– Transcript 180
R: I welcome you with all my heart. If you came here to hear a profound lecture, by an eloquent speaker, you came to the wrong place. If you came here to hear a fool speak a bunch of nonsense, you came to the right place. For after all what can I say to you? What can I possibly tell you? You don’t even exist! You’re all an optical illusion. Nobody exists. So what should I say to people who do not exist? There’s absolutely nothing to say. Yet most of you came here dressed in your finery, wanting to hear the speaker speak something intelligent for you, to speak something eloquent, but you’re not going to hear that, so get used to it.
I’ll tell you this much. We’ve all been totally brainwashed since birth. Everything we believe is false, everything. Everything we have faith in, everything we’ve been told in school, in churches, everywhere, it is all false. You are false. I am false. There is no reality.
If there were a reality, you’d not be able to express it, for it would be beyond human conception. If there were a truth, we would not be able to understand it, for it would be beyond the finite mind. The finite mind cannot understand anything, cannot know anything.
Yet there’s no finite mind, so there’s no one to know anything.
When you look at me, what do you see? You see whatever you’ve been programmed to see. You do not see reality. You see your programming. For instance, if you grew up a Christian, you may say, “Well, Robert is sort of Christ-like.” If you were brought up an agnostic, you may say, “Well, I don’t know what the heck Robert is at all.” If you were brought up Jewish, you would say, “Robert is a great Rabbi.” If you were brought up Buddhist, you would say, “Robert is a Bodhisattva.” If you were brought up in a family of thieves, you would say, “Robert is a con man.” You’re seeing yourself. You’re seeing your programming. You’re seeing the way you’ve been made to think, all of these years since you were a little boy or a little girl. It’s all false.
In reality Robert is neither this nor that, neither up nor down, neither backward nor frontward, and you are the same way. In other words, we’re all nothing. But what is this nothing. Is it really nothing? No thing? We see the whole world before us, and the whole world is subject to the law of change. Everything changes constantly, constantly.
What is real can never be changed. Therefore what is real? Where is the reality? There is no reality. There’s really nothing that changes. There is only that what is. What is, is something you can never understand. People call it by names like Brahman, absolute reality, consciousness, the Self, pure effortless, choice-less awareness. These are all names. Most of you have heard these names again, and again and again. You’ve read many books. You’ve been to many teachers. You’ve seen many lectures. And yet, where are you now? Have you come any closer to self-realization? Is there really anybody who has to become self-realized? Is there such a thing as self-realization? You don’t really know. You’re only speaking from books you’ve read, from sermons you’ve listened to, from lectures you have heard, from tapes, teachers. You’ve heard certain words, certain phraseologies, certain so called truths. Yet what good does it do you?
The only effort you’ll ever make is when you keep silent. When you are silent, everything is done through you. The tree outside is totally silent, yet it grows beautiful leaves all by itself. It doesn’t have to talk to grow leaves. It doesn’t have to become anything to grow leaves. It doesn’t have to do a thing. Yet we all believe we have to do certain things to become self-realized. We believe we have to practice certain sadhanas, spiritual practices. We have to meditate, year in, year out. We believe we have to get rid of some things and add some things to our selves. But the ultimate reality is, you have nothing to get rid of, for you have never become anything. It is all your hallucination. It is all an optical illusion.
How can you sit there and say you’re an optical illusion, when you can feel yourself, you can see, you can hear, you can smell, you can touch? Think about a time when you’re dreaming. In the dream you’re doing the same thing, aren’t you? You have certain experiences, you go through certain situations, you meet certain people, you travel to certain countries, yet you awaken in the morning, and all that’s disappeared. The entire dream world has gone. This is a dream world you’re in now. You are dreaming the mortal dream, that you are a man, you are a woman, you are a child, you have a job, you go through certain experiences, things happen to you in your life. Yet this is not true. This is a lie. In reality, you’ve never been born, you do not prevail, and you do not die. There’s no one who ever dies, for there’s no one who was ever born.
How can you see yourself this way? By remaining silent, by not reading so much, by not remembering anything. By not trying to be profound and thinking you have to remember this passage from this book, you have to remember what I said. You should never remember anything I say. You should not believe a word I say. Why should you?
You should understand yourself, that you are the one. You are the only one. There are no others. There is only that which has always been, and that is you. When you realize you do not have to practice sadhana, or meditate, or go through spiritual practices with yoga, life becomes easy, wonderful. There’s no striving for anything. There’s no trying to become somebody or something. You are your Self. You have always been your Self, the Self which is bright and shining, the Self which is. You are that Self.
Can you feel this? Can you feel that you’re not your body, or your mind, or the world, or words, or books? Can you feel that you have no needs, no desires, no wants?
Can you feel that you cannot be hurt, in any way whatsoever, that you are perfect and pure, just the way you are, there’s absolutely nothing you have to surrender, for you never had anything except the pure Self that you are? Can you feel your emotions, the anger, the
self-destructive emotions you’ve carried along for so many years, the animosities, the hatred? Can you realize this is not part of you that this never existed? Can you feel this, that right now you are pure intelligence, right this moment, right now? You are the ultimate, right now, just the way you are. When I say just the way you are, I am not referring to your body, the way you appear to be. Just the way you are is absolute Brahman. Just the way you are is the Self. Therefore when I speak words like this, with what do you identify? When I say you are perfect just the way you are, you think of your name, and your body, and your mind, and the person you appear to be.
That’s not who you are. That’s not just the way you are. Just the way you are is God, what we call God. When I tell you to stay just the way you are, I’m referring to your true Self, you real nature, your reality, svarupa. Stay just the way you are, never change.
But when you start thinking, you spoil it. As soon as you start thinking about it, you spoil it. Yet you can stop the mind from thinking, if you want to. You may practice self-inquiry.
You may ask yourself, “Who am I? Who am I who thinks? Who am I who appears to exist?
Who am I who appears to have problems? Who sees the world as a threat?” And the answer is right in the question, for you are asking Who am I? This I is not you. This I you are inquiring about is not you at all. It is really your ego.
So when you practice self-inquiry, you begin to understand, basically, that you are not the I, the I that’s always in need, the I that feels frustrated, the I that believes something is wrong someplace. “Who am I?” means, “Where does this I come from? Where does this false I originate from? Who created it? Who gave it birth? Who am I?” When you ask the question, “Who am I?” you’re never referring to the higher consciousness, the absolute reality, to pure awareness. This is not I. The question is meant for your ego, to try to see, to understand, that the I-thought is the only enemy you’ve got. The I-thought has always been the culprit, that’s caused you eons of misery, karmic affliction, reincarnation, samskaras.
All of these things are attached to the I. Not to you, but to the I. Not to you, but the I. Can’t you begin to see now that you are totally free? It is the I that has the problems? By seeking the source of the I, all of your problems, all of the world, your body, everything will disappear. It will all dissolve into the source. What is the source? I’m not speaking about applesauce. The source is your Self. You are the source, and you are nirvana. The I has absolutely nothing to do with you.
Think about this. Those of you who wish to practice atma-vichara, start doing this in the morning when you first wake up. Inquire, “Who am I?” and keep still. Never answer that question. As thoughts come into your mind, you begin to think, inquire, “To whom do these thoughts come? To whom do these thoughts come? Who’s thinking these thoughts?
To whom do they come? Why, they come to me of course. I think these thoughts. I, I, I.
Who am I?” You continue the process. You remain still again. As more thoughts come into your mind, you inquire, “To whom do they come? They come to me. I think these thoughts. Well, who am I?” As you continue to practice this method, you will notice that the space in between “Who am I?” becomes larger and larger, more extensive. There is a vast gap between “Who am I?” whenever you say it. That gap is your reality. The day will come when you say, “Who am I?” you will keep silence for hours. The mind will no longer move. The thoughts will no longer come. The feelings will become transcended, and you will be totally free and liberated. Yet, some of you do not have to do this at all. Some of you may just awaken, by being at satsang, by hearing me talk about nothing. It’s up to you. That’s right. It’s up to you.
I realize some of you are saying, “Robert, if I could only awaken, I would do it.
How could it be up to me? I want it. I want to become free and liberated.” But do you?
What’s the most important thing in your life right now? And you’ll see why you’re not liberated. There’s something you’re attached to, that you’ll not let go. This is what keeps you in bondage. The word liberation simply means to be non-attached to person, place or thing. When you’re not attached to person, place or thing, nothing binds you, and you are totally free. Now I don’t mean that you have to leave your family, you have to leave your job and go away on a mountaintop. I’m speaking of mentally. It all happens in your mind.
And then, in the end, in the last analysis, the mind has to go also. And then you’re free.
So those of you who are saying, “Why am I not free now? Why am I still bound?” I say to you, when did you become angry last? When did you become annoyed last? When did something irritate you last? When did you become upset last? When were you worried about your body, about your circumstances last? When did you concern yourself about the world last? These are the things that hold you in bondage. This is why we talk about bondage, for you are in bondage when you believe the world can do something to you, can turn you on this way, and turn you off this way. When you take the world seriously, you are in bondage.
Yet, you’re saying to me, “Robert, how can I not worry about this world? I cannot be inhuman. Look at the dastardly things going on in this world? Look at man’s inhumanity to man, the wars we have going on.” My answer to you is to whom does this come? If you want to change the world, you’ve got to become enlightened. You’ve got to awaken, for when you awaken, you will see the world in a new perspective. You will see the world as your Self. Now this becomes paradoxical. You will be able to look at this world, and you will see your Self, just as right this moment, you are seeing the world as yourself. If you’re seeing hard times, if you’re seeing trouble, affliction, this is because you’re seeing yourself.
You’re seeing what you feel. But a realized person does not see this. A realized person observes this, but sees the reality, perfection.
Just as a screen is covered with images in the movie theater, when you watch the movie, you identify totally and completely with the movie, with the images that are going on on the screen. You never think of the screen at all, do you? You think of the images. It has a beginning, a middle, and an end. When the picture is finished, it is the screen. The screen has always been there. The images have changed. In the same instance all of the conditions of life are superimposed on consciousness, which is your Self. In other words,
all of this is going on within you. All of the world’s trials and tribulations are going on within yourself. You are the creator. It’s all happening within you. You are the one who gives it power by sending it forth from yourself. Where else would it come from? Again we go back to the dream analysis. Who would ever believe that a dream comes out of yourself? A person who has never dreamt would laugh in your face, for he would say, “How can a different world, that appears to be like the same world, exist? How can I have other experiences besides the experiences I have now? How can the entire world become real to me?” But it does, as you know you’ve all dreamt. You do not pay any attention to this. When the dream is over you awaken, you forget about your dream.
The world is the same way. The world is a cosmic dream. It is up to you to awaken from this world dream. The idea is to keep the mind quiet and still, and not follow the I-thought out into this world, where it causes havoc and pain, but to keep the I-thought centered in your heart where it belongs, in your spiritual heart, where it can never come out again. There is an exercise we do to make this happen. It is called the I-am meditation, very powerful exercise. If you have to meditate, if you want to meditate this is the most powerful meditation there is. You will find many changes taking place in your life as you practice this meditation. So let’s do it all together, shall we?
Make yourself comfortable. Close your eyes to remove obstructions and focus your attention on your breath. Listen to your breathing, to your respiration. Do not try to alter your breath, just listen to it. Observe it, watch it. If your mind wanders gently bring it back again to watching your breath. Feel the sensations in your body. You have become the witness to your respiration. You are witnessing yourself breathing. This alone makes you very quiet and still and peaceful.
Now ask yourself the question, “Who is the witness that is watching the breath?
Who is this witness?” Say to yourself, “I am, I am.” With your respiration as you inhale you say, “I,” as you exhale say, “am.” Inhale say, “I,” exhale say, “am.” As you are doing this realize that as you inhale, you’re inhaling the entire universe. As you exhale the universe becomes alive again through you. You inhale the universe everything, all of life is sucked into your consciousness. You say, “am,” you exhale he universe again. “I am.”
(long silence)
It is now time to play “Stump The Guru.”
I forgot to give you the basket to ask questions. Tom is there any questions in the basket? (ST: These are all blank.) (laughter) Like your mind.
R: Well feel free to ask anything, to say something you like.
ST: Sir how can such tenderness come to an optical illusion?
R: Tenderness is part of your seeing. It’s how you observe. It’s what you see. It’s your life, your projection. You feel and see tenderness because you’re tender inside. You are not well done yet you’re still tender. (laughter) When you become well done you will become free of all of these things. But we always observe ourselves. We always see our self as the world. Always think of yourself as a mirror. The mirror can never see itself but it sees its projection in the world. Therefore whatever you see is yourself. What else can you see but yourself.
SY: The conflicts that you have with people is just your ego stuff? (R: Exactly.) It’s yourself. Your ego that you’re seeing.
R: You’re projecting the whole game. You are creating the whole thing. (SY: So to get rid of the conflict then you just…) Not to join in. No, you draw it in. (SY: Not register it?) You don’t run away, you don’t try to change things. (SY: Right.) Because wherever you go you’ve got to take yourself with you. (SY: So what is…?) You draw it in. You ask, “To whom does this come? Who is experiencing this? I am. Who am I?” And you will notice as you keep inquiring, “Who am I?” the I is leaving the brain going into the heart center where it belongs. Once the I is out of the brain and into the heart everything becomes peaceful and quiet. There is no more conflict. (SY: So this is all it’s mimic? You don’t need it?) Exactly, it is your I that has the conflicts. Once the I is gone, with whom should you have conflict? But not as the ego, same thing. (SY: So it doesn’t matter what you do, I mean, get rid of…) It matters what you do due to the fact, as long as you still believe that you are the body you are under the laws of cause and effect and under the laws of karma. (SY: As long as you’re in a body?) Yes, because you feel you are the body. (SY: Oh while you feel you are the body?) Yes, so you have to be careful what you do because it will all come back to you. What goes around, comes around. Because you believe you’re human, you’re a body. But when you realize that you’re inhuman then you will be totally free. Who wants to be human? (laughter) (SH: Not everyone) SX: Sir it’s so wonderful that you can use your freedom, your Self to be here before us and to illumine the situation this way.
R: Well I didn’t ask for it voluntarily. (students laugh) It just happened. (SX: Well it’s just wonderful the way it just happened.) I don’t know whether it’s wonderful or not. It just is who we are. Perhaps next time around you’ll be sitting here and I’ll be sitting there, who knows? Who cares? (laughter) All I can tell you is all is well. Everything is beautiful, everything is God and you are that.
SP: Excuse me sir can I ask a question? (R: Of course.) As you were saying before that since everything is an illusion and you were saying there was no benefit practicing sadhana, is there anything at all in prayer and meditation and visiting holy places?
R: Again as long as you feel you are a body then these things are necessary for you. When you have a glimpse of you not being a body at all there is no need to do these things. When you feel you’re separate then prayer is necessary, visiting holy places is necessary, doing sadhana is necessary for you feel you are somebody that has to do these things. But when the somebody disappears and no longer exists who will do these things.
When the I is gone, when the I is transcended and transmuted there is no one left to do anything. Then you are totally and completely free. But as long as you feel that you are a body you’ll have to do things for the body, to appease the body. Get rid of the notion you are the body. (SP: What do you do when you are totally free?) You do nothing, there is nothing
you have to do. Yet again it’s a paradox, it’ll appear to others as if you’re doing something.
But this is their outlook this is what they see. But you know darn well that you are not doing anything. For there is no one left to do anything. The body may appear to be doing things, yet you’re doing nothing.
SH: Who is the you, you are referring to then that you know darn well that you’re doing nothing.
R: I’m referring to your humanhood because I’m talking to you. (SH: No, but from your point of view.) From my point of view I’m not doing anything, not saying anything, nothing is happening. (SH: There is no you there. There is no you doing anything?) Nothing is going on. There is no you… (SH: That’s simplified enormously?) (laughs) There is no one doing anything. That is why having a dialogue it appears as if we’re doing something. Yet I can assure that nobody is doing a thing.
SX: Okay so this is about everything again being meaningless and that’s okay?
R: Don’t say it like that. (laughter) (SX: Why not, it doesn’t matter, I mean…) It does matter. (SX: Why does it matter?) It matters because you’re just saying that with your voice.
(SX: No I’m not done though.) But you don’t feel totally empty and totally free. (SX: That’s right.) So therefore you’ve got to pay attention to the rules and regulations of the world.
(SX: To what?) The worlds rules and regulations. (SX: Right.) And do whatever is right. You have to feed the poor, feed the homeless, help the needy. Develop loving kindness, compassion and all the rest of that stuff. (SX: Because we’re being human?) Of course. (SX: I mean you can’t really transcend humanness when you’re human, you’re still human?) Yes, but when the body is no longer yours and you realize that you are not the doer then you have become all-pervasive. (SX: You what?) You become all-pervasive. (SX: When you’re unstuck within the limits of a body?) When you’re not the body. You become omnipresence. Then you are everything, you’re the whole universe. (SX: That’s great, meanwhile… (laughter) …here we are and we have the limits of this stuff here, you know…) Then you’ve got to do the best you can. (SX: And there is no right way or wrong way to do that. So just don’t worry about it so it hasn’t decided to do something right?) You don’t worry about it, that is right, but you have to practice what you have to practice and do what you have to do to eliminate the idea of a body.
SX: Okay and meanwhile while life is going on and there is these rules and regulations that I will explain - is it okay if we talk like we’re not enlightened here and just talk like a person?
(R: Sure.) Let’s be a person. (laughter) Let’s just be a human a regular old human. Not someone who is enlightened or trying to look enlightened. (R: Okay.) I’d rather not. You know like, that I can’t get in any scope but there is still the stuff you do while you’re being human. (R: Yes.) You care for your children, you do the stuff you do to pay the bills, get along with people in your family or the people that you’re married to or lovers or whatever, all of that.
R: You will find that as you practice these things. You practice self-inquiry, practice being the witness, you will find you will become more mellow and things improve in your life. Because you get rid of all the stuff. It all pours out of you, it all goes away. (SX: So I always taking the moment to see that it’s you, that it’s the mirror stuff, it’s you.) As you practice this discipline, spiritual discipline and you become mellow, you become kind, peaceful and all the stuff that has been bothering you goes away. (SX: What spiritual practice? The I-am stuff?) Yeah. (SX: And being in that inquiry “Who am I?”) Yeah. (SX: And in the silence.) Yes. (SX: In the no answer?) Yes. Always being the witness. (SX: So meanwhile you could just go ahead and just have a great time being alive if you look at it that way.) Again if you stop saying, “I’m making a mess or I’m doing something,” your body will know what to do by itself. It’ll appear to do things that will make it beneficial for you. (SX: Could you do that part again please?) You will appear to be as you’re working on yourself, you will appear to be doing the thing that you have to do without even thinking about it.
In other words your body karmically came here for a purpose and your purpose will be fulfilled whether you like it or not. You have absolutely nothing to do with it. So your job is not to react to the purpose of whatever is happening to your life. You just go within and dive deep within yourself. Find out who you really are. Discover your true Self and let your body do what it will. (SX: Let your body do what it will. The humanness will?) It knows what to do by itself. (SX: You mean you aren’t even in charge of this body you mean?) Yes. (SX: When you just keep getting to empty and meaningless you have to keep getting into humanness at the same time?) Yes there is a power that takes care of everything. The power that knows the way. (SX: So you just get out of the way. You don’t have to make a big deal about it.) Exactly. Just keep calm, peaceful, relaxed. And see what happens you’ll be surprised.
Or you get excited, you worry, you fret, you attract the negative conditions to you and causing the situation to become ultimately worse. Just keep calm, peaceful, relaxed. Trust the power that knows the way, then you’ll find peace. Everything will take care of itself.
See we’re so egotistical we believe we have to make it happen. We believe if I don’t do it nothing will happen. I’ve got to go out and get a job, I’ve got to work, I’ve got to do this, I’ve got to do that. But in truth there is a power that knows exactly what you have to do, where you have to be and whom you should be with. You have nothing to do with this. Your job is to get yourself out of the way and allow it to happen. Then you’ll have total happiness and peace.
SX: I want to talk about the notions of parity and a plan and discipleship and practice with discipleship. (R: Umm.) Not to contradict anything you’re saying but in addition to what you’re talking about… (R: You can contradict anything I say.) I don’t want to, but I wonder why you would say, all of that. You said there was nothing to do, I understand that but the frame of which you would say there is nothing to do but then in another frame you can talk about discipleship…does that match what you’re talking about? (R: What do you mean by discipleship?) Well this whole notion that there is such a thing and that there are people here who want to bring in people and head them down to earth that in a previous eon that we think of looking outside and we are meant to bring us in, and there are people who are to do this as models and as teachers or leaders, to lead the way for everyone to transform. I’m not making that up, that is out in this so called world.
R: If you feel that way about it, do it. (SX: Yeah.) If that is the way you feel about it, do it. But try to see and realize the reality, you’re not the doer. (SX: Yeah, even in that training for discipleship that is the same thing isn’t it? The I-am and the emptying, but with this notion in mind that you’re here for service.) Because ultimately you are the one, who are you serving but your Self. There is one Self. And you serve your Self. Always realize that you are the one. Do not be mad at yourself or angry at yourself or upset with yourself. Trust the power that knows the way.
SX: I’ve actually been doing some work for work lately. Something that I …unclear… for a process called focusing. (R: Umm.) And what I really like about it is that it sets up a relationship between the big self, the eternal self and these femoral negativities which come by which the fundamental practice or understanding is that the big self has an acceptance for all the rest. That seems to be a key of getting to where it is you’re talking about going.
R: It sounds more complicated. (laughter) The whole idea is to make it simple.
SX: But this is very simple. The minute a negative feeling comes you just accept and because you’ve chosen to do so you have compassion for it. The way you would do with another being you would inherit it. Just do it yourself. I mean you don’t even have to do anything beyond that, there is just a fundamental stand. To be in an accepting, compassionate attitude toward yourself. It seems to be very free in my experience.
R: Again you do not wish to sublimate your feelings.
SX: No, no you can still actually be pretty angry or upset or whatever at the same time as you’re accepting it compassionately. And you get very high, the self that is accepting it compassionately, gets pretty high on that. (R: That’s good.) It really is good. One of the most useful things I have ever learned. (R: Keep it up.) Thank you.
ST: Would you say that compassion has any fundamental function in your view of things?
R: Only when you believe you are a body. (ST: So the Delai Lama, do you think he forces himself to believe he has a body just enough to have compassion for the world?) The Delai Lama doesn’t even know what he is supposed to be doing. He is in his right place doing the right things. Do not concern yourself with the Delai Lama. See in your self where you are or where you’re going. The Delai Lama is in the right place doing the right things. (ST: I think we’re here in the right place doing the right thing too.) Yes we are. We all are. When we start thinking of others and start comparing ourselves to other people, thinking about the Delai Lama whether he has compassion, whether he is forcing himself. These things are of no importance to us. The only thing that is of importance for us, what I’m trying to say is, “Who am I?” And you will realize that you are the Delai Lama. (ST: So you must have unbearable compassion for all beings?) You do. You certainly do. What I’m trying to say is the Delai Lama is not separate to you or me or anybody else. There is one entity and there is no separateness.
ST: So when we’re thinking like you which we do often I’m sure, by thinking about you we’re really thinking about ourselves?R: Exactly. As I explained yesterday what you’re doing is always to yourself.
Whatever you do to another human being, good or bad you’re only doing it to yourself.
For there is one energy. And we’re all endless and atoms and all energy. If we can keep this in mind, we’ll think twice before hurting somebody else. Because there is one Self and what goes around comes around. (ST: I’m so happy to meet my Self.) So am I. (laughter) SX: You said something else about not to sublimate feelings? Could you say something about that?
R: I said when you have hatred or pain or anguish or depression, do not say to yourself, “I can’t keep these feelings, I’m not supposed to have them I have to keep happy, happy, happy. What did I say to bring it up?” If you do this you will blow up one day and hurt a lot of people. (SX: Yes.) What you have to do is to realize what is going on. See yourself where you’re at, what is happening to you. And you have to inquire, “To whom do these feelings come? Who has these feelings? I do…” (SX: The ego I?) Yes. “Who am I?”
(SX: And then again not make such a big deal about it, it’s just that ego stuff?) Yes, and you keep inquiring, “Who am I?” One day you’ll come to the realization that I is not you at all. You are not the I.
SX: It doesn’t matter how anyone goes, I don’t mean to cut each other up and rip each other off, I don’t mean like that but what does it matter who you love anything or does it? You know just love anybody because it’s all the same thing anyway so…
R: No it’s not up to you. It’s all been preordained. (SX: Okay so when the conflict stuff is coming out of the I?) The conflict stuff is the I.
SX: Alright when the I is doing its conflict thing, the concept that is I, is there and present, and again not enlightened, in a relationship with a human being you just, again it’s just “Who am I?” back to that. Get the I out of the way and then it doesn’t matter you can go ahead and not have the conflict with that person, supposed to be, right?
R: As long as you think you’re a human being you will always have conflicts and no conflicts. (SX: For all I know we are human beings?) Therefore when you’re a human being, you believe you’re a human being, take it easy, relax. Just go within yourself and inquire, “Who am I?” and realize that I has the problems not you. (SX: Okay.) And inquire, “Where did the I come from?” Just sit alone and let it happen. Everything will take care of itself. (SX: Quiet down the I and just let it take care of itself instead of trying to do something about it?) Yes. The only way to quiet down the I is you inquire the nature of the I… (SX: Oh I feel like I’m not where it’s supposed to.) That is when things begin to happen. But in the meanwhile just understand everything is predetermined. Before you came into your so called body it was already decided what is going to happen to you. Who your friends are going to be, who your people are going to be, experiences are going to happen everything has been decided. The only way to stop that is to inquire, “To whom does it come?” (SX: To whom does it what?) To whom does this come? And realize that you’re free from this completely. Then everything will be transcended.
SX: Why do people ever leave each other. Why does there seem to be lot of divorces all of a sudden? Is that all the I ego things bashing each other.
R: This is part of the cosmic joke. (SX: Okay.) Of lovingness. It appears to be going on this way. We appear to be fighting with each other, leaving each other, divorcing each other, loving each other. It’s all part of the dream. Do not react to it. See it from a different standpoint. Observe it watch it, but do not react to it. Inquire, “To whom does this come?
Who is having these experiences? Where do they come from?” And go right back to I. “I have these experiences. I’m going through this. But who am I?” And keep still. (SX: And just wait and see what happens?) And as soon as more thoughts come to you, inquire, “To whom do these thoughts come?” Keep doing it again and again and again and again. And you will notice that you keep slowing down. Everything slows down. Everything becomes easier and easier and it all slows down. Until one day it will just be empty space and you’ll become good for nothing. (SX: You know when you have acceptance and compassion to the self they ???) If you just observe your thoughts, yes. (SX: Acceptance and compassion is the real key?) You can say that. (SX: Yeah.) (laughter)
Glen (SG): Robert I’ve been doing lots of self inquiry and there are beliefs that when faced they dissolve away as if imaginary and they’re just thoughts. Why does it seem like…why the potency of the beliefs? And why, is it possible there is a key, belief or something that is believing in the potency of the beliefs that keep them there? If they’re all imaginary anyway why does pain and all that stuff even still stay there? It’s just like really really real. (R: Of course.) It seems really, really, really real until it fades.
R: When you’re having a dream doesn’t that seem real? It seems very real doesn’t it. Yet when you awaken… (SG: It’s wake up outable?) And so is this. (laughter) (SG: But it’s just like that (flicks fingers) wake up out of all of this.) That is how it seems but it is not true. If you’re having a dream that you’re a baby and you grow up and you go to school and you get married and you have children and you get old and you die. You go through your whole lifetime in the dream. And you wake up. So one day you will awaken from this in an instant, it’ll be the same thing. Everything that you have gone through is just like one day. And it appears long to you because you’re dreaming. But when the dream is gone it never happened. There is no time or space involved. Time and space is only in the dream.
When you awaken from the dream you didn’t get any older, you didn’t die. You never had children to take your place in the world, it’s all in the dream. So it is now, the same thing. One day you will awaken and you’ll laugh.
Glen (SG): Does the Self laugh?
R: The Self can do anything it likes. It laughs, it cries, it does all kinds of things.
(SG: Okay.) Become your Self and find out.
(tape ends)
Absätze ohne Sprecherpräfix gehören dem zuletzt genannten Sprecher — so steht es im Buch, wo der Präfix nur den Anfang einer Rede markiert. Die Zuordnung ist eine Folgerung dieser Ausgabe. Namen in Klammern sind aus dem Text erschlossen: sicher belegt sind SM = Mary, SF = Fred, SJ = Jay, SC = Nate, wahrscheinlich SG = Glen, SR = Jorge. Alle anderen Kürzel bleiben stehen, weil der Beleg nicht trägt.