Teachings from Adi Shankara's Viveka Choodamani | Thus Spake Babaji, online Q&A #80

Babaji answers questions on His commentary on the Viveka Choodamani (the Crest-Jewel of Discrimination), the ancient text written by the great Yogi-philosopher Adi Shankaracharya.

Thus Spake Babaji, online Q&A #80 recorded on 5 February 2022 with worldwide participants.

0:07 How do you shape a positive destiny?
7:18 How to make meditation fun?
10:13 Why is it important for the seeker to be sincere?
13:30 Is the mind tranquillised by the brain's reflections?
18:19 Self control - 'even while the ears hear, the consciousness would not be hearing anything'
22:35 The importance of apt attention in all things we do
25:24 Must we have forbearance equally with the bad things but also the good things in life?

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Transcript

Discourse: Thus Spake Babaji - online Q and A No. 80
 Teachings from Adi Shankara’s Viveka Choodamani
You tube Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wQK78jtRkJQ
Recorded: 05 February 2022

Start of Questions and Answers

Question:   So, carrying on from last week when we were looking at Your commentary on discrimination, Viveka Choodamani. In there you say, “Through wisdom, constant prayer and positive thinking you shape your positive destiny; you become what you think.” Could You explain a bit more about this positive destiny and becoming what we think, please?

Babaji Maharaj:   Yeah. See, in one word in Bhagavad Gita Shri Krishna says, “Soul is the best friend of itself; the soul can be the worst enemy for itself also.” This I have tried to tell in my own way - brain can be your best friend and it can be your worst enemy. You have to apply, you have to utilize, use it. So like that, when you are positive in thinking about everything and try to keep yourself in high spirits in a purified way, non-corrupted, all these things, this is that application of wisdom. That means you are wise - when you don't hurt yourself, when you don't want to harm yourself in any way. You want to achieve that truth of Self-Realization, all these things, so then you are wise. You are trying to become a good friend of yourself. 

Often in this world when we see people, they exercise extreme anger or greediness or any such things, jealousies. Unable to apply wisdom that means they are not wise because they themselves are the first casualties when they entertain such ideas in them. So it is important that they need to be positive for their own sake first. Even if it's a battle, a war or any such thing - so we can fight. We can defend our country, our institution, anything that belongs to us. But it's not necessary that all that time we allow our minds to become corrupted by going into personality conflicts unnecessarily. Don't have to. Just do like a soldier, do the job, just retire, finish. That's it, that's over. We fought and that's it. We don't have to be remembering the other person unnecessarily. That other person is not that important that we give so much of priority. There are other things - Divinity; remember the Divine. Remember that you are that eternal existence, the soul. Like that you can be positive, then you will be benefited; your mind doesn't become any more corrupted. It will be pure and eventually it can become Pure Consciousness. 

So when you are able to visualize positively like this, for yourself, for this world, for everybody pray, “May all beings in all the worlds be happy.” And remember, earth always have had and will have enough resources to meet the need of humanity but not it's greed. “O Lord, today is such an auspicious day. Bless all of us in the world, all humanity that they may remain uncorrupted, positive, consideration to each other.” That's what we try to tell in the beginning of my teachings also after I completed the tapas. What is there for us to give and take? Honor, love to each other, consideration to each other. You respect, I respect you; give respect and take respect. So that's what is the visualization - positively like this we always dream. Like I dreamt always that let human beings live for each other, why are they always against each other? If one person does anything wrong then the conflict happens. Everybody think that, “This is not mine. This is other’s. So this is my boundary, I must remain here. And I'm given this for this purpose to do sadhana. Let me just do sadhana, not get involved into cutting trees and usurping lands, all these nonsense things, why?” If one person doesn't understand, doesn't apply wisdom properly in spite of the education, so he is not wise. He's become greedy. So he is a casualty, he’s disastrous for himself. 

 And such a person can be dangerous to others. Just like you're driving the car and it has no brakes and gears, nothing. You have applied the accelerator and you are disastrous for yourself now. If you are going to hit a stone boulder, or a hillock, or a mountain, anything, you are gone. And you can be dangerous to others on the road also. You don't have control over your car, like that. So in the mind also, controlling the mind. So like that, you apply the wisdom. Be positive so you can shape a better positive destiny; you will get to see all the positive things. Whatever you had visualized negatively, so you undergo in this life. So if you visualize only positively everything…  So whenever wrong person has gone into conflict with us, I have thought, “Maybe I had visualized to meet a wrong person with the wicked, evil thoughts. That's why this is coming into life. Oh, it was my fault. Next time, if at all I have to come to earth, let me visualize all our good human beings. Nobody is selfish, all ready to bother about each other, love and honor about each other. Let me imagine like that so that at least I can see such thing. That is our dream. Otherwise, no need to come to this world, finished. No need to see any world at all, any drishya, any scene.” So like that, positively thinking can be very, very helpful. It is necessary, recommended. That's why one definition I have always told, “If you are positive, you can be shaping a positive destiny for yourself. If you are negative, you could be shaping a negative destiny for yourself.”

Question:   So with this positive attitude, before the meditation today You said “Just watch, thoughts come, visions come, it will be fun.” Is that another example of having a positive attitude that you make meditation fun?

Babaji Maharaj:   Yeah, don't look at the top of the Mount Everest; step one by one if you go on, it will be fun. So you have undertaken a task, you have accepted the challenge. And that's it. You are also a champion. The opponent also is a champion. The illusion is also a champion, it has its own power. But you don't have to lose your heart. You don't become depressed. You're also a champion. You fight it out like a tennis match, I tell. You hit, let him hit, you hit. And use your wisdom always. Like that be positive. So then it will be fun when you sit for meditation. You will look forward every day to sit for one hour meditation. You will look forward for these zoom classes to listen to my answers and to sit down for one hour. So like this it will be so interesting. It won't be a struggle anymore. The struggle word is used for hardship, then we lose heart, “Oh, it's very hard. We have to struggle. Tapas is not possible.” Why not possible? Anybody can be a champion. You just have to apply your mental focus. Do a hard work, practice. Just fight it out. Don't give up easily. Don't give up. Don't simply tell after one minute, “Oh, meditation is not for me. I cannot do meditation.” Don't give up like that. One hour is there - you struggle for one hour. Let the thoughts come, visions come; you just watch. Let the thoughts come, visions come, and you don't bother about them. Don't recognize about them. Don't think anything about them. Let the thoughts come. What the thoughts are, what the visions are, no need to bother. Like that you come and go. So that is the important thing. Then it will be really fun. Otherwise, “Oh God, it is so tiring. Thousands and millions of thoughts. It is not going. I'm unable to stop. I'm unable to do anything.” Not unable. It is a fight, it is still in the fight. You are in the arena, you fight it out. So then it will be fun. That's what I meant. Always have a positive attitude, be enthusiastic. Feel inspired - draw inspiration from the knowers of the truth from those great Masters who have achieved this truth for themselves. Like that you be positive, you will be benefited. That is the application of wisdom.

Question:   So, several times when You speak, and also in your writings, You often use the term ‘sincere,’ that the seeker must be sincere. So, it's not just somebody who's seeking; they have to be sincere. Why is it so important, this sincerity?

Babaji Maharaj:   Yeah. So you all understand now this word ‘conscience.’  So, your heart, that's important. People say, “Listen to your heart, your conscience.” So, you cannot cheat yourselves. That also I have told, “You know what is happening in your mind. Don't expect certificate from the Master or anybody. As long as you are able to do that, you are there! Your mind.” Like that you have to be sincere. Were you able to sit every day? Like once in a week, we come on the Zoom. After that you have one whole week. You had time, don't tell that you don't have time. If you tell me you don't have time, you couldn't find time, that means you were lazy. You are casual. You had diverted your interest somewhere else. Just one hour you could have taken in twenty-four hours and sat. Sit and practice. So like that, sitting and practice even when the Master is not there physically is the sincerity. Remember Master is watching from your heart. Remember Babaji is in your heart, is watching. That is the sincerity, then you will be serious. You won't give up, you won't let day go wasted unnecessarily. You will sincerely sit down and close the eyes and watch in between eyebrows. So that's what is important, that you have to be sincere to yourself. 

   Many times, people have asked this question, “How to find a genuine Guru?” You have to be sincere first. You know what you want, then you won't compromise with any other guru. So many gurus, so many teachers you will find. One teaches this magic, another teaches this magic, another talks of this, another talks of that. But you won't be interested if that is not the thing. If you want Self-Realization, if you want highest truth, if you want the mind’s peace once for all, then you will look for only such a Guru. If any Guru teaches, has that in them, only then you will accept. So that's why your sincerity is very important. Often people are not sincere. They get attracted for powers, those who produce chains and rings and they get excited. They start thinking, “Oh I can also be taught this, then I can also produce hundreds of rings for myself. Why will I give to somebody else?” So like that that person starts thinking; he becomes selfish, then earn billions and billions of dollars, like that. So that's why sincerity is very important. If you are sincere, you will look for only that Guru. You will not compromise. So that is very important.

Question:   Thank You. You also mentioned that the mind is tranquilized by the brain’s reflections. What do you mean by tranquilized by the brain’s reflections?

Babaji Maharaj:   Maybe I have used such thing because brain when it reflects, it is in touch with this universe, world. It receives message and it passes on the orders. In that process it reflects as a thought process or a visual effect. So watching that, the mind catches and it registers in itself such a thing as a fundamental reality. It won't like to verify. The brain is showing - whether it is correct or not, how do we know? So like that. Today you see, nowadays we have the technology so much advanced. We have mobile phones, cell phones and we have computers in cell phones, social media. Look at the social media. Sometimes it can be truthful, but very often it can be untrue. Such messages are simply distributed which are not true at all. But when people see that, they simply take it in good faith and start believing that one. Even digital things also. Digitally, a tiger is produced; it is produced as if it is sitting in your drawing room, and people believe it. Keenly if you watch, there is something different from the reality and the digitally produced one, no matter how cleverly that would have been produced by anybody. Like that everything is available. The brain also, sometimes it might tell the truth and sometimes it might tell the wrong things. It might show a friend as a foe, a foe as a friend. We don't know. We have to learn to verify. 

   So, that is why one important thing in Viveka Choodamani, Adi Shankara talks, “When your consciousness is not into any type of imagination. In front of you know that existence as the truth, real truth.” So I will repeat again, “When your consciousness is not into any type of imagination, know that existence as the truth of existence.” Because you see, here I also tell in another way the same thing, remember? Amongst millions of thoughts that are in your mind which is simply an imagined thing, which is not a reality, there is one thing which is not a thought, which is not an imagined one - the consciousness of your existence. That's what you get to see practically in meditation. That's what you have to catch hold. You have to reach that stage. Keep watching, watching, watching, get rid of all imagination. Whatever has been imagined, they will all disappear, whether it is a vision or a thought, it won't stay. The moment you don't analyze, the moment you don't make any judgment, that means you are not recognizing the thought at all. 

 Though it comes in front of you, you are quiet, then that thought, that vision disappears. When that disappears, that cannot be the truth. But consciousness of existence, your own existence is always there; you cannot make that disappear. This is the very important experience in the process of meditation, tapas, before realizing the truth. Realizing the truth means before merging finally into the one Self, so you get to experience this in the duality, that the truth of existence is this, then you merge. Once you merge... [Babaji raises hands]  So that is what is the positive thinking, and not to simply believe the reflections of the brain. Try to find out; something else could be there. The truth is there, we will have to find. And then when the mind is purified and concentrated, you are able to apply the brain in a better way. You won't allow the brain to fool you. But you will be using the brain. If you allow the brain to use you, then it will fool you. That is important, right?

Question:   One of the other things that's mentioned in the commentary is dharma or self-control. And You say about self-control, even while the ears hear, the consciousness would not be hearing anything. Could You explain a little bit more about this?

Babaji Maharaj:   Yeah, you see, through the sensory organs, all the matter reaches the brain; through the eyes you watch, through ears you get to hear, and all these things keep happening. Then the brain reflects. Watching that, the mind also registers. Then mind gets involved into that illusion. Now, even though the ears are hearing, the consciousness is not hearing anything, means self-control. So when you have totally achieved samadhi, total stillness, the silence of the mind has been achieved. When the mind is totally silent inside for a yogi, though He is talking, that doesn't get registered for a yogi in the consciousness. He is the ever-silent one. So, nothing is there. It doesn't start thinking. Actually, the consciousness doesn't talk anything, even though a yogi is talking through the mouth. Like in the same way, a yogi is hearing, his consciousness will not hear anything. It will remain in itself. This has to be practiced long time like a tapas and samadhi experience. 

Even in an ordinary state also, everybody, all of you think - when you are able to divert the attention of your mind, your eyes could be watching or your ears could be hearing, yet you wouldn't have heard anything. But in the beginning stage it is wrong thing, means it won't be helpful to you. Like if the Master is teaching, so you are able to hear through the ears, some sound keeps coming. But because your mental attention, or in other words, your own attention was somewhere else, you did not hear anything. So thus you deprived yourself from that knowledge and wisdom that the Master has been trying to impart upon you. This is the one. But whereas yogi has achieved that truth, and He doesn't need anything of this world - no matter, no knowledge, nothing is more valuable than the Self itself. The rest are all imagined knowledge and wisdom. People get excited about the knowledge of this world, sun, moon, astronomy, science, this, so many things, hundreds and thousands. Amongst them, many could be useful to humanity. And if the mind is not under control, the humanity may invent or discover such things which can be disastrous to themselves. So all these things can happen always. So that's why all these things are not very important for a yogi. For a yogi, He is in himself, He is in the Self, abiding in the Self. So He has achieved that truth - that is done now once for all. So that's why He is the ever-silent one. Though the ears are hearing what you talk, with that mechanically He is able to function, He is able to pray for you, He is able to bless you also. But it is like writing on a white paper - instantly it gets erased. So that's how the consciousness is not actually hearing anything. It is not absorbing any imprints.

Question:   So when we listen to You, and we listen to the teacher or read the scripture, You talk about apt attention, we pay apt attention. So we discriminate by ignoring everything else as just a distraction. So we have to be single-pointed in all things that we do - meditation, listening to the teacher, whatever we do it’s apt attention, single-pointed attention?

Babaji Maharaj:   Yeah, this is very, very necessary. Otherwise what happens? Mind’s concentration gets disturbed. The Master is trying to teach the highest truth. You have to pay attention, then this Master’s teaching can penetrate deeply into your consciousness, your mind. Here we will take only mind, not actually consciousness. Consciousness is when the mind is purified. Now it is mind, it will take into your mind. And then you won't forget, then you are able to adopt in your life and achieve that truth to yourself. You are able to do sadhana by feeling inspired. Otherwise, if you are not listening properly, so I might talk about mind and you might have listened and be thinking that I spoke about brain - there is a difference in these things. Sometimes very finer points I might be trying to tell, but many people may not understand because they haven't applied their apt attention. That is very important. That's what when I'm talking. 

 So that's why I try to come closer to microphone also, also to the camera, that if people watch my lip movements, my eyes, everything, so they might feel inspired and they might be able to absorb the truth properly. So the same way, I have to watch the person who is asking a question, watch the lip movements and what they are trying to ask me. I need to understand. The moment that is flashed, the answer is very easy. It's like the illness is diagnosed and treatment we know. So like that, that has to be. So that is why apt attention is very much recommended I always tell. Then when it penetrates your mind, you are able to understand also, the right sense, in which sense the Master told. Like many times Bhagavad Gita is there, many people may not be able to understand in its right sense, that's what it is. So that is why apt attention is very, very important.

Question:   You said about forbearance. You said, “Enduring all afflictions without reacting, free of anxiety or lament is called forbearance.” But in the commentary, You say, “When the mind reverberates with good and bad analyzations and judgments.” So does that mean not just forbearing the bad things and the suffering but also forbearing the good things equally?

Babaji Maharaj:   There could be several senses that I had written or spoken about this in the commentary. One is forbearance. Patience is very, very important. First we'll take up, in meditation, when a thought or a vision appears, forbearance - you bear with that vision. We tell, “Please I have to attend for two minutes, please bear with me, be there.” So in those two minutes you need to have patience, remain composed. Don't become restless, “Oh nonsense, Babaji is giving two minutes time. We are wasting, it's better we get out of this.” Then you lose your peace, your mental stability, everything is gone. Instead of that, have peace. “Oh Babaji, must be very important that He is attending two minutes. He has asked us to keep quiet. Let us keep quiet, no problem.” So that is forbearance; it is very necessary. In meditation this patience, forbearance is very necessary. Every thought, every vision appears to disturb us either as a good or as bad. Like I had told, “When you call this world as very good also you are getting involved mentally, when you call this world as very bad also you are getting involved mentally.” Either way you are sucked into it; you lose your original status of the Self, and you get involved into that one. During meditation this must be avoided. Only then your consciousness, your mind becomes purified and becomes consciousness. So this is the forbearance of the things. 

   And as far as this world is concerned, world is concerned - so sometimes injustice might be happening either to us or to others. So wrong things might be happening. Forbearance doesn't mean that we have to simply keep watching all injustice, all wickedness, all evil; we may have to react - in this world. When we are in this world through this body, we have to behave accordingly. Just like if somebody is attacking our Ashram we will have to behave to defend. However we won't allow our mind to get disturbed if we are regularly practicing meditation. That's what is forbearance - means we don't have to take that into the mind all the time, that it is playing and it is disturbing our peace and we are unable to do anything else. So that is important. That skill is what you will develop when you practice meditation. You are able to attend the worldly things. Wherever you need to react you are able to react. But very quickly, very soon you will recover because of your practice of forbearance, you are able to bear with it, you won't be carrying. Like somebody hurts you and you get annoyed. How long you get annoyed? Some people may not be able to recover themselves for twenty-four hours, for days together they will be annoyed and irritated. “Oh God.” They are repeating, “This has happened, that person is such a wicked one. He did this to me.” We are unable to forget about it. So long you're allowing yourself also to become a victim of your own anger, you see. 

Forbearance, that's why it's very important. Don't have to. We don't have to lose our peace for twenty-four hours and twelve years. The court case is going on. If we lose our peace for twelve years, what's the fun in it? No need. It happens. These things keep happening, conflicts keep happening because people are selfish; they want to do their things and they want to trouble you. If you are happy, if you are doing your job, they are not happy, they will be jealous. So they try to disturb you. They try to attack you, they try to criticize you, they try to do this, they won't recognize what all the work you are doing; they will simply tell “You are not doing anything, you are sitting comfortably Babaji.” Like that also people tell. So, forbearance. If we have that forbearance we won't get disturbed. They won't be able to give us any blood pressure. We keep quiet. Because we don't need their certificate, you see? They are not the ones who will certify who we are. Our own sadhana, our own achievement is for ourselves. The Self is there, the peace is there. 

That is where the forbearance is very important. In this world also that I would have tried to either explain or write in my talks and answers that I have been giving. Though you may have to attend often, you may have to face evil or wicked people or wrong accusations, these things, you have to act upon to defend yourself. You don't have to give up easily. But if you are practicing meditation regularly you gain such an ability that you will not feel disturbed; you will not lose your actual peace. Instead, just like a fun game you will enjoy – “It's okay, a war has been declared. Okay, no problem we are well prepared.” So like that it always has to happen. That's what is the forbearance that you practice. When you are able to restrain your mind, when the mind is under your control means you are under your control; you are able to restrain. If you are able to restrain yourself, you have the forbearance. Somebody comes and talks all nonsense there and goes, so you are able to restrain yourself. You won't lose that peace or composure so quickly. Unless, so we are able to decide – “This is the time we need to give them a little bit.” Otherwise, they keep on and on and on. So a little bit I have to act upon that I am annoyed and show them a little bit, “Ffoo!” Done. Once that is done, I am withdrawn. Again  I'm back into my smiling and I can continue my talking, I'm answering your question. Everything can happen. So that is the forbearance you practice when you practice mind control. That's why Swamiji said, “Meditation for mind control” as His philosophy.

End of Questions and Answers

End of Session