Satsangs (spiritual meetings) are held every Sunday Noon until 2:30pm. All are welcome, free. 318 East 71st Street, Chicago, IL For information or directions, call (312) 490-4301.

Satsang - Spiritual Meeting
Question and Answer Session

Ray: Again, as we get back to what we said before in the past, which is that we who are fortunate to be born and manifest in this stage of existence as human beings, to live where we are, to be here in this room today, to be exposed to the teachings, that this is the source of a most significant blessing! And this being the case, is not the Buddha nature within us all? And therefore, to the extent that the teaching is true, we who are all in this room, have access to this exalted state? Do we not? And yet, when you addressed the matter of choice, and that being reflective is a sign of less intelligence, I'm not quite sure we are truly blessed. Is "choicelessness" really possible?

Bhagwan: Yes. You see for instance, when you are in direct contact with reality, you will always respond appropriately to whatever the case is.

For instance, this room bursts into flame! What is the choice? The mind does not go into a choice-making process, it simply responds! There is fire. There is death, or the threat of it, and you respond appropriately to the reality. This is what I call "intelligence". The ability to respond to that which is real. When that which is real is the case, it already demands a certain response. There is only one way to respond to reality; not two. . .not three. . .because there always is one reality. Not two or three, one!

Ray: Then, can I ask you another question about choice?

Bhagwan: Yes, but first, let me simply summarize it by putting it like this. When one is truly in contact with reality, and not one's concept and abstraction of reality, no choices arise. Choices are created by the mind - not by reality! Reality is simply the case. A rose is a rose. It is neither beautiful nor ugly. Your labeling it as such is your abstraction and your "conceptualization" of that which is always simply what it is - and then you react to these concepts that you have created! Next, you go into this choosing game. But you are choosing between forms of Maya (illusions). You are not choosing at the level of reality. You are choosing at the level of your own mind, which is your concept and your abstraction. Life, in any case, is the case - whatever is, is the truth and is real. Not your concept. Do you understand?

Ray: Well, when we talk about grace; when we talk about being blessed. . .

Bhagwan: More consolation! Simply more "conceptual" consolation.

Ray: And self-discovery is just, Boom! It's not a process. . .

Bhagwan: If you are intelligent you see it (reality). It is not a phenomenon. It is not syllogistic. Truth is not something that you make through a process of reasoning. Truth is already the case! In fact, this process of reasoning obscures it. Hence Socrates said that there is a realm of truth that is denied the logicians. Period! Reasoning is the mind working and with the mind still working, you will simply remain confused, miserable and topsy-turvy. One day feeling this way; the next day feeling that way - that is all. Nothing consistent at all. Yes Aunk Sahib?

Aunk Sahib: This is in relation to what he (Ray) was saying and to the metaphor that you used about this room bursting into flames. Having intelligence, and knowing where the exits are, would have us leave out of that particular exit. Not having intelligence, would have some of us going toward doors that probably would lead to us being stuck in this room!

Bhagwan: Or trying to cut a hole in the wall! Or worse, you will start asking: "Why is the room on fire? Where did the fire start? How did it start, and I wonder if the insurance will cover it? We paid good money for this place and these walls should be fire-proofed. This fire should not even be happening! I don't understand, Bhagwan". All this nonsense, as your body goes up in flames!

That's more like us! Aunk Sahib, we are not intelligent enough to discriminate between these doors. Immediately, we go to the realm of mind, concepts and ideology.

Aunk Sahib: Bhagwan, then even the intellect is unreliable in moments of genuine crisis?

Bhagwan: In crisis the intellect shuts down! That's why when you get angry (emotional crisis) the intellect shuts down! You become "irrational". You do things that you know are not consistent with your intelligence; your intellect. Right? So this is the same thing. But when one has responded to the teachings (and reality) intelligently - one simply sees. The Tao is beautiful. In the Tao it says, "when I am hungry. . .I eat. When I am tired. . .I rest. I chop wood and I carry water. I am in the flow of the Tao."

The fallacy in the West is we have assumed that the person who is very intellectual, very analytical, a "tinker" - of the washing machine order - is intelligent! They are not intelligent. . .at all! They have their function and we are certainly not to demean them. They give us useful technology, but technology cannot give you values! Science does not create that. It cannot, by definition, create it! It's a tinkering phenomenon - nothing wrong with that. It has its place. But when one is simply intellectual and not intelligent, then one misses the whole point. Intellect should serve intelligence; not replace it.

Bhakti Maji: When we talked about ego being always present and that it is always counter-productive and self-destructive. When we got to the self-destructive part, it took me a moment, a while, before I understood the concept. I was thinking. . .I could see the counter-productive of the ego, and I could see it happening all the time. But (not) certain things - like how kind thoughts and good deeds (which are certainly egoic) are self-destructive? I couldn't grasp it until I got the idea and realized what destructive is: if where we are going to burst this bubble of ego to become one, then all of these acts of egoity (even "good" ones) keep us in this ego! Keeps us away from "enlightenment". It keeps us also away from the ocean. So even our "so-called" good deeds, consequently, are spiritually "counter-productive" in the ultimate sense of true spirituality which "transcend" simple morality.

Bhagwan: Absolutely. Well articulated. It's very difficult to articulate it. You've done it as best as anyone can. This is the whole point which must be "realized". That is why, in the sutra story, the master says "in your old accustomed ways you cannot cross. Your waters will simply disappear into the sand. You will simply become a quagmire. . .a pool of mud!" Same thing. All your activity, even your "good deeds" will always be self-indulgent, counter-productive and ultimately self-destructive (egoity). As long as the stream tries to continue to follow its old accustomed egoic approaches, it simply disappeared in the sand. It was egoically destroying itself.

That stream is us. And remember, all of that which is motivating your egoic activity is the pursuit of happiness. . .but not really knowing it causes. Not really looking deep into the situation and not truly, truly understanding. Many have tried to cross the desert by good deeds and creating merit, and simply turned into a quagmire. Ego - with or without merit - must be transcended. "IT IS SO!

You have to understand there is a "level" of the teachings that is given to the general public. But remember, the public is usually mediocre. How much can you give them? They can't understand much. Then there is the kind of teaching that is reserved. Most people only encounter the peripheral of the teachings (morality), or then they get caught up in religious mythology. So they really make coming to the Path just another part of their strategy to console themselves. They say, I'm initiated now and I'm doing a little meditation. I'm accumulating merit for my next ten million lives! Pure mythology! The "lesser" teachings are there to console you because some consolation has to be there - but please, don't misunderstand me.

Maharaji (Charan Singh) used to always say that our situation is like that of a piece of fine muslin cloth caught on a thorny bush. If you remove it all at once, you will simply shred it to pieces. You have to remove it gently, "piece by piece". So the Master says don't worry about it. You will accumulate merit in this lifetime. A little meditation will benefit you for four lifetimes. This is said because it consoles you. It is not the case. It is mythology. It is a strategy that is given to those people who need consolation. But the intelligent person is not in need of this kind of consolation, and for them there is a different level of the teachings.

The one who laughs and jokes, what can you say to them? For a person who is truly reluctant and resistant, what to do? If you truly listen to your questions - listen closely to your questions - go into your questions and see what your questions reflect about you. You will see your need for consolation. You are like the piece of muslin cloth on a thorny bush. That's what I'm doing. I'm looking at what your question is reflecting in you. How you are busy making strategies to remain reluctant and resistant, by asking questions that seem profound. They are not profound at all. Oh, I better duck.

Jhana Maji: When you become intelligent is that the only time that you can become truly responsible?

Bhagwan: Yes. The only time you can do anything responsibly is when you have become intelligent, because intelligent means you respond to reality. Responsibility means the ability to respond to reality. Now if you never even come into contact with reality, how can you respond?

The truth Jhana Maji, is that we are responding only to our own abstractions; to the conceptual mind. Now I see a rose, or that which I call a rose - because truly we can't even call it a rose. We don't know what it is. It is a great mystery. We have simply given it the label (name) of rose. It is still and only what it is. Whether we call it a rose or not, will not change its reality. Yet once I have labeled it as a rose - categorized it, abstracted it - then I abstract even further. Then I say it's a beautiful rose; it's an ugly rose; it's a big rose or it's a little rose. I like this rose or I do not like this rose - then we react to the real rose based on the conceptions that we have fabricated in our mind. Concepts do not exist objectively. . .in reality! There is no "sensorial" experience of any thing like a "concept" in reality. The mind creates a kind of "virtual" reality.

When this happens, we cannot be responsible in that case, simply because we are never responding to what is the case. You are only, always and at all times responding to your concepts and abstractions of that which is real. You never enter into reality at all!

Seeing reality, the intelligent person simply falls into "harmonia" with it. Seeing reality is intelligence! To see that is true intelligence, and when you see it, there is no choosing; no choice-making. Choicelessness. "Choiceless awareness." Jhana Maji we talked about this. Right? Krishnamurti coined the term choiceless awareness - meaning no "choices" at all. There is no choice-making. There are no alternatives. These alternatives are created in your mind! There is no alternative to the rose being what it is. What is the alternative to a rose being what it is? You create, through your own abstraction and conceptualization, all of these alternatives. And what you do with the rose, you have done with your own life! That is what is truly tragic. That is truly scary. Now that is really scary. Your life simply is and look at the "mess" you have made of it with your mind!

Jhana Maji: And the "marsh" that you mentioned in the poem, what does the marsh symbolize?

Bhagwan: The "marsh" is the person who will not accept that It is so! Who refuses. The marsh; the quagmire represents those who are in reluctance; who resists or recoils from - and are not in harmonia with the Dharma. They refuse to see the point because that means they will have to compromise their egoity. They will continue to do what they have always done until all of their life has run out in the sands - and they will simply become a little pool of mud. That is all.

Resistance and reluctance is your knee-jerk reaction at the level of your ego. And you come up with all kinds of crazy things. "Now Bhagwan, I've already gone to the seventh stage. Do I have to do any more bhajan?" Now look at the nonsense of this. You're real slick. "You know Bhagwan, I'm at the sixth stage, and I'm having all this here bliss. . .that means I don't have to do anymore. Right?" Resistance; reluctance just disguising itself. Deluding yourself to simply avoid! Some people actually select a form of INSANITY in order to remain irresponsible. It's profound! Sat Ra you're a therapist - so you know this. They select a form of insanity to let themselves off the hook. "I'm manic depressive, therefore don't expect me to be responsible. I'm schizophrenic - borderline. Please do not expect me to be functional." And that is why, when you come into the company of the master, the first thing that the master does - is make you functional! "Handle" your business. Get it straight! Get straight - functional in just the ordinary sense. Get a job. Handle your business. Get straight. Get in right relationship. Get out of that extreme relationship to money, food, sex and bodily comfort. Get balanced. Get straight and then get straight emotionally, psychologically. Get straight, and then finally, get straight mentally and come out of this abstract, conceptual bullshit that you have created and flee into for purposes of consoling yourself. It is just nonsense. "But can I not remain the same?" No! "How can I be sure? " It is so! And if you don't believe it, you will simply become a quagmire. Ais dhammo sanatano.

Bhakti Maji: Bhagwan, the believing and seeing this marks the beginning of the Path. Until we see this, truly see this egoity, we will always play these games.

Bhagwan: Right. What if. . .what about? This can go on and on forever! For millions of lives you have been playing these stupid games. This is not the first time. Millions of lifetimes you have wasted playing these "what if" games. Swatting mosquitoes. Ready to turn and flee. Looking for all kinds of consolation and mythology; making myth about salvation.

Maharaji used to say, " the belief in salvation after death is the finest form of self-deception that a person could practice upon himself." It's the ultimate consolation! And then, when you come to the Path you continue to practice it. That's why on the outskirts of the teachings there has always been that one statement of consolation, for the desperate - of four lifetimes. But that level of the teaching is for the lowest order of person responding to the Path, because without that consolation, Bhakti Maji, they cannot do anything! So there are some concessions. But this belief in salvation after death is truly self-delusional. It is the most subtle form of "insanity" that you can fall into. You are alive now. Why postpone salvation? And how do you know that in your next life you will get these favorable circumstances?

Bhakti Maji: Or even be human?

Bhagwan: The book said so. The Bible, the Koran, the Talmud, they all promise salvation after death, if I put my faith in them!

Bhakti Maji: But how do you know?

Bhagwan: Maharaji said so! He said you would be human and that should console you. You can console yourself with that. Why would he tell me so if it is not true?

Bhakti Maji: How do you know?

Bhagwan: The truth is we don't! If you do not become "enlightened", liberated while alive, there is no basis for presuming you will attain it after death. It is so!

Bharataji: The line of the poem that says, "but how do I know?" Do it!

Bhagwan: That is the only way to know! That is the whole point. To really understand it, there is no answer to "how do I know"? The answer is existential. Do it! There is no other way to know.

Now how will I know how this water tastes unless I sip it? Is there any way to know? I can measure it. Look at it or put it under a microscope. Analyze it at the molecular level, can't I? Right? I can submit it to the most rigorous "scientific" process and never know how it tastes! But we really think that we can know enlightenment, know "God" after death, when we can't even know how water tastes after death! It's incredible! Both water and God can only be "tasted" and known. . .NOW! But that's the conclusion and the response Bharataji of the unintelligent person. They don't see the point. It doesn't make them bad people, but they simply don't see the point. Yes Brother Howard? Not you! Your name is Na-eem. I've really messed you up. (Group laughter) You're next and then we will end.

Bro. Howard: Is it true that one thing that all people do have is the ability to know and be aware of pain and suffering? The fact that there is still suffering indicates that something is still not quite right with their life?

Bhagwan: Absolutely brother.

Bro. Howard: That is always the one truth that a person knows!

Bhagwan: That's the bottom line! In fact, when people would come to the Buddha, or if you come to a Sufi, a Sufi is not going to talk to you very much about karma. They are not going to enter very much into metaphysical debates. They're going to say: look, the reality for you is suffering - deal with it! Get straight! You are suffering; you are miserable; you are full of sorrow and you are worried about metaphysics! Get straight! Deal with this suffering! You are absolutely right Brother Howard, and that is also the only remedy to self-delusion. You have become self-delusional. "I've read a lot of books; I've been doing this little exercise, that little exercise, surely I must be enlightened." Are you suffering? Yes. Then you are not enlightened! Case closed! What is the argument? What else is there to say? All delusional; self-deceiving. You're enlightened, spiritually advanced and yet, still suffering? You're right brother Howard. This is the common denominator that links all of us, because we are all suffering. You may be in denial; that's another thing. It's a whole other thing. You may have invented all of these strategies to maintain your denial. That's also another thing. But the reality you see, is that there is suffering; there is sorrow; there is misery and the Buddhas and the Sufis come to show us the way out. They whisper the "way out" of it to you. They simply whisper. And if you ask how can they prove it - they will simply respond, It is so! Now Na-eem Akbar, you have the last word.

Na-eem: In the story, there is sand or the wind, but who was it that whispered?

Bhagwan: The whisper? I am the whisper! The whisper is really deep. A living scripture - if you look at the metaphors and their relationship. Haven't all of the great scriptures said that they have been whispering to you this truth? With no exception? Right? The Dhammapada, the Gita, the Koran, the Bible, the Zend Avestas, the Sutras, the Vedas, the Upanishads - all are "whispering" the same thing I am telling you. Except I scream at you sometimes! This is the only way you can cross this desert. You must. . .you must be absorbed into the teachings, into the Dharma, into the master, into the wind and sacrifice your individuality to save your essence. IT IS SO! Ais dhammo sanatano.

Enough For Today,
Ra Shekem Maat.

Read The Wisdom of the Sands

Commentary on The Wisdom of the Sands

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