14. SUBTLER THAN SPACE IS THE SENSE OF “I-AM-NESS”


MAHARAJ: Beingness can act in the world only with the aid of a body. This body is the quintessence of mF the five elements, and the quintessence of the body-essence is the knowledge “I am.” In the absence of a body form, the beingness cannot know itself. So, you should hold on to that indwelling principle, the beingness, only. The potential for all activities rests with beingness, which is in dormant condition in food-body juices. These juices emanate from the five elements. The presiding principle of the whole functioning is the knowledge “I am,” which is the quintessence of the five-elemental body. This knowledge “I am” has to be understood correctly. The beingness, vital breath and mind are formless. In the course of the five-elemental flow, various body forms of the multifarious species are created. When the vital breath infuses these different body forms, the beingness also expresses itself through them. Vegetable essence, which is called sattva, goes into the making of the diverse bodies of species. And in the bodies dwells the sattva sense of being. Each species is given a name according to the shape or form of the body. Expressions and actions of the Species vary according to their body forms. 

Of all the species, the most evolved is the human being, who therefore qualifies for the title Ishwara, God. With the functioning of the vital breath, mind flow begins in a human body; and actions are performed according to samskaras,' which are impressions collected from the outside by mind. 

A body may be dark, fair, tall or short, but the indwelling prtinciple—which is the knowledge “I am’—has no color or dimension, just like the vital breath and mind. It is merely a “sense of presence,” a feeling of effulgence. And mind functions like its vehicle or medium for executing worldly activities. 

You want to meditate and so you should. Real meditation is to abide in this sense of being. In fact, meditation means the sense of being holding on to itself. It is said that after death one goes to heaven or hell. But this is mere concept and hearsay. When a body has died, the indwelling atman, sense of being, loses memory of its beingness and does not know “it is.” In that state there is no sleep, waking and knowingness. 

You should understand this clearly. If one thinks one is the body, one becomes a slave of mind and suffers accordingly. Therefore, you should completely identify yourself with the highest principle in you, which is the knowledge “I am.” This will elevate you to the status of bribaspati—the guru of gods. 

You think you are somebody; but you are nothing of the sort. The sense of being is expressed through the body as a consequence of the all-pervading Absolute. This sense of being is deeply infatuated with itself and is termed atmaprem, Self-love. It is also called guna, Shiva, and Brahman. It is the Self-love that is functioning through different bodies. Since there is only this principle expressing itself, in different ways, through the different vehicles, there is no “you,” “I,” or “he.” When the body dies, it decomposes into the five primary elements; and the vital breath, prana, merges in the universal air. And the guna—that is, the sense of being—instantly becomes nirguna or non-being, just as a flame is extinguished instantly. Please listen to my talks intently. 

If there is no vital breath, the guna has no quality of being. Only so long as the guna exists, do grand titles such as Shiva, Brahma, and Vishnu apply. Without prana, the vital breath, there is no movement or dynamic quality either of the body or even of the guna. In short, when its dear friend and attendant, prana, quits a body, the presiding principle, guna, also evaporates. In a heap of grain, consciousness is latent, and in the presence of favorable conditions, it will manifest according to the form and quality of the species. If you have any questions on this topic, please ask. 

Visitor: Are biological forms created naturally, without any purpose? 

M: Yes, but a particular species procreates only within the pattern of its own image. Man does not beget a lower animal or vice versa. Coming back to the sense of “I-am-ness,” you should understand that it is the subtlest principle, subtler than space even. When it is extinguished because of death of the body and stopping of the vital breath, the event is termed niryana or nirvana. This is a state in which there is no sample left of “I-am-ness”—a sampleless condition absolutely. The state does not know “it is” and is beyond happiness and suffering, and altogether beyond words; it is called the Parabrabman—a non-experiential state. 

V: What is the blissful state in meditation? 

M: When the meditator forgets himself totally in meditation; it is vishranti, which means complete relaxation ending in total forgetfulness. This is the blissful state, where there is no need for words, concepts or even the sense of “I am.” 

V: All concepts in us sprout out of the principle which was latent in the fetus. Is it not so? 

M: Yes. 

V: Could it be that our thought-emanation also is already decided? 

M: The thoughts are not predestined but are the reactions of impressions, samskaras, which you receive now. 

V: God or Ishwara is said to be omniscient—all-knowledgeable. What does that mean? 

M: Ishwara is not an individual person. It is an all-pervading principle, which is latent in everything. It is manifest in the five elements, the three gunas, and in the cycle of waking, sleep and knowingness. 

V: Does it mean no duality? 

M: Duality is only at the body-mind level. In the all-pervading universal consciousness, millions of births take place every day, but in its basic Absoluteness it is ajanma—the Unborn. Although as universal consciousness it is multi-qualitative, as the Absolute state it is nirguna, non-qualitative. 

[To an American woman, who is a writer:] You'd better go home soon, before you fully imbibe this knowledge; otherwise, you will be lost to all your “identities.” 

V: I cannot say ... 

M: But I say, you will be relieved of the “comings and goings” of all your concepts; even your sense of “I-am-ness” will be liquidated. In this country, for ages it has been accepted that a sacred name carries great spiritual potency if recited properly; it has no better substitute. Millions of persons in the world are personified by the names given to them, because a name has utility on the worldly level. When you are initiated into a spiritual discipline with a sacred name, it means that it represents your “ultimate true nature.” Be one with the sacred name completely, then it will give you all the mystic knowledge necessary for your spiritual elevation. It will awaken you into your “eternal awareness.” This is the mystic key-word of the Navanath-Sampradaya, the traditional order of the Nine Gurus. These gurus were neither cultured nor highly educated. According to one of the stories, a man sat on one of the highest branches of a tree, cutting the very branch he sat on from the wrong side! A guru passing that way, seeing the naive man’s one-pointed attention, took pity on him and blessed him with a name which the man recited diligently. In due course, this simpleton himself became a great sage. Such is the power of the sacred name recited with concentrated attention. 


March 29th 1980 

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