Maharaji in Glasgow 2008-07-07

Maharaji in Glasgow, A Pathway to Freedom, 7th July, 2008

So, that's what you call a warm Scottish welcome, is it? Anyhow, finally made it back to Glasgow. And today, the objective really is there's some people here, I'm sure, who have been out of touch. But the main thing is to just clarify, remove the cobwebs that build up, and present you with some very simple clarity, because the clarity is always very simple. What Knowledge is, is about this life, it's about this existence. What Knowledge is, is about truly, truly realizing, truly understanding, truly appreciating what it means to be alive. People have their ideas, people have their theories. We're all caught up in fantasies. And in these fantasies we live, our inspiration comes from these fantasies. And we fantasize about what this life should be, how it could be, what it must be.

The other day, I was reading the newspaper, and it's like, there are people for X amount of money will sell you enlightenment. And I'm like, how can you do that? Understanding is understanding. If you understand something, money has nothing to do with it. All the money in the world cannot bring you understanding. Enlightenment, if there is such a bird, begins with understanding. And again, people have heard enlightened people who can walk on water. So then there are people who are trying to walk on water.

There's a beautiful thing I was reading, that once a crow flying overhead saw the swans swimming in the lake. And this sight was incredibly beautiful. Beautiful, gorgeous swans swimming in the lake. So the crow flying overhead said, I think I'll do the same. And so he dove into the water. And what happened? Crows can't swim. And he drowned. This is what happens to us too. We see something, and we think, oh, I want that too. What is it? What is it that you want? look at outside for your true needs. Look inside for your true needs. Being able to walk on water is not the issue. That is neither here nor there, even if you could walk on water. So before we go off, what is our need? What do we really, really want? There is a song by Kabir. And I have heard this song, I mean, as far as I can remember. As far back as I can remember, I have heard this song. I was probably sleeping on my mother's lap or on the stage and probably couldn't even walk. And I probably heard this song. And people in India, they would sing this song with incredible fervor. And it was a few years ago. I was just coming through some of the songs, the book of songs. And I came across the song, and I started actually reading the words. And they were incredible, incredible words. The song was by Kabir. And it isn't about, I mean, they would sing it with so much joy, so much fervor, that you would think the song was about something else.

But it actually wasn't. It's about going bye-bye. The big bye-bye. And in that, Kabir says that when the messenger of death comes, he does not have any patience. Marvelous how Kabir takes that and uses it. No patience. That he pulls that life force out of you, and all you get is a few tears rolling down your cheek. Then he goes on to say that you have worshiped many. And people do. One of the part of all religions is to worship. So people worship. In India, people worship. In America, people worship. And this worship, I would take it one step more. It is not just to gods. But some people worship their jobs. Some people worship their wives. Some people worship their husbands. Some people worship their kids. Some kids worship their parents. That's rare. But there is always an exception. And so people worship for welfare. For their welfare. But Kabir says at the end, it doesn't matter. How many you have worshipped, how many times you have worshipped, all those saints and deities that you worship to keep you well will not be able to help you. You will have to go. Then he goes on to say that some people, what will be happening? I mean, this is his own version of it. This is slightly Indian version of it. But it approximates the same thing.

Some people will cry. Some people will cover you up. You know, that's if you're sent to the morgue after all the crying and all that's over with. Off you go to the morgue to get dressed up. So one last time people can look at you and go, oh, he looked good. I mean, they'll make you look better than you ever did in your real life. Then you'll get to wear a fancy suit. Of course, you won't be able to enjoy it or show it off. But, you know, this is what people do. And then after all that makeup and ceremony and everything, four people will come along, lift you up, and basically fry you. I mean, what's the point? What is the point of the makeup? What is the point of the fancy suit? Who's going to see it? Either you're going to be six feet under or turned into ashes. But this is what people do. And then the last part, what do you think you will take with you when you won't even be able to take your own body? I like that. I like that. Such a definitive distinction between the real you and the you you think you are. That that real you that you think is this body, it's not. Because even this body is not going to go with you. Folks, sit back, relax, and take this one in. Now, why am I telling you this? To scare you? No. This is what's going to happen.

The idea is to take as much as possible, salvage as much as possible before this happens. As much, all you folks out there who go, I have time to practice, I repeat myself. As much as possible before the ship sinks. I hope that puts in some slight perspective for you. Because what Kabir is saying is the ship is going to sink. Make no mistake about it. But salvage, and this is unique. This is for the first time. And this word, salvage, is being used, at least by me, here in Scotland. (laughter) So you are going to be famous, lads (Scottish accent), all of you. Salvage every moment that you can. Salvage. waste it. Salvage.

Extract. Ultimately, ultimately, it's just like squeezing an orange. When you squeeze an orange, you want everything. Okay? You want the seeds. And you definitely want to squeeze the rind. That is the difference when you squeeze orange juice at home and the one you buy from, you know, pre-made orange juice that you buy from stores. When they squeeze, they squeeze everything. When you squeeze at home, the orange juice will be beautiful, sweet, clear. And the one they do it, they have to do it by machines. They have enough manual labor to do it. Otherwise, your orange juice would cost like 1,000 pounds. (giggles) So they just squeeze everything. That includes bugs. (giggles)

I was shocked one day. I was in the back of the airplane. We were delayed, and I was just, there was, I was hungry, and so there was some orange juice, and there was a slice of cheese. There was, you know, the prepackaged cheese that they have. And so I was just looking at the nutritional information. I was shocked to find that one serving of orange juice actually had more protein in it than that slice of cheese. It did. So, so much for the vegetarians. And to me, if you try to squeeze everything, it's going to be bitter, which is exactly what the store-bought orange juice is. But when you squeeze it, you make sure that all that unwanted stuff isn't squeezed. What is squeezed is what the essence of that beautiful, sweet, sour, wonderful, aromatic liquid is, which is orange juice. Now, when you squeeze the orange, you get orange juice.

And when you squeeze this heart, what do you get? Joy. That's what you want, not the other stuff. You want joy. When you try to squeeze joy from this world, you can. Beware. Beware of what? The potential of every joy that you get from this world has capability of turning around and turning into incredible misery for you. Capability. I'm being kind. Most of the time, it will. That's the reality. That's learned from the school of hard knocks. It will turn around. But the joy that comes from this heart has no such capability. It is pure, 100% joy. And this is your possibility that you have in this life. This is what you can extract. And the most incredible extractor of this incredible nectar called joy is Knowledge. And when you use Knowledge, it will extract. It will extract the most magnificent, most sweet, most beautiful joy in your life. All that happens in this world will. Whether you call yourself a traveler, whether you call this a journey or not, it really is irrelevant. What is relevant is what did you extract. What were you able to save? What were you able to salvage? Because nothing that you identify with will go with you. The only thing that will go is either a heart full of gratitude or a heart that is empty. That's it. That's it. All the things that people do in this world. You are so wrapped up in technology. You know. You're wrapped up in time. You're wrapped up in concepts. You're wrapped up in ideas.

In fact, people are so desperate. I find that people are so desperate that anything that offers them even a little fragment of hope, they jump on it.

Somebody says, oh, if you want to feel good, do yoga. The next thing you know, yoga it is. And what does yoga mean? Nobody knows. Ask people today, what does yoga mean? Exercise. That's not what it means. The true yogi does true yoga. And who is a true yogi? The one who is after the ultimate union. Yoga means union. Yogi who is into that union. Not exercise. Not exercise. I saw a documentary once. And there is this guy. And he's so… I mean, he weighed like 1,200 pounds. He couldn't move. And so he would lie on the bed, and he would always need the TV to be turned on. You know why? So once in a while, he could look at the TV and know that he's alive. And then they showed him, had an interview with him, and he only wanted one thing. Can you imagine what that is? It wasn't to lose weight. He just wanted to be happy. He had his reasons of what was going to make him happy. And none of those things actually worked for him because he did go on a diet, he did lose quite a bit of weight, he actually went and got his stomach stapled, this and that and everything. And amazingly enough, he was back to where he was. Didn't work for him. But all he wanted to do was be happy. What is happiness? What do you think happiness is? You think happiness is fulfillment of your desires? I'm afraid not. You think to do x, y, and z will bring you happiness? I'm afraid not.

Happiness is that state of being in which everything is in an equilibrium. Equilibrium. Equal. Not this way, not that way. Equilibrium. Where there is, this life is not about wants, about can's, have's, and have not's. But just the state of equilibrium. This state of equilibrium is achieved when you practice Knowledge. Not here, not there, nor up, nor down, nor left, nor right. Everything begins to fall silent. That's Knowledge.

Somebody asked Shri Maharaji once, my father, what is the ultimate state? Whether you call it enlightenment or you call it Samadhi. There's a word in Hindi, Samadhi. In you, in which you totally merge. Totally merge. Samadhi is described as the ultimate state that a human being can achieve. And I was listening to one of his discourses, and when I came across what he answered, it, I mean, I almost had to pull over. Because Samadhi, I mean, Samadhi is like, that's it. If you have achieved it, the purest, the purest, I mean, it's like way up there, you know, just way up there. High ranking. Buddha did it. That's what we were told. I wasn't there. Would I be a rich Samadhi yet? No, I know. But that's what he achieved. Many enlightened people, that's what they achieve. So here he is explaining what, somebody asked him, so what is it like to achieve Samadhi? And this is his answer. It is, he says, the state of being asleep, without falling asleep. See, do you get it now? I almost felt like I had to pull over. And why did I have to pull over? Not because I hadn't felt it. I had felt that many, many, many, many, many times. But the reason why I wanted to pull over was, my Master gave me something that made, which, in my opinion of everything I had heard, was impossible to achieve. That the way to achieve that was to renounce everything, go sit under a tree, forget about food, and it would take a lifetime to get to it. And my Master made it so easy, that without even knowing that that was it, I was feeling it. I mean, you can't get it easier than that. In one lifetime, not once, but so many times had I felt that, because I had been given the gift of Knowledge.

And everything becomes zero, state of equilibrium, zero. Today, without zero, you wouldn't have computers. Without zero, you wouldn't have much technology. Zero came from India. That's where zero was invented. India. And what did zero represent to the Indians? The infinite. Because they said, of course there is an infinite. Has no beginning, has no end. And this must be mathematically explained. The West had nothing like that. Calculation was very, very difficult. Indians came up with an explanation of the infinite. And you know what that explanation was? Zero. There it is. Zero. What does zero mean to you? Nothing. Right? That's exactly what they meant. Nothing. Why nothing? This is not capable of fathoming it. And therefore, it's absolute. So beyond, encompasses everything. Incapable of being one. Incapable of being two. Incapable of division. Incapable of fractionization. Cannot boil it into decimals. Zero. One can be divided. Zero cannot be divided. It cannot be multiplied. It cannot be subtracted. And when added to something, it lends it nothing. As subtracted from it. Because it is outside the scope. Your understanding begins at one. The infinite begins at zero. I'm not a mathematician, but I know that if you sit down in front of an electronic calculator and try to do anything, just all those things you can do to one or two or three or four or five or six, you try to do that to zero, nothing happens. And once in a while, it says E. And it's the calculator screaming, E. Or even more mysterious, ER. You're divulging into a subject far bigger than you, ER. I know what it stands for. It stands for error. It cannot be done. When you sit down and you practice, my friends, you are reaching the realm of that zero. This is what your existence is all about. I know, I know, I know. House mother, house father, house this, house that, car this, car that, executive, chef, lawyer this, that, accountant, that, that, that, that, that. Excuse me. That's not where it's at. When you go inside, away from all of those things, you begin to reach in a place where it's just still, simple, still. And what? Magnificent. Why? How do you know it's magnificent? Because only one thing delights when you practice Knowledge. What is that one thing that delights? It's your heart. It's full.

The mind's going, what was that? The thinker goes nuts. You know, Knowledge is incredibly powerful just by one, one virtue of what happens when you start to practice. This thing doesn't bother you much all day long. It's like, you know, you're the little puppy. It's the Master, has you on a leash, takes you around. And you're just like, you know, wagging your tail, following, following the Master. Then, sit down to practice. This thing goes crazy. Where are you going? you have to do this? you have to do that? you have to do this? you have to do that? Do you know, do you know that during your normal day to remember, just to remember things, you have to either have a notepad or a phone that can, or they even make little things where you can just dictate into, you know, it's like a key chain thing. You can dictate, I've got to get milk, I've got to get yogurt, I've got to get butter, I've got to get oranges, I've got to get this, I've got to get that, I have to do this, I have to do that. They even have these things called post-its, so you can make yourself little notes. They have devices so you can put under the refrigerator and make yourself notes. They have software to remind you. They have software on your phone so you can take notes. Some people even use a pen and write it on their hand, right? Just sit down to practice. You need post-its. They all, you will remember everything. You know, it's not like your memory is going bad. I know a lot of people go, oh my, I'm getting, I'm getting old, my memory is going bad. It's not that at all. Your memory is perfectly okay. It's just all day long it's engaged in the wrong things.

And then you sit down to practice. Everything is crystal clear. And from the amount of laughter, I can conclude that you have experienced the same thing. And when you sit down, it takes time, but slowly and slowly and slowly and slowly and slowly, you start to go in. And even that voice gets shallower and shallower and shallower and shallower. And then that state of equilibrium starts to come. And indeed, by the grace, by the kindness, by the love of the Master, a person is able to achieve samadhi in this lifetime. And indeed, if that person chooses, achieve it, not only in one lifetime, every day. And not only every day, but if they decide to practice twice a day, twice a day. And if they decide to practice three times a day, then three times a day. That is the gift of Knowledge. Why is it called a gift? Because it can only be given. It cannot be earned. You can do nothing to earn it. underestimate the kindness of the Masters. Masters usually are just as cocky as they are kind. Arrogant. Because they ask you, why do you want it? Will you practice? Will you give Knowledge a fair chance? Now people go, oh yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. You know what trust is. You think you know what trust is. That is trust. I trust you that you will. And here's the goodwill. So far you do practice. You will enjoy it. It doesn't matter how long, how many years, the enjoyment will be there. You tell me, you show me anything in this world that's like that. Nothing. The fancy wears out real quick.

Ah, okay. Do you know how many people stood in line to get the last iPhone? People stood in line all night long, two days, three days. Now they're having a marathon. It's supposed to be the new iPhone, the 3G is coming on the 11th. People in New York are already lining up. They live outside the store. I have an iPhone. First two days, pretty cool. Look it, look it, look it, look it, look it, look it, look it, look it. I ended up buying an iPhone for everyone around me. Really, I did. And now it's like, eh, this thing is okay.

It's just okay. Everything in this world, whether it is friendship, whether it is fascination, wears. It wears, and it wears, and it wears, and it wears. That's its nature. That's its nature. One day, everything, everything will go. Why? I'm not being a doomsday person. It just so happens that the very planet you live on came together. It was just dirt, dust. And it was compacted, and here it is called Earth. Just dust. And dust has a nature. You know what the nature of dust is? It likes to become dust again. That is how dust finds its immortality. People take that dust, pack it, compact it, ram it, heat it, bake it, and turn it into things, and the dust goes, fine. But I want to be in this state. I want to be dust. I want to be flexible. And that's what it does. You pack it, it unpacks itself. And one day, all that you know to be will not be. Now, this is not going to happen tomorrow, hopefully.

Could, but it's not. But one day, maybe millions of years, billions of years, whatever, it will. That's what it is set for. And you are much more of a finite being on this planet Earth. We haven't been around as long as the dinosaurs were. They were the rulers. They were big. They were bad. (giggles) And man, were they strong. I mean, there are people I see, you know, big bodybuilders, and it's like, I'm strong. They got tattoos on them. It's like, hey, you wouldn't even make a toothpick for some of those dinosaurs. Much less food. They'd be like nothing. They ruled, dominated. And now what are they? Gasoline. I say this many times when we start up the engine on the aircraft or the helicopter. There they are, dinosaurs still screaming. They make that same noise. Screaming away.

And so is that the most amazing blessing is taking place. And the breath is coming in you. Going out and coming and going out and coming. Understand that the day you accept this blessing, you have come as close as you can, as humanly possible, to God. Let me take this and now put it back in all our concepts of walking on water, which I started with. This is the problem with it. All this befuddling miracles. Befuddling miracles that people are so caught up in. The real miracle passes right under their nose. And they know it. They know it. The coming and the going of this breath is the miracle. The day you fundamentally understand that, I'll give you a certificate you're enlightened. I'll give you a certificate of enlightenment. If that's what you want, I'll give it to you. I'll sign it. Yes, you're officially enlightened. So you can have something else to hang on you all. That's it. That's it. Unwavering. The coming and the going. The ultimate swing. Kabir says, I go inside and I feel this feeling that comes so close and goes so far. And comes so close and goes so far. And comes so close and goes so far. This is the most incredible miracle.

Not when the statue cries. That's not a miracle. Even if the statue is crying, the point is, does it really feel the pain? It is rock after all. And why only cry? What is the point of crying if it cannot smile? Then show me the statue smiling as well. That's not the miracle. Milk coming out of stone, that's not a miracle.

Milk coming out of a cow is a miracle. That's a miracle. This is how it is. A cow eats green grass, gives white milk. That's a miracle. Talk about changing color tones and this and that. You can see. That's a miracle. You can feel. That's a miracle. You can hear. That's a miracle. You're alive. That's a miracle. Do you know that? No. You're fascinated with the rock and the milk. When I went to India, I said this. Because they were all into it, you know. There was apparently this Ganesh statue drinking milk. I said, that's not a miracle. People looked at me like, what? I said, no, that's not a miracle. That's oddity. Fluke. That's not a miracle. That's strange. Absurd. Weird. That's not what you should believe in.

Believe in what is real. And let me tell you what is real. There is nothing more real for you than the coming and going of this breath. This is what makes you you. Like Kabir said, when this goes, nobody wants you around. Every time somebody even accidentally touches you, they will wash their hands. I kid you not. It's the coming and going of this breath that's making it all possible. That makes you cry. That makes you laugh. That makes you think. That makes you enjoy. That makes you wonder. Anger makes you understand, makes you lovable. Anger, only because this breath is coming in and out. Joy, because this breath is coming in and out. Kindness, only because this breath is coming in and out. Understanding, only because this breath is coming in and out.

The clue is when two people get married and what the preacher says, till death do you part. Up till then, that's that. But till death do you part. That's the most important part. Second probably is kiss the bride. That's if you have never kissed her. And the chances are you're probably not going to like it too much, because on the wedding day she'll have a lot of lipstick on. She wants to look good. And that lipstick will invariably get on your lips. And then you'll look real funny.

So, the coming and going of this breath. Understand your blessing. Accept your blessing. And then you will be set free. Freedom isn't about doing anything particular that makes a person free. If you think it is about flying a kite, well, you can fly a kite in prison. You think you're free? Chase a butterfly? No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no. Freedom isn't a one specific action. It is what you feel. Do you feel free or do you feel enslaved? And there's plenty of people who are not in prison who are enslaved by their own ideas, by their own concepts. The freedom is far from them. But if you want freedom, it begins with first having equilibrium. And once you have that, then that's the day you can even begin to feel free. Do you want freedom? Practice Knowledge.

Do you want to witness? You want to witness a miracle? Do you? Practice Knowledge. No better way to witness a miracle than practice of Knowledge. There it is. You're in the middle. In the middle of the miracle. That's what Knowledge does. It puts you in the middle of the miracle. Not as an observer, but feeling. No documentation is needed. No documentary is needed. Nobody has to sit there and say, okay, now you're feeling this and now you're doing this and now you're doing… There are people who do that. There are people who do that. They go, okay, now hold your hand like this. I saw this on TV. Now hold your hand like this. Now imagine there is a light dancing on top of your hand. Do you see the light? And people said… And I went, oh my God. So then they went, ha, ha, I see the light. That's stupid. That's nothing to do with zero. It deploys the very thing that it is not deployable for. It's deploying by going, what? Imagine.

And what have the saints said? Cannot. Cannot imagine. That's the description. In one of the slokas in Sanskrit, this is how… Unimaginable. That's who you are. Unimaginable. Imagine the unimaginable. So vicious is the cycle of mind chasing mind. That's what mind does. This is its nature. The mind chases itself. And you get caught in between. When I say practice Knowledge, I want you out of that loop. Because until you're in that loop, you will never be free. Your time is your time. How important you make it to sit down and practice is up to you. I'm not going to come to your home to see if you're practicing Knowledge. Unfortunately. You know, it would be great to have a squad. You know, it comes in. They just spread out in a community, go into everybody's house. Are you practicing? But that's not how it happens. You're free.

You want to practice, fine. You want to practice, fine. It's up to you. How could I say that when I have just spent the last almost an hour explaining how important it is? How can I sit here and tell you it's up to you? Doesn't that sound frivolous? No. Because Knowledge can only be practiced by the free. Not by slaves. By the free. And so, because you are free, that's why you have the freedom to practice or not to practice. When you practice in that state where you have the freedom to practice or not to practice, when you choose to practice, you are free. But if I came here and spent the hour, which is what I should have done, making you feel guilty and threatening you, showing you images and verbally painting hell for you, and then if you practiced, you would not be free. You would be only practicing because of guilt. Free are not guilty. Free are free. They do what they do because they want to do it. Not because there's guilt or a threat. Can you really say those people who were not too long ago in Colombia captured by the terrorists, were they free? What was the difference? What was the difference? The thing was, whatever they were doing, they didn't want to do it. They were doing it because somebody was forcing them to do it. Sit here, eat this, go to sleep, do this, which they would have done anyways, right? But not with anybody forcing them, but doing it when they wanted to, where they wanted to sit, where they didn't want to sit. Same thing. That's why I make you feel guilty. That's why I threaten you. And how sweet that is to come and be inspired. Huh? Not threatened, but be inspired because I have touched in you the true voice of reason, that the reason is from your heart. That's what inspiration is. That's what inspiration is. Inspiration is to touch that voice of reasoning, that reason spelled out by heart, not by the mind. Mind wants to be threatened.

Mind wants to be enslaved. I won't do it, I won't do it, until it's too late. What does the world tell you? Learn responsibility so that you can grow up and hold a job down. Well, you should. Show up at, you know, got to show up at work and on time, otherwise you're going to get fired. Everything has a little hook. Everything has got a little chain. Do this. Do this. Call the practice of Knowledge just because you want to. No hook. No hook. No hook. Unique, huh? Different, huh? And that's why, my friends, that is why it is so important to come and listen to the Master. So this inspiration can be kept alive. Threatening, you can always take home. Always. But it's not about that.