October 9, 1979



Questioner: When I sit in meditation there is very little thought activity, just an awareness, a very calm state of mind. Is this state something to do with going toward “I Amness" or is it just another state in consciousness? 

Maharaj: That calmness is when your beingness is resting. As you have come to India but have not forgotten that you are an Australian, so likewise you should not forget what you are. Are you convinced in that fashion? 

Q: Intellectually, yes. 

M: Don't talk of the intellect. Are you convinced? You know that you are not the body, not the mind, and not the name given to you by someone else. You are consciousness and it has no form. You are a man because you identify with the body. If you do not identify with the body, what sex are you? After leaving the body, the vital breath and the “I Am" merge into the substratum. Then where is a man or a woman? 

Q: Should one meditate on this? 

M: Meditation is very necessary. During meditation you must hold on to this concept that I am not the body mind, I am the Self-effulgent knowledge only. 

Q: What is samadhi? 

M: Satisfaction. When you obtain your objective you feel satisfied. You want to attain a profit and when you do you feel satisfied. 

Q: Samadhi is of no help in understanding the Self. 

M: The state of satisfaction in samadhi is the Self. When you did not have the body, complete satisfaction existed. 

Q: Is the satisfaction of samadhi total satisfaction? 

M: It is an objective satisfaction that the food essence quality is there. That knowingness, which is a quality of the food essence, subsided into satisfaction. 

All the Sages say to worship your own Self, but the people do not understand; they worship Rama or Krishna, etc., but in the process of worshiping all these Gods your Self sprouts. 

Having listened to the talk of the Sages, the person will start focusing on the Self. He can carry on all his normal duties, but his attention will be directed to the Self; he will not be involved in anything. In this process, gradually he will attain the Highest, the Absolute. Take full advantage of a Jnani, a Guru, or a Sage that you meet, but understand what you are. Stabilize in the Self. 

Because of our ignorance, all along we have depended on the mind; mind was our Guru, mind was directing and guiding us. Now I have understood that mind is not me, mind is apart from me; in this process I am apart from the body- mind. If tomorrow my body should quit, nothing will happen to me. 

Q: What should one’s attitude be when listening to the Guru? 

M: One should be very receptive, loving, and humble and surrender completely to the Guru. 

Q: How long should one stay with the Guru? 

M: You have to stay with your Self, Self is the Guru. The faith in the words of the Guru should be a living faith; thoughts may come and go, but the faith should not be disturbed. You should abide in the “I Amness”; when you do that you are one with the Manifest Guru. Sat Guru is the one who watches the appearance and disappearance of this Guru “I Amness.” When we abide in the Absolute that is Sat Guru. Initially you do require a person who is a Sat Guru. Those who have the urge to know the Truth will necessarily come across such a Sat Guru. 

In my original true state I have no form and no thoughts. I didn’t know I was, but suddenly another state appeared in which I had a form and thought, “l Am.” How did this appear? The one who explains how these appearances have come about is the Sat Guru. 

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