all confusion. Whatever sense I had, whatever understanding I had, it is all gone!"
Q: Some people do witness their past lives. How is that?
M: That's because they believe it. Just like the promises of politicians, it is all talk.
Q: The Tibetans choose their Lama because he is a reincarnation.
M: It is a traditional concept and we do not take any note of such concepts. If you want any reply, we will become whatever concept we entertain at the time of death. It will take concrete shape according to the concept.
Q: If I have the concept of God at the time of death, will I become God?
M: But you must also have a concept of what kind of God! Four-armed, three-headed or ten-headed!
The trouble is, all of you want to derive some benefit from your concepts and ideas. Don't employ any thoughts for your use. Without recourse to thought, understand and remain.
It is not possible for people of ordinary needs or intellect to come here. It must be an evolved soul who can think of coming here. This one comes daily. Do you think it is an individual's need or a body’s need? No. It means that the soul wants to return to its source. The great saint Tukaram said, “I want to return to my mother’s home."
Q: Someone was telling me of an experience he had after visiting Maharaj. . . .
M: Some people who have visited here have had certain experiences, and they call Maharaj “great," etc. Whom are they calling great? I am nothing, I am completely void.
Q: How is one to get out of this vicious circle?
M: You are caught in this vortex; if you want to escape you must go to the center. Dive deep inside. This vicious circle of life, death, rebirth, etc., started with consciousness. Try to understand that consciousness, and in the process of understanding, you will become its background, the basis.