March 28, 1980


Maharaj: This knowledge “I Am” is the same, whether it is an insect, worm, human being, or an avatar [being of the highest order]; the basic consciousness is the same in all of these. 

In order to manifest itself the consciousness needs a frame, a particular construct in which it can appear. That form can be anything, but it needs a form, and it lasts only as long as that particular form remains. Until that consciousness appears there cannot be any knowledge of any kind; knowledge can only be there when this base, the knowledge 

Thought arises from the breath and the thought expresses itself in words. Without words there could not be any communication in the world. The world goes on because of the word and the name. People cannot be identified without a name, so the name has great importance. Even God has to be given a name, and when we repeat that name it has a certain significance. At an early stage there is no method more important or more easily successful than repeating the name of God. 

Questioner: How did this consciousness come about? 

M: There is no reason why this consciousness came about, but once it comes about, it cannot stand still; consciousness is the same as movement. That movement takes place through the three gunas which are inherent in this knowledge “I Am.” All movement takes place through these gunas and this consciousness keeps on humming. A particular form has come about through a particular food, and through the combination of the gunas will act according to the form which it has taken. The worm will act like a worm, a man like a man, etc. The qualities are predestined. Behavior and action take place according to the combination of the three gunas. 

When people first come here they come with the purpose of exhibiting their own knowledge or of drawing me into a discussion. I am aware of this and even more strongly aware that such people don't know anything; they are sheerly ignorant. For this reason I tell them not to start asking questions or discussing until they have listened to the talks for a while and absorbed at least some of what I say. 

How do I know that you are completely ignorant? From my own experience. Where did all this start? It is part of the knowledge “I Am,” and this knowledge and the particular form, the whole bundle, has been created out of the five elements, and the five elements have no knowledge; so the whole thing is pure ignorance. 

There are some people who say, “I was so and so in a previous birth and I will come again as so and so.” How do they know? All of this can only come out of the five elements, and before the five elements were created the previous knowledge could not have been—so it is all rubbish, nonsense. 

There are many Hatha Yogis who have great powers; of those, I am the biggest. Hatha means persistence, insistence. What is this persistence? I didn't know I was born; how did I get this form? That is the point to be persistent about. I must know this. Then I was told Satva. What is Satva? Satva is only the essence of the five elements and in that is the knowledge “1 Am.” All that is still of the five elements; so how did this come about? Then my Guru told me, “This is what you are,” the whole story; so from my own experience I know that it is all ignorance. 

My Guru pointed out to me that originally I had nothing to do with all this and all I have with which to solve this mystery of life is the knowledge “I Am”; without that there is nothing. So I got hold of it, as my Guru told me, and then I wanted to find out how this body aspect came about without my knowledge and how on that alone can any other answer come about, and that again is the result of the five elements. Therefore, whatever anybody thinks he has is sheer ignorance, and I know it from my own experience. 

If this is ignorance, then where is my beingness? My beingness is in a town which is no-town, in a place which is no-place. 

How did this come about? Because of this knowledge “I Am,” which is ignorance, Maya, which came about suddenly, without my asking. Once having come about, this Maya liked what it had created and it wanted that beingness to last for all time. Maya embraced it with such fierceness, that, at any cost, it wants to prolong the existence of that beingness as long as it can. 

One has an itch; what is the cause? The physical body. This itch to continue to live, to exist, comes from the five elements and will last as long as the five elemental body is present. 

You think you know me and for that reason you come here, but I have no shape or form. That no-place where my true being is also has no form or shape. Whatever I speak about is only that which has come about because of the essence of the five elements, but I have nothing to do with that. 

Extremely intelligent people come here and ask me questions and I answer them, but they don’t accept my answers. Why? They are speaking from the point of identification with the body-mind, and I answer them without identification with the form, so how can they understand me? How can the answer tally with the question? 

Who is asking the questions? That person who has measured himself from the state of time based on the birth of the physical body, which is a figment of the imagination, purely a bundle of memories, habits, and imagination. I know it, but they don’t. You have been considering yourself as the body, although it has no substance and can disappear at any moment. Yet, based on it you are trying to achieve and acquire, etc. Only what was before this body came into existence will remain after the body dies. The moment the body is gone, that final day, even your memory of existence will disappear. Whatever you have assimilated is only entertainment—everything will disappear. What I said—do you agree with it? 

Q: Yes. 

M: If you have really accepted it, then you will not care whether the body remains or goes. 

All the pride of any being is based entirely on this food essence quality, the beingness. It is a temporary phase, and in understanding this you come to the conclusion that it is unreal. The one who understands that it is unreal is the Eternal. 

In this game can you hold on to some identity as exclusively yours that will not disappear? 

Q: No. 

Translator: These people have come here from a village and they want to take Maharaj there by car, so Maharaj asked: 

M: Will anybody be able to understand this type of talk in your village? 

Q: No, nobody will understand, it will go over their heads. They might be enraged at such talk and beat you. 

M: No, they will not. The foreigners may try to attack me because they think that I am criticizing Christ. I am indicating to you the true position of Christ, the actual state. What was done to Christ might happen to me also, because Christ told the facts, the truth, but people became enraged and crucified him. Now they make the sign of the cross. Since my talk is beyond their understanding they will be disturbed. 

At the command of my Guru I am doing these bhajans and talks. When I go to that village I shall have to talk about God and the devotee. They will not be able to understand, so I will talk at their level. For the ignorant this is all right: God is eternal, there is sin and virtue. For the ignorant all these things are true, but they are all hearsay. 

It is said that God and the world are ancient, eternal. When I was not I did not know about this eternal world and God. When I was not they did not exist. 

Take the example of the dream world. In the dream world I see a great spectacle of old castles, ancient monuments, but my dream is very fresh and new. I have the dream for the moment only, so how can the spectacle be ancient? Similarly, this also is for the moment. So long as the beingness is there the world is there. Without my beingness there is no world. 

I believe that you are listening to my talks and understanding properly. If that be so, why should you have any fear of death? Finally, what is death? This body is like a lamp with fuel, and the wick is aflame with beingness. You know that when the fuel is exhausted the flame will disappear, the “I Amness” will disappear. 

My Guru told me to be one with that beingness, and when you are one with it, that very principle will disclose to you all the mysteries of this beingness and in that process you will transcend it; but be very humble, be very devoted. 

Q: This beingness, thoughts, personality, even my coming here, is a mere accident—there's no reason. Is that correct? 

M: Yes. Whatever is supposedly happening is an illusion. Nothing is really happening because the basic concept, beingness, is itself an illusion. 

When you escape this body-mind state you are the manifest beingness, but in that manifest state you transcend beingness also. In realizing that you are the manifest you escape beingness. You are almost in being and no-being, beyond that. 

Q: Then you are nothing, the final stage? 

M: Who is there to say that, who will say that he is not there and with what? 

Q: The flame of beingness in the Brahma aperture—what is one to do when one feels it? Is one to ignore it or to concentrate on it? 

M: Merely watch those experiences. Simply watch all that you see, be aware. 

The beingness, the “I Am,” is merely an instrument, it is not you. It is an instrument of knowledge, and that great instrument of knowledge is called God, which is the quality of the food essence. Out of that alone you will be able to see everything else. 

Q: Did I understand that you are not to flow with the beingness and enjoy it? You pull back and watch? 

M: Even if you flow with it, you are separate. You might be able to see yourself enjoying also, but still you are the watchdog, not the participant. You must remember that these experiences are due to your beingness. Beingness is only your quality and not you. You might even see that your body is lying dead there and it is a part of beingness, but you are not that. That you must realize and watch and see. 

What are you now and what would you like to be? 

Q: I would like to enjoy the all-pervading, to be one with it. 

M: Who is it that wants to become one with that all- pervading principle? First of all, get rid of that “you.” This is the place where all your hopes, expectations, and desires are completely dissolved, annihilated. At that stage what is left of you? You dabble in many concepts. So long as we are one with that beingness we would always like to have some very high concepts about ourselves. 

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