– Transcript 185
R: Greetings and salutations. I see you’re all anxious can’t wait for me to speak so you can go to sleep. It is good to be with you again. We have a nice small group of people. This is wonderful, pleasurable. So you all look at me wondering what I’m going to say. Why should I say anything to you? You didn’t pay to get in here. (laughter) I don’t have to say anything. Anyway I’ll say a few words see where we go?
SH: Don’t strain yourself.
R: I won’t. (laughter) Most of us believe that we have to stop the mind from thinking and when we stop the mind from thinking liberation comes. This is false. This is false because by trying to stop the mind from thinking you’re causing conflicts within yourself and we want to avoid conflict. What we want to do is to observe ourselves thinking. To watch intelligently, the mind thinking thoughts, about the past, about the future and remove the barrier between the thoughts and the Self. See the difference?
You never try to stop the mind from thinking. Your mind appears to be stronger than you are and it will always win and you become disgusted and discouraged. Allow the mind to do what it wants. Never try to stop it. Just realize within yourself that there is a barrier like a wall between you and your thoughts, between you and your mind and allow the wall to disappear. Then there will be no conflict. The thoughts will actually merge into the Self and you will become free.
Always try to avoid conflict.
I know some of you are fighting tremendously within yourselves to become free and liberated. Again this is the wrong move. There really is nothing you have to do. This is why I tell you so often, “Just be yourself.” By being yourself you have no animosity toward your mind or to anybody else. You have no opinions for or against. You leave the world alone and it will leave you alone. You will become peaceful just by leaving things as they are. You will not vegetate. You will not become a fool.
If you allow things to unfold by themselves the power that knows the way will take care of everything for you. There is absolutely nothing you have to do. Yet your body will perform its duties. It will do the things allotted to it all by itself and you will be in absolute peace. When you stop worrying, you stop fretting, you stop trying to change things, everything will work out. Everything always works out. This is why I always tell you all is well and everything is unfolding as it should. Did I ever tell you the story about that? I’ll tell you again. Whether you want to hear or not.There was once a kingdom in which a prime minister ruled. The prime minister was a servant of the king and he took care of all the duties of the castle. He went to a guru.
And his guru always told him, “All is well and everything is unfolding as it should.” That is all he ever said. He never said anything else. He would ask this particular guru a question, “How’s the weather?” he would say, “All is well. Everything is unfolding as it should.” “How is your health?” “All is well. Everything is unfolding as it should.” “And if I put a hand-grenade in your mouth?” “All is well and everything is unfolding as it should.”
Nothing disturbed this guru. Well, the prime minister caught on. He became conscious of this truth. He became enlightened through this just by hearing his guru say this over and over again. Now when he went back to his kingdom he started to say the same thing to people who came to him for advice.
One day the chief of security came to him and told him, “I don’t know what to do I’m totally upset. My wife ran away with another man. She’s gone. I really miss her and I loved her. What am I going to do?” The prime minister smiled and he said, “Don’t worry all is well and everything is unfolding as it should.” The chief of security scratched his head he said, “What is this guy telling me?” He left cursing and mumbling.
At the same time the head chef came over to the prime minister and he said, “I’ve just been demoted to a cook and the king hired one of his relatives to take my place. This is terrible. I’ve been here for fifteen years what should I do?” And again the prime minister said, “Don’t worry all is well, everything is unfolding as it should.” The head chef was very upset about this. He was walking back to his quarters and he met the chief of security and the both related the story to each other and they were both furious with the prime minister. They said to each other, “How can we get even?”
Now down the hall was the royal barber shop and they happened to look through the window. The king was getting his royal shave. But the barber slipped with the razor and cut the kings neck, deep gash, royal blood was falling all over the floor. The two men saw this and the chief of security had a little gaze and said, “I know how we’ll fix the prime minister. We’ll fix him good.”
He ran to the prime minister and he said, “Mr prime minister guess what happened? The king just cut his royal neck and there is royal blood flowing everywhere. What do you think of this?” And of course the prime minister just smiled and said, “Don’t worry all is well, everything is unfolding as it should.” That is exactly what they wanted to hear.
They ran to the kings quarters. The king was sitting on his throne with a bandage on his neck. They approached him and said, “Your royal highness you know the pain you’re going through what’s happened to you it’s a terrible thing. We advised the prime minister of this and he simply laughed and he said all is well and everything is unfolding as it should.” And the king said, “What! Bring him to me!” And the guards picked him up and brought him to the king. He kneeled before the king and the king said, “Do you see my neck it has a bandage on. I’m in terrible pain. This is a terrible thing that has happened to me. What do you think of that?” And the prime minister said, “All is well and everything
This was a Wednesday and every Wednesday afternoon the king and the prime minister would go horse back riding in the royal woods. Every Wednesday they would go horse back riding. This time the prime minister was in the dungeon so he couldn’t go. The king went by himself.
Now there were a tribe of Kali worshipers who lived in the jungle and once a year they would have a sacrifice. They would catch the first person they’d see and sacrifice him to Kali and this was the day to do this. So the head of the tribe said, “God will bring me a pure person so that I can sacrifice him.” They went looking and they couldn’t find anybody. After a couple of hours they saw the king riding on his horse. They didn’t care if he was a king or who he was, they grabbed him kidnapped him, took him to the chief and they said, “Here he is chief we’re going to sacrifice him.” The chief looked him over and said, “You fool this man is not pure he has a cut on his neck. We can’t use him. Throw him back where you got him.” And they released the king.
The king thought about this and he said, “My goodness the prime minister was right. If I didn’t get this cut on my neck I would have been sacrificed.” So he went back to the castle and said, “Release the prime minister. He related the story to the prime minister.
The prime minister smiled and said, “Your majesty not only that but if I were with you this afternoon they would have caught me also and I would have been pure and they would’ve sacrificed me. So you see everything worked out.”
Do you know why I tell you this story? To make time go faster. (students laugh) So you can go home and eat dinner. (more laughter)
Anyway this shows you that everything always works out. It does, really.
There is no problem within yourself that does not have a solution that goes with it.
But you become so problem orientated that the solution is in abeyance it’s asleep. It is only when you see a problem as not a problem, as no problem. When you realize that it comes from false imagination. It is not the truth. There cannot be a problem in your life. Ponder this. There cannot be a problem in your life. No problem, nada. There is just no problem. It makes no difference what you’re going through apparently. It makes no difference how things seem. You only believe you’ve got a problem because things aren’t going the way you want them to. Isn’t that true? It’s not a problem you have.
For instance when you think you want Clinton to win the Presidency and Bush is winning and you become upset and you have a problem, so you think. When you’re caught with a flat tyre you become upset and you think you have a problem. But there are no problems. They’re just experiences. And if you look in the experience in the right way you will transcend that experience and become free of it totally and completely. But if you react in the wrong way to the problem so-called you may win or find a solution but you will have to go through another problem of a similar state sooner or later. You will have to go through it again and again and again until you transcend it completely by not reacting to it. This is an important point to remember.
Your problem is at a certain level. A certain level of mind. If you believe in your problem, if you’re fearful of your problem, if you react to your problem you have not broken out of that level. Even though you may appear to come up with some kind of solution and you are still at that level of consciousness where the problem exists. Therefore you will have to go through it again and again and again. The idea in other words is to rise higher than the problem. To rise higher than the problem. For the problem is below you, beneath you and you are free of it completely.
You can do this by saying to yourself, “All is well and everything is unfolding as it should,” when you have a problem and realize in your own mind that you may not see the solution to this problem right now but there is a solution and it’s all good. Or you may ask yourself, “Who has the problem? To whom has the problem come? It comes to me. I have this problem.” Trace the I back to its source. Trace the I back to its source and become free of it that way. Or you may look at your problem as I mentioned in the beginning by not being in conflict with it. You’re in conflict with your problem you try to find a solution.
When you’re looking for a solution then you’ve got a problem that needs fixing. So you’re in conflict with the problem. Rather you look at the problem, watch it. Do not feel anything from it especially do not feel fear - that’s conflict - Look at it intelligently, peacefully, observe it, watch it. When there is no conflict the problem merges into the Self and you feel happy and relieved and you will come up with a solution. You’ll know what you have to do.
So remember the way to come up with a solution to your problem is not by looking for the solution but by not being in conflict with the problem. By thinking that it’s bigger than you. It has power to hurt you. There is always a way out. There is always a way out. There is no such thing as a problem that is going to be the end of you. It makes no difference what is going on in our life. Whether you’re dying of AIDS, whether you’re dying of cancer, whether you’ve been thrown in the jungle and tigers are about to eat you, you must learn to have faith in the powers that be.
As long as you’ve not awakened to your true Self, trust the powers that be. That is like trusting God to take care of your life, to take care of your affairs. You as a human being can never come up with the right answer no matter how hard you try. You may appear to come up with an answer. As I said before you may appear to win or overcome the so-called problem with your human effort but it will not end there.
Why? Because again you have not risen. And you will simply come up with a human solution. And you will have to go through another problem of equal consequence and another problem, it never ends it goes on eternally. Therefore it’s up to you. It’s up to you to see yourself. What you are, where you’re coming from, the things going on in your life and leave it all alone. Turn from it. Turn to the Self. Turn to the source. Never become upset. Never become angry. There is a reason for everything and the reason is good. No
So if you win the lotto, you win fifty-million dollars or the doctor pronounced you’re cured of AIDS or if something wonderful happens to you to your liking this is not the end. You’re still carrying karma that has to be worked out so-to-speak. So do not live in the level of the situation. You have to raise yourself higher all of the time. Whether good things are happening to you or bad things are happening to you. Always raise yourself higher. Keep inquiring, “Who am I? What am I doing here? Who feels the weight of the world on their shoulders? Who is concerned over the world situation? I am. What is the source of the I that feels all of these things? Where did I come from? Who am I?” Keep inquiring, keep looking, keep watching. Do not get involved. Love everyone, be compassionate. Become free. You are free, totally free right now.
There never was a time when you were in bondage to anyone or anything. There is no such thing as bondage. There is also no such thing as freedom. You are beyond these things. You are the source in which all forms rest and change and take their place. Like the bubbles in the ocean. The waves and the eddies in the ocean, the bubbles come, the bubbles go, the waves come, the waves break, the waves go…go back into the ocean, come out of the ocean and so it is with us. We come and we go. Humans, animals, trees, mountains, everything appears to be born remains for a certain period of time, returns back into the ocean of bliss, do not be concerned. You are the ocean not the bubble that you’re involved with. Be still and know that I am God.
(silence)
(tape starts abruptly as Robert continues) …stump the guru. Bring the stumpers.
(Q - Mary reads, A - Robert answers)
Q: How do you know whether you’re doing God’s will or the ego’s will?
A: By not knowing at all. It’s not for you to know anything. If you become still and stop making a lot of noise and asking yourself all of these questions, “Is this my will or is this God’s will,” automatically what you call God will be in operation. In other words when you get yourself out of the way and stop thinking about these things then you’re doing God’s will. God’s will is when you rest in the Self. When you stop fretting, when you stop fearing. Stop trying to change things, change people. When you stop reacting to things then you know you’re doing God’s will. But when you’re emotional and become angry, upset, fearful then you’re doing your will. That’s how you know. So again the solution is let go of everything. To the extent that you can let go of everything to that extent are you doing God’s will. For God’s will is peace, harmony, joy, bliss and you are God’s will.
Next case.
Q: As long as one identifies with the body-mind is it beneficial to pray to the Self?
A: (Robert repeats questions then answers) As long as you identify with the body and mind is it beneficial to pray to the self? Every time you take an action you’re praying, every time you do anything in this world you’re praying, this is prayer. For you are using mental power to feel hurt, to feel depressed, to feel this way, to feel that way, that’s really prayer that is what prayer is. You’re thinking of formal prayer. You’re thinking of getting down on your knees and praying to God for freedom, for happiness, for joy, from relief of a situation but the mistake you make is you get up and you start worrying again. When you finish praying you go through the whole thing again you begin to worry about your problem, you begin to see this is wrong, you begin to condemn, you begin to criticize, you begin to curse so you spoil the whole thing.
To pray to God really means to know all is well and everything is unfolding as it should. This is real prayer to know this. To trust it to have faith in it otherwise you’re wasting your time. You can’t pray to God for something good to happen to you or to get rid of a situation that you have and when you finish praying you say, “Gee I hope God has heard my prayer? I hope God answers my prayer?” You are negating the whole thing. You are one with God. Therefore act as if…as God would act. God is, you are also. Stop being afraid, stop feeling sorry for yourself. Know the truth. You are that which has always been which you will always be. You were never born, you can never die, you’re eternal. You are consciousness, pure awareness, total freedom.
Therefore by knowing all is well, this is useful prayer. And turn from your so-called problem focusing your attention on the source by inquiring, “Who am I?” This is useful prayer. When you are praying to an anthropomorphic deity in fear and when after you’re finished having further fears is not prayer at all. You’re really telling the fears to come upon you. You’re bringing these fears upon you by thinking about them, by worrying about them. Be happy and you pray aright. Next case.
Q: Dear Robert how do you use your physical body? How does your body serve you?
A: You have absolutely nothing to do with this. Your physical body will take care of itself without your help. It is not here to serve you. What is the you that has to be served by a body? Are there two of you? A you and a body who serves it? Of course not.
There is only one and that one is the Self, the absolute reality. You are that.
There is no physical body. There never was a physical body. But if you believe there is a physical body realize that the power that knows the way will take care of it. Get yourself out of the way. Move out the way and let the power take care of the body. Again you do this by inquiring, “To whom do these thoughts come to? Who feels these things?
Who feels there is two people a body and a self? To whom does this come? It comes to me I feel this. Who am I?” And keep still and then you will know. There is only one. The one
Q: Is there anything you cannot do? If yes, what?
A: What do you want to do? What is there to do? Whatever you have to do is already being done. There is nobody that needs to do anything. Again surrender to the Self.
Let the Self take care of everything. Not my will but thine. Stop believing you’re human and you have things going on in your head that you have to negate or take care of. Go beyond that! Go to the source which is bliss consciousness, your very Self. Leave everything else alone.
Listen to that bird chirping. Does a bird have a problem? Is it concerned when it’s going to die? Or if another bird is going to eat it? Or it won’t find any food? It cannot think this way it keeps on chirping all the time. When it’s hungry it finds food. If it doesn’t find food it dies. That’s like the bubbles on the ocean again. The bubbles come they last for a time, they go away and merge back into the ocean. But the source of the bird is absolute intelligence which is your source also. Be spontaneous like the bird. Stop thinking ahead.
Stop worrying about the past. Be free.
Q: (tape break as the end of the question is recorded) …if so what do you perceive as its purpose or experience or lesson next time? Thank you.
A: There is no reincarnation. If you keep thinking about it and believing it you’re creating it. Remember the mind is very very creative. It is the mind that creates all of these situations for you. So if you keep believing in your body as an entity, separate entity and keep believing in reincarnation and karma this will take place in your particular life because you are creating this. It’ll appear to happen but in truth nothing is happening. As you believe it is done unto you. What you call your mind is a very powerful instrument. It can create all kinds of things for you. Whatever you think about all day long is your mind creating for you. If you’re in a bad situation right now that you don’t like think back in retrospect and see what you’ve been doing. And you will see you’ve been thinking about these things. You’ve been having fears. You fear that something bad is going to happen to you, fear that something is going to attack you. Fear of something or other.
All you have to do is start thinking of, “Who’s afraid of the big bad wolf,” and you’ll be okay. (laughter)
Q: Clarify the I-thought and the I-am varieties.
A: The I-thought is the ego. The ego creates the I-thought and the I-thought creates the ego. I-am is the Self. I-am is pure awareness, Brahman. I-am is consciousness. The I-thought is when you are totally attached to the body function and to the world. You say, “I see this. I feel this. I am this. I feel sick. I feel healthy.” This is the I-thought. When you say, “I-am,” and you keep silent, this is consciousness. The I-thought doesn’t really exist, it appears to exist. Where you appear to be a body it’s because of the I-thought. When you chase the I-thought back to the heart center on the right side of the chest, to the source, you will find total freedom then it will dissipate and you will become your true Self.Q: Catching the ego thoughts is becoming a habit during the day but how to dive deep in the middle of life’s activities? I can dive deep in meditation. Thanks, Lockie.
A: It makes no difference whether you’re in the market place or in a cave. If you’re in a cave you’ll be thinking just like you’re thinking if you were in a market place. People have left their families, their relatives, their wives, their husbands, their children to go live in the cave. Yet they went totally berserk in the cave. For the thoughts they had before came with them too. The idea is to get rid of your thoughts wherever you are. Never think it will be better if you got to a monastery or to an ashram, become a monk, become a nun, become a priest. Things will not be any better for you. You will bring into that position everything you are right now. Therefore wherever you are observe the mind, observe the thoughts. Do not react to them just observe them. Remove the barrier between yourself and the thoughts so the thoughts can merge in the Self and you will be free. As easy as that, do not make a big thing out of this. It is simplicity itself. That’s everyone.
Fred (SF): Sir it occurred to me that if an individual has an out of the body experience what he’s done is temporarily quit his identification with the body but he continues with his identification with the mind and it is more than likely that he will go back to the body with the mind attached.
R: You’re right. All out of body experiences are mental. Because who is out of the body? (SF: The individual.) Of course. You are still an individual out of the body. Therefore it cannot really do you any good. ( SF: Those experiences are still part of Maya, is that correct?) Yes they are still part of the mind and of course the mind is Maya. It’s all illusory created by the vast mind. Seek freedom, not toys.
SH: Is the mind still illusory if a notion of a separate me is continually annihilated?
R: Then there is no mind whatsoever. When the separate you disappears… (SH: Thoughts could arise spontaneously?) Thoughts come from the Self when there is no mind.
They appear as thoughts but are not really thoughts. They’re just a grand power operating in you. The power takes over totally. The power that grows the grass, that makes the sky appear blue. It is that that functions as you. You no longer function as a mind. So you’re totally spontaneous. (SH: That isn’t mental any more.) No. (SH: You don’t have to think about anything.) No. (SH: Why couldn’t the mind function as this ???) Because the mind doesn’t exist. (SH: Or there would be a non-ego mind. Ego of the dead.) Due to the fact that no mind really exists. No mind s ever existed. The mind is like the body it appears. Like the world.
So there is no mind so why should it function that way? There is only the Self. (SH: Unnecessary baggage.) Of course. (SH: It isn’t required?) Throw it away. Throw it in the garbage. (S: I got it.)
R: Do we have any announcements? Anyone have anything to say?
Then it’s time to eat prashad.
We have cinnamon and honey biscuits. We have fig newtons. Made with whole wheat honey and we have more of the same thing. Eat drink and be merry.
(general prashad talk as 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.