Transcript:

This transcript was created automatically from the audio recording and has not been proofread yet. It may contain errors, especially with Sanskrit terms and with questions from the audience. Please get in touch if you would like to help improve it! https://robert-adams.de/contact/

Shivaya, Om shanti, peace. Good evening. It’s good to be with you again. Happy smiling people here on this breezy winter’s day. I’m surprised some of you came out into the storm. It’s amazing what an effect an animal can have on your life. Ramana Maharshi used to have monkeys coming in and out of his home, grabbing all the fruit and prasad, and peacocks running about. When you have a disturbance, like the dog seems to disturb some of you when he’s playing, you’re looking about it the wrong way. I know some of you are saying to yourselves it should be quiet we’re meditating but this is an erroneous concept because the fact is we’re not meditating we’re simply sitting in the silence and the silence and the quietness you’re looking for is within yourself it has absolutely nothing to do with the external world always remember this every disturbance in this world is maya an illusion the perfect silence is within yourself do not believe that you can go to an ashram or to a monastery or move away from your place of business because there is too much noise wherever you go you will find the same noise for the noise is really something that’s happening to you.

Your true nature is silence, quietness, peace and nothing can ever disturb that. The world can do nothing to your true silence. Only if you identify with the world and to identify with the world you must identify with the body-mind.

Then there’s a disturbance. But if you have an inkling what I’m talking about what can actually disturb you there is no disturbance for you are not the world there are not two worlds one of silence and one of disturbance there is only one world it’s like mesmerism like the water in the mirage you somehow have come to believe that there is an outside world and in that world there is disturbance so when you hear noises when something does appear to disturb you that’s your teacher look at that disturbance as your teacher and investigate you can only investigate within yourself therefore you must ask yourself to whom comes this disturbance whose feathers have been ruffled who believes there is something wrong and of course the answer will come I do because I’m trying to keep still I’m trying to keep quiet and there are noises this is going on and that’s going on but to whom is this happening you ask yourself again it’s happening to me I feel it who is the I that feels it where did it come from what is its source the source is the self it’s consciousness the source is absolutely beautiful total beauty, total joy pure awareness the I appears to come out of the source when you go backwards and you inquire for whom is the I the I goes back into the source you can call the source the gap the fourth dimension when the I goes back into the gap there is a prevailing peace no matter what is going on in the world there can be bombs falling there can be cannons shot all over the place but I can assure you you will be at peace think about this think how many times just during today you were disturbed by something this is your ego your ego is always ruffled always feels slighted once things its way yet as you begin to realize I am not the ego, the ego has no place in me, you will be left in peace.

You see, the external world doesn’t even exist. It appears to exist, just as your body appears to exist. And this appears difficult for most people to comprehend, as an example.

As most of you know, I’m on the phone most of the day, talking to people from all over the world. Just the other day, I received a phone call from someone in Texas.

And he said, Robert, I think I’m enlightened. So I said, why? He said, I haven’t gone to the bathroom in three days. So I stopped and I said, what does that have to do with it? So he explained, well, if you were Jnani, you don’t have to do these things.

So I said, I think you’re constipated, mentally and physically. First of all, an enlightened being has absolutely nothing to do with your body. The bodily functions go on. It’s like when people ask me, do you have dreams?

Do you eat? if you didn’t do any of these things you wouldn’t have the body it would just drop off it’s an appearance, that’s true but the appearance is functional it does everything that everybody else does except the awareness is there that that’s not you in other words when I eat, Robert is eating but Robert is the name given to me at birth I am not that I am absolute reality. I am that I am. I am pure awareness, consciousness. The I-ness has absolutely nothing to do with Robert. You see Robert when you look at me. The only difference between you and me is that you think you’re looking at something that’s real, the body. whereas the bodily concept has disappeared from my life years ago.

I realize again this is sort of difficult to comprehend but you have to remember you are not what you appear to be. Even scientifically you are not what you appear to be. Remember the story about the atoms that you really space. I won’t go into the story again. But the atoms between your cells are equivalent to the distance between here and Mars and planets all over the universe.

You’re mostly compared to space. Space is your real nature. Even scientifically and physically and relatively, space is your real nature. Let me remind you again, if I put you under an electric microscope, you would see space and your atoms would be like suns in the universe.

This is why it is written you are the microcosm in the macrocosm. You are not what you appear to be. The whole universe is like that.

No thing in this universe is what it appears to be. Now what does this do for you? Again, the question should be well, even if what you’re saying is true is this teaching practical?

What can it do for me? How can I use it? If you’re looking to improve your humanhood it can do nothing for you. But if you’re looking to find eternal peace immortality total bliss then this teaching is for you. Remember your life what you call your life in your body right now is but a split second in all eternity. you’re here today and you’re gone tomorrow therefore what are you doing with your life how many more years do you have left on this earth many people are trying to improve their body they work out at the spa they spend their life eating vitamins and minerals and taking good care of themselves you should take good care of yourself there’s no question about this but you should not get involved in doing so

See, if you leave your body alone, it knows exactly what to do to take care of itself. Remember, if you think of God, if you keep the mind staying on the self,

You’re not going to fall apart. You will know what to do. Even better than what you think you’re doing now. What you call the body is under a law.

And this law of the universe will take care of it. you have nothing to do with this. It’s again hard to discover and to understand how can I be at peace when there’s man and humanity to man going on? When all these atrocities, these dastardly deeds are being done in the world to others.

Shouldn’t I bring peace to this world? How can you bring peace to this world when you don’t even understand who you are? you can’t even bring peace to yourself so how can you bring peace to this world by becoming self-realized you bring peace to this world how?

Because when you awaken the realization comes that you are the self of the universe the whole universe is the self and you are that awakening is not a selfish thing when you awaken you no longer think of yourself you have become all-pervading your self with a small s no longer exists most people still believe that when they awaken from this dream they will become a powerful self they will have all powers and they’ll be able to do all kinds of magic have cities why?

To what purpose does this serve? people want healing powers they want to be able to heal they want to change things with their minds they want to do all kinds of things this is all ego when you awaken you realize that you are the universe everything is going on within yourself the whole universe is superimposed on you and there is nothing wrong right now you may feel that there is something wrong in your personal life or in the world.

You must continuously ask yourself who feels this? To whom does it come? You must catch yourself fast before your thoughts start running away with you. Realize that you are not a doer.

What’s going on in the universe has absolutely nothing to do with you. What do I mean by that? That sounds like a selfish way to look at it. I don’t mean your humanhood. I mean your true self has transcended the appearance of the world.

The body may appear to go through certain things in this world but the realization always tells you I am that I am. I am free and liberated.

I am pure intelligence. I am. I. And you begin to feel the peace and the joy that is none of this world everything in this world has come to an end everything that’s born must die why would you want to hold on to something that is transitory that’s only here for a short time and identify with it and feel it and try to improve it why not identify with reality then all the questions will stop

All of the disturbance of the mind will stop. All of the so-called evil will disappear. And you will be free. Take a look at your life.

Think of the things you’re going through right now. Whatever they may be. Do you fear anything? Is something not going your way? So you’re upset?

Try to realize that your real self can never be hurt. Can never be upset. Or not of this world. You are a divine being.

You are spirit. You are God. When I say you are God, I’m not referring to an anthropomorphic deity. And then you think you as an ego are God.

I’m speaking of your real nature. Fred, Robert, Mary, James, Jones can never be God. Yet your real nature is God. What is God? Omnipresence.

Absolute reality. Always think of these things. Never allow yourself to get wrapped up in a problem. I know you may say, but if I don’t resolve this problem, this will happen and that will happen.

Try it just for once. Instead of thinking of your problem, ask to whom the problem has come to. it’s a real fact you know that if you don’t practice when you appear to have a problem you will not be able to practice then because you will be so intensified as far as your problem is concerned that you will not even be able to remove your thoughts from the problem but when you practice when you don’t have any problems it increases your mental stamina so when something does happen in your life you don’t ignore it but you’re able to do the right thing in a peaceful happy, conscientious way and then that makes you go further as you continue practicing the day will come when you’re totally awakened and everything will become meaningless to you everything will become meaningless because you’ll know the world is like kindergarten if you go into a kindergarten class and you watch all the kiddies playing some are throwing spitballs some are pulling each other’s hair some are drawing Santa Claus on paper some are screaming, some are laughing, some are crying they’re all doing kindergarten things and you just smile for you will realize I don’t belong here I’m not in kindergarten yet you will appreciate all the little kitties that are for you realize that they will grow up and they will be like you someday so it is with life as you begin to awaken the things of this world become meaningless yet you’re still active as a body the body goes about its business it works or it doesn’t work it moves around when it sits still it does whatever it has to do but it has nothing to do with you again, you are not the body you are not the doer but the work will go on and your body will appear to do whatever it has to do yet you’re not identified with the body any longer you are reality you are peace you are love you are joy you are happiness and you express this in your everyday life the world will never fool you again for instance the war with Iraq most of you identify with the war you are keeping score and going for the good guys that’s like the snake and the rope when you think the rope is a snake you’re very careful you watch while you’re walking you keep your mind on the rope because you think it’s a snake and you keep watching it walking around it, observing it.

But once you realize it’s a rope, you pay no attention to it, do you? You pass by, you don’t even think about it. Every time you pass by the rope, there is no thought about the rope whatsoever.

But while you believe there was a snake, you were worried, you were fearful. You watched where you walked. You were very careful. So it is with the world.

As long as you believe you are the body, and you identify with the world you’re going to be fearful you’re going to be worried you’re going to have to watch yourself you’re going to be careful you will not trust people you will be suspicious you will be doubtful and you will have a million and one hang-ups because you think the rope’s a snake but once you awaken you continue to walk in the world so it appears but the world can no longer frighten you

It has no power over you. You become a jivamakta, a free soul, while embodied, so to speak. Of course the reality is there is no body, there never was a body, and there’s no one to be a jivamakta.

But if you think about that, it doesn’t make any sense to you. Therefore you’ve got to start where you’re at. That’s what the practice is all about.

The truth is, nobody needs to practice. Practice what? Being what you are? You are already that. So the practice is for you because you don’t know who you are.

It’s like being in school. And you keep forgetting your name. So the T-Chang is a sign over your neck. Your name is Susan, don’t forget.

And you keep forgetting and you have to keep looking at the sign. And one day you remember that you’re Susan. So you take off the sign and throw it away. You no longer need it. That’s what a practice is like. You practice, who am I? To whom does this come? Because you believe you’re a human being.

That’s why you have to practice. When you awaken, there’s no practice. There’s no meditation. There’s no system. There are no books to read. You are yourself.

Ask yourself, who am I? Who is this? What is this? What is the source of I? Was I really born? Do I die? Who was born? Who dies? All of the answers are within yourself.

Everything that you want to know is within yourself. The realization that you think you’re looking for is really yourself. How do you spend your time?

Where do you go all day? What do you do? Are you getting further involved in the world, in thoughts? The world is very tricky. will grab a hold of you and make you believe all sorts of things.

You’ve got to be alert. You’ve got to investigate. You’ve got to be intelligent. Question everything. Observe. Watch. Be still. When you sit by yourself,

You’re not sitting to meditate. Remember this. Meditation is when you’re practicing yoga. In our system, we do not meditate. Because remember, meditation requires a subject and an object the realization here there’s no subject and there’s no object you’re simply sitting in the silence and observing yourself then the observer has to go but as you sit observing yourself you allow the thoughts to come as they will in a peaceful way inquire to whom do these thoughts come or you can observe your thoughts and watch them and say nothing but do not feel them See, that’s the difference between Vipassana meditation,

Buddhist meditation, and Atma Bhattara. In Buddhist meditation, when you sit and you watch your thoughts and you observe your thoughts, the thoughts sometimes appear more powerful. As you know, if you’ve been practicing that method.

And they overwhelm you. And then you stop to practice. This is why we rather question. Because it keeps your mind busy. So it cannot think. Remember, you’re using your mind to destroy your mind.

We’re tricking the mind. Every time we ask the question, to whom does this thought come, we’re tricking the mind. For you feel the thought comes to me. I feel this fear.

Well, where did the I come from? Why it comes out of myself. But where did it come from? What’s the source? Seeking the source of the I is called abidance in the I. As you abide in the I, and it’s the I thought you’re abiding in,

Your mind becomes weaker and weaker because it doesn’t know you’re tricking it. And the I is going back into that gap that we’re talking about, the fourth dimension, beyond waking, sleeping, and dreaming. Then you enter the source and you disappear. Then you find perfect bliss because you have become bliss. So in my estimation, upon investigating all the systems and all the yogas, Atma vichara is really the fastest way to awaken due to the fact, again, that in every other system you’re using your mind to increase the power of your mind. By Atma vichara, self-inquiry, you use the mind to destroy the mind. You’ll find that as you practice also, that you sleep less, and you’re happier about it.

You dream less, and you begin to discover that something within you is awake while you’re sleeping. Something is conscious. That’s why it’s called consciousness.

There is something conscious that is awake while you’re dreaming, watching, aware. that’s why it’s also called pure awareness because it’s always aware of the goings on you’re in the so called waking state in this state the same awareness is present this is what I meant before when I said you feel that the whole universe is superimposed on yourself on the self I meant the awareness you are aware of what’s going on in the world yet you’re separate from it

You are aware of your dream state, yet you’re separate from it. You are aware of your state of deep sleep, yet you’re separated from it.

I know it sounds a little difficult to understand. How can you be in deep sleep, you ask, and be awake at the same time?

To me, that’s very simple. You are not the sleeper. The one who appears to sleep is the body. But if you’ve made a severance from your body, then you become the one who perceives the body sleeping. dreaming, awake. It’s all the same.

What this ultimately leads to is total happiness, total peace, total joy, total harmony, total love. It’s so beautiful, you can’t describe it. You become free. Free of everything.

People look at you, and they see themselves. That’s all they can see. So the people who look at you and think you are a body, are the people who believe they are a body.

When people look at you and they think things are going on in your life, it’s because things are going on in their life. Don’t you see? It’s all in the first principle.

Everything is an emanation of your mind. It’s all being created inside of yourself. When you’re looking at the world and you’re looking at the universe, you’re seeing yourself.

So if you do not exist, the universe does not exist. You turn your tape over, then Fred exists. We get so involved. We get so involved in tape recorders, in lessons, in all of these things. It’s sort of funny to me. Play the tape first, okay.

But the time really has to come in your life when you let go of all these things. It’s not the books, it’s not the lessons, it’s not the tapes. It’s yourself.

Everything takes place within you. what you see is what you get you’ve got to practice and you’ve got to find out for yourself this is the reason why I tell you so often do not believe a word I say why should you believe me? find out for yourself investigate check it out realize there are some of you here you only come to satsang and that’s it and the rest of the week you go to other meetings things, you read strange books, you’re involved in so many things you don’t know where to turn. Well, I can’t tell you what to do and I won’t. But the fact is, if you want to wake up, you’ve got to investigate for yourself and realize if I’m telling the truth or not.

You should never follow me blindly. If you see yourself, you’ll see me. If you see your ego, you’ll see me also, but as an ego, wake up now and become free. Any questions? Feel free to make statements, comments, questions. Talk about anything. You can talk about Henry.

Jnani and the saints. Many people in many books, as a matter of fact, they refer to us the same way. But actually, what happens is this. A saint is usually a nice person, an elderly statesman or woman, sort of a guru image that teaches certain teachings, meditation, has disciples and devotees, and has a certain practice. whereas a Jnani is a natural avahut a free soul a Jnani is totally unattached to systems to the world or to teachings the Jnani himself is the teaching it’s completely different like night and day a Jnani looks at the world and sees himself a saint looks at the world and still sees others but tries to improve a lot. When I talk to you I realize that the talk is not that important but the presence of Darshan is important and that you already have so there’s really nothing I have to give you but a saint still believes he’s separate so he believes he still has magical powers cities that he can give Darshan himself to certain people who deserve it,

Then he’s responsible for others. But to a Jnani, there are no others. And there’s no responsibility. A Jnani just is. He’s not this and he’s not that.

He just is. He has no objective, no motive. Whereas a saint, in most instances, is involved in building ashrams, spreading the teachings all over the world having classes in different countries in different states building monasteries and involving separateness a Jnani has no goals no ambitions, no desires Surayani is rare saints are plentiful that’s the main difference every day if you look at the whole lifetimes and the rest of these throwaways there’s a so-called thing that arrives in town.

A new person has come to town. And he promises, I can do this for you, I can do that for you, I can do all kinds of things for you. But that has its place, I suppose.

But a young, he never comes to town. He doesn’t deliberately go anywhere. And he doesn’t claim to help anybody. And he’s nobody to begin with. He has no supernatural powers.

He’s not interested in healing the world. because to him the world doesn’t exist as it appears but by his very presence all kinds of wonderful things transpire but you have to discover this for yourself