Summary: Explains that sadhana involves effort and the unfolding requires time; emphasises the need for associating with large-minded people, with Masters. Elucidates on prayer, love of God and the privilege of walking the path.

Do not be so quick in giving up. When you are working at something bigger obviously you require more energy, more effort, more application – more time. Whenever you seek a greater or bigger achievement the effort involved would be commensurate with that achievement. Of course miracles do happen, but the miracles too happen…

Pb.: Commensurately!

(Laughing)

Yes, it is also commensurate with one’s investment and one’s place, position, time and effort from the past. And then when it happens all of a sudden, we call it a miracle. Of course, the Reality, Existence, God, surely has the power to intervene and provide you gifts out of the blue but still commensurate to you. While at least from our side we can continue to help ourselves as much as we can – that is all. So, keep reminding yourself and see how alert you can be in those moments and how watchful.

If you were to offer your whole soul this moment to God, you will have God in you this moment. How much of your being is with God, that much you have your conviction in God. It is not just some mental idea – ‘I would like to have this.’ It does not work like that – it is how much of your soul is committed to it, how much of your being is one with it, how much of yourself have you offered. It takes you beyond yourself therefore – you exceed yourself. Otherwise you remain small, you never exceed yourselves.

And the company you keep, that you become. If you listen to God then you will become God – but if you listen to those who are always small and protecting themselves in a very small way, then you become only that much. If you associate with Masters, you will become masters. If you associate with the ordinary, then you become ordinary – because they think ordinary. It may even appeal to your intelligence, your consciousness at that time, because you are also at the ordinary level. But then how else will you exceed yourself if you do not apply yourself – and keep the company of those who are greater in their consciousness – even though it may not agree with your way of thinking at any given time. Therefore the trust.

But of course you build this up also, the trust and everything – it is all built up, developed through and over time – this is sadhana. Nothing happens overnight. Experiences – yes, they will come and they will go. Sometime they come without one even doing anything for them. They may come because of associating with someone or being in a certain place. But then you have to work so that it becomes a realisation, a reality. There is no such thing as instant enlightenment I tell you. Even for ones like the Buddha it was not so – so let us not fool ourselves… Although this is much propounded now, in today’s times. There is always a time factor involved, even if it be a moment.

Even the flower unfolds in time, flowers in time. The flower is a miracle, of course, but even the unfolding is a miracle. The flower without the unfolding is no miracle – those are the plastic flowers you get in the bazaar. If we do not appreciate the effort, the unfolding, the whole process in terms of manifestation, how will we appreciate, how will we consider it sacred, how will it be a worship? Even in me the work continues – it is not over! How can it be over? To consider it to be over is to limit it. Therefore Ramakrishna says, “The higher you go, there are higher regions still.” And the deeper you go, there are deeper regions still. What you have to ask yourself is, have you committed yourself to this? And are you convinced about its importance in your life? Because, who knows, you may be on the way because of somebody’s cleverness; some Master may have been very cleverly bringing you into this… Of course, thanks to them. But are you convinced about it in yourself? Are you conscious of this? Are you totally committed to it? Are you constantly with it – with the thought of it? Even when you are laughing with each other.

In today’s time somehow the whole attitude is such that one would like to have something without having to work for it. One could have it as a gift because of somebody’s presence or somebody’s grace, or whatever. But you would never appreciate it as much. You would never give it its due, its value, if you had not worked for it. Even when grace comes, when you have worked for it your attitude towards it becomes different. It is unlike the children of today’s time, the wealthy children who are given an expensive car by the parents and they treat it with disdain. They are given everything, right away. They never appreciate it then.

You yourself will understand this, when you see. And also you will find the intricacies, the subtleties, and also the know-how leading to all these great experiences. You will know the twists and the bends. Your knowledge will be vaster; you will be wiser.

That is why the Masters in the past, whether they be of the Indian tradition or the Sufi or the Christian, they always worked or got the seekers to work in the simplest ways – to appreciate the simplest things first, so that they would learn to consider everything sacred. It was to bring about a sacredness, an idea of worship. Otherwise you will not be able to appreciate the big things also, or really consider them sacred… Appreciation meaning to consider sacred. Observe and see: when we say we appreciate something, how much depth is there in that appreciation? Is it really appreciation from our being? Or is it a momentary infatuation, a momentary liking? Has your soul been touched? And do you carry it therefore forever? Or is it like water on the duck’s back: this moment it is there, next moment it is gone?

In all the traditions of the past the Masters always put the seekers first into service – work, so that their attitudes were corrected – then prayer, and then meditation. Do you think meditation is easy? It is the peak – but you have to climb the mountain to get to the peak! Are you ready to climb – leave alone beginning to climb and then giving up!

And if you manage to have special moments – that is grace… It is the presence of the Master; it is the working of the Master and his consciousness – because he takes the seeker, his consciousness, up into his own consciousness and invests him with his own force and consciousness. And within His consciousness, within his conscious field of action, your consciousness starts to work, open and unfold. So the Master takes up the seeker in his consciousness, and he tries to get the seeker to be in tune all the time, depending on how much the seeker will coordinate, cooperate and allow it. As much as the seeker allows, so much the seeker receives – it is automatic.

Today the seekers want to continue in their own old ways, want to continue to resist, want to continue to have no faith and distrust – and yet want the highest experiences… This is today’s way. But it does not work. Even then the Master tries. Even the laws of physics agree to this – laws of science. If there is a tuning fork vibrating to a certain wavelength, if you bring another one near to it, it will vibrate in the same way as the first. But if it refuses, how will it vibrate to the same wavelength? But because the tuning fork does not have a mind of its own, it does.

Judas had a mind of his own, so he was not in tune with Christ. The others were simple and consciously gave their minds to Christ. But Judas thought his mind was right. Of course not because of a bad will, but because he thought he was more clever, more educated. That is why he hung himself in the end – if he had had a bad will he would never have hung himself. He realised his mistake but it was too late. So one has to hang the mind! Otherwise the mind takes you everywhere. To make the mind a friend – how? You have to be clever. Go with the mind here and there, follow it. Go and have a trip in the mind. See if it relaxes. Then come back to yourself.

Abhyāsa – practice, that is why it is called sadhana. A seeker is a sadhak, he is a seeker, she is a seeker, involved in sadhana. Sadhana means a discipline – therefore disciple: they come from the same root word, discipline and disciple. Today nobody wants the discipline – but they want to be disciples. You cannot have one and not the other.

So then the Masters today play clever, they try to attract you in so many ways… So they create a discipline without your knowing it! Like the discipline to meditate, or hanging around the fellow… Because even to suggest this word discipline in today’s times is to create an uproar, an outrage. I therefore, most times, use the word rhythm!

Even if you are accepted as a disciple or if you become a disciple – to be in the correct attitude as a disciple takes a while – sometimes a long while – depending on the individual. Read the Sufi stories, you have enough information there. They will give you attitudes, true stories, and understanding. They are meant for understanding, of course, and not imitation. Do not be an imitation. Understanding, that is the best. But sometimes even blind obedience is better than constant complaining – even after years! One has to therefore then inquire – is it habitual, this complaining? Has it any significance, has it any meaning? Or is it just a personality make-up? And also then do something about it. You will see a lot of times it is just a mechanical, repetitive personality. The next moment the space changes – it is gone. Then you wonder, what is the reality?

So if you have taken to the way, make it the whole of your life – wherever you may be, wherever you go. And when you dig, dig deep. And when you seek, seek high. Do not remain small. You should have the attitude not only to carry yourself, but to carry the whole world! The bigger you think, the bigger you will be; the smaller you think, the smaller you will remain. So seek the company of those who think big, listen to those who think big! Do not seek the company of small people, because they will make you like themselves – small. Of course, you have the choice: if you want to remain small you have the freedom – every life is given that freedom!

It is better to even die being with a Master than to live for a thousand years with small people, people with ordinary minds. For your death then will never be in vain – while those thousand years of life will be in vain. Of course again, it is your freedom, the choice is yours. And it is not a matter of being near in the physical, but of being near in the soul, in the being. If in your soul you are completely in tune with the Master, then the Master and what he has, his legacy, will be born in you completely in its own unique way.

Along the way inquiry is natural, questioning is natural – but inquire and question as a seeker.

The Master is always teaching, even when you think that it is not so. It is not just in the precincts of this room that the teaching is done… Even when He may answer you not, through his silence he may be conveying something. Are you in tune? If you are a seeker you will try to see if there is something being conveyed. But what usually happens is our temper comes up, ‘Oh, he is not answering to us, to me…’ Watch all this – because He wants you to be conscious completely. This is why Mère even used to play tennis with her people. It was not just a game She was playing; she was connecting with whosoever played with her at that level of consciousness. She was not just striking the ball across – she was sending forth gifts from her consciousness. So also when we watch the videos: through them, a certain atmosphere is transferred. The Master uses many tools – and many times without letting you know… Because He has the knack to use the environment!

And if one has a rigid conditioned mind, one is biased in one way or the other… It is inevitable, of course – for all life has some conditioning or the other. People come from different backgrounds, different conditions, different cultures. Then having taken to a way they may be fixed in their understanding, either in a Buddhistic way or even in the Hinduistic or the Christian way… There is such a make-up in the subconscious of each individual. Or even the new-age types – they are all conditionings. But the Master who is awake can use any tool, whether they seem traditional or new-age – and is not in any way limiting for him. His mind is new, so he sees even the past with newness. He may in fact consider what is termed new-age as something of no value. Just because something is from the new-age – is it to be accepted? Something is not true just because it is new! That which is true, is true in all the three times – past, present and future – even if it be thousands of years old. One can be just as rigid with the old as with the new; just as rigid with the traditional, or what is termed ‘tradition’, as with the new-age – and make a tradition out of it. Of course our mental make-up is familiar to us and we can only work with the familiar. It is security for us – otherwise it makes us feel insecure. A certain line of thinking, our mind-sets – we are familiar with them. So it gives us a sense of security. It is our way of thinking, it is our mind-set – it is our mind… Anything new brings fear, makes you insecure, nervous, tense – because it is strange to you.

It is very interesting… Such a great adventure to see all this!

So you see, when your mind thinks it will think about your sisters or your daughters – because they are related to you, they are related to this mind of yours. There is nothing wrong, I am just saying objectively as to how it is. You will not think in the same way about somebody else’s sister, somebody else’s daughter. These are your associations – the mind. It is what makes up your mind, the content – which is unique to you – so it will be different with each one. Of course what is universal is in the functioning of the mind – that is common to all. But the content may be different. And when ten people – or two people even – get together, it becomes a law. It becomes samaj, the society. And then if somebody is a little different he is looked upon, or she is looked upon in strangeness, even fear – and therefore criticism.

A lot of times you will find that what is important to you will not be important to another. And you would like to put it out but the other does not give it the same importance, and you wonder why. But it is only because of this: that it is important to you and not to the other – simple. Most quarrels originate here! Of course, when the importance is shared, then you have company; then you can even get together against someone else who finds it not important…

When you see in such an objective way you are free. Then you laugh, and that laughter comes from your soul. It is the laughter of freedom, freedom’s laugh… And yet one may have a moment like this, then drop down again into the usual and wish for that freedom to be forever.

Pray M., pray. Pray daily; pray to God. Pray to God that you may be touched. Sit down on your knees and offer yourself that you may be touched. You know it is all in the feeling; it does not even require words. It is all in your yearning and longing – to offer that a touch may come. Keep offering. And when you find that your heart starts to be stirred and you feel this love for God, know that your offering is starting to become real. Then you will even forget about being touched, because that love is so special. And that love exceeds the self. Then there is no consideration of any risk involved – there is not even a thought. You never plan to love someone – you love someone or you do not. You can stand and pray or sit and pray. It is in the feeling – then even so, spontaneously comes the posture.

Try everything – meditation, prayer, watching, serving – everything. In the world also – what does one do? One tries everything! And then, what do they get? They depart without anything. (Laughing) Here at least there is the possibility of getting something – for sure!

Be happy that you are on the way. Are you convinced of this way, of its importance? Or do you think it is like any other vegetable in the market? Do you not feel that it is a privilege and grace that you walk this way – and not any other?

Arya Vihar

3 Aug 1999