Thus Spake Babaji - online Q and A, No.40

Thus Spake Babaji - online Q and A, No.40
A live online Q and A session, recorded on 13 May 2021, with participants from Malaysia.

Register to join the live online meditation and Q&A with Babaji at https://www.shivarudrabalayogi.org/en/online-satsang

In this session Shri Babaji gives guidance on the following:

0:00 Introduction
0:20 What is meant by the Guru's lotus feet?
1:39 How to meditate when the mind is in a highly agitated state?
3:51 How to overcome the fear of leaving loved ones behind when we die
5:25 What is the relationship between the mind and consciousness?
6:39 Why is anger still there in some situations even after practising meditation?
10:04 How do we do yearly prayers for deceased parents?
11:28 While progressing in meditation is it possible to gain siddhis (spiritual powers)
12:57 What do we need to do to see God everywhere, outside of meditation practice?
14:11 How to love unconditionally
15:44 How to keep Babaji in mind when we are experiencing happy thoughts
17:36 How important is it to be in constant conversation with Swamiji in the mind?
19:47 How to resolve the attachment that comes from being in a soul group?
20:48 Is there a proper way to conduct daily prayers?
21:54 Does being a vegetarian make you more spiritual?
23:44 Movement of eyeballs and past emotions in meditation
25:15 How to best spend the time when too tired to meditate?

Listen as a podcast: https://www.buzzsprout.com/1587010/
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Register your free place for the live online meditation and Q&A with Babaji: https://www.shivarudrabalayogi.org/en/online-satsang

Website: http://www.srby.org
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/shivarudrabalayogi
Twitter: https://twitter.com/SRBYmission
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/shivarudrabalayogi/

Transcript

Thus Spake Babaji, online Q&A #40

Recorded on 13 May 2021 with Malaysian Participants

Questioner:

Namaskaram Babaji. 

We feel very happy to see You today, Babaji. It's all Your Grace that we are able to meet You today, thank You Babaji, we are so happy. 

Babaji, Amma wants to ask, can You please explain further about Guru’s Paatha Mahimai, Guru’s Lotus Feet.

Babaji:

You see, in our culture, Guru's Lotus Feet is always recommended so that you mentally become humble. You shall lose all ego or any such arrogance in mind, any self-esteem, and you totally you are able to surrender to the Master. When you surrender, then you can receive the Grace of the Master. Through the paatham the energy flows of the Master, so that is why it is recommended. Paatha Mahimai is very great, and also you will get blessings for your meditation. So you will also seriously meditate.

So that is the great Paatha Mahimai there. And paduka, the Guru worn sandals are also very greatly effective, it is always worshiped by devotees. [transl] ‘At the Divine Feet there is the glory of all glories’. Never ending, it is equivalent to Divine.

Same Questioner:

Thank You, Babaji.

Questioner:

Babaji, there is a question in the chat. 

It is very difficult to meditate when the mind is highly agitated after a stressful experience. How does one get out of this state? 

Babaji:

You see, that's why always we tell, though it is very difficult it is not impossible. And when the mind is get too much agitated, it becomes so difficult to meditate, that's what you feel. You actually have to meditate so that you can overcome the agitation. 

If you simply understand the technique that we have told, and follow that technique... Gently keep the eyes closed, remain relaxed, and watch in between eyebrows. In the beginning, mind will have the upper hand of bringing in millions of thoughts. Let it come. Just don't worry, don't bother. You just do what you have been asked to do. You just watch in between eyebrows, let the thoughts come. Slowly in due course of time, all thoughts and visions get evaporated. They will all disappear. Then more peace descends. 

For this, every day practice. You have to be serious. Remember, just today you are seriously sitting here because Babaji is live online. Every day have faith, and believe that Babaji is sitting with you, watching you meditating. That is why generally I request all participants to keep their videos on, even when they sit for meditation also, don't go into darkness so that I can see your faces properly, whether you are sitting properly, whether you are meditating properly, all these things we do. 

So regularly without fail, as a practice, if you do it, then you will have upper hand and the mind's agitations all will decrease. 

Same Questioner:

Thank You, Babaji. The next question also in chat, Babaji, 'Many fear dying because they will leave their loved ones behind. But if this is all maya, then is there really anything to leave behind?’ 

Babaji:

There is really nothing to leave behind. Only if you realize your Real Self, you as the Atman, that is the most important thing. You are not this physical body, you are much more beyond the birth and death of physical body. Only the body is born and the body dies. You as the Atman is Eternal, always. There is nothing that you leave. All the Atman is same and only one single Self exists. 

That is why meditation is taught, spiritual exercises are taught. If you regularly meditate every day - seriously - remember this. Otherwise, you will feel as if you are dying. Before death shall claim your physical body, meditate every day. Remember that every day Babaji will be watching you, is with you, sitting with you, in front of you wherever you sit. So meditate, and then you will Realize yourself, then you have nothing to leave behind. You will understand and become aware of this truth. 

Same Questioner:

Thank You Babaji. 

Questioner:

Pranams Babaji. My question is, what is the relationship between the mind and the consciousness? 

Babaji:

Actually mind is made up of consciousness, but when it becomes a victim of its own imaginations, and becomes habitual with thoughts and visions, that we call it as mind. 

As I keep telling, mind itself is infinite. Nobody has seen in naked eyes, and you cannot show its shape or color, anything, simply based on thoughts and visions, just now you recognize it as mind. But it is made up of pure consciousness. 

Consciousness means here wherever you apply your consciousness - means wherever you apply your mind. If you are applying to me when I am talking, you become aware of what I am talking, otherwise your mind can run away somewhere else. So that is the effect of consciousness. 

As it is when there are no thoughts and visions, then it is pure consciousness. That is its original form. 

Same Questioner:

Thank You, Babaji. 

Questioner:

Babaji, there is another question on the chat. 

We are practicing meditation, but why the anger is still there in some situations. Is it human nature or our mind? Can Babaji please explain?

Babaji:

It is not human nature. Actually when the mind goes out of control, then only it becomes a victim of anger, greed, stinginess, a false pride, jealousy. That's what I have always told, 'arishadvargam' - the six enemies of human mind. The mind takes shape into six shapes. Extreme greed, extreme anger, extreme stinginess, and extreme attachment to materialistic world, and false pride, and jealousy. 

So if you practice meditation regularly with the right technique - that is important. Simply sitting and closing eyes, if you are not following the rules of the meditation, then meditation will not be successful. If you achieve for one hour silence in the mind, that you keep just watching, do not analyze. This analyzing and judgments are required in this world, but during meditation you must not analyze anything, you must not make any judgment also. 

That is why surrender to the Master is taught always. When you surrender, you don't question, 'Why this has to happen, why not this, why I have to be sitting like this, why I have to be closing the eyes?' Like these type of doubts do not occur at all. Our Master said and we sat. 

Like Swamiji always used to say, 'When Jangama Sage came to me, made me to sit for Tapas, he touched in between eyebrows, and just asked me to close the eyes, just keep watching in between eyebrows, don't repeat anything, don't imagine anything, don't open your eyes till the Tapas is over, meditation is over.' Swamiji used to say, 'I went on doing that and Samadhi came.' It was as easy like that, because He followed the instructions seriously, one hundred percent. Like that, if you also follow the instructions and practice, then you can overcome the anger. 

Then you can use the anger only when it is absolutely necessary; in administration, like in the battlefield, any such thing, then you need to have the anger to protect your country, your world, like that. Then only you will get that power to fight; enthusiasm, motivation to fight. In administration also you need to show some seriousness, anger, otherwise you will be taken granted by other people when you need to administer. 

Like here also, I keep smiling, I do crack jokes also, but not at all times. During meditation, during the sessions of question and answers I will be serious, otherwise everybody will take me granted and nobody will follow my instructions. So that is important. Then you can overcome the anger. 

Same Questioner:

Thank You Babaji. There is another question in the chat. How do we do yearly prayers for deceased parents? Do we need to follow the tithi or death on a necessary day? What is the significance of doing tharpanam on Amavasya day?

Babaji:

You see, on such days, always main significant things are - you pray to Divine for the welfare of the departed souls, so that they go towards Divine, they achieve good karmas. But, whatever karma they have achieved, they will go according to that. When you pray like that one, your mind can become purified. And then you help some poor people, you want to feed somebody, so all these things. Any exercise, some homam is also made, you see, agni homam, so that also you can follow. So anything can be made so that you can remember the Divine, that is important. 

And any tithi in my opinion, once a year that is convenient for you, so you can do on that day, and your exercises, and try to feed some poor people. So that will be very good for the benefit of the departed souls.

Same Questioner:

Thank You, Babaji. 

The next question on chat is, 'While progressing in meditation, is it possible to gain siddhis, or spiritual powers? What is your advice on siddhis, Babaji? 

Babaji:

Siddhis also come when you are doing Tapas, but you must surrender the siddhis to the Master. Because if you become a victim of siddhis, and you can get into egoistic, arrogance, and you might even be tempted to use it against others, all such things. You might lose temper, you might get into anger. So when you do meditation and Tapas, it is essential that you need to love people, anpu - that is very important, that is the real weapon a Yogi has to... 

So this is totally prohibited, siddhis. Because then you will be stuck to these siddhis, and then after some time you lose the siddhis also. When you keep resolving, and use it badly, then you lose the Self Realization, and God, and the Divinity, the Divine Master, all these things you will lose. So it must not be bothered, you must surrender them, do not resolve any such thing. 

So accept whatever the Divine Guru blesses you, Graces upon you. That's what is important.

Questioner:

Babaji, what do we need to do to see God everywhere and in everything? In addition to meditation and sadhana, what do we need to do, Babaji? 

Babaji:

Other things, you can remember the Divine's name, any name or any form that appeals to you, or the Divine Guru's name, even Guru's name and Guru's form you can always remember... slowly and slowly. 

Always assure yourself, anything happens in your life, ‘When I wanted it to happen like this if it has not happened, maybe my Guru wants to teach me a lesson, He wants to give his love like this, He wants to bless me in a better way by doing this, this is the best thing for me. He knows better what I need, more than me demanding what I need.’ Like this you remember always, then slowly your consciousness will turn, then you will learn to see your Divine, your Guru, everywhere in everything as everything. 

Same Questioner:

Thank you, Babaji. 

Questioner:

Pranams Babaji. I think the question that we wanted to ask Babaji may have answered. We wanted to ask, how to love unconditionally?

Babaji:

Yeah, by practicing always. Try to be humorous in life, take everything sportively, don't get hurt even for anything. So even when somebody criticizes me you know, I take it very sportively; 'Oh, Swamiji is trying to play His games again, He has no other work. Okay no problem, I am going to be smiling all the time.' Unless I need to defend any larger cause, our Ashram, or any such thing and push - I just do a little bit hissing noise to keep them away at the moment, like that. 

So moreover, if you sincerely meditate, and do the spiritual exercises - devotion also. When you become totally devoted, then automatically your consciousness will try to remember your Guru only at every time. When every moment you are able to remember the Guru, automatically your mind will see in everything as everything your Guru, then you will be able to smile and laugh. So that's what is anpu; love, care, for all and everyone.

Same Questioner:

Thank You Babaji. 

Questioner:

Pranams Babaji. 

So sometimes when we’re sad, it's easy to come out of the sadness, we think of Babaji, and we think it's for our own good, and we forget it.

But sometimes when good things happen and then we become very happy, and we still stay in these happy thoughts, and forget Babaji’s consciousness and so we stick to this happiness. Is this good? How do we come back into having consciousness of Babaji in our mind? 

Babaji:

It's by practice. In fact when you are more happy, you should be able to remember your Guru more. That is very important. That happens by practice only. 

So you become habitual to get happiness through some materialistic thing, by this world's things happening, then you are likely to forget the Guru when such happiness comes, which is impermanent, temporary. After some time when that is gone, then again unhappiness comes, then you run for the Guru again. 

So that is important that you always try to remember the Guru - in happiness, in unhappiness, in good and in bad - then your mind will achieve peace actually; more than happiness, much more peacefulness is very important. So you have to practice like that, try to see your Guru in everything. 

Even some unhappy things happen, maybe this is also something either the Guru wants me to learn some lessons, or wants me to go look for higher things in life, much better than these things. So Guru wants to give me better things, and wants to teach me lessons. Then you will be able to remember Guru at all times. 

Same Questioner:

Thank You, Baba. 

Babaji:

Blessings.

Same Questioner:

Babaji, the next question is, 'How important is it to be in constant conversation with Swamiji in our mind?' 

Babaji:

So that your mind gets tuned in to the Divinity at all times, so that's how you practice this. 

You see, mind becomes habitual to become practiced into a particular topic all the time. Some people might be very preoccupied with the movie cinema stories when they go to movies and they cannot forget all the time; some such topics. And some people might be interested to keep remembering malls, and markets, this, and so many things. As the mind becomes habitual it always gets tuned into such things only. 

In the same way if you can tune in that you remember every moment, every time, so remember the Guru. Converse with Him as if the Guru is your father, your dear one, you talk to such loved ones like that, you always keep conversing. And even when you are unhappy, if you get irritated, annoyed, you fight with your Guru a little bit as if your Guru is your father, and you are a daughter, or you are a son and you are fighting with your father. Like that, every moment, in every way, try to remember the Guru. 

Ninda stuti also is there in the bhakti marga, is very important. God becomes very happy when you fight with God. That is said in bhakti marga, that only out of love only we start fighting with our beloved ones, you see? Like that. 

So you always practice, remembering God is very, very important. Only then your mind remains purified into consciousness, it will give up unnecessary other thoughts and visions, everything. It will give up - slowly, it will get back into the Divinity. It becomes one with the Divine. That also is a meditation. 

Same Questioner:

Thank You Babaji. 

The next question from the chat, 'Babaji, how to resolve the attachment that comes from being in a soul group? 

Babaji:

You see, you be in a group... just be in a group, you don't have to become attached to each and every person. 

Say suppose you come to a center, our Spiritual Center. So you become attached to the Master, because of that you come. If you become attached to other people, if other people one day you like and you come there, another day if you don't like the other people you stop coming to the center, you will be the loser. We were taught that you become attached to the God, to the Divine Guru, that is the only worthy thing to be attached. Then you will not give up whether other people are behaving or not behaving, you won't bother about them. So that is very important. 

Same Questioner:

The next question Babaji, ‘Is there proper way to conduct daily prayers?’ 

Babaji:

Sradda, bhakti, devotion, minds application, [transl] ‘You must do it with full focus of the mind.’ That is the proper way. 

Means, keep a place in your home sanctified, like an altar is recommended always, with a Gurus photo, or a small idol, whatever you can have it. So then in front of that you put a seat, every day you sit for prayers there, then you will be able to feel that sanctified vibrations. Then your mind also gets tuned into that prayer. 

Every day with a discipline, dedication, and with all the patience, practice remembering the Divine Guru, with stotrams, with bhajans, meditation, and all participate in the agnihotra. Everything is so wonderful always. 

Same Questioner:

The next question on the chat is, 'Does being a vegetarian make us more spiritual?' 

Babaji:

If you ask my personal opinion, I would recommend vegetarian food is much better. So you see, whatever you food you undertake, you eat - that has to become blood, and that blood gets supplied along with oxygen to the brain. Based on the blood’s quality, brain’s quality of reflections also may vary. Means it may make you more depressive, make you more sleepy if it is a very heavy food and indigestible; you are unable to digest it properly. But if the food is light and a vegetarian one, so that can give better blood, and that is supplied to the brain. Brain's reflections will be very helpful for you. 

However, my Guru never insisted on any particular thing, because He was a very unique teacher in a different way. He used to say, 'Just meditate, first go to the main switch. On your own you will lose interest. When you meditate you won't feel interested to eat non-vegetarian food at all, you will eat only light food.' He used to say, 'If I prescribe, then your mind will be thinking of that food only all the time, and you won't meditate properly.' For that reason, He did not insist of any particular food for people of this world. 

Also in different places, depending on the weather conditions, availability, cultural background, people may have different habits. But vegetarian food He also personally recommended when asked for His opinion. 

Same Questioner:

Thank You Babaji. 

The next question Babaji is actually from one of the youths. The question is, 'Babaji, whenever I meditate, my mind thinks about time, makes my eyeballs move even when I try to hold my eyeballs. It also plays with my past emotions at times. Please guide me Babaji.'

Babaji:

Whatever it is do not discontinue meditation. Slowly try to be gentle so that your eyeballs don't start moving. Steadily watch in front, and after some time it will bother for only one or two minutes, then you can overcome those emotions, and you can continue doing the meditation also. It is very important. 

So do not bother about the time also. So either you keep an alarm so that until the alarm doesn't sound you don't think about the time, forget about the time. Otherwise also, if you don't have an alarm, you just go on doing as long as you want to do, and then you get up. If you keep thinking, 'I have to sit for half an hour, I have to sit for one hour,' then your mind will go around the time only. [transl] ‘One hour hasn’t passed yet! One hour hasn’t passed yet!’ So don't bother about the time, just meditate, When you have to meditate, meditate.

Same Questioner:

Thank You Babaji. There is one more question, 'After performing meditation for the day and towards the end of the day when the body is tired to do further meditation, how best can we spend the time rather than being idle or doing unproductive things? 

Babaji:

Meditate. [Baba laughs]

You see, every time human beings they want to avoid meditating, and they bring in this reason, that reason, so many things. 

If you are tired, either you go to sleep if you are feeling sleepy, don't allow your mind to become a devil's workshop. Or, if necessary you sit on to the wall, and keep some cushion, some pillow to your back, and gently close your eyes, try to remember the Guru, try to watch in the front portion, and as watching, watching, you go to sleep also, no problem if you are tired, but try to watch as long as you are awake, don't give up. It's like in the battlefield. See, some valiant soldiers, they know they are going to die in the next moment, but they keep fighting, they continue fighting, they don't give up till the last breath of life. 

Like that, gently practice meditation as much as possible, you will be more successful.